Looking for Old School Rap: Post Your Top 10

[bishop2knight]

I've been downloading some old school rap from my days in junior high and high school. I forgot how much I loved this stuff. But I can't even begin to remember some of my favorite artists, let alone by favorite songs. Anyone willing to post their top ten rap songs from, say, 1980 to 1995? I'm hoping a lively discussion will rekindle some brains cells and help in my search.

[jpoppe]

Domino - Sweet Potato Pie (uncensored)
2Pac - Holla if ya hear me
K7 - Come Baby Come
Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker
Ini Kamoze - Here Comes the Hotstepper
Delinquent Habits - Tres Delinquentes
Kris Kross - I'm Real
Onyx - Slam
Coolio - Fantastic Voyage
Skee-Lo - I wish (I was a Little Bit Taller)
Kid n Play - Ain't Gonna Hurt Nobody

[Imail724]

N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton
Beastie Boys Shake Your Rump
Beastie Boys Hey Ladies
KMD Who Me?
KMD Peachfuzz
Beastie Boys So What'cha Want?
Wu-Tang Clan Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (the whole thing)
Biggie Gimme The Loot
Biggie Ready To Die
Biggie The What (featuring Method Man)
Method Man Bring The Pain
KMD What A Niggy Know?
KMD Smokin' That Shit
Nas The World Is Yours
Nas Represent
Method Man I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By (Featuring Mary J. Blige)
Ol' Dirty Bastard Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Ol' Dirty Bastard Brooklyn Zoo
Ol' Dirty Bastard Raw Hide (Featuring Raekwon & Method Man)
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (the whole thing)

[bishop2knight]

I totally forgot about Kid n Play, KMD, and Skee Lo.

I just bought some Sir Mix a Lot. I totally dug Swass and Seminar.

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

Im not good with song names here's some albums:
Mobb deep infamous
black moon enta da stage
wutang enter the 36 chambers
Method Man Tical
De La Soul
A Tribe Called QUest
KRS-1
Public enemy Apocalypse 91
Ice Cube - Death Certificate, Lethal Injection, amerikkka's nightmare, The predator, Kill at will
EPMD
Redman
Nine-whutcha want
eric B and Rakim
Das Efx
Kriss Kross
Snoop
Dr. Dre
Dogg Pound
Goodie Mob
Onyx
Special Ed
MC Lyte
Fugees
Big Daddy Kane

[Jacoby Ellsbury]

s'more
Cypress Hill
Naughty by nature
Slick Rick
LOTUG
Jeru da damaja
New Jersey Drive Sountrack

[inri222]

One For All - Brand Nubian
It Takes A Nation... - Public Enemy
Holy Intellect - Poor Righteous Teachers
Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim
Long Live the Kane - Big Daddy Kane
Schooly D - Schooly D
The Message - Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
Planet Rock : The Album - Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force

[Hixx]

Pharcyde- Ya Mama (although the entireity of Bizarre Ride II is pure gold)
Public Enemy- Fight the Power/Bring the Noise/911 is a Joke
Digable Planets- Where I'm From/Cool Like Dat
De La Soul- Me Myself & I/Buddy/Jennifer
Tribe Called Quest- Bonita Applebaum/Electric Relaxation/Jazz(We've Got)
Grandmaster Flash-White Lines
NWA- Express Yourself
Digital Underground- Anything off of Sex Packets although my favorites are Freaks of the Industry and Doowhatchayalike
Del that Funkee Homosapien- Mistadobalina/Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo
Ultramagnetic MCs- Poppa Large

And of course the super old school classics like Newcleus, Sugarhill Gang, Slick Rick, Run DMC etc.

[Mondo Kane]

The Points (Easy Mo Bee remix)-Various Artists (http://www.youtube.com/v/RIr090C38W8) (This is still the best posse cut ever made, IMO)
Eric B. is President-Eric B & Rakim (http://www.youtube.com/v/_ovpOCPm9Jk)
My Summer Vacation-Ice Cube (http://www.youtube.com/v/RMqfRey10gA)
Glaciers of Ice-Raekwon (http://www.youtube.com/v/DmSREFKsZ7Y)
I Got Five On It-The Luniz (http://www.youtube.com/v/v6tqn7uhYKk)
So whatcha sayin-EPMD (http://www.youtube.com/v/08E6a21xiFo)
Funkin' Lesson-X Clan (http://www.youtube.com/v/TVdcSuKYaGM)
Pain-2Pac (http://www.youtube.com/v/EPHJkQJnmYc)
The Jazz-A Tribe Called Quest (http://www.youtube.com/v/w_-4GFV7uTE)
Black Superman-Above The Law (http://www.youtube.com/v/NmvRLJq7nWI)

[CreatureX]

KRS-One - 'Love's Gonna Get'cha'
Big Daddy Kane - 'Smooth Operator'
Nice & Smooth - 'Sometimes I Rhyme Slow'
Eric B. & Rakin - 'Paid In Full'
Father MC - 'I'll Do 4 U'

3rd Bass - 'Wordz of Wizdom'
Cypress Hill - 'How I Could Just Kill A Man'
NWA - 'If It Ain't Ruff'
The D.O.C. - 'It's Funky Enough'
Geto Boys - 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me'

Ice T - '6 N The Morning'
A Tribe Called Quest - 'Can I Kick It'
Beastie Boys - 'Rhymin' and Stealin'
Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - 'It Takes Two'
MC Breed - 'Aint No Future In Your Frontin'

[dadaluholla]

Kool Moe Dee - Rise 'N' Shine (w/KRS One and Chuck D)
Zhigge - Toss It Up
Gangstarr - Who's Gonna Take The Weight?
Poor Righteous Teachers - Easy Star
Main Source - Live at the Barbeque
EPMD - Headbanger
MC Lyte - Paper Thin
De la Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"
Souls of Mischief - Never No More
Chi-Ali - Age Ain't Nothin' But a #
Dana Dane - Nightmares
Ed O.G And Da Bulldogs - Bug-A-Boo
UMCs - Pass It On
Black Sheep - Strobelite Honey
Black Moon - Buck Em Down
Showbiz & AG - Soul Clap
Lords of the Underground -Chief Rocka
Freddie Foxxx - Rough Enough
Apache - Get Ya Weight Up
Da Lench Mob - Freedom Got An A.K.
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Can't Front On Me
Nice & Smooth - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow
Chubb Rock - Treat em Right
MC Breed - Ain't No Future In Your Frontin'
Paris - The Devil Made Me Do It
Boss -Deeper
Paperboy - Ditty
Spice 1 - I'm The #%!*&% Murderer
Nemesis - Munchies For your Bass
Home Team - Pick it Up
Son of Bazerk - What Could Be Better Bitch
Leaders of the New School - Sound Of The Zeekers

[johnbook]

Rap is something i never listen too, but there are a few songs over the years that i've enjoyed, they are..

Ice Cube - It was a good Day
Ice Cube - Check Yo Self

Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance

Will Smith - Summertime

MC Hammer - Have you seen Her

Snoop Dogg - Gin and Juice

Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack

Beastie Boys - Fight for your Right (To Party) - is this one considered rap?, to me it's more rock.

I can only think of eight songs.

[The Bus]

Going by your 1980-1995 definition, in alphabetical order:

<ul>
<li> A Tribe Called Quest — "Scenario"
<li> Basehead — "Hair"
<li> Black Moon — "Black Smif-N-Wesson"
<li> Count Bass-D — "Broke Thursday"
<li> Del Tha Funkee Homosapien — "Mistadobalina"
<li> Digable Planets — "Where I'm From"
<li> Eric B. & Rakim — "Don't Sweat the Technique"
<li> Gang Starr — "Mass Appeal"
<li> GZA — "Unexplained/Liquid Swords" (or "B.I.B.L.E.")
<li> Nas — "Represent"
<li> Paperboy — "Ditty"
<li> Public Enemy — "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic"
<li> Raekwon — "Verbal Intercourse"
<li> Wu-Tang Clan — "Tearz"
</ul>

These are just songs which I have here ripped from CD, so it's not all-inclusive.

I'd also recommend getting your hands on Dr. Dre's "'86 in the Mix" one of the best old-school mixtapes I've heard in some time.

[E. Honda]

http://www.ninjabynight.com/vanillaice.JPG

You may deny it now (and say that it totally sucks), but if you are from that era, you listened to this album and enjoyed it. -wink-

And lets not forget N 2 Deep's "Back to the Hotel", Wreckx-N-Effect's "Rump Shaker", Tag Team's "Whoomp! (There It Is)", and Marky Mark's "Walk on the Wild Side".

[Matt Millheiser]

http://www.ninjabynight.com/vanillaice.JPG

You may deny it now (and say that it totally sucks), but if you are from that era, you listened to this album and enjoyed it. -wink-
I was from that era.

I never listened to that album.

Ever. :)

Some of us recognized a steaming turd when we saw/heard it! Plus I was mostly into metal anyhow.

Anyway, don't discount 2 Live Crew, the true pioneers of booty rap. Everyone goes with "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" for the whole 'Me So Horny' / First Amendment crusade, but their best (and damned funniest) album remains "2 Live Crew Is What We Are". Spent too many 16 year old nights chugging down beer and jamming out to "Get It Girl" and "We Want Some Pussy".

Ahh good times.

[FantasticVSDoom]

Tribe Called Quest-Low End Theory
Public Enemy-It Takes a Nation of Millions
De La Soul-3 Feet High and Rising
Eric B & Rakim- (any album really)
Pete Rock and CL Smooth- Mecca and the Soul Brother
Gang Starr-Daily Operation
Wu Tang- Enter the 36 Chambers
NWA-Straight outta Compton
Ice Cube-Amerikkka's Most Wanter, Lethal Injection
Black Sheep-Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
And for a song-Last Emperor-Secret Wars Vol.1

[macnorton]

Props to Hixx, FantasticVSDoom and dadaluholla, who pretty much made my list in their posts. Bastards! Seriously though, you cats know your shit.

Mecca & The Soul Brother, anything by Erik B. & Rakim and The Low End Theory are high water marks. But let's not leave out Boogie Down Productions, Run DMC, Sugar Hill Gang now.

Although technically they are not old school but their sounds is, I highly recommend the first two Jurassic 5 records. Quality Control & Power in Numbers.

[Hiro11]

1. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
2. Eric B and Rakim - Follow the Leader
3. Afrika Bambaataa - Looking for the Perfect Beat
4. Tribe - Low End Theory
5. BDP - Criminal Minded
6. Pete Rock and CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother
7. Cypress Hill - S/T debut
8. Ice Cube - Death Certificate
9. Wu Tang - 36 Chambers
10. EPMD - Strictly Business

Bonus # 11. (personal favorite) De La Soul - Is Dead

[The Bus]

mac, I was going to suggest some backpack stuff but most of it is after 1995: J5, Dilated Peoples, pre-Fergie BEP, Kweli, etc.

[The Bus]

Although I think this song has aged a bit, I forgot to add "Posse on Broadway" from Swass.

[jpoppe]

Nightmare on my Street - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Nasty Bitch - Bust Down (you gotta read the lyrics for this one)

[devilshalo]

Kool Moe Dee - Wild Wild West
Biz Markie - Vapors
Ice T - Power
Eazy E - Radio
Whodini - The Freaks Come Out at Night
Rob Base - It Takes Two
Doug E Fresh - The Show