EWB's Top 25 Rap & Hip Hop Songs

[Gene Kiniski]

So, after browsing through some of my music collection today I realized that there are a few songs in each genre that I tend to always stop upon when shuffling (who doesn't?). Since rap/hip hop isn't that big on EWB I figured I would do a small (25 items) list of the top Rap and Hip Hop songs as voted on by the board members.

This works just like any other list that on here.

Submit FIVE (5) songs, in no particular order, that you would like to be included in the list to ME VIA PM. You CAN list them in here as well for discussion purposes, obviously. I will tally up the songs from both the PM's and the threads (because I know some of you can't read) and start posting the results next week.

Start voting! DEADLINE IS SUNDAY JUNE 27, 2010 AT 11:59PST.

I will put my votes in the thread once things start to get off of the ground.

[Guest adameast]

YOU MAD!? I can think of 25 Beastie Boys and Fresh Prince songs I'd want to include on this! hhhmph!

I'll say though

Beastie Boys - Triple Trouble

Beastie Boys - Ch-Check It Out

Dizzee Rascal - Jus' A Rascal

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Girls Of The World

Lady Sovereign - Love Me Or Hate Me

I thought of five songs that I will always bone over at a club, complete hook city on them all... Most, if not all, have a more of a hip-pop element, but thats what I'm about

[GoGo Yubari]

My god, how can I follow a five like that?

"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

"Fight The Power" by Public Enemy

"Intergalactic" by Beastie Boys

"Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" by Digable Planets

"Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.

[New Damage]

"Nuthin' But A G Thang" - Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg

"It Was A Good Day" - Ice Cube

"Summertime" - Fresh Prince & Jazzy Jeff

"Me, Myself & I" - De La Soul

"Eye Know" - De La Soul

I'm not massive on Rap/Hip-hop, but here's the songs that stand out for me.

[Panni]

1. "Forgot About Dre" - Dr. Dre & Eminem

2. "Moment of Clarity" - Jay-Z

3. "The Way I Am" - Eminem

4. "Gangsta's Paradise" - Coolio

5. "Dat New New" - Kid Cudi

[LittleDaniel]

I had too hard of a time choosing five, so here's what I have so far, I'll work on narrowing it down later and PM those along. I kept this to one song per artist, otherwise I'd just have ten Sage Francis songs >_>

Aesop Rock - "Coffee"

Atmosphere - "Fuck You Lucy"Black Star - "RE: DEFinition"

Cage - "Stripes"

Deep Puddle Dynamics - "The Scarecrow Speaks"

Immortal Technique - "Hollywood Driveby"

Kanye West - "All Falls Down"

KiD CuDi - "Soundtrack 2 My Life"

Lupe Fiasco - "The Instrumental"

Sage Francis - "Crack Pipes"

Talib Kweli - "Get By"

2Pac - "I Don't Give a Fuck"

[livid]

This was tougher than I thought it would be...

"Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A.

"Next Episode" by Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt & Nate Dogg

"If I Ruled the World" by Nas ft. Lauryn Hill

"B.O.B." by Outkast

"Hypnotize" by Notorious B.I.G.

EDIT: Forgot about "B.O.B."

[Ben E.]

Oooh. by De La Soul

Work by Gang Starr

Travelling Man by Mos Def

Classic by Kanye West, Rakim, Nas and KRS One

Award Tour by A Tribe Called Quest

I did type up about 15 before re-reading the original post. Pretty strong 5 though, I think.

[Guest adameast]

I actually kinda think I want to put an MC Lars song in there... LOL @ ME

[WrightStuff]

Ridiculously hard to narrow it down to 5 so I'm sure there are glaring omissions that I'll be kicking myself for later.

"Ebonics"- Big L

"My Melody"- Eric B. & Rakim

"N.Y. State of Mind"- Nas

"Shut 'em Down"- Public Enemy

"Triumph"- Wu-Tang Clan

EDIT: I see others have included some of the their honorable mentions so I'll add a few of mine as well. Still plenty of material that I'm certain I'm forgetting.

"Top Billin"- Audio Two

"Black Smif-n-Wessun"- Black Moon

"Chill"- EPMD

"Check the Technique"- Gang Starr

"Iron Maiden"- Ghostface Killah

"At the Helm"- Hieroglyphics

"Dead Presidents II"- Jay-Z

"Come Clean"- Jeru the Damaja

"The Symphony"- Juice Crew

"Shook Ones II"- Mobb Deep

Edited June 23, 2010 by WrightStuff

[Gene Kiniski]

1. "Forgot About Dre" - Dr. Dre & Eminem

I will post my list shortly, but this is actually the song that inspired me to do this list.

[Ron]

As mentioned about it is extremely difficult to just narrow it down to 5.... but as you will see I am a HUGE Notorious B.I.G. fan.

Sugar Hill Gang - Rapper's Delight

Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize

Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy

Notorious B.I.G. - Big Poppa

Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance

--------------------------------------

And those that just missed the cut: Just added for sake of discussion.

Bel Biv Davoe - Poison

Biz Markie - Just a Friend

Tupac - All Eyez on Me

Dr. Dre and Tupac - California Love

Kurtis Blow - The Breaks

De La Sould - Me Myself and I

The Fugees - Ready or Not

The Fugees - Killing Me Softly

Salt-N-Pepa - Push It

Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre - Next Episode

N.W.A. - Fuck Tha Police

Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise

Sir Mix A Lot - Baby Got Back

Naughty By Nature - O.P.P.

Bone Thugs N Harmony and Notorious B.I.G. - Notorious Thugs

Warren G - Regulate

Kid N Play - Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody

Dr. Dre - Nuthin' But a G Thang

Rahzel - If Your Mother Only Knew (Yes a Beatbox, but fantastic)

And those are about all I can remember at 2:44 am. But as you see there are countless more.

[IzzyX]

"Earth People" - Dr. Octagon/Kool Keith

"Winter Wars" - Wu Tang Clan

"Method Man" - Method Man

"Exhibit C" - Jay Electronica

"Rapture's Delight" - KRS-One

I had loads more, but y'know I enjoy these the most .

Edited June 23, 2010 by IzzyX

[Dynamite]

Just 5? I have 100's of favourite ones...

Jay Z - D'Evils

Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell

Black Star - Definition

Big L - Put It On

Blu and Exile - Soul Amazing

Tried to not just limit it to one artist. Ask me tomorrow and I'd probably have a different five.

[ADG]

'Intergalactic' - Beastie Boys

'Wrong Nigga To Fuck Wit'' - Ice Cube

'Express Yourself' - N.W.A

'One of a Kind' - Atmosphere

'The Cause of Death' - Immortal Technique

Well cutting it down to five was difficult but I went with these five. Feel a little dirty not including Pac or Eminem or Biggie or De La Soul or Wu Tang or Jurassic 5 or Scroob or Example (because fuck what everyone else says 'No Sleep for the Wicked' is a fucking awesome track) or Dre or Public Enemy or Tribe or Kanye etc. etc. but such are the guidelines.

[METALMAN]

1. De La Soul - Eye Know

2. N.W.A. - Gangsta Gangsta

3. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - The Message

4. Dr. Dre - What's The Difference

5. Ghostface Killah - The Champ

[RPS]

1. Kanye West - All Falls Down

2. Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp

3. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On

4. Kelis - Caught Out There

5. Eminem - Guilty Conscience

[probablyoliver]

I will narrow this down (RE: I probably won't)

Aesop Rock - Coffee

Saul Williams - Black Stacey

Sage Francis - Gunz Yo

Busdriver - Casting Agents And Cowgirls

Q-Tip - Johnny Is Dead

De La Soul - The Grind Date

Atmosphere - Guarantees

DangerDoom feat Talib Kweli - Old School

OutKast - B.O.B.

Gang Starr - Work

Jurassic 5 - A Day At The Races

A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It?

Kanye West - We Major

Plan B - Kidz

Why? - Good Friday

Weerd Science - Blueprint

Edit: I shall make this a top 5!

1. Handsome Boy Modeling School - Rock & Roll Could Never Hip Hop Like This pt. 2

2. OutKast - B.O.B.

3. A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It?

4. Aesop Rock - Coffee

5. Saul Williams - Black Stacey

[Lj.]

Top 5

1. Nuthin' But A G Thang: Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg

2. It Was A Good Day: Ice Cube

3. Up All Night: Drake ft. Nicki Minaj

4. Mos Def: Close Edge

5. Lil Wayne: Man Eater Remix ft. Nelly Faturdo

Edited June 23, 2010 by Lj.

[DMN in the House]

'Brenda's Got a Baby' Tupac Shakur

'Fuck tha' Police' NWA

'Banned in the USA' 2 Live Crew

'Walk this Way' Run DMC & Aerosmith

'Fight for Your Right (to Party' Beastie Boys

Honorable mention to the single most important 'rap' single of all-time, even if it's actually a thrash metal song, 'Cop Killa' by Body Count.

Not my five favorite, but the five songs I feel best represent the two most important things that music can do, send a message ('Brenda', 'Fuck tha' Police', and 'Banned in the USA') and connect people and cultures ('Walk this Way' and 'Fight for Your Right').