Hip-Hop and Rap Your Way While Writing
I have to be honest here, I am not a fan of rap or hip-hop music. But, it is still a part of the music industry and as such, has been, and is recognized globally around the world as musical entertainment. So to be fair, I made the conscious effort to assemble songs that best express this genre of music. I will have three rap or hip-hop songs per year listed that were the best of the best from 1979 to 1994, plus a few surprises.
And before anyone says anything, my expression for not liking rap or hip-hop is neither bias or prejudicial. My preferences lean in other directions and I could never get into rap. With that said, here is a little history for you.
Rapping, or rhyming, spitting, emceeing, or M’Cing is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates “rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular”, which is performed or chanted in a variety of ways, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The components of rap include “content” (what is being said), “flow” (rhythm, rhyme), and “delivery” (cadence, tone).
Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that it is usually performed in time to musical accompaniment. Rap, being a primary ingredient of hip hop music, it is associated with that genre in particular; but the origins of rap precede hip-hop culture. The earliest precursor to modern rap is the West African griot tradition, in which “oral historians”, or “praise-singers”, would disseminate oral traditions and genealogies, or use their rhetorical techniques for gossip or to “praise or critique individuals.” The following is a video to give you an idea of the tradition. Be advised it isn’t in English but the presentation is very good. https://youtu.be/QdrPmZwsXiM
Griot traditions connect to rap along a lineage of black verbal reverence, such as through James Brown interacting with the crowd and the band between songs, to Muhammad Ali’s verbal taunts and the poems of The Last Poets. Therefore, rap lyrics and music are part of the “Black rhetorical continuum” and aim to reuse elements of past traditions while expanding upon them through “creative use of language and rhetorical styles and strategies”.
The person credited with originating the style of “delivering rhymes over extensive music”, that would become known as rap, was Anthony “DJ Hollywood” Holloway from Harlem, New York. Most, if not all of his music was live, but he did release one single in 1980, but stayed primarily a DJ throughout most of his life. According to Kurtis Blow and Pete DJ Jones, Hollywood was the first rapper in the hip-hop style, making him the “Father” of the Hip Hop style.
Rap is usually delivered over a beat, typically provided by a DJ, turntablist, beatboxer, or performed ‘a cappella’ without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area between speech, prose, poetry, and singing. The word, which predates the musical form, originally meant “to lightly strike”, and is now used to describe quick speech or repartee. The word had been used in British English since the 16th century. It was part of the African American dialect of English in the 1960’s meaning “to converse”, and soon after that in its present usage as a term denoting the musical style. Today, the term rap is so closely associated with hip-hop music that many writers use the terms interchangeably.
For the sake of artistry, the focus will be on old school rap (1979–84) which was “easily identified by its relatively simple raps”. The emphasis was not on lyrical technique, but simply good times.
The other part will be what is known as the golden age of rap (mid-1980’s to early 90’s). Inclusively this would span 15 years: 1979 to 1994.
There are other areas I could go through, but if I did, then this would become a novella instead of what it is intended for: entertainment and enjoyment. So … then let us begin.
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1979
Fatback Band – King Tim III - https://youtu.be/sqoXRe-RRFw
The Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight - https://youtu.be/mcCK99wHrk0
Curtis Blow – Christmas Rappin’ - https://youtu.be/9xUFnGWWtoQ
1980
Anthony “DJ Hollywood” Holloway - https://youtu.be/jF_UbFJWAj4
Kurtis Blow – The Breaks - https://youtu.be/heXlCbrVzcc
Funky 4 Plus 1 – That’s -the Joint - https://youtu.be/FzuskHUux6U
The Treacherous Three – Body Rock - https://youtu.be/hi47EDWTuJ4
1981
Let’s Dance (Make Your Body Move) Wes Street Mob - https://youtu.be/6q1Afk-IkG8
Rappin Ain’t No Thing – The Boogie Boys - https://youtu.be/ZLxw48fyaYQ
Genius Rap – Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde - https://youtu.be/fEusjv45hjg
1982
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message - https://youtu.be/PobrSpMwKk4
Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock - https://youtu.be/9J3lwZjHenA
Fearless Four – Rockin It - https://youtu.be/WBPbxRMJKiA
1983
Run DMC – Sucker MCs - https://youtu.be/iOKMWSR2Aio
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - New York NY - https://youtu.be/jErRL-IFKmY
Grandmaster Melle & The Furious Five – White Lines - https://youtu.be/HB-Kkvf5j5Y
1984
Jazzy Jay & T La Rock – It’s Yours - https://youtu.be/1MLaUp3m3BU
Cold Crush Brothers – Fresh, Wild, Fly & Bold - https://youtu.be/FPXhCUDVHlk
Fat Boys – Stick Em - https://youtu.be/wipr12ZmBfw
1985
Doug E. Fresh & Snoop Dogg – LaDi DaDi - https://youtu.be/d61tWnYYwYc
LL Cool J – Rock The Bells - https://youtu.be/tyg6_nPwlio
Schoolly D – PSK, What Does It Mean - https://youtu.be/HSkH9Aa74N0
1986
Run DMC – Peter Piper - https://youtu.be/XddX604kiNQ
Boogie Down Productions – South Bronx - https://youtu.be/ihOh4ix6HPY
Ice T – 6 in The Morning - https://youtu.be/Ud4hgJwA0wY
1987
Public Enemy – Rebel Without A Pause - https://youtu.be/djuc0kg97yo
Eric B & Rakim – I Ain’t No Joke - https://youtu.be/2TN-kDEKxF0
Audio Two – Top Billin - https://youtu.be/krTLRQOOFAw
1988
Eric B & Rakim – Microphone Friend - https://youtu.be/uPfIIn5V_LQ
Big Daddy Kane – Set It Off - https://youtu.be/3IVYxTvA99U
NWA – Straight Outta Compton - https://youtu.be/TMZi25Pq3T8
1989
Public Enemy – Fight the Power - https://youtu.be/UwhJxRWKSnQ
Queen Latifah ft Monie Love – Ladies First - https://youtu.be/8Qimg_q7LbQ
Ice T – You Played Yourself - https://youtu.be/v7djYYE63Ug
Top Five Hip-Hop Soul in the 80’s
Let the Music Play – Shannon - https://youtu.be/_-0sUuGufmw
I.O.U. - Freeez feat. John Rocca - https://youtu.be/h1MDlJM_C1k
Play At Your Own Risk - Planet Patrol - https://youtu.be/omtYW9fGpkM
One More Shot - C-Bank feat. Jenny Burton - https://youtu.be/Xj2tn3dSblA
Walking on Sunshine - Rocker’s Revenge - https://youtu.be/DAfD-mhpplo
1990
The Humpty Dance – Digital Underground - https://youtu.be/PBsjggc5jHM
Momma Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J - https://youtu.be/vimZj8HW0Kg
911 is a Joke – Public Enemy - https://youtu.be/CPNK0VspQ0M
1991
O.P.P. – Naughty by Nature - https://youtu.be/idx3GSL2KWs
Mind Playing Tricks On Me – Geto Boys - https://youtu.be/IJtHdkyo0hc
Scenario – A Tribe Called Quest - https://youtu.be/Q6TLWqn82J4
1992
It Was A Good Day – Ice Cube - https://youtu.be/h4UqMyldS7Q
Take It Personal – Gang Starr - https://youtu.be/kLIoldHh53Q
Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot - https://youtu.be/X53ZSxkQ3Ho
1993
Keep Ya head Up – Tupac Shakur - https://youtu.be/V69C37noXyk
G.E.T.O – Geto Boys - https://youtu.be/EMSZvPpTEZ0
Gin and Juice – Snoop Dogg - https://youtu.be/DI3yXg-sX5c
1994
Juicy – The Notorious B.I.G. - https://youtu.be/_JZom_gVfuw
NY State of Mind – Nas - https://youtu.be/Q81lInyFZfE
I Seen a Man Die – Scarface - https://youtu.be/QQeN-OXZrLo
Top Five Hip-Hop Soul in the 90’s
Sade - No Ordinary Love - https://youtu.be/_WcWHZc8s2I
Deborah Cox - Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here - https://youtu.be/H947PtHmh0Y
Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine - https://youtu.be/qSIOp_K5GMw
Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up - https://youtu.be/Oxu3pq319r0
Xscape - Just Kickin’ It - https://youtu.be/w_BTEFAVwjU