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Top 10 “Total Package” Hip Hop Tracks
Loading ...Listening to Hip Hop is a personal experience, so it, like all art, inevitably sparks debate about who’s the best. The outcome is list upon list of top tens: emcees, producers, this, that; so I figured I’d contribute to this silliness by adding my own list.
As a producer, I feel neglected in these conversations since Hip Hop is so emcee focused; what about good productions? There are also bad emcees rapping over good beats that never get on lists. But that isn’t fair either.
So, this got me asking, which are the most well-balanced, all-around, solid pieces of genius out there, Where production, wordplay, topic, concept, cadence, and flow form a complete whole that is greater than the sum of its parts? I had to take on this challenge.
So, here are my top ten greatest Hip Hop tracks—in no particular order—where all the elements of words and sound collide to create a beauty of artistry, creativity, innovation, and emotion that drive you to replay it over and over again. Enjoy.
NaS – New York State of Mind
A true anthem that grabs you immediately. Took the siren of Public Enemy and the Bomb Squad and gave it a new look… and NaS rode the riddim like a Reggae toaster with straight menace and pulsing tension. In one track, we got wordplay, followed him through city blocks with detailed stories, and intricate analytical observation that hasn’t been matched.
Notorious B.I.G. – Juicy
Biggie puts his rags to riches story on parallel with Hip Hop’s rags to riches story, using a collage of anecdotes, nostalgia, and ethos… melding the two and making it the story for the Hip Hop generation. As an Albino Latino from DC with two college degrees, I can still relate to his picture of breaking barriers and struggle.
Pete Rock and CL Smooth – T.R.O.Y. (The Reminisce Over You)
Pete Rock, horn, and choir stabs on a delay effect, along with a splashy snare give a sense of chaos and atmosphere reminiscent of Dub Reggae production. This becomes a metaphor of the chaos surrounding CL Smooth as he makes the most of his struggles and laments the loss of a loved one.
The Pharcyde – Passing Me By
I can’t think of a better match of production and vocals.
A Tribe Called Quest – Award Tour
Putting just about the entire Hip Hop community of the time on their album cover showed they were thinking big and reaching for something greater. Award Tour has a big room and airy feel that complimented these ambitions and succeeds in meeting that goal.
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Hugo grew up on Yo MTV Raps, cassette tapes, and pupusas. A b-boy at heart, he discovered electronic music and dub reggae and has been exploring the intersections of all styles of beat, bass, and DJ music since. By day, he serves as an advocate for underrepresented intellects and leaders in higher education. These explorations can be read and downloaded from his blog, Chronicles of the American Pupusa (www.americanpupusa.blogspot.com). His own music can be heard at www.mysppace.com/illselection. An American from El Salvador and Guatemala, he lives in Washington DC.
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