1.
"Juicy" - Notorious BIG (Ready To Die)
You can't have a Hip hop playlist without Biggie. With an amazing flow and beats produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs, BIG was the epitome of East Coast Rap. He was larger than life. The thing I love about 'Juicy' is it plays like an origin story. It opens with a dedication to his doubters and then goes into the the beginnings of his dreams reading magazines. 'Juicy' then goes onto his life of drugs and crime. "The Hustle" was definitely real for this young black man growing up poor in Brooklyn. The song concludes with the fame and riches he amassed through his struggles. What I love the most about this track is the message in the chorus about never giving up on what you want and following through with your dreams.
Sample Shout Out: "Fruity Instrumental" - Mtume
2.
"Dead President II" - Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt)
With an estimated net worth of $520 Million dollars, Jay-Z knows a thing or two about "dead presidents". This track is somewhat typical of the genre, in that it's content is mostly boasting about wealth and street cred. I'd probably get a lot of hate for saying this, but I don't think it's the greatest written hip hop track ever. That being said, it's a testament to Jay-Z's abilities as a rapper to create a flow around clunky lyrics. Aside from Jay-Z's skills as a rapper, the thing I enjoy the most about this track is the production value behind the melody and beat. Produced by Ski Beatz, you can really tell his handle on the craft by listening to him talk about the process of creating it (which you can see here.)
Side note: The chorus features vocals from rapper Nas off his 'The World Is Yours' hit and sparked a long standing feud between the two that lasted up until 2005.
Sample Shout Out: "A Garden Of Peace" - Lonnie Liston Smith
3.
"Lovin' It (feat. Joe Scudda) - Little Brother (The Minstrel Show)
Another great track with a great beat. 'Lovin' It' is off 'The Minstrel Show' by rap trio Little Brother, which I consider to be one of the best hip hop albums in the last fifteen years. The lyrics are coherent, albeit, a bit more boastful than I care to enjoy, but they're clever and the rhyme scheme is nearly flawless. The album 'The Minstrel Show' is a concept album that satirizes television programs and stereotypes of modern Hip hop culture and the music industry. Comparing current trends in the demographic as being similar to that of the minstrel shows of the past. It's a smart album and indicative of the underground nature of the group. Little Brother is truly an underrated group and maybe that's for the best.
Sample Shout Out: "One Night Affair" - The Stylistics
4.
"Heaven & Hell" - Raekwon (Only Built For Cuban Linx...)
Featuring fellow Wu Tang Clan member Ghost Face Killer, 'Heaven & Hell' is a philosophical journey into the psyche of those who grew up in poverty and saw violence as a means of protection and survival. The lyrics are pretty straight forward and there's hardly any wordplay to suggest any other meaning. The tempo is slow, the groove is somber and the rapping is cold and almost nonchalant. It's hard for most to understand why violence occurs in impoverished, Black communities and I could go on about the socioeconomic ramifications of historical trauma, but as my friend Julian always says, "that's not for here". Easily one of the greatest hip hop tracks of all-time, 'Heaven & Hell' is a hip hop classic for many reasons.
Sample Shout Out: "Could I Be Falling In Love" - Sly Johnson
5.
"Do For Love" - 2Pac (R U Still Down [Remember Me])
Infidelity, love, trust and strong emotions are staples of 2Pac's songs and those themes are all featured in 'Do For Love'. Posthumously released after the tragic death of Tupac Shakur and with the artist's mother's blessing, the track features Eric Williams of Blackstreet off the 'R U Still Down (Remember Me)' album. This song and its music video always reminds me of the television channel The Box, which used to feature popular music of the time that viewers could request via telephone. It has a simple yet affective bassline and sampled vocals from Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love". Pac was a master lyricist and talented rapper, his rhyme scheme was impeccable and every track he laid down was of superior quality.
Sample Shout Out: "What You Won't Do For Love" - Bobby Caldwell
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