Listen to The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone on Apple Music. Stream songs including 'The Message', 'Rapper's Delight' and more. Most popular songs from hip hop popular artists. Top100 Hall of fame TOP 100 Aug 2 - Aug 7 2021. TOP 100 Aug 2 - Aug 7 2021. Top100 Songs Aug 2 - Aug 7 2021. Laurey Sands Jr., Actor: Growing Up Hip Hop. Laurey Sands Jr. Is an actor, known for Growing Up Hip Hop (2016).
Old school hip hop is responsible for some of the most beloved songs in pop culture. From the rapid growth of the genre in the 1970s to its golden age in 1990s, hip hop has provided smart rhymes, catchy hooks, and social commentary to fans for decades. Read the list below to rediscover some old songs and, possibly, find some new artists.
12. Work It
Artist: Missy Elliot
Year: 2002
Top Billboard Rating: 2/100
Sample Lyrics: “Is it worth it? Let me work it/I put my thing down, flip it and reverse it/Ti esrever dna ti pilf, nwod gniht ym tup”
photo source: Goldmind Inc., Elektra Records
Missy Elliot is one of (if not, the) most recognizable women in rap. Her hit song “Work It” encapsulates her fun spirit with its clever lyricism and backwards hook. For years, “Work It’s” hook has captivated listeners since it sounds like gibberish. In actuality, it’s the line: “Let me put my thing down, flip it and reverse it” reversed. While now iconic, Missy Elliot admitted that it was an engineering error she thought sounded good with the beat. Her number two Billboard spot proved her right. Like many other female hip hop artists, Missy Elliot raps about her own desires in “Work It,” providing women with a stronger voice in a sexist industry.
11. Ex Factor
Artist: Lauryn Hill
Year: 1999
Top Billboard Rating: 1/100
Sample Lyrics: “No matter how I think we grow/You always seem to let me know/It ain’t workin’, It ain’t workin’ (No, it ain’t workin’)”
photo source: Ruffhouse Records, Columbia Records
“Ex Factor” is the number one hit single from Lauryn Hill’s critically acclaimed album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” The 90s song discusses the frustrations of unrequited love and a struggling relationship, emotions that most people can relate to at one point in their lives. The universality of Hill’s song has lasted for decades. Just as she borrowed from Wu-Tang Clan’s “Can It Be All So Simple,” “Ex Factor” has been sampled by multiple artists, including Drake, Cardi B and Kehlani.
10. Gin and Juice
Artist: Snoop Dogg
Year: 1994
Top Billboard Rating: 5/100
Sample Lyrics: “Rollin’ down the street, smokin’ indo/Sippin’ on gin and juice, laid back/With my mind on my money/And my money on my mind”
photo source: Death Row Interscope Atlantic
“Gin and Juice” is a fun party song with a slower beat that demonstrates Snoop Dogg’s laidback attitude. The song’s popularity is most likely due to its catchy hook that describes the joys of drinking gin and juice as well as the memorable phrase “With my mind on money/And my money on my mind.” The phrase comes from “Gotta Get Mine” by Tupac. “Gin and Juice” ranked in Billboard’s top 10 in 1994, solidifying itself as one of Snoop Dogg’s classic songs. Snoop Dogg also makes reference to fellow rap icon Dr.Dre in “Gin and Juice,” probably because he produced the song.
9. Whatta Man
Hip Hop Artists
Artist: Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue
Year: 1994
Top Billboard Rating: 3/100
Sample Lyrics: “So here’s to the future ’cause we got through the past/I finally found someone that can make me laugh/You so crazy, I think I want to have your baby”
photo source: Next Plateau London
“Whatta Man” is one of Salt-N-Pepa’s most iconic songs, although its hook comes from a different artist named Linda Lyndell and her 1968 song “What a Man.” Salt N Pepa updated the song with rap lyrics and invited group En Vogue to perform the lines from Lyndell’s song. Their efforts to revamp the 1968 original were successful. “Whatta Man” peaked at number four on the Billboard charts and won multiple MTV Music Awards.
8. Ruffneck
Artist: MC Lyte
Year: 1993
Top Billboard Rating: 35/100
Sample Lyrics: “ I need a ruffneck/I need a dude with a attitude/Only needs his fingers with his food/Karl Kani saggin’ timbos draggin’”
photo source: East West Records
MC Lyte is one of the major influences for women in hip hop. Her hit “Ruffneck,” which was Grammy nominated, has a strong beat as well as her signature strong voice. She goes through the song describing her ideal partner, a ruffneck, a hypermasculine sort of man. “Ruffneck” is particularly important to hip hop history as it flips sexual objectivity from women to men, placing women’s sexual desires at the forefront.
7. No Scrubs
Artist: TLC
Year: 1992
Top Billboard Rating: 1/100
Sample Lyrics: “I don’t want no scrub/A scrub is a guy who can’t get no love from me/Hangin’ out the passenger side of his best friend’s ride/Tryna holler at me”
photo source: LaFace, Arista
TLC’s “No Scrubs” is a classic for several reasons. Its catchy tune, futuristic music video, and shared sentiments about dating “scrubs” (lazy men) allowed it to withstand the test of time. Its subject matter was fairly revolutionary since many popular hip hop songs of the era had misogynistic lyrics or music videos. TLC reversed the standards placed on women to express their frustrations with men and, as the cherry on top, stayed number one on the Billboard charts for four weeks.
6. Protect Ya Neck
Artist: Wu-Tang Clan
Year: 1992
Top Billboard Rating: Unknown
Sample Lyrics: “I smoke on the mic like smokin’ Joe Frazier/The hell-raiser, raising hell with the flavor/Terrorize the jam like troops in Pakistan/Swinging through your town like your neighborhood Spiderman”
photo source: Loud Records
It’s hard to imagine hip hop without the Wu-Tang Clan. “Protect Ya Neck” introduced the iconic rap group to the world, featuring all eight of their members (the ninth one had yet to join the band). The band boasts of their musical prowess through clever rhymes and references to pop cultural, biblical stories, and other songs. The Wu-Tang Clan’s pride was well founded as they became one of the most recognizable names in rap.
5. Bring the Noise
Artist: Public Enemy and Anthrax
Year: 1991
Top Billboard Rating: 56/100
Sample Lyrics: “Once again, back is the incredible/The rhyme animal/The uncannable D, Public Enemy Number One/Five-O said, “Freeze!” and I got numb”
photo source: Island Records, Ltd.
Public Enemy originally recorded “Bring the Noise” in 1988, but the version that’s most remembered is an unlikely collaboration between Public Enemy and the heavy metal band Anthrax. Anthrax approached Public Enemy about the collaboration in 1991 and, although they were met with some skepticism, Public Enemy said yes. The new version of the song went on both bands’ albums, hit the the UK hot 100 charts and became a classic at live performances.
4. Slow Down
Artist: Brand Nubian
Year: 1990
Top Billboard Rating: Unknown
Sample Lyrics: “She loves men that trick like Halloween and treat/You ain’t paid, then your grade is incomplete/You’ve got to flash dollars to prove her”
photo source: Elektra Records
“Slow Down” is an original single from the group “Brand Nubian,” but it borrows from various artists through samples and riffs. In particular, Edie Brickell’s “What I am” features heavily and also forms part of the song’s chorus. The song details different personalities who the rappers make fun of with their lyrics.
3. Roxanne, Roxanne
Artist: UTFO
Year: 1983
Top Billboard Rating: Unknown
Sample Lyrics: “I said “I’d like to speak with you, if I can/And if I’m correct, (I) hear your name is Roxanne.”/She said “How’d you know my name?” I said “It’s getting around/Right now, baby, you’re the talk of the town”
photo source: Select Records
While “Roxanne, Roxanne” is a hit on its own, it’s remembered for beginning the “Roxanne Wars.” These wars involved multiple artists responding to UTFO’s original track about a girl named Roxanne who does not return their affections. This resulted in the most answer tracks in history and featured songs like “Roxanne (is my Girl)” and “The Saga of Roxanne.” Some artists chose to diss Roxanne back, others acted as if she preferred them to UTFO, and others took on Roxanne’s perspective— generating a Roxanne musical universe of sorts.
2. The Message
Artist: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Year: 1982
Top Billboard Rating: 62/100
Sample Lyrics: “Don’t push me, ’cause I’m close to the edge/ I’m trying not to lose my head/It’s like a jungle sometimes/It makes me wonder how I keep from going under”
photo source: Sugarhill Records, Ltd.
“The Message” showed that hip hop and rap was not just party music, but could maintain a flow while discussing pertinent social issues. In particular, “The Message” deals with the difficulties of living in the inner city. “The Message” also has a slower paced sound compared to other hip hop songs at the time. Originally, the band scoffed at the song, thinking no one would like it due to its depressing subject matter, but they were incorrect. The song has lived on since the 1980s, still appearing in media to this day.
1. Rapper’s Delighte
Artist: The Sugarhill Gang
Year: 1979
Top Billboard Rating: 4/100
Sample Lyrics: “I said-a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie/To the hip hip hop-a you don’t stop the rock”
photo source: Sugarhill Records, Ltd.
The 1970s was the decade that welcomed rap into the pop cultural mainstream and the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” was the song that solidified rap’s popularity. It was the first rap song to enter the Billboard 100 charts, due to its upbeat tempo and fun lyrics. They were also one of the first groups to sample a song (although their sample would have copyright claims now), which began a sampling trend in rap and hip hop from then on.
“Then jump in the car and just ride for hours/ Makin’ sure I don’t miss the homecoming at Howard” – Ludacris.
Hip-hop loves Howard. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Known as a haven where some of the best and brightest young black intellectuals matriculate, Howard University’s prestigious legacy goes far beyond academics.
Since the late great Notorious B.I.G. performed one of his first shows at Howard University in 1992 and beyond, rappers have always gone out of their way to name drop Howard.
From the beautiful women to Howard’s infamous homecomings, Howard University and hip-hop have had an interesting relationship over the past few decades.
If rappers aren’t mentioning the women, they’re giving Howard props on being one of the coolest colleges around.
When Drake finally made his trip to “The Mecca,” he admitted that if he went to college, he would have chosen the illustrious Howard University, stating:
“For like the last four months, I went back to high school and I graduated high school the other day. So, you see what my campaign is about this year because I went right to the bookstore. I’m trying to come to school with you all.”
Oh, and we can’t forget about the time Howard Alum, Sean “Diddy” Combs, helped lead a protest against Howard’s Administration building via Twitter:
“Do what we did and take IT OVER!!!! Let’s go! And do it in a peaceful way but DO IT!! … If your at HU go to the A building now and make sure they feel you!!! And send me updates!!! Let’s go! Howard Univ. Students I love you! I know I haven’t been there enough. But I want to be and I will be! Keep the pressure on!”
As a very proud alum of Howard University, I decided to round up 19 hip-hop lyrics about the REAL HU.
Check out all the Howard University name drops down below.
1. Drake “Make Me Proud” – “Sound so smart like you graduated college/ Like you went to Yale but you probably went to Howard.”
2. Game “Celebration” – “She went to Howard, her head strong, her mamma tall, So her legs long/ She went to college and got her masters, now she bringing that bread home.”
3. Notorious B.I.G “Kick In The Door” – “Ain’t no telling where I may be/ May see me in D.C. at Howard Homecoming.”
4. J. Cole “Grown Simba”– “Something like Serena mixed with Trina, have you seen her/ She fine enough to be Miss Howard, word to Adina.”
Hip Hop Sandwhich Shop
5. Common “Misunderstood” – “She thought back to when she was at Howard and/ Dreams of doing scenes with Terrence Howard and/ Broadway plays and dancin with Alv and them.”
6. Wale “The Work (Workin)” –“Don’t get besides yourself, thinkin I’m with the loafin’/ I just came back from Howard I made a gift for the locals.”
7. Ace Hood “My Life” – “Handouts only for them coward/ No college degree at Howard.”
8. Kendrick Lamar “Kurupted”– “I black out like Howard University when I verbally turn into Hercules hurtin’ these Emcees early and urgently urkin’ my nerves searching for certain certified nouns and verbs on the verge of vigorous victory.”
9. N.W.A. “Chin Check” – “Rapping like the Treacherous Three, fucking cowards/ I’d done seen Dre rocking parties for hours/ And I’d have seen Ren fucking bitches from Howard.”
10. Yo Gotti “Look In The Mirror” Remix – “Hoes out the centerfold, I be going in at em/ One bitch from Howard, another bitch from Grambling/ College girl going wild, we gonna need a camera man.”
11. Ludacris “Pimpin All Over The World” – “Then jump in the car and just ride for hours/ Makin’ sure I don’t miss the homecoming at Howard/ Hawaii to D.C. it’s plenty women to see.”
Hip Hop Sands Las Vegas
12. Lil Wayne “Sacrifice” Featuring Mack Maine – “Then come to your hood to get 3 or 4 cowards/ You think your Bison like you play for Howard /But you can duck like Howard, I make you fall like the towers.”
13. Method Man & Redman “1, 2, 1, 2” – “I throw a 5 in the power/ Pop a wheely with the front end hittin speed bumps, 40 miles per hour/ I’m out at Howard, next to Baltimore.”
14. The Lox “Can I Live” –“Fuck y’all niggas who stay bummin/ I’m that nigga sellin pills at all of Howard homecomings.”
15. Ice Cube “24 With A L” – “Instead of that devil you work for/ Motherfucking coward/ And clowning my man cause he wants to go to Howard.”
16. Drake “City Is Mine” – “Break it down like you working for your tuition at Howard/ Mama, get it how you live, that thang that you working is power.”
Hip Hop Bands Of The 80s
17. Travis Porter “College Girl” – “But that’s in high school/ She’s at Howard now /And She so far away/I’m sending flowers now.”
Hip Hop Music
18. Ty Dolla$ign & Young Jeezy “My Cabana” – “Got some Howard bitches and they all fine / when I’m in D.C. they all mine.”
19. Wale, Chris Brown & Fabolous “Pretty Girls” (Remix) – “Met her out in D.C., homecoming, Howard U / told her I’m the sickest nigga ’round, and how are you?”
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