The ALLHIPHOP.com 100: A hiphop tutorial for the uninformed

Keep the list going

102. JayZ " You must love me"

We have very similar tastes. I would throw in that classic, "the ghetto" by one of the pioneer "misogynists" (lol) Too Short (I'm from the old school). "The message" by the sugar hill gang (more evidence of my old school roots)..."self destruction" (by p.e.)(I used to have a p.e. t-shirt with the brother in the crosshairs). That whole game theory joint by the roots was tight. I think mike jones' "five years from now" goes back to the social protest origins of hip hop.

The only song I recognize is "Jesus Walks". Does the Web site have the lyrics, too?

The only song I recognize is "Jesus Walks". Does the Web site have the lyrics, too?

You don't recognize "I Need Love" from LL Cool J or "Crazy" from Gnarls Barkley? I can only recognize about 20 of these songs off the bat myself.

Wait a sec...I do remember "I Need Love". That makes two. I hardly ever listened to hip hop growing up, and when I did, it was because someone around me was listening to it.

quick-on-the-trigger hater

LOL.

I assume you're not talking about the fans of good hip-hop who challenge misogynistic lyrics? I'm quite positive that you would never stereotype people that way, Kaze, and are perfectly capable of discerning the difference.

Not my words Donna. As I stated I took that from ALLHIPHOP.com. Those are the words of the gentleman who made the list. Read the entire paragraph leading up to the list please. quik-on-the-trigger hater? "..Next time some quick-on-the-trigger hater claims Hip-Hop is the cause of our moral demise, ask them if they’ve bothered to listen to any of THESE joints." Incidentally, Im not the only one who feels like I do. We have a strong contingent.

"From allhiphop.com folks, a little food for thought. please read and go find these songs!"...the only line that was actually mine.

Oh, good. I thought you were too smart to make that kind of generalization.

I do, though, love seeing the emphasis put back on good rap instead of all the trash that has been raking in the dough. I think we're at the tipping point, and I give thanks for that.

didnt say I DIDNT agree Donna :-) I just said *I* didnt say it!
*Ive* said all I can on the issue. Just looking around the net for spots that this same discussion has popped up on and looking at other opinions.

Well, I can't imagine that you think that anyone who would are criticize any rap lyrics is a "quick-on-the-trigger hater." That would mean that you haven't listened to much of what has been said directly to you on the topic. Please tell me that isn't true. You do listen, right?

Calling all rappers amoral? That has been said in the discussion here. What is that donna if not a "quick-on-the-trigger hater." I don't think Ray put too much thought into that comment before he typed it. or maybe he did. I think what allhiphop.com ( i won't speak for kaze) is saying that alot of people are jumping on the blame hiphop for all the worlds ills bandwagons without even knowing anything about it other than the crap you see on tv or hear on the radio.

"The only song I recognize is "Jesus Walks". Does the Web site have the lyrics, too?" L.W. That is as much part of the problem as the abusive lyrics are.

Ray will have to defend himself on that one. My point is that most rap critics I know are not critical of all rap, but only that of the particularly misogynistic and violent stuff. My point was that I assume that this phrase isn't being ignorantly applied to any and all criticism, because that would be a lie.

Otherwise, the problem for rappers on this issue is that the bad lyrics are out there and being defended by many rappers. The other songs may be great, but they in no way negate any of the negative. It would be like pointing to David Alan Coe's other non-racist country songs to try to say he wasn't a racist because he did non-racist songs.

That is, until rappers themselves condemn the really ugly stuff, they will be known for it, no matter what else they do. (Kind of like Mississippians and the Confederate flag, in fact.)

That said, I'm too braindead to re-argue this issue, so I'm out. I was just rubbed wrong by the stereotype that Kaze posted above.

"The only song I recognize is "Jesus Walks". Does the Web site have the lyrics, too?" L.W. That is as much part of the problem as the abusive lyrics are.

Jay. Whoa, dude. I come from a strict religious background, so there's a lot I don't know. If want to blame someone, blame my mama.

Anyway, the genres I am most familiar with are gospel, soul and R&B. Maybe a little classical. It just happened that way. I'm still trying to learn here. I recognize a lot of the names and know some of their faces, but I just wasn't a big rap and hip hop fan back in the day. However, I do remember some names of songs that are not on the list, although I remember the music better than the lyrics so I don't know how clean those songs are:

LL Cool J - Goin' Back to Cali
Kool Moe Dee- Wild Wild West
Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand
Whoever did the "You say he's just a friend" song - can't remember his name
De La Soul - Me, Myself and I

I remember names like Queen Latifah, Vanilla Ice, MC Lyte, Tone Loc, and Monie-somebody. Who did the "Supersonic" song? I remember that the song had the h-e-double-hockey-sticks word in it. Was Rico Suave a rapper?

I was also a nerd in school and cared more about PBS than MTV. Sue me.

Whoever did the "You say he's just a friend" song - can't remember his name

Biz Markie

I remember names like Queen Latifah, Vanilla Ice, MC Lyte, Tone Loc, and Monie-somebody. Who did the "Supersonic" song? I remember that the song had the h-e-double-hockey-sticks word in it. Was Rico Suave a rapper?

Monie Love. "Supersonic" was from JJ Fad. "Rico Sauve" was the name of the song; Gerardo was the name of the rapper who performed it.

I didn't mean to offend you L.W. What i meant was that many of these songs are not and were not heavily played on the radio or on the MTV you weren't watching. I was not blaming you or saying that you should listen to hip hop or something is wrong with you if you don't . What is wrong is that people know who 50 cent is they don't know who kweli or common is and those artist are far more representative of what hip hop is and if more people knew that that would help the discussion. Again, I didn't mean to offend you. and "you say he's just a friend" is Biz Markee

What is wrong is that people know who 50 cent is they don't know who kweli or common is and those artist are far more representative of what hip hop is and if more people knew that that would help the discussion.

That's because 50 Cent gets far more airplay on radio and TV than Kweli and Common, thus more name recognition. I can only name one Common song off the bat ("Go"), but nothing from Kweli.

Those were classics :-) But for the purposes of this thread I think the folks at allhiphop were trying to focus on songs in hiphop that had overt positive messages or themes. Especially from the artists that get the proverbial finger of shame pointed at them. Not really talking about the "fun" songs which those were.

Jay 50 is just as much hiphop as Talib, or common is. the probelm is we try to define it and give it boundaries or categorize. 50's story is just as much hiphop as Talib's is. Every artist in the hiphop spectrum represents some side of it. Life is not all roses and candy and the music isnt. good and Bad must be given equal platform or else you have nothing to guage. I will admit that the bad gets a little more play in this era as opposed to those years where Will Smith and LL or P.E. was poppin. It IS unbalanced. If anything Id be in favor of a better balance. Instead of pulling songs how about giving the commons, talib's, little brother's, and lupe fiasco' of the world so equal radio play and let the consumer decide. You have to give them a choice, not make the choice for them.

I'm suprised Poor Righteous Teachers' "Rock This Funky Joint" wasn't included.

50 is a part of hiphop, i just don't think he should be the face of it. and golden eagle you are right. My thing is that there are other artists out there who make much better music than the 50 cents of the world and they don't get air play because that isn't what the industry wants out there. And that is not just the case in hiphop but in television or the movies. Everyone just wants the same tired thing on that easy and cheap to produce.

Kaze i don't wanna be preached to on every song and I like to party like a rock star too but there has to be a line with some of this crap out there. i don't like the idea of a hiphop police and i tend to agree with you that no one should decide what is real hiphop but its getting really hard with some of the acts that are getting record deals

I'm suprised Poor Righteous Teachers' "Rock This Funky Joint" wasn't included.
golden eagle

Man, how old are you? lol, you pulling out some real classics

kaze, the problem is the really positive stuff from folks like common, kweli, m1 get no spins from radio stations. it is a corrupt situtation.

As m1 says if you come with something positive you may not get any spins unless "you take over the station". lol

I'm surprised that arrested development and nappy roots didn't get anything on the list. Those groups had some very positive messages.

golden eagle

Man, how old are you? lol, you pulling out some real classics

Old enough! I'm 32.

Whatever happened to diggable planets?

There's no Africa Bombaata on there either. lol

Throw in some Eric B. & Rakim too!

Oh yeah, Arrested Development. I remember them, but I didn't see them as hip hop. I liked the "Tennessee" song. The guy that wore white all the time spoke at Tougaloo when I was a freshman. I thought he was cool.

Jay, that's okay. I apologize for getting a little ARRRRRGH about it. The whole thing just brought up memories of me being called "nerd", "weird" or "sanctified". I guess some of that stuff I dealt with in school kinda rose up in me. I shouldn't take it out on you. Oops. <tucks tail between legs and runs>

Oh, Golden Eagle, I'm 32 too. You done put me to shame. :-P

Look what I found:

Tennessee Video
Tennessee Concert

So... is this list to prove that there are at least 101 songs with some sort of redeeming quality? I find it funny that #1 is Hey mama.

"Even though I sell rocks, it feels good putting money in your mailbox"

She must be so proud.

Oh, and from Drudge...

"Rap star Cam'ron says there's no situation -- including a serial killer living next door -- that would cause him to help police in any way, because to do so would hurt his music sales and violate his "code of ethics." Cam'ron, whose real name is Cameron Giles, talks to Anderson Cooper for a report on how the hip-hop culture's message to shun the police has undermined efforts to solve murders across the country. "

Cooper's report will be broadcast on 60 MINUTES Sunday, April 22 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Don't want to undermine his "street cred" ya know? What kind of code of ethics does the rap industry have?

lc

You see me mowin' my front lawn
I know they're all thinkin' I'm so
White and nerdy

Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't you see I'm white and nerdy
Look at me I'm white and nerdy

I wanna roll with the gangstas
But so far they all think I'm too
White and nerdy

Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
Really, really white and nerdy

First in my class here at MIT
Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D
M.C. Escher, that's my favorite M.C.
Keep you're 40, I'll just have an Earl Grey tea
My rims never spin, to the contrary
You'll find that they're quite stationary
All of my action figures are cherry
Stephen Hawking's in my library

My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
Got people beggin' for my top eight spaces
Yo, I know pi to a thousand places
Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces
I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
I'm a wiz at Minesweeper, I could play for days
Once you've see my sweet moves, you're gonna stay amazed
My fingers movin' so fast I'll set the place ablaze

There's no killer app I haven't run (run)
At Pascal, well I'm number one (one)
Do vector calculus just for fun
I ain't got a gat, but I got a soldering gun (what?)
Happy Days is my favorite theme song
I could sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon

Here's the part I sing on...

You see me roll on my Segway
I know in my heart they think I'm
White and nerdy

Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't you see I'm white and nerdy
Look at me I'm white and nerdy

I'd like to roll with the gangstas
Although it's apparent I'm too
White and nerdy

Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
How'd I get so white and nerdy

I been browsin', inspectin' X-Men comics
You know I collect 'em
The pens in my pocket, I must protect them
My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
Shoppin' online for deals on some writable media
I edit Wikipedia
I memorized Holy Grail really well
I can recite it right now and have you R-O-T-F-L-O-L

I got a business doing websites (websites)
When my friends need some code, who do they call?
I do HTML for 'em all
Even made a homepage for my dog, yo
I got myself a fanny pack
They were havin' a sale down at The Gap
Spend my nights with a role of bubble wrap
Pop, pop - hope no one sees me gettin' freaky

I'm nerdy in the extreme
Whiter than sour cream
I was in AV club and glee club
And even the chess team
Only question I ever thought was hard
Was "Do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?"
Spend every weekend at the Renaissance Faire

Got my name on my underwear They see me strollin', they're laughin'
And rollin' their eyes cause I'm so
White and nerdy

Just because I'm white and nerdy
Just because I'm white and nerdy
All because I'm white and nerdy
Holy cow, I'm white and nerdy

I wanna bowl with the gangstas
But oh well, it's obvious I'm
White and nerdy

I'm with Donna on the "haters." But I'm totally white and nerdy like that ;P.

Emily, where did those lyrics come from? That is hilarious. Is there a "black and nerdy" song? :-P

Just for you guys...

White and Trashy Song

This website says they grabbed the song off the radio. The people who made this song, and video (which I have on tape), lived in Atlanta, and put it out on public access as part of show by a groovy video store in L5P.

I can't find the video on the internet; but maybe someday I'll get it off VCR tape and onto digital.

Enjoy!

You guys are starting to creep me out a little. :-P

White and Nerdy is a wonderful song by Weird Al Yankovic.

And I haven't heard any of that Top 100 list, either. None. Zilch. Nada.

no comment.

I know nothing

What a snoozefest. That list is slow enough for Lawrence Welk fans. I had truly hoped to see rap and hip hop die from people waking up and realizing how truly boring it is. They never record anything fast or danceable and, if there is anything fast, it is so far underground that you will never find it.

Rap and hip hop should have died in the early to mid 1990s because that's when it became nothing but some talking over a stripped down midtempo beat. The beat isn't even a strong funky beat. It's weak. It sounds like it was made from one of those pre-recorded beat samples on one of those $20 kiddie keyboards from Walmart. The beat just barely taps like a grandfather clock....tick.....tock.....tick.....tock. What could be more boring?

Rap didn't always used to be the way it became in the 1990s and 2000s. In the 1980s, there were several tempos of rap and a lot of it was fun, funky, and danceable. The following were some jams from the 1980s when rap was still good:

Planet Rock – Soul Sonic Force
Egypt, Egypt – Egyptian Lover
Electric Kingdom – Twilight 22
Jam On It – Newcleus
Can You Rock It Like This – Run DMC
Survival – Melle Mel and Duke Boutee
Five Minutes of Funk – Whodini
Request Line – Rockmaster Scott and the Dynamic Three
Flamethrower Rap – Felix and Jarvis
The Challenge – Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde
Ya Mama – Wuff Ticket
What People Do For Money – Divine Sounds
Jam The Box – Pretty Tony
The Breaks – Kurtis Blow
Funk You Right On Up – The Sequence
King Tim III – Fatback
Apache – The Sugarhill Gang
It’s Nasty – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Siberian Nights – Twilight 22
Reckless – Chris “The Glove” Taylor and David Storrs featuring Ice T
Genius Rap – Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde
Looking For The Perfect Beat – Soul Sonic Force
It’s Like That – Run DMC
Total Control – The Dynamic Breakers
When Doves Cry Rapp – Captain Rapp
Freedom – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
The Freaks Come Out At Night – Whodini
Roxanne Roxanne – UTFO
Roxanne’s Revenge – The Real Roxanne
The Real Roxanne – The Real Roxanne
Sparky’s Turn (Roxanne You’re Through) – Sparky D
Rappin’ Duke – Shawn Brown
Just Buggin’ – Whistle
The Show – Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew
Pee Wee’s Dance – Joeski Love
It’s Tricky – Run DMC
Brass Monkey – The Beastie Boys
You’re So Fine – Egyptian Lover
Dream Team Is In The House – LA Dream Team
The Fly – World Class Wrecking Crew
Rock The Planet – The Megatrons
Square Dance Rap – Sir Mix A Lot
Smurf Rock – Gigolo Tony
Supersonic – J.J. Fad
Push It – Salt and Pepa
Crack Killed Applejack – General Kaine
Freak-A-Holic – Egyptian Lover

Rap artists these days could never make jams like those. The difference in those jams and the ones today, is that most of those jams had great MUSIC behind the words. Today's rap is nothing but a slow weak beat. People defend it and say....."Well, listen to the words, it's pure poetry". Well, poetry belongs either in a book or on records in the library next to the other poetry records.....not on radio and in a record store.

The worst thing about it is, that weak beat has spilled over and contaminated all the R&B singers' music these days. It has completely taken all the rhythm out of R&B which USED to stand for rhythm and blues. Hip hop is a sound and 99% of R&B these days is hip hop. I have no problem with people liking what they like but when they keep everything else out (like these record labels and monopolized radio stations across the country have done), styles can never change and that's when I have a problem.

I've never believed in censorship but if the moral majority wants to go after hip hop because of it's negativity, I say more power to them. They don't need to go after individual artists, they need to go after the record labels. It looks like that's the only way we will ever get a style change in music.

Victor, out of those, I recognize these:

Jam On It – Newcleus
Can You Rock It Like This – Run DMC
It’s Like That – Run DMC
The Freaks Come Out At Night – Whodini
Pee Wee’s Dance – Joeski Love
Brass Monkey – The Beastie Boys
Supersonic – J.J. Fad
Push It – Salt and Pepa
Crack Killed Applejack – General Kaine

Guess I know more than I thought. I remember some of the songs being played at the skating rink when it was called Roller Express. I also remember Sister Sledge doing "It's Like That" on The Jeffersons.

Does anyone remember that rap where someone was imitating John Wayne? The guy kept going, "Da ha ha haaaaa, da ha-ha-ha-ha haaaaa."

Oh, just saw another one:

Roxanne Roxanne – UTFO

Are most of these songs the ones they usually played on the radio? Maybe that's why I recognize more of them.

Does anyone remember that rap where someone was imitating John Wayne? The guy kept going, "Da ha ha haaaaa, da ha-ha-ha-ha haaaaa."

"Rappin' Duke" by Rappin' Duke. That's a classic.

Oh, just saw another one:

Roxanne Roxanne – UTFO

Are most of these songs the ones they usually played on the radio? Maybe that's why I recognize more of them.

Yeah, it got a lot of airplay when it came out in the mid-80s. I don't know if you're up that early, but WJMI plays old-school rap songs on Sunday mornings from 6-9, so you may wanna check them out and catch up on some songs you may not know or haven't heard in a long time. Also, Hot 97.7 plays some old-school music all throughout the day as well.

Question about this one then:

The Show – Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew

Is this the one where someone says "Six minutes, six minutes..." I can't believe I'm starting to remember all of this.

"Six minutes, six minutes, six minutes, Doug E. Fresh you're on...on"

Yes, that is "The Show". That is a classic. I couldn't get enough of it when it first came out.

I liked Diggable Planets, too, what DID ever happen to them?

This entry on Wikipedia will tell you more about the Digable Planets:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digable_Planets

Not all rap is bad. I have written extensively in the past supporting rap and hip-hop. Recently, I've been taking the hard opponents' view to see what the proponents would do and say. I expected some of the ganstas to come looking for me, but they didn't and I'm glad. "I ain't gon hurt nobody."

Beisdes several of my nephews are rappers and are trying to break into the big-time rap game. Y'all look out for them - they are called the Low Doggs featuring Too Low Dogg, So Low Dogg and Mo' Low Dogg.

Did anyone see 60 Minutes last night? What's up with this "Stop snitchin'" campaign?

LW, yeah, I saw it. It's incredible.....

LawClerk, the whole thing just baffles me. How can anyone complain about crime and then refuse to help solve the problem? That's hypocrisy to me.

My response to the Stop Snitchin' campaign

LW - It is the very definition of hypocrisy. But, are you surprised? Rap lyrics are atrocious. Mayor Nagin said New Orleans should be a "chocolate city." Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton said all kind of racist and derogatory things; too many to list here. Then Imus called 9 blacks and 2 whites, "nappy headed ho's." Any hypocrisy there?

LawClerk, I'd say that EVERYONE needs to reevaluate what they say in public regardless of ethnicity. I take hurting other people's feelings seriously.

Hip hop's Simmons: Restrict offensive words

Expressing concern about the "growing public outrage" over the use of such words in rap lyrics, Simmons said the words "b---h," "ho" and "n----r" should be considered "extreme curse words."

"We recommend (they're) always out," Simmons, the pioneering entrepreneur who made millions of dollars as he helped shape hip-hop culture, said in an interview Monday. "This is a first step. It's a clear message and a consistency that we want the industry to accept for more corporate social responsibility."

"This is a first step. It's a clear message and a consistency that we want the industry to accept for more corporate social responsibility."

Wow, the tipping point is near. Gird your loins, boys and girls.

And this is exactly the way it should happen—from inside the industry. Simmons is stepping out front and leading, showing a willingness to challenge other rappers and admit that there is a problem. Cheers to him for being a leader.

Kamikaze, I thought this story may interest you:

[url=http://www.afro.com/content/templates/?a=7095&z=6]Make Hip Hop Not War Tour makes stop in Baltimore[=url]