November 28, 2024
The history of rap music, all things considered, doesn't go back too far. The genre came out of New York in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it was about a decade before it got its footing.
Which makes its rise and indelible impact all the more amazing. In just over four decades, rap has had a major influence on popular culture and American society — often as the touchstone for trends and speaking truth to power.
As rap music continues to evolve, we look forward to the future and appreciate the past. These are the greatest rap songs of all time.
30. 'Grindin' by The Clipse
Year released: 2002
Album: "Lord Willin'"
Song length: 4:24
Billboard singles charts: No. 8 (U.S. Rap), No. 10 (U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop), No. 30 (U.S. Hot 100)
Bottom line: The Virginia rap duo The Clipse left little to the imagination as far as what their ceiling was after they released their first single in 2002. "Grindin'" became a Top 40 summer anthem and introduced new talent to the scene.
Shepherded along on the production end by The Neptunes, the story behind the hit song also is a classic. It was a beat that Pharell Williams originally intended for Jay-Z before gifting it to Clipse.
Everybody can name Pusha T, but can you name the other member of The Clipse? That's No Malice.
29. 'You Don't Hear Me Doe' by Scarface
Year released: 1993
Album: "The World is Yours"
Song length: 3:57
Billboard singles charts: N/A
Bottom line: Legendary rapper Scarface charted 14 singles in his career. This wasn't one of them, which makes us appreciate its longevity even more.
Looking back on Scarface's career, we can now say with some level of certainty that "The World is Yours" is his greatest album — and one that sold 2.1 million copies in the U.S. in its first year of release.
"You Don't Hear Me Doe" is great because of how sparse it is. Scarface jumps in and jumps out, no sweat, and the hook for the song is literally "yeah, check it" over and over.
Listen to "You Don't Hear Me Doe."
28. 'Award Tour' by A Tribe Called Quest
Year released: 1993
Album: "Midnight Marauders"
Song length: 3:46
Billboard singles charts: No. 47 (U.S. Hot 100), No. 7 (U.S. Rap), No. 27 (U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop), No. 1 (U.S. Dance Music)
Bottom line: "Award Tour" is still the highest-charting song for A Tribe Called Quest, who are essentially rap's version of The Grateful Dead. They toured and performed together from 1985 through the death of original member Phife Dawg in 2016.
This is an "inside baseball" type of song for the true hip-hop heads out there, and it's been name-checked on dozens of songs and in TV shows, movies and video games over the last three decades.
This is a worldwide song. It was as big a hit overseas as it was in America.
27. 'The Bridge Is Over' by KRS-One
Year released: 1987
Album: "Criminal Minded"
Song length: 3:26
Billboard singles charts: N/A
Bottom line: "The Bridge Is Over" is one of the greatest diss songs of all time — a shot across the bow from KRS One against MC Shan, Marley Marl, The Juice Crew and any rapper from Queens or the Queensbridge projects.
KRS One reminds us what absolute boldness from an MC looks like. And the fact that this is one of the most sampled rap songs of all time backs that up.
Listen to "The Bridge Is Over."
26. 'Noorotic' by Redman
Year released: 1994
Album: "Dare Iz a Darkside"
Song length: 3:32
Billboard singles charts: N/A
Bottom line: Redman's 1994 album "Dare Iz a Darkside" has only grown in esteem over the years — despite his refusal to play any of its songs in concert for some good reasons.
Created at the most personally trying time in his life, Redman was surprised by the album's success as it was him at his most cynical and lyrically violent.
The album went to No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. R&B Chart and charted two singles with "Rockafella" and "Can't Wait," but for our money, "Noorotic" is the best song off that album.
25. 'Criminal' by Eminem
Year released: 2000
Album: "The Marshall Mathers LP"
Song length: 5:18
Billboard singles charts: N/A
Bottom line: Eminem has more massive, chart-busting songs than you can shake a stick at — "Criminal" isn't one of them.
The last track on his best album, "Criminal" was born when Eminem heard producer Jeff Bass playing a piano riff next to his studio and turned it into lyrical gold.
"Criminal" is also one of Eminem's more controversial songs because of the lyrics and definitely pushes the borders of what freedom of expression offers artists. It's raw and powerful, and there's nothing else like it in his discography.
24. 'Whats Poppin' by Jack Harlow
Year released: 2020
Album: "Thats What They All Say"
Song length: 2:19
Billboard singles charts: No. 8 (U.S. Hot 100), No. 7 (U.S.R&B/Hip-Hop)
Bottom line: You see this song on here and say "recency bias," and we hear you loud and clear. We just don't care.
Jack Harlow was the breakout rap star of 2020 with his album "Thats What They All Say," and nothing propelled that forward more than the single "Whats Poppin'," which is just so instantly replayable and wonderful you can't get past it.
There's nothing about this song we don't love — and it's one of the shortest songs on the list at just a shade over two minutes long.
23. 'Ambitionz Az a Ridah' by 2Pac
Year released: 1996
Album: "All Eyez on Me"
Song length: 4:39
Billboard singles charts: No. 5 (U.S. Hot 100)
Bottom line: We would need a time machine to get across the utter delirium the release of 2Pac's "All Eyez on Me" triggered when it came out at the beginning of 1996 — the first double-CD rap album released globally and 2Pac's first album after being released from prison and joining Death Row Records.
While there were songs on the album that charted higher, nothing proved to have the legs of "Ambitionz As a Ridah," which feels more like a hot ball of fire coming out of the speakers than an actual song.
Listen to "Ambitionz Az a Ridah."
22. 'Supersonic' by J.J. Fad
Year released: 1988
Album: "Supersonic"
Song length: 3:53
Billboard singles charts: No. 30 (U.S. Hot 100), No. 10 (U.S. Dance Chart)
Bottom line: In the history of music, few songs have been so blatantly ripped off as classic rap hit "Supersonic" by J.J. Fad — essentially stolen outright by Fergie for her hit song "Fergalicious" until someone from Ruthless Records threatened to sue and royalties kicked in.
There's nothing not to love about "Supersonic" even today, and it does what so many great songs seem to do in that it's almost like multiple songs wrapped into one.
J.J. Fad's success was what laid the foundation for N.W.A. at Ruthless Records as detailed in the documentary "The Defiant Ones" about Dr. Dre and producer Jimmy Iovine.
21. 'Nuthin' but a "G" Thang' by Dr. Dre Featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg
Year released: 1992
Album: The Chronic
Billboard singles charts: No. 2 (U.S. Hot 100), No. 1 (U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop)
Bottom line: While this is a list of the greatest rap songs of all time, please keep in mind it's not a list of the most popular or most well-known rap songs of all time – both of those lists would need to keep "Nuthing but a 'G' Thang" in contention for the No. 1 spot.
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