Author Topic: The 75 Geatest Hip Hop Tracks of All Time (Read 5190 times)

Phoenix Dark · « **on:** October 03, 2007, 07:56:38 PM »

...according to Nobody Smiling
http://www.nobodysmiling.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117197 (includes links to every song so you can listen)

#5: C.R.E.A.M. (Wu Tang Clan)
#4: One Mic (Nas)
#3: I Used to Love H.E.R. (Common)
#2: The World Is Yours (Nas)
#1: Shook Ones Pt. II (Mobb Deep)

Someone sure loves Nas...

How can you make a top 10 list and not include Rakim (Microphone Fiend) or Big Daddy Kane (AIN'T NO HALF STEPPIN)?

demi · « **Reply #1 on:** October 03, 2007, 07:58:40 PM »

Nas won

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #2 on:** October 03, 2007, 08:01:32 PM »

The World Is Yours is not even the best song on Illmatic. And it's probably the best hip hop album I've heard

Fresh Prince · « **Reply #3 on:** October 03, 2007, 08:10:20 PM »

Message > Lyrics

imo Rakim does sound outdated to most people.

Mupepe · « **Reply #4 on:** October 03, 2007, 08:20:02 PM »

Quote from: Phoenix Dark on October 03, 2007, 07:56:38 PM

#3: I Used to Love H.E.R. (Common)

The only Common song I really like

hyp · « **Reply #5 on:** October 03, 2007, 08:27:15 PM »

if we're talking mainstream, shook ones is definitely a top 5 contender as well as cream. really surprised i used to love her made it up there, that's a pretty slept on track.

that dude is too east coast centric, i can see why those are his top picks.

hyp · « **Reply #6 on:** October 03, 2007, 08:28:22 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on October 03, 2007, 08:20:02 PM

The only Common song I really like

it's my favorite too... funny how everything "common" talked shit about in that track has come to fruition in his own career. keep doing gap commercials, you fucking tool.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #7 on:** October 03, 2007, 09:28:49 PM »

Eh I disagree. His music has never "sold out". Commercials for the Gap...meh, but rap has been rooted in materialism for decades. Adidas anyone? It depends on how it effects the music imo

The list is verrry east coast centric but they recognize Mind Playin Tricks on Me; props

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #8 on:** October 03, 2007, 09:29:58 PM »

Quote from: Fresh Prince on October 03, 2007, 08:10:20 PM

imo Rakim does sound outdated to most people.

How is Rakim dated when the entire east coast is still mimicking his style?

hyp · « **Reply #9 on:** October 03, 2007, 09:42:11 PM »

i think the lyrics of the song speak against what he's currently doing. but to each his own, common lost his sense a long time ago.

Quote from: common when he had sense

I might've failed to mention that the chick was creative
But once the man got to her, he altered the native
Told her if she got an image and a gimmick
That she could make money, and she did it like a dummy
Now I see her in commercials, she's universal
She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle
Now she be in the burbs lookin' rock and dressin' hip
And on some dumb shit, when she comes to the city
Talkin about poppin glocks, servin rocks, and hittin switches
Now she's a gangsta rollin with gangsta bitches
Always smokin blunts and gettin drunk
Tellin me sad stories, now she only fucks with the funk
Stressin how hardcore and real she is
She was really the realest, before she got into show-biz
I did her, not just to say that I did it
But I'm committed, but so many niggaz hit it
That she's just not the same lettin all these groupies do her
I see niggaz slammin her, and takin her to the sewer
But I'ma take her back hopin that the shit stop
Cause who I'm talkin bout y'all is hip-hop

tiesto · « **Reply #10 on:** October 03, 2007, 09:52:58 PM »

Mass Appeal is awesome. Guru is probably my favorite 'serious' rapper. I even got to see Gang Starr live freshman year of college, that was a really cool event. We had Gang Starr and Reel Big Fish, it was funny how after Gang Starr was over and it was Reel Big Fish's time to come on, every black person got the hell out of there

Fresh Prince · « **Reply #11 on:** October 04, 2007, 01:23:56 AM »

Quote from: Phoenix Dark on October 03, 2007, 09:29:58 PM

How is Rakim dated when the entire east coast is still mimicking his style?

1. East coast mimcs Jay-Z more than anyone else
2. I was speaking more of his production than anything else.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #12 on:** October 04, 2007, 02:11:22 AM »

Quote from: Fresh Prince on October 04, 2007, 01:23:56 AM

Quote from: Phoenix Dark on October 03, 2007, 09:29:58 PM
How is Rakim dated when the entire east coast is still mimicking his style?
1. East coast mimcs Jay-Z more than anyone else
2. I was speaking more of his production than anything else.

It's a toss up between Jay and Rakim, but I'd say most rappers in NY are still using the Rakim blueprint. Guys like Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, etc are biting Jay to no avail

Production? Perhaps, although personally I love Eric B's work. And Rakim's solo work had some nice production from Premo to Dre. Stupid kids aren't into that stuff tho :'(

Beezy · « **Reply #13 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:12:04 AM »

[youtube=425,350]oNFsAelg9Xo[/youtube]

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #14 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:14:10 AM »

oh shit, i thought you posted some hot boyz for a second $:-\$

Fresh Prince · « **Reply #15 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:28:41 AM »

So Children's Story I can understand overlooking but this?
[youtube=425,350]2-jVU5Lqxx0[/youtube]

Himu · « **Reply #16 on:** October 04, 2007, 11:26:25 AM »

ONE MIC IS NOT THAT GOOD.

Himu · « **Reply #17 on:** October 04, 2007, 11:29:21 AM »

Quote from: hyp on October 03, 2007, 08:28:22 PM

Quote from: Mupepe on October 03, 2007, 08:20:02 PM
The only Common song I really like

it's my favorite too... funny how everything "common" talked shit about in that track has come to fruition in his own career. keep doing gap commercials, you fucking tool.

lmao

Common's not really talking about that though. There's nothing wrong with doing commercials. He's talking about OH BEING A GANGSTA IS COOL AND OH WE CAN MASS MARKET BEING A GANGSTA BECUZ IT'S COOL AND NOT REALLY FOR INNER CITY FOLK BUT FOR SUBURB PEOPLE. Common has never really went down that lane.

smh with this nub

Mupepe · « **Reply #18 on:** October 04, 2007, 11:50:26 AM »

You're playing semantics Himuro. The song is about selling out as a whole IMO.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #19 on:** October 04, 2007, 12:05:38 PM »

This would be worth arguing about if hip-hop began in 1992.

hyp · « **Reply #20 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:04:02 PM »

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 11:29:21 AM

lmao

Common's not really talking about that though. There's nothing wrong with doing commercials. He's talking about OH BEING A GANGSTA IS COOL AND OH WE CAN MASS MARKET BEING A GANGSTA BECUZ IT'S COOL AND NOT REALLY FOR INNER CITY FOLK BUT FOR SUBURB PEOPLE. Common has never really went down that lane.

smh with this nub

great, another common apologist. have you even listened to the entire song? i don't see how he can't talk about hiphop having a soul and then appear on sprite and gap commercials. sounds a bit contradictory to me. but it's okay, common fell off when he lost the "sense" from his name -- pretty ironic.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #21 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:06:20 PM »

Fun fact: Common had to drop the "Sense" from his moniker when San Diego's very own "Common Sense" reggae band threatened to take legal action!

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #22 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:07:28 PM »

Quote from: hyp on October 04, 2007, 03:04:02 PM

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 11:29:21 AM
lmao

Common's not really talking about that though. There's nothing wrong with doing commercials. He's talking about OH BEING A GANGSTA IS COOL AND OH WE CAN MASS MARKET BEING A GANGSTA BECUZ IT'S COOL AND NOT REALLY FOR INNER CITY FOLK BUT FOR SUBURB PEOPLE. Common has never really went down that lane.

smh with this nub

great, another common apologist. have you even listened to the entire song? i don't see how he can't talk about hiphop having a soul and then appear on sprite and gap commercials. sounds a bit contradictory to me. but it's okay, common fell off when he lost the "sense" from his name -- pretty ironic.

You don't like Be?

hyp · « **Reply #23 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:09:24 PM »

Quote from: Saint Cornelius on October 04, 2007, 03:06:20 PM

Fun fact: Common had to drop the "Sense" from his moniker when San Diego's very own "Common Sense" reggae band threatened to take legal action!

didn't know it was an SD band... i heard it was a UK rock band back in the day.

hyp · « **Reply #24 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:30:06 PM »

i don't like anything post resurrection to be honest... i enjoyed the raw nature his earlier works. a few tracks on "one day it'll all make sense" were decent, but it was this transition that begun to turn me off to his music. he was on that soul brother vibe -- got me scratching my head especially after adoring tracks like breaker 1/9, communism, resurrection, heidi hoe, etc. the lovey dubby, you're my girl shit was what made him a mainstream hit. it's the common that i didn't grow up listening to which is why i'm a little harsh towards the guy. i know we all transform as people, but to me it felt forced, as if he was taking on different persona to appease record execs and make some scrill in the process.

Himu · « **Reply #25 on:** October 04, 2007, 03:55:33 PM »

Like Water For Chocolate is far more soul oriented than Resurrection and it has little, if any, love songs aside from the amazing The Light.

Even when Common "sold out" he still kept his trademarks.

I can understand hating on an artist because of their music, but hating on an artist for being in commercials is fucking stupid. I don't care what an musical artist says outside of their music. It's all about the music.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #26 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:00:10 PM »

Common isn't totally mainstream, and when he does do cross over stuff it always has a message. I'd rather have Driven Me Wild on the radio that this other crap. It has a great message and good lyrics

Hyp what are your top 5 hip hop albums?

Himu · « **Reply #27 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:07:03 PM »

Common isn't mainstream. Dude hasn't had an album that has ever gone plat iirc.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #28 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:14:09 PM »

Be almost went plat I think, and FF is doing pretty well. He makes his money on tour tho

Mupepe · « **Reply #29 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:16:12 PM »

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 04:07:03 PM

Common isn't mainstream. Dude hasn't had an album that has ever gone plat iirc.

most hip hop albums don't go platinum now ROFL

Himu · « **Reply #30 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:35:32 PM »

that's true. I'm using the train of thought from a few years back. my bad.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #31 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:37:56 PM »

Quote from: Mupepe on October 04, 2007, 04:16:12 PM

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 04:07:03 PM
Common isn't mainstream. Dude hasn't had an album that has ever gone plat iirc.
most hip hop albums don't go platinum now ROFL

bastard your rite

I'm listening to Resurrection now. Lyrical acrobatics to say the least

hyp · « **Reply #32 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:40:03 PM »

Quote from: Phoenix Dark on October 04, 2007, 04:00:10 PM

Common isn't totally mainstream, and when he does do cross over stuff it always has a message. I'd rather have Driven Me Wild on the radio that this other crap. It has a great message and good lyrics

Hyp what are your top 5 hip hop albums?

i'll answer this question after lunch. gotta think that one through..

hyp · « **Reply #33 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:41:23 PM »

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 04:07:03 PM

Common isn't mainstream. Dude hasn't had an album that has ever gone plat iirc.

compared to what he was before (underground/indie) i'd say he's pretty popular.

hyp · « **Reply #34 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:42:12 PM »

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 03:55:33 PM

Like Water For Chocolate is far more soul oriented than Resurrection and it has little, if any, love songs aside from the amazing The Light.

Even when Common "sold out" he still kept his trademarks.

I can understand hating on an artist because of their music, but hating on an artist for being in commercials is fucking stupid. I don't care what an musical artist says outside of their music. It's all about the music.

trademarks? like what? i don't recall him talkin' about smoking blunts and downing 40s in his latest albums.

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #35 on:** October 04, 2007, 04:59:29 PM »

No Rapper's Delight

No Freaks Come Out At Night

No Planet Rock

LIST

IS

BULLSHIT

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #36 on:** October 04, 2007, 05:00:41 PM »

Exactly! No King of Rock, no Friends, no Rock the Bells, no Strong Island, no Ego Trippin', no Raw...

Eel O'Brian · « **Reply #37 on:** October 04, 2007, 05:05:54 PM »

It's like those "Greatest Movies of All Time" lists that only go back to 1972 and The Godfather

hyp · « **Reply #38 on:** October 04, 2007, 05:36:15 PM »

PD, not good with naming my "tops", but here's a list of a few albums that i love (and have probably had in rotation for months at a time)... much of my taste lies in the 90s-00s btw.

eligh: as they pass
aceyalone: all balls don't bounce
camp lo: uptown saturday night
third sight: the golden shower hour
atban klann: grass roots
a tribe called quest: midnight marauders
blackalicious: melodica
deeskee: in loving memory
beneath the surface (compilation)
emanon: imaginary friends
mobb deep: the infamous
madvillain: madvillainy
arknophobix: phantasmagoria
rhymesayers: headshots industrial warfare
wu-tang clan: 36 chambers
log cabin (compilation)
de la soul: stakes is high

Himu · « **Reply #39 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:22:01 PM »

been wanting to hear melodica for a while

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #40 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:22:54 PM »

Tell me where you want me to up it and I'll do it.

Quote from: Hyp

Atban Klann

I hope Donkeyskin doesn't read this - do you know who they went on to be?

Himu · « **Reply #41 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:24:03 PM »

hmmm ysi or rs should be cool dude. thanks for lookin out

hyp · « **Reply #42 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:26:55 PM »

Quote from: Saint Cornelius on October 04, 2007, 06:22:54 PM

Tell me where you want me to up it and I'll do it.

Quote from: Hyp
Atban Klann

I hope Donkeyskin doesn't read this - do you know who they went on to be?

of course i do.

needless to say, i wasn't a fan after the transformation. and i tried really hard to like the first BEP album.

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #43 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:29:09 PM »

It's why I can't hate all the way on Will.I.Am because I *know* he's talented, but he wastes his talent on pop rap bullshit. Loved Joints & Jam back in the day, though.

You know what really hurts me? How wack the whole damn Solesides / Quannum crew has become of late. Gab & Xcel, Shadow, Lateef, Lyrics Born... all putting out some really awful shit recently. What the fuck HAPPENED?

hyp · « **Reply #44 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:35:59 PM »

Quote from: Saint Cornelius on October 04, 2007, 06:29:09 PM

It's why I can't hate all the way on Will.I.Am because I *know* he's talented, but he wastes his talent on pop rap bullshit. Loved Joints & Jam back in the day, though.

You know what really hurts me? How wack the whole damn Solesides / Quannum crew has become of late. Gab & Xcel, Shadow, Lateef, Lyrics Born... all putting out some really awful shit recently. What the fuck HAPPENED?

tell me about it... i can't remember the last solesides/quannum project i've liked. i bought quannum projects album, and even that was a letdown in some areas. the latyrx album was some good shit. not feeling the latest blackalicious stuff (a2g and some of nia was good) and from what i heard, dj shadow is on some yay area hyphy tip. gone are the days of swan lake, the wreckoning, entroducin, and balcony beach type shit. $:-\$

have you heard the solesides greatest bumps album?

if you don't have it, let me hook you up w/ the grass roots album... i found a dude on irc who snail mailed it to me, what a fucking journey to find that one.

hyp · « **Reply #45 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:37:04 PM »

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 06:22:01 PM

been wanting to hear melodica for a while

40oz for breakfast

Quote

A forty ounce for breakfast gets a brother through the day
I guess I shoulda had a V8 instead; anyway
Let me contemplate my thought something back to a time
When my fridge was full of booze but in my pocket not one dime
I remember back on Willis Ave, with my ace-boom homey Mark Black
I would start the day off hearin the sound of the fo'-oh crack
I went to work blitzed, so eventually I got dissed
And caught a shocker when my supervisor said "You're dismissed"
Now as I stare at my last check now my mind is stressed and depressed
I spell relief S-T-I-D-E-S yes with a little excess less the worry
Why go job hunting today?
When I can sit back and smoke this sack and drink
And feel my problems shrink away
And by now, the rent's due in two weeks
But inside my mind that's just another problem brew can delete
I got evicted, to the point where the court martial came to my door
And said, "Get this kid: get your bags and split you don't live here no more"
And now I'm ass out; I'm so damn hungry I feel like I'm gonna pass out
I asked my brother for a handout and he hooked me
Though I knew he had doubts
And rightfully so, cause I had new shit to deal with
I'm so confused I have no control of my life I think I'll get lit
So as my problems compile, I steady smile, oh yes
Sippin on that forty ounce that's leadin me to a path of nowhere
So as I think about tomorrow, I hesitate and say:
A forty ounce for breakfast, will get me through the day..

Saint Cornelius · « **Reply #46 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:45:13 PM »

Quote from: hyp on October 04, 2007, 06:35:59 PM

have you heard the solesides greatest bumps album?

yeah it's fucking awesome! I'm glad they made a document of how fresh they used to be before they changed their shit all up.

Quote from: hyp on October 04, 2007, 06:35:59 PM

if you don't have it, let me hook you up w/ the grass roots album... i found a dude on irc who snail mailed it to me, what a fucking journey to find that one.

hell yah, up that shit! anything you're looking for?

Himu · « **Reply #47 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:49:52 PM »

Send some of dat shit this way guys. We should all expose each other to fresh hip hop since most of the new shit stanks.

hyp · « **Reply #48 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:50:49 PM »

Quote from: Saint Cornelius on October 04, 2007, 06:45:13 PM

Quote from: hyp on October 04, 2007, 06:35:59 PM
have you heard the solesides greatest bumps album?

yeah it's fucking awesome! I'm glad they made a document of how fresh they used to be before they changed their shit all up.

Quote from: hyp on October 04, 2007, 06:35:59 PM
if you don't have it, let me hook you up w/ the grass roots album... i found a dude on irc who snail mailed it to me, what a fucking journey to find that one.

hell yah, up that shit! anything you're looking for?

greatest bumps please! i've been so lazy to track it down. i'm sure there are a ton of albums i'm missing, so if you've got any personal faves, by all means, hook it up. i can setup an ftp server tonight if that works. i'll PM you with the details when i get off work.

hey himu, i'll send you the info as well if you want to leech this shit.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #49 on:** October 04, 2007, 06:55:20 PM »

Quote from: Himuro on October 04, 2007, 06:49:52 PM

Send some of dat shit this way guys. We should all expose each other to fresh hip hop since most of the new shit stanks.

Me too plz

hyp · « **Reply #50 on:** October 04, 2007, 07:01:08 PM »

hey dudes, check your PMs

Himu · « **Reply #51 on:** October 05, 2007, 11:25:06 AM »

THANKS HYP

hyp · « **Reply #52 on:** October 05, 2007, 01:09:17 PM »

no problem

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #53 on:** October 05, 2007, 01:10:59 PM »

umm what website do I go to in order to access this stuff?

Himu · « **Reply #54 on:** October 05, 2007, 03:34:27 PM »

ftp. nub.

get smartftp.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #55 on:** October 05, 2007, 05:10:03 PM »

Hyp helped me get it to work

I'm listening to Mobb Deep's The Imfamous. 7 tracks in and it's pretty damn. Lots of gangsta imagery which is somewhat hard to take seriously due to Takeover...

When I was packin weight, back in '88
You was a ballerina I got the pictures I seen ya

But the rawness of the record is undeniable. I love 90's east coast stuff; Illmatic is perhaps the best hip hop album I've ever heard. All these dudes can flow! Even the gangsta imagery isn't the standard shit we hear today; it's quite witty at times, especially on Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt, 36 Chambers, etc

hyp · « **Reply #56 on:** October 05, 2007, 06:20:37 PM »

drink away the pain is a pretty damn witty song. i find it hilarious that Q-tip makes a cameo on the track.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #57 on:** October 06, 2007, 04:43:42 AM »

Trife Life is a great track and features some great storytelling. What a simple yet compelling tale of deception; it's like film on wax.

Mm Food is pretty good. Doom is an interesting rapper although he's very random and into free associative rhyming. The flow is quite abstract and easy to lose track of, but the harder you listen the more you "get." The production is great. More inventive than flashy.

Phoenix Dark · « **Reply #58 on:** October 07, 2007, 06:35:54 PM »

Yeah, The Infamous is definitely a classic. Recently there's been a lot of debate over the content of hip hop, and its effect on people. On the surface The Infamous is another violence riddled rap romp. Some would say it relishes in violence, advocating gang activity and such. But there's nothing glorifying to be found here. Instead what you find are expressions of fear, stress, and hopelessness. It would be hard to listen to this album and come to a positive conclusion about gang violence.

So many tracks deal with the crippling stress of street life, of trying to physically escape it but only being able to escape through drug use. This analysis isn't seen in modern "pop gangsta" rap from the likes of 50 Cent. Most modern rappers prefer to revel in the good times of the life, yet refuse to talk about the mental toll or ultimate conclusion; so many watch Scarface yet seem to ignore the ending

News:

Author Topic: The 75 Geatest Hip Hop Tracks of All Time (Read 5190 times)