Girl Crush: The women of 90s Hip-Hop & R&B

Yes, Beyonce is currently the music industry's reigning ultimate mega-star supreme (and for good reason), but she's become so massively huge that it's easy to forget where she came from. Namely Destiny's Child, one of the many all-girl groups that had us dancing around our bedrooms in our god-awful Tevas throughout the 90s. 

Truly, our formative years would not have been the same without the likes of Salt-n-Pepa, TLC, Missy Elliott and Aaliyah, pumping messages of equality, empowerment, safe sex and erm "pushing it real good" through our dual cassette boom-boxes and bright yellow Sony Walkmans.  For those of us in our highly impressionable teen years at the time, these women were strong, positive female role models who, along with the Courtney Loves and Julianna Hatfields on the other side of the spectrum, were telling us that we a) were good enough, b) shouldn't take any shit from anyone and c) should probably learn to dance, rap or at least play an instrument.

I can remember thinking that they were all such strong (stylish?) women, and I needed to own every album, know every word, and learn every dance. Are there any of us born before, say, 1992 who don't still know every single word to "The Boy Is Mine"? And who among us hasn't managed to turn a bad day around with a good 90s girl-group ipod playlist? 

So here at Fitzroy HQ we are kicking off 2014 with a few of our favourite retro (retro! *sob*) throwback R&B jams. On a side note, we're predicting that wearing men's Tommy Hilfiger underwear sticking out of your really really low really really massive jeans will be a trend within the next 2 years. But guys can we all please agree now to just not.

Among the first few CD's I ever bought. They looked so big and unusual, stacked next to my tape collection. 

Oh, and also Baby G watches will probably be a thing again. I think I still have mine somewhere. 

"Spinderella" - hands down the best DJ name of the past, present or future. 

Oh hi there, baby Beyonce! You're gonna grow up to be Queen of the Universe!

Just text me next time Brandy!

In real life, no boy could could come between them. 

Guys, do you think we have enough condoms?

Digging this whole thing.

This, not so much.

RIP, Left-Eye and Aaliyah.