Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - The Top 10 Black Beauties of the ’90s | The Van LaTEN

Episode Date: September 2, 2024

This Labor Day, Van and Rachel are bringing you a brand-new segment called the Van LaTEN! This time, they count down the top 10 Black beauties of the ’90s. Let us know if your pick makes the cut! Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Producer: Ashleigh Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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All right, so it's Labor Day, and we don't have a full podcast for you. We don't because, you know, we want to hang out and, you know, eat pork. We have a pork-filled Labor Day. You miss my pork content at the fair. I bet you have. What'd you have? Pork chop on a stick. Oh, my God.

I saw the sign. I came for the turkey leg. This is Minnesota State Fair. I said, oh, my gosh, pork chop on a stick. Then they had a sign that said, big fat bacon. Oh. Big, thick bacon on a stick. I had a time at the fair.

People were riding me and they were like, Van's going to have a field day with this. So will I be having pork for Labor Day? No. No, no pork, okay. Look, we talked about it a little bit. There's something new we're going to be doing on the podcast called the Van Laet 10. It's a top 10 list. We're going to be counting it down.

Now, I saw this picture. The picture was of Mimi Faust, Claudia Jordan, and Carly Red. Yes. And it was from the 90s. And they just looked beautiful. Well, they knew each other back in the 90s. They were hanging out back in the 90s. Claudia gave the whole breakdown of their friendship going back in the day.

You know, the 90s were a time of peak black beauties, man. Black women are beautiful in any decade. But I remember the 90s and how things were going. And that picture just made me remember. So I wanted to commemorate the black beauties of the 90s. Okay. By having the inaugural Van Leight 10 be the top. Top 10 black beauties of the 90.

Okay. This was so hard. This was a hard list. Top 10 black beauty of the 90s was a hard list. I had to actually make some criteria to... What is it? To like whittled the list down. Okay, so here's the criteria.

Number one, you had to be of age for most of the 90s. So, Alia Brandy Maya out. Okay. Because... They were minors. That's called the R. Kelly rule. Okay. So Alia Brandi, Maya, out.

They, like, rest and peace of Leah, Maya and Brandy, beautiful women. But for most of the 90s, they were young girls. So, Leah Brandy, Maya, out. Monica as well. Monica as well. Monica's right here as well. Aalia, Brandy, Monica, Maya out, right? Fair.

They're out. Second rule is you have to be active in your career for at least six years of the 90s. So more than half. More than half of the 90s. Because I'm telling you right now, if that wasn't a rule, then Lisa Ray, who exploded onto the scene in 1998 with the Players Club, would have made this list. But she basically came in at the end of the 90s, and that's like a 2000s beauty. That's a good, these are good rules. These are good.

Lisa Ray cold. So I just want to put that on the, she would have been on this list. but she came in like at the tail end of the 90s. Okay. All right. All right. The 90s have to also see your career peak. Okay.

So your beauty is tied to your success. This is where, well, because if it was just, if it was just, because this also has to do with stature as well. Because if it was just straight up beauty, it would be like six or seven video models on this list as well. Okay. All right. So we're talking about your career peak also has to be in the 90s, right? that list was put there for Robin Givens, who Robin Givens was a beauty in the 90s,

but I feel like Robin Givens would make the 80s list. I'm personally offended. Because of your... I personally offended. You look like Robin Givens, okay? So that's the three rules. Okay. All right, those three rules.

Okay, so before we get into the list, I'm going to do a couple of honorable mentions. I'm going to honorable mention Robin Gibson. and I'm going to honorable mention all the VJs. Okay. That's Ananda Lewis. That's Big Les from Rap City. Wow.

Wow. Big Les from Rap City. Okay. And that's Rachel Summers. Go back and watch a show called Caribbean Rhythms. It used to come on Saturday mornings on BT. Rachel from Caribbean Rhythms, one of the coldest. All the VJs right there, shout out to them.

And I also have to show. shout out another black beauty of the 90s. And I have to do this because I'm me, Heather Hunter. Is that up porn? Yeah. So I have to shout out Heather Hunter as well. Okay. All right.

I have to shout out Heather Hunter. Yeah, you know. I have to shout out Heather Hunter. I could have actually made a whole list of just, you know, anyway. Is that she's a rapper and a painter? Heather Hunter? Heather Hunter, very talented lady. All right?

Very talented later. author, dancer. See Heather Hunter as a dancer, so shout out to Heather Hunter. Okay, here it is. Honorable mentions out of the way, the inaugural Van Lae 10, the top 10 black beauties of the 90s. Okay.

At 10, we have a tie, a grouping. We are really, okay, go ahead. A grouping. All of the TV base. Jada Pinkett Smith. You're really trying not to get in trouble. Tisha Campbell. Holly Robinson, Pete, and Garcel Bouvet.

Put them all together. Okay. The TV Bays. That's the last tie we got. All the TV Bays are at 10. J.D. Pinkett Smith is on this list because she was on a different world. Yeah. But really, what got Jada Pinkett Smith on this list was Jason's lyric.

But you included her with the TV Bays. She's with the TV Bays. But Jason's lyric. very few people had that Houston Fifth Ward Shada was it in Jason's lyric

Well she almost didn't make the list I've actually seen that Jason's lyric But we had to I would like to thank the members of the player approved who helped collate this list a little bit and reminded me of the coldness that was Jada Pinkett

in Jason's lyric Every time Will or somebody else is probably feeling like whatever you turn on Jason's Lig, you know, I got a hat at. I got a hat at. Jay the one of the coldest. This is true. Tisha Campbell, Ben Cole. Holly Robinson, Pete, Ben Cold.

Garcel, we had her on the show. Ben Cold. Okay. Number nine. Miss USA, 1993. Kenya more? Can you more? Okay, fair.

Ken you more. You guys, I realized that Kenya Moore recently, has been involved in some controversy. Yeah. But when you set eyes on Kenya Moore, 93, 94, 95, one of the coldest, absolutely. Got to be on the list. Number eight, Sally Richardson. Oh, wow.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Just a different model when she first dropped. We looked at Sally Richardson. Oh, my God. Was low down dirty shame also featuring Jada Pinky. Okay. And Posse.

If you want to see Sally Richardson at her best, I'm talking about the coldest of the cold, freezing ice cold. Posse is what you want to look at it. Now she has a fantastic career. She's now transitioned into directing. She's doing great. She's married to Robert from the Cosby Show. Married to Robert from the Cosby Show. Sally Richardson is doing great.

Timeless beauty, Sally Richardson. Number seven. another lady that we continue to keep up with Vivica Fox. Vivica A. Fox, first time I saw Vivica Fox, I think it was an episode of Melrose Place or... Really? It's Fresh Prince for me. Fresh Prince for you. So it was Melrose Place, fresh Prince. And then, boom, Independence Day comes. And Vivica Fox is out of here. Also, she was on a sitcom. Do you remember sitcom? No.

It was Vivica Fox, Morris Chestnut, and Dwayne Martin. the sitcom was called Out All Night and Patty LaBelle was in it. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't know Vivica Fox was in that. Vivica Fox was on that. I definitely remember Morris and Dwayne Martin. Morris, Dwayne Martin, Vivica Fox.

And I do remember Patty. Out all night. Out all night. I went to see Independence Day for the aliens, but I went back to see Independence Day because Vivica Fox was playing an exotic dancer. And I used to have these mixtapes that I would make of all of my favorite scenes.

from different movies, and her scene was on there. It was good. Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. You say whatever you want. Number six,

the list isn't about politics. Okay. I know who it is. I know who it is. Number six. Y'all know. The list isn't about politics. It's not about politics.

The list is about the coldest or the cold in the 90s. She was. Stacey Das. She got. to make the list. Stacey Dash has got to make the list. It's not about politics. The list isn't about politics. Stacey Dash is on the list. That's a good one. Got to make the list. I'm not going going to go into a whole thing. You know her. She was cold. One of the coldest ever. We didn't know what was to come. We had no clue what was about to happen. All right. What it is. Now we're getting

to the top five. Then it gets tough because this is my list. Okay. And I have somebody at five. who people are going to say is way too low. Naomi Campbell. Oh. Yeah. I got Naomi Campbell at 5. Naomi Campbell is almost the standard of beauty. And then a lot of people are going to say that.

A lot of people are going to say Naomi Campbell's too low. But I have Naomi Campbell at 5. Naomi Campbell is the standard of high fashion beauty in the 90s. Right. Michael Jackson video, different stuff like that. Naomi Campbell is at 5. Okay. All right.

Four is also going to be controversial because five and four, a lot of people feel like they should have been swapped, but I'm going on like how I look at it, my top ten, and I have Tara Banks ahead of Naomi Campbell at four. Okay. I'm not mad at it. Tara Banks, bubbly, beautiful, can go from high fashion runway to Sports Illustrated, acting in,

higher learning namesake just everywhere just ubiquitous beauty ubiquitous beauty she was known for just being beautiful hosting shows and all kinds of

Tower Banks beautiful had the Tower Banks calendar I would get it each year right number three could have easily been number one easily

knee along I thought she was going to be your number one wow she's not who is number one Wow. She's not.

Nia's not number one? Nia long is not number one. Okay, could have easily, easily been number one. Ridiculously beautiful. Okay. The picture of beauty. When you saw her

and boys in the hood, you were like, I hope Trey survives. And he did. He did survive. It's like, I want him and her to be able to go

to Morehouse and Spelman together. I hope she don't get pregnant before graduation. But you look, and then she just got more lovely. By the time Friday came, it was like, am I looking at a human being? Like, she's amazing. And then when we get to the best man,

which is towards the end of the decade, 99, 2000. It's 99. Yeah. Then her womanliness has come into the situation, and Nia is out of here. She would have been to my number one. Amazing beauty. Number two, when we talk about,

about careers and hotness and beauty that is just coming into its own in the 90s, Janet Jackson. Okay. I was thinking, Janet, but if you're going to put Robin in the 80s, you have to put Janet in the 80s. That's when she started popping off. Wrong. So Janet...

You knew I was going to make this argument. Came of age in the 80s. Her career peak is the 90s. Her career peak is the Janet Al. It is. Her career peak is the velvet rope. Her career peak is in the 90s. Janet comes up throughout the 80s, but her career peak in the 90s and her hotness,

when Janet, when that's the way love goes, popped off and Janet is right there, you hadn't seen that Janet before. If all of that poetic justice. I know. Like this Janet that we're seeing during that time, that's the Janet. the most gorgeous thing in the 90s, except for one person. Who? It's a no-brainer.

I had Mia. It's a no-brainer, number one. It's a no-brainer. See, what happens is I get fixated on it. I was fixated on Nia. It's a no-brainer. Still killing to this day. She could come back and win it in the 2000s.

Hmm. She could double up two decades. She could have gone Singer? No, actress. She can go back to back. She can go 90s and 2000s. Oh my gosh.

She could easily come back in the 2000s and get it again because you could make an argument that her career peak is in the 2000s. Oh my gosh, who is this? She got to hold the crown for the 90s too. Just tell me.

Hallie Barry. Oh. Hallie fucking Barry. I would have put Nia. You would have put Nia over Hallie Berry? Wow. I would have. But Hallie Berry is a good one.

I can't believe I didn't think about that. I don't know what I was thinking. But you left them off the list. Okay, tell me who I left off. Let's make sure that we give everybody there to do. Maybe she could have been to number 10. Okay. But you, Lark Voorhees.

Lark Vohes, we talked about. Ian is going to like this. And brought up Lark Vorhees. Lark Vorhees obviously peaked in the 90s. I say she's 80s. See, no. You're just trying to justify your list. Just say you left her off.

I say you left her off. Just say you left her off. Jasmund Guy. Jasmine Guy. Oh, yeah, Jasmine Guy. Jasmine Guy is cold. That's cold. That's coldness.

That's coldness. Those are the only two that I thought would have fit in there somewhere. Oh, you know what? One popped up on the, like, shout out to all of these ladies. I'm, yeah, when I tell you the, you guys got to look at the next. 90s and women are beautiful.

Everyone's beautiful. These women are so accomplished, so talented and all of this. But look at the variety of looks. Yeah. Look at the variety of looks, man. Look at the variety of looks here. You know, it's not a whole list full of biracial's.

It's not a whole list full of people who have exactly the same body style. True. Different, tall and ladies, shorter ladies, chocolate, whatever, all of this stuff. So, Lila Rashon also

Oh, Lila's a good one Timeless beauty That's the list That's a good one Hally Barry There is some talk about Maybe coming back For another late 10

And doing Top white women I don't know if we should do that I don't know if that fits in With the overall ethos I'd rather do the men You want to do the men Black men

Top black men You do it Okay well I'll do it I'll do it. I'll do top black men. I'll do the hottest hunks of the 90s. I have no problem doing this. I know you don't.

I'll do hottest hunks of the 2000s. I already know who's going to win hottest hucks of the 90s. I already know who's number one. I'm not telling me. But. You ruin the fucking list. But you can't do that. But here.

Ashley. Ashley. But here's the thing. Do you have the same rules? Because an argument could be made that 90s was not his peak. No, Ashley, bleep that. Because Rachel's going to ruin the list.

You can't ruin the late 10. Bleep that. We're coming back. Hot as hunks. Hot as hunks of the 90s. He's definitely number one, but you can't give it away. Sorry. God damn, Rachel.

I got excited. Because of him. All right, you guys, enjoy Labor Day with your families. I might release this entire list, that whole thing on Instagram. do it. I might release that whole thing on Instagram right there, that whole piece of video. Enjoy Labor Day with your families. We will be back Thursday in higher

learning. Take thin caps off. Do not stop learning. Tell me what. I'm Van Lee Jr. I'm Rachel and Lindsay. Bye, guys.