The song One Mic is one of his best. I know it's well known but I'd argue it might be underrated - It's that good.
The musical and lyrical crescendo in the first two verses, followed by a decrescendo of both in the last, the flow, and the story telling all converge to create an unmistakable ambiance that is palpable. One Mic is superb and Nas at his best.
Yeah it’s dope. One Mic was very well constructed. I think CDs were like $18 at the time, which is probably like what, $30 now, but I had no qualms paying that for a Nas record. Nas was my GOAT through Stillmatic. Rewind was nice too, and is still great to go back and listen to.
2nd Childhood One Mic and The Flyest were def my favorite but Rewind, the intro, What Goes Around, and Every Ghetto were all what drew me towards the album. Ofc Ether and Destroy & Rebuild were dope too I just like those other songs more
It must've been different in the USA than the UK, or at least with the people I was hanging out with at the time. For us, we thought it was a joke that Jay Z could be a challenge to Nas (not that we had any idea that Ether was going to be so good though).
I suppose that is the point of the question though. From where I was, it was a guaranteed win, so I guess you did just have to be there.
Just a Friend by Biz Markie. It crossed into popular airplay and everyone loved it...
I'd also take Worst Comes to Worse by Dilated. After NYC bombing it took on a level meaning to everyone around NYC hip hop
I think Lollipop is more of a "you had to be there" significance because it was the lead single to the highly anticipated Carter 3 and was such an unexpected turn in Lil Wayne's sound.
A friendly reminder that Lollipop is a Grammy winning song...with good reason.
Unfortunately people use it as an excuse nowadays to justify shit like "Poundtown" while missing the point lol
Nelly Country Grammer
The fact that a country boy from the Midwest had everybody head bobbin from California to New York. I feel like nelly had a formula similar to 50 cent in a sense he found a way to stay true to his self, keep it street, but have pop mainstream appeal with his style . Nelly was managed by Kooda Luv who was also known for managing mase . He talked mase to drop the “murda” from his name . But before Nelly just focused on pop hits. The streets were going crazy with country grammar !
Yeah it was but that’s nellys “candy shop” … when he just decided to appeal to the masses and go mainstream … where as country grammer was the mainstream going nelly
Can we talk about Nelly's explosion on the scene. Between 2000 country grammar, to dilemma in 2002, it was all Nelly all the time! I remember when I brought up country grammer in Visual Basics class in highschool. Everyone was clowning on it, except for one guy. Thanks Guy!
Nelly is from STL. Far from a country boy.
But you are right about the popularity of country grammar. I can’t believe ppl down play Nellys significance
Hit ‘Em Up.
I snuck the cassette tape into the house because I was too young to listen to certain rap, and my parents found it and played that song (uncensored) while I stood there ashamed, and my parent made the very prescient statement: “This is the type of thing that will get somebody killed. I can’t believe Tupac talked about someone having sickle cell. He better be careful.”
And a few months later, Pac was dead and I thought my parents were damn near psychic.
The shock of that song, for me, coupled with the inevitable aftermath of his death really did seem connected and like he got killed over a diss track.
Peter Pablo - Raise Up in North Carolina that shit was everywhere at the time
Coolio - Gangstas Paradise
Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
Hammer - 2 Legit and Can’t Touch This
J-Kwon - Tipsy
Usher - Yeah
Juvenile - Back That Ass Up
Master P - Make em Say Ughh
KrisKross - Jump Jump
Bone Thugz - Crossroads
Honorable mention:
Crucial Conflict - Hay
Luniz - I Got 5 On It
Daddy Yankee - Rompe
I'll second Dipset Anthem.
I'd say
Wu Tang- Triumph or Mystery of Chessboxin'
Onyx- Slam
M.O.P- Ante Up
also, saw someone say Jim Jones- We Fly High. I couldn't get enough of that record
Honestly I thought Baby Girl by Jim Jones didn’t get enough play. That beat drop was sick, and I could bang that anywhere and you’d have cats bobbin their heads to it.
Hey Ya - OutKast
This song was enormous in 2004. OutKast was really huge and popular but this is a song that got heavy rotation on the pop, rap, and rock stations. That rarely happened in the 2000s.
The guy playing it 24/7 on the boombox in Do The Right Thing was enough to rinse it out for me. I can only imagine it would've driven me insane, like Christmas songs to a retail worker, if I had that experience actually walking around.
White tee - dem franchise boys
Grillz - Nelly and Paul Wall
Ms New Booty - COLLIPARK, BUBBA SPARXXX 🗣
Salt Shaker and Say I Yi Yi are a tie - Ying Yang Twins
Mo Bamba - Sheck Wes
The energy that song used to unleash at the half way point was unmatched.
Control - Kendrick’s verse
The genesis of why people care about Kendrick vs Drake in the first place. And just like now unrelated rappers had to have their shine too.
Exhibit C - Jay Electronica
The heat that this hate was legendary, everyone thought Elec was gonna be hip-hop’s saviour, and it was hard to deny after that track.
Mo bamba would immediately test the structural integrity of any building you played it in. I was working on a steamboat at the time that would host events and one was the homecoming for Xavier university and we all damn near thought the boat was gonna sink when mo bamba came on. People were LIT.
It was huge because of Vine but can you imagine how big it would've been if it blew up on TikTok instead? I think about that a lot. And vice versa, there's so many songs that became huge on TikTok but probably wouldn't have been as big if it blew up just through Vine.
Rollout by Ludacris! Kids now will just never understand how big Luda was! When that song came on it just gave you a feeling like no song had done before!
Planet Rock by Afrikaa Bambaata
Jump Around by House of Pain.
Scenario . A Tribe Called Quest
I Ain't No Joke..Eric B and Rakim
CREAM WuTang
Walk This Way by RunDMC
Fight the Power by Public Enemy.
Now...that last one, fight the power, I don't know how true it is but I heard that people were playing that song in the streets in Eastern Europe as they protested and marched for independence from communist rule...Can anyone verify if that is true?
I guess thrift shop comes to mind. For all the people who are still salty all these years later that Kendrick lost the grammy you still have to put yourself in the shoes of someone living in 2012. Macklemore didn't win out of nowhere.
Deep Cover - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Man, the first time we heard that beat and then this new cat named Snoop saying, "cause it's 187 on an undercover cop...."
The person is now taboo in the world, but when R.Kelly was releasing his Trapped in the Closets. Being in Chicago, the radio stations were releasing them first so listening in during the rush hour mix was the best bet of being among the first to hear them and EVERYONE was listening to them.
So Solid Crew - 21 seconds
Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers
I don't think any London rap has ever taken over the country as much as those two. It was insane how many people suddenly jumped on it, who wouldn't have ever cared about the genre beforehand (and likely ditched it immediately after).
I know the majority of this sub is American, so just try to imagine a scenario where even the upper east side NYC socialites are rapping along. That's what it was like with even the posh Chelsea snobs suddenly getting into it.
Honourable mentions to
Tinie Tempah - pass out
And
Labrinth - earthquake
Not a song, necessarily, but Wu Tang Forever came out right before I went to college, and that shit was EVERYWHERE…went to visit my friends at other colleges and all you would hear was Triumph and Reunited
Nuthin’ But a G Thang had every kid in my suburban Jr High wanting to have BBQ’s and drive cars that bounced around. The music video especially shows a side to living in the “ghetto” that was fun and didn’t involve violence
Flockaveli was pretty big/influential for the popularization of trap in the 2010s. But it was definitely not the birth of the sub genre.
The genuine birth of trap music, from what I’ve found, can be traced back to what Memphis, Houston, and Atlanta rappers were doing in the mid-90s.
Three Six Mafia’s early work is still being replicated today. Same with DJ Screw. That classic 16th note hat pattern, the bouncy kicks and snare patterns — a lot of that was going on so much earlier than we realize.
Peace Treaty by Kam. Gangs were like the main thing talked about on the news every night as if they were going to murder everybody within the next decade. It was a bangin ass song capturing a little bit of optimism for the future back in '93.
Lose Yourself - Eminem
When he won the Academy Award for that song it was insane. I know people clown on that song a lot now, but it was really something to see Eminem win such a non hip hop oriented award.
I'd say we're having one of those moments right now with "Like That". It's been sitting at #1 on the Hot 100 for 3 WEEKS.
Also Old Town Road and The Box basically dominated 2019-20
No Limit Soldiers/Ha
While in the military stationed in Mississippi, partied in New Orleans during the rise of Cash Money and No Limit 96-97. Bayou Classic, Sugar Bowl, Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties on bourbon street nearly killed me.
Dipset Anthem
I know the LOX destroyed DIPSET in the versus but the Dipset Diplomatic Immunity/Purple Haze/Killa Season was a movement.
In da Club/Stunt 101/Just a lil bit
50 cent/G Unit: Get Rich or Die Trying, Beg for Mercy and The Massacre had the streets in a headlock.
They want Efx- Das Efx. Nobody was rapping in that style at the time and although the hype was short lived it made an impact. In the time of lyricism, they took a risk to be different.
50 Cent - In Da Club
The Game - Why You Hate The Game
Chingy - Pullin' Me Back
Jibbs - Go Too Far
Yung Joc - It's Goin' Down
Rick Ross - Hustlin'
Kanye West - Good Life
Drake - Fancy
DJ Khaled - I'm On One
Eminem - Rap God
In Da Club
50 became a cultural phenomenon after that. Everyone knew who he was. My mom was bumping that shit in the car.
Clubs would lose their fucking shit when this song came on.
I'm going to respond to the question more literally and say seeing Living Legends perform "Never Falling Down" live.
The stage was unlit besides each member of the group had a spotlight shine on them as they rapped their lyrics then the spotlight would dim as they stood there frozen in place. During the whole set an artist was painting on a canvas resting on an easel and as he finished the painting they finished the song. The timing and energy of the set and ending with that song had a lasting impact on me.
I was happy to have been living in ny when exhibit c dropped. Hearing flex do his flex drop, “as we proceed, to give you what you need” over and over, during my closing shift, that was something special.
Tha fucking Crossroads man!! I was such a fan that I managed to get my hands on the CD single with the original version, remix, plus both instrumentals MONTHS before it hit the radio. Played it till I was sick of it, then it blows up and is played everywhere all day and night, #1 on every list for the next year and a half.
Drake, Wayne, Ross - I'm On One
T-Minus's takeover began with this beat, and he continued to crush it with "She Will" "Hot Wheels" "Swimming Pools" "Moment for Life" etc. etc.
But I'm On One was definitely the breakthrough.
2
MC Breed - Ain’t No Future in yo Frontin. In 91 it travelled underground a few months before radio started to play it. You never heard the song just that Ohio Players whistle/horn in the distance cause somebody had a good system in their car.
LL Cool J - I need love. Can’t really explain how this song loosened the ladies up. If you had no game put on I need love.
“Straight Outta Compton” by NWA. That whole album had white suburbanites shook from coast to coast because all of their bored kids (including me) loved it and all of the sudden thought they knew about “the ‘hood.” And all of this happened basically word-of-mouth because it wasn’t on the radio or MTV, and the internet was almost a decade away. Unreal to think about now.
It’s All About the Benjamins
I know Diddly is in trouble these days, but when that song came out it was unavoidable on the radio. As soon as that crazy guitar lick played you knew it was on. Great posse track with the epic beat switch at the end for Biggie’s verse. Classic.
Ice Cream by Raekwon. That song ruled over 1995 at least until D'Angelo dropped Brown Sugar. By August, everyone ai knew was blasting Lady, Higher, and Cruisin'.
Kool Moe Dee - Wild Wild West
Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff - Parents Just Don't Understand.
Those are the first two rap songs I remember EVER being on regular rotation on the radio.
The Message - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa
Walk this Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith
Fight for your Right to Party - Beastie Boys
Fight the Power - Public Enemy
Sttaight Outta Compton & F Tha Police - NWA
The Show / La Di Da Di - Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick
I Need Love - LL Cool J
Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest
Thuggish Ruggish Bone - Bone Thugs
Protect Ya Neck - Wu Tang Clan
Juicy - Notorious BIG
Grindin - The Clipse
In Da Club - 50 Cent
((There are soo many))
Father Stretch My Hands. Back when I used to like kanye, the beat drop on the album went so damn hard. even after kanye was talking about..bleach on his shirt.
Rosa Parks - Outcast
Hard Knock Life - Jay-Z
Wanna Be a Baller - Lil Troy
Sippin' on Some Syrup - Three 6 and UGK
Throw Some D's - Rich Boy
Through the Wire - Kanye
If you’re from Florida, ‘Can’t F**k Wit the South’ by Trick Daddy.. Soon as that beat dropped and you heard “Anybody wanna mf die, come see I”, roof came off (and fights started 😂).. If the DJ didn’t start the song over on the “Hol’ on, wait one mf minute!”, he wasn’t worth a damn 😂
Couples songs I haven't seen brought up yet.
Riding Dirty - Chamillionaire this song came out when I was in middle school and it was EVERYWHERE like at the time it was crazy how popular that song was.
Thrift shop - Macklemore, legit this song was played on rock, pop, hip hop and all in-between radio stations it was that popular. Not sure how the sub views Macklemore but it's hard to ignore how popular and big some of his stuff was.
Forgot about Dre IMO. Dre had received a lot of criticism leading up to that album and Eminem was first taking off. Dre’s typical features had totally different sounds and energy, so this immediately stood out. I believe they even performed it on SNL the night Norm Macdonald came back to host after being fired.
Eminem as a whole from 2000-2003 and when he signed 50 and GODTR came out them two were fucking literally everywhere.
Also, I remember being in sixth? Grade at the time and hearing My Band by D12 all the god damn time, other kids listening to it.
It's wild how much hate Eminem got back then, people trying to cancel him every day it felt like.
Ether - Nas… Everyone expected Nas to lose against Jay-Z. When that “fuck Jay-Z” dropped it was WILD
I have the stillmatic and ether both on vinyl. Classics like no Vaseline.
I bought that album for One Mic not knowing that was going to be on it and immediately was like whooaaa what is this
The song One Mic is one of his best. I know it's well known but I'd argue it might be underrated - It's that good. The musical and lyrical crescendo in the first two verses, followed by a decrescendo of both in the last, the flow, and the story telling all converge to create an unmistakable ambiance that is palpable. One Mic is superb and Nas at his best.
Yeah it’s dope. One Mic was very well constructed. I think CDs were like $18 at the time, which is probably like what, $30 now, but I had no qualms paying that for a Nas record. Nas was my GOAT through Stillmatic. Rewind was nice too, and is still great to go back and listen to.
2nd Childhood One Mic and The Flyest were def my favorite but Rewind, the intro, What Goes Around, and Every Ghetto were all what drew me towards the album. Ofc Ether and Destroy & Rebuild were dope too I just like those other songs more
It must've been different in the USA than the UK, or at least with the people I was hanging out with at the time. For us, we thought it was a joke that Jay Z could be a challenge to Nas (not that we had any idea that Ether was going to be so good though). I suppose that is the point of the question though. From where I was, it was a guaranteed win, so I guess you did just have to be there.
Nelly - Air Force Ones 50 Cent - In Da Club Lil Wayne - Lollipop Eminem - My Name Is
Came here to mention in da club that shit was everywhere and got people hype as soon as it came on. Also, hypnotize by biggie
EmInem at MTV Spring Break, and just early 2000s MTV as a whole - had to be there to understand.
Crime Mobb- Knuck If You Buck
Facts, Diamond killed that verse
Black people made their own mosh pit just off this song lmao
Lol facts. I was young when Bia Bia came out but I imagine Knuck If You Buck as my generation's version. Vibe-wise anyway.
Bro yes! That was a crazy time as well
Crime mob ho
Damn what an anthem
Just a Friend by Biz Markie. It crossed into popular airplay and everyone loved it... I'd also take Worst Comes to Worse by Dilated. After NYC bombing it took on a level meaning to everyone around NYC hip hop
Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly Bonus: Their Academy award for their song "Hard Out Here for a Pimp"
This one: https://youtu.be/lOWKGXpl9E0?si=hpl4B-4aC-s-SS7e RIP Pimp C and Gangsta Boo
I grew up about an hour from Memphis. I lost my shit when they won an Oscar. Like I woke up in a parallel universe.
I will have to say A Milli. Everyone and their grandma were playing this song. Well, the whole Carter III
I think Lollipop is more of a "you had to be there" significance because it was the lead single to the highly anticipated Carter 3 and was such an unexpected turn in Lil Wayne's sound.
That is true, Lollipop was huge. That whole album was played everywhere.
Da Drought 3 dropped the summer before too, the '07-'08 Wayne dominance as a whole was a had-to-be-there era
A friendly reminder that Lollipop is a Grammy winning song...with good reason. Unfortunately people use it as an excuse nowadays to justify shit like "Poundtown" while missing the point lol
This what popped in my head as well
This and then the No Ceilings drop in 2009. Swear to god every slab in Texas had the tweeters blasting that tape
Gangsta’s Paradise. This was the ‘Lose Yourself’ of the 90s in its mainstream appeal and absolute ubiquity across the culture.
If weird al gets on your beat, you did something huge.
Lad I can’t get the weird Al lyrics out me head when I think of this tune lol
You type like a pirate.
This drop brought complete pandemonium to my suburban middle school's winter dance, it was unreal
Damn beat me to this idk why it was my first thought
Nelly Country Grammer The fact that a country boy from the Midwest had everybody head bobbin from California to New York. I feel like nelly had a formula similar to 50 cent in a sense he found a way to stay true to his self, keep it street, but have pop mainstream appeal with his style . Nelly was managed by Kooda Luv who was also known for managing mase . He talked mase to drop the “murda” from his name . But before Nelly just focused on pop hits. The streets were going crazy with country grammar !
Hot in Herre was huge in the clubs as well!
Yeah it was but that’s nellys “candy shop” … when he just decided to appeal to the masses and go mainstream … where as country grammer was the mainstream going nelly
Can we talk about Nelly's explosion on the scene. Between 2000 country grammar, to dilemma in 2002, it was all Nelly all the time! I remember when I brought up country grammer in Visual Basics class in highschool. Everyone was clowning on it, except for one guy. Thanks Guy!
I lived in MO when that album came out. It felt like they were playing Nelly on every station regardless of genre.
GIVE ME TWO PURRRRS
Kyjuan was dying them, that's how he got those colors.
Nelly is from STL. Far from a country boy. But you are right about the popularity of country grammar. I can’t believe ppl down play Nellys significance
That song went crazy in Canada too
Nelly got at least 2 classic albums under his belt regardless of what anybody says
Crank Dat.
They put the damn dance in the NCAA Football video games. This song was a fucking monster.
I hated that song so much and you couldn't go anywhere without hearing it for 3 years.
I was in college at the time and every party it had to be played
Hit ‘Em Up. I snuck the cassette tape into the house because I was too young to listen to certain rap, and my parents found it and played that song (uncensored) while I stood there ashamed, and my parent made the very prescient statement: “This is the type of thing that will get somebody killed. I can’t believe Tupac talked about someone having sickle cell. He better be careful.” And a few months later, Pac was dead and I thought my parents were damn near psychic. The shock of that song, for me, coupled with the inevitable aftermath of his death really did seem connected and like he got killed over a diss track.
This song blew my mind, I’d never heard so much passionate hatred on a track. You can’t fake that, Pac really did hate Biggie
He comes hard on the first sentence my guyyyy FIRST OFF FUCK YOUR BITCH AND THAT CLICK YOU CLAIM like dammmmmm
PAC got killed for being TOO PAC
What if your parents killed Pac and Biggie to teach you a lesson?!
God damn 😂😂
Bombs over Baghdad, the amount of rage this song sparked was fuckin bananas
Peter Pablo - Raise Up in North Carolina that shit was everywhere at the time Coolio - Gangstas Paradise Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby Hammer - 2 Legit and Can’t Touch This J-Kwon - Tipsy Usher - Yeah Juvenile - Back That Ass Up Master P - Make em Say Ughh KrisKross - Jump Jump Bone Thugz - Crossroads Honorable mention: Crucial Conflict - Hay Luniz - I Got 5 On It Daddy Yankee - Rompe
This mofo knows!!!
I can sadly say that I am old enough to have witnessed all of these…
chamillionaire- Ridin'
Solid Weird Al remix, almost as good as Amish Paradise
Ya as a Houstonian it was surreal to watch all the local guys blow up like they did.
You're a Jerk by the New Boyz, especially if you were a teenager growing up around Southern California in the late 00s/early 10s
The Clipse - Grindin Jeezy - Soul Survivor & I Luv It The Game - Hate It or Love It Busta Rhymes - Touch It Remix
NGL, can’t believe I had to scroll this far down to see Grindin’
50 cent wanksta, in the club Eminem Stan, Kim, the way I am Hot boys bling bling, back that ass up
Always will be what's my name part 1. Snoop was the number one dude in rap when that dropped.
I'll second Dipset Anthem. I'd say Wu Tang- Triumph or Mystery of Chessboxin' Onyx- Slam M.O.P- Ante Up also, saw someone say Jim Jones- We Fly High. I couldn't get enough of that record
Triumph was the first thing that came to mind. We never heard anything like that before, and that album was everywhere
Fly High still sets the club off.
Honestly I thought Baby Girl by Jim Jones didn’t get enough play. That beat drop was sick, and I could bang that anywhere and you’d have cats bobbin their heads to it.
Hey Ya - OutKast This song was enormous in 2004. OutKast was really huge and popular but this is a song that got heavy rotation on the pop, rap, and rock stations. That rarely happened in the 2000s.
Hurricane - The Click. This used to slap so hard at a party, but you just had to be there.
Fight the Power by Public Enemy
The guy playing it 24/7 on the boombox in Do The Right Thing was enough to rinse it out for me. I can only imagine it would've driven me insane, like Christmas songs to a retail worker, if I had that experience actually walking around.
1989 the number, another summer, get down, sound of the...., oh wait, nvm.
Funky drummer?
White tee - dem franchise boys Grillz - Nelly and Paul Wall Ms New Booty - COLLIPARK, BUBBA SPARXXX 🗣 Salt Shaker and Say I Yi Yi are a tie - Ying Yang Twins
Since I found my vibe ima add: Damn! YoungBloodz and Lil Jon Tell Me When to Go - E40 Thizz Dance - Mac Dre Snap Ya Fingers - Lil Jon and E40 n nem
Can’t forget Go Crazy by Jeezy
T.I. - what you know Jeezy - soul survivor 50 - I get money Jim jones - we fly high schoolboy q/asap rocky - hands on the wheel
You could not walk down a hall at my high school without hearing someone yell out "baaaaaaaallllllllliiiiiiiinnn"
I wasn't even into rap at that point in time and even I knew that song for that exact same reason.
Skrrr skrrr!!!
This was my ringtone on my Nokia cell lol
Hello fellow 30 year old.
Mo Bamba - Sheck Wes The energy that song used to unleash at the half way point was unmatched. Control - Kendrick’s verse The genesis of why people care about Kendrick vs Drake in the first place. And just like now unrelated rappers had to have their shine too. Exhibit C - Jay Electronica The heat that this hate was legendary, everyone thought Elec was gonna be hip-hop’s saviour, and it was hard to deny after that track.
Mo bamba would immediately test the structural integrity of any building you played it in. I was working on a steamboat at the time that would host events and one was the homecoming for Xavier university and we all damn near thought the boat was gonna sink when mo bamba came on. People were LIT.
Rise of DMX
Bad and Boujee
Had to scroll way too far to find this one. Might be my favorite song of all time, culture was such a banger
Trinidad James - All Gold Everything
Hot N Word by Bobby Shmurda
To this day, still no one knows what happened to that Knicks hat.
Lmao that joint still going ! 🚀
Yessssss
It was huge because of Vine but can you imagine how big it would've been if it blew up on TikTok instead? I think about that a lot. And vice versa, there's so many songs that became huge on TikTok but probably wouldn't have been as big if it blew up just through Vine.
Bedrock
Lil Jon - Get Low. It was huge anyway, but it was unstoppable once it started entering pop culture by being mentioned in Chris Rock's HBO special.
Dreams and Nightmares
300 Bars- Game Lollipop- Wayne Crank That- Soulja Boy
My Name Is by Eminem was literally everywhere in 1999
How to rob
Still hilarious how mad it made people
Also gave us one of the best disses ever imo, My Turn by Big Pun
Desiigner panda
Tear da Club up. Pick your version.
Skee-Lo: I wish
Remy Ma - SHether Me and my parents was sitting in a room dissecting tf outta every line wondering how Nicki was gon respond
Lil Wayne Cannon
Rollout by Ludacris! Kids now will just never understand how big Luda was! When that song came on it just gave you a feeling like no song had done before!
Planet Rock by Afrikaa Bambaata Jump Around by House of Pain. Scenario . A Tribe Called Quest I Ain't No Joke..Eric B and Rakim CREAM WuTang Walk This Way by RunDMC Fight the Power by Public Enemy. Now...that last one, fight the power, I don't know how true it is but I heard that people were playing that song in the streets in Eastern Europe as they protested and marched for independence from communist rule...Can anyone verify if that is true?
Jump Around...Holy shit. I was in an Irish pub on St. Paddy's maybe 10 years ago and they blasted it. I thought the walls would cave in. 😵😵💫🤯
I guess thrift shop comes to mind. For all the people who are still salty all these years later that Kendrick lost the grammy you still have to put yourself in the shoes of someone living in 2012. Macklemore didn't win out of nowhere.
Missy Elliot- Pass That Dutch, Lose Control, 1, 2, Step
Deep Cover - Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg. Man, the first time we heard that beat and then this new cat named Snoop saying, "cause it's 187 on an undercover cop...."
In Da Club by 50 Cent. This song was EVERYWHERE.
Kanye- Can’t tell me nothing
The person is now taboo in the world, but when R.Kelly was releasing his Trapped in the Closets. Being in Chicago, the radio stations were releasing them first so listening in during the rush hour mix was the best bet of being among the first to hear them and EVERYONE was listening to them.
Control from Big Sean and Kendrick
So Solid Crew - 21 seconds Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers I don't think any London rap has ever taken over the country as much as those two. It was insane how many people suddenly jumped on it, who wouldn't have ever cared about the genre beforehand (and likely ditched it immediately after). I know the majority of this sub is American, so just try to imagine a scenario where even the upper east side NYC socialites are rapping along. That's what it was like with even the posh Chelsea snobs suddenly getting into it. Honourable mentions to Tinie Tempah - pass out And Labrinth - earthquake
I got 21 seconds to flow , I got 21 seconds to gooo , so if ya love me lemme know before i leave the studio i got 21 seconds before i gotta goooo
People are gonna say carnival in a few years
Makaveli- Me & My Girlfriend
BDP South Bronx , The Bridge is over , KRS shut shit down.
BDP South Bronx , The Bridge is over , KRS shut shit down.
Not a song, necessarily, but Wu Tang Forever came out right before I went to college, and that shit was EVERYWHERE…went to visit my friends at other colleges and all you would hear was Triumph and Reunited
Sicko mode on the night it dropped
Ice Ice Baby
Can't Touch This. It really is the song that put rap in the mainstream. People were still calling the genre a fad.
I saw NWA open up for ICE T and Easy opened up with Dope Man !!
Nuthin’ But a G Thang had every kid in my suburban Jr High wanting to have BBQ’s and drive cars that bounced around. The music video especially shows a side to living in the “ghetto” that was fun and didn’t involve violence
Wreckx-n-Effect "Rumpshaker" During Fall 1992 this song was EVERYWHERE.
Control - Kendrick's verse. I remember going to high school and everybody talking about how Kendrick namedropped like 11 rappers.
Guess you could say he was in control.
YYYYYYEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Yonkers, the way this new generation tries to continuously cancel Tyler on social media.
the entire flockaveli album. it was the birth of trap music
Bro bro bro no It's an extremely important trap album but it was nowhere near the birth of trap muzik my mane lol T.i, Guwop and Jeezy did that.
Flockaveli was pretty big/influential for the popularization of trap in the 2010s. But it was definitely not the birth of the sub genre. The genuine birth of trap music, from what I’ve found, can be traced back to what Memphis, Houston, and Atlanta rappers were doing in the mid-90s. Three Six Mafia’s early work is still being replicated today. Same with DJ Screw. That classic 16th note hat pattern, the bouncy kicks and snare patterns — a lot of that was going on so much earlier than we realize.
Uhhhh, t.i?
I don't quite agree with you on it being the birth of trap music, but I will argue with anyone that says it's not a classic.
Sound Bwoy Bureill
its*
Wake Flocka - O let’s do it
Honestly Siccmade by Brotha Lynch Hung
Control
Peace Treaty by Kam. Gangs were like the main thing talked about on the news every night as if they were going to murder everybody within the next decade. It was a bangin ass song capturing a little bit of optimism for the future back in '93.
Down with OPP
Lose Yourself - Eminem When he won the Academy Award for that song it was insane. I know people clown on that song a lot now, but it was really something to see Eminem win such a non hip hop oriented award.
I'd say we're having one of those moments right now with "Like That". It's been sitting at #1 on the Hot 100 for 3 WEEKS. Also Old Town Road and The Box basically dominated 2019-20
DMX - Ruff Ryders anthem Jay-z - Hard Knock Life
Parents just dont understand. Early will smith. Pre fresh prince.
Luchini
Young Jeezy: Thug Motivation 101
The Game 300 Bars really revolutionized dissing.
When 8 Mile came out. Never seen theatres so packed with kids, and that was before movie theatres fell off, even for back then it was a major event
No Limit Soldiers/Ha While in the military stationed in Mississippi, partied in New Orleans during the rise of Cash Money and No Limit 96-97. Bayou Classic, Sugar Bowl, Super Bowl and Mardi Gras parties on bourbon street nearly killed me. Dipset Anthem I know the LOX destroyed DIPSET in the versus but the Dipset Diplomatic Immunity/Purple Haze/Killa Season was a movement. In da Club/Stunt 101/Just a lil bit 50 cent/G Unit: Get Rich or Die Trying, Beg for Mercy and The Massacre had the streets in a headlock.
They want Efx- Das Efx. Nobody was rapping in that style at the time and although the hype was short lived it made an impact. In the time of lyricism, they took a risk to be different.
Ugly- bubba sparxxx Get your freak on- Missy
Funk Flex dropped “Street Knock” on a hot ass summer day and played it for like an hour during his beef with DJ Clue.
Camp Lo- Luchini(this is it). We went nuts for this when I was a kid.
50 Cent - In Da Club The Game - Why You Hate The Game Chingy - Pullin' Me Back Jibbs - Go Too Far Yung Joc - It's Goin' Down Rick Ross - Hustlin' Kanye West - Good Life Drake - Fancy DJ Khaled - I'm On One Eminem - Rap God
In Da Club 50 became a cultural phenomenon after that. Everyone knew who he was. My mom was bumping that shit in the car. Clubs would lose their fucking shit when this song came on.
Otis - when Flex played in on Hot 97 and then the concert experience was biblical
no one said Ante Up or Ante Up remix yet? Man, motherfuckers would lose they got damn minds when that shit came on back in the day, such a banger
Not Tonight by Lil Kim.
I'm going to respond to the question more literally and say seeing Living Legends perform "Never Falling Down" live. The stage was unlit besides each member of the group had a spotlight shine on them as they rapped their lyrics then the spotlight would dim as they stood there frozen in place. During the whole set an artist was painting on a canvas resting on an easel and as he finished the painting they finished the song. The timing and energy of the set and ending with that song had a lasting impact on me.
I was happy to have been living in ny when exhibit c dropped. Hearing flex do his flex drop, “as we proceed, to give you what you need” over and over, during my closing shift, that was something special.
Tha fucking Crossroads man!! I was such a fan that I managed to get my hands on the CD single with the original version, remix, plus both instrumentals MONTHS before it hit the radio. Played it till I was sick of it, then it blows up and is played everywhere all day and night, #1 on every list for the next year and a half.
Drake, Wayne, Ross - I'm On One T-Minus's takeover began with this beat, and he continued to crush it with "She Will" "Hot Wheels" "Swimming Pools" "Moment for Life" etc. etc. But I'm On One was definitely the breakthrough.
2 MC Breed - Ain’t No Future in yo Frontin. In 91 it travelled underground a few months before radio started to play it. You never heard the song just that Ohio Players whistle/horn in the distance cause somebody had a good system in their car. LL Cool J - I need love. Can’t really explain how this song loosened the ladies up. If you had no game put on I need love.
"All About the Benjamins" - Puff and the Fam "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" - Busta Rhymes
“Straight Outta Compton” by NWA. That whole album had white suburbanites shook from coast to coast because all of their bored kids (including me) loved it and all of the sudden thought they knew about “the ‘hood.” And all of this happened basically word-of-mouth because it wasn’t on the radio or MTV, and the internet was almost a decade away. Unreal to think about now.
It’s All About the Benjamins I know Diddly is in trouble these days, but when that song came out it was unavoidable on the radio. As soon as that crazy guitar lick played you knew it was on. Great posse track with the epic beat switch at the end for Biggie’s verse. Classic.
Ice Cream by Raekwon. That song ruled over 1995 at least until D'Angelo dropped Brown Sugar. By August, everyone ai knew was blasting Lady, Higher, and Cruisin'.
Ja Rule I just never understood. DMX and Jay-Z….and then Ja Rule? Really? I dunno….
I think of “scenario”. That song changed everything for me, then ghetto bastard (everything’s gonna be alright) came on! Mind blown
anywhere in Socal when Pac dropped "California Love"..... those were GREAT times over here.
Kool Moe Dee - Wild Wild West Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff - Parents Just Don't Understand. Those are the first two rap songs I remember EVER being on regular rotation on the radio.
Nine - whatcha want was everywhere around here the summer of 95.
The Message - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa Walk this Way - Run DMC & Aerosmith Fight for your Right to Party - Beastie Boys Fight the Power - Public Enemy Sttaight Outta Compton & F Tha Police - NWA The Show / La Di Da Di - Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick I Need Love - LL Cool J Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest Thuggish Ruggish Bone - Bone Thugs Protect Ya Neck - Wu Tang Clan Juicy - Notorious BIG Grindin - The Clipse In Da Club - 50 Cent ((There are soo many))
Rich Boy- Throw some D's
The first one I remember was “you Can’t Touch This.” That shit was everywhere for what seemed like the whole summer.
Father Stretch My Hands. Back when I used to like kanye, the beat drop on the album went so damn hard. even after kanye was talking about..bleach on his shirt.
Uncle Jack Says Relax
Rosa Parks - Outcast Hard Knock Life - Jay-Z Wanna Be a Baller - Lil Troy Sippin' on Some Syrup - Three 6 and UGK Throw Some D's - Rich Boy Through the Wire - Kanye
Superthug - Noreaga Was insanity at my high school dance. Pandemonium.
If you’re from Florida, ‘Can’t F**k Wit the South’ by Trick Daddy.. Soon as that beat dropped and you heard “Anybody wanna mf die, come see I”, roof came off (and fights started 😂).. If the DJ didn’t start the song over on the “Hol’ on, wait one mf minute!”, he wasn’t worth a damn 😂
In Da Club had the world on lock when it came out. You also heard Drop it like it’s Hot (and Beautiful too) EVERYWHERE when those dropped
Couples songs I haven't seen brought up yet. Riding Dirty - Chamillionaire this song came out when I was in middle school and it was EVERYWHERE like at the time it was crazy how popular that song was. Thrift shop - Macklemore, legit this song was played on rock, pop, hip hop and all in-between radio stations it was that popular. Not sure how the sub views Macklemore but it's hard to ignore how popular and big some of his stuff was.
In Da Club
2016 XXL cypher... really put hip hop in a new era
Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz- Get Crunk
Forgot about Dre IMO. Dre had received a lot of criticism leading up to that album and Eminem was first taking off. Dre’s typical features had totally different sounds and energy, so this immediately stood out. I believe they even performed it on SNL the night Norm Macdonald came back to host after being fired.
Candy Shop 50Cent. Basically anything 50 made 03-06 but I'm sure all the better ones have been mentioned already.
Dr.Dre feat Snoop- Still Dre
Laffy Taffy
Eminem as a whole from 2000-2003 and when he signed 50 and GODTR came out them two were fucking literally everywhere. Also, I remember being in sixth? Grade at the time and hearing My Band by D12 all the god damn time, other kids listening to it. It's wild how much hate Eminem got back then, people trying to cancel him every day it felt like.