In the late '90s GIFs were a popular thing on the Internet (mostly because Internet speeds were so slow) but they've made a roaring comeback in the past few years. Nowadays, as soon an award show or an episode of your favorite series airs, there're GIFs on deck. However, GIFs have become so popular that there are sub-cultures of GIFs now.

Enter the hip-hop GIF.

A hip-hop GIF is basically anything that's even remotely rap related. They allow fans to make off hand references to things only hip-hop fans would know about and get. Although you're probably inundated with GIFs already, there are some GIFs that, as a hip-hop fan, it's your responsibility to know and have saved on your computer or phone to use in email and text message chains. And if you already know about them, be sure to favorite this post because soon enough you'll be looking for that perfect Jay Z GIF but won't want to search more than five seconds for it. So, whether you need them to react to someone or because you're too lazy to type out how you really feel, here are 40 GIFs Every Hip-Hop Fan Should Know.

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