Dada Debaser's 101 Greatest Rap Songs of the 90s

Ain't it funny how my favourite genres in film and music were once treated like red-headed step-children back in the day? Mainstream critics turned their noses in the eighties, but things done changed in the nineties and these two passions of mine were crossing over with more frequency. Mobb Deep's Prodigy dropped the lyrics "stab you in your brain with your nose bone," became the soundtrack to Doug's death scene from Friday the 13 Part IV: The Final Chapter (1984). That's why I've always found it fascinating when other like-minded people share their passion between the two; film critic, Mike Bracken, AKA The Horror Geek, dropping rap references in virtually all his film reviews, or that Moodz616 podcaster showing off his rap collection in between all that Italian Horror love. On a more refined tip, I once copped the utterly surreal The Hourglass Sanatorium (1973) from Mr. Bongo's boutique film label many years back.

Anyhow, with all that rambling out of the way, here are my greatest nineties Rap songs that have been sitting in my draft box for ages.

 

Dada Debaser's 101 Greatest Nineties Rap Songs:

Brand Nubian - Slow Down (1990)

Gang Starr - Just to Get A Rep (1990)

Ice Cube - Once Upon A Time in the Projects (1990)

Intelligent Hoodlum - Arrest the President (1990)

Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - Streets of New York (1990)

LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)

N.W.A. - 100 Miles and Runnin' (1990)

Black Sheep - The Choice is Yours (Revisited) (1991)

Cypress Hill - How I Could Just Kill A Man (1991)

De La Soul - Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa (1991)

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime (1991)

Eric B. & Rakim - Juice (Know the Ledge) (1991)

Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks On Me (1991)

Ice-T - New Jack Huster (Nino's Theme) (1991)

Main Source - Just Hangin' Out (1991)

Naughty By Nature - Uptown Anthem (1991)

Nice & Smooth - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow (1991)

Organized Konfusion - Prisoners of War (1991)

Positive K feat. Big Daddy Kane - Night Shift (Pimp Version) (1991)

Public Enemy - Shut Em Down (Pe-te Rock Mixx) (1991)

Tim Dog - Fuck Compton (1991)

Too $hort - So You Want to be a Gangsta (1991) 

The UMC's - Never Never Land (1991)

A Tribe Called Quest feat. Leaders of the New School & Kid Hood - Scenario (Remix) (1992)

Black Moon - Who Got The Props (1992)

Das EFX - Mic Checka (Remix) (1992)

Diamond D and The Psychotic Neurotics feat. Showbiz - Feel the Vibe (1992)

EPMD feat. K-Solo & Redman - Head Banger (1992)

Lord Finesse feat. Big L - Yes You May (Funk Flow Mix) (1992)

Onyx - Throw Ya Gunz (1992)

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) (1992)

Redman - Time 4 Sum Aksion (1992)

Ultramagnetic MC's - Poppa Large (East Coast Mix) (1992)

The Beatnuts feat. V.I.C - World's Famous (1993)

Big L - Devil's Son (1993)

Notorious B.I.G - Party And Bullshit (1993)

Da King & I - Tears (1993) 

KRS-One - Outta Here (1993)

Masta Ace Incorporated feat. Lord Digga & Eyce - Saturday Nite Live (L.A. Jay Remix) (1993)

MC Eiht - Streiht Up Menace (1993)

Outkast - Player's Ball (1993)

The Pharcyde - Passin' Me By (1993)

PHD - Concrete Jungle (1993)

Snoop Dogg - Tha Shiznit (1993)

Souls of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity (1993)

South Central Cartel feat. Mr. 3-2 & Big Mike - Gang Stories (1993)

Wu-Tang Clan - Tearz (1993) 

Above The Law - Black Superman (1994)

Artifacts - Wrong Side of da Tracks (1994)

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Thuggish Ruggish Bone (1994)

Gravediggaz - 1-800 Suicide (1994)*

KMD - What A N*ggy Know? (1994)

Lady of Rage - Afro Puffs (1994)

Nas - N.Y. State of Mind (1994)

O.C. - Time's Up (1994)

Rappin 4 Tay - Playaz Club (1994)

Scarface - Jesse James (1994)

Slick Rick feat. Doug E. Fresh - Sittin' in My Car (1994)

Smif-N-Wessun - Bucktown (1994)

Warren G feat. Nate Dogg - Regulate (1994)

2Pac feat. Dr. Dre - California Love (1995)

AZ feat. Nas - Mo' Money, Mo' Murder "Homicide" (1995)

Common - Resurrection (Extra P. Remix) (1995)

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (1995)

Fab 5 - Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka (1995)

Goodie Mob - Cell Therapy (1995)

GZA feat. Method Man - Shadowboxin' (1995)

Luniz - I Got 5 On It (1995)

Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Part II (1995)

Ol' Dirty Bastard - Shimmy Shimmy Ya (1995)

Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man & Cappadonna - Ice Cream (1995)

Saukrates - Father Time (1995)

Smoothe Da Hustler & Trigga Tha Gambla - Broken Language (1995)

Big Noyd - Recognize & Realise (Part 1) (1996)

Camp Lo - Luchini (This Is It) (1996)

East Flatbush Project - Tried by 12 (1996)

Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna - Daytona 500 (1996)

The Juggaknots - Troubleman (1996)

Lost Boys - Renee (1996)

M.O.P. feat. Teflon & Kool G. Rap - Stick To Ya Gunz (1996)

Poor Righteous Teachers - Word Iz Life (1996)

Ras Kass - Soul On Ice (Remix) (1996)

The Roots - Clones (1996)

Royal Flush feat. Noreaga - Iced Down Medallions (1996)

Street Smartz feat. O.C & Pharoah Monch - Metal Thangz (1996)

Black Attack feat. Problemz & Al Tariq - Verbal Attack (1997)

Capone ‘N’ Noreaga - Bloody Money (1997)

CRU - Just Another Case (1997)

Fat Joe feat. Armageddon - Find Out (1997) 

The Firm - Phone Tap (1997)

Puff Daddy & The Family feat. Notorious B.I.G, Lil' Kim & The Lox - It's All About the Benjamins (1997)

DMX - Stop Being Greedy (1998)

Smut Peddlers - One by One (1998)

N.O.R.E. - Superthug (1998)

50 Cent feat. The Madd Rapper - How to Rob (1999)**

Black Rob - Whoa! (1999)

Cam'ron - Let Me Know (1999)

Dead Prez - Hip Hop (1999)

Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg - Still D.R.E. (1999)

Jay-Z feat. U.G.K. - Big Pimpin' (1999)

Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says (1999)

* Was only able to find a fan video of this song online with the original and better lyrics. 
** Really ought to be the official video.

 

Dada Debaser Notes:

• Some of these I was listening to when they originally came out, while others were discovered  later on via various Rap forums.
  
• As expected, a bunch of songs I thought were from '90 turned out to be from '89, but surprisingly, a bunch of songs that I thought were from 2000 happened to be from '99. Rap finds a way, I guess.

Dada Debaser Bonus:

101 Greatest Non-Rap Songs of the 80s.

101 Greatest Non-Rap Songs of the 90s.