The Wacky World of Pink Floyd Rap

Considering how influential Pink Floyd have been to popular music, it’s a little surprising how few rap songs have sampled them. Even more unfortunate is the fact that very few of that small group are any good. Here are eleven examples to consider in this tribute to the pointless listicles that once ruled the shitty rap blogging landscape.

Agallah – ‘Y3’s Anthem’

This is the song that inspired this piece, as I was always puzzled as to why no one ever rapped over this particularly memorable intro to ‘Hey You’…other than not wanting to pay Roger The Dodger large sums of sample clearance cash, obviously.

Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire – ‘One For Sophie’

An appropriately abstract Floyd grab for a stream-of-consciousness eXquire Game of Thrones reference. Waters is appropriately credited as the producer here.

JR Writer – ‘Pimp Talk’

This isn’t a patch on the best JR Writer song – the hair metal extravaganza known as ‘Picture Perfect’, but it’s a decent second-tier Dipset Rock Rap entry that contains the bizarre punchline ‘Let’s face it my jewelry is sick/this chain looks like David made it and threw it in piss.’

Mobb Deep – ‘Crawlin’

This is one of the various anti Jay-Z songs that P dropped after ‘Takeover’ using a sample of a Floyd synth that I would have just thought Havoc played before I looked it up.

GETO Boys – ‘Let A Ho Be A Ho’

Snatching both the bassline and that sweet, sweet cash register shit from ‘Money’, this is easily the best use of Pink Floyd on a rap song, thanks in no small part to Willie D’s amazing raps. Best of all we have two versions to enjoy – the original and the remake on the Def American release with more hook but no c-bombs.

Tony Yayo – ‘Tattoo’

One of history’s more successful weed holders, Yayo struggles to keep my attention here but at least reminds us to listen to Tuff Crew again…

Tuff Crew – ‘Deuce, Ace, Housin’

This is everything that’s great about eighties DJ showcase tracks, with the Floyd riff adding an ethereal, other-worldly quality to the wonderful scratching on display.

Leak Bros. – ‘Follow The Liters’

Fun fact: the guy from the Transformers movies once made a short film starring Cage and Kid Cudi as serial killers.

The Psycho Realm – ‘Wasted’

I was going to introduce these guys as Cypress Hill weed carriers but I’m pretty sure B-Real was happy to carry his own bags.

Wiz Khalifa – ‘B.A.R.’

This guy’s weed carrier Berner has releases sixteen albums, including a project with Styles P. What a time to be alive.

El-P – ‘Up All Night’

Definitely the most obscure loop pf the bunch, but then El-P starts rapping and kills the buzz.