Lord Finesse released his third album The Awakening February 20, 1996

After being one of the first mainstream hip-hop old-school producers in the late ’80s, Lord Finesse released his third album The Awakening February 20, 1996. The album was heralded for its unique blend of jazz, funk, and hip-hop sounds, drawing inspiration from old-school rap and R&B from the ’70s. The project was a commercial success, peaking at number 60 on the Billboard 200, and peaking at number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It features a large number of album guests, including Doo-Wop, O.C., KRS-One, MC Lyte, Marquee, Akinyele, Showbiz, Diamond D, A.G., Kid Capri, Large Professor, and Brand Nubian’s Grand Puba and Sadat X. The album features the single “Hip 2 Da Game” and the hidden track “Actual Facts”. Additionally, The Awakening is often seen as a cult classic, with many of its tracks being sampled by some of the biggest names in hip hop in the late ’90s.