The Top Hip-Hop Songs

A few months ago I rocked the world of music by compiling my Top 100 Hip-Hop Albums list. That was such a colossal success that I was faced with a question, namely "How do I top myself?" The short answer is "I can't," but from that my idea for a list of the top hip-hop songs was born. Surely it would be both foolish and near impossible to pick only 100 songs, so instead what I'll do is, from time to time, post 10 classic hip-hop songs, along with a brief comment or two on each. And who knows, maybe after a year or so I'll take a look at things and narrow the lists down to a comprehensive 100. Or maybe I'll move my family out of civilization like Harrison Ford in The Mosquito Coast, and you'll never hear from me again. It's really anyone's guess.

That said, here's our first installment:

Rhymin' and Stealin' by the Beastie Boys

That Led Zeppelin sample was pure brilliance. I still think one of the worst decisions in music history was R&S being left off the Beasties' The Sounds of Science greatest hits CD.

The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

Until Rakim came along, Melle Mel's incredibly poetic lyrics were the zenith of lyricism in hip-hop. And the beat still can't be touched. If I had to rank these songs, The Message would probably be at no. 1.

Come Clean by Jeru the Damaja

And this would probably be number 2.

Public Enemy No. 1 by Public Enemy

The Bomb Squad would craft a better album in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, and they would produce many more classic songs, but they would never best the dopeness of that beat. And Chuck telling a sucker MC that his mother fixes old dryers is about the strangest and funniest moment in hip-hop music save "lemonade is a popular drink and it still is."

Slow Down by Brand Nubian

No. 3. By the way, can you imagine a popular hip-hop MC or group today sampling Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians?

Top Billin' by Audio Two

Not a day goes by that I don't hear that drum beat in my head (usually while in the shower). In fact, as I type this I'm clicking my teeth to it. I only hope you are, too.

Planet Rock by Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force

The number one hip-hop party record.

The Gas Face by 3rd Bass

Again, the drum beat is what seals the deal, but that piano sample doesn't exactly hurt matters none, either.

Ego Trippin' pt. 2 by De La Soul

Denz is probably going to hate me for not citing the original, but this is the better song. Before every single MC started coming out with tributes and referencing classic lines in their songs, De La wrote the book on how to do it right.

What's Golden by Jurassic 5

The album this is from was, surprisingly, mediocre as fuck; but this song is a classic, and quite possibly the no. 1 song to play b-ball to.