25 Pictures That Show Just How Dope Early-’90s Hip-Hop Really Was

A snapshot of early-'90s hip-hop, presented by Getty Images.

Lawrence Schwartzwald / Getty Images

Tupac Shakur flashes his "Thug Life" tattoo for paparazzi at a gala in honor of actor Mickey Rourke in New York City on Nov. 11, 1994.

Chris Walter / WireImage

Biggie Smalls holds a bottle of St. Ides malt liquor in Brooklyn, New York, 1995.

Jim Steinfeldt / Getty Images

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince pose for a portrait at First Avenue nightclub in Minneapolis on March 12, 1990.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas of TLC perform in Rosemont, Illinois, in 1993.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Queen Latifah performs at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago in January 1991.

Al Pereira / Getty Images

The Fugees pose for a portrait backstage at the Manhattan Center in New York City, 1993.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

Scarface of the Geto Boys (left) performs at the New Regal Theater in Chicago in July 1993. Coolio (right) poses for photos at the Sheraton Grande Hotel in Los Angeles in January 1994.

Tony Buckingham / Redferns

MCA, Mike D, and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys strike a pose onstage in January 1990.

Pymca / Getty Images

De La Soul taking a quick nap in 1992.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Questlove and Tariq of the Roots (left) at Phoenix Festival in the UK in the early 1990s. Members of the Wu-Tang Clan (right) pose for a group portrait in London, 1994.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

LL Cool J poses for photos at LeMeridien Hotel in Chicago in October 1990.

Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images

Nas celebrates with Puff Daddy and his crew in the early 1990s.

David Corio / Redferns

Ice-T stops for a portrait in New York City's 57th Street subway station in February 1993.

Steve Eichner / Getty Images

Cypress Hill poses backstage at New York City's Wetlands nightclub on Feb. 26, 1992.

Al Pereira / Getty Images

Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Q-TIp, and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest DJing in September 1991 in New York.

Al Pereira

Ol' Dirty Bastard poses with a group of his backup dancers in 1995.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre (left) pose for a photo after Snoop's performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago in 1993. Eazy-E and Too Short (right) pose for photos backstage at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis in 1991.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy perform during Public Enemy's "Bring the Noise" video shoot with Anthrax, on location in Chicago in 1991.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Ice Cube poses with the Lench Mob (T-Bone, Sir Jinx, Yo-Yo, and J-Dee) backstage at The Arena in St. Louis in 1990.

Raymond Boyd / Getty Images

Steve Eichner / Getty Images

Jay Z (left) glances towards the camera in the early 1990s. Naughty by Nature (right) at New York City's Wetlands nightclub in the 1990s.

Tony Mottram / Getty Images

Sandra Denton "Pepa" of Salt N Pepa is seen on the set for the music video for "Whatta Man" in 1993.