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The year 1993 was a special one for hip-hop. It didn’t really matter which type of hip-hop you preferred, there was a classic album released that year that you still treasure to this day. Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, Onyx, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, 2Pac, Guru, Naughty By Nature, Ice Cube, Black Moon, Souls of Mischief, De La Soul, Digable Planets, and KRS-ONE all released classic albums in ’93, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

On April 5th, at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill in NYC, Props To Hip-Hop will be putting on a 20th anniversary show celebrating the year 1993, featuring a live band, and two dozen emcees covering some of the year’s most memorable songs.

With Props To Hip-Hop’s celebration in mind, RapReviews caught up with some of our favorite artists and entertainers to get their memories of ’93. Some of the memories are insightful when it comes to finding out more about the music from that era, and some of the memories are just downright hilarious. Enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Dru Ha – Founder of Duck Down Records

I remember driving in a van with Black Moon from L.A. to San Francisco that year for the Gavin Convention. Enta Da Stage was still being recorded at the time (it would come out later that year), so while we were, of course, listening to the rough mixes of that album, when that wasn’t on Buckshot was playing Dr. Dre’s The Chronic religiously. We were all fans of the music, but Buck took a special liking to that album. He was a huge fan of Snoop and Kurupt specifically, and I believe it influenced some of the melodic flows he would develop and master on songs like “Buc Em Down” (RMX), and “I Got Cha Opin” (RMX).

Tre Hardson of The Pharcyde

I remember being on the Lolapalooza Tour in 1993. SO MUCH WEED being rolled up, and dice being thrown on the tour bus floor, with classic hip-hop songs rockin from the back room of the bus while we waited to take the stage. I remember A Tribe Called Quest being on the main stage that day and we all rushed out to go inhale the classics that we would bump till the tape popped. “Bonita Bonita Bonita” was the sound of a MASSIVE crowd, “Check the Rhyme” had a mosh pit forming. It was great. Then there was Cypress Hill, and a gigantic skull with smoke coming out of it. Stoned was indeed the way we were walking on that tour. Lolapalooza encapsulated that whole time for me. It brought many cultures and genres together to give hip-hop yet another big boost. Gotta love it.

Homeboy Sandman – Stones Throw Records Recording Artist

My family went to Disneyland that year, or Disney World, whichever is the one in Florida. I was feeling so cool from constantly playing Enta Da Stage back to back to back to back to back, and that I had the heart to kick it to this fine ass girl staying in the same hotel. I wound up dropping the ball soon after the first kiss, but that kiss, and some noteworthy feel-copping, was all thanks to Black Moon.

Eric Andre of The Eric Andre Show on Adult Swim

I remember loving “C.R.E.A.M.!” I remember me and my friends were all chanting the hook from “C.R.E.A.M.” in the cafeteria and this teacher walked by and he was like, “HEY! YOU! Come here! What did you just say to me?” And I was like, “Uh, cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M. get the money, dollar dollar bill y’all?” And he was like, “…carry on.” {laughs} He didn’t really know what to say.

Donnell Rawlings – Comedian (Chappelle’s Show)

I had just moved to New York from D.C. with nothing but 35 dollars and an alarm clock to wake my ass up for auditions. This was the beginning of my comedic journey. Whenever I was about to perform I would play Onyx’s “Slam” at ignorant levels until my head was about to blow. I would be so amped that I’d hit the stage doing my best Onyx impression, and I’d rip the room a new asshole. One time I finished my set and I actually overheard a guy tell his girlfriend “the guy from Onyx is really funny. He should do comedy full time.”

Malikha Mallette – Actress (formerly a DJ on Power 105.1FM in NYC)

I blame Dr. Dre for all my male classmates yelling “Deez Nuts” every two seconds. Now, I didn’t get The Chronic as soon as it came out, so I wasn’t familiar with all the album cuts and skits. I remember hanging out by the lockers when a group of my male friends asked, “what do you call nuts on a wall? What do you call nuts on your chest?” If you don’t know how this one ends, go get The Chronic and reacquaint yourself! Needless to say, I got a copy of that album IMMEDIATELY! It’s definitely a classic!