Lamont's ListsThe Best 24 Songs of '24...So Far

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Lamont's Lists: My Favorite Hip Hop Songs Of 2023

For hip hop, 2023 was a year of looking back. The genre reflected upon 50 years of existence by throwing itself a bunch of excellent parties throughout the year, including a rollicking celebration at Yankee Stadium back in August and a well-curated Grammy tribute in December. It was a well-deserved high-five for a music born out of the roughest of circumstances in the 70s and given very little chance of survival before going on to become a global force by the turn of the century. 

But 2023 was also a year of much hand wringing, as we lamented the contemporary state of hip hop. Much was made of the genre's precipitous dip in popularity, given the lack of #1 albums and general slowing of sales momentum throughout the year. Many offered reasons why the genre seemed to be off its game, with opinions ranging from a lack of creativity, to the negative influence of social media, to the resurgence of rock and pop, to the a booming consumption of Latin X and Global music. All somewhat correct and worrisome for sure, but it's important to remember that we've been down this road before - in the early 90s after the demise of sampling, the mid-90s after the deaths of Biggie and Tupac and in mid-00s with the rise of auto tune and so-called mumble rap. Even I wrote a post back in 2008 titled "Hip Hop Is Dead" where I listed out multiple theories for why the genre had lost its way.

It turns out I was wrong then and I am sure that the worry warts are wrong now. As it has done for 50 years, hip hop will find a way to weather the storm. The music will survive, thrive, evolve and carry on. So before we look ahead to a bright future, let's look back on the final leg of that amazing 50 year journey. Here's the best of what 2023 had to offer.

Enjoy

Lamont

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The Top 10

10. Motto - NF - Like a younger version of his idol, Eminem, NF yells, screams and kicks sand in the face of industry big wigs at an imaginary award show on this catchy pop/rap banger. 

9. Ma Boy - Dreamville, JID & Lute - While his 2022 single "Surround Sound" was going bananas on TikTok, JID was busy in the studio with Lute and his Dreamville homies cooking up another scorcher.

8.  June 22nd - Lil Tjay - Tjay gets his storytelling rap on, Slick Rick style, as he recounts in vivid detail what happened on the day he almost lost his life on June 22nd, 2022.

7. Players Club - Price & Symba - Backed by fellow Cali MC, Symba, Price drops a few gems about how how stay on the come up out here on the streets of LA, where the "strippers" are snatching chains outside the Players Club.

6.  All My Life - Lil Durk (Ft. J. Cole) - On "All My Life" Durk croons solemnly, while J. Cole offers up one of his many candidates for "verse of the year" as part of a string of standout feature performances.

5.  Namesake - Noname - In case you didn't know by now, Noname is not one to pull punches. Cross her at your own peril. The fact that she can rap her ass off is just an added bonus.

4.  Wales - Kota The Fiend - More inspirational words from Kota straight from the "belly of the beast". With his smooth flow and choice rhymes, like "Genius bars quotin' from Okinawa to Hoboken / Therapist to people that's still healing from homes broken", it's easy to understand why many people, including myself, say they could listen to this man rap all day. 

3.  Evil Ways - Drake (Ft. J. Cole) - After getting cooked by J. Cole on "First Person Shooter" Drake comes back on "Evil Ways" to remind people that's he's still elite, as the 2 heavy weights trade effortless bars over an infinite rhyme pattern. 

2.  Sorry Not Sorry - Tyler, The Creator - Tyler takes stock of a lifetime of relationships with friends, family members, fans, girlfriends and even his ancestors, all of which went sideways for one reason or another. Clearly he's not sorry and more to the point, he has no regrets.

1.  Scientists & Engineers - Killer Mike & Andre 3000 (Ft. Future & Eryn Allen Kane) - Somehow Killer Mike got Andre to put his flute down and join him in the studio for "Scientists & Engineers". It's a beautiful, laid back track where his collaborators add depth & dimension, but Andre's verse is otherwordly - making his refusal to drop a "real" album all the more frustrating.

Rounding Out The Top 25 (In Alpha Order)

Bops - Coi Leray
Butterfly Coupe - Kalan.FrFr (Ft. Quavo)
Dangerous Daringer - Sauce Walka & Conway The Machine
Eminent Domain - Skyzoo & The Other Guys
Endless Fashion - Lil Uzi Vert (Ft. Nicki Minaj)
Fukumean - Gunna
Gotta Slide - Sonny Digital
I'm Mad At Me - Trippie Redd & Lil Wayne
MVP - A Boogie With da Hoodie (Ft. G-Eazy)
Paint The Town Red - Doja Cat
Red Ruby Da Sleeze - Nicki Manaj
Roundz - Body Brown
Sittin On Top Of The World - Burna Boy
Sprinter - Dave & Central Cee
The Secret Recipe - Lil Yachty & J. Cole

The Rest Of The Top 50 (In Alpha Order)

A Radical Interruption: Inside Out - Conquest

Asteroids - Rapsody

Anxiety - Sleepy Hallow (Ft. Doechii)

Back Flippin' - Luh Tyler

Back In Office - Saba & No ID

Be Alright - DD Osama

Birthday - Saweetie, YG & Tyga

Dandelion Root - Rexx Life Raj

Danger - Offset & JID

Do Something - Lady London & Jeremih

Faith - D2x

FE!N - Travis Scott (Ft. Playboi Carti)

Glorious Game - El Michels Affair & Black Thought (Ft. Kirby)

Kant Nobody - Lil Wayne (Ft. DMX)

Lottery - Latto (Ft. Lu Kala)

Minority Report - Ransom & Nicholas Craven (Ft. Talib Kweli & Raina Simone)

Money - Young Thug (Ft. Juice Wrld & Nicki Minaj)

Never Die - Nas (Ft. Lil Wayne)

Presha - 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne

Princess Diana - Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj

Put It On The Floor Again - Latto (Ft. Cardi B)

Shaq & Kobe - Rick Ross & Meek Mill

The Goat - AZ

They Don't Love It - Jack Harolw

What I Roll Up In This? - 2% Reese

50 More That Just Missed The Cut

Activate - Rae Sremmurd (Ft. Future)

19 - Zio

4EVA - Kaytramine, Amine & Kaytranada (Ft. Pharrell Williams)

8AM In Charlotte - Drake

Barbie World - Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice

Careful - NF & Cordae

Cassava Bread - YungMorpheus & Fly Anakin

Cherry - Ruby Rose

College Girls - NLE Choppa

Cut You Off - Joyner Lucas & Youngboy Never Broke

DND - Leaf

Doomsday - Lyrical Lemonade, Juice Wrld & Cordae

First Person Shooter - Drake (Ft. J. Cole)

Flow - Jourden

Free JuJu - Mozzy

Gangster Boo - Ice Spice & Lil Tjay

Great Gatsby - Rod Wave

Hold Me - Quavo

Hustlers - Dave East (Ft. Tyga)

HVN On Earth - Lil Tecca & Kodak Black

Ice Cold Zel freestyle - Denzel Curry (Ft. IceColdBishop)

In Ha Mood - Ice Spice

Johhny Dang - That Mexican OT, Paul Wall & Drodi

Kapitol Denim - Lucki & Future

Lil Fish, Big Pond - Tobe Nwigwe

Marble Columns - Curren$y & Harry Fraud (Ft. Larry June)

Me First - Kari Faux

No Wish - Black Milk (Ft. Phonte & Raphael Saadiq)

Oh You Went - Young Thug (Ft. Drake)

Ouchies - Doja Cat

Passionate - Blxst

Patty Cake - Quavo & Takeoff

Pinot Noir - IDK, Jucee Froot & Saucy Santana)

Pronouns - Your Old Droog & Madlib

Ring Ring - Chase B & Travis Scott (Ft. Don Toliver, Quavo & Ty Doaa $ign)

Run It Up - Coi Leray

Running Late - Karrahboo

Sk8 - Nappy Roots

Slummer - Killer Mike

Solid As A Rock - Michael Christmas

Super Bowl - Conway The Machine & Sauce Walka (Ft. Juicy J)

The Hillbillies - Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

They Live - Ransom & Nicholas Craven

Try & See - Doe boy (Ft. Future, G Herbo & Roddy Ricch)

Two Sides - Nick Grant

White Caprice - Kari Faux & Gangsta Boo

Who Told You - J Hus (Ft. Drake)

Woppenheimer - Gucci Mane

WYO - Jelie

You Wish - Flyana Boss (Ft. Missy Elliott & Kaliii)

Lamont's Lists: The Top 50 Hip Hop Songs Of All Time

"50 years down the line you can start this...'cause we'll be the old school artists. And even at that time, I'll say a rhyme, a brand new style...ruthless and wild." - KRS-One.

I think it's cool that KRS-One, Boogie Down Productions' indomitable frontman, had the foresight to write that line way back in 1988 for his song I'm Still #1. During a year that is still considered by many (myself included) to be hip hop's single greatest ever in terms of creative excellence, KRS asked everybody to just chill and enjoy the beautiful music. His message being: it's too soon for generational divides between old school and new. And now is not the time to get into premature squabbles about the best rappers, rap albums and rap songs. He was confident that he would still be around making hit records well into the future, so suggested we wait a few decades for history to play out before engaging in such discussions.

Well here we are. It's 2023 and we are now celebrating hip hop's 50 year anniversary. In honor of such a tremendous milestone I have finally gotten around to compiling the definitive list of my 50 all-time greatest rap songs. To say that this was a challenging exercise would be an understatement. After weeks of culling through my own library of tracks, studying old charts and reflecting on the favorites that I've repeatedly come back to over the years, I came up with about 200 songs that I thought were worthy of consideration. From there I applied a few rules and then slowly, painfully (there were many that were super hard to leave out) narrowed the list down to my Top 50.

The rules I applied were pretty straight-forward. For me, this particular list is about the quality of the song (the vocals, production, originality and wow factor). I did not give special consideration to songs based on their sales volume, popularity or even their overall influence on the genre (that's another list as posted HERE). Simply put, if the track did not age well, it did not make the cut, no matter its nostalgic value or historical significance. The only other rule I applied was an attempt to remove recency bias. Therefore, there are no songs included that have been released within the last 5 years. 

Obviously, ranking the top 50 songs (in order no less) out of millions that have been recorded over the past 50 years is highly subjective and riddled with personal preference. Nonetheless I took my best shot at an impossible task. The point here is not to dwell on the actual numbers (although, as always, I welcome healthy debate), but to think of this as a love letter to hip hop. All of these songs are fantastic, and I am fully aware that there are thousands more incredible recordings that I failed to include.

Take a read (and a listen by clicking on the song title) of my write ups below. And please let me know your thoughts and opinions. I love the feedback. 

By the way, I am happy to report that I just saw KRS-One live in concert a few weeks ago. If he was not "still #1" as he predicted, the man was certainly damn close. Happy Anniversary Hip Hop. Cheers to the next 50!

Lamont

Apple Music Playlist \ Spotify Playlist

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50. Passin' Me By - The Pharcyde (1993) - During the height of Dre, Cube and NWA's gangsta rap reign, an alt collective from South Central LA emerged with a quirky tune about the perils of shooting your shot at your high school crush. Quite a testament to the incredible diversity of styles and influences in hip hop.

49. Check The Rhyme - A Tribe Called Quest (1991) - On Check The Rhyme, the lead single from the A Tribe Called Quest's exalted 2nd album "The Low End Theory", Phife and Q-Tip passed the mic back and forth with joyous aplomb. The song's breezy, infectious bounce sounded like it was improvised on the spot while hanging out on the stoop back home in Queens.

48. Still Dre - Dr. Dre (1999) - By 1999, many of us had assumed that after a hell of a run, Dre's best days were behind him. Boy did that opening piano loop put us on notice that we were dead wrong.

47. Alright - Kendrick Lamar (2015) - "If God got us...then we gon' be alright". During an era of trauma and unrest, Kendrick elevated his stature by delivering a protest anthem of biblical proportions - providing a moment of reassurance that Black America desperately needed.

46. Ms. Fat Booty - Mos Def (1999) - The playful rhymes, the clever couplets, the charismatic flow, the Aretha Franklin sample, the fits and starts of a budding romance...it's all there. And like the woman in the song who is the object of Mos Def's affection...Ms. Fat Booty is a thing of beauty.

45. Children's Story - Slick Rick (1988) - I don't think there has ever been a hip hop song that features more captivating end-to-end storytelling - perfectly paced, wily, original, refreshingly easy to follow and generally all-around pleasing to the ear. Children's Story, Slick Rick's endearing parable about a little boy who was misled, reigns supreme above all others. Knock 'em out the box Rick.

44. Stakes Is High - De La Soul (1996) - An underrated aspect of De La Soul's greatness is how they have always taken on the responsibility of playing the role of Hip Hop's conscious. In 1996, on Stakes Is High, they reminded us of just how far the music had drifted from its roots and that as a culture we had a lot to lose if we didn't stay true to what made this music great in the first place.

43. The Symphony - Marley Marl (1988) - With a tongue-twisting, metaphor-laced lyrical outburst that defied gravity, many still argue that G Rap stole the show on The Symphony, one of hip hop's greatest ever posse cuts. But, believe it or not, I still give a slight nod to the one and only Big Daddy Kane, who heard his counterpart's epic performance, cleared his throat and then calmly, confidently, rose to the occasion.

42. The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) - Missy Elliott (1997) - On The Rain Timbaland gifted us with a stutter-stepping, herky-jerky masterpiece of a track that was somehow matched - in timing, weirdness and personality - by Missy's dynamic delivery.

41. So Wat Cha Sayin' - EPMD (1989) - By the time the '80s came to a close, the Strong Island duo EPMD had already established themselves as formidable hit-makers. So Wat Cha Sayin, the hard-charging lead single from their second album, would propel them to the status of "all-time heavy-hitters" by highlighting their uncanny ability to elevate straight-ahead battle rhymes and propulsive beats into something undeniably potent.

40. Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - Outkast (1994) - I'll admit I had a hard time taking any rap group from the south seriously before Outkast came along.  But Southernplayalistic - with it's dusty groove that blended harmoniously with Andre and Big Boi's funky funky rhymes - single-handedly made me change my tune.

39. Jump Around - House Of Pain (1992) - If you're going to have one hit, you might as well make it a party starter like Jump Around. To this day, despite its somewhat gimmicky rap/rock trappings, it never fails to get the dance floor hoppin'.

38. Flava In Ya Ear (Remix) - Craig Mack (1994) - Easy Mo Bee put his foot into the neck-snappin' beat for the original version of Flava In Ya Ear, which featured impressive lyrics from Bad Boy's next big thing, Craig Mack. But when Biggie got a hold of the remix the song quickly became unforgettable. 

37. Road To The Riches - Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (1989) - I'm still blown away by the degree of difficulty that Kool G Rap displayed with his vocals on Road To The Riches. Limericks, similes and an endless supply of interior rhymes, all coexisted effortlessly with a perfectly crafted narrative about grit and determination. It remains as a singular achievement in lyrical dexterity.

36. Back That Azz Up - Juvenile (1998) - The title of this song and its rather blunt hook belie the fact that Back That Azz Up is actually a devastating piece of song craft. Mannie Fresh's production work is stellar and Juvenile's rapid-fire rhymes - vulgar as they may be - are deceptively complex and exceptionally entertaining. And that's all before we get our first taste of soon-to-be superstar Lil Wayne's first bars..."wha-wha-wha, what...drop it like it's hot!"

35. The New Style - The Beastie Boys (1986) - Mike D once described The New Style as a fantasy version of the Beastie Boys' real lives. Even if their wild younger days (filled with beer, girls and "a lot of cursin'") only amounted to a fraction of this much fun, it's not hard to see why they blew up in the mid-80s on their way towards becoming hipster icons.

34. O.P.P. - Naughty by Nature (1991) - On O.P.P. Naughty By Nature made the idea of sneaking around with someone's else's significant other sound less like cheating and more like a bouncy, raucous, mischievous good time.

33. Slam - Onyx (1993) - Fredo Star said that with Slam - a song Onyx only recorded after Jam Master Jay (the owner of their record label) ordered them back into the studio because the debut album they turned in still needed a proper lead single - that the group wanted to bring heavy metal style slam dancing to rap. They over-delivered on the track, which became a monster hit, while also ushering in the mosh pit as an essential component of extra-lit hip hop concerts.

32. The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1982) - Establishing hip hop as a force for political consciousness...check. Delivering the most indelible hook in rap history...check. The influence of The Message reaches far and wide across the globe. The simple fact is, hip hop would not have made it to 50 without it.

31. My Philosophy - Boogie Down Productions (1988) - Coming at the peak of his powers - and just months after the tragic loss of his DJ, Scott La Rock - My Philosophy represents the finest showcase for KRS-One's effervescent rap skills. 

30. The Choice Is Yours - Black Sheep (1991) - No song in hip hop history generates more unbridled enthusiasm than The Choice Is Yours. It's still impossible for your heart not to skip a beat (in anticipation of jumping up and down like a crazy person) as soon as Dres starts to deliver his tantalizing "Engine, Engine number nine..." build up.

29. Nobody Beats The Biz - Biz Markie (1988) - Only Biz Markie could take a simple jingle from a local record store and turn it into an enduring dance floor staple. It was no doubt propelled along by a dope beat from Marley Marl and an infectious hook from TJ Swan, but Biz's showmanship is what made this one into a beloved hip hop classic.

28. Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A. (1988) - In the summer of '88, NWA lit a fire that has never burned out with Straight Outta Compton. Like a moth to a flame, we were drawn into a scary, violent world of sunny Los Angeles that we never knew existed. 

27. Lost Ones - Lauryn Hill (1998) - If we never hear a new verse from Lauryn again, we'll always have Lost Ones. Her voice, delivery and powerful words here are simply majestic. We are eternally grateful.

26. Incarcerated Scarfaces - Raekwon (1995) - Rae said he wrote Incarcerated Scarfaces in 15 minutes one night while vibing in the studio to a scintillating Rza track that was originally intended for his fellow group member Gza. I'm still awestruck by the idea that a sudden burst of inspiration turned out to be his (and maybe the collective Wu-Tang crew's) best song ever.

25. I Got It Made - Special Ed (1989) - Back in '89 a talented 17 year old street poet from Brooklyn linked up with his cool ass neighbor (the super producer of his day, Hitman Howie Tee), who laced him with a dope beat for his debut album that was built around a glorious Ripple sample. Howie's track was irresistible, but Ed's laconic vocals and laid back charisma demonstrated that he was a "supa dupa star" in his own right.

24. Mama Said Knock You Out - LL Cool J (1990) - It was actually LL's grandma who gave him the line that fueled his early 90s resurgence. But that's beside the point. If I was making a list of the most memorable opening lines in rap history "Don't call it a comeback..." would have to be at or near the top.

23. Mind Playing Tricks On Me - Geto Boys (1991) - Speaking of inspiration from grandmothers, Scarface (who wrote all the verses for Mind Playing Tricks On Me) said that it was his granny who fed him that line after he overheard her talking to herself one evening. A bleak song from a little known crew from Houston - and one of hip hop's first to wrestle with paranoia, depression and PTSD - it was just too damn catchy to be denied.

22. Raw - Big Daddy Kane (1988) - Many old school hip hop heads consider 1988 to be the creative peak for the art form, given the incredible volume of great music that was released that year. Dropped that summer, Raw, featuring Big Daddy Kane's composed-yet rapid-fire, smooth-yet rugged and complex-but easy-on-the-ears lyricism, is typically offered up as Exhibit A in any "best year ever" argument. Some 35 years later, it still makes a pretty compelling case.

21. The Show/La-Di-Da-Di - Dougie Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew (1986) - I know I'm cheating here, because these are technically 2 songs. But I mean, come on...has anybody ever listened to one without immediately playing the other? I could write a whole post about how much I love The Show and it's underestimated B-Side, La-Di-Da-Di (which went on to become one of the most sampled songs in history), but suffice it to say that to me they represent hip hop at its most joyful. 

20. N.Y. State Of Mind - Nas (1994) - "Inhale deep like the words of my breath, I never sleep 'cause sleep is the cousin of death". An instant classic if there ever was one. Nas opened his soon-to-be iconic debut album Illmatic with N.Y. State Of Mind, serving up a steady stream of tee-shirt worthy lines like the one above that would catapult him to GOD MC for lifetime status. Beats and rhymes at their most beautiful, intricate and cinematic, this song will forever represent New York hip hop elevated to its highest possible level.

19. It's All About The Benjamins (Remix) - Puff Daddy (2002) - On a blistering posse cut full of heavy hitters, (including The Lox and Biggie) delivering one killer bar after another, it was a pint-sized Queen B ("Wanna bumble with the Bee, hah?...) who put the world on notice that she would, from that day forward, forever be able to hold her own with any dude who wanted to challenge her on the mic. 

18. C.R.E.A.M. - Wu Tang Clan (1993) - The term "gritty" gets thrown around too much, but never has it been more apt than on C.R.E.A.M. Wu Tang's debut album, 36 Chambers represented a bombastic masterclass from Rza on the art of controlled chaos. But its most memorable track relied mainly on sparse keys and somber vocals from Raekwon and Inspectah Deck. Then of course there was Method Man's indelible hook..."Cash rules everything around me...CREAM, get the money...dolla dolla bill y'all" which ensured that this would be a song the world would never forget.

17. Lose Yourself - Eminem (2002) - Discussing the greatness of Eminem (or lack thereof) is always a touchy subject. Either his technical brilliance as an MC is undeniable or he's insanely overrated, depending on which side you're on. But one thing we all can (or at least...should be able to) agree on are the stunning heights he achieved on his Academy Awarding winning anthem Lose Yourself. Those opening bars (rhyming "palms sweaty" with "mom's spaghetti"), the urgent, inspirational themes and the hungry, ever-escalating pace of his verses were truly astonishing. It still stands out as a performance on a level that few MCs have ever been able to achieve.

16. Sucker M.C.'s - Run-DMC (1984) - The day I first heard Sucker M.C.'s is the day I fell in love with hip hop. Sure, I liked rap before as much as the next kid, but THIS was something entirely different. Listening to it on my friend's boombox - with the stripped down, hard-driving drum pattern enlivened by Run and D's super-hero like bravado - I was instantly transfixed. At that moment I became a certified evangelist for these Kings from Queens and I knew right then and there that hip hop had a fan for life.

15. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (1991) - Back in the late 80's it was easy not to take Jazz Jeff and the Fresh Prince seriously. They were defined by their bubbly, pop-rap hits, like Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble and Parents Just Don't Understand. Then came Summertime, with its mood enhancing vibe, and even the hardest hard rocks among us had to give them their props. To this day it remains as an essential playlist staple for any backyard cookout where family and old friends are involved. It's the sound of nostalgia, the sound of our youth and the official Black national anthem of summer itself. Will Smith went on to achieve incredible highs and lows in his career. But no matter what people say about him, good or bad, he will always have Summertime on his resume. And for that reason alone he should forever be celebrated for his contributions to the culture.

14. B.O.B. - Outkast (2000) - Speed kills. And at 155bpms on B.O.B. Outkast proved - with expertly crafted, furiously controlled disruption - that speed also thrills. I doubt there is another group on the planet that could combine a frantic electro beat, supersonic drums, tightly wound lyrics and most improbably...a gospel choir and make it work, other than Outkast. By the time said choir appeared on the track, more than 3 &1/2 minutes in, chanting "power music / electric revival" it was impossible for listeners not to be mesmerized (if not a little exhausted). To me this song most represents Outkast's legacy...their fearlessness, their free-spirts and their incredible appreciation for endless possibilities.

13. Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force (1982) - Upon release, Planet Rock lived up to its title, sounding like it was indeed dropped in from outer space. Afrika Bambaatta gets most of the credit for his fantastical imagination (and futuristic-sounding electronic vocoder). But much love should be given to 1) the the studio musicians who programmed the soon-to-be essential TR-808 drum machine, 2) Emcee G.L.O.B.E. who did the heavy lifting on the lyrics, and of course 3) Kraftwerk, whose sound the group emulated. Hip hop, and popular music in general, would never be the same again after we all got a load of Planet Rock, which gave birth to electro funk and a million other sub-genres. But nothing will ever compare to the feeling we got back in the summer of '82 when this amazing new sound blasted from boom boxes all over America.

12. 93 'Til Infinity - Souls Of Mischief (1993) - In the middle of Dr. Dre and NWA's rise to pop music dominance, another lesser-known west-coast group from the bay area was getting off on a whole different vibe. Down get me wrong, I loved F**k Wit Dre Day as much as the next man, but I also appreciated how '93 'Til Infinity - with its live bass, jazzy samples and breezy wordplay - provided a nice counter-weight to gangsta rap's bleak reality. 

11. Public Service Announcement - Jay-Z (2003) - If there has ever been a better opening to a rap song, I'd like to hear it. The tension that producer Just Blaze slowly builds with his ominous piano chords, before Jay launches in with "Allow me to reintroduce myself...my name is Hov!" is lightening in a bottle. Somehow it manages to sound newly electric every time I hear it. Once the beat drops, the GOAT rips off some of the most stunning bars of illustrious career, serving up an uncanny string of double entendres, obscure references and effortless boasts. I mean how good is "flier than a piece of paper bearing my name / I got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain"? An extraordinary beat maker and a preternaturally gifted rapper, both operating at God tier levels... That's Public Service Announcement. That's hip hop at its finest.

10. Hypnotize - The Notorious B.I.G. (1997) - When thinking through the best songs ever, there are a lot to consider from Biggie's impeccable catalog. There's Juicy of course, the obvious choice that launched his career into the stratosphere. Then there's Unbelievable, One More Chance and the laid-back club anthem Big Poppa. But after much deliberation, I decided to go with Hypnotize as my all-time favorite. For me, it's that opening guitar riff (a deft sample of Herb Alpert's Rise) that never fails to raise the energy level in the room - sending folks scurrying to the dance floor. That part is followed closely by Biggie's booming baritone, whereby he cuts through the groove with his trademark butta smooth braggadocio. Without breaking a sweat, he lets off a never-ending stream clever couplets - spilling out effortlessly in a velvety flow that's simply immaculate. By the time he pauses for the ladies to chant "Biggie Biggie Biggie can't you see..." we are all by then indeed totally and completely hypnotized.

9. I Used To Love H.E.R. - Common (1994) - In 1994, a young Chicago rapper named Common Sense set out to write a love letter to hip hop. In a master stroke, he did so in the form of an extended metaphor that only revealed itself at the end of the song - likening the music he grew up with to a former crush whom he had drifted apart from and no longer adored. In another smart move, he enlisted production support from his Chi-Town homie, No.ID. who blessed him with a buoyant composition built around a George Benson sample. The combination worked beautifully then and still sounds just as lovely today. If young people want to know why old school hip hop fans consider storytelling to be a lost art it's because songs like Common's I Used To Love H.E.R. no longer exist. 

8. I Know You Got Soul - Eric B. & Rakim (1987) - Bobby Byrd's 1971 standard I Know You Got Soul has been jacked sampled no less than 150 times and counting for various hip hop and R&B songs. But none of those attempts ever sounded as magnificent as the barely altered version that young Eric Louis Barrier served up in 1986 to his partner, the GOD EMCEE Rakim.  It was The R's singular gift for rhythm and poetry that propelled I Know You Got Soul to spectacular heights, all while elevating himself to rarefied air with intricate, irresistible rhymes that begged to be memorized and recited over-and-over again by legions of soon-to-be life-long fans.

7. It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube (1992) - I don't know anybody born between 1962 and 1982 who can hear Ice Cube's It Was A Good Day come on and not immediately burst into song..."Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God / I don't know but today seems kinda odd...". See what I mean, you kept going didn't you? Everybody knows the lyrics. Throwing your head back, smiling goofily and rapping along is practically an involuntary response. It's ironic that gangsta rap's greatest narrator, the man who penned Boyz In The Hood, F* The Police and No Vaseline, would save his best material for a carefree ode to life in South Central, taking stock of a gloriously uneventful day where not much at all happens.

6. Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest (1991) - A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory is, by any standard, one of the best rap albums ever recorded. On a nearly flawless record filled with exquisite, multi-layered jazz-inflected jams, Scenario (and it's equally dope B-Side remix) still holds up as my favorite song. The rowdy, energetic track featured go-for-broke competitiveness, a contagious, a crowd-pleasing hook and stunning verses from the likes of Phife, Q-Tip and Leaders Of The New School's Charlie Brown. But the showstopper came from Busta Rhymes in a break out performance that shook the pavement. His scene stealing exploits did in fact come off like a "powerful impact BOOM! from a cannon..." as he exploded into superstardom and forever ensured that Scenario would be remembered as the greatest posse cut of all time.

5. Top Billin' - Audio Two (1987) - Top Billin' in a nutshell, is hip hop distilled down to it's purest essence. Milk D pretty much yells his simple but catchy lyrics over what might be the single greatest beat ever made...a big phat, heart-pounding drum loop, aggressively reworked from an Impeach The President sample. Back in '87 it dropped like a bomb on unsuspecting ears (it was a B-Side single after all), booming out of speakers in neighbors all across the country. Audio Two would never come close to living up to their stunning debut, but they made an ever-lasting impact on the culture with their once-in-a-lifetime moonshot that was Top Billin'. What more can I say?

4. Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy (1987) - Rebel Without A Pause changed my life. This is not hyperbole. This is the God's honest truth. I was already a burgeoning fan of PE after 1987's Yo Bum Rush The Show, but when Rebel dropped as the lead single for their second album It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, everything changed. It really was like nothing I'd ever heard before. What is this wailing siren sound??? Is this a mistake or are they trying to antagonize as many faint-hearted listeners as possible? All of the production for Rebel is mind-blowing - the siren, the Jesse Jackson intro, the scratching from Terminator X, the Funky Drummer beat - all a combustible sound riot orchestrated by Hank Shocklee and the Bomb Squad. 

But it was Chuck D's lyrics that really moved me. His lines about "Panther Power" and being a "Supporter of Chesimard" sent me to the library to learn more about the radical aspects of the Civil Rights movement. And lines like "Smooth...not what I am...Rough, 'cause I'm a man" persuaded me to adopt a harder outward demeanor, trying to come off as someone who understood his history & culture and was not to be trifled with (I'm not saying I pulled it off, but I tried my best :). Watching Public Enemy perform Rebel live during the height of their reign (with Chuck and Flav commanding the stage and the F1Ws standing guard) is one of my greatest hip hop memories. Chuck D famously said, after hearing the final mix of the song for the first time, "I could die tomorrow". He knew he had made his magnum opus and that he was about to win over hearts and minds of listeners across the globe - one of whom just happened to be a newly-woke college kid clocking in from Charlottesville, VA.

3. They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y) - Pete Rock & CL Smooth (1992) - Talk about drifting on a memory. Like the subject matter of the song itself - nostalgia, love, friendship, family and tragic loss - They Reminisce Over You, 30+ years removed from its release date, now sounds like a fever dream. Bathed in dreamy horns, cascading drums and liquid vocals, it evokes warm memories of simpler times. Lazy days spent hanging out with friends, summertime cookouts and spending quiet moments with wise old elders before hitting the block again. CL Smooth's lyrics are exquisite - detailed, relatable, heart-felt and delivered with superb timing. But it's Pete Rock's ethereal, jazz-inflected production, some of the best we've ever heard, that sets T.R.O.Y. apart. It's a fitting tribute to a lost friend and one of the finest examples of hip hop's unparalleled ability to enrich the spirit of a generation.

2. Shook Ones Pt. II - Mobb Deep (1995) - "I got you stuck off the realness, we be the infamous. You heard of us...official Queens Bridge murderers". The first time I heard those Prodigy lyrics, from what (for my money) would go down as the greatest opening verse in rap history, I was not listening to the radio or a CD in the back of one of my friend's cars. Nope, I was cleaning up my bedroom on a Saturday morning when the video came on BET. It stopped me dead in my tracks and all I could do was sit down and stare at the screen. The low-fi visuals and high-concept rhymes were mesmerizing - at once cinematic, poetic, violent and more than a little bit scary. By the time Prodigy spit "I'm only 19 but my mind is old and when things get for real my warm heart turns cold" I was experiencing spine tingling chills...fully believing that he had lived every word he was saying. In addition to equally affecting vocals, Havoc, for his part, delivered a haunting, cold-blooded track that sounded like something out of a horror movie. His pitched-down samples and eerie effects have long been studied by up-and-coming producers...held up for decades now as a solemn work of undiluted genius. I've gone on to listen to Shook Ones thousands of times and it never gets old. Way back then, on that Saturday morning in 1995, I knew they were on to something special. I had a feeling that the song was as good as reality rap (or as Mobb later called it...Murder Music) would ever get.

1. Nuthin' But A G Thang - Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg (1992) - How do you choose the best rap song ever? I mean come on...that's an impossible task right?. A fool's dilemma. Well, call me crazy, but I feel like I could do a lot worse than selecting Nuthin But A G Thang as the single greatest of them all. What makes it so special? For starters, it's the sound of Snoop's voice...simultaneously melodic, menacing, smooth and rugged. It's his undeniable charisma. The fluidity to the way phrases roll off his tongue, with a half-sung, half-rapped dynamism that makes simple rhymes sound complex and contagious. "Now that's reala than real deal Holyfield...now you hookers and hoes know how I feel" - a simple line elevated into something transcendent by Snoop's one-of-one delivery style. It's hard to resist the urge to sing-rap along with him, as I have witnessed countless times over the years, with blissed out listeners vibing out at house parties, clubs and concerts - all just for a moment imagining themselves cruising the streets of South Central LA, controlling the block in a tricked out lowrider.

Snoop's chemistry with Dr. Dre is nothing if not sublime. The music bed Dre bestows us with for the track is miraculous. Built around a delicious sample of Leon Haywood's I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You (1974), I'd argue that it did more to make gangsta rap mainstream than any other track in hip hop history. Much is owed to Parliament Funkadelic, which Dre interpolates heavily for his G-Funk sound, but 30 years removed from its release date, the live bass, rolling synth and pristine 808 kick drums on "G Thang" still sound like something from the future rather than the past. I suspect that 30 years from now, at summertime cookouts all over the country, the beat will still conjure up a festive mood and Snoop's lyrics will compel partygoers to count "1-2-3 and to the foe"...as they nod their heads and sing along.

And Here's 50 More Honorable Mentions To Round Out A Top 100

A Milli (Lil Wayne) / Ante Up (M.O.P.) / Buddy (De La Soul) / California Love (2Pac) / Come Clean (Jeru The Damaja) / Court Is Now In Session (Chill Rob G) / F**K The Police (N.W.A.) / Fight The Power (Public Enemy) / Five Minutes Of Funk (Whodini) / Forever (Drake) / Get Low (Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz & Ying Yang Twins) / Get Ur Freak On (Missy Elliott) / Grindin' (Clipse) / Hot In Here (Nelly) / How I Could Just Kill A Man (Cypress Hill) / How Many MC's (Black Moon) / I Just Wanna Love U (Jay-Z) / In Da Club (50 Cent) / Int'l Players Anthem (UGK) / It's Funky Enough (The D.O.C.) / It's Yours (T-L-A Rock & Jazzy Jay) / Juicy (The Notorious B.I.G.) / Lean Back (Terror Squad, Fat Joe & Remy) / Life Is...Too $hort (Too $hort) / Looking At The Front Door (Main Source) / Looking For The Perfect Beat (Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force) / Lucid Dreams (Juice Wrld) / Mask Off (Future) Mic Checka (Das EFX) / Money, Power & Respect (The Lox) / Protect Ya Neck (Wu Tang Clan) P.S.K. What Does It Mean? (Schoolly D) / Rebirth Of Slick (Digable Planets) / Rock Dis Funky Joint (Poor Righteous Teachers) / Rock The Bells (LL Cool J) / Ruff Ryders' Anthem (DMX) / Shoop (Salt-N-Pepa) / Simon Says (Pharoahe Monch) / Stan (Eminem) / Still Not A Player (Big Punisher) / Still Tippin' (Mike Jones) / Stronger (Kanye West) / Tennessee (Arrested Development) / The Crossroads (Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) / The Next Movement (The Roots) / Throw Some D's (Rich Boy) / Whoa (Black Rob) / Woo Ha! Got You All In Check (Busta Rhymes) / Wrath Of My Madness (Queen Latifah) / XO Tour Llif3 (Lil Uzi Vert)