4 Rap Groups From the ’90s Whose Music Made You Look Smarter

Who you listen to can say a lot about you. Have every Britney Spears album? That says something. Know everything about Lou Reed or Iggy Pop? That says something, too. Are you an underground hip-hop aficionado? Well, that definitely says something about you. Those albums could actually make you look smarter if anyone saw them in your record collection.

While some rap artists are known for party songs—see: DMX or Nelly—and others are known for living lavishly—see: Jay-Z or Cardi B—there are still other groups known for cerebral, thoughtful lyrics that both teach you about the world and push you to think critically about it. It’s a difficult line, but a select few have walked it.

Here, we wanted to explore four such emcees. A quartet of rappers or rap groups whose songs have entertained and whose lyrics definitely opened the minds and hearts of listeners. Indeed, these are four ’90s rap groups whose music made you actually look smarter when you played it on the stereo.

Common Sense

While most people know him as just Common today, the clever lyricist came up first as Common Sense. The former ballboy for the Chicago Bulls turned into a beloved rapper and actor (he was just great in John Wick 2). But if you were to put on his albums like Electric Circus or Like Water for Chocolate, your Q-rating would surely rise amongst those who were in your orbit. Songs like “The Light” and “I Am Music” are both crowd-pleasers and masterpieces.

Black Star

This is a two-for-one. With the New York City-born rap group Black Star, you get Mos Def and Talib Kweli. The two friends-turned-bandmates released music that was like reading philosophy treatises. They spoke about existentialism, social codes, morality, and street knowledge.

Mos and Talib remain probably two of the most well-read emcees in hip-hop history (along with the likes of KRS-One and other folks on this list), so picking up their album is like entering a reading library.

The Roots

The Philadelphia-born group known as the Roots helped to cement the literary-minded rap movement. Also known as backpack rap, for the folks who carried backpacks filled with books and other instruments of higher learning.

The Roots, with their live instrumentation and their consummate frontman Black Thought, almost gave license to other groups in the ’90s to lean into their cerebral side. Led by Oscar-winning drummer Questlove and with albums like Do You Want More?!!!??! and Things Fall Apart, the band is a veritable walking Hall of Fame.

Atmosphere

The Minnesota-born duo known as Atmosphere has been pushing the envelope for decades now. Led by rapper Slug and beatmaker Ant, Atmosphere created indie rap songs about drinking, love affairs, crushes gone bad, and what hangovers can feel like after a night of mistakes. But Slug is also a genius who understands social dynamics, addiction, and the drive that love and sex offer to certain big-hearted artists.

Atmosphere just hits different. And they’ve been touring the United States for decades, introducing the world to their work and like-minded people in their crew, including rappers like Murs and Brother Ali.