The Best of 1994
This has undoubtedly been a big year for hip-hop. Dr. Dre and Warren G have assured that the West Coast sound is a force to be reckoned with while Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Nas and others have given the East Coast flavor new life. Groups like Ill Al Skratch and the whole Hieroglyphics crew have brought it all together with a mixture of the two. 1994 also saw major movement to Atlanta, with the Public Enemy organization and the Dangerous Music crew making the journey for musical inspiration. But the biggest thing to come out of Atlanta was the group Outkast, who dropped a certified bomb.

To help sum everything up, we decided to get a group of fellow hip-hop fans together and get their opinions on what was "The Best of 1994." Our panel consisted of Cvere, B.J. Maniac, Jut Drish, Kawon, Mr. Freez and your regularly scheduled 411 writers, The W and Mason Storm. One of the major benefits of the group we assembled is our varied tastes in style of hip-hop. Some are true to strictly the East or West Coast MCs, while others love it all, and hopefully the picks for the 13 categories will reflect that.

Best album
Cvere: A Tribe Called Quest -- Midnight Marauders
B.J. Maniac: MC Ren -- Shock of the Hour
Jut Drish: Warren G -- Regulate...the g funk era
Kawon: Wu-Tang Clan -- Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers
Mr. Freez: Outkast -- southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
The W: Outkast -- southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Mason Storm: Coolio -- It Takes A Thief

Best single (released)
Cvere: "Juicy" -- Notorious B.I.G.
B.J. Maniac: "Never Seen A Man Die" -- Scarface
Jut Drish: "Papa'z Song" -- 2Pac
Kawon: "Come Clean" -- Jeru the Damaja
Mr. Freez: "Flava In Ya Ear" -- Craig Mack
The W: "Forget What Ya Heard" -- MC Ren
Mason Storm: "Give It Up" -- Public Enemy

Best single (unreleased)
Cvere: "Get Together" -- 69 Boyz
B.J. Maniac: "Nutz Of A Young Baller" -- Low-End
Jut Drish: "Pain" -- 2Pac
Kawon: "Crumblin' Erb" -- Outkast
Mr. Freez: "Life's A B----" -- Nas
The W: "Loyal To The Game" -- 2Pac, Treach and Riddler
Mason Storm: "Sh.Fe.MC's" -- De La Soul featuring A Tribe Called Quest

Best remix
Cvere: "Flava In Ya Ear" -- Craig Mack
B.J. Maniac: "Let Me Ride" -- Dr. Dre
Jut Drish: "Bopgun" -- Ice Cube
Kawon: "Flava In Ya Ear" -- Craig Mack
Mr. Freez: "I Got Cha Opin" -- Black Moon
The W: "Flava In Ya Ear" -- Craig Mack
Mason Storm: "Flava In Ya Ear" -- Craig Mack

Best producer
Cvere: Dr. Dre
B.J. Maniac: Warren G
Jut Drish: Dr. Dre
Kawon: Dr. Dre
Mr. Freez: Dr. Dre
The W: Dr. Dre
Mason Storm: Warren G

Best sample
Cvere: ---
B.J. Maniac: "Star Trek V" on the intro to "Pain" by 2Pac
Jut Drish: "Holly wood Swingin'" by Kool & The Gang used in "Money In The Ghetto" by Too Short
Kawon: "In The Mood" by Tyrone Davis used in "All For The Money" by MC Eiht
Mr. Freez: "Between The Sheets" by The Isley Brothers
The W: "Robin, you're takin' too many chances" from Walt Disney's "Robin Hood" used by Ice Cube in "Robbin' Hood"
Mason Storm: "I Keep Forgettin'" by Michael McDonald used by Warren G and Nate Dogg in "Regulate"

Best lyricist
Cvere: Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest
B.J. Maniac: MC Ren
Jut Drish: Ice Cube
Kawon: Nas
Mr. Freez: Nas
The W: LL Cool J
Mason Storm: Dres from Black Sheep

Best lyric
Cvere: "You're turning me off like a naked anorexic" -- Dres
B.J. Maniac: "What's up with the love?" -- Digital Underground
Jut Drish: "Jeah" -- MC Eiht
Kawon: "I'mma getcha / You might be bigger than me, so I'mma wetcha / Comin' in your house to douse it, with the molotov cocktail / I won't fail / Burn out your eyeballs, and leave a note in braille..." -- Guru from Gangstarr on "Brainstorm"
Mr. Freez: Intro to "Hootie Hoo" -- Big Boi from Outkast
The W: "Ya think I'm fat like Oprah" -- Ice Cube
Mason Storm: Jada Pinkett

Best soundtrack
Cvere: Above the Rim
B.J. Maniac: Above the Rim
Jut Drish: Above the Rim
Kawon: Above the Rim
Mr. Freez: Above the Rim
The W: Above the Rim
Mason Storm: Above the Rim

Most underrated album
Cvere: Nas -- Illmatic
B.J. Maniac: Top Authority -- Somethin' To Blaze To
Jut Drish: DFC -- Things In Tha Hood
Kawon: The Beatnuts -- The Beatnuts
Mr. Freez: Nas -- Illmatic
The W: Common Sense -- Resurrection
Mason Storm: Blac Monks -- Secrets of the Hidden Temple

Best video
Cvere: "You Know How We Do It" -- Ice Cube
B.J. Maniac: "southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" Outkast
Jut Drish: "This DJ" -- Warren G
Kawon: "Break the Chains" -- Joe Krash
Mr. Freez: "Born To Roll" -- Masta Ace, Inc.
The W: "Bopgun" -- Ice Cube
Mason Storm: "Let Me Ride" -- Dr. Dre

Best R&B album
Cvere: Jodeci -- Diary Of A Mad Band
B.J. Maniac: 12 Play -- R. Kelly
Jut Drish: ---
Kawon: Jodeci -- Diary Of A Mad Band
Mr. Freez: Usher -- Usher
The W: ---
Mason Storm: Blackstreet -- Blackstreet

Best R&B song
Cvere: "Bump & Grind" remix -- R. Kelly
B.J. Maniac: "Feenin'" -- Jodeci
Jut Drish: ---
Kawon: "Part Time Lover" -- H-Town
Mr. Freez: "What About Us" -- Jodeci
The W: "Rodeo Style" -- Jamecia
Mason Storm: "I Miss You" -- Aaron Hall

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