Hip hop is a genre that has gained fans across borders of all kinds. Read on to know some of the gems this genre has churned up…
Hip hop is a culture that originated in the Bronx suburb of New York City, and later spread to various other areas of the US. Hip hop music is a major part of this culture. It encompasses a specific style of music and usage of beats, and includes the popular art of rapping.
Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Funky Four Plus One, Kurtis Blow, etc., are some of the renowned groups of old-school, classic hip hop. The rapping techniques used by these artists were much simpler than artists of the new generation. Making a list of the best songs produced by these guys is quite difficult when you have consider the myriad options in front of you. However, I have tried my best in compiling the best songs from this genre.
Classic Rap Songs
- Rappin’ and Rocking the House – Funky Four Plus One
- Christmas Rappin’ – Kurtis Blow
- Freedom – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
- Funk You Up – The Sequence
- Gigolo Rapp – Disco Daddy & Captain Rapp
- Disco Dream – Mean Machine
- It’s Rockin’ Time – Kool Kyle the Starchild
- Rockin’ It – The Fearless Four
- Looking for the Perfect Beat – Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
- White Lines (Don’t Do It) – Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
- Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don’t Stop) – Man Parrish
- Roxanne, Roxanne – U.T.F.O.
- 8 Million Stories – Kurtis Blow
- The Show – Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew
- The Roof is on Fire – Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three
- La Di Da Di – Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew
- Jazzy Sensation – Afrika Bambaataa
- Apache – The Sugarhill Gang
- Rappin’ Ain’t No Thang – The Boogie Boys
Best of the Rest
- Let the Music Play – Shannon
- Tootsie Roll – 69 Boyz
- I’ll Be Missing You – Puff Daddy & Faith Evans (& 112)
- Nuthin But A “G” Thang – Dr. Dre
- Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa
- Children’s Story – Slick Rick
- The Breaks – Kurtis Blow
- It Takes Two – Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
- Shed So Many Tears – Tupac Shakur
- Bring The Noise – Public Enemy
- Me Myself and I – De La Soul
- Check the Rhime – A Tribe Called Quest
- It’s Like That – Run-D.M.C.
- The Bridge Is Over – Boogie Down Productions
- It Was A Good Day – Ice Cube
- Hard Knock Life – Jay Z
- Body Rock – The Treacherous Three
- Vicious Rap – Tanya Winley
- A Heartbeat Rap – Sweet G
- Walking on Sunshine – Rocker’s Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin
- Play That Beat Mr. DJ – G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid
- Egypt, Egypt – Egyptian Lover
- Keep Ya Head Up – Tupac Shakur
- Award Tour – A Tribe Called Quest
- Paid in Full – Eric B. & Rakim
- I Need Love – LL Cool J
- Murder Was the Case – Snoop Doggy Dogg
- Alleys of Your Mind – Alleys of Your Mind
- Pac Jam – The Jonzun Crew
- It’s Magic – The Fearless 4
- Body Mechanic – Quadrant Six
- Lookout Weekend – Debbie Deb
- Cold Winter Madness – Ice T
- One for the Treble – Davy DMX
- Jail House Rap – The Fat Boys
- Big Mouth – Whodini
- Play At Your Own Risk – Planet Patrol
So, this was a short list. The list might be incomplete since there are so many classics in this genre. Feel free to add your personal favorites to this playlist.
