I always hesitate to put rap in my Burnmixes, worried that's not what you came for?
But it's one of the first genres of music I fell head over heels for. This mix cover picture is memory lane for me: my monthly Vibe Magazine subscription, which I read cover to cover and then plastered the walls in my room with afterwards. The first CDs I ever purchased were A Tribe Called Quest (Midnight Marauders) and Wu Tang Clan (36 Chambers). A week later, the Above the Rim soundtrack. My radio show in college was half hip hop and half women soul/jazz singers.
I don't keep up with current hip hop (maybe just because I'm lazy and also not that into it), but I remain faithful to the songs below. I couldn't even attempt to make my "ultimate" rap mix -- I went with songs that felt good together and either were a) beats/hooks that always feel good to hear or b) lyrics and songs I memorized dutifully. Some of this feels like the top eschlon and some is just for fun. It was impossible to trim down...
Hope there's something in here for you! Here's hoping for a February with a bit more bop for all of us.
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Jungle Brothers / Because I Got It Like That
More Info from Last.FM
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group who pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop. They began performing in the mid-1980s and released their first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in 1988. With Afrocentric lyrics and innovative beats, the Jungle Brothers were critically acclaimed and soon joined the influential Native Tongues Posse. The trio is comprised of Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall (Afrika Baby Bam) and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B). Read more on Last.fm more...
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EPMD / Let the Funk Flow
More Info from Last.FM
EPMD is an American hip-hop music group from Brentwood, New York, active from 1987 to 1999, reuniting in 2006; one of the prominent acts in East coast hip hop. The group's name is an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members: rappers Erick Sermon ("E Double") and Parrish Smith ("PMD"). Diamond J, DJ K La Boss, and later DJ Scratch were DJs for the group. The duo split by January of 1993, under controversial circumstances. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Jeru the Damaja / Me or the Papes
More Info from Last.FM
Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja (born February 14, 1972) spent his early years in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York, where he has been rapping at block parties since the early days of his youth. He first showcased his hardcore Brooklyn style to audiences on "I'm the Man," a track from Gang Starr's 1992 album Daily Operation. The following year he released his first single, "Come Clean", which was produced by DJ Premier and became an instant underground hit. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth / All the Places
More Info from Last.FM
Rapper, DJ, and producer Pete Rock first emerged in 1991 as one half of a duo with C.L. Smooth, debuting with the All Souled Out EP. A hit LP, Mecca and the Soul Brother, followed before the two went their separate ways in the wake of 1994's The Main Ingredient, with Rock remaining a prolific studio presence prior to the release of his solo debut, Soul Survivor, on Loud/RCA four years later. Dropped from the label, he continued his career as an independent producer, and later signed to Rapster/BBE in 2001 for PeteStrumentals. Read more on Last.fm more...
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MF DOOM / Doomsday
More Info from Last.FM
Daniel Dumile (13 July 1971 – 31 October 2020) was a British-American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He performed and released music under a variety of stage names, most notably MF DOOM, which Dumile preferred to be stylized in all caps. Dumile debuted during hip-hop's golden age of the late 1980s and became a major figure in underground hip-hop of the early 21st century. Born in London, Dumile moved with his family to Long Island, New York at a young age. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Pharcyde / Otha Fish
More Info from Last.FM
This is an incorrect tag for The Pharcyde. If you have last.fm autocorrection turned on, your scrobbles will automatically redirect to the correct artist name. Otherwise, please fix your ID3 tags. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Brand Nubian / Don't Let it Go To Your Head
More Info from Last.FM
Brand Nubian is a hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MCs; Grand Puba (born Maxwell Dixon, March 4, 1966), Sadat X (formerly Derek X, born Derek Murphy) and Lord Jamar (born Lorenzo Dechalus, September 17, 1968); and two DJs, DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere. Their debut album One For All is one of the more popular and acclaimed alternative hip hop albums of the 1990s, known for socially conscious and politically charged content inspired by the teachings of the Nation of Gods and Earths. Read more on Last.fm more...
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AZ / Rather Unique
More Info from Last.FM
Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York), better known by his stage name AZ, is a Grammy-nominated rapper currently residing in Englewood, New Jersey. He is mainly known for his close association with Nas, his membership in the hip hop supergroup The Firm, and his multi-syllabic rhyming pattern and deep content within his solo albums. He released his debut album, Doe or Die, in 1995 and has since released 1998's Pieces of a Man, 2001's 9 Lives, 2002's Aziatic, 2005's A. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Nas / Life's a Bitch
More Info from Last.FM
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, more commonly known as Nas (formerly Nasty Nas and Escobar), born September 14, 1973 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, is a prominent American MC. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, he was raised in the infamous Queensbridge housing projects in Queensbridge, New York. According to the Nasty Songfacts, as a teenager rapper, Nasir first went by the nickname Kid Wave before adopting his more commonly known alias of Nasty Nas. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Common / Resurrection
More Info from Last.FM
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is a Grammy award winning rapper, author and actor known for lyrics that focus on love and spirituality. Signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music, many people describe him as being a conscious hip hop artist who makes songs that send a message. He debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 90s Read more on Last.fm more...
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KMD / Plumskinnz (Loose Hoe, God & Cupid)
More Info from Last.FM
KMD was a rap group from the early 90s. The members include: Zev Love X (a.k.a. MF DOOM, Viktor Vaughn & King Geedorah), Subroc (Zev Love X's deceased brother), and Onyx The Birthstone Kid. KMD released their first album Mr.Hood on Elektra in 1991. A nearly impossible-to-find release (although since has been re-issued in Oct. 2006), Mr. Hood preached power and positivity, with obscure samples from Sesame Street found throughout the album, and saw future Metal-Faced-Villain Zev Love X in a uniquely different light. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Queen Latifah (feat. Monie Love) / Ladies First
More Info from Last.FM
Famed rapper, singer, model and actress Dana Elaine Owens, better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, was born on March 18, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. Her debut album All Hail to the Queen sold more than 1 million copies, and the single U.N.I.T.Y. earned Latifah her first Grammy Award. Latifah has also garnered acclaim for acting; she earned her first Oscar nomination (best supporting actress) for her performance in the blockbuster musical Chicago. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Lauryn Hill / Lost Ones
More Info from Last.FM
Lauryn Noel Hill (born May 26, 1975 in South Orange, New Jersey) is an American musical artist, and record producer, initially establishing her reputation as the most visible and vocal member of the Fugees, then continued on to a solo career releasing The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill's works primarily in the neo-soul and alternative rap styles, among other influences from reggae and folk. After a four year hiatus, she released the controversial MTV Unplugged No. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Gang Starr / Work
More Info from Last.FM
Gang Starr was an influential American hip-hop duo, composed of late rapper Guru (Backronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, real name Keith Elam) and DJ Premier (real name Chris Martin). Premier originally from Houston and Guru from Boston, but they were based in and represented Brooklyn, New York, epitomizing the New York City hip-hop sound. The entirety of Gang Starr's catalog, especially Step In The Arena (1991) ,Daily Operation (1992), and Hard To Earn (1994) are well-respected among critics and hip-hop heads alike. Read more on Last.fm more...
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A Tribe Called Quest / Keeping It Moving
More Info from Last.FM
A Tribe Called Quest is a hip-hop group formed in Queens, New York City in 1985. The group was composed of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, Jarobi White, was an intermittent collaborator appearing on their first album, but he left the group soon after, although he is mentioned as a 'sometimes' member on their third album liner notes. Along with De La Soul and Jungle Brothers, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse Read more on Last.fm more...
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Digable Planets / Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
More Info from Last.FM
Digable Planets are a jazz hip-hop group from Brooklyn, New York, United States which formed in 1992. The group consists of rappers Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Ann "Ladybug" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving, along with DJ King Britt. They are best known for their 1993 single "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", which was a success on hip-hop, pop and alternative rock radio in the United States. The group broke up in 1995 and reunited in 2005. The group first took shape in the early ‘90s, in New York City. Read more on Last.fm more...
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Boogie Down Productions / Remix for P is Free
More Info from Last.FM
Boogie Down Productions was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. The latter was murdered on August 27, 1987, after the release of BDP's debut album Criminal Minded. The name of the group, "Boogie Down", derives from the alternative name for The Bronx section of New York City. While Criminal Minded was basically about sex and crime, BDP radically changed after Scott's death, becoming the most popular conscious rap group besides Public Enemy. Boogie Down Productions pioneered the fusion of Raggamuffin and hip hop music. Read more on Last.fm more...
