[Hip-Hop Classics] Timeless HIPHOP / Golden Oldies
Hip-hop hadn’t been very popular in Japan for a long time, but it’s recently started getting attention, thanks in part to the spread of MC battles.
That said, even if people know recent tracks, many might not be familiar with the older ones.
So this time, we’ve picked out some classic hip-hop tracks recommended for those listeners.
We’ve mainly chosen songs from the 1980s to the 2000s, so you can also get a sense of hip-hop’s history.
Please take your time and enjoy.
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[Hip-Hop Classics] Standard HIPHOP / Timeless Masterpieces (51–60)
California Love2Pac
The East–West feud of gangsta rap.
If The Notorious B.I.G.
was the hope of the East Coast, then 2Pac was the hope of the West.
A California native discovered by Dr.
Dre, this genius quickly rose to prominence in the world of hip-hop.
As exemplified by “California Love,” his funky beats and sexy sound were also extremely popular.
However, in 1996 he too was gunned down by rival East Coast forces.
The back-to-back assassinations of two geniuses—2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.—shocked the entire nation, and it’s said that this tragedy became a turning point toward reconciliation between East and West.
What would hip-hop look like if both of them were still alive? Now it’s a sad legend.
Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse)Post Malone, Swae Lee
This is a track created by the two popular rappers Post Malone and Swae Lee, chosen as the theme song for the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Despite its urban vibe, the song features a refreshing track with melodically delivered raps by the two artists, making it an enjoyable listen that even people who aren’t fond of rap might easily appreciate.
Ain’t No Half-Steppin’Big Daddy Kane
A masterpiece single also included on the hip-hop classic album “Long Live the Kane,” from the prestigious label Cold Chillin’, which produced many great works from the late ’80s to the early ’90s.
Boldly sampling The Emotions’ “Blind Alley,” it brings out the funkiness inherent in Black music.
Rock The BellsLL Cool J
Released in 1985 on the prestigious DEF JAM label, this is a hip-hop classic from an artist who was just 15 at the time.
The sound was produced by RICK RUBIN.
Listening now, you get the thumping kick drum, the striking snare, and percussion that rings like metal.
Captivated by the looped breakbeats and their sense of groove, countless artists continue to sample this masterpiece to this day.
HypnotizeThe Notorious B.I.G.
Gangsta rap, which was popular in the 1990s, gained traction for its provocative style of rapping about crime and sex.
But in this world, it also sparked a major problem: an East Coast vs.
West Coast rivalry that drew in real gang members.
The emblematic figure of the East Coast was The Notorious B.I.G.
Noticed by a label for his unparalleled strength in rap battles, he made his debut and quickly became a leading artist of the East.
However, his prominence in the gangsta rap scene made him a target for West Coast gangs, and in 1997 he was shot and assassinated.
It remains a tragedy retold to this day as a symbol of the darker side of the gangsta rap boom.