Let's take a look at hip hop from when Ice T was in his prime up until the shifted slightly into the bling. So lets say 1982-1995 (and that's being generous), Hip Hop back then [in '82] was fresh out of the womb and was used to spread a message. Wether political or not, MOST hip hop from that era was empowering and motivating to people. The art of story telling in hip hop dominated the genre, the elements were all in play, Djing, beatboxing, rhyming, and break dancing were HUGE. Ice T, Marley Marl, Eric B & Rakim, Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Big Daddy Kane, Organized Konfusion, A Tribe Called Quest, NWA, Big Daddy Kane, and so many others were all amazing pioneering storytelling wordsmiths. The aforementioned artists amongst many others were the original moderately mainstream hood reporters.
Now compare that to today, what's on the radio?--absolutely nothing substantial. It's a completely different feel, a completely different sound, the hip hop of the past is no more. The art of story telling has faded, MCs are seemingly a dying breed. There are still those who bring hardcore hip hop fans back to their "golden age," Nas, Jay Z (occasionally), Saigon, Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, and few others. Hip Hop has gone so mainstream that there are no more MC's, there are no more rappers, there are just artists. Hip Hop is now a taxable 9-5, artists are out to get rich and get rich quick. Hip Hop itself isn't dying, no one's killing it. The artform of it however died the second it became a career option.
With that said, here are my Top 10 Old School tracks ('82-'95).
#10. NWA- Straight Outta Compton
#9.Ice Cube- Good Day
#8.Mos Def & Talib Kweli Feat. Common- Respiration
#7. Eric B. & Rakim- Eric B Is President
#6. Run DMC- Walk This Way
#5.Common- I Used to Love H.E.R.
#4. Sugarhill Gang- Rappers Delight
#3. Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick- La-di-da-di
#2. Slick Rick- Children's Story
#1.Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five- The Message
Ready. Set. Discuss.
COMMENTS
Yess coppin these for the ipod
I LOVE HIP HOP
Pretty good list, but wtf no Pac on it? Pac's "Keep ya Head Up" belongs on that shit
yo props on the list its nice but i could have used some pac or some nas....i really think that hip-hop isnt changing its just turning in to Rap/dance is that makes any sense the days where an Mc worried more about his music then his money are fading. but if you look hard enough you can still find real music.
yea there shoulda defenitly ben some pac or nas
THA MAN THAT WROTE THIS ARTICAL IS A FUQIN GENIOUS
These list of songs are fucking great. It just needed some Pac and some Tribe Called Quest.
i would throw scrface track in there but thats just me
Jokesta good blog fam. But if you consider "old school" 82-95 then where is some music from Pac, BIG, Snoop, Dre, Nas....Or did you just not consider them old school enough? How can you not have "Gin and Juice" "Nothing But a G thing" "Dear Mama" "Juicy" or "It ain't hard to tell" on your list?? Those tracks personified the early 90s fam.
But I understand it's all about opinion. Great blog.
One more thing you kept it straight 80s minus the Ice Cube track so if that was your theme, then I take my last comment back. But if you based it off of 82'-95' then you definitely need some Pac, BIG, Snoop, Dre and Nas tracks.
Ice cube slipped in there cause I just happened to be listening to a old school westcoast mix I did back when I used to dj... I know there are alotta songs that deserve to be up there, but like I said, they're MY top 10 fuckers, not yours. Post up your own lists
LMAO^^ Fair enough
10. Gin and Juice----Snoop
9. Nothing But a G Thang-------Dre feat. Snoop
8. The message------Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five
7. It ain't hard to tell------Nas
6. Mind Playing tricks on me------Geto Boys
5. Juicy----Notorious BIG
4. NWA------Express yourself
3. Rock the bells------ LL Cool J
2. Dear mama------Tupac
1. Paid in Full----- Eric B & Rakim
10. renee- the lost boyz (even tho shit is from 96)
9. time 4 sum aksion-redman & erick sermon
8. 100 miles and runnin-n.w.a.
7.aint no half steppin-big daddy kane
6.i got 5 on it-luniz
5.rappers delight- sugar hill gang
4. the symphony- the juice crew
3.on the run-cool g rap
2.the bridge is over-krs-one
1.gimme the loot-biggie
brendas got a baby-tupac
c.r.e.a.m.- wu tang clan
method man- wu tang clan
hell yeah!
i forgot
1. lifes a bitch-nas
memory lane-nas
ny state of mind-nas
10. Snoop & Dre - Nothin But A G Thing
9. Ice Cube - Good Day
8. Luniz - I Got 5 On It
7. Pac - Brenda Got A Baby
6. Pac & Snoop - 2 Of Americaz Most Wanted
5. Biggie - What's Beef
4. Biggie - 10 Crack Comandments
3. Pac - Dear Mama
2. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
1. Nas - NY State Of Mind
If you “Fool rich” bitch, buy out 16 bars
You the next Stupid star
Who’s pulling my strings? Do I look like a guitar?
Retard
We far
More advanced
More dope like what’s in a D- boy hand
In a b- Boy stands
I run D. MC off the stage
And leave you running man
Heads spin
When I break beats
I’m like the microphone fiend standing next to Erick B,
I rock steady – Cold chilling like 1983
I don’t run with crazy legs
But I got crazy Arms
That’ll leave you in a Bronx river
Like Africa Islam
I mean Africa Bambota
Zulu nation’s hip hop creation
Help build the foundation
And seen its cremation
So sorry but I sniffed the ashes....
Old school new school need to learn do,
I burn baby burn like Steve-o and Tabasco
Or so I’ve heard
That’s so observed
I guess I was day dreaming, o I’m such a nerd
Do you know where my Class Is?
Or where my buss pass is?
Fuck late registration, this is continuing education
I’m late like my girls last period
She said “It’s not that serious”
Then why I’m breathing hard like fat boys, delirious
Better late then never, however I’m better
Since I’m more seasoned
Then this jerk chicken
I’m the reason why it’s important to listen
Who you think I’m dissing?
L.o.L.
Laugh out loud
My heads in a cloud
O, I’m dead to you now
Because I’ve offended some clown
I murder ink when I touch paper
And I don’t know Irv Gotti
Ja- know who rule’s, I’m the life of the party
I don’t know karate - kid like Mr. Miagy
But what I kick makes D.J.’s take your wax off and put my wax on
My buzz is that strong
Call me bad reception
When you stand next to this speaker you get bad reception
Now Grave your cigarettes and scrunch your face all serious
You’re an idiot,
Now solja Boy go and apologies to Ice T, period.
Alvarez401
that was awful...ur metaphors r elementary...(constructive criticism)...
i missed the golden era. hip hop was good then!!!!!!!!!!!
Today, I saw a video by some dude name Greg Street featuring Nappy Roots called "Good Day"... Positive ass song... i can swing with that!
Real talk, Summertime may be the greatest overall track in hip-hop history.
10. Im Bad - LL Cool J
9. C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan
8. Pimpology - Too Short
7. Representin' 93 - 2pac
6. The World is Yours (Q-tip rmx) - Nas
5. Push It - Salt & Pepa
4. The Message - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5
3. Boyz N the Hood - Eazy E
2. Rock Box - Run DMC
1. Nothin' But A G Thang - Dre & Snoop
you dont say pac but you list big daddy kane twice.
#1 The Firm - Affirmative Action
ya a list like this is hard to compile, a top ten of anything at that but definetly missing paid in full. slick rick definetly deserving to be on there as much as possible.
damn cuz u couldnt throw no Big L in there, or no biggie......an i cosign theru8543 at tha bottom, ur dates dont match up cuz
JOSHIE POOH(FORMERLY KNOWN 413 JOSH).............................I KNOW U WANT TO LICCCC MY BALLS, FINGER ME IN MY ASS WHILE I SHIT IN YOUR PALM AND SMEEAAR IT AROUND ON YOUR FACE..........................YOU TOLD ME YOU WANTED TO TOUCH ME IN PLACES BECAUSE YOU LIKE THE WAY I SMILE...................YOULL GET YOUR CHANCE BABY................TOLD YOU YOU ARE MY BITCH........................SHOULDNT HAVE FUCKED WITH ME POOH BEAR..............COME GIVE ME A KISS, AND MAKE SURE YOU BITCHASS SITS THE FUCK DOWN WHEN YOU PEE..............................................YOU FUCKED UP BABY, .. I DONT GIVE A FUCK WHO TRASHES ME, NEVER DID, BUT NOW ITS JUST ME AND YOU.......................JOKESTA CAN BAN ME, ILL JUST COME BACK.................AINT GONA FUCK WITH NOBODY BUT YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU CAUSE YOU A HIDE AND SEEK FAG, AND I CAN SMELL DICK PUSSY ANYWHERE...............................SO AGAIN..............GO SIT IN A CORNER SO I CAN PEE IN YOUR FACE AND WATCH YOU MAKE PEE BUBBLES
HAWWWWWWLLLLLAAAHHHHH
Everything changes,so has hip hop,accept it or not its not gonna go back to the way it was.R people gonna all of a sudden start using VCR's again?Nah!Hip Hop has changed n ppls look on it has to change too.
True that yo change is a necessary part of life.
VCR shit is different thats about technology. history repeats itself sooner or later. Just check the fashion niggas is takin it back to 88 with dumb rope chains and all them fuckin colors n shit i even be seein niggas with flattop fades with da part in the side. check how artist use the vocoder now.
it's not just hip hop it's all genres..music has changed in every aspect..i love rock as much as hip hop but i listen to it less cause the rock bands of today are terrible you can't find bands like back in the 80" when they had the hair band era,it's the same as in hip hop..music has changed and it is up to us to either change with it or not..
dude, the 80s bands sucked.. what a terrible era that was, if your talking rock its all about 60s and 70s skip the 80s and go to 90s... rock was all good till you hit the 80s and it got terrible for a decade, its unexplainable.. but yea your right rock sucks now.. i hope its one of those 80s decades and will come back to being good in a couple years... anyway, i like your list jokesta.. good day by icecube and childrens story by slick rick are still my songs today.. only thing about walk this way is it was originally a rock song, (that i like) and the hip hop version just didnt really do it for me.. it was kinda like eminem sampling "dream on" although i like that song (sing for the moment)
SMH Jokesta y ain't u put Times Up by OC
Dat song has a message dat can still b applied 2 rappers today
SMH y da fuck would 3 ppl trash me cuz of dat comment
All I did was suggest a good song dat most of u probaly never heard of
I swear sum of yall trash ppl 4 da fuckin stupidest shit
Theres still a lot of really good MC's out there though, its just a matter of what gets marketed and what doesn't
Thats like asking why are we in the 21st century, generation change the culture of Hip-Hop, get used to it, god forbid once whats left of these MCs are gone, all we are gonna be stuck with more of Soulja (am not hating here)like kids. Its less likley that we will see anymore upcoming artist like Lupe!
And also like you mentioned the GET RICH quick is the way to go in this current lifestyle.
you wont see any more of these rappers because thats not what sells. Yall gotta understand this world is driven off of money. That shit aint what sells. Yall can sit here and be like oh we need more common and we need more artist like Lupe, but i bet when they CD drop you didnt run to the store to grab it. Probably downloaded off of Limewire or something. These artist didnt kill hip hop its the consumer. If rappers like Common or Talib were making as much money as Wayne or Jigga or even Soulja boy cats would rap with that style. But what pays is making it rain and driving cars with bitches wit fat asses and slanging in the trap. Niggas need to stop complainin about these artist and support the "REAL" artist and maybe shit will change. Plus history repeats itself sooner or later hip hop will reverse back to that genre. It just takes time.
personally if the album is worth it i'll buy it, (for the record i do own the albim for the artist you mentioned) if its some shit Jim jones or some weak ass duds album, fuck no am not gonna i simply DL. If am gonna buy an album shit better be worth it more than 4 r 5 song you can listen to on a regular basis.
I doubt if it would ever goes back but thats just me.
y is not likely that there will be more Lupe's??...there are like billions of unsigned Lupe Fiascos and dudes u wud consider MCs or "rappers"...but labels dnt give dudes like dat a chance...they lookin fo quick money from independent artists who have one big hit...then they fail 2 help that artist progress n turn into an artist who makes music that matters....
and...hip-hop is still motivational it jus depends on how ur motivated and wat motivates u...jeezy is one the most motivational rappers out his music is ispirational to ppl who tryna make a better situation outta how they livin...so i think hip-hop rite now its stronger than ever b/c there is more of a varitey of music 2 listen to...jus like sumbody who likes the cool kids mite also listen to rocko...it jus depends on wat message ur tryna get out of it...
you said it "but labels dnt give dudes like dat a chance...they lookin fo quick money from independent artists who have one big hit..."
thats why we probably won't see others like Lupe
your intelligence amuses me. reply to this so i can laugh some more
first of all nas will destroy 50cent any time of the day period.
second of all 50cent is a fake his group g-unit is falling off the only thing he could do to keep his name on top is beef with everybody.
i'm not surprise if lloyd banks gets off the group
bsilent go kill yourself!!!
Why is G-Unit brought into this conversation? Get that out of here.
i disagree....and i can name a lot for more EMCEE's that are spittin nowadays that are still doing it for hip hop......but to each his own right...
word...its still real artists in tha game...n in my opinion theres more 2 come...
Yeah, these are all classic records.
Ice Cubes first 5 whole albums are jewels.
There will never be another vibe like the one in the mid 90's. That was my favorite shit. The Wu-Tang era. The old old school like Flash and Melle Mel is like a whole different type of music than the garbage on the radio today. Back in the day you could turn on the radio and actually like what you heard. Nowadays ipods have saved people from having to put up with the watered down bullshit and Radio DJ rambling.
I think the biggest blow that was dealt to hip-hop was when it started becoming cool to flash and front. It started innocently enough but then it got blown outta proportion and now its like all these bitch ass rappers do is brag about what they got and how gangster they think they are. When Raekwon and Biggie and Nas and them niggas started that shit I dont think they realized what it would turn into. Puffy took it further than it ever should have went.
ima go see rae, meth, redman, ghostface, immortal, a tribe called quest..ALL them dudes at Rock the Bells this summer...
shit is gonna be HOT..long live true hip-hop
it is what it is today and i was what was back then,just accept hip hop for what is was, is, and will be
Your boring me jokesta!!
WHERE THE FUCK IS AN ILLMATIC TRACK! NO B.I.G. No PAC No Pun????
Cyssero215 i think theyre talking way back in da day like slick rick and fab5freddy, and the time when pac was just singed....gea this real old skool
....these are really old skool there going to far back
No Pete Rock, no EPMD, no JJ FAD.
Fuck your list...
LMAO!
no skinny boys. i thought yall knew hip hop!
if you were born after 1987, then dont even comment on this topic, you had to be in your teens to understand where jokesta is coming from, i feel bad for all you young bloods out there that didnt have the opportunity to see hip hop back in the late 80s and through the 90s, its one thing hearing it now, but you had to hear the tracks and albums when it came out, there wasnt cds and ipods then, it was tapes, get it, mix tapes, niggas was pressing record on their tape players recording mix tracks from the radio when it was hard to hear underground hip hop, yall got caught up with money these days, forgot about the art and what made hip hop what it is today, shame on all these fuck niggas that just wanna make a quick buck and not even have their own art and style to give to hip hop. In my era, we called it rap. There were rappers out there, hungry for respect, not a check. think about that, then you would understand why cats like me say fuck lil wayne, and big ups to common, and Nas.
Props
u feel bad 4 us...naw my dude i feel bad 4 yall...8 tracks?? tapes??...i dnt how my ass wudda survived...but thanx for pavin tha way old heads...lol...
... *Thugnificent voice* you just mad cause your ass is old
Ahmad - Back in the Day is one of my favs. life's a bitch dirty too..
there is still real hip hop rappers and emcees out there but they kno and we kno that they dont sell when they put a cd out. everyone even me gotta look in the mirror when you say whats wrong with hip hop...we downloadin all the real rappers shit onto our ipods while the bitches and kids at the stores buyin soulja boy and t pain. im 18 some of yall might consider me a kid but i only fucks with the real shit i done read books articles and shit on the computer i kno my shit.
i dont think well have artists like KRS, rakim, talib, common, tribe called quest again they were truly innovative and to me were some of the biggest influences in hip hop. history repeats itself tho so we will see another ice cube, another eminem, maybe even another biggie or pac but like one last poster said we as consumers are part of the problem. go out there and buy albums support real hip hop boycott the bubblegum shit.
I could care less how many negatives i get from this but i'll be a man and say the South's pressense in at the turn of the century is when i noticed the decline in lyracism in all hip hop.
what chu talkin bout bia bia?
now let me see u wobble wobble, and shake it shake. hoo dee hoo!
i feel you im from NY to so i notice that since the south blew up the lrycism has not. NY brought some of the best lyrcists in the game the south tought us how to dance and be flashy. with the exception of few there is no lyricism from the south.
is u serious nigga??...the south has defintely stepped up the lyric game...jus b/c they talk about tha trap and the life they lived (most of em) somehow they lyrics arent as good as new york niggas??...get tha fuck outta here...them niggas in tha south (naw us niggas in tha south) talkin bout havin money and coppin clothes n shit cuz a young nigga didnt grow up wit all dat...n when he signed n get sum money of course he gon rap about dat shit...its wats goin on in his life...
n ima be a man about this...THA SOUTH RUNS RAP!!...period...whether u think the lyrics r meaningful or not...get over it...or listen to dem new york rappers (since yall r sposed 2 be the best lyrically)...
YOUNGUNOBABY, you're only proving RealtalkNewyork point.You chicken and waffle niggas are dumb.Using that same weak ass excuse.
"talkin bout havin money and coppin clothes n shit cuz a young nigga didnt grow up wit all dat...n when he signed n get sum money of course he gon rap about dat shit...its wats goin on in his life.."
You can't be fucking serious...I take that back, you can't be that fucking stupid.How about getting educated now that you have the money to do so? How about not sounding like a c**n every time you speak.Watching these niggas makes my stomach turn, Three C**n Mafia, Soulja C**n, and all these non-grooming Miami c**ns making black people look like minstrel caricatures every chance they get.If dudes in New York can grow up and show some class and dignity, why can't those southern retards do the same? Dudes seem to enjoy looking like fools.And it's not a coincidence that the southern rappers who don't fit the stereotype, seem to all be following NYC rappers.
Lastly, what the fuck is the south running? Besides from cops and child support of course.These southern rap niggas are bottom feeders.They are eating up crumbs as the industry falls a part.The average southern rapper has no staying power.They have one album and their career is over.I wouldn't be surprise if the majority of them dudes are broke less than 4 years after they first album drop.Where is Paul Wall,Jody Breeze, The Ying Yang Twins, Pitbull, Lil Jon,Lil Flip,etc
You have New York rappers who have been in the game for over 15 years and careers are still going strong or just ended, but these dudes lasted all of One year to half a decade and are already finished.
^^^^^ yep.... its almost hard to not blame the south for what has happened to the music i love... but at the end of the day i cant blame them, i blame the consumer for buying that shit.. if they didnt sell they wouldnt be put out, plain and simple.. just like a can't blame george bush for fucking up.. YOU voted for him (twice) way to go people of america.. fool me once, know what i mean
since when did every rapper in new york display class when they got money??? Jay and Nas mite be the only ones...and when i say they r talkin about the money they got b/c they never had any...u have 2 live dat life to understand wtf im talkin bout...so before u start callin rappers in tha south coons take a look at rappers in new york...
and name 10 new york rappers that r even mildly relevant rite now....jus 10....n u ask wat is tha south runnin??...WE RUN RAP!!!!...it lives down here...quit bein bitter n get over it...u new york niggas is boring as fuck...u say the south doesn't come up wit new concepts...new york niggas dnt talk about much of anything different than they were talkin about in 97 (aside from jay and nasir)...
yall cant keep up wit the game....new york has fallen off in hip-hop...the end....
and jody breeze is a beast...but ur album wudnt be out if diddy signed u either
Thats whats fucked up about the game.
Soulja Boy IS hip-hop. Lil Wayne IS hip-hop.
Its just that the subject matter and popular topics are different and lack any real substance or relation to life or our struggle.
Grandmaster flash had no other avenue BUT to keep it real. All the nigga knew was Ghetto shit. Danceclubs before the crack epidemic hit were NOTHING like they are today. Life in the hood was the same but the radio and TV didnt try to make it seem glamorous like these bubblegum rappers do today.
"Its like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from goin under"
It might not sound all spectacular but that nigga was a street journalist.
Hip-hop is just in a rut right now because of the way things are. But honestly I think alot of niggas are poised to drop the best albums that they have in awhile.