Saturday, October 4, 2008

Notes on VH1's Top 100 Hip Hop Song list

I tend to agree that this list is a little out of wack, but I ain't mad at what they tried to do. They essentially had one song from every important rapper/group over the last 30 years. Now I can sit here like Bol and argue that "T.R.O.Y." should have been higher than 90 (I know it is A LOT of heads' favorite song of all time; I was never crazy about it, but I'd probably at least put it in my Top 50 just to please the heads), etc. etc., but I won't take that route. Instead, I want to examine the recurrences on the list just for shits and giggles, because they were obviously trying to limit the list to one song per rapper/group. I mean, 1 Nas song and 1 Pac song? That's a little weird...At least my favorite song of all time made it: "My Philosophy" by BDP...By the way, no "Flava In Ya Ear"? and no "Scenario"????? I wasn't crazy about "Scenario" either, but that is a Top 10 song on almost anyone's list...No Fat Boys???? No "Symphony"???? And as much as I love "Paid In Full," no "Eric B For President"?????

Krayzie Bone: 2 hits ("Ridin'" and "Crossroads")
Afrika Bambatta: 2 hits ("What You Waitin' 4" and
Wyclef: 2 hits ("We Trying to Stay Alive" and "Killing Me Softly")
DMX: 2 hits ("Ruff Ryders Anthem" and "Money Power & Respect"
Lil' Kim: 3 hits ("Crush On You," "Money Power & Respect" and "Benjaminz")
Slick Rick 2 hits ("Children's Story" and "The Show")
Wu Tang/RZA: 3 hits ("Shimmy Shimmy Ya", "I'll Be There For You", "CREAM"
L.O.X.: 2 hits ("Money Power & Respect" and "Benjaminz")
Jay Z: 2 hits ("I'll Be" and "Hard Knock Life")
50 Cent: 2 hits ("Hate It Or Love It" and "In Da Club")
Roxanne [LOL]: 2 hits ("Roxanne Roxanne" and "Roxanne's Revenge")
Run DMC: 2 hits ("It's Like That" and "Walk This Way") - Only act with 2 of their own songs on the list (i.e. not 1 as an act and 1 as a feature or producer, etc.)
B.I.G. 3 hits ("Crush On You," "Benjaminz" and "Juicy")
Kool Moe Dee: 2 hits ("Love Rap" and "How Ya Like Me Now")
Q-Tip: 2 hits ("One Love" and "Check The Rhime")
Shock G: 2 hits ("Humpty Dance" and "I Get Around") - WOW
Ice Cube: 2 hits ("It Was A Good Day" and "Straight Outta Compton")
LL Cool J: 2 hits ("I Need Love" and "I Can't Live Without My Radio") - I stand corrected. Both LL and Run DMC had 2 official songs on the list. Impressive.
Mark The 45 King [Producer]: 2 hits - "Stan" and "Hard Knock Life" -- WOW 2 in the Top 15
Snoop: 2 hits ("Gin and Juice" and "G Thing") -- 2 in Top 8!
Dr Dre: 4 hits ("In Da Club," "Gin and Juice", "Straight Outta Compton" and "G Thing") - 3 in the Top 8, all in the top 18!!!
Larry Smith [Producer]: 2 hits ("Freaks Come Out At Night" and "It's Like That")
D-Dot [Producer]: ("Feels So Good," "Benjaminz" and "Money Power & Respect")
Puffy: 3 hits ("Feels So Good," "Benjaminz," and "Juicy")
DJ Muggs [Producer]: 2 hits ("Jump Around" and "Insane in the Brain")
Rick Rubin [Producer]: 4 hits ("I Can't Live Without My Radio," "Hold It Now Hit It," "Baby Got Back" and "Walk This Way") -- Rick Rubin produced "Baby Got Back"???? He got 4 on the list. I think he takes the cake, beating out Dre who had 3 in the Top 8.
Young MC: 2 hits ("Bust A Move" and "Wild Thing")
Matt Dike & Michael Ross [Producer]: 2 hits ("Bust A Move" and "Wild Thing")
Neptunes: 2 hits ("Lapdance" and "Hot In Here")
Marley Marl: I think he produced "Roxanne's Revenge" and ghostproduced "Paid In Full"
Trackmasters/Poke: "I'll Be" and "Juicy"

People I know personally on the list (or at least have their number in my cell):
Pete Rock
Doc Ice [UTFO]
Lil' Kim
Raekwon
No I.D. [Producer]
Trackmasters [Producer]
D-Dot [Producer]
Snoop (Well, I sorta know him)
Doug E Fresh (Well, I've been to his house)
Teflon [Producer] (Actually went to High School with this cat...Congrats my dude...)

So what do we learn from this?

Lil Kim is on 3 times. I've been trying to tell ya'll she's a legend
Trackmasters are on 2 times. They really made a mark.
Dr. Dre is on 4 times, all in the top 18 and 3 in the top 8. I guess we all should wait for Detox patiently.
Rick Rubin is on 4 times. And this guy produced for Neil Diamond, Johnny Cash and the Chilli Peppers!
D-Dot's on 3 times. Selling point to the labels for Wais???
Snoop's on 2 times in the top 8...GOAT?
LL has 2 of his own songs on the list. At least he can call himself the GOAT
Run DMC has w of their own songs on the list. They deserve it.
3 Wu songs show up. Proof that they are the greatest group of all time.
Only 1 KRS, 1 Nas, and 1 Rakim song...Tsk
"Fight The Power" #1??? OK - I love this song, but that's a little weird. I guess it was written into VH1's Flavor Of Love contract...