10 Legendary Albums of the 1990s

Many have called the 1990s "hip-hop's golden era," but that decade produced a ton of great music from the R&B genre as well. Not only did the '90s yield classic debuts from rappers like Biggie and Snoop Doggy Dogg, but there were also timeless offerings from Mary J. Blige and R. Kelly.

It's easy for younger fans to forget that many of the artists topping charts today took their cues from the albums that were popping 20 years ago. How many times has sex-driven Trey Songz been compared to R. Kelly? How often do people say Keyshia Cole's angst-filled vocals are reminiscent of a young Mary J. Blige? It's time to pay homage and for the benefit of those in need of a bit of music education, TheDrop.fm has narrowed down a list of some classic projects that inspired many emcees and singers today. Here's 10 Legendary Albums of the 1990s.