36 Songs That A True Hip-Hop Fan Should Know Word For Word, Bar For Bar
Hip-hop is global phenomenon that has evolved into a beloved culture.
Many of us millennial and Gen Z'ers grew up with hip-hop, discovering its amazingness through either MTV, BET, or our Gen X parent's collection of CD's. Throughout my childhood, I would snag my mom and dad's hip-hop/rap mixed CDs to add to my music collection, and blast in my CD player. For those born after 2003, mixed CDs are CDs that are filled with various songs and a CD player plays CDs—hopefully, that’s enough clarity for any readers under 19-years-old.
Real hip-hop fans have a deep bond with the genre, and that special connection allows them to be able to retain the lyrics of certain dope hip-hop/rap records. I'm a genuine hip-hop music lover, so I composed a list of 36 songs that a true hip-hop fan would know word for word, bar for bar.
1."Nuthin' But a "G" Thang" —Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg
No way should any hip-hop fan, that grew up in the 1990s especially, not know each lyric in "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang." Snoop Dogg's verse should be so ingrained in your psyche that you could rap it a capella.
2."In Da Club" —50 Cent
Interscope
"In Da Club" was in such heavy rotation in 2003 that everybody that loved hip-hop had 50 Cent's song lyrics memorized from the moment "In Da Club" dropped.
3."Hustlin" —Rick Ross
"Hustlin" by Rick Ross is the chosen rap song to rap along to when you're ridin' round and gettin' it like you're Rick "The Boss" Ross.
4."6 Foot, 7 Foot" —Lil Wayne
Young Money
Lil Wayne and the Young Money crew dominated the hip-hop scene during the 2010s. A millennial rap fan could rap Lil Wayne's "6 Foot, 7 Foot" at the drop of a hat, I promise you.
5."Party Up (Up In Here)" —DMX
Before the beat even drops I'm hyped and ready to go in. If you're a hip-hop lover, you would know this song so well that if you're rappin' "Party Up" by DMX during rap karaoke, you wouldn't even need to look at the lyrics on the screen.
6."Dirt Off Your Shoulder" —Jay-Z
Are you really a hip-hop fan if you don't know Jay-Z's song, "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" by heart?
7."Ruff Ryders' Anthem" —DMX
DMX has a special place in my heart, and his "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is my jam. Who else can relate to rappin' this song word for word, bar for bar whenever it comes on the radio station while you're driving?
8."What You Know" —T.I.
T.I.'s Grand Hustle era was truly a dope time in hip-hop history, so much so that T.I. inevitably became the King of Trap Music. As the self-proclaimed King of the Trap, T.I. created lit music that many hip-hop fans have committed to memory like, "What You Know."
9."Grillz" —Nelly ft. Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp
Universal Music
How can you say you love hip-hop and not know all of the verses on Nelly's "Grillz"?
10."Lose Yourself" —Eminem
Interscope
The build-up alone in Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is what makes this song exciting for hip-hop fans to bust out rappin' whenever they hear it.
11."International Players Anthem" —UGK ft. Outkast
Jive
Hip-hop'ers may not remember the entire national anthem, but best believe they can recite each of the verses on UGK ft. Outkast's "International Players Anthem" word for word, bar for bar.
12."I Wish" —Skee-Lo
If you claim to love hip-hop, you should be able to quote all of the wishes that Skee-Lo made in "I Wish" in order.
13."Conceited" —Remy Ma
SRC
Baddies that love rap know each of Remy Ma's bars in her record "Conceited."
14."I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" —Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige
This song will separate those that truly rock with hip-hop from people who only vibe with hip-hop because it's cool to do so.
15."Move B***h" —Ludacris
Disturbing Tha Peace
Anybody that knows rap Ludacris, not just Fast & Furious Ludacris, and can repeat each word in "Move B***h" with ease is a hip-hop fan for real.
16."California Love" —2Pac ft. Dr. Dre
Death Row Records
Don't you dare classify yourself as a hip-hop fan, especially if you're from Cali, if you don't know every lyric of 2Pac and Dr. Dre's "California Love."
17."Get Money" —Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Atlantic
Just like 2Pac, Biggie Smalls is also an iconic hip-hop figure. Therefore, every real rap fan will know Biggie's music to-a-tee, especially this one that he did with his clique, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
18."Check The Rhime" —A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest's music is everything, and their song "Check The Rhime" is well-known by hip-hop heads — young and old.
19."Boyz-N-The-Hood" —Eazy-E
Ruthless Records
Eazy-E's "Boyz-N-The-Hood" is such a hip-hop classic that not knowing the words to it is just criminal.
20."ATLiens" —Outkast
Both Big Boi's and Andre 3000's verse is so dope on "ATLiens" that most Outkast fans know the words of the song from start to finish.
21."Gin N' Juice" —Snoop Dogg
Death Row Records
Snoop Dogg has some of the most recitable lyrics of all time, and many of them can be found in his song, "Gin N' Juice."
22."Funkdafied" —Da Brat
So So Def Records
Only OG hip-hop fans, like Raven-Symoné, can rap Da Brat's song "Funkdafied" and own it.
23."Ms. Fat Booty" —Mos Def
Rawkus Records
Are you really down with the #HipHopCulture if you don't know who the flow-tastic Mos Def is? Probably not...
24."Who Am I" —Snoop Dogg
Every hip-hop fan will know several of Snoop Dogg's songs word for word, bar for bar, because his music is quotable like that.
25."Regulate" —Warren G ft. Nate Dogg
Death Row Records
Warren G is one of the pioneers of G-Funk music, therefore it's disrespectful to be a hip-hop fan and not know all of the lyrics to Warren G and Nate Dogg's "Regulate."
26."Shook Ones (Part II)" —Mobb Deep
RCA Records
Mobb Deep's Part 2 of "Shook Ones" is a song you bust out rappin' when you trying to flex your hip-hop knowledge.
27."Quiet Storm (Remix)" —Mobb Deep ft. Lil' Kim (Specifically Lil' Kim's Verse)
The original Queen B was so saucy on Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm" remix, that she turned an awesome rap song into a hip-hop masterpiece. That's why hip-hop fans know all of the words to her verse til' this day.
28."Hypnotize" —Notorious B.I.G
Arista Records
"Hypnotize" by the Notorious B.I.G, aka Biggie Smalls, is another hip-hop classic that every rap fan knows verbatim.
29."Ready Or Not" —Fugees
Ruffhouse Records
Lauryn Hill impeccably represented for the female emcees when she was with the Fugees. The Fugees song, "Ready or Not", goes so hard, mainly because of Lauryn Hills' verse. Real hip-hop fans know the song frontward and backward.
30."All Falls Down" —Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson
Rock-a-Fella
Old Kanye is the best Kanye, period. His song, "All Falls Down", is thee song that all hip-hop heads know and will rap passionately when given the chance.
31."Not Tonight (Remix)" —Lil' Kim ft. Angie Martinez, Left-Eye, Missy Elliot and Da Brat
No hip-hop fan can honestly say that they haven't rapped everyone's part in Lil' Kim's "Not Tonight (Remix)."
32."B***h Don't Kill My Vibe" —Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest rappers of this generation. It's mandatory for millennial and Gen Z rap fans to know all of the lyrics to Kendrick Lamar's "B***h Don't Kill My Vibe."
33."Blow The Whistle" —Too Short
Too Short
Too Short is a west coast hip-hop legend, and for that reason alone, hip-hop fans will know all of the words to "Blow the Whistle."
34."Power Trip" —J. Cole ft. Miguel
Roc Nation
J. Cole is the Jay-Z of Gen Z, hence why younger generation hip-hop lovers know each and every line in J. Cole's "Power Trip."
35."Forever" —Drake
Drake is beloved in the hip-hop community, and many fans have been rollin' with him since the mid-2000s. "Forever" by Drake is the hip-hop song rap fans break out when they're trying to prove they're a day-one Drake fan.
36."Ms. Jackson" —Outkast
"Ms. Jackson" by Outkast is a record that no rap fan shouldn't know seamlessly.
