The 50 Best Rawkus Records Songs

Hip-hop was at a crossroads in the late '90s. The genre was dealing with the aftermath of a senseless war that took the lives of two of its greats. The success of the "jiggy" era was was moving rap away from the street to the mainstream, and times didn't look any better with Big L's murder in 1999. The purists needed stability and a voice that proved credibility and quality weren't a thing of the past. That voice was Rawkus Records.

At its best, Rawkus represented a style of hip-hop that was both self and street-aware at the same time. Its first classic, Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus, foretold a desolate, abrasive form of rap that seemed too masterful to not be the future of the underground. But as much of a classic as that was, there was so much more to offer. By the end of the decade they had a roster of MCs that came to be revered as some of the greatest of all-time: Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, and Talib Kweli, to name a few. At its peak, the label released iconic records like Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, Monch's Internal Affairs, and Mos Def's Black on Both Sides.

However, Rawkus' dominance eventually took a turn for the worst when Company Flow and the label had a falling out do to its increasingly mainstream focus (a move that'd lead EL-P to create the Def Jux label). Then, a little known producer by the name of Kanye West expressed interest in joining Rawkus. It seemed like a match made in heaven, given 'Ye's epic beat for Kweli's "Get By." Unfortunately, the label passed up on the opportunity. As West blew up into superstardom, the once legendary label faded to irrelevance.

Still, the classics produced during Rawkus' run are too good to be forgotten. In honor of the anniversary of Black Star's legendary album, originally released on August 26, 1998, Complex has compiled a list of The 50 Best Rawkus Records Songs. Get enlightened.

Written by Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)

Album: The Beautiful Struggle
Producer: Supa Dave West


Talib Kweli and Common are no strangers to speaking about the struggle of the ghettos, but here they find beauty in it. "Ghetto Show" is about two MCs trying to find inspiration within the spirit of the inner city.

Talib Kweli is particularly impressive. He flips Jay-Z's famous line from "Moment of Clarity," saying, "If lyrics sold, then truth be told/I'll probably be just as rich and famous as Jay-Z/Truthfully I wanna rhyme like common sense/Next best thing I do a record with Common Sense." He then seamlessly grounds himself by remembering the fallen brothers and the still-current violence between inner city youths. Common closes things off with a spiritual resolution that brings everything full circle. It's touching stuff.

Album: Porn Again
Producer: DJ Mighty Mi


Rawkus is known for hosting a wave of socially-aware, underground rappers... and then there's the Smut Peddlers, the collaboration between The High & Mighty and Cage. The combo formed with some interesting results in Porn Again, especially in "That Smut." There's a lot of "What?" moments on this single, including what's probably the least flattering image of hip-hop as a woman ever: "This mic a shiv; hip-hop is Nancy after I stab her?" Wow, but you can't hate on the creativity at least.

Album: Soundbombing III
Producer: Q-Tip

It's not really known what set Q-Tip off on "What Lies Beneath," but Abstract was obviously not in the best of moods when Shocka called him up to do this track for Soundbombing III. He puts in two verses of almost straight vitriol that includes lines like, "Ya man is insane with that do-do on his chain/Funkin' up the joint he pain, that ain't a bling, that's a blang." He clowns the unnamed sucker MC, which is just more entertainment for us. It would've been great to have more Q-Tip/Rawkus collaborations if it resulted to more tracks like this.

Album: Lyricist Lounge, Volume One
Producer: Kenny Diaz


A song simply named "Lyrics" can't be anything other than intense, and that's exactly what we get with the track. Over excellent production, A.L. tirelessly unleashes a barrage of bars that showcases his mastery of breath control, flow, and you guessed it, lyricism. This level of skill makes for an epic listen.

Album: Lyricist Lounge, Volume One
Producer: DJ Scratch


Everybody was paying attention to how rap's increasingly mainstream affability suddenly gave rise to mediocrity, and how talented underground artists weren't receiving deserved recognition. But what about female MCs? According to Rah Digga and Bahamadia, they were going to be just fine. Who could argue when they sound this assured when they're spitting their verses?

Album: Lyricist Lounge, Volume One
Producer: Shawn J. Period


In his first verse, Mos Def gives himself a shoutout and then says, "Just shot myself a dime." It's extremely clever basketball reference, but it also is a lead-in to the great chemistry the three MCs display in "Body Rock." There were no lulls in this five-minute track as the trio constantly fed off each other's energy. There were no bricks here for Team Hip-Hop.

Album: Soundbombing
Producer: Shawn J. Period


One of the first things that jumped out about Yasiin Bey is his charisma. He's easy to get into since he "Roll of the tongue like L-M-N-O." He lays out a quick, stylish verse with ease, and that was only the intro.

What follows next is madness. You have an Eddie Murphy reference over here, a He-Man reference over there, a Richard Pryor name drop on the side, sprinkled with a Parkay shoutout. It's all fun stuff.

Before he sets the whole thing off, Mos Def disclaims, "I'm trying to keep it eye level. I ain't trying to beat nobody in the head... Well, not yet anyway." He never really beat anybody in the head despite the large number of introspective lyrics he'd drop over the years, which is why fans keep coming back.

Album: The Big Picture (1974–1999)
Producer: Lord Finesse


Sometimes you just have to tip your hat off to Jay-Z even attempting to freestyle with Big L in 1997. It shouldn't have to be reiterated by now, but Big L traumatizes mics when he's given a chance to let loose. So when he got on the Stretch & Bobbito show again, it's hard to be surprised at what went down.

One has to question if Big L was really as tired as he says he is on this recording. But if he was, this was a true show of determination. Big L was razor-sharp, and even that's an understatement because razors don't even cut that sharp. They don't give lines like, "Turn your tux red, I'm far from broke, got enough bread/And mad hoes, ask Beavis I get nothing Butthead." Then again, what else can you expect from a great?

Album: Home Field Advantage
Producer: DJ Mighty Mi


The High & Mighty proved themselves to be reliable MCs before they left Rawkus Records to make their own record label, and "Dirty Decibels" was one of those examples. The track finds the two smoothly, but charismatically, spitting over a solid guitar backed. Having Pharoahe Monch on the hook definitely qualifies as live.

Album: Hi-Teknology
Producer: Hi-Tek


For the first minute or so, Mos Def and Vinia Mojica are hovering around the track like a couple just catching each other's eyes before hitting the dance floor. But as the beat drops, the two finally hit the dance floor as their vocal chemistry indicates. "Get Ta Steppin" is the spiritual cousin to "Umi Said" in that they both capture that feeling of living in the moment. It isn't about tomorrow. It's about if "you're doing this for me tonight."

Album: Lyricist Lounge 2
Producer: Rockwilder


Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, and.... Nate Dogg? It was a collaboration Monch didn't even think about, according to an interview on Rap Genius. But Mos Def called him and made the suggestion, which lead to another great hook by Nate Dogg. The way Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch surrounds that hook with tight verses is equally impressive.

Album: The Beautiful Struggle
Producer: Kanye West


A lot of Talib Kweli's work revolve around uplifting others who are caught in the struggle, and "I Try" may be his most upfront way of going about it. Here he enlists the help of Mary J. Blige, a.k.a Ms. "No More Drama, and Kanye West, who's had tracks like "We Don't Care" and "Good Life" to his catalog.

"I Try" seeks to inspire and get them hands clapping, but it stays realistic at the same time. Talib is clearly reaching deep in the well of hope here in an post-9/11 America where he "Got searched on the plane, Arabic first name," the youths still gang bang, and where the six o' clock news are still filled with tragedy. But, as Kweli says, life is a beautiful struggle.

Album: Funcrusher Plus
Producer: Big Juss


One of the more enduring things about Funcrusher Plusis that the rhyme scheme and production are so densely packaged that you might just pick up something new with each listen. Shit, you might even learn a thing or two-like in the history lesson that's 'Lune TNS.' The track is homage to the graffiti culture that helped mold hip-hop.

It's hard to latch on to most of the references, unless you're deeply versed in the graffiti culture. But the instrumental-a spiraling loop with the keys-is just too good to turn down. Plus, the artful way Big Juss rhymes just sounds good. You'd probably want to look up Don P and MItch 77 after "Lune TNS" is over... and then play this song some more.

Album: Brace 4 Impak
Producer: Da Beatminerz


Da Beatminerz crafted an classic underground beat with this joint. It's the type that'd make your circle of friends break out into an impromptu cipher at random. You rhymes may not be as dope as these are though.

Album: Hi-Teknology
Producer: Hi-Tek

It's hard to hate on this song. Hi-Tek crafts another easily accessible beat, with this one being based around an ever-pleasant jazzy guitar. Jonell's vocal delivery fit well enough to have the sisters singing along as the narrator speaks about her tumultuous relationship. It's a sad cycle she talks about in the song, but the catchiness of it all made many rounds on people's playlists.

Album: Lyricist Lounge, Volume One
Producer: Hi-Tek


With a track called "The Manifesto," it's important to have a beat that will make the listener take heed. Hi-Tek ragtime-era keys are so menacing it forces you to pay attention. Talib Kweli takes it from there and sounds determined as he delivers the mission statement. Take notes as Kweli lists the 10 points in his last verse.

Album: Soundbombing
Producer: Nick Wiz


Shabaam Sahdeeq was the role player in the Rawkus gang. He easily proved himself to be one of the labels more reliable MCs, appearing in tracks like the "Simon Says (Remix)" and "WWII." However, like most role players, he never really broke into his own.

It's a shame, considering that he has songs like "Arabian Nights" in his catalog. This was the gully side of Arabia Alaadin never bother to travel to. Sahdeeq paints a claustrophobic picture over the metropolis over extremely tense production from Nick Wiz. The desert sands were unforgiving, and this track was relentless.

Album: Hi-Teknology
Producer: Hi-Tek


Like having your favorite radio station as your alarm clock, Common awoke listeners and opened up Hi-Tek's solo debut with an uptempo cut. The MC once again relays personal strife on another Rawkus cut. But unlike "Respiration," which leaves the narrator still struggling to come to terms, "The Sun God" finds Common with his head held high. Drug use was still a problem and violence was rampant, but Common just believed in The Sun God and that sort of confidence is infectious. Who's BasedGod again?

Album: Train of Thought
Producer: Talib Kweli


It's the little details that really make this track standout. There's that sneaky guitar sample in the mist of Hi-Tek's production, Vinia Mojica's "Kweli" ad-lib to give his verse an extra pop, and even Hi-Tek rapping ("Bet you ain't even know I had flow though"). But at the center of it all was Talib Kweli as focused as ever.

Album: Soundbombing II
Producer: Da Beatminerz


It’s hard to find a better rapper than Eminem to start off a compilation, especially when he’s on his early Slim Shady steez. Here you have the classic Eminem record, one that’s filled with punchlines, absurdity, and humor over an easy-to-swallow flow. In retrospect, it may seem odd to see the now superstar Eminem be on an album with mostly underground artists. But this album is a bombardment of differing dope sounds, hence the title Soundbombing. And besides, do we really want to be asking questions when Em is spitting lines like “Laid up in the hospital in critical condition, I flatlined/Ducked up and ran from the mortician?”

Album: Soundbombing II
Producer: EL-P


Company Flow's album was a stark, disorienting piece of work. So, of course, biting satire was right up their alley.

"Patriotism" is EL-P's aggressive damning of Reganomics. It wasn't preachy, but witty, charismatic, and bluntly honest. EL-P's high volume delivery makes sure every detail gets noticed, like when he shouts, "You don't even know the chemicals you've ingested Urine tested/Beat the man until he confesses."

Unfortunately this would one of the last Company Flow joints to appear under Rawkus due to the two parties declining relationship. The good news is that EL-P would go on to further enforce his artistic vision when he founded Def Jux in 1999.

Album: Quality
Producer: Kanye West


Sometimes you have to wonder just how far Rawkus would've gone if they'd sign Kanye. Just how different would hip-hop be today if they'd sign this young and hungry producer. There was something about Kanye that brought out the best in Talib Kweli when they collaborated, as seen here. This track was the first time Kanye and Talib met, which makes Kweli's' battle-readiness that much more impressive. Round of applause for Black Thought and Pharoahe Monch, as well.

Album: Funcrusher Plus
Producer: EL-P & Mr. Len


It's always heartbreaking to hear a story about a child witnessing domestic abuse, but EL-P's recollection hits harder. His story wasn't just one of sadness and heartache, but about a deep-seeded hatred, a darkness that will never go away. EL-P goes into it in vivid detail. and the song ends with sobering realism: "You'll never see him again/ Yeah but I see him every night and cover my ears in tears as he beats his fucking wife." It's the sort of intensity you can't turn away from.

Album: Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Producer: Hi-Tek


Black Star was about to go into some real shit in their classic LP, so it's only fair that they'd at least introduce themselves. "Definition" was a hell of an introduction. Yeah the duo was about to kill the game, but Talib Kweli made sure to let us know it was for a just cause: "Stop actin' like a bitch already, be a visionary/And maybe you can see your name in the column of obituaries." It's "You gone learn today" before Kevin Hart, except a tad more epic. The remix, "RE:Definition." is an essential as well.

Album: Soundbombing/Train of Thought
Producer: Hi-Tek


“2000 Season”: Hi-Tek and Talib Kweli had chemistry. Reflection Eternal wasn’t as powerful as Black Star, but Tek and Kweli weren’t the two to be slept on. The two used their creative bond to make an interesting aesthetic on “2000 Season.” Hi-Tek’s piano-based instrument is the type you might hear on an easy-going Sunday morning. But as light as the beat is, Kweli takes the chance to surprise the listeners with some laser sharp lyricism.

Talib’s verses represent the dilemma of the archetypal socially-aware MC. The Brooklyn MC skillfully balances between burgeoning self-awareness and the insatiable appetite to destroy the competition. The dichotomy is represented within his first lines: “I’m not a human being getting on some spiritual shit/A spiritual being manifested in a human that’s it.” What follows are some of the best bars Talib has ever laid on wax.

Album: Soundbombing II
Producer: Hi-Tek


Underground hip-hop has an abundance of contentious rappers. Yeah, no one's against dropping knowledge, but ultimately we need entertainment. Part of what makes Yasiin Bey so enjoyable to listen to was his ability to do both with his delivery. While many of his kind spit at a constant stream, some of Mos Def's best songs has him reaching into different corners lyrically and flow-wise, and still find a way to make everything cohesive. It was all frantic, but made sense at the same time.

What makes "Next Universe" such a thrill is just how perfectly Hi-Tek managed to capture that aesthetic. That glitchy key progression was far from stable, but Yasiin Bey ferocity on this track didn't even need a solid nucleus. The ride to the next universe was a dope one.

Album: Lyricist Lounge 2
Producer: Ayatollah


It's hard to do a follow-up that's good enough to top the original, but the artist formerly known as the Mighty Mos Def was up for the task. While it didn't quite top the original, "Ms. Fat Booty 2" had Yasiin Bey making some interesting choices over a further warped Aretha Franklin sample. He switched to a Jamaican patois accent around halfway through the first verse, but his flow still manages to stay on point. Also, putting a raw MC like Ghostface Killah on the beat may seem like a left field decision to some. Fortunately, the Wu member compliments Yasiin well in this choice cut.

Album: Internal Affairs
Producer: Pharoahe Monch


The metaphor of hip-hop as a woman has been used plenty of times, but none like this. Common rapped about his commitment to her; Pharoah Monch raps about raping her. The MC explains it all in graphic, sexual detail, but by the end it all makes sense. Sure it's controversial, but "Rape" stands as one of the more clever iterations of the concept.

Album: Funcrusher Plus
Producer: EL-P


We get Funcrusher Plus is a masterwork filled with lyricism, dope beats, dark subjects, and... blah, blah, blah. But come on, this is just overkill. That bass could turn the most hapless MCs into a beast. Putting Big Juss, a competent rapper in his own right, just seems outright irresponsible, criminal even. In other words, it's just the type of stuff we like.

Album: The Big Picture (1974–1999)
Producer: Ron Browz


Big L is championed as one of the greatest punchline and metaphor spitters of all time, and reasonably so. This was the same man who spit lines like, "I'm so ahead of my time, my parents haven't met yet" and "You was never shit, your mother should've swallowed you." But here, Big L shows his storytelling ability. Punchlines take a backseat as Harlem's finest switches his focus to detail-from Corleone's ice-grill to the violent robbery. This ranks up there as one of the best songs in Big L's tragically short career.

Album: Hip-Hop for Respect
Producer: Organized Noize


Hip-Hop has always been openly critical of law enforcement since its birth, but after the infamous Amadou Diallo shooting in 1999, rap's most intelligent MCs felt it was crucial to come together to speak on the issue. Over a fast-paced Organized Noize production, nine MCs come by to drop their two cents if the injustice. The idea may seem too cluttered to work as a song, but each of the artists use their allotted time wisely. It wasn't just a song, but a discussion on one of hip-hop's most pressing issues.

Album: Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Producer: Da Beatminerz


"Black" is a concept that many are still trying to describe, even until this day. For Black Star, it was meant in the most spiritual sense possible-which feels even more complicated. However, this explanation isn't about just knowledge, but it's about appreciation for the culture.

This was deeper than a historical shoutout. To be able to have that high a level of understand definitely qualified as some "Cosmic Shit." The sheer amount of references in this track (Yasiin Bey switches from the Public Enemy album to slave ships within two lines) just drives across one point: Blackness is too broad to just fit under one category. So much knowledge and it was only the second track on Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star.

Album: Black on Both Sides
Producer: Ali Shaheed Muhammad


Rappers can take quite some time trying to write that perfect rhyme, but Yasiin Bey wasn’t your typical rapper. He didn’t even waste time writing a rhyme, because “tomorrow my never come.” So instead he sings in a track that feels like a pure distillation of emotion.

Rap bravado was irrelevant in “Umi Says,” one of Yasiin’s more soul-bearing performances. As knowledgeable as he comes off as sometimes, Yasiin admits that “I ain’t no perfect man/I’m trying to do the best that I can.” His reason for saying so should resonate deep within every listener: “Tomorrow my never show up/For you or me, life is not promised.” Umi obviously knew what she was talking about when she encouraged Mos Def to enlighten others.

Album: Internal Affairs
Producer: The Alchemist


The first 15 seconds sounds like odd elevator music, but any fan knows things are going to get turned up if Pharoahe Monch and The Alchemist are on a track together. Sure enough it does. The track switches into epic, King Kong theme music as Pharoahe and M.O.P aggressively spit there bars. The Alchemist crafted a portal into a warzone.

Album: Train of Thought
Producer: Hi-Tek


Hip-Hop was in a tragic place going into the new millennium with the murders of Tupac, Biggie, and Big L in almost consecutive years. The losses forever left a hole in hip-hop, but the reason they're so often remember was because they seemed to live in the moment while on the mic. Talib Kweli pays homage to that in one of the more introspective records on Train of Thought. This was Talib screaming Carpe Diem before Jay-Z on "3 Kings" and YOLO being "The Motto". This one cut a bit deeper.

Album: The Big Picture (1974–1999)
Producer: Ron Browz


The concept of "Ebonics' is a extremely novel-a line by line breakdown of urban slang. Finding out what a "yoke" is interesting, but it's Big L's charisma that makes this track really jump. Mr. Flamboyant's smooth flow and attention-grabbing charisma made this song less of a lecture and more of a ride. Unfortunately, this was Big L's last single before his death in 1999.

Album: Black on Both Sides
Producer: DJ Premier


Yasiin Bey's expansive classic, Black on Both Sides, starts to come to a close with "Mathematics." Over a DJ Premier beat, Mos Def spits verses of densely packed social facts. Premier cuts the Fat Joe line "It's simple mathematics," and it's anything but. It may take you a few listens to catch everything, and you also may listen to it countless more times after you do.

Album: Train of Thought
Producer: Hi-Tek


It's not often that Talib Kweli tells you to "Get Em Up," so when he does, you know it's something serious. Plus, it's hard not to with that anthemic horn sample. Talib has always applied to a more underground crowd, but here he points that this joint is for everyone-from the revolutionaries to the bourgeois broads. It made sense that he'd say "Cut the stargazin" on the hook. There was no reason to.

Album: Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Producer: 88-Keys


"Thieves in the Night" takes its title from Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, a book that revolves around themes of racism and racial self-hatred. This adds another dimension to the song; the characters in the book can't break through to self-actualization, while Black Star strives for it.

This is arguably one of the most thought-provoking songs of the album as the duo reflects on conspiracy, urban strife, and everyday struggle. Talib Kweli's verse is excellent, but Mos Def's verse is truly haunting: "Same song, just remixed, different arrangement/Put you on a yacht but they won't call it a slaveship." #realshit

Album: Soundbombing II
Producer: Hi-Tek


Bahamadia is one of the more underrated female MCs to come out of the '90s. The Philly representative had a distinguishable, unwavering flow with a monotonous, sometimes mushmouthed vocal delivery. What made her such a reliable rhymer was the fact that she just sounded so damn self-assured, as if her genre wasn't going through seismic shifts during her time.

Her cadence was what helped propelled "Chaos" as a classic conscientious rap mission statement. She blended seamlessly with Talib Kweli (who spit some of his best one liners, including: "They just babies, I snatch them out they incubators.") And who could forget those ever-prophetic underwater horns provided by Hi-Tek? The underground wasn't going anywhere as long as classic tracks like this existed, no matter how mainstream hip-hop gradually became.

Album: Funcrusher Plus
Producer: EL-P


Company Flow's debut was a masterpiece, and it looked like this was the future. It was a dystopian vision filled with incredibly dope rhymes. It didn't matter whether you were ready or not for the premonition. Just know the Big Juss and EL-P were coming, and they had rhymes to kill.

EL-P's production is notably more minimal when compared to his later, more abrasive work. But it works here as the two MCs paint the picture. It's an incredibly abstract one, but somehow, it all makes sense. We get a classic, and it's only the second song on the album.

Album: Internal Affairs
Producer: Diamond D


After almost an hour's worth of chest-beating anthems, dope beats, and tightly-packed verses, it was only right Internal Affairs began to wind down on a high note. "The Truth" isn't just epic because of that timeless beat, the omnipresent female vocals on the hook, or the righteous title. In the middle of it all, you have three MCs spitting some thought-provoking shit. Common and Pharoahe both draw from religious influences, with Pharoahe playing the mentor and Common playing the tortured student ("If it's only one, then why should it differ/ So constantly I seek it/Wondering why I gotta drink a six pack to speak it"). Leave it to Talib Kweli to bring it back down to earth with another sobering verse.

Album: Internal Affairs
Producer: Pharoahe Monch


There are artist that need synths, ghostwriters, a big name guest, and/or a bunch of other extras to make a club banger. Pharoahe Monch did it with only a four note Godzilla sample. Throw in some clever rhymes about breatesses, Tomb Raider, and ballin and viola, you have yourself one of this best hip-hop bangers ever. If you didn't "get the fuck up," chances are you're already dead. Our condolences.

Album: Funcrusher Plus
Producer: EL-P


We're at a loss for 15 tracks. We're put through cacophony, surrealism, and straight aggression that's led by two sharp-minded MCs. It seems like we're gonna be put through more as Big Juss spits his verse, until that anthem of a hook comes through and explains it all: "It's the classic underground styles of the urban masters The Krazy Kings these thinking caps be sparking tags quick." It was and it still is.

It's just a shame that the team only released one LP (unless you count instrumental albums).

Album: Black on Both Sides
Producer: Ayatollah


Forget coastal backgrounds, creed, or anything like that. If you were a hip-hop head and/or a brother in the struggle, this was your rallying card. "Know That" was everything fans loved about the duo, except with more rawness and intensity packed into two verses. And shout outs for starting it all with that Star Wars reference.

"Know That" was one of those songs that was designed to get those fists in the air. It wasn't coming at you; it was you, whether you're in poverty, coming up in life, or another artist trying to combat the wack MC epidemic. After all, aren't we all "trying to make a dollar out of what makes sense?"

Album: Soundbombing II
Producer: Hi-Tek


The title "1-9-9-9" represents much more than it lets on. The song doesn't only represent the year, but captures a specific feeling in time with just the beat alone. Common and Sadat X have no problem at all stepping into this nostalgic zone. It shouldn't be when the former "Hold[s] the mic like a memory."

Common sounds so emotionally raw when spitting on this topic, spitting memorable lines like "I shine in spaces where time is just a glare."

Sadat X, however, stays in his lane with great effect. It's more simplistic, but the openness is timeless. He spits, "A male seed, praise God I name him Moses/I lead people I want him too, that's why I chose this." Easily one of the best cuts on Soundbombing II and the duo's respective catalogs.

Album: Soundbombing
Producer: Hi-Tek


This wasn't just the sound of MCs before they became hailed as some of the most lyrical rappers ever. This was the sound of the ill cipher in the park, when spitting dope lines was the only thing that mattered. At the same time, it was one of the starting points for one of the late-90s bigger underground movements.

This underground classic was one of the first to showcase Yasiin Bey's and Talib Kweli's lyrical talent, and having Da Bush Babees' Mr. Man didn't hurt either. In an interview with Complex, Kweli stated that he originally didn't want to use "Fortified Live" as his first single because he wanted to stand out on his own. But that minimalist beat and the MCs' individual talent made it easy for them to stand on their own right.

Album: N/A
Producer: Kanye West


At it's essence, the "Get By" remix was a thank you letter to all hip-hop fans: from the hustlers to the Chi-town kids to all of Brooklyn. Verses that great can only come from the deepest form of gratitude for both the fans and the art. As Kanye says,"If music gets you choked up, this is the tree and a rope."

Mos Def leads off playing the representative of hip-hop itself. Then Jay-Z sounds off on his ex-hustler ambitions, while 'Ye and Talib Kweli speak about their love of the art (shout out to Nina Simone). Finally, you have what has to be one of the greatest verses Busta Rhymes ever put on record. It's all connected, and most of all, inspiring.

Album: Black on Both Sides
Producer: Ayatollah


So you meet a girl at the club, get her number, proceed to have sex with her and then fall in love, only to have her reject you for a lesbian. #coolstorybro. But what makes a story like that stick for years to come?

For one, you'd have to have an instrumental as timeless as Ayatollah's Aretha Franklin sample. Then you'd need to have Yasiin Bey's storytelling skill, which is at its best here. "Ms. Fat Booty" features some of the funniest ("Man, I smashed that like an Idaho potato!"), most clever ("Ass so fat that you can see it from the front"), and lustful ("Are sugar and spice the only thing that you're made of?") lines of Yasiin's career. Can't hate on a brother's thirst if it sounds this good.

Album: Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Producer: Hi-Tek


Despair. Nihilism. Loss. Hope. "Respiration" was a track that was months in the making, but if it takes that long to make perfection, so be it. There's just so much going on here. Those two sobering chords repeated throughout the song. Yasiin Bey's excellent hook ("So much on my mind that I can't recline Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine"). Talib hard travels throughout town. Common's personal struggle. It's just so much to handle. This is hip-hop lyricism at its peak.