I’m in St. Louis for the holidays. And like anyone from St. Louis knows, the most important detail for every STLien is where we went to high school. (Clayton High School, stand up! Greyhounds! Ladue High is some punks!!!) Needless to say, my best hip-hop memories are from those years in school—between 1998 and 2002 (though, whoa, did 2001 suck hard for rap). So here are the songs that helped get me through those days of endless homework and awkward make-out sessions.

1998

“Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” – Jay-Z

“Back That Azz Up” – Juvenile

“Da Art of Storytellin’ (Part 2)” – OutKast

“How Ya Do Dat” – Young Bleed

“Gimme Some More” – Busta Rhymes

“I’ll Be Dat!” – Redman

“Definition” – Black Star

1999

“Get Rich to This” – Goodie Mob

“We On Fire” – Hot Boys

“85″ – Youngbloodz

“Forget About Dre” – Dr. Dre

“Any Man” – Eminem

“You Got Me” – The Roots

“Hate Me Now” – Nas

2000

“Move Somethin’” – Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek

“Heat” – Common

“Cherchez LaGhost” – Ghostface Killah

“Ebonics” – Big L

“Who Run It” – Three 6 Mafia

“It Ain’t Part II” – Scarface

“Oooh” – De La Soul

“Country Grammar (Hot Shit) – Nelly

2001

“Girls, Girls, Girls” – Jay-Z