50 Raw Hip Hop 90’s Selections
Hip hop music helped mold, influence, and inspire my journey. Whether I was navigating hardship or celebrating a win, the music always played an important role in my development as both a chef and as a man.
This art form gave me motivation, confidence, and an outlet for expression. It taught me about rhythm, honesty, poetry, and resilience — lessons that translated seamlessly to the energy of the kitchen.
Here, I’ve created a list of 50 songs that made a significant impact on me throughout the years. I’m not claiming these are the best rap songs of the era, these are songs that I found impactful. These aren’t ranked or placed in any order of importance — they’re simply offered in the spirit of a shoutout. Each track left its mark on me in one way or another.
If you don’t know some of these, maybe look them up and give them a listen. You might hear the energy and messages that carried me through some of the toughest and most rewarding moments of my life.
Track 1: “The Message” — Nas
The first hip hop song that gave me goosebumps. It solidified my fandom of the Queens MC, and the Police sample was epic.
Track 2: “Time’s Up” — O.C.
A raw, bass-heavy break beat layered with lyrics that were ahead of their time. This beat still hits hard all these years later.
Track 3: “Shook Ones Part II” — Mobb Deep
One of the most iconic hip hop instrumentals of the era. A grimy look at the mindset and bravado of NYC youth at the time. A true classic.
Track 4: “C.R.E.A.M.” — Wu-Tang Clan
Cash Rules Everything Around Me. A deep look at surviving hard times in the inner city with one of the most iconic choruses of the 1990s. I remember hearing this at a sixth-grade dance for the first time — it blew my mind.
Track 5: “Beware” — Big Pun
Although Pun had more commercially successful singles, this was the first song I ever heard from him, on a Loud Records press cassette. His ability to pack multi-syllable rhymes into a tight, precise flow was unforgettable.
Track 6: “Mass Appeal” — Gang Starr
The synthesized yet rhythmic loop, paired with the deep, effortless flow of the late Guru, made this a permanent classic to me.
Track 7: “Got Ya Opin” — Black Moon
The horns at the intro of this song are magic. Even back in the day, when those horns hit, you knew a banger was coming. Buckshot’s smooth, thoughtful flow only added to the impact.
Track 8: “Do You Believe” — The Beatnuts
A Latino hip hop duo with some of the rawest production of the golden era. I remember watching the video for the first time on Video Music Box and falling in love with both the hook and the beat.
Track 9: “93 ’Til Infinity” — Souls of Mischief
A funky sample layered with conscious lyrics from this West Coast supergroup. This track single-handedly captures the essence of the golden era.
Track 10: “Tonight’s the Night” — Redman
The laid-back sample paired with Redman’s humor and street-savvy wordplay makes this a timeless reflection of a special age in hip hop.
Track 11: “Juicy” — The Notorious B.I.G.
A lyrical rags-to-riches story touching on struggle, redemption, love for hip hop, and the importance of taking care of mom dukes. “If you don’t know, now you know…”
Track 12: “Verbal Intercourse” — Raekwon ft. Ghostface Killah & Nas
A masterfully chopped sample by RZA, with poignant lyrics from three powerhouse 90s emcees. This hit hard for me back in the day and is easily one of my favorites from Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx — the legendary “Purple Tape.”
Track 13: “Rock Bottom” — Eminem
A more vulnerable side of the iconic Detroit MC, showcased on this deep cut from The Slim Shady LP. I remember friends clowning me for buying the record when it dropped. I let a close friend borrow it and told him, “Listen to this CD and come back tomorrow.” The next day he handed it back. “It’s dope, right?” I asked.
“Bro, I went to the store and bought it before I even finished the album.”
That’s the impact of good music.
Track 14: “Buggin’ Out” — A Tribe Called Quest
A classic “set-off” verse from the legendary Phife Dawg, paired with a bass-heavy beat. A staple in any true hip hop head’s tape deck.
Track 15: “Renee” — Lost Boyz
A vivid hip hop love story that plays in your speakers like a short film. An impactful standout from the classic album Legal Drug Money.
Track 16: “Banned From T.V.” — Noreaga ft. Big Pun, Nature, The LOX, Cam’ron
A masterclass in what was known as the posse cut — a track that involves verses from a group of rappers in succession. This was a summer anthem back in 1998.
Track 17: “Can’t Knock the Hustle” — Jay-Z
The opening track to a hip hop masterpiece, Reasonable Doubt. Jay’s effortless flow mixed with Mary J’s soulful hook makes this song bang just as hard today as it did then.
Track 18: “Mona Lisa” — The Fugees
Before The Score took the world by storm, the Fugees dropped Blunted on Reality. This track introduced me to them, and I remember the captivating horns and powerful melody of the hook hitting me hard.
Track 19: “Scenario” — A Tribe Called Quest ft. Leaders of the New School
Arguably the greatest posse cut of all time. A young Busta Rhymes stole the show, roaring like a “dungeon dragon” on this absolute classic.
Track 20: “T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You)” — Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Hip hop purists consider this one of the greatest beats ever. The horns are unforgettable, the drum pattern is the essence of boom bap, and C.L. Smooth lives up to his name. Foundational.
Track 21: “It Was a Good Day” — Ice Cube
A smooth, melodic West Coast vibe lays the backdrop for Cube’s vivid storytelling of a day in South Central. A true movie on wax, showcasing his transition from legendary MC to film icon.
Track 22: “Bucktown” — Smif-N-Wessun
Boom bap drums, a jazz horn sample, and gritty Brooklyn attitude made this a must-spin for any 90s hip hop head.
Track 23: “What They Do” — The Roots
From the Illadelph Halflife album, a laid-back, soulful track with deep, poetic lyrics from the legendary Black Thought. One of the best live rap acts ever, in studio form.
Track 24: “Ebonics” — Big L
A complete breakdown of the language and slang used in the 1990s, this was a creative track released by an artist that was gone too soon.
Track 25: “Represent” — Nas
A deeper cut off the GOAT-level Illmatic. The DJ Premier beat paired with Nas’s lyrics captured the New York party vibe and told a street story far ahead of its time.
Track 26: “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” — Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg
A game-changer that sparked the G-Funk era. Snoop’s iconic intro and Dre’s production created a generational anthem that still resonates.
Track 27: “Slam” — ONYX
The start of the “Mad-Face Invasion” — this grimy, catchy anthem was a junior high rebellion chant for me. The beat knocked, the crew was raw, and their legacy still stands.
Track 28: “O.P.P.” — Naughty by Nature
Catchy, clever, and instantly memorable. This New Jersey group gave us an unforgettable chorus that became part of everyday slang. An ode to infidelity, sure, but culturally massive.
Track 29: “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” — Outkast
Early brilliance from one of hip hop’s most iconic duos. This song brought soul, rhythm, and a whole new flavor beyond the East Coast sound I’d grown up with.
Track 30: “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” — Geto Boys
A deeply vulnerable song about mental health and loneliness. Its honesty and raw storytelling left a powerful impression on an entire generation.
Track 31: “World Famous” — M.O.P.
The rowdy Brooklyn duo stayed hardcore even on a more laid-back beat. From Firing Squad, this was a banger that rocked speakers everywhere.
Track 32: “I Used to Love H.E.R.” — Common Sense
A love letter to hip hop, told through a metaphor of a woman. Chicago’s Common offered a brilliant, poetic look at the art’s evolution. “Yes, yes y’all, and ya don’t stop…”
Track 33: “Award Tour” — A Tribe Called Quest
One of the best songs on Midnight Marauders. Jazzy, soulful, conscious, and completely addictive. This track, and the album, made me a lifelong Tribe fan.
Track 34: “The Choice is Yours” — Black Sheep
Dres had the tri-state chanting “Engine engine number nine, on the New York transit line…” and “When my train falls off the track, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!” A song fueled with raw energy and intensity that rocked every club and house party back in the day.
Track 35: “Keep Ya Head Up” — 2Pac
2Pac is consistently on every hip hop fan’s top five list. His delivery, passion, and storytelling ability were legendary. He was one of the most iconic hip hop figures of the 1990s, as unrelenting as he was talented. This song is one of my favorites from Pac, showing his respect for his roots, his culture, and his compassion for the struggle.
Track 36: “I Shot Ya (Remix)” — LL Cool J ft. Fat Joe, Foxy Brown, Prodigy, Keith Murray
The ’90s blessed fans with legendary remixes, where artists would add fresh verses to elevate the original. This remix by LL Cool J featured some of the hottest acts of 1995 over one of the rawest beats of the year.
Track 37: “Who Shot Ya” — The Notorious B.I.G.
A track not included on Biggie’s debut Ready to Die but still had every fan’s radio bumping thanks to its haunting piano sample and Big’s commanding delivery.
Track 38: “Life’s a Bitch” — Nas ft. AZ
An introduction to one of my favorite MCs — Brooklyn’s own AZ. As the only feature on the classic Illmatic, AZ delivered one of the most poignant, impactful verses of an entire generation.
Track 39: “Triumph” — Wu-Tang Clan
The ultimate posse cut. Period. From Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s unforgettable intro to Inspectah Deck’s opening bar — “I bomb atomically…” — this track had everyone going bananas when it dropped. A straight-up anthem off the classic double LP Wu-Tang Forever.
Track 40: “Ready or Not” — The Fugees
Released on the trio’s 1996 album The Score. Although “Killing Me Softly” became the group’s commercial breakout, this song hit hard in ’96. The melodic sample paired with Lauryn Hill’s soulful, edgy chorus made this one of my favorite cuts on the album.
Track 41: “Bronx Keep Creating It” — Fat Joe
The outro track of Joe’s Jealous One’s Envy LP kept that raw street sound blended with DJ scratches and a crazy violin sample. This was an ode to the BX by one of the OG Latino rappers of the era.
Track 42: “Pull It” — Cam’ron ft. DMX
A hidden gem from back in 1998. This song was released on a Who is Cam’ron promo cassette to build buzz for Confessions of Fire. My friends and I spent that summer hunting down copies of that cassette just to have this track in our collections. Wild to think how far our access to music has come since then.
Track 43: “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow” — Nice & Smooth
A smooth early 90s classic sampling Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” Melodic, flowing, with Smooth B breaking down addiction and relapse in the second verse — a deep track that still holds weight today.
Track 44: “They Want EFX” — Das EFX
A classic from the duo that perfected what is now called the “iggedy” style of rap — a playful, rapid-fire wordflow like hip hop’s own pig latin. Raw and unfiltered, it might sound dated to some now, but it’s a true 90s banger.
Track 45: “Soul in the Hole” — Timbo King, Dreddy Kruger, Shyheim, Killa Sin
The 90s were the era of incredible movie soundtracks, and this one was no exception. A basketball-themed hip hop anthem that perfectly captured the marriage of hoops and hip hop — two worlds that have always moved side by side.
Track 46: “The World is Yours” — Nas
A masterclass in 90s hip hop. Smooth, melodic Pete Rock production paired with Nas’s poetic cadence made this a daily staple in my boombox.
Track 47: “Dead Presidents” — Jay-Z
A brilliantly-placed Nas quote in the chorus turned this track into an anthem. Jay later said “You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song,” and honestly — he wasn’t wrong.
Track 48: “I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)” — Grand Puba
Puba creatively wove classic R&B song titles into his verses while calling out gold diggers. A solo gem from the Brand Nubian member, this one takes me straight back to the summer of ’95.
Track 49: “Jump Around” — House of Pain
This track landed like a tornado, with everyone jumping to the chorus. Everlast’s voice blended perfectly with the boom bap and screeching horns that were everywhere in the early 90s. Still a guaranteed party-rocker.
Track 50: “How I Could Just Kill a Man” — Cypress Hill
Beyond their weed anthems, Cypress Hill was a true West Coast group with an unmistakable style and huge impact. This track was raw, and the video was a testament to the culture — featuring cameos from Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest, and others, highlighting the supportive, collaborative spirit of hip hop in that era.
These are just fifty songs that take me back to an epic era in music — a time in my youth that made me fall in love with an evolving sound. There are countless others that shaped me, but these tracks stand as a soundtrack to my journey of trying to find my identity.
