The 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats of All Time

101.

Beats, Rhymes and Life: The name of the famous A Tribe Called Quest album. The reason "beats" comes first? Production. It's arguably the most important element of hip-hop. It's the cornerstone of every song, the foundation lyrics are built upon. They dictate the time-signature, the tempo, the tone of the lyrics. They're at the beginning and the end of the creative process that goes into each of these songs.

One of the biggest challenges in writing a list of the best beats of all time? The genre's soundscape is so wide-ranging and incredibly diverse that it creates some difficult calculation issues to work through. For example: How do you rank the disco instrumentals of early hip-hop with the layered samples and filtered bass lines of golden-era New York rap? How do you rank Too $hort's trunk-rattling bass against Swizz Beatz's erratic Triton keyboard swipes? There are unlimited measuring sticks by which production can be compared. Consider the clattering, found-sound effects of DJ Premier's best mid-'90s beats, or the raw, drum machine-oriented backdrops of '80s rap, designed to shock the system. How do you weigh those against, say, a lush vintage loop from the Hitmen or a crossover pop smash from Timbaland?

It can be broken down even further: Is the bigger, more-popular song the better beat? Or is it the underground smash that influenced the mainstream? Is it the track that best epitomizes an era, or is it the one that pushed the edge? To qualify the best beats, do we look at production that stands out apart from the verses and the hook, or is it the beat that complements those components perfectly?

Those factors and more were considered by Complex over a drawn-out process involving constant debate, strategically deployed rhetoric, diplomacy, and fist-throwing that went all the way to the top. Ultimately, we drew up a perfect formula to determine an unassailable list of the best rap beats ever, full stop. When dealing with 30-plus years of music, a hundred slots fill quickly. As a result, a lot of classics were cut, and some of rap's best producers may not be fully represented. Them's the breaks.

Ultimately, though, every production on this list is irrefutably essential to the advancement of the genre we hold so dear. They've inspired, they've influenced, and they've been the impetus for a million neck-breaking nods.

Without further ado, Complex presents the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats of All Time.

Listen to Complex's Greatest Hip-Hop Beats playlists here: YouTube/Spotify/Apple Music

100.Public Enemy "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" (1989)

Producer: The Bomb Squad

Album: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Label: Def Jam, Columbia, CBS

The Bomb Squad had already proven that they could bring the noise with chaotic, multi-layered symphonies of sampled mayhem, but this this solemn tale of busting out of the bing showcased a more subtle approach. Based on a piano riff from Isaac Hayes' "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic," the tension of this beat builds-up from verse to verse, with the live phone-in from Flava Flav adding an authentic clandestine atmosphere to proceedings. Just Blaze would later flip the same loop for The Game in homage to the original, which is still one of the most effective displays of the power of Public Enemy to this day.

99.Tyga "Rack City" (2012)

Producer: DJ Mustard

Album: Careless World: Rise of the Last King

Label: YMCMB

When it dropped, few expected "Rack City" to take over the world. And none of Mustard's hits matched it for three years, even as he took over the rap game, until 2014's "NaNa" and "Don't Tell Em." Of course, the West Coast's club-rap takeover—which only now, in 2015, seems to be breaking slightly—suggested to many that Mustard was simply remaking the same beat over and over. But the consistency of his work served the purpose of making slight tinkering with the formula feel like a revelation every time, veering into R&B, interpolating house music, and upping the tempo on dance floors coast to coast. There's some controversy over exactly who originated the sound—there's some evidence producers in the Bay Area were working with a suspiciously similar thump in years previous, and producer Mike Free eventually sued Mustard, saying he'd created this record. But it's undeniable that Mustard, at the very least, popularized this sound, and it was amoral club anthem "Rack City" that proved prophetic. It wasn't a very likely song to define the sound of a generation—relative to Mustard's idol Lil Jon. This club record was cool and relaxed, even low-key, rather than aggressive. But it's this dispassionate flatline that enabled Mustard and others to push in every direction at once.

98.Common "The Light" (2000)

Producer: J Dilla

Album: Like Water for Chocolate

Label: MCA

Common was never afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, and here we witness a man deep in the throes of a serious case of "Baduizm." Crisp drums add a hard edge to the almost syrupy loop, before your boy Bobby Caldwell seals the deal on the sampled hook. For the video, Lonnie was joined by Erykah to demonstrate the sensual seduction that is mangoes and lava lamps. That's what happens when you blend Common at his most emo with J Dilla at his smoothest.

97.Mike Jones f/ Slim Thug and Paul Wall "Still Tippin" (2004)

Producer: Salih Williams

Album: Who is Mike Jones?

Label: Asylum, Swishahouse, Warner Brothers

The combination of the Slim Thug vocal loop, a "William Tell Overture" sample, and Paul Wall informing us that he's "got the Internet goin' nuts" made this Mike Jones' biggest hit and a breakout song for the then burgeoning Houston rap scene. The original version with Chamillionaire featured the same vocal loop, but it wasn't until Salih Williams remixed it with the ill Gioachino Rossini loop that it reached its full potential. It turns out the Swishahouse crew was somewhat partial to classical music, as "The Nutcracker, Act 2, No 1: Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" is used on "Got It Sewed Up" from the same album.

96.Pacewon "I Declare War" (1998)

Producer: Ski Beats

Album: Ruffhouse Records Greatest Hits

Label: Ruffhouse

Most recently heard on Sean Price's "Figure Four," this unmistakable Lee Mason flute break first appeared on Pacewon's debut single in 1998 (which was also the same time it had been bootlegged on a Dusty Fingers LP and used by Madlib for a Lootpack song). Did Ski dig this gem up himself, or was he just the first to flip the bootleg? Regardless, it's a superb loop that does all the heavy lifting itself, sounding like James Bond, secret agent theme music. This former pal of Eminem impressed everyone on this and often forgotten follow-up, "Sunroof Top," before vanishing from all but the most dedicated New Jersey rap fan's radar.

95.Gang Starr "Mass Appeal" (1994)

Producer: DJ Premier

Album: Hard to Earn

Label: Chrysalis, EMI

DJ Premier's work with Guru had a slightly different sound than much of his outside production work, often having a simpler, less choppy structure to the compositions. This beat provides further evidence that few producers have the patience nor the ear of Premier, who discovered this snippet right in the middle of a song called "Horizon Drive" by jazz guitarist Vic Juris. Throw in some thumping drums and well-chosen scratch hooks and you've got another Gang Starr classic to add to their impressive resumé.

94.OutKast "ATLiens" (1996)

Producer: OutKast

Album: ATLiens

Label: LaFace

Similar to Eminem, OutKast’s sound has often existed in its own world—one built only for ATLiens. Certainly, the majority of their beats sound nothing like contemporary hip-hop mostly because 'Kast and, to a greater extent, the Dungeon Family, are just so damn original. But even if “B.O.B.” is a better example of their idiosyncrasy, “ATLiens” is even more undeniable.

The song is built on two samples, the first is "Around the World" by Attilio Mineo, which gives the song its atmosphere via that spooky, space-aged intro. But the hallmark of the beat is a looped-up vocal courtesy of the Chambers Brothers’ “So Tired.” The sample sounds like what we imagine an Instagram filter would sound like, which in turn gives the beat its unwinding effect.

93.DJ Quik "Born and Raised in Compton" (1990)

Producer: DJ Quik

Album: Quik Is the Name

Label: Profile

As Quik explained to us earlier this year, he first fell for Isaac Hayes’ soul classic "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" thanks to his mother, who used to play it around the house. The song became the basis for Quik’s debut single, “Born and Raised in Compton.” Quik said it best himself: “[Sampling] this track in particular, it just made me feel like a god. Like, on top of the world. It just sounded so big.” With the help of a 4-track Tascam recorder and an SP1200 drum machine, Quik transformed Hayes’ original into the perfect basis for a story about his own origins.

92.Jeru the Damaja "Come Clean" (1994)

Producer: DJ Premier

Album: The Sun Rises in the East

Label: Full Frequency Range Recordings

"Come Clean" is the sound of raw rap. Armed with nothing more than loud drums and something that sounds like Chinese water torture, Jeru stepped to the plate to prove why he was the D. Original Dirty Rotten Scoundrel as he kicked his unique vocal science. Much like that other 1994 underground classic, O.C.'s "Time's Up," this track was also notable for featuring a scratch hook that makes no mention of the song title whatsoever.

91.UGK "Front, Back, and Side to Side" (1994)

Producer: Pimp C, DJ DMD

Album: Super Tight

Label: Jive

A well-orchestrated replayed loop of "Rigor Mortis" by The Meters with a portion of "Boyz-N-The-Hood" from Eazy-E (a.k.a. Whodini's "I'm A Hoe") and a high-pitched synth provides Pimp C and Bun B a solid foundation to drop knowledge on all the car freaks. The remains the ideal soundtrack for all car-related exploits, from hitting switches, to a lazy summer drive.

90.Twista f/ Yung Buk "Adrenaline Rush" (1997)

Producer: The Legendary Traxster

Album: Adrenaline Rush

Label: Creator's Way, Big Beat, Atlantic

This gritty Chicago joint creeps up with an air of menace worthy of Jeffrey Dahmer, as Twista fires off a barrage of verbal ammunition with his usual rapid-fire flow, weaving in and out of the bass-heavy beat. Yung Buk (not to be confused with Young Buck of G-Unit fame) contrasts Twista with his slowed-down, measured delivery to produce an air of murderous chemistry, which fits to the beat just as well.

89.East Flatbush Project f/ DeS "Tried By 12" (1996)

Producer: Spencer Bellamy

Album: N/A

Label: 10/30 Uproar

Who would have thought that a humble indie rap record would be the subject of an entire electronic remix album two years later? This song that imprints itself into your subconsciousness the moment you first hear the haunting acoustic strums of the main loop, which originated from a Japanese live album recorded by American folk singer Odetta Holmes, who's regarded as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement" and was a major influence on Bob Dylan. Let's not forget the verses from Des, who unloads that East New York talk in a suitable "no shorts taken" technique. Recently, the instrumental found new life after it provided the backdrop to all of the freestyles at the 2011 BET Hip-Hop Awards cyphers, thanks in part to the urging of Eminem.

88.Jay Z "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" (1998)

Producer: The 45 King

Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Despite being responsible for a mercifully short-lived trend of sampling showtunes, The 45 King's flip of this Annie cast recording provided Jigga with his first international hit. After seeing a commercial for a new Broadway run of the musical, Mark realized that the theme song would sound dope with some drums, and bagged the LP for 25 cents when he next spotted it during a digging mission at the Salvation Army. Originally intended for his own album, Kid Capri began playing a test-pressing of the beat while on tour with Jay-Z, who promptly contacted Mark James and purchased the track. Hard drums and an infuriatingly catchy sample gave S.C. the platform he needed to unleash the next stage of his plan for world domination.

87.Brand Nubian "Slow Down" (1990)

Producer: Grand Puba, Brand Nubian

Album: One For All

Label: Elektra

In much the same way that Greg Nice used Tracey Chapman's "Fast Car" the following year, Brand Nubian took the unusual step of sampling the guitar and vocals from "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians (an "alternative rock jam band") for their cautionary tale of fast living. Offset by Funkadelic drums and some Kool and The Gang horns, Grand Puba and company carried on the eccentric Zulu Nation break tradition perfectly.

86.dead prez "Hip Hop" (1999)

Producer: dead pres

Album: Let's Get Free

Label: Loud, Columbia

There are plenty beats where you could describe a “sinister synth” but none quite matches the nerve grinding effect of dead prez’s anthem. Although this is the kind of beat we’d be happy to hear just about anyone rap on, it’s really the perfect beat for stic.man and M1, mostly because their music is all about revolution—a revolution that isn’t going to happen anytime soon, but sounds like it could happen at any moment when you’re blasting this song. Produced by the duo themselves, this beat sounds like the ruckus before the riot, a rebellious uprising ready to erupt at any moment. Ironically, the beats legacy actually doesn’t lie with civil unrest but instead in sketch comedy. On every episode of Chappelle's Show, Dave Chappelle was introduced while this song’s instrumental played.

85.Lords of the Underground "Chief Rocka" (1993)

Producer: K-Def

Album: Here Come the Lords

Label: Pendulum

Marley Marl protege K-Def graduated from the House of Hits when he laced Lords of the Underground with a string of popular singles. Blending sweet horns from Jack Bruce and John Coltrane with a 1963 chant from Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, K produced a bouncy head-cracker of a rhythm for this New Jersey trio. When he used another Jack Bruce horn section that had previously been flipped for Showbiz & A.G.'s "Hold Ya Head" for the "Chief Rocka" remix, he inadvertently added fuel to the feud between Lord Finesse and LOTUG's Mr. Funkee, which resulted in A.G. warning, "Fake lords get strangled with mic cords/Stealing beats from my LP sure ain't healthy," on "Next Level."

84.G.O.O.D. Music "Mercy" (2012)

Producer: Lifted, Mike Dean, Mike WiLL Made-It, Kanye West, Hudson Mohawke

Album: Cruel Summer

Label: G.O.O.D. Music, Def Jam

Cruel Summer may have been a relative commercial and creative disappointment, but "Mercy" was simply undeniable: a force of nature, it was 2012's song of the summer, in a year when Kanye's home town was insurgent, and the older generation's futures seemed in doubt, Kanye had found another apex. With four producers (and nine songwriting credits), the evolution of the beat itself is hard to track; combining dancehall artist Fuzzy Jones—a Google search for whom almost always leads to "Mercy" today—with a chorus sample courtesy of obscure rapper YB's "Lambo," the record packs unforgettable hooks on top of one another, its three-note chime a powerful reminder of every weekend club night or car ride in 2012. Then, of course, is its unconventional structure, with a build and release that led to the capstone verse of 2 Chainz's career. Kanye is a hip-hop legend and will remain so, but even he has to wonder if time didn't freeze at this point, a tribute to the power of collaboration and vision, proof that the whole is worth more than the sum of its parts.

83.The Game f/ 50 Cent "Hate It or Love It" (2005)

Producer: Cool & Dre

Album: The Documentary

Label: Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope, G-Unit

By 2005, the West Coast was getting restless and was looking for a savior. It found one in the Dr. Dre approved Jayceon “Game” Taylor whose debut album The Documentary became a classic in large part to its astounding production. Legendary names like Buckwild, Timbaland, and of course Dr. Dre all contributed top-notch beats but it was relative newcomers Cool & Dre who stole the show with the 50-assisted single, “Hate It Or Love It.”

What made the beat so dope was the way they cleverly removed the drums at key intervals. It’s best heard in the opening seconds of the song as 50 starts flowing over what we imagine a peaceful Compton sounds like when it’s soaked in California sunshine. Then the drums kick in and the song takes off. For most songs that’s enough, but not “Hate It Or Love It,” which does the same trick for the opening of both of Game’s verses—giving this fairly subdued beat more ups and down than you’d expect.

But maybe what’s most interesting about this beat is trying to figure out which Dre deserves more credit for it. Everyone knows that 50 would later take credit for writing all of Game’s hits, but when Complex asked both Dre (of Cool & Dre) and Dr. Dre’s right-hand man Mike Lynn about the making of this beat, another dispute of ownership was revealed.

According to Dre (of Cool & Dre) he onced played the original version of the beat for Jimmy Iovine who wanted to hear what it sounded like prior to Dr. Dre’s magic touch. When Iovine heard the original he exclaimed, “It's the same damn beat.” However, Dre was willing to admit the Good Doc put his stamp on it. “Dr. Dre had put the most amazing mix on it,” he said. “A Dr. Dre mix is a co-production in our mind.”

Meanwhile, Mike Lynn had a very different take. “Dr. Dre completely re-produced that track,” he said. “’Hate It Or Love It’ sounded like a sample, Dre made it sound like a record. If they play you their version and his version, they’re night and day. He had to [get co-producer credit], he did all the work.”

82.Warren G "Regulate" (1994)

Producer: Warren G

Album: Regulate...G Funk Era

Label: Def Jam, Violator

When Warren G decided to make his own version of "I Keep Forgetting" by former Doobie Brother and king of "Blue Eyed Soul" Michael McDonald, the totally unconventional sample took G-Funk to new heights and created an international smash in the process. The well-placed Young Guns intro and the outstanding vocal performance of Nate Dogg made this a song that even the staunchest East Coast rap supporter couldn't resist.

81.Showbiz and A.G. "Next Level (Nyte Time Mix)" (1995)

Producer: DJ Premiere

Album: Goodfellas

Label: Payday, PolyGram

This is one of those rare situations where both the original and the remix are both dope, although entirely different. Showbiz's original is a breezy effort, while Premier gives it a much darker feel with his pitched-up grab of "Mister Mellow" by Maynard Ferguson and thumping drum programming. As Showbiz himself described it to ego trip, "Both of them, of course, was based on jazz records. But mines was more jazzier. His was more laid back gutter."

80.The Beatnuts f/ Big Punisher and Cuban Link "Off the Books" (1997)

Producer: The Beatnuts

Album: Stone Crazy

Label: Relativity

Psycho Les and Ju Ju's inspired use of this flute break from the Electric Company children's TV show is one of their best known records, as it blended a great loop with scratched-in drums and a catchy vocal snippet in classic Beatnuts fashion. The 'Nuts would later accuse the Trackmasterz of biting their "Watch Out Now" beat for Jennifer Lopez's "Jenny From the Block," and resulted in them taking shots at J-Lo on "Confused Rappers."

79.Naughty by Nature "Uptown Anthem" (1991)

Producer: DJ Kay Gee

Album: Naught By Nature

Label: Tommy Boy

Even though we'd already heard the "More Peas" break (The J.B.'s) on Showbiz & A.G.'s "Soul Clap" and Organized Konfusion's "Fudge Pudge," the way Kay Gee flipped it for Treach and Vinnie had the most impact, thanks to the energetic chanted chorus, added piano chords, and organ riffs.

78.Master P "I'm Bout It, Bout It" (1995)

Producer: Beats By the Pound

Album: True

Label: No Limit, Priority

The Beats by the Pound production crew became synonymous with "assembly line" production, lumped together with pen and pixel cover art, colored plastic, and Miller brothers guest verses as a part of what made No Limit’s reign so distinct. KLC is likely the most notable Beats by the Pound producer, and had no small role in forming the core group of artists that would become the No Limit empire. Not only did he produce the underground anthem “Down for my Niggas” for C-Murder, and the ultimate No Limit pop moment with “Make Em Say Uhh,” he was also responsible for Master P’s first true crossover, and one of the greatest hip-hop beats of all time: “Bout It Bout It,” a track that seethes and undulates like the fearsome, grime-textured beat has a life of its own. The production was so good, KLC would go back to the well two more times, remaking the track for Master P’s Ice Cream Man and again for the Diplomats in 2003.

77.De La Soul "Stakes Is High" (1996)

Producer: Jay Dee, De La Soul

Album: Stakes Is High

Label: Tommy Boy, Warner Bros.

J Dilla is a tricky artist because his best production continually evaded pigeonholing. Sure, there was the typical Dilla beat, but ask any fan and they’ll tell you their favorite was the track that chucked the rulebook out the window, or that pulled a particularly evocative performance from an unexpected artist. “Stakes is High” is a sidestep, at once a mutation of a rugged Havoc-style beat and the perfect fit for a track intended to present once-benevolent Posdnous with the gravitas necessary to critique the very art form that had made him. The beat to “Stakes is High” couldn’t fit its title any better, capturing a cocktail of tense, uncertain concern that granted its MCs the moral authority they needed.

76.Kanye West "Through the Wire"

Producer: Kanye West

Album: The College Dropout

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

A prime example of "Chipmunk Soul" at its best, Kanye's mush-mouthed tale of surviving a car crash rides off Chaka Khan's "Through the Wire" to superb effect. The beat itself has the right balance between raw emotion and melodrama, sporting a bouncy bass and hand-claps that support Ye's breakout graduation from accomplished producer to credible rapper dude. Belt-up, kiddies.

75.The Notorious B.I.G. "Unbelievable" (1994)

Producer: DJ Premier

Album: Ready To Die

Label: Bad Boy

Hearing Puffy attempt to sing the R. Kelly hook during a live recording of "Unbelievable" was by far the most amusing moment of rap in 1994. The track itself provided a welcome antidote to the radio-friendly aspirations of "Juicy" when it appeared as the B-side to Christopher Wallace's breakout single. DJ Premier could do no wrong in 1994 when he put this together at the last minute for a mere $5,000 as a favor to Biggie, who had "blown the budget" by this stage but desperately wanted some hard-rock music on his album. Honeydrippers drums, eerie strings, and a masterful chop of an obscure organ note are all that's required for this time Brooklyn banger.

74.Snoop Doggy Dogg "Gin & Juice" (1993)

Producer: Dr. Dre

Album: Doggystyle

Label: Death Row, Interscope, Atlantic

"Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" may be more well-known and "Deep Cover" is a lot grittier, but in terms of classic Snoop and Dre team-ups, this strikes just the right balance between catchy and hardcore. Dre perfected the G-Funk sound he'd introduced on The Chronic for Snoop's debut album, with "Gin and Juice" displaying an excellent example of that formula—a masterful blending of popular samples (George McCrae's "I Get Lifted"), live bass, high-pitched synths, and hooks that update old funk staples with hedonistic new lyrics.

73.Black Moon "I Got Cha Opin (Remix)" (1994)

Producer: Da Beatminerz

Album: I Got Cha Opin 12"

Label: Wreck

While certainly not the first record to ride off the dream-like, wafting strings and horns of Barry White's "Playing the Game, Baby," Black Moon holds the title for the most effective use of this popular loop. Mr. Walt and DJ Evil Dee laced Buckshot with the precise platform to showcase his commanding post-LP vocabulary spill. This and the "Buck 'Em Down" remix set the standard for 12" releases at the time—complete remakes of album tracks with brand new B-side exclusives.

72.Jay Z f/ DMX "Money, Cash, Hoes" (1999)

Producer: Swizz Beats

Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Swizz told us the story behind this beat last year: "That song started as a joke with me sliding my hand across the keyboard, just bugging. Then I did the drums to the joint. I had this pattern where we would follow the beat and follow the lyrics with the melodies. So you would hear the beat playing the song." The final result became a landmark meeting of minds as Jay-Z was in full instigating mode (his "New York been soft ever since Snoop came through and crushed the buildings" line ruffled more than a few feathers) while DMX barked down all naysayers.

71.Digable Planets "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" (1993)

Producer: Butterfly, Shane Faber, Mike Mangini

Album: Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space)

Label: Pendulum, Elektra

The music press got carried-away in the early 90's when they attempted to pigeonhole groups like Gang Starr as "Jazz Rap." One group who embraced this label was Digable Planets, who landed themselves a Grammy for this breakthrough single. As sampling techniques became more sophisticated, hip-hop beats began to combine multiple drum sounds into one, as evidenced here by the combination of "Impeach the President" with 24-Caret Black's "Foodstamps." Driven by the upright bass loop from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' "Stretching" and a sprinkling of "Blow Your Head," this song is song is, in the words of the late, great Big L, "smoother than velvet."

70.EPMD f/ LL Cool J "Rampage" (1990)

Producer: EPMD

Album: Business As Usual

Label: Def Jam, RAL, Columbia

Heralded by the dramatic opening horns and gong of Mandrill's "Lord of the Golden Baboon," the beat launches into a relentless "Tramp" loop (complete with BT Express drums), before those Gladys Knight & the Pips horns announce the chorus. This seemingly simple formula belies the genius of this song, which results in unstoppable bouts of head nodding when listened to repeatedly. Erick Sermon may be the better known producer of the duo, but beats like this were clearly the brainchild of PMD, who was strictly about snapping necks.

69.Future "F**k Up Some Commas" (2014)

Producer: DJ Spinz, Southside

Album: Dirty Sprite 2

Label: Freebandz, Epic

Future was down and out when he released Monster in fall 2014. Honest, his follow-up to the acclaimed album Pluto may not have flopped exactly, but it was both a creative and commercial disappointment. Of course, by 2015 a full comeback was underway: The rapper had catapulted into a comeback, with coherent statement pieces Beast Mode and 56 Nights. But bolstering this narrative was the success of "Commas," a major clubs-and-cars smash that began to change the shape of mixtape music across the country. It used a simple effective trick: an echoing laser-beam like synthesizer, often referred to as a "Kill Bill siren," in actuality a sample of Quincy Jones' "Ironside." (It might also remind older hip-hop heads of Above the Law's "Murder Rap.") Although its hook was tight and quotable, it was the siren that ended up defining the record, a red alert that took spring and summer 2015 by storm. Its more-noise-than-music effect was a shock to the system, an ominous warning, a hood-S.O.S. that streaked through hot summer nights coast to coast, and changed the sound of every mixtape around it as they followed suit.

68.Nas "Halftime" (1992)

Producer: Large Professor

Album: Illmatic

Label: Columbia

A strong argument could be made that Nasty Nas' debut single is the best Brag Rap song of the 90's, but even without his advanced verbal science, "Halftime" is testament to the production genius of Large Professor. Thanks to some brilliant work with the filter on the Akai S-950, Large transforms a portion of the Japanese Cast Recording of Hair into a thumping bassline, supported by the relentless sleigh bells from Average White Band's "Schoolboy Crush" and the majestic horns of Gary Byrd—a fitting musical accompaniment for the arrival of rap's new lyrical royalty.

67.Snoop Dogg "Drop It Like It's Hot" (2004)

Producer: The Neptunes

Album: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece

Label: Doggystyle, Star Trak, Geffen

One of the most incredible minimalist beats ever, The Neptunes crafted a No. 1 Billboard hit for Snoop Dogg with nothing but tongue clicks, keyboards, and a drum machine beat so simple it sounds like anyone could've thought of it but, of course, no one but The Neptunes actually did. The highlight of the beat was certainly the two seconds when the keyboard (which we’re assuming Pharrell jacked from a spaceship) comes in and lands in stark contrast to the rest of the production. Once again, Chad and Skateboard P showed that when it comes to production, sometimes less is more than you could have ever imagined.

66.Too $hort "Freaky Tales" (1988)

Producer: T. Bohanon, Too $hort

Album: Born to Mack

Label: Dangerous Music, Jive, RCA

$hort found a winning recipe and stuck with it—slow 808 beats, keys, and extra deep bass, leaving plenty of room for his conversational pimp talk. As an early regional rap pioneer, $hort catered to his audience who needed music to drive to rather than beats for the boombox or Walkman. "Freaky Tales" became such an iconic track for $hort that he released a sequel soon afterwards and even dropped a remake in 1995 called "Cocktails" with a new beat.

65.Jay Z and Kanye West "Niggas in Paris" (2011)

Producer: Hit-Boy, Kanye West, Mike Dean, Anthony Kilhoffer

Album: Watch the Throne

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation, Def Jam

The highlight of Watch the Throne was this super-spectacular celebration of international zone coasting, as the two biggest rappers on the planet boast about living that private jet lifestyle. The beat sounds like a cross between chopped and screwed Miami Bass, European techno, and a distorted NES game, somehow delivering a feeling of urgency and euphoria at the same time. Dropping in the Will Farrell as Chazz Michael Michaels dialogue is a fourth-wall breaking moment of genius.

64.Camp Lo "Luchini AKA This Is It" (1997)

Producer: DJ Ski

Album: Uptown Saturday Night

Label: Profile

Sometimes a sample can do all the hard work by itself—it's just a matter of finding the right part to loop. For "Luchini," Ski grabbed the opening of Dynasty's "Adventures in the Land of Music," pitched-it up a notch, programmed some thumping drums, and threw extra keys over the hook, allowing the cascading horns to drive the show. Sonny Cheeba and Geechi Suede mesh their suave Uptown delivery with the lush track, creating an unmistakable sound that built off the buzz of "Coolie High" and set Camp Lo apart from the pack in 1997.

63.Compton's Most Wanted "Hood Took Me Under" (1992)

Producer: DJ Slip

Album: Music to Driveby

Label: Orpheus, Epic

Expanding on the LP version's Isaac Hayes "Walk On By" loop, the single release saw MC Eiht bolstered by the same section of Gwen McCrae's "90% Of Me Is You," which had previously been mined for Main Source's "Just Hangin' Out," adding a whole new level of atmosphere to the track. Eiht would later move away from sample-based production, but for his first three CMW albums with DJ Slip, they boasted some of the best loop-based beats in L.A.

62.Mobb Deep "Quiet Storm" (1999)

Producer: Havoc, Jonathan Williams

Album: Murda Muzik

Label: Looud

Yet another example of Havoc's often underrated production skills, as he emancipates the bass line from "White Lines," (which appropriated it from Liquid Liquid's "Cavern" anyway) and smacks an ominous piano into the mix, creating a merciless, paranoid groove that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up when played at maximum volume.

61.The Diplomats "Dipset Anthem" (2003)

Producer: Heatmakerz

Album: Diplomatic Immunity

Label: Roc-A-Fella

The Diplomats could do no wrong when they dropped the Diplomatic Immunity double album. This choppy Heatmakerz track is built around the distinctive croon from the beginnng of "One In A Million" by reggae artist Sanchez, exemplifying the arrogant ignorance that made the Dipset the hottest crew in the Rotten Apple at the turn of the century.

60.YoungBloodZ "Damn" (2003)

Producer: Jazze Pha, Lil Jon

Album: Drankin' Patnaz

Label: So So Def, Arista

Before Lil Jon—with the assistance of Dave Chapelle—became a kind of national mascot, his party-starting growls eventually reduced to caricature, he was also one of the defining producers of the early 2000s. Although many tracks would be bigger—"Get Low" was his signature anthem, “Goodies” was an R&B smash for Ciara, and “Yeah!” with Usher and Ludacris made the biggest mark—it was his beat for YoungBloodZ that first marked hip-hop’s shift towards electronic dance music. The searing synthesizer riff was a brand new texture for rap anthems, and, combined with the steady 808s keeping it grounded in Southern tradition, opened a new world for hip-hop production.

59.The Notorious B.I.G. "Big Poppa" (1994)

Producer: Chucky Thompson, Sean "Puffy" Combs

Album: Ready to Die

Label: Bad Boy, Arista

This was the song that established Biggie as the new "Overweight Lover" of rap, as he slaughtered the Isley Brothers' "Between The Sheets" loop (best remembered from the "Bonita Applebum" remix) with tales of his bedroom prowess. This exemplified the Bad Boy production style—replaying classic breaks and adding extra layers of instrumentation and melody to give the finished track a slicker, more polished feel. It proved to be an effective strategy, as it became one of Big’s most memorable moments.

58.Jadakiss f/ Styles P "We Gonna Make It" (2001)

Producer: Alchemist

Album: Kiss tha Game Goodbye

Label: Ruff Ryders, Interscope

This was originally intended for Ras Kass, but after his record label dropped the ball and didn't pay Alchemist properly for the beat, he gave it to Jadakiss, resulting in Ras getting pissed and leaking his version to mixtapes before releasing a diss track called "Kiss U" aimed at ALC. Regardless, Jada and Styles P do a fine job of verbally "balling outta control" over an expertly-chopped symphony of swirling strings and horns.

57.T.I. "What You Know" (2006)

Producer: DJ Toomp

Album: King

Label: Grand Hustle, Atlantic

"What You Know" is an outstanding example of interpolating and replaying samples to give a track a modern sound while retaining a strong melody. DJ Toomp took a Roberta Flack cover of an Impressions song (from when Curtis Mayfield was a member), added some Donny Hathaway, and threw it all into a keyboard with a stuttering drum machine, resulting in a powerful soundtrack for T.I.'s declarations of superiority, earning them a Grammy and a couple of million sales in the process.

56.Jay Z "Jigga What, Jigga Who" (1998)

Producer: Timbaland

Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

The trade-off for hip-hop heads who have to share Timbaland with R&B fans is that, at least for his peak in the late 90s and early 2000s, the producer was the king of reinventing himself. Each track was exceptional, a reimagining of the possibilities, from the urgency of “Is That Yo Bitch?” to the epic scope of Bubba Sparxxx’s “Nowhere.” His other major accomplishment was in how he approached rhythm; Timbo was one of the first to recognize that rather than being a formal defining characteristic of the genre, the breakbeat was holding the genre back. There’s no better example than the spastic “Jigga What, Jigga Who,” a song that plays with syncopation and is as concerned with negative space as filling it. It was this production that made an art out of sculpting rhythm, challenging Jay and Jaz-O to continually top themselves with patterns and variety. There were few rappers who could have handled such an unpredictable canvas.

55.Drake "Started From the Bottom" (2013)

Producer: Mike Zombie, Noah "40" Shebib

​Album: Nothing Was the Same

Label: OVO

The jump from Take Care—the earnest Drake fan's favorite record—to the stripped-down, muscular assertiveness of Nothing Was the Same—for those looking for a more direct direction—required a suitable sonic shift. And lead single "Started From the Bottom" was a perfect frame, draining the soft-focus fog of "Marvin's Room" and instead crafting a canvas of all-negative space. Sharp lines and high definition, crisp drums that snap so tightly that you can hear the reverberations. It's all built around that enigmatic piano line and a unique groove with a taught sense of swing. This is an overused word when describing hip-hop production, but it was minimal in the extreme, a spare canvas that drew attention to the star at its center, who now seemed much more comfortable, more confident, less interested in hiding.

54.2Pac "Ambitionz Az a Ridah" (1996)

Producer: Daz Dillinger

Album: All Eyez on Me

Label: Death Row, Interscope

Who would have thought that Joeski Love's 1986 novelty hit, "Pee Wee's Dance" could sound so menacing? The addition of urgent strings, a tense piano riff, and high-end synth line gives the instrumental a "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" feel to it, which serves as a fitting backdrop to 2Pac's verbal assault as he blacks-out on his enemies. Everyone from G-Unit to Lil Wayne to Cam'ron (who flipped it into the memorable "Live My Life") has rapped over this beat, which became a freestyle staple.

53.Rick Ross f/ Styles P "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" (2010)

Producer: Lex Luger

Album: Teflon Don

Label: MMG, Slip-n-Slide, Def Jam

This is a prime example of a beat that you don't fully appreciate until you're 10 drinks deep at the club. “B.M.F.” makes you want to slap your mom, break a glass in somebody's face, inappropriately grope a hot broad, and then buy a round of drinks for the whole bar just so there are no hard feelings. Lex Luger's maximalist sound redefined rap and quickly became the most imitated sound in the genre but also gave Rozay a platform for his Maybach Music empire.

However, Ross is the wrong rapper to credit for launching the sound. That honor goes to Lex Luger's close friend and frequent collaborator, Waka Flocka Flame. “My sound put life into a lot of people’s careers,” Waka said to us earlier this year. “I feel like my sound changed hip-hop. Period.” To understand how, you have to follow the turn of events.

According to Luger, after Waka's hit "O Let's Do It" blew up, he had him enough cash to cop Gucci Mane's old crib. There—in the same basement Gucci and Zaytoven used to work out of—Lex, Waka, and Southside basically invented the sound that changed rap music and helped Waka blow up with "Hard In Da Paint."

Later, at the video shoot for the remix to "O Let's Do It," SpiffTV—the man behind the lens for many of Ross' videos—heard "Hard In Da Paint" and immediately knew he had find the producer who made it. He eventually found him and the beat to “B.M.F.” which he gave to Ross. After a little bit of encouragement from DJ Khaled, Rozay rhymed over the record and redefined his career.

52.Cam'ron f/ Juelz Santana "Oh Boy" (2002)

Producer: Just Blaze

Album: Come Home With Me

Label: Roc-A-Fella

"Oh Boy" is an outstanding interpolation of a vocal sample snippet and the MCs' rhymes, as Killa and Santana play off Rose Royce to deliver some classic Dipset material. It was Cam'ron's signature hit, and the inevitable slew of remixes and remakes included "Oh Girl" (notable for having a Jay-Z verse removed on account of shots fired at Nas), Mariah Carey's answer version, and a subsequent Diplomats remix. Just Blaze's track keeps it simple, the loop weaving in and out with supporting xylophone percussion, horns, and some kind of magical Peter Pan sparkle sound effect. No you-know-what.

51.Beastie Boys "Paul Revere" (1986)

Producer: Rick Rubin

Album: Licensed to Ill

Label: Def Jam, Columbia

Forget that "Fight For Your Right to Party" nonsense—it was this track and "The New Style" that caught the attention of hardcore hip-hop fanatics. Did the idea of running a beat in reverse for an entire song spring from a moment of creative genius, or was it simply another studio fuck-up that sounded great? Regardless, once Rick Rubin threw in some scratches from T La Rock's "It's Yours" and the "Rocket in the Pocket" break, and laced it with a bugged-out tale of how the crew came together, they had themselves a winner.

50.Juice Crew "The Symphony" (1988)

Producer: Marley Marl

Album: Cold Chillin's The Juice Crew Story Greatest Hits

Label: Cold Chillin

The Juice Crew All-Stars were untouchable when they combined minds for this legendary posse cut, and Marley Marl's flip of the crisp drum break and piano riff from Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle" provided a versatile platform for each MC to flex their own individual microphone technique. It went on to spawn a number of inferior sequels and remakes (with the exception of "Dipset Symphony"). The Wild West-themed video featuring "Dusty" Marl as the saloon piano player was one of the more creative clips of the era, and gave one of the most prolific producers in rap history his just due.

49.Busta Rhymes "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" (1997)

Producer: Shamello & Buddah

Album: When Disaster Strikes

Label: Flipmode, Elektra

Busta recently told the story about the creation of "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," one of his most memorable songs, explaining that his road manager heard the beat and insisted that its creators, Shamello and Buddah, play it to Mr. Rhymes as soon as humanly possible. "I lost my muthafucking mind," he recalls. The basis of the beat is taken from "Sweet Green Fields," courtesy of ‘70s soft-rock duo Seals and Croft, while beefed-up drums and shakers are added to deliver the hypnotic, rolling feel that makes this beat so unique. In the end, it was the perfect showcase for Bussa Bus to unleash his trademark verbal gymnastics.

48.The 45 King "The 900 Number" (1987)

Producer: The 45 King

Album: The 900 Number EP

Label: Warner Bros., American Recordings

Respect due to Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself" from 1967, which provided the unstoppable horns that The 45 King flipped for his signature instrumental hit. He later recorded a version with Lakim Shabazz dropping vocals on it, before it was given a new lease of life thanks to DJ Kool's hit remake "Let Me Clear My Throat" in 1994. Yo! MTV Raps fans will also recall that Ed Lover adopted "The 900 Number" for his dance theme music.

47.Black Rob "Whoa!" (2000)

Producer: Buckwild

Album: Life Story

Label: Bad Boy

D.I.T.C. member Buckwild made some serious noise when he started working with Bad Boy, providing outstanding tracks such as Notorious B.I.G.'s "I've Got A Story To Tell." When Buck spoke to Complex last year, he recalled the following: "Lenny S [from Roc-A-Fella] gave the beat to Jay-Z, then Memphis Bleek, then Amil, and then other people. They all passed on it." Black Rob knew a hit when he heard it, and jumped on the song to create one of 2000's most memorable catch-phrases. The beat itself is undeniable—swirling strings, huge drums and deep horn stabs capable of inciting a riot.

46.Ol' Dirty Bastard "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (1995)

Producer: RZA

Album: Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version

Label: Elektra

RZA’s off-kilter piano production on “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” was a perfect counterpoint to ODB's unhinged drunken master flow. It epitomized the Ol' Dirty Bastard persona in musical terms, a drunken saloon pianist plunking a two-note melody (via Stevie Wonder’s “Knocks Me Off My Feet,” appropriately enough) over an ungainly, limping breakbeat (The Emotions’ “I Like It”) that seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

45.Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock "It Takes Two" (1988)

Producer: Teddy Riley

Album: It Takes Two

Label: Profile

If any song encapsulates the late '80s sound of rap that makes you want to do the Kid 'N Play kickstep, it's this. Teddy Riley's brilliant use of Lyn Collin's "Think" is still a guaranteed dancefloor filler to this day, as it blends repetitive vocal snippets with a layered, high-octane drum track to become a blueprint for the hip-house sound that hit hard in 1989. Rob Base's entertaining party-rocking rhymes compliment the track nicely, but at the end of the day it's all about that "Woo! Yeah!" sample. Snoop Dogg would later combine the "Space Dust" sample from the intro with Rob Base's hook for "I Wanna Rock."

44.Boogie Down Productions "The Bridge Is Over" (1987)

Producer: Scott La Rock, KRS-One

Album: Criminal Minded

Label: P-Vine

When a brutally honest Mr. Magic told KRS-One and Scott La Rock that their record "Success Is The Word" was "wack,"it sparked the legendary "Bridge Wars." BDP recorded "South Bronx," aimed at Magic and his Juice Crew, primarily MC Shan, who had been making noise with "The Bridge." Shan retorted with "Kill That Noise," which resulted in KRS delivering the knockout blow that is "The Bridge Is Over." Taking the "Impeach The President" snare from "Eric B. Is President" (which was produced by Marley Marl), KRS played his version of Supercat's "Boops" on piano and borrowed the melody of Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" for the hook to create the ether that made Roxanne Shante's soul burn slow.

43.A Tribe Called Quest "Award Tour" (1993)

Producer: A Tribe Called Quest

Album: Midnight Marauders

Label: Jive

Q-Tip's deep musical knowledge made him one of the leading loop diggers of his day (before the major set-back of tragically losing most of his extensive record collection in a house fire). "Award Tour" draws sounds from a variety of sources, with the prime focus being a filtered loop of Weldon Irvine's "We Gettin' Down." Trugoy from De La Soul holds it down on the hook, but it's those loud, chopped drums and a wandering xylophone that seal the deal on this record's classic status.

42.Jay Z "U Don't Know" (2001)

Producer: Just Blaze

Album: The Blueprint

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Just Blaze manipulated a sped-up version of the beginning of Bobby Byrd's "I'm Not to Blame" (from a live album) for this Blueprint burner, although he later confessed to us that he wasn't entirely happy with the final beat: "I always wanted to make it bigger and better, and make the drums hit harder, and the bass more in your face." He later got the chance to adjust the beat for a remix of the song featuring recent Roc-A-Fella signees M.O.P. Don't you just love a happy ending?

41.Cypress Hill "How I Could Just Kill A Man" (1991)

Producer: DJ Muggs

Album: Cypress Hill

Label: Ruffhouse, Columbia

When former 7A3 member DJ Muggs introduced the blunted hardcore beats of Cypress Hill to the world, it was a breakthrough for L.A. rap. Abandoning the P-Funk samples, Muggs brought his own unique sound to the table, combining the layered sample technique of the East Coast with a more abrasive heavy metal mindset. The gigantic drums of Manzel's "Midnight Theme" meet "Tramp," a vocal yelp, and some Hendrix electric guitar bring the noise in no uncertain terms. Muggs would later refine the Soul Assassins sound with hits like "Jump Around" for House of Pain and Cypress' "Insane In The Brain."

40.Luniz f/ Michael Marshall "I Got 5 On It" (1995)

Producer: Tone Capone

Album: Operation Stackola

Label: Noo Trybe

Based around a loop from fellow Bay Area group Club Nouveau (performing a cover version of a track from a previous incarnation named Timex Social Club), this ode to sharing a bag of ganja was a huge hit that rode off the popularity of weed smoking songs in the mid-90s. Producer Tone Capone added some triangle synth, peppered it with the inescapable "Get Down" sample from "Jungle Boogie," and laced the hook with a sing-a-long chorus that would deliver a stoner theme song for the ages.

39.Three 6 Mafia f/ UGK and Project Pat "Sippin' on Some Syrup" (2000)

Producer: DJ Paul, Juicy J

Album: When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1

Label: Loud

Thanks to a surreal, spacy loop from the opening moments of Marvin Gaye's "Is That Enough" that ran alongside bass drops, synths, and crispy drum programming, this dedication to sipping that promethazine codine does a fine job of getting the listener into that leaned-out state of mind.

38.The Pharcyde "Passin' Me By" (1993)

Producer: J-Swift, L.A. Jay

Album: Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

Label: Delicious Vinyl

The Pharcyde broke new ground for L.A. rap when they hit the scene, in no small part due to producer J-Swift's energetic and accessible beats on the group's debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. Swift's care-free production on "Passin' Me By," combining Quincy Jones' "Summer in the City" with the snap of the Skull Snaps drums and a mournful horn hook, was the perfect backdrop for this ode to failed romantic escapades.

37.Craig Mack "Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)" (1994)

Producer: Easy Mo Bee

Album: Project: Funk Da World

Label: Bad Boy

Despite making a little noise as MC EZ and Troup with his "Get Retarded" single in 1988, it wasn't until this 1994 smash that the world took notice of Craig Mack. Easy Mo Bee introduced a brand new funk to the rap game with the "futuristic, George Jetson" sound he gave Craig Mack for his breakout Bad Boy single. Ironically, according to the Trackmasters, Craig wasn't initially feeling the beat and Puffy had to basically drag him into the booth, kicking and screaming. As the all-star remix would later demonstrate, however, it was really this incredible instrumental that everyone was hooked-on, and Mack ironically discovered that he was actually the one who wasn't "around next year" on the Bad Boy roster as Biggie Smalls began his rise to rap supremacy.

36.Run-DMC "Peter Piper" (1986)

Producer: Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons

Album: Raising Hell

Label: Profile, Arista

Bob James' "Nautilus" may be the greatest break of all time, but "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" is definitely a close second. When Run–DMC rocked it for their mammoth Raising Hell LP, it was the closest a lot of new rap fans would ever get to experiencing the energy of a park jam, as Run and DMC traded verses back-and-forth over Jam Master Jay's precise break-beating. Never again will nursery rhymes sound so fly.

35.Dr. Dre "Still D.R.E." (1999)

Producer: Dr. Dre, Mel-Man, Scott Storch

Album: 2001

Label: Aftermath, Interscope

It’s difficult to choose a single track from Dr. Dre’s 2001. How do you pick between “Xxplosive”’s unforgettable guitar lick, “The Next Episode”’s clubbing grandeur, or “Fuck You”’s tense restraint? But “Still D.R.E.” is the standout for a reason. It isn’t just because of the Jay-Z-written Dre comeback verse, Mel-Man’s co-production or the piano premiere of a young, post-Roots Scott Storch. The four-times-platinum single truly transcends because with a tight, minimal beat—just a few grace notes, some strings and the hardest drums in rap—Dre was able to redefine the sound of an entire city for the second time. “Still D.R.E.” is a perfect example of what Dre does well, particularly his ear for detail, like the echoing arpeggios during the chorus that grant the song its sunset mystique.

34.LL Cool J "Rock the Bells" (1985)

Producer: Rick Rubin, LL Cool J

Album: Radio

Label: Def Jam, Columbia, CBS

When asked why there are two versions of this iconic track back in 208, LL responded, "The ‘Peter Piper’ beat was originally gonna be the beat for ‘Rock The Bells,’ but Rick Rubin gave it to Run and them, because I guess Jam-Master Jay had the same idea as me at the time—may he rest in peace. You can see what I mean, if you think about it." Luckily for rap fans, both versions of this track are great. The remake that featured on Cool J's debut LP borrowed a percussion break from Trouble Funk, a guitar stab from AC/DC, a little "Rocket In The Pocket" and a whole lotta 808. Another Rick Rubin sure-shot.

33.The Showboys "Drag Rap (Trigger Man)" (1986)

Producer: Cliff Hall

Album: Drap Rap

Label: Profile

This mid-80's Profile Records 12" from Queens duo The Showboys somehow became the blueprint for Bounce music, due to its now-iconic intro. The rest of the track is standard 1986 fare—a melody based around a TV theme song ("Inspector Gadget"), loud 808 drums, and Shout Rap. Legend has it that a promoter from Memphis tracked them down years after the song had become a staple. He “acted like he found Elvis alive" as he informed them of the massive popularity of their song, the publishing rights to which they sadly do not own.

32.Jay Electronica "Exhibit C" (2009)

Producer: Just Blaze

Album: Exhibit C EP

Label: Decon

What song could so inspire a generation to put all their chips on one of history's least prolific talents? While Jay Electronica's performance so defines "Exhibit C"'s promise and Jay's potential, it's easy to underrate its framework, a sturdy soul sample courtesy of Just Blaze, which offers a dusty clarion call that at once recalls a proud crate-digging history while ringing out as if accompanying the crowning of a new king. It's all in the impact of that sustained male vocal, the strings that shine alongside it, and the sloshing pianos triggering an overwhelming, joyous euphoria. The effect is one, overwhelmingly, of reassurance—the promise of a new day, the possibility of a return to glory, of a present that no longer seems to exist as a frail shadow of the past. Jay may never live up to his potential—the clock is ticking—but no moment best captures the entirety of that potential in 5:32, a gift to relive for those who must soldier on without it.

31.Lil Wayne "A Milli" (2008)

Producer: Bangladesh

Album: Tha Carter III

Label: Cash Money, Universal Motown

"A Milli" can best be described as an exercise in hypnotic minimalism, proving that deep bass drops, hand claps, and a pitched-down repetitive vocal loop can provide the ideal canvas for Lil Wayne to pitch us his unique brand of wordplay. "Lollipop" might've been a sell-out record, but even Wayne's harshest critics had to give it up for "A Milli"—one of the few rappity rap songs that actually became a huge hit. So many rappers clogged up the Internet with freestyles over this beat that after it first dropped many of us needed a few years' break before we could listen to it again. It earned a "Best Rap Solo Performance" Grammy for Weezy and producer Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford (who subsequently got into a beef with Baby about getting paid for this beat).

30.Method Man and Redman "Da Rockwilder" (1999)

Producer: Rockwilder

Album: Blackout!

Label: Def Jam

Redman's longtime pal Rockwilder literally made a name for himself via this addictive electronic track, which so impressed the blunted duo that they named the song after him. The hyperkenetic beat evokes the feel of being trapped inside a manic video game cabinet in some abandoned game arcade—on some ol' Tron shit, which suits Red and Meth's microphone mathematics to a tee

29.Jay Z f/ UGK "Big Pimpin" (2000)

Producer: Timbaland

Album: Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

Always one to expand his musical palate, Timbaland blessed Hova, Bun B, and Pimp C with the "Big Pimpin'" beat during his bhangra phase. The rolling percussion and layered melodies made for the ideal Yacht Rap excursion, and one of Timbaland's best beats set off rap's fascination with Indian music. Jigga gets suitably ignorant here (maybe an attempt to keep up with UGK), but later recanted his verse and claimed to "regret" his bars when he read them back for Decoded. "What kind of animal would say this sort of thing?" he wondered. Guess the beat made him do it?

28.The D.O.C. "It's Funky Enough" (1989)

Producer: Dr. Dre

Album: No One Can Do It Better

Label: Ruthless, Atlantic

You have to give Dre credit for taking a song called “Misdemeanor” and making a beat that sounds like the soundtrack to catching a felony. Purists sometimes take producers to task for just finding a dope break and looping it up but even Dre's simplest achievements deserve high praise. For one, who would have thought you could make such a hard track using a sample from 11-year-old Foster Sylvers? The song in question is of course Sylver’s best known song, 1973’s “Misdemeanor.” Dre flipped the innocent-sounding R&B pop tune into something for DOC to black out on, unleashing a flurry of rhymes as well as the immortal catchphrase, “Ya’ll ready for this?” The track caught a second life and was introduced to a generation of new fans by being featured in a number of video games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, True Crime: Streets of LA, and Madden 2005.

27.Souls of Mischief "93 'til Infinity" (1993)

Producer: A-Plus

Album: 93 'til Infinity

Label: Jive, BMG

When Del Tha Funkee Homosapien first entered the rap game as a member of Da Lench Mob, rapping over Brides of Funkadelic samples, few would have predicted that he would go on to spearhead a new musical movement in the Oakland hip-hop scene. His Hieroglyphics crew introduced the kind of complex lyrical techniques and deep-crate beats that were previously the specialty of the East Coast, and "93 'Til Infinity" became the theme song of the new movement. One of the first notable examples of significantly speeding up a sample to rhyme over, the track was punctuated with neck-snapping drums and an echoing horn hits. The resulting track is so full of youthful energy and optimism that it's become almost mandatory for any "lyrical" rapper to take a stab at their own version, including J.Cole, Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, and Kidz In The Hall.

26.Raekwon "Ice Cream" (1995)

Producer: RZA

Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

Label: Loud, RCA, BMG

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is not only a landmark rap album (one that popularized everything from mafioso themes to sipping Cristal, influencing everyone from Mobb Deep to Biggie to Jay-Z) but also one of the first albums whose production was described as “cinematic.” Some of that had to do with all the samples of kung-fu film dialog, but still—RZA’s soundscapes were incredibile. And “Ice Cream” was no exception. It's a beat that sounds like a hot sunny day in Shaolin where all the kids want to do is chase the ice cream truck while the adults chase tail.

It’s hard to talk about Wu-Tang without discussing their astonishing creative and commercial run from 1992 to 1997 spearheaded by The Abbot’s lo-fi production, but let’s put that aside for a second. Just consider this: According to Method Man, “Ice Cream” and GZA’s “Shadowboxin’” were crafted in the same week. Which essentially means RZA was piecing together Cuban Linx and Liquid Swords—two classics that both featured incredibly distinct production—at the same damn time.

Many rap producers tend to get into that zone where all their beats start to sound the same because they’re all made from the same few elements. Certainly producers like Swizz Beatz and Lex Luger have been accused of this. Although it could be argued that finding your soundkit is the hip-hop producer’s equivalent to any artist finding their voice, you do run the risk of becoming as repetitive as the loops themselves until you reach the point of diminishing returns. But that certainly wasn’t a problem for RZA, who was firing on all cylinders in the mid-'90s.

25.Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing" (2007)

Producer: Kanye West, DJ Toomp

Album: Graduation

Label: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam

This was Kanye's first foray into "throw your lighters and cell phones up" Stadium Rap, and it stands as a damn fine example of the style. This is largely owed to the clever use of vocals from Australian group Sneaky Sound System's Connie Mitchell, peppered with sparse Young Jeezy ad-libs that support the shimmering synth track and its plodding percussion.

24.Noreaga "Superthug" (1998)

Producer: The Neptunes

Album: N.O.R.E.

Label: Tommy Boy

The first time we heard this beat, it was truly one of those “What the fuck is that?” moments in hip-hop. The combination of the song’s jagged synth notes, Kelis’ eerie background vocals, and Nore incessantly shouting, “What? What? What? What? What? What?” had a hypnotic, disorienting effect that made us forgive Nore’s nonsensical rhymes and left us wanting more. Plus the record was a result of Pharrell cooking up a beat specifically for Nore, not just selling a beat that had been shopped around.

Although the song is one of Nore’s biggest hits (he later score an even bigger hit by hooking up Chad and Pharrell again on “Nothin”) it’s actually more significant for The Neptunes since it was their breakout song. “Superthug” made them in-demand producers which led them to work with the likes of Jay-Z, Mystikal, and countless others. The Virginia duo went on to become (arguably) the definitive producers of the aughts for not only rap but also pop music.

23.Slick Rick "Children's Story" (1988)

Producer: Slick Rick

Album: The Great Adventures of Slick Rick

Label: Def Jam, Columbia, CBS

Sounding like a typical Hurby Luvbug beat from the same era (must be the shakers), Ricky D's interpretation of the melody from Bob James' "Nautilus" is unmistakable. The shuffling, playful drums, plunking piano line, and naive horns are fitting given the storytelling premise, matching Rick's distinctive flow and accent perfectly. Montell Jordan brought the beat back for his breakout hit "This Is How We Do It," around the same time Lil Jon flipped it for a hot remix of Capleton's "Tour."

22.DMX "Ruff Ryders Anthem" (1998)

Producer: Swizz Beatz

Album: It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

Label: Ruff Ryders, Def Jam

DMX and the Ruff Ryders crew brought some much needed aggression back to major label New York rap with records like this. Drums, bass, and sitar keys are all that were required for Dark Man X to flex his patented take-no-shorts style and propel this Tunnel banger on to sell 5 million copies. Funny part was, according to Swizz, X was hesitant to get on the track, saying, "Man, that sounds like some rock ‘n’ roll track, I need some hip-hop shit. It’s not hood enough."

Seen as a reaction to the over-produced Bad Boy sound that was dominating the charts at the time, Swizz Beatz's deceptively basic tracks were just what rowdy club types were looking for, providing the soundtrack to numerous brawls and people getting randomly smacked down with bar stools.

21.Schoolly D "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" (1985)

Producer: J.B. Weaver, Jr.

Album: Schoolly D

Label: Schoolly D

Some folks are impressed by MCs who hit the recording booth without a single line written down and spit an entire track. That's great, but Schoolly D was on a whole different plane back in 1985, recording his entire debut album by playing the TR-909 drum machine live while he freestyled his rhymes with his DJ, Code Money, providing scratches for extra flavor.

"P.S.K." was pure, unadulterated B-Boy music that spoke to an aspect of Philly street life never before addressed on wax. The everlasting bass drum and relentless hi-hats make for the kind of loud, aggressive beats that your mom and your girlfriend will hate. This is music built for your headphones AND your car—a true timeless classic. Biggie loved it so much he reused the beat—and basically covered the whole song, changing only a few letters—on a Life After Death interlude.

20.Clipse "Grindin'" (2002)

Producer: The Neptunes

Album: Lord Willin'

Label: Star Trak Entertainment, Arista

"Grindin'"—not any of their catalog of No. 1 hits—is the Neptunes' signature speaker-smasher, perfect not only for blasting out of your car at ear-splitting volumes but also incredibly easy to imitate on any high school locker. Minimalist yet futuristic, the song captured the hard-hitting sound of a mid-80's rap record but loaded it with modern d-boy lyrics. "Grindin'" proved once again that it's all about the drums—and woodblocks. Pharrell reportedly called Pusha T with the following challenge, "I’ve got this record and if you’re not up here in 15 minutes I’m just giving it to Jay-Z." Push made it to the studio with two minutes to spare, and one the hardest records of the aughts was born.

19.The Notorious B.I.G. "Who Shot Ya?" (1995)

Producer: Nashiem Myrick, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Poke

Album: N/A

Label: Bad Boy

If "Juicy" is the dream, then "Who Shot Ya?" is the nightmare. As Biggie told VIBEin 1996: "[We did that] Muthafuckin' song way before Tupac got shot. It was supposed to be the intro to that shit Keith Murray was doing on Mary J. Blige's joint. But Puff said it was too hard." The story behind this record was a rap soap opera unto itself which only became more complicated recently when Poke of Trackmasters claimed in an interview with Complex that he contributed to the beat but never got the proper credit. But regardless of whether it was made with Pac in mind, or whether Poke got screwed, none of that backstory detracts from the effectiveness of the chilling instrumental.

Sounding completely unlike anything else from New York at the time, the "Who Shot Ya?" beat is sparse and understated, conjuring images of backroom dice games and hushed orders to underlings. While the foundation of the track is basically keys and drums, it's the layered chants, ad-libs, and crooning that create the atmosphere of conspiracy that made this one of Biggie's finest moments.

18.Eric B. & Rakim "Paid in Full (Remix)" (1987)

Producer: Eric B. & Rakim

Album: Paid In Full

Label: 4th & B'way, Island

This "def beat" loops the "Ashley's Roachclip" break and appropriates the bassline from "Don't Look Any Further" (a 1984 R&B hit from former Temptations member Dennis Edwards). In retrospect, the album version was an unusual song for 1987 in that it opens with Eric B. name-dropping the group's various representatives, features only a single verse from Rakim, and closes with some wonderfully off-kilter scratching. Thanks to the pioneering work of UK production outfit Coldcut, we also got the "Seven Minutes of Madness" remix, which added an amazing Ofra Haza vocal sample, as well as literally dozens of samples and breaks from TV shows, movies and other songs. The final result changed the way people looked at remixes forever.

17.Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg "Deep Cover" (1992)

Producer: Dr. Dre

Album: Deep Cover

Label: Epic

"Deep Cover" is noteworthy for a couple of reasons: It was the world's first exposure to Snoop Doggy Dogg, and it was Dr. Dre's first post-N.W.A. output, offering a preview of the new sound he would unveil on The Chronic. Dre's winning formula, consisting of loud drums (courtesy of the classic Sly and The Family Stone "Sing A Sample Song" break), a sinister synth melody that made you feel like you were walking down a dark alleyway, and a creeping bassline marked the next evolution of the musical foundation he established with N.W.A. Once The Chronic and Doggystyle dropped, that sonic trifecta would become synonymous with West Coast rap.

16.MC Shan "The Bridge" (1986)

Producer: Marley Marl

Album: Down by Law

Label: Bridge

Originally appearing as the b-side to MC Shan's "Beat Biter" (which was aimed at LL Cool J), "The Bridge" went on to become the official anthem for Queens, and got caught in the crossfire of BDP's beef with Mr. Magic and set off the Bridge Wars. Sonically, it captured that gritty "project sound" that Marley Marl was developing at the time. "I had the drum sound of the week," he told ego trip in 1998. "It was funny because you could tell all of the records that I made in the same week back in the days. They all sounded the same: 'Eric B. Is President,' 'The Bridge,' 'Nobody Beats the Biz'...if I make three or four records with the same drum sounds, I thought one of them was gonna hit. I wasn’t expecting everything to hit!" That "Impeach The President" snare, when matched with the backwards horn hit from Magic Disco Machine's “Scratchin’,” is the sound of hardcore hip-hop incarnate.

15.Black Sheep "The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)" (1991)

Producer: Black Sheep

Album: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Label: Mercury, Polygram

The original album version of "The Choice Is Yours" was a good song, but the "Revisited" single mix added a whole new level of energy, both in terms of the beat and Dres's impassioned vocal performance. Taking two carefully selected grunts from "Sweet Linda Divine," drums from The New Birth and a brilliant stand-up bass loop courtesy of McCoy Tyner's "Impressions," the new additions to the Native Tongues crew knocked this one outta the park. One of the most enduring records in rap history, it left such an impression upon the mind of future ad executives that it was appropriated by Kia to hawk cars in 2010.

14.Juvenile f/ Mannie Fresh and Lil Wayne "Back That Azz Up" (1999)

Producer: Mannie Fresh

Album: 400 Degreez

Label: Cash Money, Universal

Providing the important public service of providing theme music for strippers since the 2 Live Crew broke-up, Juve, Weezy, and Mannie Fresh combined minds over the timeless Brass Construction horn blast, stuttering drum machine, scratches, and wandering strings. Mannie urges the ladies to "beat the dick like a motherfuckin' drummer chick," while Wayne coined the immortal phrase, "Drop it like it's hot." Thanks to this inescapable track, the ladies still have ample opportunity to back that "thang" up at your local sports venue to this day.

13.50 Cent "In da Club" (2003)

Producer: Dr. Dre

Album: Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Label: Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope, Shady

Deceptively simple but unforgettable, this is a text-book example of the Dr. Dre hit-making formula—a head-nodding, minimalist beat peppered with flourishes of live guitar, keys, and bass (special mention to the mighty DJ Quik on percussion). In the Vitamin Water commercial 50 conducts a symphony orchestra as they play the beat—and it doesn't sound bad—but this one's more classic than classical. Dre's track was the soundtrack for 50's introduction to the mainstream. But more than his laid-back drawl, party chants, statements of intent to take over the rap game, and obligatory references to getting shot, it was the beat that made this a song even Oprah Winfrey could love. With the single selling 7 million copies and the video clocking in at over 128 million YouTube views, if you lived on the planet Earth in 2003, you knew this song by heart—like it or not.

12.Public Enemy "Rebel Without a Pause" (1987)

Producer: The Bomb Squad

Album: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Label: Def Jam, Columbia

This landmark moment in hip-hop production was largely inspired by Eric B. and Rakim. After hearing the cutting-edge new sound of their competition, Chuck D and the Bomb Squad literally went back to the lab to create a song that would blow everyone else out of the water. Looping the abrasive noise from The JB's "The Grunt," they then instructed Flavor Flav to manually trigger the "Funky Drummer" loop for a full five minutes. Once Chuck laid down his incendiary verses and Terminator X added his own take on the "Transformer" scratch (which had originated from the Philly DJ scene), Public Enemy unleashed the first example of a revolutionary sound that lay ahead on It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and took their rightful spot at the top of the hip-hop food chain.

11.Eazy-E "Boyz-N-The-Hood" (1986)

Producer: Dr. Dre

Album: N.W.A. and the Posse

Label: Ruthless

Based around the electro-tinged riff from Whodini's "I'm A Hoe," and a granite-tough guitar riff, Eazy-E's early solo effort was bolstered by a knocking Dr. Dre track, and some rhymes penned by Ice Cube—all f which established this diminutive character as a trash-talking Compton tough guy, surrounded by a manic selection of rap and comedy vocal scratches.

10.Puff Daddy f/ Lil' Kim, the Lox, and the Notorious B.I.G. "It's All About the Benjamins (Remix)" (1997)

Producer: D-Dot

Album: No Way Out

Label: Bad Boy

Biz Markie was once asked which song he would play someone who had never heard hip-hop before, a song that could sum up the music and the culture. His reply? "All About The Benjamins." It may have caused a few angry backpackers to spit out their guava juice in disgust, but it's a valid choice. Hip-hop started out as party music and this track captures the essence of a party to a T. D-Dot slowed down the start of Love Unlimited Orchestra's "I Did It For Love" and laced it with shuffling drums and backspins to create the catchiest head-nodder of the Bad Boy era. When the beat changes to the iconic Jackson 5 break for Biggie's verse, it marks a sign of respect to the park jam era—a nod that was clearly appreciated by original party rockers like the Biz. Even Big Pun had to give it up: on "The Dream Shatterer" he told rival MCs, "I'll even let you rhyme to the 'Benjamin' beat/But it won't matter, your dreams still gone shatter."

9.Nas "N.Y. State of Mind" (1994)

Producer: DJ Premier

Album: Illmatic

Label: Columbia

DJ Premier was at the top of his game when he handed Nas this formidable aural canvas, having just released Hard To Earn with GURU and handled beats for Jeru The Damaja's entire debut. Despite Primo's punishing schedule, "NY State of Mind" was one of his most powerful and evocative productions of the period. A menacing piano riff from Joe Chambers' "Mind Rain," claustrophobic guitar, and booming drums of death take the listener deep into the heart of a New York subway tunnel at 3 a.m. aka "the dungeons of rap."

8.A Tribe Called Quest f/ Leaders of the New School "Scenario"/"Scenario (Remix)" (1992)

Producer: A Tribe Called Quest

Album: The Low End Theory

Label: Jive

The Low End Theory set a new standard for hip-hop production, with both versions of "Scenario" being certified dope. The album version was driven by the crashing drums from Hendrix's "Little Miss Lover," while the legendary remix rode off of Kool & The Gang's "Soul Vibration" (first used by Marley Marl on LL Cool J's "Cheesy Rat Blues"). It's a close call deciding between this and "The Symphony" for Best Posse Cut of All Time, but there's no denying that this was the song that made the world realize that Busta Rhymes had out-gown his Leaders of The New School cohorts. The remix notably gave us the only official appearance of Kid Hood, who was murdered only days after recording his show-stopping verse. Both versions of "Scenario" stand tall as classics in their own right, offering two slices of energetic, uptempo Native Tongue music—a snap shot of cutting-edge hip-hop from 1992

7.Audio Two "Top Billin'" (1987)

Producer: Daddy-O, Audio Two

Album: What More Can I Say?

Label: First Priority

As is quite often the case, the unmistakable stuttering drum pattern that drives Milk D and his brother Gizmo's break-out hit was a studio accident, as Daddy-O from Stetsasonic tapped the wrong pad as he was programming the beat from The Honeydrippers' "Impeach The President" into his SP-12. Milk D spent the rest of his career riding off the success of this song, while it provided the beat for Mary J Blige's classic "Real Love" and 50 Cent's "I Get Money" among its many reincarnations. Since Milk D's father Nat Robinson owned the label that released the song, Milk is one of the very few '80s rappers who actually cashes a check every time someone samples this classic. Go Brooklyn indeed.

6.Eric B. & Rakim "Juice (Know the Ledge)" (1992)

Producer: Eric B.

Album: Don't Sweat the Technique

Label: MCA

Despite how the credits may read, this musical inferno was all the handiwork of Rakim, who looped Nat Adderley's "Rise, Sally, Rise" and played the drums live over the top. The horns and distinctive vocal note are taken from the one minute mark of "I Feel an Urge" by Syl Johnson, while flute and guitar riffs are dropped-in at various points to add an intense urgency to Rakim's lyrics of fury as he details the relentless pursuit of street credibility that mirrors the exploits of Tupac's "Bishop" character in Juice.

5.Wu-Tang Clan "C.R.E.A.M." (1993)

Producer: RZA

Album: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Label: Loud

This is some vintage RZA work—cold weather music that's equal parts sparse and sorrowful. Grabbing the opening bars (and a vocal section from later in the song), The Abbott makes great use of the Isaac Hayes-produced "As Long as I've Got You" by the Charmels, allowing Raekwon and Inspektah Deck to deliver so many quotables that it's hard to keep up. This is one of the rare occasions where the acronym of a song title a) fits the sonic backdrop of the track, and b) actually makes any sense whatsoever.

4.Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" (1992)

Producer: Pete Rock

Album: Mecca and the Soul Brother

Label: Elektra

Large Professor may allege that he was the one who found the Tom Scott record that anchors this anthemic ode to family and lost friends, but nobody could have flipped it more perfectly than Pete Rock in his prime. Pete was the king of the horns in the '90s, and "T.R.O.Y." was his crowning achievement. Crisp, rolling snare hits provide added punch to the lush, melodic backdrop. Despite sounding more King Arthur than King Records, the song become hip hop's "Stairway To Heaven"-—in that it's inspired several awful cover versions yet still has the capacity to bring a tear to the eye of even the most stone-faced rap fans.

3.Mobb Deep "Shook Ones Pt. II" (1995)

Producer: Havoc

Album: The Infamous

Label: Loud, RCA, BMG

New York hip-hop in the early '90s was a hot-bed of beat-digging culture, as DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor and the D.I.T.C. crew attempted to outdo each other by flipping increasingly rare and obscure samples as those tried-and-true James Brown loops became increasingly difficult to clear. When Mobb Deep dropped their second album, Havoc (with some assistance from Q-Tip) established himself as an equally adept beat miner, as The Infamous established the new sound of hardcore QB rap. It wasn't until 2011 that the source of the loop was revealed to be the piano from Herbie Hancock's "Lucy," laced with a menacing bassline, distorted horns, and hard-as-nails drums to create what may be the hardest rap beat of all time. You know a beat has made an impact when cats are still freestyling over it more than a decade later.

2.Dr. Dre f/ Snoop Doggy Dogg "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (1992)

Producer: Dr. Dre

Album: The Chronic

Label: Death Row

An argument could be made for this being the most well-known hip-hop track of the '90s, and there's a pretty good chance that even your grandmother knows the hook to this. Listening back to the Leon Haywood original, "I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You" reveals that Dre pillaged every inch for his version, ruthlessly snatching the main loop, key changes, and chorus (which he then replayed) —a testament to the strength of the Haywood's original composition. Snoop Dogg makes himself right at home immediately, effortlessly riding the track into submission with his laid-back delivery to claim it as his own, while the good Doctor proudly unleashes the super-slick sound nand mandatory "Funky Worm" synth that would change the sound of West Coast rap forever.

1.Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five f/ Melle Mel and Duke Bootee "The Message" (1982)

Producer: Jiggs Chase, Ed Flethcer, Sylvia Robinson

Album: The Message

Label: Sugar Hill

Perhaps the most recognizable hip-hop record of all time, "The Message" offered a welcome change of pace from the brag rap and party chants of the era. In-house Sugarhill Records session player Duke Bootee (who later went on to produce "King Kut" and his own solo projects) had recorded an instrumental called "The Jungle," which he gave Melle Mel to rhyme over. The resulting electro-driven, claustrophobic track served as a stark contrast to the upbeat, live band of other Sugarhill releases, providing a fitting backdrop to Melle's dead-serious subject matter. The desolate feel of the track was so far ahead of the game that the subsequent passage of time has left it virtually unschathed, as demonstarted by Ice Cube jacking the track for his "Check Yo' Self" remix, while Puffy and Ma$e grabbed it for their hit collaboration "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down." Countless production trends have come and gone since the "The Message" first hit the airwaves, yet it still stands strong as the definitive hip-hop anthem that will sound just as fresh in another 30 years.