Now the world's most popular musical genre, hip-hop has come a very long way from its humble origins in the streets of '70s New York.
Hip-hop in 2026 is stronger and more diverse than ever, having heavily influenced the sound of contemporary pop while splintering into a multitude of subgenres and microscenes, from trap and drill to mumble rap and rage beats.
But few would disagree that the genre's "golden age" – a fruitful period from the late '80s through the mid-'90s – was the genre at its peak, producing a historic run of groundbreaking albums from iconic artists like 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G, Wu-Tang Clan, Dr. Dre, Mobb Deep, Outkast and many more.
It's that slice of hip-hop history that served as inspiration for our latest free sample pack, a varied collection of beats, loops, drum hits, one-shots and multi-samples that share a distinctly nostalgic feel - there's even some vinyl crackle samples thrown in for that authentically vintage vibe.
From laid-back boom-bap drum patterns to dusty chords and slinky basslines, this pack's got pretty much everything you need to put together a convincing imitation of classic '90s hip-hop. Except the rhymes, of course – we'll leave those to you.
What you need to know
All the samples are supplied as WAV files so can be imported directly into your DAW or sampler of choice.
Because they're royalty-free, you're welcome to use the samples in your music in any way you like - all we ask is that you don't re-distribute them.
The samples are supplied in a zip file, so you'll need to extract them before you can see them. Enjoy!
Examples
'90s hip-hop samples samples: click to download
For thousands more samples, head to our SampleRadar hub.
