Series : Complex's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats Of All Time Part 3
Series : Complex's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Beats Of All Time Part 3
59. The Diplomats "Dipset Anthem"
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.
58. YoungBloodZ "Damn" (2003)
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.
57. The Notorious B.I.G. "Big Poppa" (1994)
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.
56. Jadakiss f/ Styles P "We Gonna Make It" (2001)
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.
55. T.I. "What You Know" (2006)
"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.
54. Jay-Z "Jigga What, Jigga Who" (1998)
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.
53. 2Pac "Ambitionz Az A Ridah" (1996)
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.
52. Rick Ross f/ Styles P "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" (2010)
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.
51. Cam'ron f/ Juelz Santana "Oh Boy"
"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.
50. Beastie Boys "Paul Revere" (1986)
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.
49. Juice Crew "The Symphony" (1988)
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.
48. Busta Rhymes "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" (1997)
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. 47. The 45 King "The 900 Number" (1987)
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.
46. Black Rob "Whoa!" (2000)
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.
45. Ol' Dirty Bastard "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (1995)
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.
44. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock "It Takes Two" (1988)
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."
43. Boogie Down Productions "The Bridge Is Over" (1987)
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.
42. A Tribe Called Quest "Award Tour" (1993)
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.
41. Jay-Z "U Don't Know" (2001)
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?
40. Cypress Hill "How I Could Just Kill A Man" (1991)
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."
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Sources : HIP HOP Conglomerate Logo | Original Article
59. The Diplomats "Dipset Anthem"
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.
58. YoungBloodZ "Damn" (2003)
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.
57. The Notorious B.I.G. "Big Poppa" (1994)
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.
56. Jadakiss f/ Styles P "We Gonna Make It" (2001)
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.
55. T.I. "What You Know" (2006)
"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.
54. Jay-Z "Jigga What, Jigga Who" (1998)
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.
53. 2Pac "Ambitionz Az A Ridah" (1996)
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.
52. Rick Ross f/ Styles P "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" (2010)
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.
51. Cam'ron f/ Juelz Santana "Oh Boy"
"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.
50. Beastie Boys "Paul Revere" (1986)
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.
49. Juice Crew "The Symphony" (1988)
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.
48. Busta Rhymes "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" (1997)
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. 47. The 45 King "The 900 Number" (1987)
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.
46. Black Rob "Whoa!" (2000)
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.
45. Ol' Dirty Bastard "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" (1995)
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.
44. Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock "It Takes Two" (1988)
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."
43. Boogie Down Productions "The Bridge Is Over" (1987)
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.
42. A Tribe Called Quest "Award Tour" (1993)
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.
41. Jay-Z "U Don't Know" (2001)
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?
40. Cypress Hill "How I Could Just Kill A Man" (1991)
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."
Contact Complex TV
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Sources : HIP HOP Conglomerate Logo | Original Article
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