1. Grindin’ – The Clipse – In 2002, a new duo from VA hit the scene with this simple, yet super-infectious hip-hop beat, followed up by nasally street-laced lyrics. The Clipse, originally from NYC, lived most of their life in VA. Founded by super-producer, Pharrell Williams, these 2 are a solid rap duo. This song is classic, as far as I’m concerned. The beat is so hot!
2. 24s – T.I. – Another son of Atlanta, T.I. surfaced with an already solid underground following. He was known for his convincing street swagger and gun-talk. Fortunately, this single is mostly about rims. He and Ludacris had a brief battle, centering around who is the real “King of the South.” This song caught my attention, because the hook is catchy. It was T.I.’s introduction to the mainstream.
3. Pastor Skillz – Skillz – This track has had no commercial success, but Skillz shows his dedication to the legacy of original hip-hop with this humorous rap sketch, where he portrays a pastor chiding his congregation for being hypocrites. It’s very clever, and a lot of fun.
4. Jesus Walks – Kanye West –Herein enters Kanye West. . . and the world would never be the same. He made a song about Jesus Christ a pop/radio hit. Kanye does have a golden touch, regardless of how crass he can be. This song is hot!
5. Virgo – Nas ft. Ludacris and Doug E. Fresh – This is not a team that I would’ve thought up on my own, but I’m glad someone did. These 3 are linked by their zodiac sign. Thank God, because this track is crazy! Doug E. Fresh brings his legendary beat-boxing skills to support lyrical gods Nas and Ludacris. A track made in heaven.
6. Get Crunk – Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz – Again the Southern hip-hop/rap movement always leaves me conflicted. I was not a fan of the whole “crunk” movement that arose in the late 90s/early 2000s, but eventually warmed up to select songs and artists. Lil Jon is one of the legends of crunk. This track is a good example of this testosterone-driven genre of rap. It’s raunchy and aggressive.
7. Take It Easy – The Fugees – The short-lived, but legendary group, the Fugees, teased the world in 2004, by reuniting with the promise of an upcoming album. All we got was this single. Just a glimmer of their former glory. Lauryn Hill, we still await your return to sanity.
8. Get By – Talib Kweli – Hip-hop purist and ½ of the super underground group, Black Star, Talib Kweli cooked up this uber-inspirational anthem in 2002. It’s the type of song that wakes you up in the morning and gets you motivated to make it through the next 24 hours. I absolutely love it!
9. Mind on the Road – Rev. Run – After years away from the microphone, the legendary MC and ½ of pioneering group, Run-DMC, returned solo to the mic to prove that he still “got it.” Now a minister, Rev. Run still manages to remind the world on this track WHOSE HOUSE this is.
10. Just Like Me – DMC ft. Sarah McLachlan – The other ½ of the legendary Run-DMC, after many health battles, decided to embark on a solo project around the same time as Rev. Run. Teaming up with my favorite female vocalist, Sarah, he managed to eek out this radio-friendly tune. His health issues affect his voice directly, and it sounds like a struggle to hear him rap. Good thing Sarah’s sweet vocals are there to back him up.
11. Won’t Do – J. Dilla – The late, great super-producer and former member of Slum Village dropped this album around the time of his ill-timed death. This is a nice track and a great way to remember him. Just some real hip-hop.
12. Sittin’ Sidewayz – Paul Wall – In 2005, Houston, TX started to explode onto the rap scene. Though I was (and in many ways still am) a reluctant customer, I did take a liking to Paul Wall—the South’s White rapping sensation. This song is just the right song to have turned up on your car stereo. It’s all about riding and showing off your vehicle. The beat and hook are mean…in a good way.
13. Cupid’s Chokehold – Gym Class Heroes – Listening to these guys makes me feel old. They are definitely for the high school/college crowd, but their yesteryear stylings make me long for the early 90s, when fun rap groups, like Pharcyde, roamed the Earth. This is a cute-ish story about a doting young boy.
14. Black Republican – Nas ft. Jay-Z – After the intense battle that occurred years prior to this song, no one would’ve ever imagined that this would even be possible. Nas’s and Jay-Z’s reconciliation was a monumental moment in hip-hop. This song is a testament to that. They’re 2 of the greatest to have ever done it.
15. The Rhythm The Rebel –Hueman Prophets – Whoa! These guys should sound familiar. It’s our boy, Baye, and his partner, Jabari, on this stripped-down-to-the-djembe track. It’s simple genius. These guys are students, and in turn teachers, of hip-hop in its purest form. The world needs to know their name.
16. The Heart Gently Weeps – Wu Tang Clan ft. Erykah Badu – My boys returned to collaborate on another album in 2007. The Wu had undergone a lot of inner turmoil over this past decade, including the death of the Ol’ Dirty Bastard, plus Ghostface Killah going rogue. They managed to put aside their differences to put out this album. This single features the outside-of-the-box singer, Erykah Badu. It’s a remake of a Beatles’ hit. Replace “Heart” with “Guitar,” though.
17. Paper Planes – M.I.A. – Another hit for a female rapper! This song has been huge over the past couple of years. After appearing in “Pineapple Express” and “Slumdog Millionaire,” it was also sampled by T.I. for his single, “Swagga Like Us,” and remixed over and over again. It’s a very cool song, I think. Plus it’s kinda hot to hear an English female rapping.
18. 88 – Cool Kids – These guys have been described as the new Beastie Boys. I don’t know about that, but their hipster-type attitude and heavy-thumping tracks are hard for me to pass up. They found each other on MySpace, where they first achieved buzz some years ago. I dig their style.
19. I’m Innocent – Murs – This guy created buzz a couple of years ago. He exemplifies the everyday brotha, like me. He’s not a thug. He won’t rob you. He is vulnerable to being human and having an opinion. He’s a West Coast rapper without all of the gun-talk. He sometimes uses his voice for fun, and sometimes he gets political. This is a good track by him. You also may want to google him, just to check out his crazy hair.
20. Move – Q-Tip – The legendary leader of the much-missed A Tribe Called Quest put out a wonderful, and much-anticipated solo album, “The Renaissance,” back in 2008. This was a nice, danceable track that re-introduced this legend to the world.
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