Iconic Songs, a Question for Rap Fans In Particular

[rkell87]

At one time I think "Can't Tough This" by M.C. Hammer might have qualified, but I honestly do not know now because it seems to me that Rappers of his era and success are now punch lines.

The punchline thing is on point, in the later 2000's to present era of rap this seems to be the main focus when a rapper wants to display his lyrical ability. It has always been part of the music, but rappers used to incorporate more into the music then just punchlines throughtout the whole song. The emphasis is seems to be now not so much the message in the music as just having a slick saying. I wont discredit this kind of rap but i will just say that it is a very hollow version of rap to me with not much substance. It seems in this aspect rap music has taken a turn for the worse, but it is most likely the natural evolution of the genre. It is yet to be seen who will end up as the icons of the future of rap.

Maybe I have that wrong, but it seems to me from the outside that Rap fans discard the past to focus on right now. If I am wrong, please correct me.

You seem to have hit the nail on the head with this one, but i would attribute this phenomenon more to the age of the rap listener. its kinda like music in general, where younger fans think the music of their time is always better then what has come before them. Real fans of the genre respect all of the different era's for the impact they had on that point in history, but thenewer genrations to some extent direspect the past because they can view it in the time capsule of when it occured. Like a younger fan might say that lil wayne is a better rapper then 2pac because he has slicker wordplay, nto taking into account how much of an impact he had in his day and the postivies messages incorporated in the music.

exactly right...its why brats like justin bieber thinks he is 'the kurt cobain of his generation'

 

[SaltwaterServr]

**** Shop, 2 Live Crew
Gimme Dat Nut - Easy E
Boyz In The Hood - Easy E
Thugz Mansion - Tupac
Straight Outta Compton - NWA
**** Tha Police - NWA
Colors - Ice T
Back Dat *** Up - Juvenile
White Lines - Grand Master Flash
(Female Dog) - Tupac
I Got Five On It - Richie Rich
Danger - Mystical
Get Low - Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon


Just because they were white, you have to put in Beastie Boys. They made it okay and "cool" for suburban white kids to get into rap. My choice,

Paul Revere- Beastie Boys

IMHO, "concept" acts like Vanilla Ice paved the way for crossover into the Caucasian market for artists today that enjoy universal acceptance.

Edit: Just because I like the song, and spent 20 freaking minutes trying to remember who it was:

I'm a Thug - Trick Daddy

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Did I miss Run-DMC on these posts? I view them as the ones that paved the way for most. My Adidas

 

[poke]

Hos, maybe this rap will have enough distractions to let you enjoy the music.
sung by a young man in the 90's that was from the Tucumcari,NM area.

i just grabbed some pics to out along with the music.

not much of a rap music guy myself. always tell my son this is one of the 2 rap songs i like.

[youtube]Yv9rmSb7YH8[/youtube]

 

[CliffnDallas]

Every genre of music has songs that become iconic, or timeless. The kind of song that 20 years from now will still be appreciated by fans of that genre.

For instance, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" for Hip Hop. In fact many of his songs can be called that.

In country I would say an example is "Amarillo by Morning" by George Strait. In Hard Rock perhaps "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne.

I know there are many other examples across these 3 genres. I am just using these as examples, not claiming them to be the best ever for those genres.

I am wondering, what Rap songs will be iconic in 20 years? I do not know much about the genre because I do not like Rap music for the most part. I'm not a fan of heavy beats or rhymes for the sake of rhyming. I like singing, so I am also not a fan of Death Metal or whatever they call that stuff where the singer croaks and screeches the words either. I like hearing voices hit musical notes. That is what I like.

At one time I think "Can't Tough This" by M.C. Hammer might have qualified, but I honestly do not know now because it seems to me that Rappers of his era and success are now punch lines. Maybe I have that wrong, but it seems to me from the outside that Rap fans discard the past to focus on right now. If I am wrong, please correct me.

It has appeared to me that the most revered Rapper is Tupac Shakur. I confess, I do not know one single song of his. Will his music be iconic? Eminem? Someone else? Anyone else? I honestly do not know and I am asking.

Please note, I am not posting this to tear down the genre. So I apologize to Rap fans if anyone comes in here just to bash Rap music and say it sucks. As a country music fan I get a lot of that too and trust me, I don't care for it either. It is a gutless tactic by people who do that.

I asked this question of friend of mine who is a Rap fan. Together we had a good laugh as he said he 2 songs he thinks most people will still love are "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-lot and "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc. Maybe he's right and it comes down to songs that simply make us smile.

I'm interested in your opinions and will share them with my friend if I get the chance.

You are opperating under the false assumption that "Rap" is music.

 

[kmp77]

Just a few of my all time favorites:

Young MC - "Bust a Move" Always makes me smile

Ice Cube - "Today was a good day"

Geto Boys - "Mind playing tricks on me"

2Pac - "Changes"

Notorious B.I.G. ft. Bone Thugs N Harmony - "Notorious Thugz"

 

[Faerluna]

I'd agree with so many in this thread and also add

[youtube]FdizL4on-Rc[/youtube]

I'm sure I could think of a few more given a little time.

 

[Vintage]

i missed this thread until now, but i would have to say changes is the first song that came to mind.

"Misplaced hate brings digrace to races"


"You gotta make a change. Its time for us as a people to start making some changes, lets change the way we eat, lets change the way we live, and lets change the way we treat each other. You see the old way wasn't working so its on US, to do what we gotta do to survive."

2pac is already iconic, his music spread worldwide, he represented a genre and his legacy will never die. I put him above all the other rappers in my book because he brought social issues to light while at the same time making classic music that was loved by millions and lives on strong even 15 ear after his passing. Concious thug, which may seem like a contradiction to some but other will understand. Dear Mama is another classic record that almost rap fans would know.

"Yes I am gonna say that I'm a thug, that's because I came from the gutter and I'm still here. I'm not saying i'm a thug because i want to rob you and rape people and things."

Personally, i always considered cant touch this and ice ice baby more of pop songs.

"To me, it really troubling because I took over at that's successful- Marky Mark, Hammer, Vanilla Ice, New Kids On The Block selling twenty-two million copies, and I want that so badly, but I can't do that. I would be wrong to do that, knowing what I know and having the brain that I have, for me to even go and write some simple **** would be wrong even though I would get paid and I would get more people's money. I would rather leave something so that when people pick up 2pacalypse Now or any of my other albums in 1999, they'll go, ****! Brothers had it hard back in the day, but brother were working it out."

Hos, if ya got about 6 minutes to kill check out this interview. To me it shows him more in the light that I view him as opposed to some who judge without listening.

[youtube]vigPk9n5-50[/youtube]

"Measure a man by his actions fully, from the beginning to the end. Don't take a piece out of my life or a song out of my music and say this is what I'm about, because you know better than that."

"The only thing that can kill me is death, that's the only thing that can ever stop me, is death, and even then my music will live forever."


Crossroads by Bone thugs is another timeless classic. Was a wildly popular song, while its focus is such a sad topic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9IXAJg4Vm0

God bless you workin on a plan to heaven
follow the Lord all 24/7 days
God is who we praise even though the devils all up in my face.
He keepin me safe and in my place
say grace to the gates we race

Now follow me roll stroll whether it's hell or it's heaven
let's come take a visit of the people that's long gone they rest
Wally, Eazy, Terry, Boo
And still keepin up wit they family
Exactly how many days we got lastin while you laughin we passin'
passin' away
God rest our souls cause I know I might meet you up at the crossroads
Yall know ya forever got love from
Bone Thugs baby

Lil E-Z long gone,
really wish he could come home
But when it's time to die gotta go bye bye
all 'lil thug could do was cry, cry
Why'd they kill my dog?
**** man I miss my Uncle Charles yall
he shouldn't be gone
in front of his home
what they did to Boo was wrong ohhhhhh (wrong, wrong)
was so wrong gotta hold on, gotta stay strong,
when the day come better believe Bone got a shoulder you can lean on,
lean on

Like when this type of topic comes thru this section.

Pretty much.

And I am ashamed that I didn't include Tha Crossroads in my list.

Def. should have been included. Great, great song.



Luniz - I got 5 on it

Iconic song. Probably not one of the greatest songs of all time. But certainly iconic.

 

[Rynie]

I apologize for mixing hip hop and rap. I was unaware they were technically 2 different genres. It was an honest mistake on my part.

That's fine, common mistake, but "Thriller" is POP. NOT HIP-HOP or rap. Just saying.

 

[CowboyDan]

[youtube]vigPk9n5-50[/youtube]

Tu Pac was great. That interview reminds me of an Eminem song:

"When a dude's gettin bullied and shoots up his school
And they blame it on Marilyn (Manson).. and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it's at
Middle America, now it's a tragedy
Now it's so sad to see, an upper class ci-ty
Havin this happenin..
Then attack Eminem cause I rap this way.."

 

[StylisticS]

NAS- It Ain't Hard To Tell (the entire Illmatic album IMO is the greatest hip hop cd of all time).
WU Tang- C.R.E.A.M.
Notorious BIG-Juicy
Geto Boyz- Mind playin tricks on me
Ice Cube-Today was a good day
BONE- Crossroads
Outkast-Elevators

I represented every region. I these are iconic in hip hop.

 

[BehindEnemyLinez]

There are some very good choices in here...and some that makes me scratch my head! Anyone who thinks Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, & Young MC made iconic HIP-HOP songs...I must respectfully disagree! They may have rapped, but they clearly were out of the realm of hip hop...more like pop acts, IMO.
It seems to me that Hos is looking for timeless hip hop songs, ones that fans of the genre will always be listening to. So, here's some of mine:
The Message-Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
Paid In Full-Eric B & Rakim
Fight The Power-Public Enemy
Walk This Way-Run DMC
NY State of Mind-Nas
I'm Bad-LL Cool J
Summertime-DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
F*** The Police-NWA
Hard Knock Life-Jay Z
Keep Your Head Up- Tupac
Juicy-Biggie

 

[SupermanXx]

Wow. Baby Got Back and Wild Thing.

There are a slew of classic hip hop songs, obviously if one isn't into the genre to begin with, they won't recognize a classic. I couldn't name 10 classic country songs, but at least I know better than to suggest Achy Breaky Heart just because it was popular.

But if you want a few, in no order whatsoever:

Fight The Power - Public Enemy
Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa
Keep Ya Head Up - Tupac
Juicy - Notorious BIG
I Used To Love Her - Common
Award Tour - Tribe Called Quest
Sabotage - Beastie Boys
Rappers Delight - Sugar Hill Gang
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Walk This Way - Run DMC
Hip Hop - Dead Prez
Top Billin - Audio Two

And that's just a few off the top of my head. Hip Hop has been around for much longer than 20 years at this point, so there are recognized classics that meet that criteria.

did you seriously just cite Dead Prez?

the amount of respect I have for you has just shot up by at least 100x

but then it came right back down when you didn't mention Wu Tang

 

[SupermanXx]

some more iconic arists for your consideration:

Lil Wayne
Soulja Boy
D4L
any Ca$h Money artist

oh, wait, just kidding.