In a 25th anniversary listing of the top 100 songs in the history of Hot Rap Songs based on chart performance, "Me So Horny" by the 2 Live Crew and "Tootsee Roll" by 69 Boyz were the highest-ranked singles of the 1980s and 1990s respectively.

90s rap was a time of great evolution and diversity in terms of subgenres. One of the most influential and well-known subgenres of this period was gangsta rap, characterized by its violent, raw, and explicit content, as well as its aggressive and heavy musical production. Artists such as N.W.A, Ice-T, Dr.

The Sugar Hill Gang's 12-inch single "Rapper's Delight" - released in 1979 - became the first rap song to be played on the radio. The 15-minute song was edited down to six and a half minutes and reached Number 36 on the pop charts, making it the first hip-hop single to become a Top 40 chart hit.