You knew this was comin' after the recent favourite Rap songs of 1989 list, right? 30 Legit Jams™ from the year when da machinez didn't all implode at the stroke of midnight on december 31st.
UGK - Wood Wheel
Black Rob - Whoa
Mystikal & OutKast - Neck Uv Da Woods
Ghostface Killah ft Raekwon - Apollo Kids
Method Man & Redman - Y.O.U
Ol' Dirty Bastard ft. Kelis - Got Your Money
Juvenile - U Understand
Lil' Wayne ft. Juvenile & B.G. - Tha Block Is Hot
Gang Starr - Full Clip
Screwball - F.A.Y.B.A.N
Young Bleed - I Couldn't C' It
Lay-Lo - Take It Like A Gee
Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says
Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg, Kurupt & Nate Dogg - The Next Episode
Eminem ft. Dr. Dre - Guilty Conscience
Akinyele - Messin' With My Cru
Q-Tip - Let's Ride
Mista Madd ft. Slim Thug & Yungstar - Down South
Dead Prez - Hip Hop
Trina - Da Baddest Bitch
The Beatnuts ft. Willie Stubbz & Swinger - Muchachacha
Missin' Linx - What It Is
Project Pat ft. Gangsta Boo - Ballers
Craig Mack - Please Listen To My Demo
Harlem World - Cali Chronic
Slick Rick - I Own America (Part 1)
Will Smith & DJ Jazzy Jeff ft. Biz Markie & Slick Rick - So Fresh
Nelly - County Grammar (Hot Shit)
Fatman Scoop & Crooklyn Clan - Be Faithful
There's at least 4 songs here which have been rinsed to near-ruination by bait DJs, but they're still such 5 star general choonz that I can't bring meself to snub 'em: Simon Says, The Next Episode, Hip Hop, and Be Faithful. Pains me somewhat to snub Mobb Deep, Mac Dre, B.G., 8Ball & MJG, and Nas but none of 'em released a song in 1999 that I like as much as anything in this list.
'99 is also notable for being the year when the absolute worst Rap song of all time dropped. What's more horrific: the sight of 2 birds drinking scat in 2 Girls, 1 Cup, or the sound of Mos Def doing his dibba-dibba-dinosaur scat-singing on Umi Says? (FYI, I never watched 2 Girls, 1 Cup meself. I did, however, watch the Bun B reaction video.)
This list pretty much proves that there was still plenty of good rap post mid 90s cause people like to act like no good rap exists post 96.
ReplyDeleteIn the noughties the London Hardcore band Dirty Money used to sing "2007 was a bad year", but let me tell you that in rap, 1999 was a pretty good one:
ReplyDeleteUGK - Belts To Match was my introduction to them so it has a special place in my heart, but I have to say than Wood Wheel and it's music video is 110% iconic.
Other great songs from good albums from 99:
Ice-T - Always Wanted To Be A Ho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HriNq0WKWIU (pimp game storytelling, you can't never go wrong with that)
Ice- T - Retaliation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG9a_zb3YoY (drive-by rap)
Kurupt & Daz - Ride With Us - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmDrDaSQtcc
Kurupt & Daz - Tha Streetz Is A Mutha - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQy7dOmT754
Jim Crow Baby Mama ft Too Short & Jazze Pha - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9OGkwZivBA (Outkast-lite band from Atlanta, for some reason I love that album. This song has a video too but it's censored)
Cool Breeze - Black Gangsta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlZ48MwJ3wA
One Gud Cide - Contradictions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjp56JyXcBs (viva obscure regional rap)
I thought Whoa!, Apollo Kids, and Country Grammar were all released in 2000
ReplyDelete'99 mobb deep was dope imo + nas had a verse about quincy jones posters on that album
ReplyDeleteFred - Cool Breeze really should have been on my honourable mentions list alongside Mobb Deep, Mac Dre etc. I'd go for Cre-A-Tine, though.
ReplyDeleteDannyBrownsGap - Whoa, Country Grammar (Hot Shit), and Apollo Kids all dropped on 12" in '99. You can get away with the first 2 songs as 2000 choices, but in the case of Country Grammar (Hot Shit) the dirty version is kinda like a different song to the clean version which blew up.
Which reminds me, Mighty Healthy was a glaring omission from my '1998 was 20 years ago!' list because I didn't realise the 12" dropped that far back.
having spent far too much time ripping old Westwood shows from '99 and 2000 I've fully OD'd on a lot songs from the era but it was definitely a good year.
ReplyDeleteI keep Mighty Healthy in my '99 stack but I checked the promo sheet and it does indeed say 26th November '98 (for the UK issue)
Cali Chronic is tremendous though. Was pleased to discover there was a video for it a while back
Snoop on the single/video mix. O.G album version is better though.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of snoop its a classic but i appreciate the abscence of Bitch Please, xzibit gets no love. Think my beatnuts pick would be Se Acabo.
ReplyDeleteDMX - Up In Here used to be on the washed list w Be Faithul etc but 20 yrs on songs w lyrics like that being pop hits is p funny
Far as singles go:
Fiend - Talk It Like I Bring It
Field Mob - Project Dreams
JT Money - Who Dat
Strange, I was going through '99 and '00 Billboard rap charts this evening. Nostalgia's in the air. If no one gets this up on Spotify, I might have to do it myself.
ReplyDeleteOn a Jim Crow tip, I'd have to add add "85," preferably in video form. And as the last operating member of #DragOnHive, you know I gotta throw "Down Bottom" up for wrongful consideration.
SE - if you do Spotify it then add these tracks plz:
ReplyDeleteB.G. - Hard Times
Cool Breeze - Cre-A-Tine
Mobb Deep ft. Kool G. Rap - The Realest
Sir Menelik ft. Grand Puba & Sadat X - 7XL
JT Money - Ho Problems
I forgot how amazing "Let's Ride" is
ReplyDeleteGreat list, but I'm gonna add some of my personal favorites that I would've put on my list.
ReplyDeleteBG - Cash Money is An Army
Tha Eastsidaz - G'd Up
TWDY f/ Too Short, Rappin 4-Tay & Mac Mall - Players Holiday
Eightball & MJG f/ Outkast - Throw Ya Hands Up
TRU - Hoody Hoo
Tear Da Club Up Thugs f/ Big Tymers & Hot Boys - Hypnotize Cash Money
The Roots f/ Common - Act Too (The Love of My Life)
Youngbloodz f/ Big Boi - 85
50 Cent - How To Rob
E-40 - Big Ballin With My Homies
Harlem World - I Like It
Hot Boys f/ Big Tymers - Rock Ice
2Pac f/ DJ Quik & Outlawz - Late Night
Prodigy f/ Slick Rick - Gun Love
Mobb Deep f/ Nas - It's Mine
Sir Menelik f/ Sadat X and Grand Puba - 7XL
Eminem - Any Man
Slick Rick f/ Big Boi - Street Talkin
Missy Elliott f/ Big Boi - All In My Grill
Ja Rule f/ DMX & Jay-Z - It's Murda
Ja Rule f/ Jay-Z - Kill Em All
Fiend - Talk It Like I Bring It/Mr Whomp Whomp
Lil Cease f/ Lil Kim & Bristal - Play Around
Too Short - Ain't No Bitches
Hot Boys - I Need A Hot Girl
Memphis Bleek - Memph Bleek Is
NORE - Oh No
Puff Daddy f/ [redacted] - Satisfy You
ODB - Recognize
Project Pat feat. Cash Money Millionaires - Ballers Remix
Terror Squad - Tell Me What You Want
UGK – Pimpin' Ain't No Illusion
Warren G f/ Mack 10 - I Want It All
Lost Boyz - Ghetto Jiggy
Master P - Step To Dis
Lil Wayne f/ Hot Boys & Big Tymers - Lights Off
Kurupt - That Streetz Iz A Mutha (or anything from that album)
Raekwon - Live from NY
Dr. Dre f/ Snoop & Devin - Fuck You
Jay-Z - Come & Get Me
Jay-Z - Jigga My
2Pac + Outlawz - Teardrops & Closed Caskets (OG)
Snoop Dogg f/ Xzibit - Bitch Please
Biggie f/ Eminem - Dead Wrong
Tha Murderers - We Don't Give A Fuck
Eminem & Dr. Dre - If I Get Locked Up
Nas f/ Ginuwine - You Owe Me
JT Money f/ Too Short - Somethin Bout Pimpin
Cool Breeze f/ Dungeon Family - Watch For The Hook
Naughty by Nature - Jamboree
Mr. Mike - Texas 2000
Plus all the Makaveli bootlegs that surfaced in 99...
Hilarious songs that I secretly liked:
Mr Serv-On f/ Big Pun - From NY to NO
Limp Bizkit f/ Method Man - N2gether Now
Puff Daddy f/ [redacted]
ReplyDelete😂😂😂
Ghetto Jiggy is definitely peak Barber 👊
Watch For The Hook was '98.
"Ghetto Jiggy" fell flat on its face when it dropped. Man, that one hurt. I was an unapologetic LB fan for the first 2 albums and the "final" single "Ghetto Jiggy." The LB fam have classics, and I won't hear any different. Let us never forget their collab with Tha Dogg Pound and Canibus.
ReplyDeletePardon my foul on the Watch For The Hook release date. I always associate that album with 99 since that's when it dropped. I will sub out for "Cre-At-Tine" then, how bout that?
Also, I associate Trick Daddy's "Nann" with Spring 1999 since no one heard it when it dropped in 98. Just the facts.
#TeamCre-A-Tine.
ReplyDeleteI've just thought of another good honourable mention: No Pigeons by Sporty Thievz.
yeah i was gonna put "Cheapskate" but i looked it up and it was 98.
ReplyDeleteyou might have to do a sporty thievz appreciation post one day that includes the aforementioned as well as "Spy Hunter" and "Fuck I Look Like"
actually that may be it
I fux with Mac Daddy too.
ReplyDeleteAnother glaring omission:
ReplyDeleteOutsidaz - Don't Look Now
(12" dropped in '99.)