Joni Mitchell has become an icon in the world of American music. Her career as a musician started when she was only 9 years old. Mitchell was one of the many children in the US who had become victim to the polio plague that hit the city in the 1950s. This unfortunate affliction landed Mitchell in a polio ward in Canada where she sang to the public for her very first time. As she lay on a bed in the ward, she began singing Christmas carols for everyone and consequently ended up discovering her love for music.

This was the point from where Mitchell started developing a love for singing. This love eventually resulted in her becoming a highly prolific musician who released 19 albums. Her first official song, titled “Song to a Seagull” came out in 1968, and ever since then, she has kept on singing. Mitchell is now 75 years old, and if you take a look at her long career in the music industry, you can see how her music has aged with her. Many of her songs are fuelled by the feelings of pain and hardship that she has faced throughout her life, which makes her music all the more captivating.

Mitchell’s early works took the folk genre and did something amazing with it, then she transitioned into mega stardom and did the same to the pop genre as well. She has explored a variety of genres throughout her career, adding a unique Joni Mitchell feel to every genre that she ever touched. This is what makes her music stand out and sound refreshingly different even to this date.

Joni Mitchell’s experimental music, her daring artistic vision, and her disregard of what society thought about her made her a visionary. Many people compare her with the likes of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and other artistic musicians who produced music not to appeal to the crowd, but to preach the crowd and enlighten it.

While Mitchell’s character can be compared with other prolific musicians, she remains peerless simply because of the fact that she did things entirely in her own way. One of the many interesting things about her is how she tuned her guitar. Her tuning was always random in order to keep her from becoming used to following pre-determined patterns. While this may sound foolish to some, it was a part of her style and one of the many things that made it so distinctive.

Another unforgettable thing about her music is the way she words things. Her poetic lyrics can paint vivid images inside of the listener’s mind. They also evoke all kinds of emotions in you and basically make her songs feel alive. Her last album came out in 2007 and ever since then she has become less social. However, her fans can still connect with her through the songs that she has left behind, songs that will outlive her and make sure that her mark on American music never disappears.

The 90s can easily be called the best years of rap. This decade saw a variety of solo rappers and group rappers who produced music which effectively shaped this genre’s future. We are going to be taking a look at some of the best rap groups of this time and their best music albums. Rap groups were a big thing in the 90s and for good reason. There were a number of famous groups that really stood out from the crowd and managed to produce music that oozed creativity.

#1 Let The Rhythm Hit Em By Eric B. & Rakim

While this album was never able to meet the same standards as this rap group’s first two albums, it certainly is from their prime years. The groups started delving into newer territory after this release, which ultimately did not prove to be a good decision.

#2 Stakes Is High By De La Soul

This album came out after the group’s reputable producer (Prince Paul) left them. While this loss proved to be a blow for De La Soul, they still managed to produce some good music. In Stakes Is High, you can see the group’s iconic album concept creativity. The lyrically heavy tracks in this album are all about the hip hop industry during that time period.

#3 Illadelph Halflife By The Roots

An album from a time when The Roots was still trying to refine its style, Illadelph Halflife has managed to become a fan favorite for various reasons.

#4 Steal This Album By The Coup

This album is filled with music that goes after a variety of social issues. Its take on these issues shows an awesome balance of intelligence and heat that make it an impressive piece of work.

#5 Naughty By Nature By Naughty by Nature

This group’s tongue twisting lyrics and strong tracks gave it a very assertive feel. The band’s album hits hard and sound great, when you listen to it you cannot help wondering why they aren’t more popular.

#6 Jurassic 5 By Jurassic 5

A true gem of its time, this alternative hip hop group did not receive a warm response when it came out. However, people began appreciating it after a few years and Jurassic 5 became a popular album.

#7 Very Necessary By Salt-N-Pepa

This female hip hop group had received a lot of fame by 1993, but that did not make them complacent. They released Very Necessary and ended up becoming even more prolific.

#8 6 Feet Deep By Gravediggaz

Gravediggaz was a big thing in the 90s because of the fact that the group had worked with Prince Paul and Rza. Both of these characters where incredibly influential in the 90s rap scene. 6 Feet Deep is an album that takes on a horror theme and delivers music that is exceptionally different from whatever you find out there.

The 1990s was a glorious time for rap, any rap fan out there should definitely explore music from this era to experience rap in its prime time.