Best hip-hop (part II) - featuring Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Big L, and Big Pun.

Continuing with the best hip-hop of all time, here's more music from the legends of the rap game. I'm gonna start with some Gang Starr to honor Guru, who suffered a heart attack earlier this week. His Gang Starr partner DJ Premier tweeted that he is now recovering from surgery, so we hope he gets better quickly.

If you haven't read Best Hip-Hop (part I) [featuring Common, Nas, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, and Tupac], be sure to give it a look & listen.

NOTE: DON'T SKIP OVER THE ACTUAL SONGS. YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEM TO REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

 

Gang Starr (ft. Jadakiss) - Right Where U Stand

Gang Starr is made up of Guru (rapper) and DJ Premier (the producer, also known as Primo). While Guru is not usually recognized as one of the top tier lyricists, he's pretty damn good and a lot of later MCs took much from his style. His synergy with Primo's outstanding production led the Jazz-Rap scene of the early 90s (along with A Tribe Called Quest). Their incredibly unique style brought in something new back then and it still remains fresh. Guru has the amazing ability to sound hard, but still thoughtful and intelligent with his rhymes--while DJ Premier is without question one of the greatest hip-hop producers we've ever heard. Beyond the classic tracks he has done for Jay-Z, Nas, and other rap legends, he has even produced songs for Christina Aguilera.

This song is one of my favorites because the beat is ABSURD.

 

Jay-Z - D'evils (1996)

I have a love-hate relationship with Jay-Z. He used to be so good. He used to go hard on every track. He used to talk about more than how much money and Crystal he has. But today, he has slipped off the slope. Ever since The Black Album (2003, his first "retirement"), his content has gotten so boring. Now it's all about how much he owns and how influential he is. We get it. Want to talk about something meaningful now?

I have such a strong love-hate relationship because he could be so much better. He is so talented, but he's wasted his talent making hip-pop music. If you've listened to Reasonable Doubt (1996), The Blueprint (2001), and The Black Album (2003), you know he should still be considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. But the stuff you hear him put out nowadays is mostly crap. But his best work lives on forever on record.

This song was also produced by DJ Premier. Enjoy.

"9-to-5 is how you survive,
I ain't tryin to survive
I'm tryin to live it to the limit and love it a lot"

 

Notorious B.I.G. - Gimme The Loot

Biggie died at 24 years old when he was shot in Los Angeles. He had only released two albums: Ready To Die (1994) and Life After Death (1997). People commonly say that Tupac and Biggie were the best of all time. That's a stretch--they are two of the greatest, but you have to include others in the conversation. But I will say that Biggie had the best flow in my opinion. He had the ability to ride with every beat, changing his voice and flow to create a unique feeling for each song.

He's not the deepest rapper--violence, drugs, and women are dominant topics throughout his discography--but he does get introspective on some tracks ("Everyday Struggle", "Suicidal Thoughts"). What's most impressive is his raw aggression and storytelling ability. There are no boring Biggie songs. He made every track count, with amazing stories or clever punch lines.

For some great storytelling listen to these tracks: "Niggas Bleed", "Warning", "I Got A Story To Tell."

Not much else to say about Biggie, except he drops unexpectedly like bird shit and he rules! This line sums up his attitude:

"So go get your man, bitch, he could get robbed too,
Tell him Biggie took it what the FUCK he gonna do?"

 

Big L - '98 Freestyle

Big L and Immortal Technique are without a doubt the two best rappers to come from Harlem. Like so many other great rappers, L died at a young age (24). He was supposedly shot in retaliation for something his brother had done, who was in prison at the time. Big L is notable for his aggression and amazing flexibility when rhyming("In a street brawl I strike men quicker than light-ning, you see what happened in my last fight friend? aight then.") He also has some of the best punch lines we’ve ever heard. 

Both of his solo albums are hip-hop classics (Lifestyles ov da Poor & Dangerous, 1995, and The Big Picture, 2000). His first album featured Jay-Z and Cam'ron before anyone had heard of them. I wonder how L would have influenced Jay-Z if he had stuck around... Anyway, here is a freestyle that was featured on The Big Picture.

"Fuckin' punk, you ain't a leader (what),
nobody followed you,
you was never shit, your mother should've swallowed you."

Big L - Casualities of a Dice Game

Here's another song from The Big Picture. The lesson from this song: never gamble with Big L. He's a ridiculous character. Listen to this song with your eyes closed to really feel the story.

 

Big Pun - Beware

Another MC who died young (28)...Big Pun is arguably the best to hail from the Bronx (him and KRS-One). He was known as a warm and loving family man, but a ferocious rapper. The speed of his rhymes is astonishing. And he actually makes sense. He did a lot of work with Fat Joe (back when Joe was a real MC) and many other great artists - Busta Rhymes, Black Thought, Dead Prez, Prodigy, and Inspectah Deck, among others.

This song is from his first LP Capital Punishment (1998), which was certified 9x platinum. Soulja Boy can't top that! (pathetically, 3 million people paid money for his single "Crank That"). Check the lyrics so you can fully understand him.

"My squad is real and holds it down the hardest regardless,
Besides of the largest, we polish the floor with the rawest hardcore artists,
Flawless victory you niggaz can't do shit to me,
Physically, lyrically, hypothetically, realistically."

 

I've held back some of the best for last...so stay tuned for Best Hip-Hop - Part 3 next week. Drop a comment if you love hip-hop.

If you haven't seen it, check out Best Hip Hop (Part 1).