Remembering the best rap songs Added: 02/07/2006

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The greatest rap song of all times was named 'The Message' by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.  'The Message' is a track from the album of the same name released on Sugarhill Records in 1982.  Today it is considered the bona fide classics of the genre as one of the first hip-hop songs that dealt with social issues, with life in ghetto in particular.  Its chorus became one of the best-remembered in the history of protest songs: 'Don?t push me ?cause I?m close to the edge / I?m trying not to lose my head / It?s like a jungle, sometimes it makes me wonder / How I keep from going under'.

 

These lyrics reflected the real situation in American ghettos and were inspired by Flash?s experience of living in Bronx, New York.  The song was unlikely to become a hit, because most hip-hop tracks were party-oriented, and songs with social message got little attention.  'The Message' changed that forever.  Musically it was also very innovative, and the album set the standard for many future rap artists.  Notably, it used synthesized bass riff instead of live bass player as in most hip-hop tracks of that time.  It went on to peak at #4 in the R&B Chart and #62 in the Pop Chart and was ranked #51 in the list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by the Rolling Stone magazine.

Number two of the best rap songs was the famous 'Rapper?s Delight' by the Sugarhill Gang.  It is famous mostly for being the first hip-hop hit single in the music history.  With the duration of almost 15 minutes, the song had seemingly little chance to become a hit.  Nevertheless, 'Rapper?s Delight' song became the biggest single ever selling over two million copies (at one point, 50000 copies a day!) and was rated 4 in the R&B Chart.

Run-DMC?s 'Sucker MCs' landed at number 3. This was the song that put a symbolic end to the old-school hip-hop era when it was released in 1983.  Undoubtedly one of the best rap songs, today it may seem old-school, but back then it sounded absolutely fresh and ground-breaking with its bold straight-to-the-point lyrics and sparse beats (actually, nothing but a drum beat and turntable scratches).

The fourth in the list of the best rap songs was 'La Di Da Di' by Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick.  This track was the first recorded song that featured beatboxing, or vocal percussion, which means the art of imitating drum beats with one?s voice.  It may also include imitations of turntable scratches, basslines and more.  Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick met at the MC battle in New York and together recorded two classic rap songs ? 'La Di Da Di' and 'The Show'.

Number five of the best rap songs was Public Enemy?s 'Fight The Power'.  This song was released in 1989 and became a hit, despite the revolutionary anger of its lyrics.  The song didn?t just point out the illnesses of the society, such as racism and class issues; it also contained the message to stand up and fight them.  The song was full of cultural and religious references, and it also maligned the American hero Elvis Presley as a racist and a jingo.  With all those bold statements, 'Fight The Power' was an attack on hypocritical America and made Public Enemy heroes of the black people fighting against the oppression.

 

Today hip-hop music is different from what it used to be.  Hip-hop fans are buying rap CDs of Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent and download rap music online instead of going to MC battles.  The lyrics of many hip-hop tracks are about money and girls, rather than living in the ghetto.  Skeptical people say that rap music has no future.  This may be the reason why people still remember those classic songs that made hip-hop a global force.

 

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