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- The Pharcyde - "Runnin'" (from Labcabincalifornia, 1995) Let’s start with a bridge — one between the insurgent wave of early ’90s West Coast indie and all the potential dynamism, insight, and creativity that underground hip-hop would cultivate by the decade’s end.
- J-Live - "Braggin' Writes" (12", 1995) One of the other calling cards, it should be noted, is rapping about rapping — the recentering and arms-race showoff of skills.
- Dr. Octagon - "Blue Flowers" (from Dr. Octagonecologyst, 1996) Kool Keith’s always been a crazy bastard, if by “crazy” you mean “can sound fly even rapping complete nonsense” and “bastard” you mean “stylistically fathered by immaculate conception.”
- The East Flatbush Project - "Tried By 12" (12", 1996) When street rap mourns, it’s the strongest case there is for hip-hop not as the detractors’ “inspiration for violence,” but as something inspired by violence — of something that has to be paid attention to, made sense of, after-the-fact justified, but not so much celebrated as chronicled in ways that at least try to find the resilience of artistic expression in the midst of a grim scenario.
Nov 7, 2021 · 90’s is tough there is a plethora of great hip hop albums and songs. But my list of top 100 would be incomplete without the folloiwng: DJ Quik – Tonite LL Cool J – I Shot Ya (remix) EPMD feat. LL Cool J – Rampage Queen Latifah – U.N.I.T.Y. Das EFX – They Want EFX Mobb Deep – Quiet Storm DMX – Ruff Ryders Anthem
- Old School Hip Hop. The South Bronx in the late 1970s was simmering with untapped creativity. DJ Kool Herc was reinventing DJing by looping breakbeats, while Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five added lyrical storytelling through rhymes.
- East Coast Hip-Hop. The gritty streets of New York served as the backdrop for early 90s hip-hop. 80s pioneers like Public Enemy were still at it, protested social issues in songs like "911 is a Joke".
- Boom Bap. "Mass Appeal" by Gang Starr and "N.Y. State of Mind" by Nas are popular 90s boom bap tracks. These songs embodied the essence of East Coast hip-hop, focusing on tight drum-kick and snare patterns.
- West Coast Hip-Hop. As New York developed its complex lyrical styles, 3,000 miles away in California, artists like Dr. Dre were brewing up a different flavor with N.W.A.
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- “The World Is Yours” by Nas
- “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” by Pete Rock & Cl Smooth
- “Regulate” by Warren G and Nate Dogg
- “Cream” by Wu-Tang Clan
- “Let’s Talk About Sex” by Salt-N-Pepa
- “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” by Ol’ Dirty Bastard
- “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys
- “Check The Rhime” by A Tribe called Quest
- “Hard Knock Life” by Jay Z
- “O.P.P.” by Naughty by Nature
“The World Is Yours” is taken from Nas’ debut studio album “Illmatic” released in 1994. It’s arguably one of the most iconic 90s hip-hop album songs. The lyrics, vibes, music video, the beat… It’s pure 90s hip hop.
This catchy tune is a top hip hop song of the 90s. It was inspired by the death of Troy Dixon (Trouble T. Roy) who was Pete Rock’s and CL Smooth’s close friend.
“Regulate” is a smooth, easy-going track. It’s also one of the most popular old school hip hop songs. The song has a rather classic story – Nate comes to the Warren’s rescue when he’s being robbed in Long Beach.
While talking about the best 90’s hip hop songs, I can’t skip Wu-Tang Clan. As you probably already know, their signature song “Cream” stands for ‘Cash Rules Everything Around Me.’ It’s East Coast hip-hop at its finest.
Of course, an essential 90s hip-hop playlist can’t go without Salt-N-Pepa. After all, they were the first ladies of the 1990s hip hop. And their “Let’s Talk About Sex” is a 90s classic.
Speaking of hip hop classics… Released in 1995, this is arguably one of the top 90s rap songs. Ol’ Dirty Bastardwas one of the founding members of Wu-Tang Clan, but his distinctive rapping style can also be heard in his solo hits. Sh-Shimmy shimmy ya, shimmy yam, shimmy yay…
“Sabotage” is an ultimate rap rock hit. Beastie Boysreleased it in 1993, and the music video (popular on MTV) was directed by Spike Jonze. And the song actually had a rather moderate commercial success when it came out. Nevertheless, it eventually became one of the most memorable 90s rap songs.
This popular 90’s hit is taken from one of the most successful hip hop albums ever made – “Low End Theory.” One thing is for sure:A Tribe Called Questmade a huge impact on the 90s music scene.
Although he is still active and famous, Jay Zalso did a lot of work in the 90s. And “Hard Knock Life” is one of his best hip hop songs from the 90s. The song features a sample of the song “It’s the Hard Knock Life” from the 1977 musical ‘Annie’ – and it fits perfectly.
After it was released in 1991, “O.P.P.” became a chart-topping hit. In fact, it was one of the first rap songs to become a pop hit after reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- 01: Nas – N.Y. State of Mind (1994) It’s impossible to say what the best 90s hip hop song is. But most people wouldn’t argue too much about Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind” being in the running.
- 02: The Notorious B.I.G. – Hypnotize (1997) Though “Hypnotize” remains one of the most joyful celebrations of hip hop’s ecstatic nature, the single will always be shrouded in mournful sorrow.
- 2Pac – California Love (1995) “California Love” is both a definitive West Coast anthem and one of the most important songs in hip hop’s history more generally.
- Wu-Tang Clan – C.R.E.A.M. (1994) Picking a definitive song from Wu-Tang’s 90s era is a fool’s errand. It definitely could have been “Protect Ya Neck,” for example.
Jul 27, 2015 · Treble takes on the '90s alternative era with 100 songs from the underground—a round-up of the influences and groundbreakers that never hit the mainstream.
Oct 18, 2023 · Whether you were dancing along with MC Hammer or chanting “Hip Hop Hooray” with Naughty By Nature, cruising through the streets with Tupac’s “California Love” on blast, or nodding your head to Biggie Smalls’ hypnotic beats on your Walkman, the 1990s gifted us a treasure trove of unforgettable hip hop moments.
