Music Rich: Growing Up In The 90s

The songs that raised us don’t just live on playlists; they live in our bones. Today, we trace the lines between the records our parents loved, the 90s catalog that shaped us, and the new music our kids crank at 2 a.m., asking a simple question with a complicated answer: Was it actually better back then, or were we just music-rich?
 
 We start with a laugh about getting called out on “DM” slang and roll straight into a generation-to-generation handoff of taste. From Whitney, Mariah, and TLC to Tupac, Biggie, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Nas, Jay-Z, and Outkast, we map the foundations of hip-hop and R&B that made the decade feel like an unbroken run of classics. We jump lanes into rock with Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Buckcherry, then swerve into country with Faith Hill because getting sung to from two rows back can convert anyone. Along the way, we revisit the school-dance chaos of 3-6 Mafia, the first time a car stereo felt like church, and the way a single hook can reset your whole day.
 
 The heart of the conversation isn’t about ranking eras; it’s about recognizing the lineage. We didn’t just have great songs; we inherited a stacked deck from the 60s and 70s and watched new forms erupt on top of it. That context explains why nostalgia hits so hard and why it’s easy to look at current charts and shrug. But when we build a tight, memory-anchored playlist and share it with someone younger, we hear the same spark in new clothes. Curiosity beats gatekeeping, every time.
 
 Hit play if you want a guided walk through cross-genre love, concert firsts, mixtape rituals, and the timeless feeling of being claimed by a chorus. Then tell us the three tracks that still move you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a throwback, and leave a review with your top picks. We’ll shout some out on a future show.

Family, friends, frenemies, pull up. This is your invitation to laugh, reflect, and speak your truth. No edits. No filters. Just grown-folk conversation. New episodes every week. Your comments shape the show. #unscriptedafter40 

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Transcript

Warm-Up And Yoga Update

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Okay, I think I'm ready. Okay, let's get started. Update. I did an episode about yoga class last week, and I tell I told y'all that I need to go to the beginner's class. And guess what? I was correct. I did need to go to beginners class. Um it wasn't too hard, but it wasn't too easy. I think I messed that phrase up, but I'm pretty sure y'all understand what I meant. It wasn't too easy, but it wasn't too hard. But I got the concept of yoga, and I think now that I'm in the beginners class, I might stick with it, okay? But that that's nothing. Let me see what else. Um my poster, as you can see, is still down. Um, I need to find some way to hang this crap. It's just big and it keeps falling off the wall. And I already messed up a little bit down here. See, right here. Oh well, let me see. Now y'all can see it right here. So y'all that listen on the podcast. I messed up on the bottom, the bottom part, but that's okay. But we're gonna keep working and keep rolling

Poster Woes And Setup

SPEAKER_00 1:02

through. Welcome to another episode of Unstripped After 40, the podcast. Now, this week, please forgive me, okay? Um, I'm gonna get into a conversation, and unfortunately, it's too many people to name, and you'll get what I'm saying, you'll understand why I'm about to say when I talk about the top I'm not talking about. Um, I was talking to my son about a couple weeks ago, and I was telling him that, hey, you know, my cousin slid into my DM. He promptly stopped me. He said, Dad, you you can't say that. Um, guys don't slide

Show Intro And Topic Tease

SPEAKER_00 1:42

into your DM. I I didn't know that was a thing. So apparently I need to work on my slang, because um guys can't slide into your DM. Uh I don't think. I don't know. Shoot. There's so many stuff I need to learn about this young people phrasing and stuff, but guys can't slide into your DM. Just if you're forty, you didn't know that. Um if you didn't know that, good for you. I I did not know. I thought I was talking cool. Um, I was trying to be cool, but apparently I missed the mark on the cool mark. So, but anyway, I'm rambling. We was talking about, I had a conversation with him before and said, hey, you know, his music these days is

DM Slang And Generational Language

SPEAKER_00 2:20

not good. Like when I grew up, you know, music was great. You know, it talks about love making, it got you crunk, hype, motivating, and stuff like that. And I was just saying that his music was sucking, right? And then I had to apologize to him because, like I said, my cousin Tony, he sent me a DM inside of Instagram. Since I can't say sliding DM, because I guess that's politically incorrect. I'ma just use that phrase. Yeah, but it was incorrect, but apparently it was incorrect. So, um, but anyway, he sent me a video, and on the video, it was this man talking about, hey, you know, if you were born in the 80s or the 90s, um, you was like music rich. And that's why you think that all the music that you hear today is like not good

Are Today’s Songs Worse

SPEAKER_00 3:13

music, you know, like when my parents grew up, right? You know, they grew up Marvin Gay, you know, um Teddy Pendergraph, turn off the lights, and um what's the poet name? He he he he would say, you think you lonely now. You know, they play that good music, and that's the music I grew up with my parents, and then my generation, you know, I I can't say I'm an 80s baby because I was born in the 80s, but I'm a 90s baby. And I did a quick research, you know, and I was thinking about, but I was just thinking about some of the songs, and that's why I say I can't name all the great artists. I I just don't have enough time because if I if I start now, um this podcast is gonna last about 24 hours. It's gonna be like a freaking marathon because the man was

Music Rich: 60s–90s Foundations

SPEAKER_00 4:02

right. We was music rich growing up, especially if you're over 40 and you grew up in the 90s, and then you gotta think about it. So we had the music from the the 60s and 70s coming back with us with all the good artists. You know, you got like I say, James Brown, you know. Um, shoot, you have um oldest reading, and please, if I'm saying so many names wrong, please don't kill me in the comments, okay? I'm sorry, I can't remember all the names, but like I say, we had some great artists coming back. Michael Jackson, the late great Michael Jackson, and you know, the late great Prince. See, the names coming back to me now. You know, you you think about all those great artists that came up and started making music that you know that that is still relevant to this day that we was going through. So that's why I said I'd apologize to my son because you gotta think about it. That that music was coming up. And like I said, when I did my research, I was looking at it like where I say, to my heart, you know, they think about RB. I'm saying Mariah Carey, because you know, Mariah Carey, she her and Whitney, oh her, Whitney, and Janet Jackson, though ladies, and like I say, though those just a couple of the ladies that was killing it in RB. And um, because Mariah Carey, she she can sing, that woman can sing her freaking vocals off. Her and Whitney, Whitney! Oh, Whitney, boy, Whitney Houston, that that lady could sing. Like I say, and then you gotta think about TLC. That's when they start bringing in the classic TLC. Um, like they start bringing RB and bringing with the dance movie, like, I don't want no scrub. Scrub is a guy, and then it came with that song, like, I know you heard it,

R&B Queens And Groups

SPEAKER_00 5:40

the red light district. Um, the red light district. And I know y'all heard from other episodes, you know, I can sing, I got I got a good voice on me, so I know what you're hearing right now. You like that boy can sing, like Brandon Jackson off coming to America. That boy can sing, that boy can sing, and then we talk about, let me see, um, boys the men, um, Joe the C, you know, forever my lady. Ooh, we life is just a dream.

unknown 6:12

Whew.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Uh and like I say, okay, so uh I'm getting like I say, uh tonight after I get off this podcast record, I'm gonna have my own music section. But like I say, so, and then I remember when I went to my first concert. Now, my first concert was a rap concert, and I know y'all know who Trick Daddy is, okay? So um, I don't know what this life would be, but I know one thing. This is the life for me, baby. I'm a thug. Whoa, you could tell me trick. Hey, hey, he said some music that gets you hype and want you to fight somebody, but hey, that that music was hype. I can remember when um I went to a dance in high school. Like I used to have dances back in high school on Saturdays, like they have the little teen dancing. We used to be crowding, you couldn't wait till Friday and Saturday come. And it was just one song they couldn't play. And I'm I'm pretty sure it was by 3-6 Mafia. So if y'all can remember, but the name of the song was Tay the Club Up. And they had to ban that goddamn song. Because soon as that song came on, I'm gonna let you know now. My parents didn't raise me to be no thug. Even though I listen to Trick Daddy, he and you know, he said the thug is

First Concerts And Hype Anthems

SPEAKER_00 7:32

like the be. My parents raised me to be a proper human being, you know, give back society. But I don't know what it is about that song, Tay the Club Up, that that made people freak the fuck out. It just made them tear that me thinking about it right now, get me hype. Tay the club up, tay the club up, and that's what we did. We told the club up. They had to cut that song short. They like, hey, we can't play that song. Y'all, y'all motherfuckers are going crazy in here. So for my first concert with Trek Daddy, and then, you know, that that concert was wow. Um Trey Daddy, he he blew the house off. And then um a couple years later, after I joined the army, I went to my first country concert. And I don't know if y'all ever heard of Faith Hill. I think she still married Tim McGraw. Um, but Faith Hill, I was like maybe two rows from her off the stage, and that woman was singing to me. I don't know, nobody, I I'm pretty sure she looked and she said, Damien, this song is for you. And I know it. But see, like I said, I fell in love with music. Like it was so many genres that you can go across. Like I said, that like I said, that's why I have to apologize because it's so much good music out there during that time frame. Like I said, you got the music from the 70s and the 80s, well, 60, 70, 80 is coming up, bringing up. Because like I said, I even forgot about um Heavy D. And shoot, you know, I know he's controversial now, but R. Kelly, hey, I don't see nothing wrong. Hey, hey, he was the RB undisputed game,

Rock Detours And Unexpected Favorites

SPEAKER_00 9:15

okay, back in his time. So, you know, and then I remember him when him and Trey Songs had a beef, okay? And I love Trey Songs. Hey, look, look, look, hey, VA baby, VA, he made me love VA. So um, and who else I forgot? Like I said, it's so many artists I keep they they keep rambling in my head, but I didn't roll this, okay? Um, Pearl Jam, and that takes me back into rock, right? Pearl Dram. I remember when I first heard Hotel California. Now that song, it it took me to a different like um it because I like to ride, I rode my ride motorcycles. So, you know, when I had here, it was there. Welcome to Hotel California. It's a lovely place, it's a lovely place. Oh, yeah. See, it comes back to my head, right? And then Red Hot Chili Peppers. And then let me see. It's another group that I know that I really like, Buck Cherry. They had this song came out. Um, if y'all didn't hear it, look it up. Yeah, it I know for some of y'all that probably listen to the different genres, but you got to get out there and listen to some of these distant genres, okay? Gendras. Okay, I know I'm saying it wrong, but let it go. Um, Buck Cherry came out with a song Um Too Drunk the Fuck. And I remember when it came out, um, like I said, I was in the army then, and one of my friends played in the room. And when he played, I said, What? It goes bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. And he told me, he he talked about, he said, um, go on to the whole thing. He said, but the name of the song, but the hook that got me, I'm too drunk to fuck now. I'm too drunk. And then they got another song, that crazy bitch. Okay. Oh man. See, but it's the song that that that gets you motivated. Like I say, music rich. It has some insong. And then, you know, we can't forget about the the late and great, like I say, Tupop.

Hip-Hop Pillars And Party Memories

SPEAKER_00 11:09

Um, he him and Biggie, they changed the game. And then freaking Dr. Dre came around with him, and then Tupop. I remember, I'm not saying Tupop, but I remember Snoop Dogg. I remember when Snoop Dogg came out with gin and juice. Oh, everybody was singing the goddamn gin and juice. And you know, I even wanted to drink gin and juice. It burned when it went down, but I the song was in my head and got me going through it. And like I said, that's what's up. And that night, me and my son, after I went through him, as I'm going through A Cited With You and actually thinking about the songs that I listened to through my childhood and the different genres and the and kept going through the thing. Me and him was up probably like for five or six hours. And we had to stop because you know, I realized that at three in the morning I had to go to sleep. Okay, because I had to go to work the next day. But we was going through so many songs, and I was trying to show him how music-rich we were, and that's why that I thought that some of the songs that he him and his generation actually coming out with now are actually bad songs when it's not all the songs bad, but a lot of the songs I just don't understand because of the songs that I grew up with that was talking about so much stuff. And like I say, um A Tribe Called Quest, okay. I I remember when it came out. Shoot, I'm talking about then Nas and Jay-Z. Okay, it's Jay-Z song that I still listen to now to this day, um, a star was born. You know, he talks about it. He said a star was born, and he kept the hook on and stuff like that. And then, you know, he brought out Kanye West. And I remember when Nas came out with Uchi Wally Wally, Uchie Wai Bang Bang. And please forgive me, I know I'm I'm jacking up some of these songs, but I promise you, if I want to say her name, because every time I say her name,

CDs, Tapes, And Nostalgia Tech

SPEAKER_00 13:05

she talks, she talks right back to me. But I was hitting those songs back and left and just going through the rolodex. And I can remember as when I first got my first new car, and I had a CD player, okay? And then if y'all don't know about a CD player, I had this big roller decks full of CDs. You know, it was a book. It's not like now, you know, all your all your songs is housed on this phone and stuff like that. I do remember cassette tapes, but I didn't really grow cassette tapes. But I had a cassette tape, and I can tell you, my first two cassette tapes, as I'm thinking about it, was Mary J Bly, What's the 411, and Heavy D and the Boys Blue Funk. See, it could come back to my head, like I say, and I remember my first CD I bought. My first CD bought, like I say, even though he's controversial now, but when he came out with 12 play, 12 play, give me a little bit of 12 play. And then after that, I I went and bought a Josie C D. And after I bought a Josie C D, Bell builded bow. You know, poison. Let's say it I'm excited because like music back when I was growing up, it it got you hype. It made you want to make love or fight. That was only two things. Make love or fight, you know, and it was so exciting during that time frame that it was so many artists across so many genres that came out. I keep messing that word up. Man, that's why I say I I I might need to rethink this re-editing thing and work on my pronunciation, but genres, okay, genres. Okay, whoever can help me on the, y'all can help me in the comments. But the genres, it was so much music out there for so many different artists that was coming through our waves through our time frame. Like I said,

Too Many Greats To Rank

SPEAKER_00 15:03

because you gotta think about the older artists that was back there. Like I said, because I remember I first heard Purple Rain, and I looked at the um the video, and you couldn't tell me that when I had hair, I wanted the hairstyle like Prince, you know? And I wanted to come back up like that. Then you say you gotta think about it. Then um, after Prince, you know, Michael Jackson, that cat can dance. That's that's where Chris Brown got it from. And like I say, I for I forgot about Chris Brown. Look, she Chris Brown came out and saying, um, what's the song he came out that I really like? That um shit, the hoes, something like it's about these hoes. The hoes ain't loyal. God tell you, that's what see, so much good music. And yeah, think about ho. I forgot about, like I say, Master P. Um, make it say, um, um, na na na na. And then he had mystical on his thing. You know, I think still smoking, but still smoking, but see, all these songs keep coming in my head. Like I said, it was so many, it was polluted with great artists coming up during your time frame. So for me, it would be hard to pick just one artist that I could say, hey, you know what? Um, they was the best, or this was the best. And I know people we they can have debates across country music, across rock music, across jazz and blues. Um, it's so much

Reflecting With His Son

SPEAKER_00 16:33

out there, especially coming out during the time frame I came up when music was hitting. And like it was hit hard. And like I said, yeah, there are some good artists, like I say, that come out there. Like J. Cole, he came out with a new album this year. And shit, that song he talked about on 469, 569. Okay, I apologize, J. Cole. I know I should know this song. But what like I say, it's so much. It's a lot of artists coming out this year that is great. Future, um, what else on this? I I think of and I'll come back with y'all. But y'all can hit up in the comments, and we will talk in the comments. Like I said, if I go on and on, I'll be talking forever. And I forgot about David Banner. Oh man, David Banner and T.I. Shoot, Atlanta, and and how can I be an outcast? See? They just keeping it coming up. So many artists doing our time frame. We were just music wealth. We was had a wealth of music. You couldn't spit and find something out there that you can rock with that you didn't like, okay? And I even talked about one thing, Rob Zombie. That dude, crazy, crazy cat, man. Like I said, it was so much. Rob Zombie made my black ass go to a marsh pit. I I I shouldn't even go there. I that was a place I should not have been. But guess what? He where his voice came across and brought in, he made me thought I was a part of the team. Fuck me up. But like I say, from from the music that my parents came up with and bring it to me, um, and going through the numbers with them and how they were saying my music was bad, but same thing. I I was like, you know, my son's music bad. It's a generational thing, but I could tell that, you know, from the old music coming through, especially up to the, like I say, the 80s when hip-hop started coming, you know, him or rock and roll, and then they started doing these mixes, and then like country came

Your Playlist Homework

SPEAKER_00 18:35

out, you know, and then they had Upbeat Country, the Hitty Song, like I say, Fifth Evan, she was saying to me. Um I I'm not a Molly Cyrus fan, but her dad, shh, and Molly Cyrus killed it too. So it's like you have so much out there, music rich. So this episode, I will I want you to do go back. Go back to when when you was in your you know late teens, early 20s, and find those songs that that got you going, waking up for the day. Hit that playlist and go back and say, you know what? I I remember when this song came out and it made me feel like this, or when I was listening to this song, I I can remember where I was because that that's what the good thing about music. And like I say, I'm gonna hit a couple more episodes. I'm probably gonna hit a lot of episodes on music. I'm gonna say, hey, you know what? Let's talk about this. And where was you when this happened? So um, welcome to freaking um April.

Guests, Scheduling, And Community

SPEAKER_00 19:37

And I'm gonna make sure, like I said, I told you earlier, I'm gonna get guests on for you. Um, and we're gonna go through the numbers with the guests. I'm let me see. Matter of fact, I need to Antonio Hammer Johnson. Guy's name on Sticky Pad. He told me he wanted to be on the podcast. He's gonna be my next guest. I'm gonna try to get him on this month in April, okay? I like I said, I got a lot of guest lists. The problem is his scheduling, but I'm gonna fix the goddamn scheduling in the month of freaking April, and we're gonna get these guests on for y'all, and we're gonna start this controversy. So, because y'all been putting the comments, hey, when can I be on? When can I be on? And and keep the comments coming, um, keep the topic ideas coming. Because this this topic right here came from a suggestion from the um inside the comments, and I'm sorry, it's just so much we can talk about within this time frame about music. I I can go on for days talking about how music rich I was when I grew up and how music transformed through the years and stuff. But going in your 40s, man, music always hit different, and it reminds you about when you were young and the good times and the music that we're going to within our 40s, going carry us on to our 40s and 50s, and we're gonna think back, man. I remember I was a young Thundercat back in there listening to this song and going thing. Like I say, so in the comments, put down at least three of your favorite songs that you had back during the time frame when you can when you was growing up during the you know the 90s, the early 2000s that got you in the the the like I say, in the zone, baby. In the zone. So like you see, I'm excited because I love music. I I'm a big music fan. So um

Sign-Off And Final Nod To Music

SPEAKER_00 21:16

thank you for rocking with me. Like I say, I'm sorry, I I'm cutting it short, but if I don't, I'll be forever talking to y'all about this right here. So, but like I say, and once again, thank you for rocking with me. Um, we're going into the month of April. Like I said, Antonio, I know you're listening. I'm gonna get you in the podcast, brother. You you up you up this month. So it's a couple of y'all up this month. So I'm gonna make sure I get all y'all up on this month, get you on the podcast. Okay. Um, comments, shares, and topic suggestions are always welcome. And like I said, I appreciate all y'all for for commenting on the episodes and giving me topic suggestions. Some of y'all are nice, some of y'all are brutal. Oh god, some of y'all are real brutal. And I'm okay. I'm gonna I'm gonna cry by it in the bathroom. Like Chris Brown said, um, freaking what's his name? So Boy, he cried in bathroom. See, even Soulja Boy. That one song he uh god, I can't remember the song soldier boy. It was like uh soldier boy. Oh yeah, see see, like we say I need to stop, I need to quit. Okay, okay. Well, let me sign off here. Unstripped the after four the podcast, untie the unrehearse, real talk, real people. Until next time, play that favorite song, DJ.