10 Songs That Defined The '90s

During the turn of the decade, hip hop was clearly in a position of strength compared to where it was in the '80s. Although the era of the Sugarhill Gang and Young MC wasn't an absolute travesty or anything, the post-NWA period saw the entire genre shift to something far more gritty and dangerous. Even though Dr. Dre managed to lead the charge with songs off of the Chronic on the West Coast, the eternal jam of gangsta rap will always be the Big Poppa from NYC.

Hailing from the true birthplace of rap, Biggie Smalls had the recipe for success on Big Poppa, with just the right vocal inflections to sell every single word that came out of his mouth. Whereas you could tell the flow of nearly every other hip hop act that you came across, Biggie spit like it was so easy, as if he was using his voice as an instrument in the midst of everything else.

Even with the more intricate rhyme schemes coming from Tupac around the same time, this song is practically flawless from start to finish, whether it's the lethargic beat that ties everything together or the sticky as hell chorus that keeps everything bumping until the party's over. Sure, it's a little more laid back than the rest, but there's no shame in kicking back and having a great time.