34 articles
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) is a 1986 Beastie Boys single from Licensed to Ill, written in five minutes as a satire of party-rock anthems, peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, their only top 10 hit.
Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)
Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None) is a 1993 Snoop Dogg song featuring Nate Dogg, Warren G, and Kurupt from Doggystyle on Death Row Records; produced by Dr. Dre, it samples Isaac Hayes and Lyn Collins.
Big Daddy (Notorious B1 song)
"Big Daddy" (1993) is a single by Notorious B1, a Mississippi rapper on Dragon Productions' Mississippi Doug$ Boyz album, sampling Mtume's "Juicy Fruit"; it is known for his unresolved claim that Biggie's "Juicy" and name were taken from him.
Big Poppa
Big Poppa: 1994 hip-hop single by The Notorious B.I.G., second single from Ready to Die, sampling the Isley Brothers' Between the Sheets; peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a 1996 Grammy nomination.
Boyz-n-the-Hood
Boyz-n-the-Hood: 1987 gangsta rap single by Eazy-E, written by Ice Cube, produced by Dr. Dre; first Ruthless Records release, launched N.W.A, later covered by Dynamite Hack and Megan Thee Stallion.
Changes (Tupac Shakur song)
"Changes" is a posthumous 1998 2Pac single featuring Talent, recorded in 1992, sampling Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is", nominated for a 2000 Grammy, peaking at No. 32 US and No. 3 UK.
Fuck tha Police
Fuck tha Police is N.W.A's 1988 protest song from Straight Outta Compton, a mock trial prosecuting the LAPD; it drew an FBI warning letter to Priority Records, a 1989 Detroit performance ban and $25,000 fine, and surging streams during 2020 George Floyd protests.
Funky Cold Medina
Funky Cold Medina: 1989 Tone-Loc hip-hop single on Delicious Vinyl, written by Young MC with Matt Dike and Michael Ross; peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the rapper's second platinum hit from Loc-ed After Dark.
Gettin' Jiggy wit It
Gettin' Jiggy wit It, Will Smith's 1997 Columbia single from Big Willie Style (single out February 10, 1998), produced by Poke and Tone with L.E.S., sampling Sister Sledge, Spoonie Gee, and The Bar-Kays.
Gin and Juice
Gin and Juice (also Gin & Juice) is a 1994 Snoop Doggy Dogg single from Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre; it hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, went RIAA Gold, and later lent its name to a cocktail brand.
Good Vibrations (Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch song)
"Good Vibrations" (1991) is the hip-house lead single from Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch's Music for the People; it samples Loleatta Holloway's Love Sensation and spent a week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Heartless (Kanye West song)
Heartless is a 2008 Kanye West song from 808s & Heartbreak, produced with NO I.D., released as a promo single, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 10 in the UK, later covered and interpolated widely.
Hit 'Em Up
Hit 'Em Up: 1996 diss track by 2Pac featuring the Outlawz, B-side of 'How Do U Want It' on Death Row/Interscope, produced by Johnny 'J', targeting The Notorious B.I.G., Bad Boy, Mobb Deep, and Chino XL.
Hypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. song)
Hypnotize (The Notorious B.I.G. song), the lead single from Life After Death, released early March 1997 five days before his death; built on Herb Alpert's "Rise," produced by D-Dot, Ron Lawrence, and Puff Daddy, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum.
I Got 5 on It
"I Got 5 on It" is a 1995 single by Oakland rap duo Luniz (Yukmouth and Numskull), produced by Tone Capone with a Michael Marshall hook, peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and revived in Jordan Peele's 2019 film Us.
I'll Be Missing You
1997 tribute single by Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 honoring The Notorious B.I.G., built on The Police's "Every Breath You Take"; 11 weeks at US No. 1, Grammy winner, with Sting receiving 100% of publishing royalties.
Ice Ice Baby
"Ice Ice Baby", Vanilla Ice's 1990 SBK single, the first rap song to top the Billboard Hot 100, built on an uncleared sample of Queen and Bowie's "Under Pressure" and later settled with shared publishing.
Juicy (The Notorious B.I.G. song)
"Juicy" (1994) is The Notorious B.I.G.'s lead single from Ready to Die, produced by Sean Combs and Poke, sampling Mtume's 1983 "Juicy Fruit"; it peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is widely ranked among the greatest hip-hop songs.
Jump (Kris Kross song)
"Jump" (1992) is the debut single by Atlanta rap duo Kris Kross, written and produced by Jermaine Dupri; it samples "Funky Worm" and "I Want You Back" and spent eight weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
Just a Friend
"Just a Friend" is Biz Markie's September 1989 lead single from The Biz Never Sleeps, interpolating Freddie Scott's "(You) Got What I Need"; it peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990 and became a hip-hop singalong standard.
Men in Black (song)
"Men in Black" is Will Smith's 1997 theme song for the film Men in Black, his first solo single, sampling Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots." It topped at least 15 weekly charts and won the 1998 Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Method Man (song)
"Method Man" (1993) is Wu-Tang Clan's self-titled solo showcase for Method Man on Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), produced by RZA, with nursery-rhyme wordplay, cartoon references, and the M-E-T-H-O-D Man spelling hook.
Mo Money Mo Problems
"Mo Money Mo Problems": 1997 posthumous Notorious B.I.G. single (feat. Mase, Puff Daddy, Kelly Price chorus) sampling Diana Ross's "I'm Coming Out"; two weeks at Billboard Hot 100 number one; distinct from the A3 single and MAC eyeshadow of the same name.
No Vaseline
No Vaseline: 1991 Ice Cube diss track on Death Certificate (Capitol), produced by Sir Jinx, attacking his former N.W.A. bandmates and manager Jerry Heller; sparked Wiesenthal Center controversy, drew no N.W.A. response, and is routinely ranked among the greatest diss tracks.
Ready or Not (Fugees song)
Ready or Not is a 1996 Fugees single from The Score, sampling Enya's Boadicea and the Delfonics; UK number one for two weeks in September 1996, not a US single.
Regulate (song)
"Regulate" is a 1994 hip-hop single by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg, sampling Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin'"; it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and defined g-funk.
Slob on My Knob
"Slob on My Knob" ("Slob on My Nob") is a rap song by Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia, written in high school and known for its widely imitated hook.
Still D.R.E.
Still D.R.E. is a 1999 hip-hop single by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, lead single of the album 2001. Piano riff by Scott Storch, lyrics ghostwritten by Jay-Z; peaked at number 6 in the UK, over 1.1 billion Spotify streams.
Tha Crossroads
Tha Crossroads is a 1996 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song, a DJ U-Neek remix of "Crossroad" from E. 1999 Eternal made after Eazy-E's death; it topped the Hot 100 for eight weeks and won the 1997 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
The Humpty Dance
"The Humpty Dance" is Digital Underground's 1990 Tommy Boy single from Sex Packets, performed by Shock G as Humpty Hump; it topped Billboard's rap chart, hit No. 11 on the Hot 100, went platinum, and earned Grammy and MTV VMA nominations.