25. Foxy Brown "BK Anthem" (2001)

Label: Def Jam

It was her tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, but also to her borough. She'll tell you where she grew up, alright: "It's Brooklyn, where ni**az lives was tooken/Rich cats got knocked and they wallets was tooken/Forty-three and Hemlock, they fifth bit cock/We cried when they killed Lenox and popped them rocks." Foxy's single off 2001's Broken Silence was important for its tribute, sure, but also marked the debut of Foxy's grittier, less-sexualized image. While the female emcee wasn't shy on the mic, nor afraid to vividly and explicitly spit rhymes, her vocals on "BK Anthem" were different; they were angry, emotional, unsympathetic, and ultimately, passionate. Anyone who heard them knew this is someone with a strong sense of hometown pride. —Lauren Nostro