Rewinding the Coolness of The Cassette Era

And boomboxes didn’t play records. They played cassette tapes. At the dawn of the genre, the mixtape was rap’s first long-form listen.

But even as boomboxes became less ubiquitous and even as the CD loomed as a more fashionable format after 1997 – the cassette was integral to the contemporary Black music experience.

Some of the most impactful projects of the era took full advantage of the cassette format. In doing so, they represent the high artistic standards that helped to elevate the cassette — even if they never became as lionized as vinyl. There are projects of the cassette tape era that remain tied to that era. And that’s something to appreciate.

Death Certificateby Ice Cube is arguably the West Coast rap legend’s most lauded album. Released just after Cube began studying Islam, it has always represented a creative crossroads for the former NWA lyricist. Its format was evidence of both the creative possibilities of the cassette era and proof that Ice Cube was looking to push his incendiary artistry to new places. Cube split …Certificate between “The Death Side” and “The Life Side.” Whether or not the songs explicitly stick to that conceit tonally is debatable — but it’s clear that Cube structured his album as two complementary sides. From the grim shooting and dwindling heart monitor that close The Death Side, to the fiery revolutionary rhetoric that opens The Life Side, Cube uses the cassette to champion a rebirth.

Boyz II Men’s 1991 debut Cooleyhighharmonyalso followed the motif of splitting cassette sides — but instead of dividing themes, the quartet from Philadelphia employed what became something of a standard for early ‘90s R&B cassettes: one side of the tape was for ballads; the other side for uptempo dance tunes. Nate, Mike, Shawn and Wanya. Their contemporaries/rivals Jodeci took a similar approach with their first album; Side one of the stellar Forever My Ladyoffered up smoky-smooth hip-hop soul while side two was steeped in dancefloor-driven new jack swing. For anyone bumping those tapes when they were new, it was an opportunity to put on quiet storm favorites when the mood was right – and something that could get the party going when that was appropriate. As CDs became more popular as the ‘90s wore on, R&B albums stopped with such distinctions.

In hip-hop, the EP was at its most potent during the cassette era. EPs (and maxi-singles) were a mainstay of the early 1990s before all but disappearing near the end of the decade – and eventually enjoying a resurgence. Cube’s Kill At Will EP featured some of his strongest work and gave him some of his biggest early singles; while his ex-bandmates dropped the impeccable 100 Miles & Runnin.’ Digital Underground’s This Is An EP Release featured the first commercial appearances of a young rapper named 2Pac; and Creepin’ On Ah Come Up (whether it was “officially” marketed as an EP or not) served as the first major label shot for Eazy-E’s Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. With hit singles like “Thuggish Ruggish Bone” and “For Tha Love of $” it announced the five speed-rappers from Cleveland almost a full two years before “Tha Crossroads” made them household names and Grammy winners. The Extended Play was a mainstay in hip-hop, and it was largely a cassette-driven format.

Perhaps no rap album is more connected to the cassette era than the masterful

— or as it came to be more colloquially known: “The Purple Tape.” Raekwon’s solo debut, and its distinctively royal shade, dropped at a time when CDs had taken center stage, but “The Purple Tape” was and remains definitive. It harkened back to hip-hop’s early innovation and rebellious spirit, while also daring to be different and announcing the uniquely gifted vision of the Wu-Tang Clan’s Chef. Of course, the presentation and format would be moot were it not for the fact that Cuban Linx is one of the best albums of the 1990s.

None other than Jay-Z paid homage to the timeless appeal of “The Purple Tape” with his own classic album. By 2001, downloading was beginning to rewire the way fans and artists thought about how they bought and consumed music, but when Jay-Z released his opus The Blueprint, he offered a version of the acclaimed project on a blue tape. “The Blue Tape” version of The Blueprint has become a popular collector’s item for Hov fans; and it speaks to the ongoing appeal of cassette culture – even in an ever-streaming world.

Jay’s “Blue Tape” has become a popular collector’s item. It could be a great find for Cassette Week. The cassette is a part of hip-hop’s history, its lifeblood and its infinitely collectible lore. The beauty of albums like Death Certificate and Cuban Linx is they connect to that period while representing the very best of it. Letting your tape rock till your tape popped is built into the DNA of this thing — even in the decades since any of us needed to rewind. The albums that represented that period aren’t antiquated artifacts — they’re vibrant treasures for anyone who is eager to explore the art on its own. Can a classic Jodeci album be appreciated without being heard in the original format for which it was created? Of course, it can. But no one has any trouble understanding why vinyl albums sound the way they do or why vinyl albums were constructed in a certain specific way. The same should be applied to cassettes. Are they “products of their time?” Sure. But that’s not a bad thing. And sometimes, there’s nothing more gratifying than a chance to rewind.