The Mighty Rhino’s personal top 100 favourite rap songs
My very favourite shit in the history of the artform, genre, and culture to which I have devoted my life.
I DON’T KNOW WHY I DID THIS BUT I JUST WENT AHEAD AND FUCKIN’ DID IT. Personal top 100 rap songs of all time of today, one song per artist. I have excluded instrumental rap music, but included rap music made in languages other than English.
Content note that a small number of these are filthy or contain vaguely misogynistic content, especially in the honourable mentions section, notably the Suga Free song, the Too Short song, the Sada Baby song, the Dem Dirty Boyz song, the AMG song, the Tela song, and the Kingpin Skinny Pimp song. I apologize for that – all I can say is that these songs affect me so profoundly that I am moved by them despite the fact that bits and pieces of their content conflict with my principles. Also, on that theme, a few of the artists whose songs I’ve included have committed serious crimes in their personal lives – I very firmly do not forbid myself to engage with good art even when its makers have committed appalling sins (this is a moral issue the right side of which I seem constitutionally incapable of joining, in much the same wise as I agree with vegans that non-human animals have souls but never intend to give up dairy or meat – I’m on the wrong side of both these issues because I need to be, and that’s the end of it); your mileage may vary, and if your principles won’t let you listen to great songs by people who’ve committed grave misdeeds, you will want to avoid the songs by or featuring Mystikal (of which there are several), Z-Ro (he also appears more than once), Nas, T.I., Big Pun, Kodak Black, Nelly, and Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob. If repugnant ideology is a dealbreaker even when unaccompanied by deeds involving physical violence, you will also want to avoid the songs by Ice Cube, Boosie Badazz, Lil Dicky, Gunplay, Pastor Troy, Suga Free (who is a practicing and unrepentant pimp), Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers, and (depending on how you feel about 9/11 Truthers) Mos Def and Immortal Technique. Personally, I am also disturbed by the very far-Left ideology held to by Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, and a handful of the rest, although that will of course be much less of an issue for most. In short, if you believe very firmly that it is sinful to engage with good art by problematic artists, please tread carefully.
For what it’s worth, I realize that it would probably be more entertaining and aesthetically satisfying to read this document if I started at the bottom of the list and worked upwards, but I can’t make that happen because there are too many formatting difficulties involved. Mea maxima culpa.
Now then! Here we go:
01. De La Soul - “I Am I Be”
When I was about twelve years old, and my brother was just introducing me to the genre for the first time, I was gobsmacked by this song. It’s warm, it has a mystique about it, and the measured precision of Posdnuos' prose absolutely captivates me. Pos’ verses are sharp and thoughtful, full of allusive imagery, with some lines that just stop my heart every time I hear them, and Trugoy the Dove’s playful goofball take on the same stream-of-consciousness style makes the perfect counterpoint. This is the sort of meticulously crafted song where not a note is out of place – from the guitar freakout to the heady twilit beauty of the horns. This album, Buhloone Mindstate, and the one preceding it, De La Soul Is Dead, are utterly singular and compelling statements, and De La have been an enjoyable act to follow throughout their career, but this is the brightest-sparkling jewel in their crown. Y’all should listen to it – I'd be surprised if many of you weren't as mesmerized by it as I am.
Here’s how I put it back in 2013 when I first shared the song with my community on Facebook:
“Remember we were jamming “Breakadawn” together and talking about how for all its magnificence it could only ever be the second-greatest De La Soul song? That. In fact, any other rap song can only be second-greatest. Any other anything can only be second-greatest, almost. There is too much that could be said about the dazzling wonderment that is this song, substantially more than I have anything like the energy to relate. But what I will say is that if a significant portion of my legacy upon the earth consisted of nothing other than to show people that it exists and shout joyously from the rooftops about how special it is – as I fully expect it may yet be -- then I would not in the least be perturbed by that. I would be proud of that.”
02. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - “They Reminisce Over You”
When my brother was introducing this song to me for the first time sometime around the year 2000, he described it as a song that “makes him feel good all over”, and I feel much the same way about it. It set the standard for rap songs whose explicit point is tenderness.
03. Saafir - “Light Sleeper” [main version]
This is the purest “singular statement from weird mind” rap song ever made. The flow is jagged and angular, the rhymes are abstruse, the overall effect is rapturously poetic.
04. OutKast - “Liberation” (ft. Cee-Lo, Erykah Badu & Big Rube)
This is not really a rap song, but leaving it off was unthinkable.
05. The Juggaknots - “Clear Blue Skies”
06. Ghostface Killah - “One”
07. Black Thought - “Funk Flex Freeverse”
08. Wu-Tang Clan - “I Can’t Go To Sleep” (ft. Isaac Hayes)
09. Goodie Mob - “Hold On”
10. Scarface - “I Seen A Man Die”
11. Mos Def - “Mathematics”
12. Camp Lo - “Luchini”
13. Nas - “New York State of Mind”
14. Biggie - “Rap Phenomenon” (ft. Redman & Method Man)
I realize it’s somewhat strange to be including a posthumous song that we have no way of knowing for certain Biggie would’ve approved, but I maintain the thesis probably his very most lucid moment ever, and his chemistry with Redman and Method Man is so utterly electrifying that I find this one compulsively re-listenable.
15. UGK - “Murder”
16. Funkdoobiest - “Lost In Thought”
17. Suga Free - “If U Stay Ready” (ft. Playa Hamm) [this version in particular]
18. Organized Konfusion - “Bring It On” [main version]
19. Jay-Z - “So Ghetto”
20. M.O.P. - “Ante Up” [the original, but preferably without Funkmaster Flex]
21. Witchdoctor - “Heaven Comin’”
22. Poor Righteous Teachers - “Easy Star”
23. DJ Premier - “Return of the Crooklyn Dodgers” (ft. Chubb Rock, O.C. & Jeru The Damaja)
24. O.C. - “Time’s Up”
25. Devin The Dude - “Doobie Ashtray”
26. Eric B. & Rakim - “No Omega”
27. Black Sheep - “The Choice Is Yours” [the version everyone knows]
28. Common Sense - “Book of Life”
29. Big Mike - “Havin’ Thangs” (ft. Pimp C)
30. A Tribe Called Quest - “Excursions”
31. Brother Ali - “You Say (Puppy Love)”
32. T.I. - “Still Ain’t Forgave Myself”
33. Aesop Rock - “No Regrets”
34. Killer Mike - “God In The Building Pt. 1”
35. The Herbaliser - “8 Point Agenda” (ft. Latyrx)
36. Method Man & Redman - “Y.O.U.”
37. Outsidaz - “Rush Ya Clique”
38. Playboy Tre - “Earline’s Son” (ft. Asia Bryant)
39. Mouse On The Track - “Get High, Get Loaded” (ft. Fiend)
40. Malibu Shark Attack - “Doing It Wrong”
41. Cypress Hill - “I Ain’t Goin’ Out Like That”
42. Divine Styler - “Make It Plain” [John Tejada Funky Precedent Remix]
43. Black Moon - “Enta Da Stage”
44. Queen Latifah - “U.N.I.T.Y.” [original mix]
45. Dres of Black Sheep - “Whodat”
46. AZ - “The Format”
47. Mystikal - “Hit Me!”
48. Busta Rhymes - “Throw Da Water On ‘Em” (clean version)
49. Peedi Crakk - “Toyfriend”
50. 6 Shot - “Itz Ya Dog”
51. X Clan - “Weapon X”
52. WC - “100% Legit”
53. The Goats - “Typical American”
54. Flavor Unit - “Roll With The Flavor” [original mix] (ft. Treach, Chip Fu, Bumpy Knuckles, Queen Latifah, Heavy D, D-Nice & Dres of Black Sheep)
55. Digable Planets - “Pacifics”
56. Xzibit - “What U See Is What U Get”
57. Do Or Die - “Po’ Pimp” (ft. Twista & Johnny P.)
58. The Luniz - “I Got 5 On It” [Remix] (ft. Dru Down, Richie Rich, E-40, Shock G, Spice 1 & Mike Marshall)
59. Freddie Gibbs - “One Mo’ Time”
60. Freeway - “Goodbye (The Block)”
61. Percee P - “Lung Collapsing Lyrics”
62. Jeru The Damaja - “Come Clean”
63. The Legend Adam Bomb - “Show & Prove”
64. Whitefolkz - “Steal My Hair”
65. Handsome Boy Modeling School - “First… and Then” (ft. Dres of Black Sheep)
66. Method Man - “Bring The Pain”
67. Slaughter Rico - “5 Dolla N—-a” [original mix from YouTube]
68. 8Ball & MJG - “Throw Ya Hands Up” (ft. OutKast)
69. The Geto Boys - “Straight Gangsterism” (ft. Lord 3-2)
70. Buggsy - “No Time To Waste” (ft. Eva Lazarus)
71. Z-Ro - “I Don’t Give A Damn”
72. Shad - “Brother (Watching)”
73. SMKA - “Deer Mama” (ft. Yelawolf)
74. Wombaticus Rex - “I See”
75. Aceyalone - “Mic Check”
76. Killah Priest - “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”
77. Raekwon - “The Spook Who Sat By The Door”
78. Masta Ace - “Jeep Ass N–—a” [original mix]
79. Jesse Dangerously - “Coming Out Wrong” [original version from the Fun Razor mixtape]
80. Diverse - “Certified”
81. DJ Quik - “Jet Set” (ft. Tai Elton Phillips)
82. Ab-Soul - “The Book of Soul”
83. D-Sisive - “Golden Lullaby”
84. Big Daddy Kane - “‘Nuff Respect” [original mix]
85. Boosie Badazz - “I’m Wit Ya” [original mix]
86. State Property - “Sun Don’t Shine”
87. Ultra Magnus - “Duck”
88. Roots Manuva - “Where My Mind Is At”
89. Big Boi - “Fo’ Yo’ Sorrows” (ft. George Clinton, Too Short & Sam Chris)
90. Foxy Brown - “Ill Na Na” (ft. Method Man)
91. MC Solaar - “Lève-Toi Et Rap”
92. Young Dro - “Clean With It”
93. Big Moe - “Confidential Playa” (ft. Z-Ro, Tight Eyez & Ronnie Spencer)
94. Freshco - “Planet Brooklyn”
95. Mark Ronson - “Feel Right” (ft. Mystikal)
96. Beanie Sigel - “Feel It In The Air” (ft. Melissa Jiménez)
97. NWA - “Parental Discretion Iz Advised” (ft. The D.O.C.)
98. E-40 - “Clown Wit It” (ft. Mystikal)
99. Jurassic 5 - “A Day At The Races” (ft. Big Daddy Kane & Percee P)
100. Lost Boyz - “The Yearn”
An attempt at a list of honourable mentions, unranked and necessarily incomplete: Kendrick Lamar - “Cartoons & Cereal” (ft. Gunplay); Kanye West - “Ultralight Beam” (ft. Chance The Rapper, The-Dream, Kelly Price, Kirk Franklin, Natalie Green & Samoria Green); Skee-Lo - “Top of the Stairs”; DMX - “Slippin’” [original or re-recorded version]; Lyrics Born - “Do That There” [Young Einstein Hoo-Hoo Mix]; Tragedy Khadafi (alias Intelligent Hoodlum) - “Arrest The President”; Polo G - “Finer Things”; Cam’ron - “Suga Duga”; Original Flavor - “Can I Get Open” (ft. Jay-Z); Invincible - “Sledgehammer!”; Sugar Tongue Slim - “Cloud of Endo” (ft. Freddie Gibbs & Tony Williams); Jaz-O - “KKounty Drummer Freestyle”; Non Phixion - “Rock Stars”; Joell Ortiz - “Call Me (She Said)” (ft. Novel); N.A.S.A. - “N.A.S.A. Music” (ft. Method Man & E-40); Run The Jewels - “Ooh La La” (ft. Greg Nice & DJ Premier); Goldlink - “Crew” (ft. Shy Glizzy & Brent Faiyaz); Mac Miller - “2009”; The artist formerly known as Short Dawg - “Drop My Top” (ft. some other guy whose name I forget) (God, I love this one); AMG - “B—ch Betta Have My Money”; Big Pun - “Still Not A Player” (ft. Joe); Bubba Sparxxx - “Jimmy Mathis”; Ahmad - “Homeboys First”; LL Cool J - “Mama Said Knock You Out”; Big L - “Put It On” (ft. Kid Capri); Big K.R.I.T. - “Keep The Devil Off”; Mick Jenkins - “Jazz”; Fat Joe - “Dat Gangsta Shit”; Ice Cube - “When Will They Shoot?”; People Under The Stairs - “Acid Raindrops”; Action Bronson - “Pouches of Tuna” (ft. Roc Marciano); The Brand New Heavies - “Who Makes The Loot” (ft. Grand Puba); J Nyne - “Sunshine”; Ski Beatz - “Illegal” (ft. Freddie Gibbs); Jay Electronica - “Exhibit A”; The Jungle Brothers - “Doin’ Our Own Dang” (ft. Q-Tip, De La Soul & Monie Love); Mozzy - “I Ain’t Perfect” (ft. Blxst); Rittz - “Rattle Back”; The Beatnuts - “No Escapin’ This” (clean version) (ft. Greg Nice); Kur - “Credit” (ft. Lil Durk); Lil Wayne - “(Lightin’ Up My) La La La”; Run-DMC - “Down With The King” (ft. Pete Rock & CL Smooth); Chance The Rapper - “Sunday Candy” (ft. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment); David Banner - “Fire Falling”; RBL Posse - “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed”; Black Milk - “Motown 25” (ft. Elzhi & Royce Da 5’9”); The Allergies - “Rock Rock” (ft. Andy Cooper of Ugly Duckling); Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - “Tha Crossroads” [mainstream version]; Alpoko Don - “All I Know”; Ka - “Cold Facts”; Double XX Posse - “Not Gonna Be Able To Do It”; Maja 7th - “On My Own” (ft. Freddie Gibbs & Mikkey Halsted); Crooked Lettaz - “Daydreamin’”; One Be Lo - “Rocketship”; DITC - “Day One”; Daara J - “Boomerang” (please give this one a try, it’s mindblowing); Original Flavor - “Can I Get Open” (ft. Jay-Z); Vado - “Usually Do”; Capone-N-Noreaga - “Invincible”; Heather B - “Steady Rockin’” (ft. Twyla Henry); Master P - “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” (ft. Fiend, Silkk The Shocker, Mia X & Mystikal); Kish - “Crates To Concrete”; Spodee - “Who Run It”; DaBoii of SOB x RBE - “Onna Gang”; Darc Mind - “Visions of A Blur”; Tree - “Probably Nu It”; MF DOOM - “Saliva”; Jay Electronica - “Exhibit A”; Sean Falyon - “Wonderful Life” (ft. Playboy Tre & Scar); Red Snapper - “The Sleepless” (ft. MC Det); Joell Ortiz - “Call Me (She Said)” (ft. Novel); Big K.R.I.T. - “Keep The Devil Off”; Young Bleed - “Stamp On It”; Erick Sermon - “Get Da Money” (ft. Ja Rule); Ski Beatz - “Illegal” (ft. Freddie Gibbs); Mac Miller - “2009”; Kool G Rap - “Cakes” (ft. The RZA); Jadakiss & Styles P - “We Gon’ Make It”; Dream Warriors - “Day In, Day Out”; Roscoe - “Head To Toe” (ft. Sleepy Brown); Roc Marciano - “Thug’s Prayer Pt. 1”; Juvenile - “Gotta Get It” [original mix]; The Roots - “Web”; Casual - “That’s How It Is” [original mix]; Hell Rell - “Back In The Building”; Organized Noize - “Like It Or Not” (ft. Bubba Sparxxx & Sleepy Brown) (technically this is on a Bubba Sparxxx album but I’m bending the rules to include it because holy crap!); Buck 65 - “Wicked and Weird”; Tink - “Don’t Tell Nobody” (ft. Jeremih); Battles & Joell Ortiz - “Leyendecker” [DJ EMZ Remix]; Fatlip of The Pharcyde - “Today’s Your Day (Whachagonedu)” (ft. Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5); El Da Sensei - “Live Shit” (ft. Pacewon, Big Kwam & Diamond D); BJ The Chicago Kid - “His Pain” (ft. Kendrick Lamar); House of Pain - “Jump Around” [the version everyone knows] (although the Pete Rock Remix also kills); Cool Breeze - “Watch For The Hook” [original mix] (ft. The Dungeon Family); 3D Na’Tee - “Back 2 Da Block”; Homeboy Sandman - “Mine All Mine”; Biz Markie - “Just A Friend”; Ocean Wisdom - “Ting Dun” (ft. Method Man); Chubb Rock - “Treat ‘Em Right”; Monie Love - “Monie In The Middle”; Tupac Shakur - “Old School” [main version]; Cam James - “Made For It”; Busdriver - “Imaginary Places”; Justin Warfield - “K Sera Sera”; Gang Starr - “Who Got Gunz” (ft. Fat Joe & M.O.P.); Donny Yonder - “Roughneck” [original mix] (ft. Sami Sosa); Trick Daddy - “I’m A Thug”; Big Kwam - “Verbalize” [DJ Spinna Remix]; Paris - “The Hate That Hate Made”; A.G. - “Infected”; Blackalicious - “First In Flight” (ft. Gil Scott-Heron); Le1f - “Wut”; Earl Sweatshirt - “Chum”; Lupe Fiasco - “Hip Hop Saved My Life” (ft. Nikki Jean); Blac Monks - “Secrets of the Hidden Temple”; Casper Marcus & Rayne Drop - “Moment of Zen”; Fu-Schnickens - “Ring The Alarm”; Maxo Kream - “Roaches”; The Pharcyde - “Passin’ Me By”; Salt-N-Pepa - “Whatta Man” (ft. En Vogue); Tunde Olaniran - “Namesake”; Heltah Skeltah & The Originoo Gun Clappaz - “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka”; Cannibal Ox - “The F-Word” [RJD2 Remix]; Morray - “Quicksand”; Dem Dirty Boyz - “Pimp Life”; Mr. Lucci - “Slab”; Chan Hays - “Here ‘Til Infinity” (ft. Masta Ace, Nilla & A.G.); Light It Up - “Get Right Or Get Left”; Public Enemy - “Brothers Gonna Work It Out”; Orijin & Q - “Feel The Flame” (ft. Dru Bex); Maestro Fresh Wes - “Let Your Backbone Slide”; Parental Advisory - “Sundown” (ft. 8Ball); Himanshu Suri - “Soup Boys (Pretty Drones)”; Essex Boys - “Kawhi” [original mix]; Fam-Lay - “Beach Cruiser”; YG - “Fuck Donald Trump, Pt. 1” (ft. Nipsey Hussle); Cardi B - “Be Careful”; Ugly Duckling - “It Never Mattered”; Fabo of D4L - “Scotty”; Lil B The Based God - “I’m God”; The Beastie Boys - “Sabotage”; Lil Baby - “The Bigger Picture”; Phoenix Pagliacci & Keysha Freshh of The Sorority - “East End (Dun Kno)”; Tela - “Tired of Ballin’”; Lord Finesse - “Return of the Funky Man”; Thirstin Howl III - “A Word From Thirstin Howl III”; Copywrite - “June”; Myka 9 - “Oh Yeah… All Right” (ft. Aceyalone, Casual, Kirby Dominant & Sunspot Jonz); Kingpen Slim - “Fly Shit”; Blind Rob Quest of Odd Squad - “I Can’t See It”; Pip Skid - “Tens of Dollars”; Souls of Mischief - “‘93 ‘Til Infinity”; Clipse - “Ain’t Cha” (ft. Ab-Liva & Sandman); Tonedeff - “Move In, Ride Out”; Rel McCoy - “A Wink and A Nod”; Mr. Lif - “Get Wise ‘91” (ft. Edan); Kevin Gates - “Reasonable Suspicion”; RBL Posse - “Don’t Give Me No Bammer Weed”; J-Live - “School’s In” [original mix]; DJ Shadow - “Nobody Speak” (ft. Run The Jewels); Blueprint - “Final Frontier” [original mix]; Polo G - “Finer Things”; Che Ruben - “Michelangelo”; MC Lyte - “Ruffneck”; Heavy D - “Don’t Curse” (ft. Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pete Rock & Q-Tip); Backburner - “Lifers”; Young Greatness - “Real N—as Back” (ft. Uncle Murda) [original mix]; K-os - “Neutroniks” (and of course this is also good, although it’s barely a rap song); Missy Elliott - “Bring The Pain” (ft. Method Man); Cam’ron - “Suga Duga”; Mega Ran - “Your Favorite Song”; Yelawolf - “Looking For Alien Love”; Naughty By Nature - “Hip Hop Hooray” [Pete Rock Remix]; Field Mob - “Project Dreamz”; Medusa - “On Da One”; CL Smooth - “I Can’t Help It” [original Mike Lowe mix]; DJ Jazzy Jeff - “Hold It Down” (ft. Method Man); Duke Buzzy - “Hazy Shade of Crazy”; Future - “Substitute Everything”; Dr. Octagon - “Blue Flowers”; Mikal Kermit Hill - “It’s All Right (To Hate Your Fucking Life)”; Nipsey Hussle - “Last Time That I Checc’ed” (ft. YG); Khujo Goodie - “Darkness 2 Light” (ft. Fabo of D4L & Lloyd); Kool G Rap - “Cakes” (ft. The RZA); Erick Sermon - “Get Da Money” (ft. Ja Rule); Shwing - “Anybody”; Self Jupiter - “Mayday”; Sheek Louch - “Good Love”; Gift of Gab - “The Ride of Your Life”; Royce Da 5’9” - “Shake This”; Illvibe - “Too High To Drive” (ft. Casper Marcus & Kehmak); The Fugees - “Fu-Gee-La”; Nappy Roots - “Po’ Folks” (ft. Anthony Hamilton); Samm Henshaw - “All Good”; Freedom Writers - “For The Change”; N.A.P. - “Parlayin’”; DaVinci - “Clean Ass Whip” (ft. San Quinn & Matt Blaque); Dapper Don of 151 Feva Gang - “Kush Groove”; Leikeli47 - “Fuck The Summer Up” (ft. Biker Boy Pug); Skizza - “Letter To My Father”; Beans of Antipop Consortium - “Mutescreamer”; AD - “Preheat”; Blak Twang - “So Rotton” [original mix] (ft. Jahmali); Reflection Eternal - “Four Women”; Turf Talk - “It’s A Slumper” (ft. E-40); Marco Polo - “Astonishing” (ft. Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, O.C. & Tragedy Khadafi); Sean Price - “Boom Bye Yeah”; Red Café - “Heart & Soul”; Hieroglyphics - “Oakland Blackouts”; Invincible - “Sledgehammer!”; Das EFX - “Real Hip Hop” [Pete Rock Remix]; Jelleestone - “Money, Pt. 1 (Money Can’t Buy Me Happiness)”; Lords of the Underground - “Tic Toc”; Young Bleed - “Stamp On It”; Cashus King - “Through The Flames” (ft. Blu); Edo G - “Sayin’ Somethin’”; Onyx - “Slam” ; Blackboltt - “Scarecrow” (ft. Tragic & Che Ruben); Ghetto Concept - “E-Z On Tha Motion”; Jean Grae - “Give It Up”; 2 Nazty - “Pussy Whipped”; Ludacris - “Stand Up!” (ft. Shawnna); Jay Rock - “Tolerate”; Notion - “Remember Me?”; MisterE - “Connect The Dots”; Knamelis - “Yo!”; Finale - “A Reason”; Crucial Conflict - “Hay”; Syntifik - “For My Fam”; Blood of Abraham - “N—az & Jewz (Some Say K-kes)” (ft. Eazy-E & Will.i.Am); DJ Babu - “The Unexpected” (ft. MF DOOM & Sean Price); Lex The Lexicon Artist - “Peep Game”; Bun B of UGK - “Get Cha Issue”; Foreign Beggars - “Hold On” (ft. Skinnyman & DVS); Mikkey Halsted - “Liquor Store”; Ghettosocks - “The Roof”; Pill - “Pain In They Eyes”; Deep Puddle Dynamics - “Rainmen” [original mix]; Lauryn Hill - “Doo Wop (That Thing)”; Nelly - “Ride Wit Me”; Jake One - “The Truth” (ft. Freeway & Brother Ali); Tona - “Dial Tone”; G-Side - “Rising Sun” (ft. Kristmas); Black Star - “8th Light”; Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - “Pissin’ On Ya Steps”; CCA & The Underbosses - “Represent Yo Click”; Fraction - “Holy Water” (technically an Illvibe song but it’s too good not to bend the rules for, fuck it); Ice-T - “Squeeze The Trigger”; Killa Kyleon - “Swang Real Wide” (ft. Z-Ro); Brand Nubian - “The Return”; No I.D. - “Field N—-a Blues” (ft. Mikkey Halsted & Freddie Gibbs); Kilo Ali - “White Horse”; Kool Keith - “Lived In The Projects”; CunninLynguists - “Lynguistics”; Meek Mill - “Lil N—a Snupe”; Diamond D - “Sally Got A One Track Mind”; One Gud Cide - “Game of Life”; Skepta - “Man”; Assholes By Nature - “Still Throwed”; Foxx-A-Million - “Get On (Get The Fuck)”; Too Short - “Blow The Whistle”; KRS-ONE - “Wannabeemceez” (ft. Mad Lion); Blu & Exile - “The Narrow Path”; J-Live - “School’s In” [original mix]; Kool Moe Dee - “I Go To Work”; PSK-13 - “Like Yesterday” (ft. UGK); Trina - “B R Right” (ft. Ludacris); Stalley - “Pound”; Joe Budden - “New Jersey Drive” (ft. Redman); G Mane - “No One Does It Better” (ft. G-Side); Mark Battles - “Knew Enough”; The GZA - “Liquid Swords” (title track); Dead Prez - “Hip Hop” [original mix]; Milano Constantine - “Tears”; Tate Kobang - “Bank Rolls” (and also the Tim Trees original); Guru of Gang Starr - “Respect The Architect” [Buckwild Remix] (ft. Bahamadia); Big Gipp of Goodie Mob - “Steppin’ Out” (ft. Sleepy Brown); Trae Tha Truth - “No Help” (ft. Z-Ro); Mobb Deep - “Give Up The Goods (Just Step)” (ft. Big Noyd); Kodak Black - “Ran Up A Check”; Grafh - “Bring The Goons Out” (ft. Sheek Louch); Crooked I - “Kill Us All”; Twista - “Hope” [main version] (ft. Faith Evans); Digital Underground - “The Humpty Dance”; Three 6 Mafia - “Stay Fly” (ft. Young Buck, Crunchy Black, 8Ball & MJG); Kurupt - “Yessir”; Soulja Slim - “Soulja 4 Life”; Shurik’n - “La Lettre”; Juelz Santana - “Mic Check”; Paul Wall - “Sittin’ Sidewayz” (ft. Big Pokey); San Quinn - “Oh La Aye” (ft. Freeway); Tobe Nwigwe - “Juice” (ft. Paul Wall); Critical Condition - “‘Bout 2 Go Down” (ft. Bun B); Young Ed - “Find A Way”; Showbiz & A.G. - “Take It Back”; DJ Quik & Kurupt - “Hey Playa (Moroccan Blues)”; ‘90s East Coast Hip-Hop All-Stars - “Where Are They Now” (ft. Redhead Kingpin, Rob Base, The Original Spinderella, Father MC, Monie Love, Mike G of the Jungle Brothers, EST of Three Times Dope, Positive K, Krayzy Drayz of Das EFX, DoItAll Dupré of Lords of the Underground, Chip Fu of Fu-Schnickens & Dres of Black Sheep); Themselves - “Good People Check”; Tow Down - “Country Rap Tune” (ft. Big H.A.W.K. & Big Pokey); K-Rino - “Don’t Know Why” (ft. Poiz’n); Wax - “2010 ‘Til Infinity”; Toolshed - “Peppercorns”; Dynamic aka Ya Favourite Lightskin - “Things Done Changed”; Starlito - “Money Cacti”; Eminem - “Any Man”; DJ Kay Slay - “Not Your Average Joe” (ft. Fat Joe, Joe Budden & Joe) (this song’s existence makes me so happy); Divine Force - “Holy War”; The Dungeon Family - “Follow The Light”; Roach Gigz - “Stupid Dumb Knock” [Remix] (ft. Husalah & Lil B The Based God); Edan - “Rapperfection” (ft. Mr. Lif); Jonwayne - “Cool Runnings” (ft. Zeroh); DJ Format - “We Know Something You Don’t Know” (ft. Chali 2Na & Akil); Kehmak - “Break The Internet”; Tuff Crew - “My Part of Town”; The Slip-N-Slide Express - “Take It To Da House” (technically a Trick Daddy song, so I’m cheating, but c’mon, baby, y’all know what time it is); Marco Polo & Ruste Juxx - “Fuckin’ Wit A Gangsta” (ft. Sean Price); Slick Rick - “Children’s Story”; Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers - “A Genocide”; Plies - “Fuckin’ Or What”; DJ Desue - “Unibomb” (ft. Chali 2Na, Akil & Chace Infinite); Saba - “Life”; Kwest Tha Madd Lad - “Bourbon Street”; Deltron 3030 - “Madness”; Monolith - “At The T.O.P.”; Little Brother - “Welcome To Durham” (ft. Big Daddy Kane); Dude N Nem - “Watch My Feet”; Immortal Technique - “You Never Know” (ft. Jean Grae); More Or Les - “Nice Guys Are Coming To Get You”; ASAP Rocky - “1 Train” (ft. Kendrick Lamar, Joey Badass, Yelawolf, Danny Brown, Action Bronson & Big K.R.I.T.); Donae’o of Roll Deep - “People Don’t Know” [main version]; Denzel Curry - “Ricky”; Jidenna - “Long Live The Chief”; City Girls - “Period (We Live)”; Lack of Afro - “P.A,R,T.Y.” (ft. Wax & Herbal T); Grandaddy Souf - “Savage Journey (Fuck Da Law)”; Sonja Blade - “Look 4 Tha Name”; Drake - "Look What You've Done"; Freestyle Fellowship - “Bullies of the Block”; Fabolous - “Breathe”; Ol’ Dirty Bastard - “Got Your Money” (ft. Kelis); Schoolboy Q - “Man of the Year”; Noah23 - “Do It Up” (ft. Shady Blaze); Pastor Troy - “Move To Mars”; Danny Brown - “Grown Up”; Creek Boyz - “With My Team”; Adam Walsh - “Beast Mode”; Termanology - “Watch How It Go Down” [original mix]; Young Chris - “Philly Shit” [original mix]; Black Rob - “I Don’t Know” (ft. Lil Cease & Peedi Crakk); Cyhi Da Prynce - “Sweet Georgia”; Redman - “Oh My!”; Jimmy Wopo - “Elm Street Pt. 1”; Big Sant - “2 Much”; Dr. Dre - “Lyrical Gangbang” (ft. The Lady of Rage, Kurupt & RBX); Dej Loaf - “Try Me”; Young Thug - “Stoner”; Eyedea & Abilities - “Exhausted Love”; Backbone - “All The Same” (ft. Bubba Sparxxx & Sleepy Brown) (technically yet another Bubba song, but the Backbone performance demands to be heard); Wiz Khalifa - “Big Screen”; JR & PH7 - “Fast Lane Speedin’” (ft. Oddisee); Nine - “Whutcha Want”; Talib Kweli - “Get By” [Remix] (ft. Mos Def, Jay-Z, Kanye West & Busta Rhymes); 50 Cent - “If I Can’t”; Slaughterhouse - “Not Tonight”; G-Slimm - “Fours, Deuces & Trays”; The Lady of Rage - “Afro Puffs”; Gucci Mane - “Classical”; Currensy - “Address” (ft. Stalley); 79rs Gang - “79rs ‘Bout To Blow”; Control Machete - “Si Señor”; Kardinal Offishall - “Mr. Parker” (ft. Shi Wisdom); Fred The Godson - “Too Fat” [original mix]; Main Attrakionz & Noah23 - “Tidal Wave” (technically a Noah23 song but I’m bending the rules for it because it’s so fuckin’ good); Q-Ball & Curt Cazal - “My Kinda Moves”; Pusha T - “Raid” (ft. 50 Cent & Pharrell); Jabo - “What I’m About” (ft. Jadakiss & Slim Thug); G Yamazawa - “North Cack” [original mix] (ft. Joshua Gunn & Kane Smego); Marco Polo & Torae - “Smoke” (ft. Lil Fame of M.O.P. & The Rockness Monstah of Heltah Skeltah); Bossman - “A-Yo!”; Illvibe & Myer Clarity - “Legends” (ft. Skyzoo); Reed - “It Don’t Matter” (ft. Hesse Fueg); Statik Selektah - “All 2Gether Now” (ft. Freeway, Peedi Crakk & Young Chris); Psychodrama - “Magic”; Sleep Sinatra & Iceberg Theory - “Purgatory Levels”; Chingy - “Bagg Up”; Cappadonna - “Dart Throwing” (ft. Raekwon & Method Man); Three Times Dope - “Once More You Hear The Dope Stuff”; Trina - “B R Right” (ft. Ludacris); Novel - “So Much More” (ft. Joell Ortiz & Papoose); The RZA - “Sunlight”; G-Eazy - “Throw Fits” (ft. Young Miami of City Girls & Juvenile); Choclair - “Skyline”; Pharrell & Casino - “Move That Dope” (ft. Future & Pusha T) (technically a Future song, but c’mon, you can’t listen to this song and not realize that Pharrell and Casino dominate it, so to hell with it, I’m throwin’ it in); Playa Fly - “Nappy Hair & Gold Teeth”; Sada Baby - “Back End”; Bonshah - “A Word Is Worth A Thousand Pictures”; Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire - “The Last Huzzah” (ft. Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, & EL-P); Color Changin’ Click - “The Other Day”; Daniel Son & Buckwild - “Bourbon Street Gutter Water”; K’Naan - “ABCs” (ft. Chubb Rock); Psalm One alias Hologram Kizzie - “Beat The Drum”; Little Brother - “Welcome To Durham” (ft. Big Daddy Kane); Roddy Ricch - “Down Below”; Roscoe P. Coldchain - “Delinquent”; Baby Boy Da Prince - “The Way I Live” [original mix]; Chippass - “Me” (ft. E-40 & Allblack); Kamaiyah - “How Does It Feel”; The Rascalz - “Northern Touch” (ft. Choclair, Checkmate, Thrust & Kardinal Offishall); Lojii - “Lo In The Jungle”; Jeezy - “My Hood”; Pink Siifu - “Proud/Pray”; Bobby Creekwater - “Fuckin’ Up My Cool”; Skyzoo - “Finesse Everything”; Kingpin Skinny Pimp - “King of the Playaz Ball”; Jakk Frost - “I Love Ya Hijab”; RJ Mr. LA - “Left & Right Side”; Waka Flocka - “Fuck The Club Up” (ft. Pastor Troy & Slim Dunkin); Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit - “N 2 Gether Now” (ft. Method Man & DJ Premier); Volume 10 - “Pistol Grip Pump”; Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - “Education” (ft. Mos Def & Black Thought); The Egyptian Prescription - “Doper Than Oprah”; Solosam - “Breezin’ & Coolin’”; Blaq Poet - “Hood Crazy”; Yowda - “That’s How It Goes” (ft. YG); The Treacherous Three - “We Wit It” (ft. Grandmaster Caz, Big Daddy Kane, Devastating Tito of the Fearless Four, Melle Mel & Chuck D); Gunplay - “Take This”; Sugar Bear - “Don’t Scandalize Mine”; Tierra Traniece - “Fool Me Once”; DramaGo - “Jones For It” (he used to be known as Brandon Dramatic); Mitchy Slick - “Bass Chasers”; Young M.A. - “OOOUUU”; DG Yola - “Ain’t Gon’ Let Up”; Xanman - “Pink, Pt. 1”; Shea Davis - “Laws These Dayz”; Benny The Butcher - “Remember Me”; Ciara - “Oh!” (ft. Ludacris) (yes, I consider this an honourary rap song); Kodak Black - “Ran Up A Check”; Bone Crusher - “Never Scared” [East Coast Remix] (ft. Cam’ron, Jadakiss & Busta Rhymes); The Game - “Ryda” (ft. Dej Loaf); Lumidee - “Never Leave You ( Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)” [Remix] ( ft. Busta Rhymes & Fabolous) (another honourary rap song); Krown Rulers - “Kick The Ball”; Lil Dicky - “Bruh”; Ja Rule - “New York” (ft. Fat Joe & Jadakiss); Tweedy Bird Loc - “Fuck The South Bronx”; Young Dolph - “Hold Up Hold Up Hold Up”; The Convicts - “Wash Your Ass”
A few more key winners I can’t seem to find on the internet: Po of Section 8 Mob - “Make It Come True”; KD - “Soul” (ft. Pill); Bigg Dawg C-Loc - “In They Face”; King Kahali - “Do It All”; Droop-E - “I AM”; Large Live N Direct - “Like This”; Bear Witnez - “Raining Cocaine”; Minnesota Boyz - “Run Minnesota”; Ruffneck Gardens - “I Came 2 Get Down”; Trifecca - “Rekindled Spirit”; David Banner - “Cadillacs On 22s” [live acoustic version in Mississippi]; and my preferred version of Saul Williams - “Black Stacey”, although several half-decent versions are out there.
Not only does the honourable mentions section feature great songs by quite a few rappers for whose work I only seldom care (notably Kanye West, Fat Joe, Talib Kweli, The Game, Lil Dicky, Jeezy, Termanology, and Joe Budden, among others), but even after all this, there are still some noteworthy rappers missing from the list, even with so voluminous an honourable mentions section; among the most important names missing are Large Professor (as a solo artist or with Main Source, although he does appear on the Marco Polo posse cut), Spice 1 (as a solo artist), RBX (as a solo artist), Bahamadia (as a solo artist), Bumpy Knuckles (as a solo artist), Penthouse Players Clique (as a group), Binary Star (as a group), Tha Dogg Pound (as a group), Rory Ferreira (in any of his guises), either member of Armand Hammer, G. Dep, Ras Kass, Rah Digga, MC Eiht, Murs, Noname, Motion Man, King Tee, Tha Alkaholiks, Godfather Don, NGA FSH, Lloyd Banks, Cakes Da Killa, T-Rock, Stove God Cooks, Project Pat, G Perico, Vince Staples, Chris Crack, Abstract Rude, Killa Sha, J-Zone, Cadence Weapon, Def Jef, Haviah Mighty, Boldy James, Conway The Machine, Schoolly D, Nicki Minaj, Slug of Atmosphere, Eve, Moka Only, Young Pappy, Equipto, Clyde Carson of The Team, Cougnut of Ill Mannered Posse, Vakill, Planet Asia, Lil Kim, Akhénaton, Your Old Droog, Rifleman (also known as Ellay Khule), Totally Insane (the group Mack 10 was in from East Palo Alto), and Tyler, The Creator, among many others.
I left “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five (featuring Melle Mel and Duke Bootee) off the list because I don’t feel qualified to rate it, as a result of the fact that it’s the single most significant rap song of all time. Yes, I know “Liberation” is not technically a rap song. Leaving it off was unthinkable. Oh, and obviously there were many, many, many cases where the only-one-song-per-artist rule proved baneful to abide by, but the single most excruciatingly painful song to exclude was probably this.
(Or maybe this. Or this. Or this. This one hurt to leave off. So did this, this, this, this, this, this, and this. Leaving both this and this off was agony. To say nothing of this, this, and this. This, which with apologies to Tech N9ne, Spoon Iodine, and Greydon Square is easily the best rap song ever made about atheism, would've made the top 50 if I allowed more than one song per artist. Ghostface Killah alone has 25 absolutely stellar songs I could’ve included, notably this gem. And the rap song I left off the list that I actually listen to the most often is probably this, this, or this, all late-period Scarface masterpieces. Speaking of masterpieces, this thing is perfection its very own self. Fuck, man, I could keep going forever. I just love rap music so much!)