Looking to make an "old school" Rap/Hip-Hop Hits mix album.. Seeking recommendations.
 

This might fit better in the Music forum, but I figured that the information I am looking for might be more targeted at the "general audience" so I went with Members Playground instead. If that is a problem, feel free to move.

Anyway, here is my situation. A friend has asked me to make a mix CD for her that includes new and popular rap and R&B songs. That part is done, and I won't be seeing her for a day or so, so I wanted to make another CD; this one having Rap hits from the early 90's.

I'm talking Sir-Mixalot, "I Like Big Butts," Coolio, "Fantastic Voyage," etc.

I'd like to create a compilation of early 90's rap songs that were both humorous, but also popular and "fun" to look back on and think about today.

The reason I am posting this here instead of the Music forum, is because I know a lot of you listen to music, and also listened to music 10 years ago or more. I am just looking for suggested rap songs from the early 90's (give or take 5 years), that you remember being popular, catchy, even borderline "good," but that today are aged and funny to look back on.

Another example would be that, "Whoop, there it is" song.

I welcome any suggestion any of you may have. I want this album to be a lot of fun, and to have a compilation of early rap that isn't necessarily good, but is funny and catchy.

I can't remember the names of songs and rappers that performed right now (it always seems to work out that way), but I am confident that many of you can think of a song or two that would fit well on this compilation disc. If you think your suggestion might not fit the bill, suggest it anyway. I'd like as much feedback as possible, so that narrowing the song list down to a CD length will be a fun process. :)

Thanks in advance!

Skee-Lo - "I wish"
Anything by De La Soul or Third Bass.

I personally would rather hear an old school mix from the 80s with Eric B & Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy kane, EPMD, etc.

TLC - Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg

Ice Cube - You Can Do It

Salt'n'Pepa - Let's Talk About Sex

Technotronic - Move This

Montel Jordan - Get It On Tonight

Anything from Run-DMC's Raising Hell or Tone Loc's Loced After Dark. Also Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance".

oh MAN, awesome idea.

Heres a few:

MC Hammer: cant touch this
Run DMC: Its like that
Coolio: Gangster's paradise
Sugarhill Gang: Rapper's Delight; Apache
Easy E: Playas Club
Slick Rick: Lodi Dodi

Man, anything with Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, DJ CLue, Biz Markie.....

Damn, this was exactly what I was thinking. That's some good stuff Sinister.

Thanks for the replies.

I used replies in the forum here, various "Top" lists, and Google searches to come up with a mix that I consider to be pretty good and diverse within the specified genre.

The final track listing of the Mix is as follows:

• 1. K-Ci and Jo-Jo - All my Life (5:30)
  2. TLC - No Scrubs (3:34)
  3. Snow - Informer (4:32)
  4. Skee Lo - I Wish (4:08)
  5. MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This (4:15)
  6. TLC - Waterfalls (4:39)
  7. Tag Team - Whoop There It Is (4:56)
  8. Coolio - Gangsters Paradise (4:01)
  9. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby (4:26)
  10. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog - Ain't Nothin But a G Thang (3:58)
  11. TLC - Creep (4:28)
  12. Coolio - Fantastic Voyage (5:34)
  13. Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It (3:55)
  14. Sir Mix A Lot - I Like Big Butts (4:25)
  15. Da Brat - Funkdafied (3:05)
  16. Sugarhill Gang - Rappers Delight (4:45)
  17. Desree - You Gotta Be (4:04)

The process of narrowing it down to 17-18 was tough, but also a lot of fun, because it exposed me to a lot of songs I hadn't heard for years, but definitely remembered when I did hear them again.

I wanted to mix it up a little, so I started off with a slower song and then tried to get a flow going so that it didn't become tiresome.

Desree's "You Gotta Be" is probably borderline R&B, but I like the song a lot, and it's a great song to close out the album IMO; so it was included.

After finishing this mix, I realized I had forgotten how many good songs TLC had. TLC tops the list with 3 songs represented, and Coolio finishes 2nd with 2 songs.

Thanks again for the replies and suggestions.

If anyone wants to suggest anymore songs, please feel free; as I want to always be adding more to my collection.

Take care.

Two Coolios and three TLCs but no Run-DMC? Get a rope! :lol:

and no snoop
jeebus

Seriously. What's a rap compilation without "Gin and Juice"?

2pac - california love Only rap song ever made worth a damn.

And this should be in Tilted Music.

Vanilla Ice is now classified as old skool hip hop :eek:

I was going to recomend some NWA, some PE, some Slick Rick the Ruler, a little Ice T, a little Kool G Rap, a touch of Biggy Daddy Kane...

Vanilla Ice!!! TLC!!!!

SNOW!!!!!!!!

haha, but seriously, I remember that one hit he had "you no tell on Daddy Snow...." haha

uh, 90's hip hop compiliation with nothing from Wu Tang Clan?

At least two of us remember the real old skool. :p

Woo, more replies. :)

Run-DMC, 2Pac, and Snoop didn't make the cut for this album. They were in the running, but in cutting down the album to fit on a CD, I wanted to go more with some One Hit Wonders, instead of established and good groups.

The songs on this CD are not necessarily good, as much as they were popular and fun at the time. Run-DMC and WuTang put out a ton of great songs, but after I started forming this album and making cuts, I decided to go the other way; focusing more on songs that aren't necessarily good, but that I smile when I hear again after all these years.

It's hard to explain, but Run-DMC and WuTang didn't really "fit" into this album. Not because they weren't good, but instead because they "were" good.

I wanted to go for some sleepers that people likely don't remember, whether they want to or not. Skee Lo, Tag Team, Sir Mix A Lot, Da Brat, Hammer, Vanilla Ice. They aren't on a level with Run and Wu, but they put out a song that I think many people listen to now and smile, remembering the music back then.

I only used "old school" in the sense that the music was from a genre 10-15 years ago, and did not intend to imply old school quality and originality.

After burning and listening to this album, I love it. It's like taking all the songs that were "cool" (but not necessarily good) back in the 90's and hearing them back to back.

Furthermore, I didn't really grow up listening to a lot of WuTang or Run-DMC so that likely played a part in why they weren't included. I consider this CD to be for the casual rap listener at the time, and not necessarily the one that was into all of the quality groups. Because the groups/artists on this CD didn't necessarily put out quality songs consistently, but they did have a few fun ones. And I tried to find those and put them on this CD.

This album isn't supposed to be serious at all; it's supposed to be completely fun, maybe make the listener smile thinking back about these songs and the time when they were popular.

Of all the songs on the album, I think TLC's "No Scrubs" is the most fun. The lyrics are amusing, and it has a nice beat. Informer is also really funny, and I remember that song well. I originally had a Kriss Kros track on the album, but it didn't fit and threw the flow off, so I removed it.

I appreciate the replies, and wanted to reply and state that I wasn't attempting to make an album filled with quality hip-hop/rap as much I was an album filled with some one hit wonders, fun songs, and songs that would be memorable to the casual rap listener.

I don't consider Tag Team and Snow to be better groups than Run-DMC, but I do consider their song(s) to be more memorable, catchy, and noticeable to someone that was only a passing fan of the genre in the 90's. That's an opinion, and granted I wasn't really into Run-DMC, but I'm really pleased with the final CD, and I think my friend will like it a lot.

Thanks again for the replies and recommendations.

Didnt Da Brat do a song with Biggie Smalls? I think that one was allright :)

more suggestions, relying on my faulty memory of the period before hip hop got too lame at the commercial level to be bothered with----

eric b and rakim--follow the leader, microphone fiend and/or in the ghetto
tribe called quest--i left my wallet in el segundo, description of a fool, award tour, scenario
public enemy--my 98, burn hollywood burn, black steel in the hour of panic, fear of a black planet
brand nubian---i cant remember the record or song---it has a great p-funk sample in it--and another with an edie brickell sample --both are great
craig mack--flava in your ear
epmd--lots of options
nearly anything by poor righteous teachers---my favorite is 144k on black bidness
mos def--universal magnetic (if you can find the version on the beat junkies 2nd comp--the one by rhettmatic--it is a fine thing)
gang starr--manifest, tons of guns--lots of options there

ultramagnetic mcs--critical beatdown

speaking of which--any excuse to include dr octagon tracks on any mix should be taken as a fine moment and exploited fully.
blue flowers
half shark alligator half man.
hell, just give her the cd

that is by far my favorite song ever!

Damn it Feels Good - Ghetto Boys

Hammer was very big in his time. He had his own cartoon and was one of the first so called "sell-outs" in the hip hop industry when he did the Taco Bell commercials. He's not a one hit wonder or not very well known.

The TLC songs are definitely R&B song as is Gotta be and All My Life. I'm not hating on you or your selection. With the exception of Gotta be I love your selection!

You could of added Young MC, JJ Fad, and Biz Markie for one hit wonderesque raps.

Nuthin but a G Thang - Dre and Snoop
Tricky - Run DMC
Juicy - B.I.G
Hit em Up - 2Pac
Got Your Money - Ol Dirty Bastard

That'll do it.