Hot Boys were more than just a supergroup composed of Cash Money Records’ freshman class—they basically led a rebellion in late-'90s rap. For the two decades leading up to their arrival, hip-hop had inaccurately been depicted as a bicoastal movement. But by 1999, New Orleans was reframing the conversation and establishing its national profile, fueled in no small part by the singles-driven successes of Juvenile’s 400 Degreez and B.G.’s Chopper City in the Ghetto. The Hot Boys’ second LP, Guerilla Warfare, which featured those two aforementioned MCs alongside Lil Wayne (who was just 16 at the time of its release) and Turk (who was 18), has since been minted a Southern rap classic and a foundational document of New Orleans’ then-burgeoning scene. But it’s also a fascinating time capsule that showcases a pre-stardom Wayne’s preternatural talents and Mannie Fresh’s influential bass-heavy beats, which were heavily indebted to NOLA’s bounce sound. From the cocksure rhetoric of “We on Fire” to the law-enforcement-evasion tactics of hood PSA “Tuesday & Thursday,” the young crew illustrates a mature understanding of the game—relatable to the people living it firsthand and demystifying to those unfamiliar with the city the quartet called home. As if the Hot Boys needed further assistance in their 808-soundtracked mission, label boss Bryan “Baby” Williams provided Big Tymers clout on the call-and-response breakout single “I Need a Hot Girl.”