Saturday 21 January 2017

Generic list post: I Got Cha Opin

Parlour game #content spawned from a conversation about whether Straight Outta Compton is a better LP opener than Real N*ggaz Don't Die: favourite opening songs on rap albums. Rules of da game like Wood Street Playaz: it must be the first song you hear when you press play on the album, it must contain rapping, and it must function as a proper song not just as an album intro. Turns out ya host is a right golden-era mark at heart.

1. Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader (1988)
2. N.W.A - Real N*ggaz Don't Die (1991)
3. Z-Ro - Mo City Don (Freestyle) (2005)
4. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Murder Was The Case (remix) (1994)
5. Mac Dre - Feelin' Myself (2004)
6. L.L. Cool J - I'm Bad (1987)
7. Brand Nubian - All For One (1990)
8. Lil' Wayne - Tha Mobb (2005)
9. EPMD - Strictly Business (1988)
10. 2Pac - Ambitionz Az A Ridah (1996)
11. Ghosface & Raekwon ft. Cappadonna - Iron Maiden (1996)
12. Above The Law - Murder Rap (1990)
13. Camp Lo - Krystal Karrington (1997)
14. Dru Down - Pimp Of The Year (1994)
15. Beanie Sigel - Feel It In The Air (2005)
16. Cypress Hill - Pigs (1991)
17. Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo - Road To The Riches (1989)
18. Mystikal - Y'All Ain't Ready Yet (1995)
19. The Diplomats ft. Un Kasa - Un Casa (2003)
20. Nice & Smooth - Early To Rise (1989)

Least favourite opening songs on killer albums? The title track of T.I's Trap Muzik gotta be my personal W.O.A.T since I always skip that entirely and start with I Can't Quit. Slick Rick's Treat Her Like A Prostitute can get a big fat skip too because the O.G beatbox version with Doug E. Fresh which later surfaced on the Teenage Love 12" is vastly superior and was only removed from the album due to cockamamie industry politics.

27 comments:

step one said...

It would never have occurred to me til I saw the list but I'm Bad might just be the one. That or All For One.

Yeldarb said...

No poetry by bdp?

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

No KRS Nonce songs allowed 🔒

Tesse Wolfson said...

Return, right? And Never Blink!

Tesse Wolfson said...

and swishas and dosha. And Let's Get Drunk, from the first Click album, I say! Anyway, tight list.

hotbox said...

nice list. at 1st glance the one omission that comes to mind is Spice 1 I'm The F%&*^$*n Murderer, also do soundtracks count? If so Uptown Anthem on Juice

Donaldov Trumpski said...

Off the tiggy top:

Pete Nice "Rat bastard"
Gang Starr "You know my steez"
Necro "Most sadistic"
Killarmy "Dressed to kill"
X-Clan "Funkin lesson"
A Tribe called Quest "Excursions"
The Grouch "The Posse"
2 live Crew "Me so horny"
Run DMC "Peter Piper"
Digital Underground "The Humpty Dance"
PRT "144k"
The Coup 2The shipment"
Dred Scott "Back in the days"
Latyrx "Latyrx"
Main Source "Snake eyes"
Aspects "Impact"

pg said...

playlist https://milq.com/iiiiiii-the-martorialist-i-got-cha-opin?sort=recent

d said...

noncing reigns supreme. KRS rly was the Azaelia Banks of his day.
speaking of questionable character Id make a case for most of the Big Tymer intros being legit songs cos whos to say when Babys actually rapping technically all he does is spit game

The police scanner bit from Pigs always does something to me

E-40 -LIQ
Audio Two - Top Billin
Richie Rich - Dont Do It
UMCs - One to Grow On
Stet -In Full Gear
Runs House
Haunted House of Rock

Its hard to think of ones after 93, every cunt couldnt resist the temptation

noah said...


Remember when albums started with classic jams about getting wild smacked? Well, that was then and this is now. Here’s five great album starters from the last five years:

Mozzy -- Bladadadah

Kanye West -- On Sightl

Meek Mill -- Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)

Young Thug -- Constantly Hating

Chief Keef -- Love Sosa

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

One of my lowkey faves of the past 5 years is The Eulogy by Ampichino.

Top Billin' gotta be this lists unforgivable glaring omission. Damn. That's top 10 standard, maybe even top 5.

Unknown said...

Cormega-Dramatic Entrance
GZA-Liquid Swords
Murder-UGK (Im not sure if that really counts though cause its technically not the intro)

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

It doesn't count because it's the third song on that album after the intro and One Day.

Good call on Liquid Swords, tho. Had that in my head as song number 21.

d said...

Return, Im The Fuckin Murderer n Peter Piper good calls too.

Feel like wu tang are skirting the intro rule here by making their skits unskippable. An I the only one whos never known a few liquid swords titles cos the tracklisting on the back was outta order

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

The Last Year at Marienbad of rap album tracklistings.

Darth Valorium said...

Since you're counting soundtracks (Murder was the case):
Mystikal "Edge of the Blade"
Ice-T "Colors"
Everlast/Helmet "Just another victim"
Ice Cube "Streetfighter"
Nas "Halftime"

Fred said...

On the top of my head, some opening cuts that I don't think I've seen mentionned:

Do Or Die - Alpha & Omega (love that one!)
Rappin 4 Tay - Paid My Dues (same, fucking great cut)
UGK - Let Me See
Mobb Deep - The Start of Your Ending (41st Side) as well as Animal Instinct (more the first one though)
Cliché as fuck but still gotta put that one: Warren G - Regulate ft Nate Dogg
E-40 - Neva Broke

Close choices but not necessarily top 10:
Bigg Gipp - I Know Pain
MJG - Keep Your Mind
Celly Cel - Heat 4 Yo Azz
Showbiz & AG - Still Diggin ft Diamond D
The Cick - Let's Get Drunk or Wolf Ticket
Roc Marciano - Tek To A Mack
Dj Quik - Change Da Game
Soulja Slim - From What I Was Told

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

👏 to Alpha and Omega. Very slept on song.

Unknown said...

@Si Mane Price good I completely forgot One Day was before Murder

Guest said...

Young Jeezy - Thug Motivation 101

Above The Law - Return Of The Real Shit

Robbie said...

Ultramagnetic - 'Watch Me Now'
Big Daddy Kane - 'Long Live The Kane'
Ka - 'You Know It's About'
EPMD - 'Boondox'
Just-Ice - 'Goin' Way Back'
Main Source - 'Snake Eyes'
Geto Boys - 'Fuck Em'


Kelvin Mack10zie said...

There's a really obvious golden-era one nobody has said yet:

P.E - You're Gonna Get Yours

Andrew Barber said...

shout out to Fred's list, especially the MJG and Quik nods!

also can't forget Common "Resurrection"

Devin The Dude "The Dude"

Master P "Ghetto D"

any of the standard 1997-98 No Limit first song army-themed posse cuts

"Notorious Thugs" opens up the second disc of Life After Death

E-40 "Record Haters"

Beanie Sigel "The Truth"

Beanie "Nothing Like It"

G-Unit "G-Unit The Gang"

Snoop Dogg f/ Master P "Snoop World"

Soulja Slim "From What I Was Told"

Too Short "Aint Nothin Like Pimpin"

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

The Devin, P, and Soulja Slim tracks are definitely in the mythical top 50 run-down I have in my head 👍

Daps said...

Great list, here's a couple more...
O.C - "Creative Control"
Mobb Deep - "The Start of Your Ending (41st side)"

PG said...

PLAYLIST https://milq.com/iiiiiii-the-martorialist-5-fives-last-dayz?sort=recent

Anonymous said...

T.I.'s Still Aint Forgave Myself would definitely be an all timer if not for the intro on I'm Serious.