Best Rap Songs of All Time

this song got me into rap. this is still one of the only rap songs I know to tell such an engaging story. the lyrics are suburb. the tension in it is so well done. I could go on like this...

Personally this is in my opinion just one of the best songs ever made.

Highest accomplishment of lyricism... Simple lyrics but deep meaning

LOVE this song... It has so much emotion and is so well written! Eminem's the best rapper ever! Long live king of rap!

theres something about this song that just gives you the shivers because its so good

IT'S SO BAD FOR THIS LIST... CUZ ITS NOT HAVING THIS SONG IN HER TOP TENS...
C'MONN ITS GOT TO BE IN TOP TENS...

Told from the eyes of a guy that grew up in a Gangsta's Paradise.

This song was the one that made me start actually listening to rap lyrics. Until this one came out I hated the genre. Loved it.

VANILLA ICE IS IN FRONT OF THIS AWARD WINNING SONG laugh out loud THTS JUST PATHETIC. THIS SONG IS A TRUE EMOTIONAL SONG WITH A REAL MESSAGE. VANILLA ICE CAN SUCK OUT

You should be ashamed that this isn't in the top 10 and that that soulja boy crap is ahead of this song.

Probably the best song ever made in history... Just listen to Dre's last verse

Groundbreaking song... Start of west coast style. Greatest lyrical flow.

This song, is played at funerals, you could play it! IT is so sad and is always played on the radio! Eminem has really made a masterpiece of this song!

When I'm Gone just carry on! This album was Eminem's farewell and then he came back! But he had a massive farewell with this song!

This is my favourite Eminem song it should be higher up! Have you ever loved someone so much you'd give an arm for not the expression no litterally give an arm for:') 88'

+11Dre and tupac are great rappers, this this song shows off both of their skills as rappers

+8Tupac and Dr Dre are excellent rappers and this is just another boost for them

Should easily be in the top five, one of the best rap songs of all times and made by one of the best rappers ever!

+18This song is so good! Thank GOD it has a good position on this list, give it a chance the third or fourth time over and you will find it to be such a great song!

+15The greatest Eminem songs, Stan was good but it was too out of tune! But this has the greatest chorus in Eminem history!

+13this is in Eminem's top 3 songs of all time for sure! this craps all over Not Afraid and it is even better than Stan! This song has a great lyrical meaning! and this is what makes it so good, the unique style of Eminem's rap singing is phenomenal

50 Cent is one of the most popular figures in the music industry of all time! This is his best song and it is so deep just listen to the lyrics, about 50 cent's poor past life of crime and his rise to fame! This song smashes Lil Wayne.

50 Cent is so deep in this song! and he really shows the true meaning of New Age Hip-Hop, and he is also one of the faces of today's Hip-Hop, even though he is not in his prime anymore he can still rap pretty good! He is better than Lil Wayne by a mile. The lyrical meaning of this song is very good! An excellent achievement in the life of 50 Cent aka Curtis Jackson the King of Jamaica, New York.

I HAVE BEING PRAYING TO LIKE 50 CENT ALL THROUGH MY LIFE,
BECAUSE OF THE CONCEPT HE USE IN RAPPING THAT MAKE HIM DIFFER FROM OTHER MUSICIANS.

This song whoops soulja boys ass

Great flow, awesome lyrics, and just plain mad rapping! Lil Wayne has outdone himself this time!

Lil Wayne made this song! It has a mad flow! IT should be in the top ten, and it qualifies, because it has a nice beat and chorus and it is better than Crank That by far!

The most chill rap song ever. Its both feel good and raw and brings rap back to the basics. This song is my favorite rap song that completely blows that soulja boy junk out of the water

Ice Cubes greatest song, it is a DEEP gangster rap song! ICe Cube is a legend in the game and always makes dope beats, so much better than Lil WAyne and his stupid crap!

This should be above any garbage that 50 cent has ever made. One of my top 10 easily

#22? oh hell no...
Song like this will never be made again, it's unique.
"Cause ain't no such things as halfway crooks" - epic line

How is this song ranked so low when songs like crank that are higher ice ice baby should not even be on this list much less in the top ten

Lazershow

this is top 5 in every mc's list, we need to stop voting on hip hop we need to vote on rap songs everyone come on!

chris62185

The greatest club song of all time! The best 50 Cent song! The greatest rap song! Should be up there with Crank That and Lose Yourself! For the win!

50 cent men thier is enough word to discribe the rapper talent he is a gift from god. probaly the best rapper alive behind 2pac and lil wayne.

50 really went hard on this one, he has a unique rap style (due to a bullet that fractured his jaw). And this is still a really hot song today.

realesttalk

Dear Mama is said to be Tupac's greatest song! It should be within the top 4! With this song, Tupac directly told us that he has a heart and appreciates mothers around the world "YOU ARE APPRECIATED! "

this is why Tupac is a legend because he could speak from his heart and mean every word he said. He was and always will be the greatest rapper of all time

Tupac sang about real problems, this song, with "Brenda's got a baby" and "Keep your head up" are the real treasures of rap music and everything it represents. I think you all should hear and vote for this song.

I have no idea how this song isn't at least in the top ten.. and how poppin bottles and crank that are above it. I think if everyone voting on this list listened to this song before they voted, the turnout would have been different.

Atliens

Cannot even imagine why this song isn't top 3, Common is the reason hip-hop still means something and this song demonstrates that. I really don't understand how Solja boy gets more recognition than common, for shame society

Simply syrically magical. Classic. True hip hop.

Eazy-E is a great legend and this song is so hardcore!

RIP Legend what a song! this shut up Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records

This song is so hardcore, I love the lyrics and it is so popular in Gangsta Rap Dissing

+12This by many critics is voted in the top 3 rap songs of all time! And these are REAL Hip Hop critics who know what there saying. This song eats any thing Lil Wayne had made! Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre two legends in the game. A real classic! <3

+4The 2 rap legends in this song make this song one of the best.. It deserves itself in the top 5 spot... Dr dre at his best... And the lyrics is the most awesome... Making it a classic.. This song has made its place in the history of rap... Ain't nuthin but a g thangg baby!

+11 2 3 and to th 4 snoop doggy dogg and dr dre is at the door

Hands down, the true essence of hip hop, and REAL mcing, not garbage that gets played on the radio. I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU TO LISTEN TO THIS SONG AND NOT LIKE IT.

This rap was some of the most original pieces. Each rapper was good enough to go solo, but they sounded so good together. Soulja Boy? Really?

All these rappers out here today need to listen to Triumph, well Wu Tang period. They are true lyricist!

The greatest lyrics ever spoken! 99 Problems is the greatest Jay-Z song ever made! It will put a hole through, Lil wAyne, Soulja Boy, BirdMan, and other corny rappers! Jay-Z is the true MC of brooklyn!

What the hell is this song doing below Crank that and Remember The Name.
The song ought to be much, much higher guys. Come on be sensible and vote up.
The song sports awesome lyrics and is spoken awesomely.

I think that dirt off your shoulder should also be in here. That gets me going. There are tons of other songs that deserve to be in here but I don't have time to list them.

The most amazing and mind blowing rap song ever produced period! Kanye West went old school on this one!

The best song ever made by Kanye West, just the beat alone would put it into the top 15!

good beats. stronger, better, faster,... etc

nbaallstar

Still DRE is the Doctors best song ever made! The beat is memorable and Snoop Dogg is also very good!

This is my favourite song ever, the beat is mint and the lyrics are awesome! Should definitely be in the top 5 along with nuthin but a G thang

This expresses West Coast Rap, with its amazing beats and great rapping from Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, one of the greatest legends in the game.

+2Pure Gangster! Hip hop at its best, made by the best (The game nd fifty)
This song introduced me to hip hop and even after so many years, it is still my favorite song! I could listen to it on repeat 24 7

"Hate it or love it the underdog's on top And I'm gonna shine homie until my heart stop Go head' envy me I'm raps MVP And I ain't goin nowhere so you can get to know me"!

+2The reason I started listening to rap.

This has got to be in the top 10! Even Soulja Boy made it with the same verse over and over in crank Dat

CREAM is the greatest rap song ever made! The Wu Tang Clan are the most influential figures in Hip Hop history and this deserves a higher spot!

Old School definitely smashes new school. You Can't be a classic like this one! Wu Tang's finest song, it should be in the top ten!

Cash Rules Everything Around Me. The greatest most influential song of all time! Wu Tang is the greatest group ever made!

I wish all these modern day rappers and wanna be gangstas would sit down and listen to this song. It's titled the message for a reason. It isn't glorifying thug life, it's telling you to smarten up and aspire to something better. #1 by far.

It is very stupid that this song is not number 1!
everyone knows "dont push me because I'm close to the edge! "

The origin of rap has been lost. Its time for
old time fun and let the music play too much
rap is boring. What happen to dance songs that
everyone can have a good time.

the lyrics & flow are insane as usually when it comes 2 Eminem

Eminem is the greatest artist at this present moment and back then he was only better than he is today!

Such a great rap song and vintage Eminem if anyone asks me about the song! The most complete hip hop music ever heard!

+5Tupac has made a masterpiece! Thugz Mansion is one of the hallmarks in Tupac's history, and thank God it is in the top 30!

+1Tupac is the greatest rapper, with the best messages, his music isn't only rhythmical but it's also poetic and a story.

+1How is this not #1 on the top ten....greatest song ever(acustic version is the best)

+6It's a crime soujia boy is above this.. Anyways like the Guinness men say it's Brilliant.

+1Brilliant beat and brilliant lyrics.

+1The greatest music and rap of all time.

A great song and unbelievably excellent. Good for all Rock and Rap fans. Jay-Z is a good lyricist and Linkin Park are great Rock artist!

The most pump up rap song of all time! Jay-Z is a lyrical amazement. Numb is one of the greatest songs of all time and when you mix it with a legendary rap song like Encore, you get where Im going, it will be a very good achievement in the music industry.

This song is perfect for Rock and Rap fans, who want a little bit of Hardcore. Both Jay-Z and Linkin Park are Hardcore artists!

Great song and is one of the best songs of all time! Eminem is the best artist of the last decade and still is this decade, because of how good he can be. Lyrical machine!

Best Eminem song I have ever heard! Never gets old and is listened to all around the world!

the first Eminem song I listened to. And I like it so much. The lyrics is just so amazing and the beats are awesome. This song touches my heart.

Oh a very talented rapper and a very great song mixed together. I think this song should be around #1 or #2 because its just goes hard! You guys just need to notice that Lil Wayne has taken over the rap game so everyone should vote this song up to #1! Also Lil Wayne is a self made millionaire, where as Eminem needed help from Dr. Dre.

At least top 10 just listen to the lyrics even though the beat isn't his

+8This song, is played at Funerals all the time, it is a beautiful song by Tupac, definitely one of his best hits

+6Great rap song. This song is very inspirational

+5Tupac Shakur is the best rapper of all time, and this song is definitely one of his top songs to consider as the greatest hip hop song of all time!

The best of the best by the Rapking !

50 Cent and Justin Timberlake's best song ever made! Played on the radio a lot of times it is better than any "Rap" Song ever!

THE BEST SONG IN THE WORLD THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS IN RAP HISTORY

Very underrated song. And so is Big L. You've gotta be kidding me if this goes right here.

nolvorite

Well this is a little low... Big L is one of the best rappers of all time. This song is probably one of my favourites! Idk why people love all the new stuff when this is better.

RIP Big L

This song has the crazy nice lyrics. Its got great flow and real depth too. Big L really puts a lot into this song, and he doesn't go light either. It all just works out to make a great song.

Listen to the lyrics, or the sample, Best Eminem song that he has ever made. It talks about real life, and pumps you up!

Damn! This is one of the best collaborations in the hip-hop industry. I love this song.. The best of the best.. Fantastic men

The greatest rap song from the greatest rap group of all time. The Master D, Big Bank and Wonder Mike remain the best trifecta ever.

scobob

The best song of all time and deserves to be in the top ten, legendary status. All rappers should respect this masterpiece and bow down to the old school legends like Grandmaster Flash and The Sugarhill Gang!

The classic and original is the best of all time! Played at a lot of clubs and is the first ever hip hop song!

The rhymes are amazing and the lyrics are incredible! Th only good song Lil Wayne has ever made!

Great song, and definitely a legendary classic in the hip hop business, good flow and amazing chorus!

Great beat and based on cool rhymes and dope lyrics, this song will knock your socks off!

The greatest rap song of all time, from the greatest hip hop album of all time! illmatic and this song, left a huge positive scar in the hip hop industry, also Nas is very inspirational!

This song has LEGEND written all over and it will always be in peoples hearts, Nas has to be the greatest of all time!

Nas is critically acclaimed and his song NY State of Mind is an unbelievably good hit. Nas' best hit, hands down! The beginning is unbelievable, "Straight out the dungeons of rap, were fake n***'s don't make it back! " how can you forget that! Every hip hop fan knows that Nas and his album Illmatic are the biggest hall mark in Hip Hop history. The lyrics are good, the beat is good and it will sleigh songs like Crank That and even should be in the top ten because of how good it is! Marc L. Hill of PopMatters describes "N. Y. State of Mind" as a standout track on Illmatic claiming that it "provides as clear a depiction of ghetto life as a Gordon Parks photograph or a Langston Hughes poem. "The song is also one of a few rap songs to be featured in the Norton Anthology of African American Literature. It is featured on Nas' 2007 greatest hits album as the only non-single song in the album, and on the 1999 compilation Best of D&D Studios, Vol. 1. Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews. com states:

"[Illmatic] was to be an album steeped in the rich traditions of hip-hop history, mixed with the most advanced verbal styles and fat beats that could be put on wax. And if it couldn't be set off any more right already, the DJ Premier produced "N. Y. State of Mind" was designed to knock you right off your feet. Primo's knack for finding the illest piano loops and matching them to pounding beats was perfected in this track, and paired with a Rakim sample on the chorus that provided the mental link for an analogy most rap heads had already made by now: Nas was the NEW Rakim on the block.

It is that critically acclaimed!

Oh my God THIS The best song ever not rap just besrt music track ever recorded, whats wrong with you people all with ya new school bulls.. t. THsi IZ the best Song. No Doubt Hands Down

MY god, this song should be further up on the list... This is the rap I started listening to! Def paved the way for todays rappers

this is some true rap music

The most lyrical SPM journey ever listened to, and also his best song by far, it is probably one of the best songs of all time!

Gives you an insight into the life of a young mexican living in a ghetto, and how life treats him and where it takes him!

Listen to the song, you will know why it got my vote.

"How could the serpent be purposely put in charge of the country" nice verse and amazing lyrics!

Best rap performance I have ever observed. He has an amazing style that should be admired. This song is definitely
top ten material!

such a great song
i can't believe that this song is here
one of the greatest eminem songs probably next to lose yourself and stan but so much underrated
probably most of the people are not real eminem fans

if you people were real rap fans this song wold be in the top 5

Well, I apologize, but look at the top ten (minus a few...soulja boy, ouch...Nas isn't my favorite rapper, but he REALLY has a VERY TRUE point. No more Hip Hop...just commercial illiteracy...It's a shame when people can't except a rap song for the lyrical content (which, in my opinion, makes it "Hip Hop") and just want to buy into the current fad, which is an example of what we have today. There are a select FEW artists still out there, or new to the game, that can put it down. But, for the most part, it is just "I have more money than you, buy my record...". So, Nas truely makes the best statement I've heard, basically since the change of the millenium, "HIP HOP IS DEAD.".

Best flow and amazing lyrics. The bigger the cap the bigger the peeling! The most overshadowed Nas song of all time!

Nas has the best flow of all time and is so lyrical, perhaps he is the best rapper of all time! Hip Hop Is Dead is a bad album but this is the only good song and ended becoming one of his best songs! The chorus is amazing and catchy along with some good vocal work from Will I Am. The most brilliant rap performance by Nas thats for sure!

A legendary hit in the rap game. Snoop Dogg is one of the most richest figures in Music history

Possibly one of the greatest songs ever made and was a big hit in its era. Snoop Dogg has changed now

NUMBER ONE NO DOUBT BAYBAY

Fantastic Hip Hop, there is just nothing to compare it with accept old rap!

There was really nothing like it! It was a lyrical masterpiece and had a nice flow, along with Pete Rock!

Mad single! Great flow, lyrics and an old school classic!

this song should be #1 and any wu song should be top 10 WUUU TAAANG

+5People on this actually don't know rap! What is Souljah doing in the top 10. And fort minor? A little girl has left a message on it, saying she doesn't listen to rap but that that song is the best because it isn't 'inappropriate'. Bitch get off this site, and go rate some pop. Now vanilla ice I can understand, I dint personally like it and if I had my way it wouldn't be on the list, but I understand because a bunch of 30 year olds that have never listened to an actually good rap song in their life assume that some fake ass dancing about is definitively the best rapper this world has ever seen, thus making his one hit wonder the best ever. Really? So I urge everybody please go out and listen to some big l, nas, big pun, biggie, pac, ice cube, Mos definitely, immortal technique... Even some Dre, snoop... Whatever, just ACTUALLY LISTEN tothe genre properly before hearing one song by Souljahtwat and saying to yourself "wow! A skinny little bitch that wouldn't get any without fame... This stupid song that appeals primarily to children and the deaf (they like to hear the vibrations as they alternate quickly because he can't keep in tune, even when talking) must be the best rap song ever! Much better than anything that was actually influential! {while laughing} but what would I know about rap! This is a brilliant song! "

I'll teach you something. Artists like Souljah Boy, Lil Wayne and Drake may seem good, but they are killing the genre. And if you can't understand what I'm saying throughout this rant let me just urge you (that mean tell you) to not contribute with your vote... It isn't wanted here. Go find a pop section to vote on. Or go listen to some rap classics. It's your choice.

+4Ridiculous One-liners, preposterous metaphors, relentless rhythm speed, all interwined into a crazy beat. Surely the best mix ever!

+1Lyricism and Knowledge with a bit of a story. He uses sick metaphors, flows nicely and paints you a picture. I feel like this song is one of the songs that is a blueprint for what Hip-Hop should be.

Can Freestyle the whole song and it never gets old

this is what rap is!!!!!!!

Kanye west? lil wayne? soulja boy? THIS IS RAP!

SETS THE REAL HIP HOP MOOD........ AMAZIN LYRICS....AMAXIN FLOW....AMAZIN BEATS......B.I.G...R.I.P

This song has something in it which makes you groove and makes you get off your chair and start shaking. This is the only song in my opinion which makes you groove and dance.

Good song, hectic beat and this song was pure hip hop with a twist of R^^B and funk

Great song by an even better boxer! Really makes you ready to do any kind of sport or even just get pumped for no reason! Just listen to the beat!

Wow, I didn't even know who Roy Jones Jr. Was, This Song, is an Extremely good pump up song...

His other stuff is good too!

Mark Morrison has created a masterpiece!

One of the best songs ever! Just reminds me of going through town at night and this song playing

OMG this is the best song, for rolling down the street in the car! The legendary song and Mark Morrison is a great artist!

Real talk baby! It's got that flow, top rhyme schemes, and a message that shows true feelings.

Shuld be the best hip hop song ever =)

this song is my fav rap song

bleaghh

CLASSIC

written all over it

Listen to these lyrics, great story and a lot of meaning

2pac at his finest. He was and is the greatest. This track is the best hip hop ever. 2pac was a poet and never afraid to tell us what he thought.

The best song DMX ever produced. Even the clean edit sounds awesome. A great song, with an inspiritational story and a catchy hook. What more could you ask for?

beanniectw

tight rhymes, not just hype, more chill dmx, like another of his songs, damien.

“Don't know it listen to it ya love it.. n if you have vote :)

This is the song that I listen to every second of every day because it is so cool and Eminems bit is so unbelievable he is so talented!

cronaldorockz

“this should be way higher and some of these songs arent even rap songs!

realesttalk

“Great Song..... What you can expect from ol' 50

In my opinion, Lupe is one of the best rappers of all time. I do not think that this is his best work, but this song has very good flow and is very good. I pray to god that Lupe will not consider retiring until he has at least 5 solid albums out. He said in an interview that he would retire after The Cool, but he didn't. He also said that his last album would be called LupE. N. D, and that would be it. Then he came out with Lasers instead, which was very good, no surprise. He said he would be coming out with a sequel to his 2006 album Food and Liquor, which I think was his best album, and one of the best all time. Hopefully F L2 will be just as good as all his other albums, which I have a feeling it will.

Should be Number one song, but I think this is not lupe's best song! there are show goes on, kick push, ghetto story, american terrorist, hurt me soul and so many others songs.. lupe is an underrated rapper, lyrically genius and multi talented artist!

“has to be... atleast top 50 at best

Not any songs in top 10 of public enemy? ARE YOU INSANE?. They're rap legends and the pioneer of rap hip hop in my opinion

This song is the ultimate riot anthem. It also sent a message around the world about standing up to racism or criticism.

robertoantonioortuso

markoolio is the bomb 4 rizzle

this should be number one, so much better that all the others, i dont care if the nuber one is a clasic, new school can beat old school

Beautiful at 289 and Murder-murder at 288?
This list is a crap..
All guys must have gone crazy..
Common Vote for the original rappers..
Vote for eminem, Shakur.

can not believe this isn't on list yet! best and funniest rap song ever!

luvtoread

A true classic from the 90's!

One of the best songs of the 90's and the greatest hit from Will Smith

This song will defintely get you in the mood and it relaxed you

robertoantonioortuso

“dre's verse is sick and the beat throughout is pumping

This song is off the chain i luv it. i GET MONEy all the damn way!

Xzibit is the best west coast rapper ever! This song is his best song!

Black sheep were a building block to the foundation of hip hop! There is no way that Soulja Boy was even close to being top ten. Black sheep brought the culture and provided a picutre of hip hop not some silly song that cranks and becomes fake!

probably the most remixed singel line in all of rap ever

“This is a real rap record right here. Everyone on this site must be a kid because there are some stupid songs on this list.