Back in the ‘90s, hip-hop wasn’t just music—it was a lifestyle. With no streaming or social media, magazines like The Source and Rap Pages kept fans connected. In this post, I share two unforgettable moments tied to Outkast’s Elevators and The Dogg Pound’s Reality that shaped my love for hip-hop."
Blog Post:
Hip-hop in the mid-‘90s wasn’t just a genre—it was a way of life. For anyone who lived and breathed the culture, magazines like The Source and Rap Pages were lifelines. Before streaming platforms or social media existed, these publications were the primary way to stay updated on your favorite artists, albums, and the latest in the scene.
If you loved hip-hop, you didn’t just flip through an issue of The Source and toss it aside. You read it cover to cover, dissecting every word. From major features on icons like Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to smaller pieces on emerging acts, these magazines were a treasure trove of hip-hop knowledge. They were permanent fixtures in our homes—stacked in bathrooms, coffee tables, or anywhere we could easily grab them.
One issue of The Source stands out vividly in my memory. I was in one of my first apartments, young and out on my own, fully embracing the hip-hop lifestyle. That issue had an article that described a recording session for an upcoming album. The writer painted such an incredible picture that it’s stuck with me to this day.
They described walking into the studio as if stepping onto the main deck of the Starship Enterprise. The equipment lights glowed, the air was smoky, and there was an otherworldly hum in the atmosphere. The writer went on to describe the sound coming through the monitors—the big ones, mids, and smalls. They said it sounded like something from Mars or the moon. That kind of description wasn’t common for rap music back then, and it sparked my curiosity.
When the song finally dropped, it was everything they promised and more. That track was Elevators by Outkast. From the very first note, it felt like stepping into another world. The hum of the equipment, the layered sounds, and the intro that felt like voices over the intercom of a spaceship—it was all there.
Hearing Elevators for the first time was an experience I’ll never forget. It wasn’t just music—it was a moment.
The second memory that comes to mind involves an interview clip with Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. This was before I’d released my first album, and I was still in that phase of consuming everything I could about hip-hop. In the clip, Daz and Kurupt were casually talking—possibly at Disneyland—but what grabbed me wasn’t their conversation. It was the beat playing in the background.
That beat was the instrumental for Reality from The Dogg Pound’s Dogg Food. It was built on the Oberheim DMX drums, and it had this raw, hypnotic rhythm that locked me in immediately. I must’ve rewatched that clip over and over just to hear that instrumental. It was like a preview of something massive, and I couldn’t wait to hear the full song.
When Dogg Food finally dropped, it delivered on all my expectations. That beat, the energy, and the entire album were unforgettable. It became a defining moment for West Coast hip-hop and solidified The Dogg Pound as legends.
These moments weren’t just about the songs. They were about the anticipation, the buildup, and the way hip-hop could take you somewhere entirely new. Those experiences shaped my love for music and influenced how I create as an artist today.
Now, as an artist, I strive to make music that gives listeners that same sense of excitement and connection. Hip-hop isn’t just a genre—it’s an experience, and it’s those moments of discovery and anticipation that make it so powerful.
What about you? What are your most unforgettable moments in music? Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your stories and how hip-hop has shaped your life."