1990: "All for One", Brand Nubian

Another socially conscious hip hop ensemble debuting on record in 1990, Brand Nubian was not affiliated with the Native Tongues Posse - despite also being from NY - but if anything were much more Afrocentric than their Tongues peers. "All for One", built around a trio of James Brown samples, is more of a braggadocio rap than a politically motivated exegesis, but it demonstrates Grand Puba, Sadat X and crew capable of cutting loose and creating party jams as well as social consciousness tracks. It's also amusing to note just how carefree and non-threatening hip hop could be at the dawn of the 90s.