Top 5 Old School Hip-Hop Songs
Hip-hop or rap is a genre of music that is ever-changing. New rappers like Fetty Wap and Post Malone have emerged and topped the charts. While they do introduce their unique style of rap, nothing beats the classic old school hip-hop from the 1990s. From the likes of Notorious B.I.G and the Wu-Tang Clan, we have enjoyed a vast variety of old school rap. Now, let’s take a trip back down memory lane and revisit the old classics that the Gods of hip-hop have bestowed upon us, and how they rank out against one another!
Gin and Juice by Snoop Dogg
This G-funk tableau emphasizing cruising culture, consumption of depressants, and materialism was instantly a hit and became an all time favourite late night ride song. This song shot hip-hop's favorite stoner to fame and, as they say, the rest is history. Along with What's My Name? , his debut solo single, Gin and Juice helped to rocket Snoop's solo career, ensuring the success of his debut LP, Doggystyle.
My Name Is by Eminem
Eminem’s 1998 breakout single burst from the earliest meeting between the then unknown MC and the storied producer, Dr. Dre. Dre had been fiddling with a sample from Labi Siffre’s 1975 soul strut “I Got The…”, waiting for someone to spin a remix. Eminem then came into the spotlight and announced “God sent me to piss the world off.” Slim Shady was something truly new: a Midwestern trailer-park kid with serious issues and an endless supply of uproarious rhymes that actually got stuck in your mind. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 2000, establishing Eminem as one of hip-hop and pop’s brightest talents.
C.R.E.A.M. by Wu-Tang Clan
Part of Wu-Tang‘s greatness was their messy and unusual style of rapping and mixing music, but the best song on their debut is ruthlessly efficient: just two breathless verses, plus the catchiest acronym in history. In two sentences, Raekwon, one of The Clan members, skillfully breaks down the entire background of The Clan “I grew up on the crime side/the New York Times side/Staying alive was no jive.” Wu’s version of New York was just yellow tape and cash. Making money legally was almost nonexistent. That being said, C.R.E.A.M. was voted #13 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop, sealing its place in hip-hop history.
Hit ‘Em Up by 2Pac featuring Outlawz
2Pac’s most famous song, Hit 'Em Up had a large role in aggravating the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry. Longtime collaborator, Johnny J said the ferocity of 2Pac's raging vocals was entirely authentic. 2Pac was initially fueled by his anger against Biggie Smalls and Bad Boy Records as he believed that they had a role in the November 30, 1994 attack on him. Johnny also stated that he had never seen Shakur so angry and that the words he rapped were in no way an act, describing the recording process as the most "hard-core he had ever done." The song is widely considered by the hip-hop community as one of the greatest diss tracks ever recorded due to its explicit lyrical content and the seriousness of violent intent by 2Pac.
Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It by Ice Cube
As they say, the best is usually saved for the last. An extremely underrated ballad, Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It was Ice Cube’s response to society using gangster rap as a scapegoat for its problem. Ice Cube addresses “society's view of gangster rap music”, which has sometimes been blamed for criminality in America. Ice Cube tries to push the boundaries of lyrical content of this song as compared to mainstream popular music, as well as visual imagery in the music video.
