"Boom Bap" can be taken a lot of different ways. The term has come to mean everything from classic East Coast hip-hop to a "purist" in the most derogatory sense. You may even be hearing about the “return of the boom bap era” with artists like Joey Bada$$ and J. Cole becoming popular. 

Sometimes, it sounds like a put-down aimed at anyone whose music tastes are stuck in the 1990s, particularly if you have an affinity for hardcore East Coast rap of that period. But, here, boom bap is a beautiful thing. It's something timeless and classic; the essence of what has made pure NYC Hip-Hop great.

The roots of boom bap Hip-Hop beats go all the way back to the mid-1980s. After early rap records got Hip-Hop music on the radio with a sound that was heavily indebted to funk and disco; Hip-Hop artists like Run-DMC and Boogie Down Productions emerged with a "new school" approach that de-emphasized melody for hard-hitting snare drums and kick drum loops. During the height of the late 80s/early 90s sampling era, that foundational "boom bap" would evolve into a signature East Coast/New York sound. And after the creative explosion of the Golden Age, a generation of East Coast hip hop producers like Havoc, Pete Rock, Evil Dee, Large Professor, RZA, Buckwild, Showbiz and Texas transplant DJ Premier took jazz and soul samples and turned them into these darkly melodic, murky, head noddable rap classics. Prominent West Coast artists like The Alchemist are also notable for contributions to the boom bap style.

Here are our picks for the 25 dopest boom bap songs.