I am looking to compile the ultimate CD of every genre of music. First up is 80’s hip hop - along the lines of Doug E Fresh or Sugar Hill Gang. Tell me your favourite tracks so I can listen and ensure I miss no treasures.
Suggestions for other genres would be good too. No jazz though baby - that just gets too political.
Any unusual acoustic covers I would also like to know about.
One day you might see me cruising through your town, windows down, listening to YOUR choice of tune. Have your say - Naomi needs you.
Public Enemy’s Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos is excellent, though it might violate your “too political” restriction. It’s the angry, ranting narrative of a black dissident imprisoned for resisting the draft. The lyrics tell an engaging story and it all flows really well. Allmusic has a review.
De La Soul - Say No Go
Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
Grandmaster Flash - The Message
Public Enemy - Don’t Believe The Hype
Public Enemy - Terminator X to the Edge Of Panic (the intro… man, that intro!)
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Run DMC - It’s Tricky
Run DMC - Proud To Be Black
Beastie Boys - She’s Crafty
Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies
was KRS One’s South Bronx eighties? If so, that too.
I’d have to agree with the whole De La Soul…3 feets high and rising is good.
you should go to www.cdnow.com and do a search. if you do a search on De La, it’ll pull up every other rapper in that same genre of hip hop and show any Listmania! lists that people have come up with.
Run DMC- Tricky
A Tribe Called Quest- Can I kick it?
Tag Team- Whoomp there it is (just kidding)
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five- the Message
House of Pain- Jump Around (yeah, its cheesy… and I think it might be early nineties, but use it anyway)
Cameo- Word Up! (not technically hip hop, but hip hoppish and great)
You might as well have said “What’s the best hip hop song, period?” to include the late 70’s (which is when “Rapper’s Delight” was released) as well as the 90’s and 00’s, during which time, hip-hop has been completely commercialized and every song has been cringe-inducing at best, total projectile vomit-spew at worst. (Mostly worst.)
But there have indeed been some good hip-hop songs. My examples:
“Mama Said Knock You Out” - LL Cool J
“Walk this Way” - Run DMC & Aerosmith (ok, it’s more of a rap/metal hybrid)
“Bring the Noise” - Public Enemy, plus just about everything else by them.
“A Gangsta’s Fairytale” - Ice Cube
“We Had To Tear This Motherfucker Up” - Ice Cube
“Rhyme Pays” - Ice-T
“Six in the Mornin” - Ice-T
“The Girl Tried to Kill Me” - Ice-T
etc…
I always liked Eric B For President and MC Shy D’s I’m Shy D
Don’t forget Blondie’s Rapture.
Some other good 80s stuff that crosses the line between rap and techno:
Egyptian Lover: What Is A D.J. If He Can’t Scratch, Girls, And My Beat Goes Boom, and of course, Egypt, Egypt.
Soul Sonic Force: Planet Rock
When it comes time for the dance/techno/mix compilation, come see me. I’ve got tons. I was a party and club DJ in the early to mid 80s*. Ah… good times
*always a remodeler, but I’ve done plenty of secondary and moonlighting jobs.