Here, we list some of the best 90s hip hop songs during the Golden Age of Hip Hop. This is when rappers or MCs were highly appreciated for their intense lyrics and where music producers were able to creatively flip samples to make amazing boom bap beats. This is quite the stark differentiation compared to the hip hop of today.
1. Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy (1994)
The Notorious B.I.G. became one of the most influential figures in the East Coast hip hop scene in the early 90’s. “Juicy” mentions Biggie’s rise to fame, detailing his impoverished childhood and his lifelong dream of making it in the music industry as a rapper. The song was heralded as a classic pretty much out of the gate. The Source included it on their The 100 Best Rap Singles of All Time list in 1998.
Stream: Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
2. Luniz – I Got 5 On It (1995)
“I Got 5 On It“, the debut single from Luniz is a song about pooling money together to get more green. The “5” is five dollars, and is a reference to going 50/50 on a $10 dime bag of weed with another person. It’s an ode to smoking the stickiest of the icky, in a 90s era where going halves with a friend on a $10 dime bag of weed could grant you access to a memorable smoking session on the West Coast. The song became a hit, reaching No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 8 in the United States. The original song and a suspenseful orchestrated remix version play a crucial role in Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror film Us.
Stream: Luniz – I Got 5 On It
3. Nas – The World Is Yours (1994)
“The World is Yours” was the third single from Illmatic that was performed by Nas and produced by Pete Rock. The song itself is built on a sample of the Ahmad Jamal Trio’s “I Love Music”, a song by one of the most prolific small group jazz pianists of all time. The title is in part inspired by a scene from the movie Scarface, which is also referenced in the music video.
Stream: Nas – The World Is Yours
4. Lost Boyz – Renee (1996)
“Renee” is a song by Lost Boyz from their first studio album Legal Drug Money. The song is about a love story that ends in the undeserved death of a girl named Renee. The group was able to formulate a musical story that brought together a young Black male living in the poverty stricken/crime infested streets of New York and a Black woman maneuvering through the corporate world and law school. The beat also samples the Janet Jackson song “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)”.
Stream:
5. Camp Lo – Luchini (AKA This Is It) (1997)
“Luchini (AKA This Is It)” is a song by Camp Lo, the Bronx rap duo which consisted of slick-talking MCs Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede. Rather than describe themselves as being “faded” the group uses “Luchini” to refer to their euphoric state of being as “Harlem River Quiver,” a reference to the dizzying 1928 Duke Ellington song of the same name. The song is part of their debut studio album Uptown Saturday Night, and used a sample of Dynasty’s 1980 song “Adventures in the Land of Music”
Stream: Camp Lo – Luchini
6. Rakim – When I B On Tha Mic (1999)
“When I B On Tha Mic” was a single from Rakim’s 1999 sophomore solo album, The Master. Rakim raps about his skills as a rapper and that he is one of the illest rappers. Rakim wants respect for being internationally known as one of the best MC’s. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled MCs of all time. The record was produced by DJ Premier.
Stream: Rakim – When I B On Tha Mic
7. Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day (1992)
“It Was A Good Day” is a song by Ice Cube that sees him rap about his ideal day: a pork-free breakfast, Yo MTV Raps!, gambling, and a sexual rendezvous. In 2012, a blogger calculated the exact day that Ice Cube describes in the song: January 20, 1992. The post generated a ton of publicity, eventually inspiring an internet campaign to put Ice Cube’s name on an actual blimp. The campaign was successful, and on January 20, 2014, Goodyear flew Ice Cube’s blimp over South Central, raising $25,000 for charity in the process.
Stream: Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day
8. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
“Mama Said Knock You Out” is a single from LL Cool J’s self-titled fourth album and was produced by Marley Marl. LL Cool J said in his autobiography that the idea for the song came from a discussion with his grandmother. He had said to his grandmother that he felt that he couldn’t survive as a rapper now that gangsta rap was popular and he was being dissed by several up-and-coming rappers. LL’s grandmother responded, “Oh baby, just knock them out!” The song uses samples from James Brown’s “Funky Drummer,” the Chicago Gangsters’ “Gangster Boogie,” Sly & The Family Stone’s “Trip to Your Heart” and “Sing a Simple Song”, and his own track “Rock the Bells ”.
Stream: LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
9. OutKast – Player’s Ball (1993)
“Player’s Ball” is the debut single from hip hop duo Outkast. It was the first song that ever got them any mainstream attention. Made up of Andre 3000 and Big Boi, the duo rap about a players ball they attend on Christmas Day. The title refers to a traditional gathering of pimps in Atlanta, while the song imagines a “player’s ball” for pimps and hustlers that takes place on Christmas day.
Stream: OutKast – Player’s Ball
10. Dr Dre – Nuthin’ But A G Thang ft Snoop Doggy Dogg (1992)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F0CAEoF4XM
“Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” was the lead single to Dr. Dre’s debut solo album, The Chronic, and samples “I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You” by Leon Haywood. It’s considered one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time and is listed in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It’s also Dre’s only song on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Stream: Dr Dre – Nuthin’ But A G Thang ft Snoop Doggy Dogg
11. Warren G – Regulate ft Nate Dogg (1994)
Warren G’s “Regulate,” featuring Nate Dogg, is one of the greatest songs to come out of the G-Funk era. The song sampled the 1984 Michael McDonald hit “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).” It also features a quote from jazz performer Bob James’ 1981 track “Sign of the Times” and dialogue spoken from the 1988 film Young Guns.
Stream: Warren G – Regulate ft Nate Dogg
12. KRS One – MCs Act Like They Don’t Know (1995)
“MC’s Act Like They Don’t Know” is a song from KRS-One’s 1995 eponymous album. It contains production from DJ Premier that samples “Yesterdays” by Clifford Brown, and interpolates “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow. Its lyrics deal with how lots of rappers who achieve positive chart positions and other commercial awards cannot perform well live. Ironically, it holds higher chart positions than any other KRS-One single.
Stream: KRS One – MCs Act Like They Don’t Know
13. Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M. (1993)
Arguably one of the most iconic songs in hip-hop, the underlying idea of “C.R.E.A.M.” is found in its title—cash rules everything. The timeless piano riffs and background vocals come from a chopped up sample of The Charmels‘ 1967 record, “As Long As I’ve Got You,” that make up the entire track.
Stream: Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M.
14. A Tribe Called Quest – Check The Rhime (1991)
“Check the Rhime” is the quintessential and most celebrated hip-hop song for call-and-response rhyme cipher. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg celebrate their middle-class roots from Queens, with Phife delivering one of his most inspired verses. Rolling Stone aloso listed “Check the Rhime” as one of the group’s 20 essential songs, noting that Phife Dawg “quickly proves himself Q-Tip’s lyrical equal.”
Stream: A Tribe Called Quest – Check The Rhime
15. Nas – N.Y. State Of Mind (1994)
“NY State of Mind” is a song by one of hip hop’s most influential artists, Nas. In 1994, Nas released his debut album, “Illmatic” and “NY State of Mind” second track in the album. In N.Y State of Mind,Nas talks about the criminal and notorious aspects of New York ,which has moulded his lifestyle and his rap skills.
Stream: Nas – N.Y. State Of Mind
16. KRS One – Step Into A World (1997)
“Step into a World (Rapture’s Delight)” is a song by KRS-One. he song contains a portion of the composition “Rapture” written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of the rock band Blondie, and a sample of the Mohawks’ “The Champ” written by Harry Palmer. Reference to the rapture, KRS-ONE borrows the idea to make a conceptual song that invites us to “Step Into a World” where those who ARE hip hop “pray” and worship (MC, DJ, anything that is a testament to hip hop) and be taken away to a hip hop heaven in the RAPture.
Stream: KRS One – Step Into A World
17. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin & Juice (1993)
“Gin and Juice” is Snoop Dogg’s depiction of the more laid back side of the streets. It has arguably one of the catchiest hooks in all of hip-hop and is symbolic of what the G-funk is all about. It is considered a classic in the mainstream media. It was nominated for “Best Rap Solo Performance” at the 1995 Grammy Awards In 2011, and listed #8 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs.
Stream: Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin & Juice
18. 2Pac – Dear Mama (1995)
“Dear Mama” is a song by 2Pac and is the lead single from his third studio album, Me Against the World. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. It sees 2Pac admitting that even though gangsters kill people and sell drugs, deep down, they are all sensitive mama’s boys. He goes on to detail his childhood poverty and his mother’s addiction to crack cocaine, but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories.
Stream: 2Pac – Dear Mama
19. KRS One – Sound Of The Police (1993)
“Sound of da Police” is a tale of police abusing their power and harassing innocent black citizens. It’s the second single from KRS-One’s first solo album, Return of the Boom Bap. The album was successful with both fans and critics, surprising even some KRS detractors with its spot-on political commentary and beats grounded in the best of old school hip-hop.
Stream: KRS One – Sound Of The Police
20. Pete Rock & CL Smooth – They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) (1992)
“They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” is dedicated to the memory of Troy Dixon, who was known as Trouble T-Roy. Dixon was a member of Heavy D & The Boyz, and he died in 1990 after an accidental fall at a show in Indianapolis. He was a good friend of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. The song later became a staple of classic early 90’s hip hop.
Stream: Pete Rock & CL Smooth – They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)
21. Pharaohe Monch – Simon Says (1999)
“Simon Says” is the debut single by rapper Pharoahe Monch. It was released on August 17, 1999, as the lead single from his debut studio album Internal Affairs. AllMusic even mentioned that he has, “a reputation as one of underground hip hop’s pre-eminent lyricists, crafting intricate and intelligent raps. In 2001, Pharaohe Monch was sued by Toho for the song’s uncleared use of a sample from Akira Ifukube’s “Gojira Tai Mosura” (the theme to Godzilla vs. Mothra) in the hook.
Stream: Pharaohe Monch – Simon Says
22. Naughty By Nature – O.P.P. (1991)
“O.P.P.” is the lead single by American rap group Naughty by Nature from their self-titled second studio album released in 1991. The song is about cheating. If you’re “Down with O.P.P.,” it means you are willing to cheat on your boyfriend or girlfriend. Not exactly family values, but it’s presented in a fun and clever way that never spells out exactly what the song means. The O.P.P track sampled the infamous Jackson 5 hit “ABC” and was a hugely successful single; Spin magazine named it one of the greatest singles of the 1990s.
Stream: Naughty By Nature – O.P.P.
23. Method Man – I’ll Be There for You / You’re All I Need to Get By ft Mary J Blige (1995)
“I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” is a duet song by Method Man and singer Mary J. Blige. With Mary J. Blige on the hook and RZA behind the production board, the track seamlessly wove Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell’s 1968 hit “You’re All I Need to Get By” into the track, making it almost like the 1990s Hip Hop version of the classic song.
Stream: Method Man – I’ll Be There for You / You’re All I Need to Get By ft Mary J Blige
24. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime (1991)
“Summertime” is the first single taken from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince’s fourth studio album, Homebase. It perfectly captured the excitement and anticipation that comes with that time of year and captivated the imagination of listeners. Produced by Chicago-based producers Hula & K. Fingers the song won a Grammy Award for best rap single in 1991.
Stream: Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime
25. Jay Z – Hard Knock Life (1998)
“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” is a single from rapper Jay-Z’s third album Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life. It samples “It’s The Hard Knock Life” from the Broadway play Annie as sung by Danielle Brisebois. In the play, Annie is an orphan who makes the most of her difficult circumstances. Jay-Z transposes this into a song about how he overcame life in the ghetto to achieve massive success, something that would be a common theme in his raps.
Stream: Jay Z – Hard Knock Life
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