A number of the '90s' biggest hip-hop hits were tributes to fallen comrades, but is any of them better than Bone Thugs-N-Harmony's "Tha Crossroads"? Dedicated to the group's mentor, N.W.A. rapper Eazy-E, who had died the previous year from complications due to AIDS, the song deals with some heavy, extremely personal subject matter. But framed by the titular refrain ("See you at the crossroads/so you won't be lonely"), its searching tone resonates far beyond the immediate questions of death. And with an easygoing vibe, as well as the sense of closure that settles in as the final notes fade away, it's no wonder that "Crossroads" became the summer anthem of 1996. I can see the graduation party singalongs now... A-
16 years ago this week, "Tha Crossroads" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
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