“It’s time to take your ass on another kind of trip
‘Cause you can’t have the hop if you don’t have the hip”- Coolio in “Fantastic Voyage

If you asked anyone around who Coolio was, they’d probably say he’s that guy who rapped “Gangsta’s Paradise,” the iconic song about gang warfare thats been parodied a bunch of times.

Most people don’t recognize him for his earlier and debut hit “Fantastic Voyage” which has faded from memory in recent times. Unbeknownst to most, the song is actually about escapism and the harsh realities of living on the streets.

Sampling the bassline and beat from the song “Fantastic Voyage” by funk group Lakeside, Coolio raps about how he wishes he could escape the violence of the neighborhood gangs and raise his children in a safe place with food on the table.

Song Link (Video window not available:( )

I decided to close out the blog with this song as it is one of my favorites. Kind of like old school hip hop as a whole, this blog was a way for me to escape the realities of life and indulge in a subject I really love.

Although I may have stopped writing for now, as DJ Quik once said in “Dollaz+Sense,” “It don’t stop, and it won’t stop.”

“Relate this to no choice
And listen to this straight-up man before they ban the voice” – Dr. Dre in “Appetite for Destruction”

When talking about old school hip hop, it would be an absolute sin to omit NWA from the conversation. Known to most as the group that popularized and made gangsta rap a national topic of conversation, NWA came out of the late 80’s and early 90’s as the main name of violent West Coast hip hop.

Residents of Compton, California, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella combined their talents to produce tracks which went against the status quo. One of these songs, “Appetite for Destruction,” went especially far in describing street violence and police brutality, which angered many music critics and fans.

While their lyrics were definitely not family friendly, NWA helped in drawing attention to the cycle of poverty and violence in the streets of South Central Los Angeles. “Appetite For Destruction” has proven to be one of the group’s most prolific tracks and was even featured on the soundtrack of the top selling game Grand Theft Auto V.

“Chills with my peeps steady bouncing in jeeps
On the New York streets hittin urban concrete” -Nine in “Whatchu Want”

It is a fact that New York City has produced many great rappers and rap groups over the years such as the Wu-Tang Clan, AZ, and Pharoah Monch. However, no other artists embodies the greatest city in the world arguably like Nine.

Hailing from Brooklyn, Derrick Keyes got his start in hip hop at eleven years old under the pseudonym Ricochet. By the time he became Nine (so named because of his birthday 09/19/69 and his size 9 shoes), he was well versed in New York street culture and took part in underground hip hop gatherings in all of the five boroughs.

“Whatchu Want” launched Nine’s career from the streets of New York to the national hip hop and R and B charts.

The song talks about Nine’s life in New York as a rapper and street artist. It makes numerous allusions to old school borough hip hop culture through references and borrowed lyrics from artists such as Grandmaster Flash and the Sugarhill Gang.

While mostly not known outside of the East Coast, Nine is undoubtedly the most New York of the old school hip hop artists as he always stayed true to his roots in the Bronx and paid homage to those who came before him.

“Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God
I don’t know but today seems kinda odd” – Ice Cube in “It Was a Good Day”

Usually known for his explosive and controversial raps, Ice Cube created one of the most chilled and laid back songs in all of old school hip hop.

When asked how he came up with the lyrics, Ice Cube attested his dominance in the rap game and the nice summer days of Southern California with putting him in a state of euphoria and the right mindset to write the song.

It is not hard to groove to “It Was a Good Day.” Its slow pace and easily memorable lyrics make it a hit to jam to after having a great day yourself.

Unexpectedly for him, “It Was a Good Day” became Ice Cube’s greatest hit ever and one of the most prolific songs in hip hop. He performs the song at every concert with everybody in the crowd rapping along. If there had to be a candidate for the best rap song ever, “It Was a Good Day” would definitely be a top contender.

“If that’s a real expensive car in the alley then it might be me
Playin’ hookey from your local TV
But I’m flyer than an EB, extraterrestrial biological entity with Elliot but you call him ET” – DJ Quik in “Boogie Till You Conk Out”

For some, it takes years to get past the beef and tension centered around gang warfare. Rappers DJ Quik and Ice Cube were no exception.

While highly prolific, both Ice Cube, a Crip, and DJ Quik, a Blood, carried their gang affiliations with them and even proliferated them through their music.

In 2011, almost twelve years after the end of the Golden Age of old school hip hop, the former rivals finally came together to produce the song “Boogie Till You Conk Out,” a clean track about dancing with the ladies and squashing the beef.

Although it never became a very popular track, the song has become a staple amongst fans of both DJ Quik and Ice Cube and exemplifies that the power of hip hop prevails over any beef.

“You want to squab with the nina
Comin’ up, want to gat you with this trigger happy finger”- Spice 1 in “Dumpin’ Em in Ditches”

While many hip hop artists across the genre’s existence have rapped about homicide, arguably none other have done it as violently as Spice 1.

Hailing from Hayward, California of the East Bay Area, Spice 1 is the complete opposite of a “studio gangster.” While his lyrics are extremely violent, his lifestyle backs them up, as evidenced by his gunshot wounds and near-death experiences. Even after making heavy profits off of his songs, Spice has remained in his original Hayward neighborhood, risking the dangers of the gangster lifestyle.

The song “East Bay Gangster,” is arguably one of Spice 1’s most prolific hits and truly exemplifies how scary the man actually is. Set to a simple piano baseline and using reggae elements, Spice tells the story of how a murder can lead to remorseless jail time for a ghetto gangster.

Although he has remained relatively obscured, Spice 1 pioneered the Bay Area rap scene and inspired many young street thugs to turn to the mic to express themselves.

“I do the hustle like Russell, Rush the stage with Simmons
Deadly venom, makes me Poison like Michael Bivins
Or a cobra, pop more pop than Coca-Cola
Next to Yoda I’m a Star at War, plus roller coaster” –  Redman in “Blow Your Mind”

While New York City had a bustling rap scene blooming in the early 90’s, the New Jersey rap scene was mostly living in its shadow. Although it would never flourish into a scene that could compete with the West Coast and would always stay connected with New York, the rapper Redman would help in expanding his unique Newark style of hip hop across the globe.

While he remained relatively obscure for his first years in the music industry performing with Erick Sermon alongside EPMD, Redman would finally score a breakout hit in “Blow Your Mind” in 1992.

Released on his second album, “Whut? Thee Album,” “Blow Your Mind” sampled multiple funk hits from hit acts Parliament and Bootsy Collins. The heavy use of sampling combined with almost nonsensical sounding rhymes helped to make the track a hit song to drive to and play loudly on a stereo.

“Blow Your Mind” has thus far remained Redman’s biggest hit and has continued to please true old school hip hop fans to date. While he has fallen back into relative obscurity, Redman’s music continues to influence new rappers with his clever samplings and iconic funkadelic sound.

“Informer, you no say ‘daddy, me Snow, me I’ll go blame’
A licky boom-boom down”- Snow in “Informant”

Although not widely known even amongst old school hip hop fans, Canadian rapper/reggae singer Snow proved that anyone could produce a hip hop hit.

While the battle between East and West Coast raged amongst rap circles in the United States, Snow was changing the game by combining Jamaican reggae and classic Beastie Boys style rapping to create a radio hit in the 90’s.

“Informant” told the story of Snow’s arrest for attempted murder and how he was ratted out by somebody he trusted to the police, AKA an informant.

Premiering on the album “12 Inches of Snow,” “Informant” became Snow’s #1 hit of all time and marked the pinnacle of his musical career.

While many musical purists complain of Snow’s Canadian descent and caucasian background, it is undeniable that his effortless use of reggae speech and rap combine to make a bumping track in “Informant.”

“Cause we sure you gonna see us smile today
The problems of the world seem miles away” – Kid n’ Play in “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody”

No hip hop group epitomizes the late 80’s and early 90’s quite like Kid n’ Play.

Composed of NYC natives Christopher Reid (AKA Kid) and Christopher Martin (AKA Play), Kid n’ Play received great commercial success through their upbeat rap tracks and later their acting career.

Their most famous track, “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody” garnered them international acclaim through their movie “House Party,” a bildungsroman-esque 90’s film.

Making great use of a fast paced bassline and simple to understand lyrics, “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody,” raised Kid n’ Play’s status from no-name artists to one of the most memorable hip hop groups of the 90’s.

The first time I ever heard this song was on the radio in the car during a hot July day. It is my belief that if you can remember what you were doing when you first heard the song,  it must be quality. Since then, “Ain’t Gonna Hurt Nobody” has remained as one of my all time favorite beats to listen to and one of the most legendary in all of old school hip hop.

“One for the money (money), two for the show (show)
Three for the ladies but all they wanted was one”- Rass Kass in “Anything Goes”

While most music seems to be an amalgamation of the same old lyrics recycled over and over again, it is always exciting to listen to the occasional gem that really makes you think.

The song “Anything Goes” by Rass Kass is certainly one of those songs where it pays to pay attention each individual word. While seemingly trivial at first, Rass Kass’s extensive use of simile and metaphor help to paint a picture of the ghetto through elegant rhyme scheme.

Considered to be one of his best songs ever, “Anything Goes” elevated Rass Kass’s status from some underground rapper to a legitimate player in the West Coast rap game.

A signature practice of his, some studio versions of the track feature authentic, uncensored audio from the studio prior to and after recording songs. Rass Kass believed that authenticity was very important and as such included anything from soundbytes from the OJ Simpson verdict to his pouring out a 40 oz on the floor to relate some sort of social commentary to the listener.