There was once a time when rappers made songs about hip hop. Quite funny really, but it’s an endearing sort of thing, especially to hardcore hip hop heads. Lately this trend seems to have died down and understandably so; it’s a new era, the style of music has changed, the players have changed and society has changed. This was mostly popular with boom bap, east coast rappers but now boom bap is not a thing anymore. Very few famous rappers actually make boom bap hip hop - Joey Bada$$ stands out as an example.
These songs are great because in some way they are a celebration of an art form which nobody expected to have such a global impact. Hip hop is one of the leading genres as far as music sales are concerned. Music is therapeutic and for hardcore hip hop lovers like me it always brings joy to hear songs that talk about the very music I love. Note that this is not a list of the most influential or the best songs that talk about hip hop culture. It’s just a selection of songs that talk about the culture we love that I feel a lot of hip hop heads can appreciate. Some might be well-known while others are more obscure. They are in no particular order.
‘My Vers’d Love’ – ProVerb
This track is taken from South African’s emcee ProVerb’s first studio album, The Book of ProVerb. The album as a whole feels like an ode to hip hop because it centers on the emcee’s love for rap. He’s a true lyricist who paints pictures with his words. While there are other tracks on the album such as Microphone Sweet Home; Rhymes, Beats, & Battles and I Have a Dream which also touch heavily on the culture, My Vers’d Love articulates the impact that the music has had on this young man’s life in beautiful, poetic language. The first verse in particular stands out.
‘Real Hip Hop’ – MC Juice
This song covers MC Juice’s experiences in the battle rap circuit. Juice is one of the most prolific freestyle rappers to have ever walked the earth. His battle against Super Natural is one of the most legendary freestyle battles of all time. In this song Juice touches on what it was like to lose his first battle to Super Nat. This track showcases what a brilliant story-teller he is.
‘Hip Hop’ – Mos Def
This is probably one of the more well-known songs on this list since the album it was on Black on Both Sides was a success and is considered by many to be Mos Def’s magnum opus. He covers how hip hop has changed over the years and what it means to various people.
‘On The Grind’ – Master Ace
On this track Master Ace talks about how difficult it is to make it in the rap music industry. He mentions how he has to be his own producer, marketer, promoter, rapper and manager and still keep his day job.
‘The 6th Sense’ – Common
This track is one of the best Common songs ever released. His laid back flow blends seamlessly with DJ Premier’s contagious beat. Common touches on hip hop culture throughout the song but most prominently in the last verse where he raps
I start thinking, how many souls hip-hop has affected
How many dead folks this art resurrected
How many nations this culture connected
Who am I to judge one's perspective?
‘One Day’ – Jeru The Damaja
This track, also produced by DJ Premier, is a part of Jeru the Damaja’s sophomore studio album Wrath of the Math. The album as a whole talks about various aspects of hip hop. In fact the liner notes state that the album was created to save hip hop. One Day talks about hip hop being kidnapped and influenced to do foolish things. Several names are mentioned throughout the song, most notable is Puff Daddy who’s accused of being “the one gettin' him drunk and f***in' his mind up”. In the song it’s eventually revealed that hip hop was taken to the west coast by Suge Knight. Jeru goes over and brings “Hip Hop back home that night,” presumably to the east coast.
