Back in October, while performing "Zomo the Rabbit," in NYC at the Hip Hop Theatre Festival, actress, Jjana Valentiner, asked a couple of us if we'd be willing to make a hip-hop CD for her--a compilation outlining the history--because though she was a part of a DOPE hip-hop show (for the kids), she really did not know much about it.
I'd forgotten to do it, honestly, over the next few months, but when I saw her back in April, she reminded me. So I started brainstorming on what songs I wanted to add to this ONE CD that would give a full overview of hip-hop.
I couldn't do it.
So I said FORGET JUST 1 CD! As a result, I ended up making her an 8-disc anthology, outlining hip-hop from 1979 - 2010. Then I felt the need to type up a study-guide type of document that subjectively lists the reason(s) why I chose each and every song. Some include facts. Most include opinions.
I invite any one who reads these to correct or add anything to what I've said. I don't claim to be a hip-hop expert. Just an avid geek, since the beginning. . .
1. Rapper’s Delight – Sugar Hill Gang – Of course, this is the start of it all, so I had to include it. There is an extended version of this song as well, which is over 9 minutes long.
2. Apache – Sugar Hill Gang - This song still kills at any party or dance. Classic dance track with a crazy beat! As a fan of the video game, SIMS, I was elated to see the dance included on SIMS 2.
3. M.C. Battle – Busy Bee – Busy Bee is an oooold school MC, featured in the 1st hip-hop feature film, “Wild Style,” where this song is featured, as well. He later went on to battle Kool Moe Dee, in one of the earliest M.C. battles on record. Kool Moe Dee crushed him, for the record. I just saw “Wild Style” for the first time about 5 years ago. While it’s a very low-budget film, it does capture the essence of hip-hop: the dj, the graffiti artists, the breakin’, and the mc.
4. Down By Law – Fab 5 Freddy – Another song from the “Wild Style” soundtrack. Fab 5 Freddy was involved in the making of the film. He was one of the original hip-hop producers, before Diddy and Kanye were on the scene. He is not any of the rappers that you hear on this song. Other artists since then have re-made this song. It’s a CLASSIC! A way for all the MCs in a crew to sell themselves. . . almost like speed-dating.
5. Beat Street –Grandmaster Melle Mel – From the “Beat Street” soundtrack. MY first hip-hop film. One that I still love immensely. Just like “Wild Style,” it displays all of the elements of hip-hop, but with a better story. This particular song by Melle Mel was 1 of the first times that an MC used his rhyme skills to comment on society, as opposed to just making a party record for people to dance to. The lyrics are full of brutal images, and almost feel like a news segment. Melle Mel has such an assertive cadence to his rhyming and a conviction in his tone. It’s a moving track.
6. Breakers’ Revenge – Arthur Baker – An intense hip-hop instrumental, where the DJ gets to show off, and the dancers can go crazy! Also from “Beat Street.” Great workout music.
7. US Girls – US Girls – Here come the female MCs putting their stake in the rap game. Lisa Lee, Sha Rock, and Debbie D came on the scene to let the men know that they could “boogie too.” This song is also from “Beat Street.”
8. Reckless – Ice T – From the “Breakin’” Soundtrack. This is our first introduction to Ice-T, credited as the first MC to put the West Coast on the map. Of course later he went on to become an actor, pimp, etc., but this is the first time the East Coast got a peek at this legend. This is a very true-to-form hip-hop track, where Ice-T as the MC is using his rhymes to highlight his DJ. The DJ was originally the front man in hip-hop, but as the popularity of the MCs began to rise, the DJ fell to the background. “Breakin’” is another classic, but it was mainstream Hollywood’s attempt to introduce hip-hop to a broader audience, so there is a lot of fluff, and lacks the edge of “Wild Style” and “Beat Street."
9. Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force – CLASSIC hip-hop dance track! Full of energy. Great workout track, as well. Afrika Bambaataa is also founder of the Hip-Hop movement, called Zulu Nation, which still exists today, which highlighted the positivity of hip-hop, as a means to overcome the adversity that many faced in the inner city.
10. Slice - World Class Wreckin’ Cru (ft. Dr. Dre) – Before his days with N.W.A. or founding super-talents, like Snoop Dogg and Eminem, Dr. Dre was a part of this West Coast hip-hop pioneering group. This track is also very true-to-form, fundamental hip-hop. “Slice” refers to “cutting” or “scratching”—that sound the DJ makes on the turntable, when he/she spins the records.
11. Hey DJ – The World’s Famous Supreme Team – This is a song that I recently re-discovered. One of those buried treasures that was a hit in the mid-80s, but has since fell off the radar. I still think it’s great.
12. Force MD’s Meet the Fat Boys – Force MDs and the Fat Boys – Force MDs was one of the first hybrid rap/r&b groups to surface with great success. This song is a novelty. A fun take on the Gilligan’s Island theme song. There’s nothing “gangsta” about it. . . just good fun.
13. Rock the Bells – LL Cool J – in 1985, a young 16 year old from Queens exploded on the rap scene. Little did the world know that he would grow to be THE most prolific rapper in history, having survived the decades with albums spread out over 25 years. This is a great party song, with a hard beat and hard lyrics.
14. King of Rock – Run DMC – Run DMC burst into the scene a year or so before this song with a rock/rap fusion, called “Rock Box.” “King of Rock,” however, is what pushed them into the spotlight. With this rock/rap fusion, they were well on their way to being the first mainstream hip-hop act—a necessary step in taking hip-hop beyond its “fad” phase.
15. The Show – Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick – THE QUINTESSENTIAL HIP-HOP PARTY SONG! You can play this song at any party, and it will garner an upheaval of excitement. With this song you have the partnering of beatboxing virtuoso, Doug E. Fresh, and storytelling legend, Slick Rick, with his stand-apart English accent. The lyrics are catchy and fun. The beat is insane.
16. Push It – Salt-N-Pepa – Here comes hip hop’s female dynamic duo. They came on the scene, letting Run DMC know that they were not the only ones who could win the hearts of the American mainstream. They put out hit after hit, well into the 90s. This song’s tongue-in-cheek ambiguity is what “pushed it” to the top of the charts, plus it’s a great dance track.
17. Big Mouth – Whodini – The legendary Whodini had quite a few hits during this era. This particular track is a fun and catchy way of telling people to shut up. For me, the video left a big impression with the images of Felix the Cat.
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