N.Y. State of Mind
1994 · From Illmatic
Premier built the beat on the spot; Nas nailed verse one in a take, muttering doubt into the intro.
★ 8.7
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
They Reminisce Over YouPete Rock
They Reminisce Over You
1992
Pete Rock looped a Tom Scott saxophone line, and CL Smooth's eulogy for a lost friend still aches.
★ 8.3
Scenario
1991 · From The Low End Theory
Five MCs passing the microphone, and Busta Rhymes at nineteen turning a guest verse into an entire career.
★ 7.6
Check the Rhime
1990 · From The Low End Theory
An Average White Band loop, Q-Tip and Phife trading lines, and a Queens rooftop that Linden Boulevard still remembers.
★ 7.6
I Used to Love H.E.R.
1994 · From Resurrection
No I.D. looped George Benson, Common told hip hop's story as one woman, and Ice Cube took it personally.
★ 7.4
Bonita Applebum
1990 · From People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
Q-Tip read Miles Davis on space, then rapped conversationally over a Rotary Connection loop and made desire sound utterly relaxed.
★ 7.3
Can I Kick It?
1991 · From People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A borrowed Lou Reed bassline that reportedly took all the royalties, and a call-and-response hook the crowd finishes.
★ 7.3
Electric Relaxation
1994 · From Midnight Marauders
Q-Tip built the beat in his grandmother's basement from a Ronnie Foster loop, and Phife traded lines with him.
★ 7.2
93 'Til InfinitySouls of Mischief
93 'Til Infinity
1993 · From 93 'til Infinity
A-Plus flipped Billy Cobham's Heather into a beat he made in high school, and Oakland never sounded calmer.
★ 7.1
Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
1992
Butler built it from an Art Blakey bassline in his father's jazz records, three voices making cool sound effortless.
★ 7.1
Award Tour
1993 · From Midnight Marauders
Q-Tip flipped a Weldon Irvine bassline, Trugoy took the hook, and the chorus name-checks cities from New York to Tokyo.
★ 7.0
The Choice Is Yours
1991
An upright bass loop, a playground chant for a hook, and a remix that so eclipsed the original nobody plays it.
★ 6.3
Where I'm From
1993
Two Melvin Van Peebles samples anchor it, and the trio spends the whole track naming exactly what shaped them.
★ 4.5
Coolie High
1997 · From Uptown Saturday Night
Ski built it from Janet Jackson's "Funny How Time Flies" and Skull Snaps drums; two Bronx kids talking pure seventies.
★ 4.1