What's up peoples! I'm back again this week with another piece for my hip-hop blog. This week is actually more of a continuation of last week's "Best Hip-Hop Albums" list. This week is all about the hip-hop singles, the anthems that you knew you would never forget and those that forever change the landscape of hip-hop and music as we know it today. This was a fun list to come up with, albeit controversial like I know this blog usually is. If you had fun with last week's list, just wait until you see the classics I have on this list today! With that being said, let's get on with it.
100. Juggaknots "Clear Blue Skies"
This may be the best song you've never heard, unless you're an underground dweller. This is 5 of the most powerful minutes you may hear on wax, as this is a very gripping and uncomfortable tale of a father and son conversation about the son's choice to date a Black woman (they both play White guys in the cut). This song is a clear reflection of times today behind closed doors. Absolutely compelling track.
99. Kris Kross "Jump"
Two pre-adolescent kids from the A made a big splash upon the scene in '92 with this major #1 smash. While they definitely tried, no other cut could outdo this track that made everyone (temporarily) wear their clothes backwards. R.I.P. Kris "Mack Daddy" Smith
98. The Roots "Next Movement"
Damn! This was funky in such a ?uest-Love way. This cut gave The Roots their first gold album with Things Fall Apart, but it was this single that had asses grooving
97. Nas feat. Lauryn Hill "If I Ruled The World"
Redoing Kurtis Blow's wonderful cut of the same name (see later), Nasir Jones collaborated with hip-hop's go-to girl at the time Lauryn Hill for what would be one of the very few Nas cuts that crossover into the Pop charts, but we ain't mad at that. spitting deep consciousness as only he could, this wasn't quite the light-hearted song Kurtis made, but regardless it was took his second album, It Was Written, into double platinum land.
96. Common feat. Kanye West and The Last Poets "The Corners"
This track bled of the ghetto streets of Chicago, but it was Common's multi-rhyme style and the gripping content of this Kanye knocker that made this one of Common's best tracks. Not to mention The Last Poets blessing the cut put the mustard on the hot dog for this track from Common's flawless effort, BE.
95. Ol' Dirty Bastard "Brooklyn Zoo"
Unorthodoxed and oft-times confusing, the late Russell Jones of The Wu debuted into solo land with this off-the-wall cut provided by RZA.
94. Bone Thugs N Harmony feat. Eazy-E "Foe Tha Luv Of $"
The second single from BTNH's Creepin' On Ah Come Up EP was a little more melodic than their debut cut, "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" and featured a dope verse by the late icon Eazy-E
93. Another Bad Creation "Playground"
Admit it, these tykes that were 5-12 at this time, and they did really well. Beat-wise, this cut thumped!!!
92. Keith Murray "The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World"
Over The Isley Brothers' "Between The Sheets", this Long Island rhyme animal, who was first introduced to us on Erick Sermon's "Hostile", handled his biz and we further saw the tremendous talent in Mr. Murray
91. Stetsasonic "Talkin' All That Jazz"
Hip-Hop's first band successfully blended hip-hop and jazz for a dope cut that solidified the talent of this group
90. Kendrick Lamar "Swimming Pools"
Kendrick didn't hit, he exploded with this incredible single from his amazing Aftermath debut, good kid, M.A.A.D. City, which tackles the perils of drinking
89. Arrested Development "Tennessee"
Speech, Dionne Farris and crew were an original hip-hop group that were very afro-centric and yet so very musical. Their debut cut broke them upon the scene and, although not together anymore, we knew that this was a group that the game wasn't completely ready for
88. Ice Cube feat. Das EFX "Check Yo Self"
Over the iconic "Message" beat, Cube comes through to all so-called tough guys telling them to second guess their choices in life. This cut helped make Lethal Injection one of his highest selling albums to date
87. Eminem "Stan"
This was the poignant we had heard Marshall Mathers up to this point. Widely considered a brilliant cut from his diamond-selling benchmark The Marshall Mathers LP, this cut examined the deranged admiration from a fan to disastrous results. Excellently done over Dido's "Thank You"
86. Kendrick Lamar "i"
Considered hip-hop's newest self-appreciating anthem, this cut was the first bomb dropped from the game's newest masterpiece, To Pimp A Butterfly, over The Isley's "Lady". Today's music needs more cuts like this
85. Crucial Conflict "Hay"
Four guys from the Chi brought us a highly infectious single about smoking some good...well, you see the title. To this day, this cut will turn a party from 0-60 in seconds when played
84. A Tribe Called Quest "Can I Kick It"
From their prodigious debut, Peoples Instinctive Travels In The Paths Of Rhythm, this cut is seen as one of their most influential cuts in their discography. Everyone from Jay-Z to Drake to even John Cena has been moved by the excellence of this cut
83. Wu-Tang Clan "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin"
WOOO!!! This was the slept-on killer of the highly influential classic Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Every single one of these cats brought it on this track, from the moment U-God stated: "Raw I'm a give it to ya/with no trivia/I'm like cocaine straight from Bolivia". This was also the first time we heard of a stocking masked Ghostface Killah, and boy did he merck this one!
82. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg "Fuckin' Wit Dre Day"
This hilarious, albeit funky, diss to Luther Campbell was the second single released from the landmark The Chronic album. They also managed to throw shade towards Eazy-E in this one.
81. Mobb Deep "Survival Of The Fittest"
The second single from the Mobb's legendary Infamous album rocked almost every bit as hard as their gripping classic "Shook Ones Pt. 2", and even briefly spawned some controversy. Word is that 2Pac beefed with them when he thought the line "Thug life, we still living it" was about him. If this is strue, in all due respect to the memory of Pac, it wasn't worth it.
80. Bone Thugs N Harmony "Thuggish Ruggish Bone"
This is the first cut we heard from those Cleveland boys and this was stone cold hard. Great introduction for their Creepin On Ah Come Up EP.
79. Common "The Light"
This beautiful track, provided by the late beatsmith extraordinaire J. Dilla, not only earned Lonnie Rashid Lynn his first gammy, but propelled his incredible album Like Water For Chocolate into platinum territory. Shouts to Dilla for providing the sample of Bobby Caldwell's "Open Your Eyes" as the hypnotic hook.
78. Souls Of Mischief "'93 Til Infinity"
Slept-on groove brought to us by Hieroglyphics' members Souls Of Mischief. One of the west coast's most prized gems and showed that the west had lyrics to go as well.
77. Method Man feat. Mary J. Blige "You're All I Need"
Say what you will, this cut was the quintessential ghetto love anthem by redoing the famed Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell cut "You're All I Need To Get By". This was all it took for Meth to hit double platinum units and officially made him the Wu's first solo star.
76. Kanye West "Jesus Walks"
Bringing Jesus to a commercisal hip-hop audience was bold, plus it went to the clubs without it being sacreligious. Yeah some holier-than-thou Christians were somewhat up-in-arms when Yolanda Adams appeared on the remix, but in large, this was brave but very successful move by Mr. West and was arguably the standout from his phenomenal debut, The College Droput
75. Common "I Used To Love H.E.R."
Common's magnum opus and most influential cut ever. Although released in '92, it found a younger and maybe previously slept on audience when it was one of the most hyped songs in the movie Brown Sugar. This cut about his love for hip-hop and "her" changes is still deemed one of hip-hop's most poignant cuts.
74. Jay-Z "Dead Presidents"
The song that arguably started it all for Shawn Carter, and still knocks more than some of later work
73. Das EFX "We Want EFX"
Inventors of "iggity rap", Drayze and Skoob had that cut that most could hardly understand what they were saying, but you still knew this was something different and most importantly DOPE
72. Scarface "I Never Seen A Man Cry"
Morbid and macabre, Brad Jordan sent the shivers with this first cut from his landmark Diary album
71. Queen Latifah "U.N.I.T.Y."
The multimedia giant herself on both big and small screens presented a needed women's anthem during those mysoganistic times of being called "bitch" and "ho". This also marked her first gold album with Black Reign.
70. Kurtis Blow "If I Ruled The World"
Unlike the Nas version aforementioned, this was a light-hearted and innocent jam about improving the world for everyone. We need more of these tracks today
69. The Pharcyde "Passin' Me By"
Four Cali natives dropped a hypnotic anthem about being dissed and ignored by the fly female around the way that became their calling card
68. Bone Thugs N Harmony "1st Of Tha Month"
The ode to the welfare and SSI recipients, BTNH shouted you out on the first cut from their breakout sophomore album E. 1999 Eternal
67. Beastie Boys "Brass Monkey"
Many have called this cut the funkiest Beasties track ever made, and for good reason, as it was named after the alcoholic drink of the same name from the seminal Licensed To Ill album
66. Wu-Tang Clan "Triumph"
Quite possibly the most lyrical Wu cut ever, this knocked a home run as the first cut from their sophomore album Wu-Tang Forever. I guarantee you, every true hip-hop head can quote at least one member's entire 8 bars. others (like myself) can flawlessly recite and freestyle the entire 8-minute plus track.
65. MC Hammer "U Can't Touch This"
Over Rick James' (R.I.P.) "Super Freak", Hammer officially became a worldwide star with this incredibly infectious cut that propelled his Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em album into the Diamond area.
64. Snoop Dogg "Gin & Juice"
Calvin Broadus' ode to drinking is still an anthem to those who feel the need to chill out and get their drink on at the nearest house party
63. Diddy feat. The Lox, Lil' Kim, and Notorious B.I.G. "All About The Benjamins (remix)"
I don't care who you were, when this dropped in '98, you were on the dance floor, and loved it. Although everyone did their thing, leave it to Frank White to murder it and put it to bed!
62. Jay-Z "Hard Knock Life"
Jay gave us the struggles of the Brooklyn streets over an epic sample of the movie/stage play "Annie" that stands among his very best cuts
61. Naughty By Nature "O.P.P."
The ode to cheating was done impeccably well by the kings of the hip-hop anthem
60. Biz Markie "Vapors"
Hip-Hop's clown prince, or court jester, gave us a look at how members of his crew, including Big Daddy Kane, used to get dissed then became big and then got sweated on by these same women. Funny stuff, but the production was among his funkiest
59. Wu-Tang Clan "Protect Ya Neck"
This was the official introduction to 8 Staten Island/Brooklyn emcees and the world would never be the same
58. Nas feat. Diddy "Hate Me Now"
The smash single from Nas' I Am album that salutes all the haters, but had a very controversial video, as it showed Nas nailed to a cross, mimicking Jesus Christ. This cut has been used in various shows, sports, and even WWE wrestler the Miz used this song as his ring intro video at Wrestlemania 27
57. Gangstarr feat. Nice & Smooth "DWYCK"
Real fun track and one of Gangstarr's most accessible cuts
56. Bone Thugs N Harmony "Tha Crossroads"
Haunting, yet touching, Grammy-nominated cut that propelled Bone into the stratosphere. This ode to deceased friends and loved ones took E. 1999 Eternal to triple platinum status and officially made the Thugs a household name
55. Ice Cube "It Was A Good Day"
One of Cube's biggest cuts ever went beyond his norm of socially-inciting and violent rhymes to create 24 hours of calmness in his typically crazy life
54. MC Hammer "Let's Get It Started"
We first got introduced to Stanley Burrell with this energizing dance number that's guaranteed to make the hardest rocks two step
53. Nice & Smooth "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow"
This stands as one of N&S's best, yet complex, cuts, as Greg Nice does his usual braggadocio rhymes, yet Smooth B spits about a woman he falls for that he discovers is an addict. The cut is done over Tracy Chapman's revered "Fast Car" and helped their album Ain't A Damn Thing Changed reach gold status
52. Schooly D "Gucci Time"
"Looking at my Gucci, it's about that time" is a line that has been around since 1985, and is still considered a dope piece of work to this day
51. Eric B. & Rakim "I Ain't No Joke"
The second single from the monumental landmark Paid In Full was a lyrical tidal wave and is considered one of the best singles from the duos ever
50. A Tribe Called Quest "Bonita Applebum"
This highly melodic cut introduced Q-Tip and his boyish charm to a fly around the way girl with phat ass, hence "Applebum". This song was especially influential to the likes of Pharrell, who has called this one of his all-time favorite cuts. Also seen as the popular cut from their debut
49. Biz Markie "Just A Friend"
The most signature cut in the discography of Biz Markie. Who doesn't know this ode to being stuck in the friend zone?
48. MC Lyte "Cha, Cha, Cha"
If you didn't think Lyte was a lyrical beast before, you were damn sure a believer after listening to this favorite
47. 2 Live Crew "Me So Horny"
Admit it, you were killing this cut in '89 and it felt good. There was never a big sexual revolution in hip-hop until Uncle Luke and the boys came along. The rules officially changed, and this was the cut that started it all
46. Heavy D & The Boyz "Overweight Lover"
The late Heavy D made a big guy sexy in its most charming way on this cut from his debut Mr. Big Stuff
45. EPMD "So Whatcha Sayin"
This neck snapper is considered their third best single in their careers, and completely made their second album, Unfinished Business, worth the grab
44. Eric B & Rakim "Eric B For President"
This monster cut is so nuts that even Master P sampled this for the title track for his most successful album to date, Ghetto D
43. De La Soul feat. A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love "Buddy"
As excellent as the original version of this cut, the remix with Tribe, JB's, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love was seen as the more popular version and was also one of the most exciting posse records ever
42. Schooly D "P.S.K."
Seen as one of the originators of gangsta rap, this cut was especially in your fave with vivid imagery
41. Queen Latifah feat. Monie Love "Ladies First"
The quintessential hip-hop sista's anthem and showed that these two were not to be played around with
40. Public Enemy "911 Is A Joke"
From their meteoric third album, Fear Of A Black Planet, Flavor Flav lets loose on how discriminatory emergency personnel can be when finding out people of color need assistance. Video was quite funny, but the message was all the way real
39. Mobb Deep "Shook Ones Pt. 2"
WOW!!! This is without question Mobb Deep's magnum opus, and is the anthem for night time stick up kids and true to life murderers calling out those that ain't bout that life. Known for it's chilling production, this cut showed the production power of Havoc and the showed Prodigy as one of hip-hop's most vivid emcees. In fact, the instrumental for this cut was in Eminem's hit movie, 8 Mile, in a couple of battle scenes and is considered one of the true hardest cuts ever heard from NYC. Did I mention it sent The Infamous into nearly platinum numbers?
38. Too Short "Life Is..."
Over a slinky sampling of Average White Band's "School Boy Crush", Short Dogg's first single from his Life Is...Too Short album shot it to selling double platinum units
37. Kool Moe Dee "How Ya Like Me Now"
Former member of the legendary Treacherous Three went solo to go after LL Cool J and stands as his most successful single from his most successful album of the same name
36. Big Daddy Kane "Smooth Operator"
Easing back on the lyrical beastings he had been known for, he decided to go the suave route about him being a ladies man. This may have been around the time Madonna had a thing for him, but regardless, this cut had the ladies OPEN. LL who??
35. Pete Rock & CL Smooth "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)"
One of the most reflective cuts ever in hip-hop, Pete Rock & CL give a touching obituary to their fallen friend, former dancer and member of Heavy D & The Boyz, Trouble T-Roy. Memorable horn loop as well. This song is seen a staple in hip-hop
34. Public Enemy "Don't Believe The Hype"
The second single from It Takes A Nation Of Millions...was a politically charged middle finger in much the same light as "Fight The Power" before it. White, upper class America knew a revolution was coming and this was one of the singles that made them believe so
33. Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg "Nuthin But A G Thang"
The first single from Dr. Dre's landmark album, The Chronic, introduced a young up-and-comer named Snoop Doggy Dogg and they showed that they could be the west coast EPMD. Blunts, 40s, and bitches, the west coast was never presented sweeter than in this anthem
32. De La Soul "Me, Myself, and I"
Lead-off single from De La Soul's 3 Feet High & Rising sampled Parliament Funkadelic's "Knee Deep" and The Ohio Players' "Funky Worm" and tackled how their label, Tommy Boy, wanted them to be presented as hippies and how against it they were. This cut is seen as De La's most successful hit and their most known hit ever in their careers.
31. EPMD "You Gots 2 Chill"
Second single from EPMD's debut, Strictly Business, has them spitting b-boy-esque rhymes over a super funky sampling of Roger & Zapp's "More Bounce To The Ounce". If the title track didn't get you open, this surely did, bottom line
30. A Tribe Called Quest feat. Leaders of the New School "Scenario"
It's debated as to whether or not this may be the best posse cut in hip-hop history. Well that can be argued, but what can't be argued is the fact that every single person on this cut brought their asses, but this cut especially showed the world the monstrous talent of Busta Rhymes. Appropriately enough, this cut was the final cut on The Low End Theory album, I guess they had to save the best for last.
29. Beastie Boys "Hold It Now, Hit It"
Yes sir!! This was the first time we saw how dope the Beasties could be, and it was a home run from their seminal Licensed To Ill debut album
28. Ice-T "6 'N Tha Morning"
Considered as a standard bearer within the gangsta rap circles, this cut helped to define a highly successful career before he became Odafin Tutuola on SVU. This cut came from, Rhyme Pays, which is the first hip-hop album to ever receive the infamous "Parental Advisory" label.
27. Geto Boys "My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me"
A harrowing and rather dark classic, this cut of paranoia and schizophrenia was actually a true story of Scarface, but Willie D and Bushwick provided their own nerve-racking tales of their minds tripping. This cut almost single-handedly gave the GBs a gold plaque for their album, We Can't Be Stopped
26. LL Cool J "I Need Love"
Seen as the first hip-hop ballad, LL became every young girl's boyfriend at one time with this timeless record
25. Notorious B.I.G. "Juicy"
One of the best rags-to-riches stories ever put on wax, and it also happened to be the first time the world got exposed to a future icon
24. Roxanne Shante "Roxanne's Revenge"
She shut DOWN the careers of UTFO with this this one cut after she thought their cut "Roxanne, Roxanne" was about her. One of the best to come from Queensbridge, and seen as "the mother of the bridge"
23. Boogie Down Productions "The Bridge Is Over"
Over one of the menacing beats ever heard on wax, BDP put a dramatic end to the Queensbridge/Bronx rivalry with this venomous cut
22. NWA "Straight Outta Compton"
"Straight outta Compton, crazy muthafucka named Ice Cube/from a gang called Niggas With Attitudes" is the opening line from what would be a perennial song in the scene of hip-hop forever
21. Marley Marl & The Juice Crew "The Symphony"
Holy shit! This is widely considered to be the best posse cut of all-time and for good reason. From Craig G's opening bars to Big Daddy Kane killin it at the end with telling you where put a quarter for playing yourself, this was straight lyrical servicing
20. LL Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out"
Sick and tired of being called soft because of cuts like "I Need Love" and cuts for the ladies, this was his in-your-face answer, and it became one of his most signature songs ever
19. Treacherous Three "New Rap Language"
LA Sunshine, Kool Moe Dee, and Spoonie Gee made a DOPE cut which also exhibited their double time rhyme skills. I wish Sunshine would've been as successful as Moe Dee and Spoonie were to become
18. Run-DMC "My Adidas"
This cut not only made them hip-hop's first ambassadors for clothing merchandise, this was also one of their signature cuts within their discography, as this was their first single from their third album, Raising Hell
17. Big Daddy Kane "Ain't No Half Steppin"
BDK's signature cut and huge single from his impeccable debut Long Live The Kane. This solidified Kane's building legacy as one of the greats in hip-hop
16. Spoonie Gee "Love Rap"
Seen as the first hip-hop cut centered on love and admiration for the opposite sex, all respect due to the man that has been rumored to have coined the term "hip hop"
15. Slick Rick "Children's Story"
All hail the ruler! This is the most fun bedtime story ever created in hip-hop from its greatest storyteller
14. Beastie Boys "Paul Revere/The New Style"
What else can you say about how fresh these kids were coming on this cut? This was as hip-hop as you could get in '86, and it was all good
13. Eric B & Rakim "Paid In Full"
The official lead-off single to the iconic album of the same name and we saw the launch of the god MC and the most influential rapper of this or any generation
12. LL Cool J "Radio"
A teenaged James Todd Smith melted the microphone with this single from the album of the same name and we saw what would become a legendary career
11. Run-DMC "King Of Rock"
The first single from their sophomore album of the same name, which incorporated more of a rock-influenced sound, and completely snuffed out the idea of a sophomore jinx
10. Stop The Violence Movement "Self Destruction"
The benchmark in peaceful posse tracks, artists such as Stetsasonic, Public Enemy, Heavy D, and Miss Melodie (R.I.P.) made their case known about good in the hood and putting down the guns. It's a shame we don't see more of these types of tracks, but this will forever be a memorable moment in hip-hop
9. Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh "The Show/Ladi Dadi"
Seen as the funkiest and most sweat-filled seven minutes in hip-hop ever, these two can still turn the party out when performing this cut. The B-side is likewise such a staple in hip-hop, Snoop redid it, put his own spin on it, and did justice to it.
8. Public Enemy "Fight The Power"
This particular cut started a whole movement that emphasized pro-Black ideologies and exposing political propaganda. An animated Chuck D viciously states: "Elvis was a hero to most, but he never shit to meant, as he was straight out racist and that's simple and plain/muthafuck him and John Wayne !" This cut is the calling card in the extremely successful and influential career of what many consider the most important hip-hop group of all-time
7. NWA "Fuck The Police"
This cut created so much static and controversy, the FBI wrote them a letter and threatened to take action against them if they didn't remove the cut from their benchmark album Straight Outta Compton. Unrelenting, they proceeded to still get their message of anti-establishment out to the masses and is often still considered the go-to anthem for police corruption and brutality
6. Run-DMC feat. Aerosmith "Walk This Way"
The ultimate hip-hop/rock marriage came when the kings from Queens collaborated with rock legends Aerosmith to make a defining cut within both of their respective careers. Originally an Aerosmith song, Run-DMC's version completely catapulted both acts further into the stratosphere and would influence pop acts to incorporate hip-hop for years and decades to come
5. Kurtis Blow "The Breaks"
Kurtis made history with this one. Not only is the first gold single in the history of hip-hop, but it's also the second gold 12' single ever music. We salute you Kurtis
4. Funky Four Plus One "It's The Joint"
This was 9 minutes of fun. Heralded as one of the most influential songs of the 80s, 4 Bronx kids made a song that showed the beginnings of where hip-hop could go
3. Run-DMC "It's Like That/Sucker MCs"
Simply put, this was the cut that started it all for the greatest hip-hop act, and most influential, of all-time
2. Sugar Hill Gang "Rapper's Delight"
This was the cut that first made hip-hop popular to the masses. The original 15 minute version is still considered historic and timeless. The first hip-hop single to make it to the Library of Congress as well. Basically folks, there would be no mainstream hip-hop if it wasn't for this cut. Always a favorite at karaoke, this is the ultimate old school party starter
1. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five "The Message"
The first ever hip-hop cut to go outside of the house party and reach social consciousness. This cut was the first to examine ghetto life in its rawest form to show that hip-hop wasn't all fun and games. This also was the start of the emcee to be the star of the show instead of just the deejay, where it had been traditional at the time for the DJ to play the front. Acts like AZ and Diddy have sampled this cut and have cited this record as one of their favorite cuts ever. Extremely vivid and candid, this cut will forever stand the test of time as hip-hop's most important track ever
Here are some other cuts that came very close to making the list, and maybe in some cases actually should've been on this list:
Young MC "Bust A Move"
AZ "Sugar Hill"
Big Daddy Kane "I Get The Job Done"
Wu-Tang Clan "C.R.E.A.M."
MC Lyte "Paper Thin"
2Pac "I Get Around"
Digital Underground "Humpty Dance"
Nas "It Ain't Hard To Tell"
Main Source feat. Nasty Nas, Joe Fatal, and Akinyele "Live At The BBQ"
Main Source "Looking At The Front Door"
Main Source "Fakin' The Funk"
Notorious B.I.G. "Hypnotize"
Diddy feat. Busta Rhymes and Notorious B.I.G. "Victory"
Jadakiss feat. Anthony Hamilton "Why"
Doug E. Fresh "Keep Rising To The Top"
DOug E. Fresh feat. Lil' Vicious "Freaks"
Scarface feat. 2Pac "Smile"
Wreckx-N-Effect "Rump Shaker"
Juvenile "Back Dat Azz Up"
Ludacris "Stand Up"
T.I. "You Don't Know Me"
Black Moon "Who Got The Props"
GZA "Cold World"
Blahzay Blahzay "Danger"
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek "The Blast"
Big Pun feat. Joe "Still Not A Playa"
Craig Mack feat. Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, Busta Rhymes, and LL Cool J "Flava In Ya Ear (remix)"
M.O.P. "Ante Up"
Run-DMC feat. Pete Rock & CL Smooth "Down With The King"
Kanye West "Through The Wire"
Kanye West "Heartless"
Clipse "Grindin"
Xzibit "The Foundation"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Summertime"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Girls Ain't Nothin But Trouble"
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Parents Just Don't understand"
Eazy-E feat. MC Ren and Dr. Dre "We Want Eazy"
Father MC feat. Mary J. Blige "I'll Do For U"
Heavy D & The Boyz "Is It Good To You"
Heavy D & The Boyz feat. Al B. Sure "Somebody For Me"
Smif-N-Wessun "Bucktown"
Tragedy Khadafi aka The Intelligent Hoodlum "Arrest the President"
dead prez "Hip Hop"
Erick Sermon feat. Marvin Gaye "Music"
The Fab 5 (Heltah Skeltah & OGC) "Lefleur Leflah Eshsckoshcka"
Crooklyn Dodgers "Crooklyn"
Raekwon feat. Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna "Ice Cream"
Method Man "Bring The Pain"
Ghostface Killah "Cherchez La Ghost"
Ghostface Killah feat. Mary J. Blige "All I Got Is You"
LL Cool J feat. DMX, Canibus, Master P, Method Man, and Redman "4,3,2,1"
LL Cool J feat. Fat Joe, Keith Murray, Prodigy, and Foxy Brown "Who Shot Ya (remix)"
LL Cool J "Pink Cookies In A Plastic Bag"
LL Cool J "Big Ole Butt"
Canibus "Second Round KO"
Lauryn Hill "Lost Ones"
Common feat. Mary J. Blige and Pharrell "Come Close"
Treacherous Three "Cabbage Patch"
World Class Wrecking Crew "Turn Out The Lights"
While there are many more I could put on this list, these are ones I felt that made a historical impact and even made a difference in the game. Let the debates begin, and that's the point! Until next time folks, hold your heads.
