I can’t say that I was listening to much rap in 1998 (honestly, I can’t say that I listen to that much now). While there were certainly some MTV hits that crossed my radar, or tracks that blasted at school dances and parties, I would be hard pressed to shout out any sort of deep cuts from the artists that were popular at the time.
The cover for Devin the Dude‘s hit album The Dude is iconic enough that I’m familiar with it, but only just listened to it this year, as I was going through albums off a Spin Top Albums of 1998 list. The album certainly has some bangers on it, but the track that stood out most to me was the chill, melodic “Alright”.
A very introspective track, finding Devin looking at the various ways his life could have panned, the song is ultimately hopeful, with Devin believing he’s going to survive and find a way out of his troubled world. The chorus (I’m going crazy, but I’m feeling like it’s going to be alright”) hits as powerfully today as I’m sure it did at the time, especially seeing the last year we’ve all been coming out of.
So take a breather from your day and sink yourself into this throwback jam.
The Indy Review 