Philip Cochran and the Artistic Heritage Ensemble, "Malcolm X"
This is from a compilation called Soul of a Nation: Afro-Centric Visions in the Age of Black Power - Underground Jazz, Street Funk & the Roots of Rap 1968-79, and, well...it's pretty much that. I'm afraid I'm extra unqualified to talk about this album, but it's outstanding.
They Might Be Giants, "Nanobots"
I always like it when TMBG build a chorus out of two distinct vocals lines like this. And the arrangement is lovely on this song, the horns adding a richness that really helps it stand out. Nanobots has too many only OK tunes for to be top-tier, but it's still a good album. I'm going to create an album ranking for them one of these days. Multiple albums have been released since I started doing this!
Devin the Dude, "I Can't Make It Home"
The Devin move where he smoothly goes from rapping to singing to dialogue is just a delight, and he has a great one here in his first verse. In a change of pace for Devin, he's drunk and not high, although he does have weed on him.
Silkworm, "Insider"
Silkworm brought together their first record, L'ajre, with an excellent EP and some miscellaneous singles and stuff to make a two-disc compliation, Even A Blind Chicken Finds a Kernel of Corn. Frankly, it's not a great listen. I love Silkworm, and their run from Libertine through Developer is one of the best of the 90s rock underground. But the only really essential material is that EP, originally released in 93, and which was actually kind of the start of that killer run of records. The rest of it is really for completists.
411, "Those Homophobic"
Well, the 411 is pretty much forgotten, and the music itself is kind of just generic-sounding punk. But, I gotta say, "love is love" coming from a rock band in 1991 - good on you, 411!