HIP-HOP's 100 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS. This post: #20-11. Concludes in 2 days. 

Caffé Latté presents...

HIP - HOP

THE 100 MOST ESSENTIAL SONGS 

Today, hip-hop sounds dominate popular music. For many years the genre was dismissed and –justifiably- criticized for its homophobic and misogynistic lyrics. This countdown looks back on the seminal rap songs that helped establish the new genre within the mainstream and the key songs in hip-hop’s evolution. These are the 100 that matter most, from early rap tracks and gangsta rap to the Oscar winners.

 

20 HOT IN HERRE

Nelly

When Nelly arrived on the scene in 2000 with “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)”, he added a distinct flavour to hip-hop. The rapper wasn’t part of the East / West Coasts rivalry. His style fused urban and country. Over the next few years, Nelly established himself as one of rap’s best crossover rising stars. In 2002, “Hot In Herre” expanded his audience.

19 FUNKY COLD MEDINA

Tone Loc

Rap began making significant inroads into the charts as the 1980s neared an end. Tone Loc provided rap with 2 early rap radio staples: “Wild Thing” and its follow-up “Funky Cold Medina”. The latter peaked at #3 on the US Hot 100 and reached #13 in Britain.

18 LOSE YOURSELF

Eminem

This was the precise moment when rap attained respectability. After decades of derision, Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” convinced a mainstream audience of its legitimacy. Just as Bill Haley & His Comets had not invented rock ‘n’ roll but the group’s “Rock Around The Clock” marked a watershed moment, so too was the case with Marshall Mathers. In 2002, rap was finally recognized as the voice of the times. This respect came from seemingly unlikely sources, including Barbra Streisand. “Lose Yourself” earned the Academy Award for Best Original Song, due to its inclusion in ‘8 Mile’. The motion picture starred Eminem in a role that drew critical praise. 

17 BUST A MOVE

Young MC

Rap was finally gaining acceptance worldwide by 1989. Young MC infused his hip-hop with clever and humourous lyrics. “Bust A Move” not only made the Top 10 in America, but reached #1 on the Canadian and Australian charts.  

16 WHAT’S MY NAME?

Snoop Doggy Dogg

Few of the icons of the G-funk era have enjoyed the longevity and sustained relevance of Snoop Doggy Dogg. Calvin Broadus began creating music with Warren G who introduced the youth to his stepbrother, Dr. Dre. Snoop and Dre began collaborating. In 1993 the former’s debut album ‘Doggystyle’ was finally unleashed. It reached #1 in America and spawned hits that included “What’s My Name?”

15 PUSH IT

Salt –N-Pepa

Rap had long been associated with sexism and homophobia. Dominated by male acts, the genre finally welcomed a female rap group in 1987. “Push It” became the first all-female rap hit. The women were just as fierce and proved to be as popular as their male counterparts. Their success paved the way for the female rappers that followed.

14 ICE ICE BABY

Vanilla Ice

Rap’s first white solo star, Vanilla Ice didn’t have the street cred behind him and was soon the target of much derision. Nevertheless, there is no denying the fact that his “Ice Ice Baby” played a fundamental role in making rap palatable to a wider pop audience. The 1989 single was ubiquitous, topping charts in America, the UK, Australia and in many European nations. The following year, his debut album ‘To The Extreme’ spent 16 weeks at #1 in the U.S.A. and sold over a million copies. Vanilla Ice also proved a white rapper could achieve impressive sales, in the years prior to Eminem’s emergence.

13 U CAN’T TOUCH THIS

MC Hammer

Released in 1990, “U Can’t Touch This”  has remained a fun party favourite. Built around the Rick James punk/ funk hit “Super Freak”, some may have prematurely dismissed the track as nothing more than a novelty record., but parent album ‘Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em’ soon became rap’s best seller. Its sales surpassed 10 million. Almost 30 years later, few rap acts have since come close.

12 (YOU GOTTA) FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT

(TO PARTY)

Beastie Boys

White rap group The Beastie Boys crashed onto the scene with the anthem “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)”. Initially, the trio was a punk act. In 1985, The Beastie Boys signed with Def Jam and began working with producer Rick Rubin. The 1986 single was a smash, lifted off its mega-selling album ‘Licensed To Ill’. The Beasties avoided repetition. Future releases incorporated adventurous new sounds and approaches to its brand of hip-hop.

11 RAPTURE

Blondie

Rap was a dirty word when Blondie began working on the track “Rapture”. The fledgling genre had a limited fan base and was largely ignored by the mainstream at the time. With the release of “Rapture” as a single in 1981, everything changed. Here was one of the most popular groups incorporating rap: a first in popular music. The disc reached #1 in America, becoming the first chart-topper to feature rapping. It is also worth noting that a female rapper was rare if not unheard of at the time. Deborah Harry confidently embraced the underground style, even name-checking Grandmaster Flash and Fab Five Freddy. For most white pop music fans, “Rapture” was the first rap-flavoured song they ever brought home. Its success opened the floodgate for hip-hop.

Check out the Caffé Latté 100 Essential Hip-Hop Songs playlist on spotify as new songs are added to coincide with each new update on this blog.