On this day in 1993, the Who’s the Man? movie soundtrack hit the streets, bringing together a hard-hitting lineup of East Coast heavyweights and helping define a key moment in early ‘90s Hip Hop. Released on Uptown/MCA Records, the soundtrack accompanied the comedy-crime film of the same name, starring Yo! MTV Raps hosts Ed Lover and Doctor Dre, but it was the music that left an even bigger cultural footprint.
Curated at a time when Hip Hop soundtracks were becoming showcases for elite talent, Who’s the Man? featured original tracks from a stacked roster that included The Notorious B.I.G., House of Pain, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Erick Sermon, Heavy D & The Boyz, and Mary J. Blige. It also served as the platform for Biggie’s debut on wax, with “Party and Bullsh*t,” a record that immediately caught fire and introduced his raw Brooklyn presence to a wider audience.
The production across the album was steeped in that gritty, sample-driven boom bap synonymous with the era, led by beats from the likes of Pete Rock, Marley Marl, and Easy Mo Bee. The vibe was strictly New York — grimy, soulful, and undeniably street, setting the tone for the film’s police-meets-Hip-Hop premise.
While the movie offered a comedic lens into the culture, the soundtrack stood on its own as a serious contribution to the genre, capturing a snapshot of Hip Hop right before it exploded globally. From the funky bounce of Erick Sermon’s “Hittin’ Switches” to Mary J.’s soulful interpolation on “You Will Know,” it was a blend of lyricism, attitude, and R&B grooves that reflected the Uptown sound at its peak.
Three decades later, Who’s the Man? remains a slept-on gem in the catalog of Hip Hop soundtracks — a reminder of the days when the music tied directly to the culture’s movement on screen and in the streets.