10 Best Rap Songs of the '90s That Prove It Was the Golden Era of Hip-Hop

The 1990s were a golden era of rap music. Rap moguls like Ice Cube and Dr. Dre set the stage in the late '80s for stars like Tupac, Nas, Biggie and Jay Z to emerge full force in the '90s, taking rap music to new heights as a dominant mainstream genre. 

Eclectic rap music blossomed and flourished in the '90s with artists all across the board. Nas' "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" featuring Lauryn Hill and A Tribe Called Quest's "Can I Kick It?" have completely different sounds, but you can't not vibe to both. 

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Here are some timeless '90s jams that prove it was the golden era of rap:

"If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" — Nas

"Can I Kick It?" — A Tribe Called Quest

"California Love" — Tupac Shakur

"Ambitionz Az a Ridah" — Tupac

"Brooklyn's Finest" — Jay Z feat. Biggie Smalls

"C.R.E.A.M." — Wu-Tang Clan

"Gin and Juice" — Snoop Dogg

"Sabotage" — Beastie Boys

"Juicy" — the Notorious B.I.G.

"The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" — Missy Elliott