As much as we like listening to the music that our favorite artists make, many of us are just as enthralled with the background stories on their lives that led them to superstar status. When considering the influential decade that was the 1990s, well, we could be entertained for weeks based on the amount of backstories that could be told from that era!
We’ve already seen it strike huge success in the past with the likes of Destiny Child lead-singer-turned-global-pop-phenomenon Beyoncé and her NAACP-nominated HBO doc, Life Is But A Dream, back in 2013. More recently, it was proven to also be a success for eternal pop queen Janet Jackson with her four-part eponymous documentary that aired simultaneously on Lifetime and A&E last year. Even late rap icon The Notorious B.I.G. was given the royal documentary treatment by Netflix in 2021 with I Got A Story To Tell, released just one week before the 24th anniversary of his tragic 1997 murder.
Miss Jackson will soon be following up her well-received doc with a second one titled Janet Jackson: Family First, which will cover her return to the stage with the upcoming Together Again Tour — it kicks off in just over a week! — as well as reuniting her very famous musical family for a special performance after their 40-year hiatus of being on stage together. Also on the docket is an official documentary on record-breaking R&B group TLC as they speak in detail for the first time on their lives, loves, lessons and how the still-tragic 2002 death of standout member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes affects surviving members Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins to this very day.
It goes without saying, but we can’t wait to watch every single one of these documentaries on ’90s musicians! However, we couldn’t help but wonder about the plethora of other artists from that era that would make excellent subjects in a full-scope doc, which also features them talking on their individual journeys to fame.
Take a look below at 16 musicians who got their start in the 1990s and deserve a glowing documentary on their rise to the top and where they are now two decades later:
1. Mariah Carey
Mariah literally started off the 1990s, so it’s only right we get a doc on the literal Artist of the Decade as crowned by Billboard in 1999. Also, we’d love to get a take on her viral 2001 breakdown from the perspective of MC herself.
2. Lauryn Hill
Ms. Lauryn Hill’s sole 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, still inspires musicians today. There’s a huge story that still needs to be told on what made The Fugees all-star want to break free from an industry that was ready to mold her into the icon of her generation.
3. Jay-Z
He’s considered the King of Rap today, so it would make perfect sense if Hov broke down his illustrious journey to the top of the hip-hop food chain.
4. Missy Elliott
From her abusive upbringing and very rough start as a protégée to DeVante Swing, to breaking free and becoming one of the most eclectic female rappers of all time, Missy’s story would truly make for must-watch TV.
5. Brandy
Brandy broke a lot of barriers as a teen star of the 90s, but her young adult life was plagued with tragedy, controversy, attacks on her picture-perfect image and an unfortunate decline in popularity by the mid 2000s. However, the huge resurgence in star power within the past 10 years alone is where her true story lies.
6. Monica
Much like the aforementioned Brandy, her often-compared contemporary Monica was one of the teen queens that ruled the Billboard charts and garnered multiple number 1 records. Her tenacity to sustain a career for almost 30 years now is truly something that’s worth discussing.
7. Usher
While debut success was immediately bestowed on his female contemporaries Brandy, Monica and the dearly missed OG of them all, Aaliyah, Usher didn’t get that type of fame until his 1997 second LP, My Way. It’s been all the way up since then, and his triumphant story could still captivate audiences in 2023.
8. Snoop Dogg
Snoop in 2023 compared to Snoop when he debuted in 1993 are two totally different artists! A great documentary would be able to put that into better perspective.
9. Gerald Levert
Soul icons always deserve their flowers, and it’s definitely about time the Levert leading man get his time in the limelight.
10. Eve
When looking at the current booming state of female rap, Eve sometimes gets overlooked considering how influential she was to the development of femcees as triple threats. She’s won a GRAMMY, a Moonman at the VMAs, a VH1 Vogue Fashion Award, starred in her own sitcom and even had her debut album peak at #1 on the Billboard 200. Can we say, iconic?!
11. Jodeci
The “Bad Boys of R&B” moniker would be an interesting topic to explore, but it’s the story behind each member’s independent struggles where the entertainment really lies. Jaw-dropping to say the least!
12. Boyz II Men
From their Diamond-selling status with 1994’s II to forever-contagious hits like “I’ll Make Love to You” and “End Of The Road,” the amazing work that Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, Wanyá Morris and Michael McCary created together deserves to be documented.
13. Kirk Franklin & The Family
A music doc ordained by God Himself with gospel hits to assist? Count us in!
14. Darius Rucker (of Hootie & The Blowfish)
Darius Rucker broke down doors for Black country artists that many of us are just starting to see today with the success of acts like Mickey Guyton and Kane Brown. The world deserves to know where the tanning of country music first started.
Listen: DC is not just Beyoncé! The stories of Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, LaTavia Roberson, LeToya Luckett and, yes, even Farrah Franklin deserve to be heard as well.
