If there’s one thing that rap excels at, it’s storytelling. From K-Solo’s ‘Tales of the Crackside’ to PHD’s ‘A Night To Remember’ to basically anything from Slick Rick, Story Rap has always shone brightly. I’ll compile a ‘Salute’ to my picks later this week, but I’m interested to know what you consider to be some of your favorite hip-hop story songs?
Street Justice by The Rake
My all-time favorite story joint is De La Soul’s Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa. Subject matter, flow, point of view, totally original. Nas’ Blaze A 50 is a favorite too. A forgotten or overlooked joint is Fearless Four’s Problems Of The World today which is really a series of short stories,my favorite being the one where the kid witnesses his mom cheating on his dad. creative for ’84.
Obviously Childrens Story, and Dana Dane’s Cinderfella
3 of my all-time greats are listed but if I had to chose just 1 I would cast my vote for the Coup “me and Jesus the pimp”. That’s like a mini movie to me. The video was a let down and didn’t do it justice as i would much rather mentally picture the song play out in my head in much more vivid detail.
A close 2nd is GFK “Shakey Dog”. I can smell the fish and tarter sauce in the back of the cab.
More simple yet just as potent is Cubes “once upon a time in the projects”. Im sure ive been in that scenario minus the drug raid.
When a songs lyrics are that vivid and potent as to transcend visual reproduction and to mentally take you there while capturing the other senses as well i believe it is an indicator of its greatness.
Btw as great as Slick Rock is can we lay to rest the myth of him being the default standard for storytelling? I realy believe while that was his niche in a time when great stories wernt as co men many have since come and pushed the boundrys way beyond his intial investment.
Storytelling raps that spring to mind….
“Me & Jesus the Pimp….” by The Coup
“Language of violence” by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy
“Political science” by Parklike Setting
“Stoop Sale” by MC Frontalot
“Scent of a robot” by Pete Miser
“Animal style” by Murs
“Sam the GOAT” by Pigeon John
“Writer’s Block” (album) by Capital D & The Molemen
“Adventures of Rhyme-Man & Scratch Boy” by Jay Sonic
“Bitch Killer” by X-Raided
“Constance” by Mr J Medeiros
“I’m Dead” by Scarface
“Can’t stop The Prophet” by Jeru the Damaja
“Casualties of War” by Eric B & Rakim
“The Sorceror’s Den” by K-Rino
You want more?
Ladi Dadi
The original Dougie Fresh/Slick Rick version not the Snoop remake
A few of my favorites come to mind, in no particular order:
“I Got A Story To Tell” Notorious B.I.G.
“The Cool” Lupe Fiasco
“Ms. Fat Booty” Mos Def
“Friend Or Foe” Jay Z
“One Love” Nas
“I Used To Love Her” Common
“Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa” De La Soul
E-40 – Hide N Seek remix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxdgZzzRYZY
a bit silly suggesting an E-40 song in CRC hq but this storys incredible
The Coup – Fat Cats/Pimps/Takin These trilogy>>>Me & Jesus. that beat and Boots’ stiff as a board later flow is too much to take for 7 minutes
Spice 1 – 187 Proof top 10 opening bars oat
Heiro – Cab Fare
A few of my favorites come to mind, in no particular order:
“I Got A Story To Tell” Notorious B.I.G.
“The Cool” Lupe Fiasco
“Ms. Fat Booty” Mos Def
“Friend Or Foe” Jay Z
“One Love” Nas
“I Used To Love Her” Common
“Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa” De La Soul
“Ladi Dadi” Doug E Fresh & Slick Rick
“Children’s Story” Slick Rick
“Juice (Know The Ledge)”Eric B. & Rakim
@oskamadison salute on the De La joint, that is hands down top five story telling of all time. The title should go top five in a title list lol!
6 in da morning- ice t
More modern shakey dog ghostface
Easily Ghostface’s “Shakey Dog.”
Also:
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Ill Street Blues
Gang Starr – Just to Get a Rep
De La Soul – Millie Pulled a Pistol On Santa (actually winced the first time I got to the final line)
Organized Konfusion – Bullet
Redman – A Day of Sooperman Lover
Das EFX – Hard Like a Criminal
Nas – I Gave You Power
Masta Ace – Jack B. Nimble
Jeru – You Can’t Stop the Prophet
Biggie – Gimme the Loot
Freddie Foxxx – Pressure On the Brain
Big L – Casualties of a Dice Game
Blahzay Blahzay – Good Cop/Bad Cop
Siah & Yeshua DapoED – A Day Like Any Other
R.A. the Rugged Man – Smithhaven Mall
Jay-Z – Friend or Foe (both of ’em)
Burning season by killarmy and my summer vacation by ice cube
Fresh Prince….Parents just dont understand….my favorite.
This is something that obviously would require a second and third volume. (and that’s depending on how many joints you put on each volume).
The lead rapper from Killarmy is disgusting with stories.
First to come to mind is Hands of a Stranger by Hard Knocks. “Came to pump iron ended up being bench pressed.” Yikes!
Cosign on Millie pulled a pistol and Shakey Dog, and also:
Train Robbery – Kool G Rap
Bottle Dreams – Eyedea
Clear Blue Skies – Juggaknots
I Gave You Power – Nas
More Than One Way Out The Ghetto – Showbiz & A.G
Thats How I’m Livin – Ice T
A Minute To Pray And A Second To Die – Scarface
Uncommon Valor – Jedi Mind Tricks feat R.A the Rugged Man
Among The Sleep – Cage
Just To Get A Rep – Gangstarr
I’ll bring more later, but
– Ice Cube “Alive On Arrival”, “What Can I Do”, “Summer Vacation”, “Who Got The Camera”
– Scarface “Suicide Note”
– Nas “Undying Love”, “The Set Up”, “Shootouts”
– Slick Rick “Moment I Feared”
“The moment I feared” slick rick & “Saturday night” by schoolly d – head and shoulders above anything else, I also thought that capital d & molemen lp was underrated.
Nas – Blaze a 50.
Cosign Millie, as well. I say PE Black steel in the hour of chaos.
On the run-g rap
Stray billet-organized konfusion
I can’t wake up-Krs
Young girl blues-biz
45 stitches-terror green
Minds playing tricks-geto boys
Mobb Deep- Trife Life
BDP- Love’s Gonna Getcha
Mos Def- Ms. Fat Booty
De La Soul- Millie…
Kool G Rap- On The Run
Scarface- Mr. Scarface
Nas- Sekou Story
Roxanne Roxanne – UTFO?
Lifestyles – Ice T
Public Enemy – Black Steel
Jungle brothers – On the Run
Beastie Boys – High Plains Drifter
B.D.P. – Bo! Bo! Bo!
Ice Cube – Once upon a Time in the Projects
Kool G Rap – Ill Street Blues
Biggie – Warning
Ghostface Killah – Shakey Dog
Roc Marciano – 20 Guns
Agree the general consensus re milie being a dope one. I guess bitties in the bk lounge is one too.
Also have a soft spot for ms fat booty too.
The siah and yeshua one was dope too. Organised stray bullet too.
Luck of lucien? After hours?
Kwest the mad lad had a few.
Similak child.
strips by trem.
Mille Pulled a Pistol on Santa- De La Soul
In the Ghetto-Rakim
Road to the Riches/Fast Life-Kool G Rap
The Tower/High Rollers/The Hunted Child- Ice-T
Can’t Wake Up (I’m a Blunt)- KRS 1
Good Life-Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Oh, and Mind Playing Tricks on Me-Geto Boys
Cosign on Ice t also. .. Hard to pick just one of his though.
Bushwick – Ever so clear
The Mos Def mention immediately made me think of “Hold on, Mami. I only speak a little Spanish”. :)
Second vote of confidence for Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous along with the one that opens with “Street life… Fast…”
Siah and Yeshua: A Day to Remember. That was my repeat joint for a long time
Just off top:
The mighty Shabazz The Disciple – Crime Saga
Kool G Rap – Train Robbery
Eazy E – Nobody Move
Melanin 9 – Hidden Dangers
Cyrus Malachi – New World Order
Man I left out Uncommon Valor…R.A. destoys that with an incredible verse…
Destroys
Another vote for ‘Millie..’, I remember properly listening to the lyrics for the first time as a teenager and being surprised at the depth of the lyrics and seriousness of the topic, i’d never heard a hip hop record tackle a subject like that before also gotta give another mention for Nas’ ‘One Love’, to my mind the highlight of ‘Illmatic’ and the best thing he’s ever done.
@DJ Dale
Real recognize real!
I see yall goin’ in so…
Nas-Rewind, Fetus (aka Belly Button Window), and P*ssy Kills
Ghostface-The Forest, Malcolm (hard to follow but still compelling), Barber Shop and Yolanda’s House
Redman-The whole Sooperman Luva series
EPMD-Jane 3 (the best one, imo)
Biggie-Somebody’s Gotta Die and N*ggas Bleed
Eric B.& Rakim-Mahogany
Kool G Rap-Edge Of Sanity
Smooth Bee’s verse on Sometimes I Rhyme Slow (had absolutely NOTHING to do with the song but still a good story, lol…)
Chill Rob G-Bad Dreams
Ice Cube-You Can’t Fade Me, A Gangsta’s Fairytale, My Summer Vacation, Look Who’s Burning? and Alive On Arrival
Eazy E-Nobody Move
MC Lyte-I Cram To Understand U
The Geto Boys-Scarface
Scarface-Mr. Scarface
Common-The Stolen Moments trilogy
Tribe-8 Million Stories
Mobb Deep-More Trife Life
and…
Tim Dog-Secret Fantasies (hilarious)
LL-The Doo Wop, Fast Peg, Cheesy Rat Blues
First ones that come to mind are:
Wu-tang M.G.M
Pharoah Monch Mayor
Big Pun Fast Money
And I’ve always had a weakness for J-zone’s Ho Kung Fu.
Cosign on the Ms Fat Booty nomination.
Luckys theme song by 8 ball
Nas-Rewind
Kool G Rap-On the Run
2Pac- Brenda’s Gotta Baby
Slick Rick-Indian Girl
ATCQ-Classic example of “Date Rape” (if thats the correct title)
Scarface-Steer
Immortal Technique – Dance With The Devil
Redman – Supaman Luva II
Slick Rick – Moment I Feared
Cru – Armageddon / KRS-1 Can’t Wake Up
KRS-1 – Love’s Gonna Getcha
All of these are dope though, Tim Dog should get a nod as well, for everything, all the time.
Ice Cube “You Can’t Fade Me”
Cappuccino-MC Lyte
Back in the Day-Ahmad
Poor Georgie- MC Lyte
Dirty Cop Named Harry- Hard Knocks
Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos- Public Enemy
Superman Lover-Redman
Ex Girl to Next Girl- Gangstarr
Parents Just Don’t Understand- Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Your Mom’s in Our Business- K- Solo
J-Live “One For The Griot”
Kool G. Rap “On the Run”
Mos Def “Ms. Fat Booty”
BDP “Love’s Gonna Get’ Cha”
Shabazz the Disciple – Crime Saga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyY_XNhXGwg
Royal Flush – Family Problems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-YBY8Q4914
I forgot about “one for the griot!” That shit was dope.
Can’t believe 49 comments deep and no one has mentioned the diabolical, the inhuman BizMarkie!
Almost every joint is a tale of sorts….
Ghost & Rae – The Hilton, Maxine both underrated joints off of Bulletproof Wallets
Royal Flush (Rap a Lot)- I never made 20
What about that whole Prince Paul album?
Eazy-E — “Boyz-n-the-Hood
Sir Mix-A-Lot — “Posse on Broadway
BDP — “13 & Good”
Special Ed — “The Mission”
KRS-One — “Hold”
Lost Boyz — “Renee”
Showbiz & AG — “I’m Not the One”
Cella Dwellas — “Perfect Match” & “Good Dwellas”
Miilkbone — “Kids on the Ave”
Cru — “Goin’ Down”
Mo Thugs Family — “Ghetto Cowboy”
Rapper Pooh — “The Jungle”
MGM ghost and Rae cosign
Gunna go from one ectreme to the other by nominating millie by de la and nobody move by eazy
Tho one for the griot is crazy
Just a Friend-Biz Markie
A Day in the Life-Diamond D, etc
Just to Get a Rep-Gangstarr
Rap Summary (Lean on Me)- Big Daddy Kane
Who’s the Mack?-ice Cube
Golddigger- EPMD
Just A Friendly Game of Baseball- Main Source
Gza ‘Gold’
Kool G Rap ‘Operation CB’
Juggaknots ‘Loosifa’
King T – Act A Fool
Masta Ace – Block Episode ft. Wordsmith
Slick Rick – Moses
Just-Ice – Latoya
Wordsworth not Wordsmith obviously!
Ice-T – Midnight
Gangstarr – Just to get a rep
Ice Cube – It was a good day
Wu – CREAM
cant forget the Ricky D verse off auditorium by mos def from like 5 or 6 years ago… One of the all time great Rick verses to me
Kool G Rap ‘great train robbery’
Ice T ‘midnight’
Krumsnatcher ‘closer to god’
Bdp ‘loves gonna get ya’
Ra the rugged ‘smithaven mall’
Cormega ‘dead man walking’
And of course Rae & ghost ‘motherless child’
“Tears” – Da King & I
Kool G Rap – Streets of New York.
Frek Sho “Uncivilised”
Atmosphere “Music Box”
Aesop Rock “No Regrets”
Governor Bolts “Nursing home”
Dark Lotus “My first time”
Kwest tha Madd Ladd “Butta-few-co”
K-Rino “Who killed realness?”
LL Cool J/Smut Peddlers “My rhyme aint done”
Pigeon John “I lost my job again”
Kardiak “Sharing needles”
Spearhead “Hole in the bucket”
Mega Ran/Random “The girl with the make up”
Immortal Technique & pals “Peruvian cocaine”
Paris “Side effect”
Billy Woods “Gilgamesh”
B Dolan “The Hunter”
Anything off Baba Brinkman’s “The Canturbury Tales remixed”
Boogiemonsters “Old man Jacob’s well”
The Brotherhood “One shot”
Chino XL “Father’s Day/Little man”
Edward Scissortongue “Spastic Max”
Gruf the druid “Awakening”
Latyrx “The power of rumour”
McEnroe “Pseudo random/Trivial pursuits”
Rhyme asylum “Broken window”
Cryptic One “Unicycle/Bicycle/Tricycle” = a suite of songs about the life cycle of various substances.
John Smith “Bumpin uglies”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis “Same love”
Ras Kass “Nature of the threat”
Mad Skillz “The Rap ups”
The Aspects “Man under the sea”
AWOL One & Daddy Kev “Solitude”
Chester P “Oh no he loves a ho”
Curtis Plumb “Lil Wayne tried to rape me”
Foreknown “Little miss So-so”
Gon “Art of absence”
Supercommuter “Find me a physicist”
Tes “Dualism”
How about…
The Last Emperor`s “Secret Wars”
Ice Cube`s “It Was A Good Day”
Ice Cube`s “What Can I Do?”
Crack Mack`s ” Drugs, Guns & Thugs”
Coolio`s “It Takes A Thief”
Coolio`s “Gangsta Cartoon”
Coolio`s “County Line”
CRU`s “Goines Tale”
Cypress Hill`s “Pigs”
Cypress Hill`s “Looking Through The Eye Of A Pig”
Ahmad`s “You Gotta Be…”
Scarface`s “Mr. Scarface: Part III the Final Chapter”
Scarface with Devin & K.B. “Use Them Hoes”
Spice 1`s “187 Proof”
Spice 1`s “187 Pure”
Spice 1`s “City Streets”
Spice 1`s “Trigga Happy”
Spice 1`s “Born II Die”
BDP`s “9mm Goes Bang”
BDP`s “Love`s Gonna Get ‘Cha (Material Love)”
BDP`s “13 & Good”
KRS-One`s “I Can`t Wake Up”
KRS-One`s “Hold”
KRS-One`s “Can`t Stop, Won`t Stop”
Nas “fetus”
Biz Markie “vapors”
Organized Konfusion “stray bullet”
Ras Kass “nature of the threat”
Krs One “outta here”
Bdp “love’s gonna getcha”
Gang Starr “the planet”
Deltron 3030 albums in a sci-fi mode :)
Kool G. Rap & Polo Streets Of New York
Gang Starr – Just To Get A Rep
Big L – The Heist
Slick Rick – Childrens Story
BDP – 9mm Goes Bang
Nas – One Love
HardKnocks – Hand Of A Stranger
Organized Konfusion – Stray Bullet
BDP – Love’s Gonna Getcha
The B.Boys – Girls pt1 , 2
UTFO – Roxanne Roxanne
Main Source – Looking At The Front Door
I know I am late to the game, but I would add:
I Luh Her by Akinyele
The Product – Ice Cube
Autobiographical – Black Sheep
Officer – The Pharcyde
Now time to check out the official list.
Paul Revere – Beastie Boys
Throw Ya hands in the air – Raw Fusion
Growin Up in the Hood – CMW
Latoya – Just Ice
Kurtis Blow feat Run-DMC : 8 Millions Stories
Super Kids : The Tragedy
GZA : Labels
Biggie : Juicy
Jay-Z : D Evils
Masta Ace : Brooklyn Massala
Where the f is Immortal tech’s Dance with the devil?!
A fem more:
– Cunninlynguists’ The Gates
– Jeru’s One day
– BIG’S The warnning
– Chino XL’s Ghetto vamparie, Skin, Mama told me.
– Atmosphere’ You and Music box
– KRS ONE’S Can’t stop,won’t stop.
Soliloquy of Chaos – Gangstarr
I forgot…
CNN-Stick You
Nore/Nas-Body In The Trunk
Bahamadia-True Honey Buns
GZA-Killah Hills 10304
Nas – Rewind is the craziest story track that comes to mind.
Of course, Slick Rick’s Children’s Story.
Jeru’s Can’t Stop the Prophet (one of my all time favorite rap videos too) and Return of the Prophet.
Outkast – The Art of Storytellin’ pt. I & II
A REALLY good new one is Midaz the Beast’s Coma. There are too many to mention. I love story rap.
Whoever said Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa first won this thread..
Nods to Masta Ace & Prince Paul for making whole albums in story mode.
@LEX
He is I and I am him…
Robbie, you might have to do a post on Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa…
Word. Like someone else said earlier I remember my reaction as a young fifteen year old hearing milie for the first time. Basically I had to rewind and relisten a few times to be sure I had not misunderstood. Deep.
Hard Knocks – Hands of a Stranger
MC Ren “Behind the scenes.”
BDP “Bo! Bo! Bo!”
Above the Law “Another Execution”
Slick Rick Moment I Feared/Children’s Story
Joyner Lucas Ross Capicchioni
CUBE Once Upon A Time In The Projects
NaS N.Y.S.O.M. & Part 2
NaS I Gave You Power
Organized Konfusion Stray Bullet
De La Soul Millie