Hip Hop: Top 20 Hip Hop Songs

Good Thursday gang.  I am doing another hip hop post, which is so unlike me since I don’t listen to the music that much.  However, since I grew up on it, the music and a large majority of the culture of hip hop in the 80s and 90s is a part of me. Also, it looks as if Killer Mike left a comment on yesterday’s post.  You may be saying “How do you know it was really him?”  Well, my instinct leads me to believe that it was as well as me doubting that someone would take the time to pose as Killer Mike and give my rinky dink blog any attention.  So Killer Mike, thanks for the read homie. I’ll be pumping “Monster” this weekend and I’ll be looking for your next project.

Before I start with my list I want to speak on something that I’ve thought  about.  I have an ongoing debate with a very good friend about real music versus hip hop music. When I say real music, I’m referring to soul music; music with vocals, instruments, choruses, bridges, etc. and not saying it as a diss to hip hop, but when you listen to the music, it is primarily constructed of a looped beat and/or instrumental and minor variations of that.  There are some rappers out there that incorporate elements of real music in their work, but they are few and far between.

The debate is centered around the messages in hip hop music versus the messages in soul music (I don’t use the marketing-inspired label “neo”. It just current day soul music).  Anyhow,  as far as the content of the messages pitted against one another, I dare say that hip hop is a lot more flexible in what it can convey versus what soul music can convey.  In hip hop they can rap about having fun, struggles of the street, life and death, sex, and love.

I know you smart folk out there are thinking “But wait a minute! In soul music, they have songs that are about all those things!”  So true, but think about this: when rappers rap, they usually can say a lot more in a verse than a singer can.  A rapper can say a whole sentence in the time that it may take a singer to sing a note of one word.  For that reason, it allows for the rapper to communicate more effectively than the singer.  I’m not saying that they all do, because most don’t, but if you listen to Talib Kweli for example, you could probably agree that any singer would be hard pressed to make a song as informatively dense as one of his verses.    But as far the debate goes that I’ve been having, my friend attacks soul music for its stories of “rainbows, love, unicorns, and stars in the sky” as she puts it.  I will concede and say that the majority of soul music is about love.   Why that is I think is because it is music better suited for love and, well, beautiful things.  Hip hop on the other hand is better suited to the grittier aspects of life.  Now there are outliers and exceptions to every rule, and in this case, consider this:

Soul Music = love and beautiful things, right? But then you have “Inner City Blues” by Marvin, “Kung Fu” by Curtis Mayfield, “Africa” by D’Angelo, “Living for the City” by Stevie, and various songs by Lyfe Jennings and Jaheim (two artists that I don’t really listen to).

Hip Hop Music = the tougher side of life, right?  But then you have “I need love” by LL, “Beautiful Things” by Bahamadia, “Beautiful” by Masta Ace, “Summertime” by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, “Bonita Appelbum” by Tribe, and others.

The truth is that when you think of hip hop and hip hop artists as an amorphous concept,  beautiful things and love isn’t what your mind automatically links to it. When you think about soul music in equally broad terms, hard times isn’t the automatic link.  However, I believe it’s easier to be in the gray area with soul music since its roots are in blues, gospel, negro spirituals, and the like.  When it’s all said and done though, when I hear a beautiful singing voice, I’d rather hear words of love and the happier, more positive side of life, no matter how unattainable it may be.

I’ll probably continue to have this debate, but I’m trying to make better sense of it.

Anyhow, onto the list.  My list is comprised of 20 songs because after yesterday’s exercise of the top 5, I know 5 just won’t do any justice.  I’ll give brief explanations of each. Oh, yesterday’s list wasn’t in any particular order, and this will be the same thing. Also, I hope everyone understands that whenever anyone says top ___ anything, it is IMPOSSIBLE to ignore personal taste.  After all, it’s art and there is probably no quantitative measure to accurately assess the impact of a song on one person to another, or even from a group of people to another.

“Fight the Power” - Public Enemy is down for black people and I don’t think  there is any song that could make a little black boy feel more like “I’M BLACK, WHAT MOTHERF*CKER!!?”  It’s the modern day “I’m Black, and I’m Proud” song.   That line about Elvis being racist was the most in your face line ever rapped.

“I Wanna Rock” by Rob Base and DJ Eazy Rock – This song is probably THE MOST recognizable hip hop party song and beat of all time.  Everyone knows the words. I say everyone but I’m turning 33 this year, so I guess I mean everyone probably 28 – 45.  If you don’t know this song, you’re either a youngin or you’re not from planet earth.

“Children’s Story” – Slick Rick is heralded as the greatest hip hop storyteller of all time, and he deserves it. I’d even say this is in the top 5 best rap videos of all time too.  Just plain clever and funny.  There was even a message in there.  You can’t ask for more. If you’re around my age you know the words to this one too.  So much that when you’re at a party, the DJ will stop the record so the crowd can go “DAAAAAVE, THE DOPE FIEND SHOO   TIN DOPE WHO DON’T KNOW THE MEANIN’ OF WATER NOR SOAP!”

“Ain’t Nothin But a G Thang” – Dr. Dre changed hip hop forever with this song. I was in the 10th grade when this hit, and it stayed on the video countdowns for weeks and weeks and weeks.  Nothing sounded like it from top to bottom, and even though Snoop was introduced earlier in the “Deep Cover” song, he was way more Snoopy D-o-double-G on this song that made you take notice.

“Rock the Bells” – I’m no LL Cool J fan, and haven’t been one since around 1990, but when this song comes on, people my age can’t help but to do the wop.  It’s just a woperific song.

“Ain’t no Half Steppin” – Big Daddy Kane was hip hop personified in 88. There was none cooler, and this song exemplifies coolness from the lazy but hard beat, the braggadocious rhymes, and even that low budget corny video.

“Paid in Full” – Every hustler’s anthem.  Sh!t, you don’t even have to be a hustler for this to be an anthem.  Just live in America. This song is such an oddity to me because if you listen, it’s probably one of the shortest rap songs of all time. It only had one verse! But the thing is, everything he is saying is so incredibly poignant.  “I don’t like to dream about getting paid….” Sh!t, I know I don’t.

“Mind Playing Tricks On Me” – This song is pretty darn creative. Beat selection was definitely on point, and even though the Geto Boys were an odd match, they definitely had interesting personas that made you want to hear each person’s verse. You have Scarface, the no nonsense lyrically insightful mc, Willie D, the rough talking yet funny caveman, and Bushwick Bill, the mentally disturbed small person.

“Summertime” – Who doesn’t love this song?? If this song doesn’t make you feel good when it comes on, you may be kin to the Grinch and you probably have a heart 10 times too small!!  This song is so timeless because Will Smith is rapping about something everyone can relate to, especially if you’re black.  Warm weather, washing your car, playing ball, hollering at chicks, kids playing…. Huh? If you don’t like this song, you need to be jailed.

“Love’s Gonna Getcha” - Boogie Down Productions (KRS One) gave it to us straight with a very vivid story.  No matter your background, you get drawn into the story and understand the message and there is absolutely no way you can dispute the positivity it conveys.

“So Fresh, So Clean” – Some of you may scoff at this song, but to me, this is probably the most no holds barred “I’m feelin myself” song ever made. It makes you smile and even laugh to yourself.  When you listen to it, it’s almost like it gives you permission to feel like “Yeah motherf*cker, I look good….and what!”

“Paul Revere” - Gotta love the Beastie Boys.  The song was pretty silly, but in its outrageousness emerged classic hip hop.

“F*ck the Police” – Nothing really can be said about this song that hasn’t been said already.  Even though I’m not a west coast G or anything, to this day I still have a strong dislike for police.  Not because of the song, but the song just tipped me off to the a*shole tendencies that most cops have.

“Freaky Tales” by Too Short- “I knew this girl….”  This song is funny as sh!t every time I hear it.  The great thing about it is that it goes on for like 10 minutes telling nasty stories about women.  Yeah I know you women may not appreciate that it’s at your expense, but really and truly it’s all in fun and Too Short has the best A-B-C 1-2-3 nursery rhyme delivery of all time.  Gotta love this song.

“Planet Rock” – I almost don’t wanna put this one down because even though Afrika Bambataa and the Soulsonic Force is definitely hip hop, I usually think of this as something different like Funk or breakdancing music.  Nevertheless, it’s probably one of the most energetic songs

“Shimmy Shimmy Ya” – What? How did ODB get in the list? Have you ever seen how people dance to this when it comes on?  It’s a sight to see, because everyone dances just a liiiiiiittle bit funkier.

“The Choice is Yours” by Black Sheep – This is another crowd reaction song.  When you listen to it, the introduction is dramatic, the beat is hard, and there is crazy energy in it. People may even jump up and down.

“Top Billin” by Audio Two – This song is such classic hip hop, it almost makes me want to be from Brooklyn when it comes on. It’s not really a good song to dance to, but somehow it seems to work its way into parties occasionally. Strange.

“Buddy” by the Native Tongues – I think this is the best posse cut of all time.  I know a lot of you may say that that title should go to “The Symphony”, but I guess I just liked this one better. Hey, this is my list.

“Mo Money, Mo Problems” by Puff Biggie and Mase – This song probably is the best example of how to most effectively use a sample.  The sample and beat make it impossible not to dance when it comes on. It’s unreal.

There you have it. Some of the songs were picked because of their outright influence on black culture, some because of their messages, some because of their recognizability, some because of their crowd reaction.  There are way too many ways to dice it all up and I’d say there are infinite ways to judge and rate songs.   I didn’t really think about these songs before I started typing either, so they just came to you as they came to me.

What say you?