Mahogany L. Browne’s Love Letter to Hip-Hop

Warren G, “Regulate” (1994)
Originally appearing on the soundtrack of the Tupac Shakur film “Above the Rim,” this song is built around a sample of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near).”

Lil Wayne, “Money On My Mind” (2005)
This track appeared on the second installment of Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter” album series, which elevated the New Orleans rapper from teenage phenom to full-blown superstar.

Latto, “Put It on da Floor Again” (2023)
The video for this song featured, among others, the L.S.U. star Angel Reese, two months after she led the Tigers to their first ever national basketball championship.

50 Cent, “In da Club” (2003)
“In da Club” was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for nine straight weeks and would be named the most popular track of 2003 by the outlet.

MC Lyte, “Cold Rock a Party” (1996)
This single reached a new level of commercial success when it was remixed by Sean “Diddy” Combs and gifted with a guest verse from an up-and-coming Missy Elliott.

Slick Rick, “The Moment I Feared” (1988)
Slick Rick’s debut LP was lauded for its vivid storytelling, evident on this album cut — produced by Public Enemy’s mainstay production group, the Bomb Squad — about an urban adventure gone wrong at the Latin Quarters, a nightclub in Manhattan that became a home for rap music in the mid-1980s.

Eric B & Rakim, “Follow the Leader” (1988)
The video for this single kicked off the pilot episode of the series “Yo! MTV Raps,” which became an important engine of hip-hop culture in the late ’80s.

Biz Markie, “Spring Again” (1989)
This song has the honor of appearing right before “Just a Friend,” the single that launched the Biz to global notoriety, on his 1989 album, “The Biz Never Sleeps.”

Lil’ Kim, “No Time” ft. Puff Daddy (1996)
After gaining buzz through her association with the group Junior M.A.F.I.A. (and its patron, the Notorious B.I.G.), Lil’ Kim shot to stardom with her debut solo single, “No Time,” which was eventually certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Kanye West, “See Me Now” ft. Beyoncé, Charlie Wilson and Big Sean (2010)
Originally leaked on the internet, “See Me Now” was formally included as a bonus track on West’s album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” — one of the few new records to be awarded a perfect 10.0 rating by the influential website Pitchfork.

Benzino, “Rock The Party” ft. Mario Winans (2002)
Might this be the only rap single recorded by a magazine mogul to hit the Billboard charts? The rapper Benzino, real name Raymond Leon Scott, was a co-owner of the iconic hip-hop magazine The Source. (Your turn, Anna Wintour.)

Benzino, “Rock The Party” ft. Mario Winans (2002)

Cardi B, “She Bad” ft. YG (2018)
After stints on the VH1 show “Love & Hip-Hop: New York” and the release of “Bodak Yellow,” her breakout single, Cardi B was anointed as a member of hip-hop’s ruling class with her debut album, “Invasion of Privacy,” which included this YG collaboration.

E-40, “Tell Me When To Go” (2006)
Throughout the 1990s, E-40 became a local star in his native Bay Area, helping to spearhead a style of rap called “hyphy,” which is characterized by its insistent rhythmic pace and emphasis on bodily joy. But it wasn’t until 2006, when he was nearly 40, that he became a true mainstream star with his best-performing single, “Tell Me When to Go.”