Top 20 Best Hip-Hop Tracks of the ’90s Golden Era

RZA sampled a melancholy, crackling piano loop from The Charmels and created the ultimate soundtrack of survival in the projects. Raekwon and Inspectah Deck paint hard street life on Staten Island with cinematic precision, while Method Man chants the immortal hook: 'Cash Rules Everything Around Me'.

A barely twenty-year-old Nasir Jones stepped into the studio, heard DJ Premier's dark jazz sample and made history. Nas' complex rhyme schemes and vivid imagery made N.Y. State of Mind one of the highest literary forms of rap.

Biggie Smalls turned Mtume's Juicy Fruit into the ultimate rags-to-riches anthem. His flawless rhythmic timing, disarming charm and self-mockery made Juicy a timeless classic that embodies the hope of an entire generation.

Tupac Shakur set aside his tough bravado for a deeply moving tribute to his mother Afeni, despite her struggle with addiction. The warm soul sample and Pac's unfiltered sincerity make it one of the most universally loved rap tracks ever.

Havoc slowed down a Herbie Hancock piano note and created a chillingly cold atmosphere. Prodigy opens with one of the most famous opening lines in hip-hop history and paints the constant threat of violence in Queensbridge.

Q-Tip and Phife Dawg brought a relaxed, intellectual jazz vibe to hip-hop. The swaying bassline and their playful interplay show hip-hop at its most fluid and musical.

DJ Premier's hypnotic, minimalist melody and Guru's monotone, authoritative voice mock the commercialization of rap. Pure, unpolished hip-hop integrity.

With The Chronic, Dr. Dre single-handedly defined G-funk. That lazy funk beat, singing Moog synths and Snoop Dogg's effortless laid-back flow shifted hip-hop's center of gravity to the West Coast for good.

Snoop paints a relaxed party in Long Beach with disarming humor. The catchy funk groove and his melodic delivery made it a worldwide hit.

André 3000 and Big Boi brought Southern soul, live instrumentation and eccentric poetry into the mainstream. Ms. Jackson is a sincere apology to an ex's mother, full of musical finesse.

Ice Cube traded his fierce N.W.A aggression for a rare day of peace in South Central Los Angeles. Built on The Isley Brothers' Footsteps in the Dark, the track breathes a deceptively relaxed serenity.

DJ Muggs' dusty drum loop and B-Real's piercing nasal voice brought a unique mix of Latin roots and psychedelia to the charts.

Built on Michael McDonald's I Keep Forgettin', Warren G and the late king of hooks Nate Dogg delivered a cinematic masterpiece about a robbery that ends well.

With their unique, lightning-fast harmonized rap-singing, the group from Cleveland paid an emotional tribute to their mentor Eazy-E. A monumental number-one hit.

Lauryn Hill's breathtaking sung chorus (built on The Delfonics and Enya) and Wyclef Jean's raps made The Score a global phenomenon full of social depth.

Pete Rock's wailing Tom Scott saxophone sample forms the emotional foundation for C.L. Smooth's moving memories of their late friend 'Trouble' T-Roy.

Two minutes of pure, wild energy. Rockwilder's pumping synth riff and the explosive interplay between Meth and Red are guaranteed to turn any room upside down.

Common wrapped the evolution and decline of hip-hop culture in a clever metaphor about a woman. One of the most refined concept tracks in the genre.

Big L had one of the fastest and sharpest punchline flows in Harlem. His masterful rhyming on Put It On showed a fabulous talent that was extinguished far too early.

Built on Club Nouveau's Why You Treat Me So Bad, this relaxed Oakland anthem became a worldwide phenomenon that has lost none of its groove decades later.