Recommendations of the Editorial team
In the late ’80s, NWA sparked a gangsta rap revolution that launched the careers of the ’90s’ biggest solo stars (Dr. Dre, Ice Cube) and created a template for the new sound of hip-hop. The decade’s extensive lineup of rap greats ranges from confirmed icons like Tupac and Biggie to novelty acts like Vanilla Ice. But overall, the hip-hop of that era proved to be surprisingly long-lasting.
10. 2Pac, “Hit ‘Em Up”
Drake and Meek Mill can keep trying, but hip-hop’s biggest diss track has already been made: 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up.” The West Coast rapper sounds almost gleeful as he disses Biggie and the rest of his East Coast peers, claims he slept with his enemy’s wife and mocks Mobb Deep’s Prodigy’s sickle cell anemia diagnosis. The video is just as hardcore and features impersonators of P. Diddy, Biggie and Lil Kim.
9. Snoop Dogg, “Gin & Juice”
Hip-hop’s favorite stoner created a slice of G-funk perfection with this laid-back party anthem. Who could forget that simple, sung refrain and its unforgettable final line: “with my mind on my money and my money on my mind”?
Along with “What’s My Name?”, his debut single as a solo artist, “Gin & Juice” helped launch Snoop’s solo career and ensure the critical and commercial success of his debut LP, “Doggystyle.”
8. Ice Cube, “It Was a Good Day”
Ice Cube took a brief break from recounting his typically grim tales of ghetto life to pay tribute to one of his better days. “It Was a Good Day” presents a more everyday story than Cube fans were used to from the former NWA member.
As a testament to his talent, he makes a day full of simple pleasures — smoking weed, cruising around town, watching “Yo! MTV Raps” — sound like the best ever.
7. The Notorious BIG, “Juicy”
Biggie’s debut Ready to Die was innovative for a number of reasons, but its deft balance between club bangers and hood storytelling is perhaps its most distinctive feature, best represented by “Juicy.”
More than 20 years after its release, the track still sounds as dazzling as ever, and Biggie’s look back at those who didn’t believe in his talent remains as tear-jerking as ever.
6. Nas, “NY State of Mind”
“Illmatic” became a classic thanks to its clear, sharp depiction of ghetto life. Nas’ skills as a storyteller took the ’90s rap game to new levels. And on an album full of iconic tracks, “NY State of Mind” stands out.
From the MC’s nimble flow to the warm vintage jazz samples, everything about the song feels relaxed and urgent at the same time. It encompasses everything its author – and NYC as a whole – stood for in that moment.
5. Digable Planets, “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”
Jazz-rap trio Digable Planets may not have achieved the same level of fame as their peers A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. But with “Rebirth of Slick” they still produced an airy, catchy mega-hit.
Between the pulsating bass and the infectious chorus “I’m cool like dat,” it’s no wonder the single reached the Billboard Top 20. Savvy ’90s rap fans rejoiced when Digable Planets member Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler resurfaced more than 15 years later with the top-heavy, avant-garde-tinged Shabazz Palaces.
4. Vanilla Ice, “Ice Ice Baby”
Vanilla Ice’s novelty hit and only chart success is the kind of hip-hop track that anyone can rap along to. And that’s a key part of its appeal.
Driven by a distinctive bassline borrowed from Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure,” “Ice Ice Baby” remains one of the most irresistibly catchy songs of the ’90s. A track that has held up much better than many contemporary critics would have predicted.
3. 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman, “California Love”
Tupac Shakur reigned as the King of California during his all-too-brief career, so it’s fitting that he created a long-lasting anthem for his homeland. Supported by Dr. Dre made this 1995 single possible for ‘Pac’s post-prison comeback. And established his relationship with Suge Knight and Death Row Records.
2. Beastie Boys, “Sabotage”
Rapcore reached an aesthetic peak with the Beastie Boys’ heaviest single, “Sabotage.” Following on from their days in hardcore punk, Ad-Rock, MCA and Mike D showed off their skills on guitar, bass and drums. They created a screaming explosion of noise-funk goodness.
The Spike Jonze-directed video, with its references to cheesy crime shows like “Hawaii Five-O” and “Starsky and Hutch,” proved to be as memorable as the song itself.
1. Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang”
The first single from Dr. Dre’s 1992 solo debut, “The Chronic,” doesn’t just contain one of the most memorable beats of the ’90s. It’s also the track that launched the former NWA member into the hip-hop stratosphere as a star in his own right. Equally important, the song introduced the world to the rapper then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg. And released his own debut “Doggystyle” the following year.
