Lotus
06-07-2005, 12:03 AM
Alright, it's getting down to the nitty-gritty now. The Top 20, just like Daisy Fuentes used to do it back in the day, when MTV ruled. But enough nostalgia for one post (even though this countdown is mostly nostalgia, but whatever). Onto the countdown, ladies and gents:
20. Bob Marley- Sun Is Shining (Funkstar Deluxe Remix Radio Edit) (Spring 2000): The reason I say radio edit is because the extended versions are too gay and take away from the song. But the radio edit is good, well, better than good. Good enough to be the 2nd-best house song ever. Oh wow. It has one of those "mindblowing melodies" that only house music can produce, probably the reason why it is my 2nd-favorite music genre. And combine that with Bob Marley's voice and you get one of the 20 best songs ever made. Back when Wild 94.9 used to play house during the day, this song would be on all the time. I still can't get enough of this song. I'm basically speechless on this song, that's how good it is (I've just been throwing shit in there to make it look longer).
19. Juice- Sincerely...The Unsigned (Spring 2001): Originally, I thought this song was weak. And then, two months later, I decided to give it another shot, and my mind was quickly changed. I'm a sucker for a lot of things in music, including melancholy piano beats (I already talked about that in the 30-21 with "Right Here"), which this song has. Juice, mainly a freestyler, picks up the pen for this one and writes up 48 bars of greatness spreaded over 3 16-bar verses. This was yet another guy I found thanks to the "Discover" section in Napster. That had to be the greatest feature for any music program I have ever used. Not much else to say for this one. On to the big 1-8.
18. Canibus- Poet Laureate II (November 2003): Yeah, so maybe this song is a little bit on the "new" side. And yeah, maybe it is 18 because the song is so fresh in my mind, and yeah, it might slide down over time. But I don't think so. If there is one write-up on these songs you read, I hope it is this one. I've pushed this song on here before, but it hasn't gotten any attention. The reason I talk about this song so much is because of this: 6 minutes and 57 seconds of Canibus rapping straight-on without a chorus. It is approximately 162 bars worth of rapping. To put that in perspective, the average rap song has around 44-48 bars worth of rapping (without chorus). So, Canibus basically raps about 3-4 songs worth in one. And his rapping isn't bullshit either- he talks about his career from a 3rd-person perspective, and has some lines in there that are guaranteed to leave you taken back. If you think the beat might be boring after 7 minutes, you'd be wrong. The beat changes 3 times to totally different melodies, with the same beat starting up the song and ending the song. The first beat is kind of apocalyptic/chaotic sounding, the second is pretty chill, and the third one is a "down in the dumps" beat (not that it's melancholy sounding- it's just one of those that sounds like a ton of shit is going wrong in life). Maybe I'm hyping this song up too much. But trust me, if you're a fan of true rap, commercial or non-commercial, you'd love this one, or at least appreciate it.
17. REM- Losing My Religion (Fall 1993): This is one of the older tracks on the countdown, as far as when I first heard it goes. I'm not a huge fan of REM, but they put out 2 classic songs (the other one you'll see in 10-1), and they've had a couple of other decent songs. This is one of their classic songs. The guitars are nice, and I especially like the gay lead singer's voice in this song (I forget his name). His voice is very good for this kind of music in general. Also, the music video is pretty tight. Hella weird video, which is a good thing for me. "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spot-light, losing my religion... and I don't know if I could do it... oh no, I've said too much... I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing, I think I thought I saw you cry..."
16. Souls of Mischief- '93 'Til Infinity (May 2001, but really started listening to it May 2002): Yeah, I had totally forgot this song even existed until I saw it on a Top 25 countdown on BET. Classic old school song right here. "This is how we chill from '93 'Til"- says the chorus, which pretty much sums up the mood of the song- very relaxed, chill. For an old school rap song, this joint has very good lyrics, and they don't have those awkward pauses to make it flow with the beat, like many old school songs. These dudes were years ahead of their time. I think they've changed their name to "Hieroglyphics" now, or at least Tajai from SOM is in Hiero now. Any case, this is a great song, and it might rise in future lists.
15. Tupac- Until The End of Time RP Remix (Spring 2001): This is where the list gets a little Tupac-heavy. And what a way to kick it off with "Until the End of Time". The way this song starts off reminds me of someone who has just gotten through a crisis, and is trying to start up again. I love the beat, Tupac's rapping is great, and the singing in the chorus is very nice. This is probably the best I've heard Tupac rap to the beat. It's almost like at times his voice becomes an instrument in the song.
14. The Roots ft. Erykah Badu- You Got Me (Spring 1999): Back when this song came out, it was #1 on BET's Rap City Top 10 for like 5-6 weeks in a row. And at first, I didn't really like it, but each time it was #1, it grew on me, kinda like another frequent #1 on BET's Rap City Top 10 for many consecutive weeks (you'll see it soon). The shining point in this song is by far Erykah Badu's verse (verse 2 in the song), where she actually raps. It just sounds great. It connects the first and third verses well. Also, the music video is tight- everyone is sleeping in it, or dead, I can't tell, and Black Thought is just walking through the city while everyone else is dead/sleeping. Sick video, sick song, Black Thought and Erykah Badu have great chemistry on the mic in this one. #13 now.
13. Fugees- Ready Or Not (Summer 1996 or something): Another song that had to grow on me. Probably what held me back from instantly loving this song is because I hated "Killing Me Softly" at the time, and that made me not like them that much. But now it is a boneified "untouchable". Wyclef's verse is so good, Lauryn Hill on the chorus is great, her rapping on the second verse is great (as well as her singing after the second chorus), and the beat is tight, not to mention Pras's decent 8-bar flow. There is nothing wrong with this song. Another thing- this song has one of the best music videos ever made. It's a fucking shame that I can't find it online, other than .avi, which doesn't work on my PC. I'm fuckin' pissed. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait to see it on MTVJams.
12. Tupac- Changes (January 1999): After looking at the first 88 songs on this countdown, you just knew this one had to be coming up soon. And, well, here it is. This was like the first Tupac song I liked. His verses in this song are among his best, not necessarily in lyrical content, but the message behind it. Also, you gotta like the singing in the chorus. This song is so good that my dad even liked it, and he listens to no rap at all. I had the CD single to this song, but it got mysteriously lost, and I haven't found it in like 5 years. Kinda pissed about it, because it is such a great song, and I had to download it off Limewire. What a bitch.
11. Publice Enemy- He Got Game (Spring 1998): Obviously, this song goes to the "He Got Game" soundtrack, one of the best movies ever made (Spike Lee is the man, but that's another story). This song came out at the perfect time for me- I was trying to make the decision for what middle school to go to, and since Jesus Shuttlesworth is trying to decide what to do with basketball (college or turn pro), this one sang to me. The beat, bitten off some old song, is perfect for this one. The beat just makes you think, or at least it makes me think whenever I hear it. The song is a great blend of Chuck D's rapping and playing a snippet of the old song, and Flava Flav's motivational speech at the end. The song is nothing short of greatness. It is another one of those untouchables. I guarantee you that this song will never be lower than 11, it might even climb into the top 10 with more time.
Well, I'm going to try to hold out on posting a bit so my 3,000th post could be the end of this list. I just need 2 "filler" posts, and I'll have the final list up by the end of the week (I might wait until I meet up with Silent on Friday). Peace motherfuckers.
20. Bob Marley- Sun Is Shining (Funkstar Deluxe Remix Radio Edit) (Spring 2000): The reason I say radio edit is because the extended versions are too gay and take away from the song. But the radio edit is good, well, better than good. Good enough to be the 2nd-best house song ever. Oh wow. It has one of those "mindblowing melodies" that only house music can produce, probably the reason why it is my 2nd-favorite music genre. And combine that with Bob Marley's voice and you get one of the 20 best songs ever made. Back when Wild 94.9 used to play house during the day, this song would be on all the time. I still can't get enough of this song. I'm basically speechless on this song, that's how good it is (I've just been throwing shit in there to make it look longer).
19. Juice- Sincerely...The Unsigned (Spring 2001): Originally, I thought this song was weak. And then, two months later, I decided to give it another shot, and my mind was quickly changed. I'm a sucker for a lot of things in music, including melancholy piano beats (I already talked about that in the 30-21 with "Right Here"), which this song has. Juice, mainly a freestyler, picks up the pen for this one and writes up 48 bars of greatness spreaded over 3 16-bar verses. This was yet another guy I found thanks to the "Discover" section in Napster. That had to be the greatest feature for any music program I have ever used. Not much else to say for this one. On to the big 1-8.
18. Canibus- Poet Laureate II (November 2003): Yeah, so maybe this song is a little bit on the "new" side. And yeah, maybe it is 18 because the song is so fresh in my mind, and yeah, it might slide down over time. But I don't think so. If there is one write-up on these songs you read, I hope it is this one. I've pushed this song on here before, but it hasn't gotten any attention. The reason I talk about this song so much is because of this: 6 minutes and 57 seconds of Canibus rapping straight-on without a chorus. It is approximately 162 bars worth of rapping. To put that in perspective, the average rap song has around 44-48 bars worth of rapping (without chorus). So, Canibus basically raps about 3-4 songs worth in one. And his rapping isn't bullshit either- he talks about his career from a 3rd-person perspective, and has some lines in there that are guaranteed to leave you taken back. If you think the beat might be boring after 7 minutes, you'd be wrong. The beat changes 3 times to totally different melodies, with the same beat starting up the song and ending the song. The first beat is kind of apocalyptic/chaotic sounding, the second is pretty chill, and the third one is a "down in the dumps" beat (not that it's melancholy sounding- it's just one of those that sounds like a ton of shit is going wrong in life). Maybe I'm hyping this song up too much. But trust me, if you're a fan of true rap, commercial or non-commercial, you'd love this one, or at least appreciate it.
17. REM- Losing My Religion (Fall 1993): This is one of the older tracks on the countdown, as far as when I first heard it goes. I'm not a huge fan of REM, but they put out 2 classic songs (the other one you'll see in 10-1), and they've had a couple of other decent songs. This is one of their classic songs. The guitars are nice, and I especially like the gay lead singer's voice in this song (I forget his name). His voice is very good for this kind of music in general. Also, the music video is pretty tight. Hella weird video, which is a good thing for me. "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spot-light, losing my religion... and I don't know if I could do it... oh no, I've said too much... I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing, I think I thought I saw you cry..."
16. Souls of Mischief- '93 'Til Infinity (May 2001, but really started listening to it May 2002): Yeah, I had totally forgot this song even existed until I saw it on a Top 25 countdown on BET. Classic old school song right here. "This is how we chill from '93 'Til"- says the chorus, which pretty much sums up the mood of the song- very relaxed, chill. For an old school rap song, this joint has very good lyrics, and they don't have those awkward pauses to make it flow with the beat, like many old school songs. These dudes were years ahead of their time. I think they've changed their name to "Hieroglyphics" now, or at least Tajai from SOM is in Hiero now. Any case, this is a great song, and it might rise in future lists.
15. Tupac- Until The End of Time RP Remix (Spring 2001): This is where the list gets a little Tupac-heavy. And what a way to kick it off with "Until the End of Time". The way this song starts off reminds me of someone who has just gotten through a crisis, and is trying to start up again. I love the beat, Tupac's rapping is great, and the singing in the chorus is very nice. This is probably the best I've heard Tupac rap to the beat. It's almost like at times his voice becomes an instrument in the song.
14. The Roots ft. Erykah Badu- You Got Me (Spring 1999): Back when this song came out, it was #1 on BET's Rap City Top 10 for like 5-6 weeks in a row. And at first, I didn't really like it, but each time it was #1, it grew on me, kinda like another frequent #1 on BET's Rap City Top 10 for many consecutive weeks (you'll see it soon). The shining point in this song is by far Erykah Badu's verse (verse 2 in the song), where she actually raps. It just sounds great. It connects the first and third verses well. Also, the music video is tight- everyone is sleeping in it, or dead, I can't tell, and Black Thought is just walking through the city while everyone else is dead/sleeping. Sick video, sick song, Black Thought and Erykah Badu have great chemistry on the mic in this one. #13 now.
13. Fugees- Ready Or Not (Summer 1996 or something): Another song that had to grow on me. Probably what held me back from instantly loving this song is because I hated "Killing Me Softly" at the time, and that made me not like them that much. But now it is a boneified "untouchable". Wyclef's verse is so good, Lauryn Hill on the chorus is great, her rapping on the second verse is great (as well as her singing after the second chorus), and the beat is tight, not to mention Pras's decent 8-bar flow. There is nothing wrong with this song. Another thing- this song has one of the best music videos ever made. It's a fucking shame that I can't find it online, other than .avi, which doesn't work on my PC. I'm fuckin' pissed. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait to see it on MTVJams.
12. Tupac- Changes (January 1999): After looking at the first 88 songs on this countdown, you just knew this one had to be coming up soon. And, well, here it is. This was like the first Tupac song I liked. His verses in this song are among his best, not necessarily in lyrical content, but the message behind it. Also, you gotta like the singing in the chorus. This song is so good that my dad even liked it, and he listens to no rap at all. I had the CD single to this song, but it got mysteriously lost, and I haven't found it in like 5 years. Kinda pissed about it, because it is such a great song, and I had to download it off Limewire. What a bitch.
11. Publice Enemy- He Got Game (Spring 1998): Obviously, this song goes to the "He Got Game" soundtrack, one of the best movies ever made (Spike Lee is the man, but that's another story). This song came out at the perfect time for me- I was trying to make the decision for what middle school to go to, and since Jesus Shuttlesworth is trying to decide what to do with basketball (college or turn pro), this one sang to me. The beat, bitten off some old song, is perfect for this one. The beat just makes you think, or at least it makes me think whenever I hear it. The song is a great blend of Chuck D's rapping and playing a snippet of the old song, and Flava Flav's motivational speech at the end. The song is nothing short of greatness. It is another one of those untouchables. I guarantee you that this song will never be lower than 11, it might even climb into the top 10 with more time.
Well, I'm going to try to hold out on posting a bit so my 3,000th post could be the end of this list. I just need 2 "filler" posts, and I'll have the final list up by the end of the week (I might wait until I meet up with Silent on Friday). Peace motherfuckers.