As a kid (and teenager...wow I'm old) "In Living Color" was one of my favourite shows. Yeah the comedy skits were classic ("Men on Film", Fire Marshall Bill, Wanda, etc.) but it was in 1990 when the show started doing musical performances that it really grabbed a hold of me. It was one of the first mainstream outlets to broadcast raw, Rap performances out to the mainstream. Even more than that, the musical performances on "In Living Color" were reserved solely for black recording artists (with the exception of 3rd Bass). Looking back at the musical performances on "In Living Color" is like looking back into the history of Rap and R&B. It's tough to narrow it down but I've tried. Here are 10 Great Musical Performances From "In Living Color."
KRISS KROSS - "JUMP" - 1992
True story: brokencool wore his clothes backwards to school the next day. It was challenging to walk from science class but I still thought I looked fresh to death. To me this is the most famous performance on the show.
L.O.N.S. (LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL) - "TEACHERS TEACHERS" - 1991, "CASE OF THE PTA"
How dope is this? 1991 folks. Rap groups aren't this entertaining anymore. L.O.N.S. actually appeared twice within the same year.
GANG STARR & NICE-N-SMOOTH - "DWYCK" - 1992
Yes kids Hip-Hop did used to be this good. The crowd and cast is so amped. The craziest thing about this clip is the end where the voiceover says "stay tuned for a special presentation of The Simpsons." GOT DAYUM The Simpsons has been around a long time.
MC LYTE - "POOR GEORGIE" - 1992
That is called command of the m-i-c. Storytelling at its finest. Can you believe performances like this used to appear on mainstream television during prime-time? The equivalent today would be like Joell Ortiz performing on "Modern Family" haha. Crazy.
DA YOUNGSTA'S - "CREWZ POP" - 1993
Wow this is some grimy ass stuff right here. It was always funny to see Jim Carrey in the background lookin' like "which one of these muhfuckas gonna steal my wallet?" This might be the hardest performance seen on the show.
JODECI - "XS WE SHARE" - 1993
This was serious early 90s R&B right here. This performance begs one question: the hell happened?:
MARY J. BLIGE - "REMINISCE" - 1992
This is so cool. You know Mary was straight wildin' out in these days. That Hip-Hop Soul is just everywhere in this performance. From Mary's outfit to everybody bouncin', this is ill.
PETE ROCK & CL SMOOTH - "STRAIGHTEN IT OUT" - 1992
Pete Rock got that early 90s Hip-Hop/cab driver swag goin' on. Be sure to watch for J-Lo's ass up in there. Big ups CL Smooth for rockin' the Bills hat back when people would actually fess up to being Bills fans. The performance is a bit understated but it really shows off a wicked command of the mic.
BLACK SHEEP - "THE CHOICE IS YOURS" - 1991
The cast of the show behind the dancers were such a huge part of what made these musical performances dope. They always got so rowdy like they were about to shank one of their cast mates haha. Go to 2:27 of the vid and tell me you don't miss the 90s.
BIG DADDY KANE - "OOH, AHH, NAH-NAH-NAH" - 1991
Man was Big Daddy Kane ahead of his time or what? 90s pause on Kane for pickin' dudes out of the crowd to dance but great performance nonetheless.
BONUS - Jimmie Walker's "Mama's Gonna Kick Me Out":
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