1. WU-TANG CLAN Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud) Ground zero of the movement, 1993.
2. NAS Illmatic (Columbia) Rising like Skywalker from the same set of buildings as Marley Marl's legendary crew.
3. GRAVEDIGGAZ Six Feet Deep (Gee Street) Prince Paul was the first outsider to get it.
4. MOBB DEEP The Infamous (Loud) If a single '90s rock 'n' roll star sounded half this dangerous, rap might've never broke nationally.
5. RAEKWON Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (Loud) The 1995 crest of the first wave of what RZA wrought.
