This post has been residing in my head for awhile now as I concluded my best hip hop artist bracket (Congrats to 2Pac!) and celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. And now I'm finally getting to it. If you're like me, you like a good list, so I came up with my own lists of favorites. I hope this encourages you to share your favorites, or create a killer playlist on Spotify. Remember, these are lists of my favorites, not a judgement of what/who I think is the best.
Top 10 Favorite Hip Hop Artists
Those who know me well shouldn't be surprised at seeing Outkast at the top of this list. They are my all time favorite and I think everything they touch is gold. The rest of the list are artists that I listen to regularly and are my go-tos when I just need a good jam. Obviously, I had to make some tough choices here and leave people off. Honorable mentions go out to Run DMC, Heavy D, Arrested Development, and Kid n Play.
1. Outkast
2. 2Pac
3. Wu Tang Clan
4. LL Cool J
5. MC Hammer
6. Beastie Boys
7. Naughty by Nature
8. Warren G
9. Kris Kross
10. Wreckx-n-Effect
Top 10 Favorite Hip Hop Songs
This was probably the hardest list to narrow down to ten. Clearly number one had to be an Outkast song and it doesn't get any better than SpottieOttieDopaliscious. I could have had a list of just 10 Outkast songs and been satisfied with that, but I limited myself to one. The rest of the songs could honestly be shuffled in any order, but I could listen to this playlist over and over again for hours. Honorable mentions here include What's My Name by Snoop Dogg, C.R.E.A.M. by Wu Tang Clan, Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody by Kid n Play, Everything's Gonna Be Alright by Father MC, and Down With the King by Run DMC.
1. SpottieOttieDopaliscious by Outkast
2. Regulate by Warren G
3. Mama Said Knock You Out by LL Cool J
4. Feel Me Flow by Naught by Nature
5. Turn This Mutha Out by MC Hammer
6. Sometimes I Rhyme Slow by Nice and Smooth
7. Ditty by Paperboy
8. The Choice is Yours by Black Sheep
9. Juicy by Notorious BIG
10. Scenario by A Tribe Called Quest
Top 10 Favorite Hip Hop Albums
Thinking about favorite albums is hard in the world of streaming music, but back in the 90s with my 6 disc CD changer, it was all about a good album. Then came Napster and Limewire and disc burners and now Spotify and I had compilations of my favorite songs and have playlists for every mood. But there are still certain albums that stand out in my history that I reminisce about and still love. Once again, this list could have been dominated by Outkast albums, but I limited myself to one and settled on Aquemini because I don't think it gets as much love as it deserves. I will also admit that when it comes to albums there is a very 90s lean because that is when I was a teenager with disposable income and bought a lot of albums.
1. Aquemini by Outkast
2. Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg
3. Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu Tang Clan
4. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory by 2Pac
5. 2001 by Dr. Dre
6. Straight Outta Compton by NWA
7. Phrenology by The Roots
8. Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'em by MC Hammer
9. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
10. Regulate... G Funk Era by Warren G
But I hope you enjoy these lists and please feel free to share your own, comment, and enjoy some good music.
