Dres, Ras Kass, ONYX & More Bring Great ’90s Rap Back (Audio)

The Snowgoons are gifted in helping veteran Hip-Hop artists find new dimension in their catalogs. That is precisely why M.O.P., Parrish “PMD” Smith, ONYX, Reef The Lost Cauze and others have trusted the German quarter with major albums in their respective discographies. On their own, Det Gunner, Sicknature, DJ Illegal, and J.S. Kuster, assemble Snowgoons albums with care, and lots of MC star power. On this month’s Goon Bap (a play on the purist “boom bap” Hip-Hop sound), ”’The 90s Are Back” is one of the best examples.

The song finds nine MCs (ironically including “Nine”) spit about how their 1990s upbringing made them a little tougher skinned, a bit more careful to be original, and deeply respectful of the evolution of rapping. Together, this assembly of O.C., ONYX (Fredro Starr & Sonny Seeza), Ras Kass, Dres, DoItAll, U.G., Nine, Psycho Les has ties to such acclaimed groups as Black Sheep, Beatnuts (both of whom are Native Tongues acts), Cella Dwellas, D.I.T.C., and Lords of the Underground.

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Each MC uses a style Heads heard on their earlier records, over-top of the ominous sound by the production quartet. In those lines, the artists praise the good ol’ days without getting trapped in the nostalgia. Instead, “The 90s Are Back” promotes an environment where everybody can win, and the art form can be challenged by skill and substance. Notably, the official audio on YouTube features animation that traces each MC through the cypher.

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As a note, Ras Kass (Soul On Ice: Revisited X. Rediscovered. Reconnected), O.C. (D.I.T.C. Sessions), ONYX (Wakedafuckup: Reloaded), DoItAll (Beats and Rhymes, Vol. 1), Psycho Les (Dank God, Vol. 1), and Sonny Seeza (Bridges) all released product in 2016. Billed as “ONYX,” this apparently marks Sonny’s return to the group, after missing a few records.

#BonusBeat: The whole Goon Bap album by Snowgoons:

The ‘Goons are the same guys who tried to bring ONYX and M.O.P. together for an album.