the greatest rap/hip-hops songs...?

Question

trying to make my mate a greatest ever rap/hip-hop album for his upcoming birthday,only problem is i can only think of around 7 tracks i can put on the cd.can you help with your suggestions please?old hip-hop songs in the genre of naughty by nature/ice-cube dr dre nwa etc would be good as well-thanks answers and COME ON ENGLAND tomorrow!

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

Dead Prez - Hip Hop

Public Enemy - Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos

Grandmaster Flash - The Roof Is On Fire

Afrikaa Bambaata - Planet Rock

Pete Rock & CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y

KRS One - Sound of Da Police

MC Lyte - Lyte As A Rock

DJ Kool - Let Me Clear My Throat

Run DMC - King of Rock

Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy

Dr Octagon - Blue Flowers

Jeru The Damaja - When The East Is In The House

Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half Steppin'

Kool G Rap - The Symphony

Answer 3

Dr. Dre and Ice Cube "Natural Born Killaz"
2pac and Dr. Dre "California Love"
Ice Cube "Today was a good day"
Notorious B.I.G. "Juicy"\
N.W.A " Straight out of Compton"

Answer 4

My personal Faves are:

California Love - Tupac
Gravel Pit - Wu Tang Clan
Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J
Wild Thing - Tone Loc

and,

White Lines - Grandmaster Flash

Answer 5

1 - 800 suicide - Gravediggaz
6 in the mornin - Ice - T
**** the Police - NWA
Breezy - Dru Down
Only when I'm drunk - Tha Alcoholics
I got five on it - Luniz
The Beast - Fugees

Answer 6

One Mic-Nas
Reasonable Doubt cd-Jay Z
Sky Is The Limit-Notorious B.I.G.
Juicy-Notorious B.I.G.

Answer 7

common "i used to love her"
Ice cube "today was a good day"
Group home "livin proof"
Method man "ill be there"
Reckwon "ice cream" this track is off the hook
wu tang clan "can it be so simple"
Onyx "last days"
Naughty by nature "crazyest" best album eva "povertys paridise"
Ice cube "west side"
dre "still dre"
Black moon "buck em down"
AZ "sugarhill"
GZA" cold world"


if you type these tracks into youtube.com you will see the vids and hear the tunes

last tune would be Jamal "keep it real" have a look at that vid on you tube such a good tune and i bet know one ever heard of him he only had one album its an old skool track back in 1996

Answer 8

Paid in full-eric b & rakim
rollin with kid n play
freedom -grandmaster flash
it takes two - rob base

Answer 9

suited and booted- snoop dogg
good hygene- deltron 3030

Answer 10

2 pac-keep your head up
nas-ether
lil kim- no time
snoop- gin & juice

Answer 11

50 Cent - In Da Club
DMX - Party Up