@İbrahim Öksüz

The decade when hip-hop conquered the charts—and the world.

Discover new music from artists we think you'll like. Refreshed every Friday.

Rock ’n’ roll may have been born in the ’50s, but it was in the ’60s that it reached its zenith as the voice of youth culture. After all, the decade produced many of the music’s most iconic artists, beginning with The Beatles, who along with the rest of the British Invasion (The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks) delivered refreshingly new sounds to a world reeling from violence and upheaval. Yet rock in the ’60s wasn’t solely a pick-me-up; it also reflected the turmoil of a generation questioning war, racism, even consciousness itself. Bob Dylan, serving as a bridge between topical folk music and snarling rock ’n’ roll, delivered a string of fiery protest anthems; Jimi Hendrix unleashed a mind-bending soundtrack for hippies exploring psychedelia; and, at decade’s end, Led Zeppelin invented heavy metal with a crushing, blues-informed style as loud as bombs.

Hip-hop in the ’90s went from the voice of the streets to the sound of the nation, taking over the charts, film, fashion and more. Dr. Dre’s 1992 solo debut <I>The Chronic</I> changed rap’s pulse: blaring drum loops were exchanged for lush low-rider funk; gangsta rap was now indistinguishable from pop. Though the spotlight moved to Los Angeles, New York rappers like Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and Nas made a grimy strain of “boom bap” that was gritty, vividly bleak and lyrically intricate. Regional sounds slowly infiltrated the airwaves, including E-40’s slick “mobb music” (the Bay Area), the rapid-fire “chop” of Bone Thugs (the Midwest), the boom of 8Ball & MJG (Memphis), the crawl of UGK (Houston) and, most notably, the left-field rap of Atlanta’s Outkast. By decade’s end, Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy empire monopolised the charts and New Orleans labels No Limit and Cash Money turned DIY hustle into uncompromising sensations.

Beats to motivate you beyond your limits.

If you’re after just the hits, this is where you’ll find them: a handpicked selection of Turkish rap's biggest songs of the past few years. Our editors update this playlist regularly, so if you hear something you like, add it to your library.

Joker is an underground phenomenon in his native Türkiye. Since the mid-‘00s, he has helped build a domestic hip-hop scene inspired by Turkish-German MCs in the ‘90s, lighting up streaming sites and social media alike with his confident flow. He blends a taste for slick, infectious beats with a bit of tension—and a threat of chaos—that’s worthy of his villainous namesake. Suffice it to say, Joker’s music has plenty of attitude and is nothing to laugh at.