The Music Thread

[Fitzy]

ill contribute then

overseer- horn dog

[Stevesanity]

Korn - Clown
Killswitch Engage - A Bid Farewell
Dis Be Glory - Wonder What She Wants
Cold Anger - Split
Phobia Root - Safe Is My Way
Deftones - Elite
Ablebodymaniac - Peaceful Police
Sublime - What I Got

[The Other Kevin]

Big L- Let 'em Have It L

[peaches]

Maybe Kriegz should be a moderator of this thread since hes here most the time.

I know Benji mentioned the album earlier in this thread but is anyone else loving A City By The Light Divided? I got my hands on a couple of tracks and it's honestly some of the best music i've heard in a while.

The ones I've listened to are: Telegraph avenue kiss and Running from the rain; i await some reccomendations.

[SkipToMy_Lou]

Trae Feat. Bun-B & Z-Ro - Beware

[Kriegz]

Well here it goes

I'm going to make a very detailed list of what in my opinion are the top 100 Hip-Hop/Rap tracks of all time. The rules are that I can only have 1 song per artist/band. So, my goal is to amuse myself and to inform people. If someone wants to give listening to hip-hop a chance, they can check out this list and find some good stuff to get them started. I'm also going to try to have a good variety of old school tracks as well as a few not-so-well known tracks. Everything will be in a countdown format and I will likely do it in 25 track sections just for time sake. So, keep an eye out for it and if you have some suggetions, feel free to post them. If I havn't already heard it I will surely download it and consider it.

ps, this isn't G-Unit, or Yung Joc or T.I., this is Hip-Hop, keep that in mind when suggesting or commenting on the list.

[Srbija]

Tupac ft. Outlawz - Uppercut

[Old School Fool]

Ever heard of Deux Process? Check out their MySpace cause they got some neat tracks like "The Process" and "Take The Dance".

[Jugs]

01: The Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
02: Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
03: Nas - "One Mic"
04: Mobb Deep - "Shook Ones Part. II"
05: Grandmaster Flash - "The Message"
06: Beastie Boys - "Paul Revere"
07: Public Enemy - "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos"
08: Digable Planets - "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"
09: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Big Poppa"
10: LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
11: Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"
12: Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
13: Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang"
14: Naughty By Nature - "O.P.P."
15: Run D.M.C. - "It's Tricky"
16: Luniz - "I Got 5 On It"
17: A Tribe Called Quest - "Scenario"
18: N.W.A. - "F*** Tha Police"
19: MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This"
20: Boogie Down Productions - "The Bridge Is Over"
21: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
22: Arrested Development - "People Everyday"
23: Big Daddy Kane - "Raw"
24: Beastie Boys - "Fight for Your Right (To Party)"
25: The Fugees - "Killing Me Softly"
26: 2 Live Crew - "Me So Horny"
27: Eric B. & Rakim - "I Know You Got Soul"
28: Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise"
29: Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
30: Puff Daddy - "I'll Be Missin' You"
31: 2Pac - "Dear Mama"
32: Public Enemy - "Rebel Without A Pause"
33: Mary J. Blige - "Real Love"
34: Run-D.M.C. - "Rock Box"
35: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - "Crossroads"
36: Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
37: Common - "I Used To Love H.E.R."
38: Young MC - "Bust A Move"
39: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Hypnotize"
40: A Tribe Called Quest - "Bonita Applebum"
41: Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
42: Geto Boys - "Mind Playin' Tricks On Me"
43: Ice-T - "Cop Killa"
44: LL Cool J - "I Need Love"
45: Tone Loc - "Wild Thing"
46: Afrika Bambatta - "Planet Rock"
47: Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
48: The Notorious B.I.G. - "One More Chance"
49: Eric B. & Rakim - "Don't Sweat The Technique"
50: Grandmaster Flash - "White Lines"
51: Ice Cube - "It Was A Good Day"
52: N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton"
53: Run-D.M.C. - "My Adidas"
54: OutKast - "Elevators (Me & You)"
55: 2Pac - "Keep Ya Head Up"
56: Slick Rick - "Children's Story"
57: MC Hammer - "2 Legit 2 Quit"
58: Digital Underground - "The Humpty Dance"
59: Queen Latifah - "U.N.I.T.Y."
60: Tone Loc - "Funky Cold Medina"
61: Eminem - "Stan"
62: Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin & Juice"
63: The Fugees - "Ready or Not"
64: Salt-N-Pepa - "Whatta Man"
65: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Mo Money, Mo Problems"
66: A Tribe Called Quest - "Excursion"
67: De La Soul - "Me, Myself & I"
68: Mobb Deep - "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)"
69: Skee-Lo - "I Wish"
70: Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"
71: Nas - "Street Dreams"
72: OutKast - "Ms. Jackson"
73: N.W.A. - "Natural Born Killaz"
74: 2Pac - "Changes"
75: The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La"
76: Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"
77: Eminem - "Lose Yourself"
78: OutKast - "ATLiens"
79: Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
80: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - "Summertime"
81: Big Punisher - "Still Not A Player"
82: Eminem - "The Way I Am"
83: Ice-T - "New Jack Hustler"
84: Nas - "Ether"
85: Puff Daddy - "It's All About The Benjamins"
86: Busta Rhymes - "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check"
87: Twista - "Adrenaline Rush"
88: Jay-Z - "Big Pimpin"
89: Missy Elliott - "One Minute Man"
90: Nas - "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)"
91: Naughty By Nature - "Feel Me Flow"
92: OutKast - "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"
93: Cam'ron - "Welcome To New York City"
94: Juvenile - "Ha"
95: DMX - "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"
96: Nelly - "Country Grammar"
97: Styles P. - "Good Times (I Get High)"
98: Missy Elliott - "Work It"
99: Goodie Mob - "Cell Therapy"
100: Ludacris - "Southern Hospitality"


Does anyone have the original 14 minute Rapper's delight? If so, could you kindly pm me

[Old School Fool]

01: The Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"
02: Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
03: Nas - "One Mic"
04: Mobb Deep - "Shook Ones Part. II"
05: Grandmaster Flash - "The Message"
06: Beastie Boys - "Paul Revere"
07: Public Enemy - "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos"
08: Digable Planets - "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)"
09: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Big Poppa"
10: LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"
11: Public Enemy - "Fight The Power"
12: Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
13: Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang"
14: Naughty By Nature - "O.P.P."
15: Run D.M.C. - "It's Tricky"
16: Luniz - "I Got 5 On It"
17: A Tribe Called Quest - "Scenario"
18: N.W.A. - "F*** Tha Police"
19: MC Hammer - "U Can't Touch This"
20: Boogie Down Productions - "The Bridge Is Over"
21: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Juicy"
22: Arrested Development - "People Everyday"
23: Big Daddy Kane - "Raw"
24: Beastie Boys - "Fight for Your Right (To Party)"
25: The Fugees - "Killing Me Softly"
26: 2 Live Crew - "Me So Horny"
27: Eric B. & Rakim - "I Know You Got Soul"
28: Coolio - "Gangsta's Paradise"
29: Wu-Tang Clan - "C.R.E.A.M."
30: Puff Daddy - "I'll Be Missin' You"
31: 2Pac - "Dear Mama"
32: Public Enemy - "Rebel Without A Pause"
33: Mary J. Blige - "Real Love"
34: Run-D.M.C. - "Rock Box"
35: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - "Crossroads"
36: Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"
37: Common - "I Used To Love H.E.R."
38: Young MC - "Bust A Move"
39: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Hypnotize"
40: A Tribe Called Quest - "Bonita Applebum"
41: Biz Markie - "Just A Friend"
42: Geto Boys - "Mind Playin' Tricks On Me"
43: Ice-T - "Cop Killa"
44: LL Cool J - "I Need Love"
45: Tone Loc - "Wild Thing"
46: Afrika Bambatta - "Planet Rock"
47: Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"
48: The Notorious B.I.G. - "One More Chance"
49: Eric B. & Rakim - "Don't Sweat The Technique"
50: Grandmaster Flash - "White Lines"
51: Ice Cube - "It Was A Good Day"
52: N.W.A. - "Straight Outta Compton"
53: Run-D.M.C. - "My Adidas"
54: OutKast - "Elevators (Me & You)"
55: 2Pac - "Keep Ya Head Up"
56: Slick Rick - "Children's Story"
57: MC Hammer - "2 Legit 2 Quit"
58: Digital Underground - "The Humpty Dance"
59: Queen Latifah - "U.N.I.T.Y."
60: Tone Loc - "Funky Cold Medina"
61: Eminem - "Stan"
62: Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin & Juice"
63: The Fugees - "Ready or Not"
64: Salt-N-Pepa - "Whatta Man"
65: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Mo Money, Mo Problems"
66: A Tribe Called Quest - "Excursion"
67: De La Soul - "Me, Myself & I"
68: Mobb Deep - "Hell on Earth (Front Lines)"
69: Skee-Lo - "I Wish"
70: Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life"
71: Nas - "Street Dreams"
72: OutKast - "Ms. Jackson"
73: N.W.A. - "Natural Born Killaz"
74: 2Pac - "Changes"
75: The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La"
76: Busta Rhymes - "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"
77: Eminem - "Lose Yourself"
78: OutKast - "ATLiens"
79: Lauryn Hill - "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
80: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - "Summertime"
81: Big Punisher - "Still Not A Player"
82: Eminem - "The Way I Am"
83: Ice-T - "New Jack Hustler"
84: Nas - "Ether"
85: Puff Daddy - "It's All About The Benjamins"
86: Busta Rhymes - "Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check"
87: Twista - "Adrenaline Rush"
88: Jay-Z - "Big Pimpin"
89: Missy Elliott - "One Minute Man"
90: Nas - "These Are Our Heroes (Coon Picnic)"
91: Naughty By Nature - "Feel Me Flow"
92: OutKast - "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik"
93: Cam'ron - "Welcome To New York City"
94: Juvenile - "Ha"
95: DMX - "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"
96: Nelly - "Country Grammar"
97: Styles P. - "Good Times (I Get High)"
98: Missy Elliott - "Work It"
99: Goodie Mob - "Cell Therapy"
100: Ludacris - "Southern Hospitality"


Does anyone have the original 14 minute Rapper's delight? If so, could you kindly pm me

I have all those songs.

[Jugs]

Me too, I 'got' it as an 'album' called 100 greatest hiphop songs of all time.

[cklitsie]

I have all those songs.

Good for you but did you really have to quote all 100 of them?

[2AaSRA]

There's no way I Used to Love H.E.R. belongs that high up the list. and yo, where's Thugz Mansion?

[Kriegz]

There's no way I Used to Love H.E.R. belongs that high up the list. and yo, where's Thugz Mansion?

It's an awesome song because the whole song is a metaphor for Hip-Hop but it still isn't my favorite song by Common.

[Kriegz]

Table Scraps
25 Tracks That Barely Missed The Cut
--------------------------------------------------

3rd Bass - Pop Goes The Weasel
7L & Esoteric - Rise Of The Rebel
Bizzy Bone - I Miss You (ft. Tru Life & Sho Shot)
Buckshot - Money Makes The World Go Round (ft. Starang Wondah)
The Diplomats - Dipset Anthem
DMX - Ruff Ryders' Anthem
Fort Minor - Be Somebody (ft. Lupe Fiasco, Holly Brook & Tek)
The Game - Hate It Or Love It (ft. 50 Cent)
House Of Pain - Jump Around
Lupe Fiasco - Kick, Push
M.O.P. - Ante Up
Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says
Rev Run - Mind On The Road
RJD2 - Ghostwriter
Royce Da 5'9" - Boom
Sean Biggs - Never Gonna Get It (ft. Topic & Akon)
Shyne - Bad Boyz (ft. Barrington Levy)
Sporty Thievz - No Pigeons
The Streets - Blinded By The Light
T.I. - Rubber Band Man
Trick Daddy - Thug Holiday
Twista - Overnight Celebrity (ft. Kanye West)
Us3 - Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)
Wycleff Jean - Gone 'Til November
Young Buck - Prices On My Head (ft. Lloyd Banks)

[Blasphemy]

Source: http://www.epinions.com/musc-review-616 ... CCA0-prod5

The top 25 Hip-Hop Songs of all time: Write-Off
Sep 03 '00



This review is part of Donlee_Brussel’s Top 25 Hip-Hop Tracks of All Time write-off. Be sure and check out the lists compiled by the following authors once you’re done here: Andrew_Hicks, Beast003, Chewychin, Chezon, Docmyst, Knix, KristinaFH, Lambira, Lars_Lindahl, Psychovant, SpookyMonkey, Suburbia25, Y2JMcDohl, and Donlee_Brussel.

Compiling this list was no simple task—trying to pick 25 songs that are the best works in a genre as diverse as hip-hop is challenging. One can approach such an undertaking in one of several ways—by trying to make a list that points out the most influential songs in the history of rap music, by pointing out songs that the author likes regardless of what critics and genre authorities think of the selections, or by trying to combine the two. I’ve chosen the last approach here, trying to list several tracks with at least some historical importance, but also sticking with tracks that are appealing to my own aesthetic sensibilities (meaning mostly east coast stuff from the late 80’s and early 90’s).

Invariably, when compiling a list of this nature, certain omissions are bound to occur. Some are intentional and some aren’t. I’ve purposely tried to not take songs from the last year or so—not because I think that there’s nothing of merit coming out (although, to be honest, there is very little of merit coming out), but because it takes a few years before you can really determine if a song has what it takes to endure. I did break this self-imposed rule on one track, though, which was released in 1998, but I think will be an enduring piece of hip-hop. Other omissions are simply oversights on my parts—I’ve listened to hip-hop from back in the days when you couldn’t walk into the mall and buy rap albums because there really weren’t any—that’s a lot of music to consider before culling the list down to a scant 25…and I’m sure there are titles that I’ve forgotten that I’ll kick myself for when I hear them next.

Finally, some artists who I really admire (Organized Konfusion, for example) didn’t show up on the list, not because they haven’t done some fantastic songs, but because their entire body of work is so impressive, and so even, that choosing one track to represent them seemed impossible.

Ok, now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, onto my top 25 hip-hop songs of all time—in no particular order.

25. The Message—Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five: As far as ‘old school’ hip-hop goes, this track is one of the masterworks. Grandmaster Flash (who is, for all practical intents and purposes, the father of scratching) and crew crafted one of hip-hop’s earliest gems—and social statements—before there was a mainstream audience for rap music. Lyrics like “don’t push me ‘cause I’m close to the edge” and “it’s like a jungle sometimes that makes me wonder how I keep from going under” captured the sense of urban despair plaguing many African American males almost a decade prior to the whole ‘Afro-centric’ movement of late 80’s rap music.

24. Planet Rock—Afrikka Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force: Here’s another old school jam, this one more of a party track than a political statement. Afrikka Bambaataa and The Soulsonic Force were an interesting act—part of hip-hop’s founding fathers, for sure. On stage, they came across like a weird cross between Parliament/Funkadelic and The Village People with their weird outfits, but the music itself was strictly in line with what George Clinton and company were doing. By today’s standards, Planet Rock would almost assuredly sound lame—particularly with it’s robotic-voiced refrain of ‘rock rock planet rock, don’t stop’—but it was one of those records guaranteed to rock a party back in the day—and still evokes a certain sense of nostalgia now.

23. Run’s House—Run DMC: Few would deny the importance of Hollis, Queen’s hip-hop supergroup, Run DMC. Without this three-man crew, it’s quite possible that record labels would have never looked at hip-hop as a viable commercial source of music. However, most fans and critics would probably site one of their earlier works by the trio—either Rock Box or King of Rock as their most enduring contribution to rap music. However, I was never really into the rock/hip-hop fusion thing, so I’m going with the 1988 track Run’s House, off the Tougher Than Leather album here. Run’s House shows what these three men were truly capable of when it came to rocking a crowd—the rhymes are tight, Run and DMC complement each other quite nicely, and Jam Master Jay rips it up on the 1200’s—all over a bouncy beat that highlights everything that was right about 80’s hip-hop.

22. 6 ‘n the Mornin’—Ice-T: This track came off Ice-T’s first album, 1987’s Rhyme Pays and it (along with Schoolly D’s Saturday Night, at least to a degree) is one of the finest early examples of the ‘cinematic crime rhyme’. Up till now, most hip-hop tracks had been little more than swagger and braggadocio—I’m better than you are, etc. There had been tracks that told stories (Ladi Dadi, for example) but this particular track took things to a whole new level. During this song, Ice relates a tale about how the police are knocking at his door early one morning—and the events that led them to arrive there from the night before. Simply put, the rhymes are tight and incredibly descriptive, allowing the listener to see the images Ice describes in his head—much like watching a movie. In a way, this is one of the early gangsta-rap tracks—but it also stands on its own merits as a great song that tells an interesting story over a simple, minimal bassline.

21. Raw—Big Daddy Kane: I still can remember the first time I heard Big Daddy Kane—it was 1988 and I was in high school. A buddy of mine handed me his Walkman and said ‘listen to this’. I pushed play, and heard the first strains of Raw, with it’s weird, high-pitched horn sample and muddy African tribal drums, and thought ‘this is interesting’. Then, moments later, I heard Big Daddy Kane lace the track with some of the most impressive rhymes I’d ever born witness to—coupled with a really nice flow that melded one verse into another in a way that most other MCs had never even dreamed of. Needless to say, I was hooked. And while Kane’s career has sadly all but ended (note to Kane: you should have kept making albums for the underground fans and not for the ladies and the R&B stations), Raw still stands as one of the shining examples of how an MC can blow up a microphone.

20.Paper Thin—MC Lyte: It wouldn’t really be fair to have a list of the top 25 hip-hop songs of all time and not give props to the ladies. While the female MC has always struggled to earn a place in this male-dominated field, there have been women who’ve shined on the mic—and MC Lyte is one of them. Choosing one song for this list was tough—I was torn between this track and the infinitely more popular Cha Cha Cha. However, I went with Paper Thin because I thought that its female perspective on relationships, coupled with its cool, slinky little beat, was the more daring of the two.

19. Ego Trippin’—Ultramagnetic MCs--Ultramag is like my hip-hop litmus test…anyone who’s seriously into hip-hop will invariably mention Critical Beatdown as one of their all time favorite albums—and if they don’t, then I have a hard time believing they’re all that into hip-hop. Ego Trippin’ is just one of the classic jams of the group’s 1988 debut album, but it’s the one that makes my list—both because it embodies the musical aesthetics of Ultramag (nice beats, coupled with weird, almost abstract, rhymes) yet it’s also more accessible than some of their other tracks for new listeners (and way more accessible than the stuff Kool Keith is doing now). Kool Keith and Ced-Gee exchange rhymes here over a chunky old school beat—if you’re into underground classics, you need to be listening to the Ultramagnetic MCs.

18. The Show—Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew Featuring Slick Rick: No doubt about it, this song is a classic—everything from Doug E. Fresh’s human beat boxing, the Inspector Gadget theme music riff, the turntable stylings of Chill Will and Barry B. on through to Slick Rick’s distinctive and entertaining rhyme delivery works to make this one of the most seminal hip-hop jams ever recorded. Even more amazing is that they all joined forces again to collaborate on Ladi-Dadi--with equally impressive results.

17. Welcome to the Terrordome—Public Enemy: This might be Public Enemy’s most cryptic and personal song, but it’s definitely one of my overall favorites. This track, which appeared on the Fear of a Black Planet album, was written after outside pressure had forced the group to consider (and even announce) that they were disbanding. Minister of Information and staunch Black Muslim Professor Griff had made what appears to be anti-semitic remarks in public. These comments ignited a firestorm of controversy wherein Chuck D. was eventually forced to remove Griff from the group to appease the media. Welcome to the Terrordome is the group’s angry response to the situation—a response wherein Chuck D. blasts just about everyone in sight…including his fellow black men. PE was rarely more passionate, or angry, than this.

16. Wake Up—Brand Nubian: Brand Nubian’s 1990 debut LP, All For One is one of hip-hop’s more underrated debuts. Since Brand Nubian had a new wave, Afrocentric approach to their music, they were quickly labeled new school and lumped in with De La Soul’s Native Tongues collective. However, there was more to this four man crew from the suburbs of NYC, and it quickly became apparent to anyone who listened to this album. Wake Up is my favorite of the joints on this album—a semi-militant 5% Nation Manifesto in hip-hop form complimented by the vocals of Puba Maxwell. The video had the distinction of being banned by MTV because it showed black men in white face paint as devils, but this didn’t hurt the song’s popularity, as stations like BET kept the video in fairly heavy rotation. Don’t be put off by the 5% Nation science, though—this is a solid song propelled by a hypnotic beat and Puba Maxwells’ distinctive voice.

15. The Symphony—The Juice Crew All Stars: Big Daddy Kane, Marley Marl, Kool G. Rap, Masta Ace, Craig G.: The Juice Crew All Stars were one of New York’s early hip-hop collectives. Headed up by producer Marley Marl, the crew showcased a ‘who’s who’ of NYC MCs back in the 1980s, including artists like MC Shan, Kool G. Rap, and Roxanne Shante. The Symphony was essentially a posse cut, put together by Marley Marl to showcase younger artists like Masta Ace and Craig G. by putting them alongside legends like Big Daddy Kane and Kool G. Rap—and it worked. The Symphony is entirely about microphone skills—it’s got a minimalist piano beat—basically 10 notes—that’s looped for much of the song, no scratching, no bridges, no chorus—just four MCs ripping the microphone like there was no tomorrow. If you’re into skilled lyrical presentations, then The Symphony should be on your ‘must hear’ list.

14. Scenario—Tribe Called Quest featuring Leaders of the New School: Here’s another posse cut, this one by new school legends A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders of the New School. The Scenario is just one of numerous stand out tracks on Tribe’s sophmore album, The Low End Theory--an album that’s probably deserving of a spot in the top 5 hip-hop albums of all time category. Scenario is an important cut for several reasons—it showcased both Tribe and Leaders, two groups who were still looking for an audience at the time, and it was literally the birth of Busta Rhymes as a hip-hop superstar. No one can talk about this track without immediately thinking of Busta screaming “RRROOOWWW-RRROOOWWW like a dungeon dragon.” Unfortunately, Busta would eventually leave LONS for his solo career—and I don’t like his music nearly as much now as I did back then. Check this track out—you’ll hear two great groups rocking the mic like you wouldn’t believe.

13. So Watcha Sayin’?—EPMD: Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith had formed EPMD (which stood for Erick and Parrish Makin’ Dollars) and released their first album, Strictly Business back in 1988. This album had no shortage of classic cuts, including the title track, which sampled from Eric Clapton’s I Shot the Sheriff. However, the first single off their second release--Unfinished Business-- a track entitled So Watcha Sayin’? is the one I’m putting on the list. Lyrically speaking, the track isn’t anything spectacular, but the beat, coupled with some solid scratching, and a cool sample of monks chanting makes this a very groove-able song.

12. My Philosophy—Boogie Down Productions: Led by battle rhymer extraordinaire KRS-One, BDP comes back hard with this track from their By All Means Necessary album. KRS-One laces the track with his regular brand of incisive lyrical observations about hip-hop as an industry and society as a whole. There’s a really light, bouncy feel to this track, despite the fact that some of the lyrical content is a bit heavy—still, the merging of these disparate elements works—making this track easily one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.

11. Buddy—De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love: This posse cut showcased the best and brightest artists of the Native Tongues movement—a new school hip-hop collective comprised of acts that were interested in expressing an Afrocentric point of view, but not being as militant and heavy as acts like Public Enemy and Paris. In fact, Buddy is more of a party jam than anything—never even bothering to promote the Afrocentric angle at all. A bouncy beat, solid microphone work from all the MCs, and a feel good vibe make this one track that can still rock a party.

10. Respiration—Mos Def and Talib Kweli featuring Common: This is the newest song on the list—released in 1998. This joint from Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Common just never ceases to impress me—it works on every level. From the mellow, laid back groove to the super tight abstract rhymes, this track shows that hip-hop can be art and reminds me why the medium has often been referred to as ‘urban poetry’. The personification of the city as a living, breathing entity in its own right works—despite the fact that others have covered similar ground in other mediums previously. Mos Def and company prove that there’s still good hip-hop out there—it’s just not being made by guys like Puffy and Eminem.

9. For Better or For Worse—The Pharcyde: West coast act The Pharcyde serves up our next track, a cool cut off their Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde LP. In an age where the majority of west coast acts were gangsta rap oriented, The Pharcyde was a breath of fresh air—4 guys who embodied the old school ideal that hip-hop should be about partying and fun—not about drugs, guns, and murder. For Better or For Worse is a weird little tune about relationships gone wrong (complete with a psycho prank phone call segment that’s pretty funny), but it’s bouncy and a lot of fun to listen to.

8. Manifest—Gangstarr: Gangstarr is a group that proves you can survive in the hip-hop market by appealing solely to fans of the underground. Guru and DJ Premier have been hitting us off with one tight track after another for over a decade—and without much appreciation from mainstream radio. This track, off their debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy is one of my favorite Gangstarr songs—and has the distinction of being the one that introduced me to their music. While the track itself is relatively simple by today’s standards—a simple beat looped, some scratches, and Guru’s monotone vocals—it still works and showcases just what this group was capable of…making tracks that appealed to hardcore fans—tracks about content, not flashy production values.

7. Jazz (We’ve Got)—A Tribe Called Quest: This track is yet another classic of Tribe’s second album, The Low End Theory (which also gave us Scenario listed above). Here, Q-Tip and Phife spit rhymes over a really mellow, really somber, horn track and bassline combo that’s great for just kicking back and chillin’ out to.

6. Straight Outta Compton—NWA: Here’s one of the tracks that was almost single-handedly responsible for the gangsta rap explosion of the late 80’s/early 90’s. Compton based supergroup NWA changed the face of modern hip-hop—taking it from a tool for education and political change (which was the thrust of the Afrocentric acts) and turning it into a genre devoted to telling tales of street dealers, drive-bys, and murder. Comprised of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice-Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, NWA exploded onto the national scene in the late 80s drawing the ire of parents, Tipper Gore’s PMRC, and even the FBI. Straight Outta Compton is a typical NWA track—comprised of vividly detailed rhymes about the desperado-style life of these young men on the mean streets of Compton, laced with profanity, and backed by a larger than life beat. If you’re at all a fan of hip-hop, then you’re already familiar with NWA, but if you’re new to the music, then this is one of the acts that you need to be familiar with.

5. Terminator X to the Edge of Panic—Public Enemy: This probably isn’t the track that most people would pick from PE’s classic It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back album. However, while I’m willing to acknowledge that there are no shortage of classic jams on that monumental album, I like this one for two reasons—it’s one of those songs that actually gives props to a DJ. Secondly, that transform cut of the Flash Gordon theme music that opens the song is too cool. Couple these two factors with the standard aural assault arranged by super-producers The Bomb Squad, and you have what amounts to one of the best tracks on an already classic album.

4. I Used to Love H.E.R.—Common: Chicago-based MC Common offers up this track from his second album, Resurrection. The song is an elaborately crafted lyrical ode to a girl Common used to love—only it turns out that the ‘girl’ is really hip-hop personified. On point lyrics and a mellow track (which uses a sample from a Chicago song) make this one of the more interesting hip-hop history tracks ever recorded.

3. Ladi-Dadi—Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew featuring Slick Rick: Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick make their second appearance on the list with Ladi-Dadi, a humorous old-school track about a day in the life of MC Slick Rick. The track is a classic based on the strength of Slick Rick’s rhyme skills (even at this early stage of the game, he’s demonstrating his storytelling abilities) and his distinctive British-accented delivery. Pay close attention to the parts where Rick breaks into song—they’re some of the best parts on the track.

2. Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress—The Boogiemonsters: This track by bohemian rappers The Boogiemonsters comes off their debut album, Riders on the Storm: The Underwater Album. This four-man group from the Virginia area met while in college and formed into one of hip-hops more underrated groups. Their sound was ahead of its time, witnessed by the fact that album didn’t sell well upon its initial release, but is sought after today. Here, tight abstract rhymes and a gothic organ track, complete with distorted voices make for a song that was years beyond anything coming out at the height of the gangsta rap craze.

1. Paid in Full—Eric B. and Rakim: No list would really be complete without a nod to microphone god Rakim Allah. Rakim is an MC’s MC—one of the most vocally skilled men ever to grace a microphone, with a gravelly-voiced delivery, tight rhymes, and a solid DJ in Eric B. Paid in Full is the title track of their debut album of the same name—and while it’s a certifiable classic in its own right, almost everything Rakim’s done is worthy of classic status. Still, this track is readily accessible to even non-hip-hop fans—and is a fine example of what the greatest MC of all time can do on the mic.

Honorable Mentions

No list would be complete without mentioning a few tracks that didn’t quite make the cut…here they are:

E-Rule: Listen Up
Heiroglyphics: Oakland Blackouts
Crooklyn Dodgers (O.C., Jeru the Damaja, Chubb Rock): Crooklyn
X-Clan: Funkin’ Lesson
Black Moon: I Gotcha Open (remix)

And there you have it, my top 25 hip-hop songs of all time. Sorry about the length, but I didn’t want to slight any of the tracks. Thanks for reading.

[Kriegz]

Well it's a good thing I still have almost all of those artists coming up somewhere on my list. I'm not doing it as a pro so much like that, I'm gonna miss some stuff but I just want to help myself as well as others to learn more. Plus I have nothing better to do.

[SkipToMy_Lou]

Table Scraps
25 Tracks That Barely Missed The Cut
--------------------------------------------------

3rd Bass - Pop Goes The Weasel
7L & Esoteric - Rise Of The Rebel
Bizzy Bone - I Miss You (ft. Tru Life & Sho Shot)
Buckshot - Money Makes The World Go Round (ft. Starang Wondah)
The Diplomats - Dipset Anthem
DMX - Ruff Ryders' Anthem
Fort Minor - Be Somebody (ft. Lupe Fiasco, Holly Brook & Tek)
The Game - Hate It Or Love It (ft. 50 Cent)
House Of Pain - Jump Around
Lupe Fiasco - Kick, Push
M.O.P. - Ante Up
Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says
Rev Run - Mind On The Road
RJD2 - Ghostwriter
Royce Da 5'9" - Boom
Sean Biggs - Never Gonna Get It (ft. Topic & Akon)
Shyne - Bad Boyz (ft. Barrington Levy)
Sporty Thievz - No Pigeons
The Streets - Blinded By The Light
T.I. - Rubber Band Man
Trick Daddy - Thug Holiday
Twista - Overnight Celebrity (ft. Kanye West)
Us3 - Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)
Wycleff Jean - Gone 'Til November
Young Buck - Prices On My Head (ft. Lloyd Banks)

Right now it's looking like your concentrating too much on the newer hip hop

[Kriegz]

Right now it's looking like your concentrating too much on the newer hip hop

It looks like it at this point because the newer artists are more at the bottom of the list.

[Blasphemy]

^ Yea thats what i thought when I looked at it. its allright to have maybe 10 new(er) songs on your list. But I really dont think Hate it Or Love It should be on on an all time list lol.

Just wondering, but what are your top 10 favorite hip hop artists? This question is to everybody.

here's mine...

10. 50 Cent (back in his Power of A Dollar/Get Rich or Die Tryin' Days)
9. Jay- Z
8. Kanye West
7. Lupe Fiasco
6. DMX
5. Ice Cube
4. KRS- One
3. 2Pac
2. Nas
1. Eminem

[Kriegz]

^ Yea thats what i thought when I looked at it. its allright to have maybe 10 new(er) songs on your list. But I really dont think Hate it Or Love It should be on on an all time list lol.

Agreed, that's why it's an honorable mention, I just wanted to include Game in there.

[The Other Kevin]

That list is horrible, almost all of the songs are commertial.

[Kriegz]

Just wait for the rest, those are in the 100-125 top artists all time range so just relax. There's only so many artists.

[The Other Kevin]

I ment Jugs' list, but it can be for your list also. And the other list is too old school, and Resperation isn't even the best song on that album.

[Kriegz]

The Top 100 Hip-Hop Tracks Of All Time
Tracks 100-91
----------------------

#100 - Dungeon Family - On And On And On
Year: 2001
Album: Even In Darkness
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: This is kind of a personal favorite pick but I just think that this is a great track. Dungeon Family includes OutKast and Goodie Mob among others and is pretty much just a southern Hip-Hop supergroup. The beat is hot and I got pretty addicted to it when I first heard it. It's got a nice funky feel, the only downside is that it can get repetative. 'Trans DF Express' is another good one they came up with that I'd check out.

#99 - Above The Law - Black Superman
Year: 1994
Album: Uncle Sam's Curse
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: This one has a fun beat and a real strong G-Funk feel to it. Dr. Dre helped pioneer the G-Funk sound on their previous albums but I personally think that Uncle Sam's Curse is their best album. If you like old school Dr. Dre stuff, this is a real good track. I considered putting in 'Murder Rap' but I just like this one better.

#98 - Deltron 3030 - Positive Contact
Year: 2000
Album: Deltron 3030
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Deltron 3030 was a project with Dan The Automator and Del Tha Funkee Homosapien that was supposed to take place somewhere in the future and has a cool spacey feel to it. The Automator really does a good job giving it a cool feel and Del has a nice flow, making it a nice track.

#97 - Ma$e - Feel So Good
Year: 1997
Album: Harlem World
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: It's one of my favorite Ma$e tracks because it well...makes you feel good. The chorus is really nice, ... "Bad, bad, bad, bad boy... you make me feel so good!" Well anyways, '24 Hours To Live' is also a real good one by him.

#96 - Westside Connection - Bow Down
Year: 1996
Album: Bow Down
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Ice Cube does his thing with the help of WC and Mack 10 with a nice track. The beat's pretty cool with a kind of tech like feel and Ice Cube does his thing as usual. I thought about using 'Terrorist Threats', it's pretty even with 'Bow Down' in my opinion.

#95 - Kanye West - Touch The Sky (ft. Lupe Fiasco)
Year: 2005
Album: Late Registration
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Well you probualy already know that I am a big time Kanye fan so it hurts to have him go off the list this high, but I just don't really think he has one track that you can put very high, the albums are just extremely solid. I picked 'Touch The Sky' because it has just a nice feel to it with the horns and it's a shame that it didn't get that popular. I could have easily used 'Through The Wire' or 'Two Words' but I thought that this was best because it got Lupe Fiasco started which I think is going to be a really notable name in Hip-Hop in a few years. Another Kanye track that isn't that popular but is a personal favorite is 'Never Let Me Down' so check that one out.

#94 - Eazy-E - Boyz-N-The-Hood
Year: 1988
Album: Eazy-Duz-It
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: This is one of my favorite Eazy-E tracks because of the beat is awesome and has a cool little beep going in the backround that I really like. Eazy does alright with his lyrics even though he doesn't particularly have a great flow or anything.

#93 - Biz Markie - The Vapors
Year: 1988
Album: Goin' Off
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: I really like the laid back flow in this one and you gotta love the Biz. It was a tough one because 'Just A Friend' is another really awesome song with a cool chorus, I just thought that Vapors had a little bit more of a Hip-Hop value.

#92 - Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Mistadobalina
Year: 1991
Album: I Wish My Brother George Was Here
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Mister Dobalina, Mr. Bob Dobalina. This track reminds me of Tech N9ne's 'Einstien' just because it uses a real cool sample that catches you on. It's pretty easy to get hooked on this track. Not to mention it has a fun flow and Del cracks some great rhymes.

#91 - Funky Fresh Few - Through These Veins (ft. Afu-Ra)
Year: 1996
Album: Underground Crown Holders
------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: I heard this one off of the Underground Crown Holders compilation and really liked it. The flow is real smooth and laid back and they lay some good verses with the help of Afu-Ra. "Hip Hop runnin' through these veins."