Greatest Hip Hop Verses

I had been contemplating posting my Greatest Hip Hop Verses for a long time.

I had issues with stating these were the greatest because it could have meant I have heard all the hip hop verses in my life, narrowed them down to these as the greatest I've ever heard and there will be none afterwards.

I didn’t really like the gloom, doom and definitive tone this statement could make but after 25+ years of hip hop in my system, I’m good.

The focus now is on the greatest, life-altering, mind-blowing verses I've ever heard to date. When I think of these lyrics, I consider them to be Shakespearean in magnitude.

This is some of the finest, modern-day poetry I've ever heard from my years as a hip hop head.

Melle Mel – The Message



No one has described the destitute state of poverty-stricken urban societies better than Melle Mel in The Message. The only thing more devastating than the truth of his 1982 lyrics is that the problems he rhymed about still plague those societies.

Kool G. Rap – The Symphony



If I could have done a Superman and turn back not only the hands of time but the world on its axis, I would have loved to have made Kool G. Rap’s verse end The Symphony. Regardless of the roster order, Kool G. Rap’s verse is simply unforgettable and strong contender for best of his career.

Mr. Scarface – My Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me



I was aware but cared little to none about Southern hip hop back in the days. After hearing Mr. Scarface’s verse on My Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me, I had to put my bias to the side. No one has described the cause and effect of insomnia better or more brilliantly.

Big L – Yes You May (Remix)



A good number of hip hop’s greatest verses were done by great MCs during their initial debut on the scene. When I first heard Big L’s Yes You May (Remix) verse, I couldn’t believe he was not already signed and putting out music. I will always be thankful to Lord Finesse for introducing us to Big L via that 1992 track. With lyrics like that, I wanted more music from the young man. We would finally get a Big L full-length in 1995 and unfortunately lose him and his lyrics in 2000.

Redman – Hardcore



Redman was a beast when he hit the hip hop scene in the early 90s. His verse, originally from the EPMD cut, made its way onto his own classic debut Whut? Thee Album.
If anyone wants a lesson in alliteration, listen to what Redman does during this track. I would learn and know the term for what Redman does in that song years later. I believe it is to this day the best use of alliteration ever in the history of hip hop.

Nas – Live At The BBQ



This was our first taste of Nas. He would again work wonders on MC Serch’s Back to the Grill and his own Halftime before delivering hip hop one of its greatest albums. With lyrics like this, I knew he was going to do big things.

Andre 3000 - Elevators (Me & You)



I believe that Andre 3000’s final verse on the song is the best verse of his career, to date. The delivery and rhyme pattern stand the test of time.

Big Pun – Off The Books



Aside from releasing a classic album before his passing, Big Pun had many memorable guest appearance moments on many tracks. Off The Books is possibly the best verse of his career. The way he blesses that Beatnuts banger reveals his true gift which was an incredible flow on whatever track he rhymed on.

Lauryn Hill – Ready or Not/Ready Or Not (Salaam's Ready For The Show Remix)



Lauryn is the only lady lyricist on this list. When I say Ready or Not, I mean both the original album version and the Salaam Remi remix. Her verses on The Score’s How Many Mics and Fu-Gee-La are a couple of contenders but can’t come close to Ready or Not.

Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Part. 2



Finally, I cannot forget Prodigy's Shook Ones verse from this list.  

Hip Hop Record Label Tribute

When discussing quality music of the golden era hip hop history, most look at the album's artists, groups or producers as responsible for the classic status.

One must look at the record labels responsible for their role in providing the classic hip hop music as well.

Although there are no longer a multitude of hip hop record labels to speak of today like some 20 years ago, this is the time to remember and recognize those that released the classic artists, groups and producers that we debate as greatest of all time now.

These labels in their own right are the greatest of all time and should be familiar to all self-respecting hip hop heads.

Sugar Hill Records

Jive Records

Wild Pitch Records

Tommy Boy Records

Ruthless Records

Profile Records

Def Jam Recordings

WEA (Warner Brothers Records, Elektra Records & Atlantic Records)

Feel free to request songs and artists below in the comments section below as well as on Twitter, Facebook.

Visit the Mixcloud page to listen and the Podomatic site to download them and more.

Below is the podcast of the hip hop record label tribute.

The Suite Delight - 2014-12-09 by Dj Solespin on Mixcloud

The Suite Delight - December 9, 2014 playlist:

1. The Sugarhill Gang - Apache
2. Sweet Tee - I Got Da Feelin'
3. Def Jef - Give It Here
4. Steady B - I Gotcha (Philly Extended Remix)
5. Leaders of the New School - Case of the P.T.A.
6. Apache - Hey Girl
7. Kid'N'Play - Bounce
8. Main Source - Fakin' The Funk (Remix)
9. Eazy-E - Only If You Want It
10. Nice & Smooth - Harmonize
11. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Sleepin' On My Couch
12. Michie Mee & L.A. Luv - Jamaican Funk
13. The Geto Boys - My Mind's Playing Tricks on Me

Bernie Mac

Not too long ago, a co-worker asked me who I considered the top stand-up comedian.
Before telling him my living choice, I mentioned Bernie Mac.

He in turn got reflective because he most likely forgot Bernie Mac or that someone would consider one no longer living as list worthy.

Bernie Mac was the final of the four Kings of Comedy.  I never forgot his routine or his name after having seen the film. Not that the other Kings of Comedy didn't make me laugh, but there was something special about Bernie Mac's portion of the film.

It was not until I came across some older copies of Def Comedy Jam that I realized I had been exposed to his comedy before his classic comedy routine. 

I caught as many episodes of The Bernie Mac Show I could and when the first season DVD box set crossed my path I brought it on my home.  The sitcom allowed us to get more of his comedy each week.  I’m sure the show ran for more than one season but I did follow that first one. I miss The Bernie Mac Show and even more.

The Treacherous Three

Anyone that has seen, owns or is aware of  Graffiti Rock knows it is spoofed by Gnarlz Barkley and Justin Timberlake for the Run video.

Graffiti Rock contains an early appearance of rap legends Run-DMC. In addition to performing, Run-DMC battle another legendary New York hip hop trio. For the sake of this post, the focus will be on The Treacherous Three.



I still have a good deal of homework to do where the foundation years of late 1970s to early 1980s hip hop are concerned.


Just as there is now a generation that knows nothing of Kool Moe Dee, I know little of his Treacherous Three era colleagues. I am fortunate to say I know of Kool Moe Dee’s music. I owned, listened and played most of his solo albums. I learned he was part of a group years afterwards. Watching him alongside Special K taking on Run-DMC was not only entertaining but informative.

As much as I would love to, I can’t own every album I want. On many an occasion I have browsed past a The Treacherous Three album reissue while digging for records. I presume it to be the ultimate Treacherous Three album with Heartbeat and Body Rock.

I had seen the Santa's Rap sequence in Beat Street at the time of its release but because hip hop culture was so new to me, I didn't know the name of the crew performing the song.  I barely pieced together Kool Moe Dee was the primary MC on the screen. 




It is amazing how we are presented with information long before we would understand its meaning and eventual impact on us.  In this case, my reminder about Kool Moe Dee & The Treacherous Three was in the form of the material being presented to me full circle.  
It took my seeing the classic footage of Graffiti Rock to remind me that I should look into Treacherous Three which, luckily for me, I had been exposed to long before I knew it.  Thankfully, YouTube allows us to see and hear their sounds.

Let this serve as your reminder to revisit The Treacherous Three's records.

Rick James

Rick James was the funkiest musician Canada will ever see.  How I came to write that previous sentence would will make for an incredible blog post one day but for now I'll recollect about Rick.

In 1984, Reflections was released as a greatest hits package with a few songs recorded at that time like 17 and You Turn Me On.



In 1985, Glow was Rick James’ last big hit while on Motown’s Gordy label and I would not care too much for it.  I felt it paled in comparison to his prior work and was quick to dismiss it.  I have since changed my mind and embrace the tune. 

His producing Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time. Glow from 1985 was a familiar tune for me but I felt it was less representative of Rick's best work. I would change my mind much later about the song.

In the mid to late 1980s, James left Motown and went to Warner Brothers where he would record Loosey’s Rap with Big Daddy Kane & Roxanne Shante and Everywhere I Go for the Colors soundtrack. 

Rick James had material in the late 1980s with Loosey's Rap and Everywhere I Go from the classic Colors soundtrack but I had disconnected by then.

In the early 1990s, Hammer built and lost his empire on the Rick James sampled Super Freak single.

Prior to that performance, Rick James was wrapped up in legal issues. I remember seeing him as a plaintiff on Judge Joe Brown. 

Prior to his death, Rick James was fortunately on an upswing courtesy of Dave Chappelle’s legendary sketch comedy television show.  His last televised performance was with the late Teena Marie when they did a raucous rendition of their classic duet Fire & Desire for a BET event.

N.E.R.D.

I was glad to hear N.E.R.D. releasing material that sounded like Hot-n-Fun.

It is definitely a jam that can rock a party any day.



I am more aware of the fact N.E.R.D. are pioneers of the hip hop/electronic hybrid sound.

Considering my roots are based in hip hop/soul and I have been heading towards electronic music as of late.  They were making music that bridges the gap for over a decade.

As long as their output is hot, we’ll all have fun.

Richard Burton

For an Academy Awards nut like me, the Best Actor nominees of 1964 were among the strongest of Oscar history.

Looking at the list of names with the knowledge of their performances and talent, I have a hard time choosing who I would have chosen as Oscar recipient. One movie in particular that makes that choice all the more difficult is Becket.



Among the film’s 12 nominations, including Best Supporting Actor John Gielgud, both Peter O’Toole & Richard Burton were nominated for Best Actor.

While browsing a video store a few days ago, Becket was on the shelf and I decided to watch the film on DVD this time.

Ten years ago, I saw Becket and wanted to be as great an actor as Burton. I had not seen the film since then. I remember there was a near scare that the movie may have been lost and it explained why it had taken so long to reach the DVD format. I would have bought a VHS copy of Becket if I had to.

I had meant to buy the movie on DVD when the opportunity presented itself but with my focus on The Suite Delight radio show and blog, Becket was buried in the back of my mind.

The DVD allowed me to revisit some of my favorite scenes with ease. Among them is when Burton’s Becket prays for guidance with the murdered priest issue and when he denounces the charges against him.

Burton naturally deserved to be nominated for his work in Becket. However, as I have come to learn and experience, two nominees from the same camp cancel each other out. It would have been awkward to have awarded Burton or O'Toole the Oscar when they both contributed to the other's performance. 

Both actors are the most nominated and Oscar-less in the Academy's history. 

I always had a lot of respect for Elizabeth Taylor. I saw her as the Queen of Hollywood. She was one of the most beautiful, elegant women I knew of but would never meet. Every photograph of her was iconic in some way or another. The classic, black & white swimsuit photo of her from Suddenly, Last Summer comes to mind first. Next is the photograph of her during the filming of Cleopatra where she reveals her tracheotomy scar.

I re-discovered Richard Burton’s work and admire him greatly.

It would have been nice if Richard Burton had received the Oscar for his work in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It appears that Elizabeth Taylor winning Best Actress was the closest he’d ever get to an Oscar.

I dreamed of being as legendary an actor as Richard Burton. I hoped to be nominated as many times as Burton but hopefully winning at least one Oscar at some point. I dreamed of marrying as beautiful and elegant a woman as Elizabeth Taylor. I may never act professionally in my life, get nominated for an Oscar or win one but I think I can get myself a beautiful bride on my own terms.

At this time, Richard Burton takes center stage.

I had a rough draft about Richard Burton sitting around for a few months but as history has proven, it was probably not my ideal post or too long. With Elizabeth Taylor’s passing, this is the best way to write about him.

The first thing that struck me about him was he had a great voice like most Welsh celebrities.

Next, I admired the fact that he was nominated numerous times for Oscars but won none. This interesting quality, tied into the fact that he was one of the best actors of our time, fascinates me as an Oscar nut. I naturally start thinking about which he should have won for or how many but his death makes that discussion moot. However, I will get back to him and the Oscars a bit later. Lastly, the fact that he married Elizabeth Taylor twice earned my respect.

His first Oscar nomination was for his supporting role in My Cousin Rachel. I aim to see the movie one day. No disrespect to Anthony Quinn in Viva Zapata! but after the few seconds I saw of Burton on screen, I would have given him the Oscar.

Next came his first Best Actor nomination for The Robe. He again was solid in his role but lost to William Holden for Stalag 17.

The 1960s saw Richard Briton nominated more times than any actor. In fact, he was nominated three years in a row for Becket¸ (1964), The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). He would later be nominated in 1969 for Anne of a Thousand Days.

Becket is a particular film because two of the 1960s best actors, O’toole & Burton, starred opposite each other. I want to own Becket on DVD. Both leads were nominated and cancelled each other out. Even I wouldn’t know which to have given the statue. The most memorable scenes of Becket are when Burton’s character excommunicates a priest and when he silences the angry soldiers surrounding him by warning them their souls are at stake for any harm that befalls him.

I have only seen a few seconds of The spy. It was a scene where Burton is seated on a couch with a drink in hand and speaking in the disgruntled tone of his character.

What I remember most about Anne of a Thousand Days is the scene where Burton’s character silences the character that tries to persuade him not to get involved with Genevieve Bujold’s Anne.

I haven’t seen Equus but wished he had finally won the Oscar on his last chance nomination.

The Kinks

If you’re old enough to know or remember, records on vinyl were sold at places other than record stores.

I remember seeing a vinyl copy of The Kinks’ album at the top of the post near a store checkout counter when I was a kid.  Just as the marketing practices placed candy and other sweet treats there to lure children into asking their parents to buy them, I nearly asked for that Kinks record. 

The Kinks had a single out when I was younger called Come Dancing easily around the time I saw that 1960s album.  However, for some reason or another, the album cover at the top of the post caught my attention more than that 1980s release.

As I’ve stated many times, the 1960s fascinated me even when I was a kid.  I believe it was from CHOM Radio that I recorded a bunch of 1960s British Invasion classics onto audio cassette.  I think there was a special on The Kinks because I had almost 30 minutes of their songs. 

I consider You Really Got Me to be one of my favorite, if not definitive, classic rock grooves. Anything remotely similar to that recording will really get me. 

I’m not too sure of how widely the term is used but I might help propel it forward by default now.  The album by a 1960s band considered to be creative and innovative masterpiece is to be its “Sgt. Pepper”. None of the album’s tracks made their way onto common Kinks’ greatest hits compilations but Village Green Preservation Society is the band’s masterpiece and most important album.

Years ago, I had the chance to buy a Village Green Preservation Society CD copy but barely knew the album‘s magnitude and I put it back on the racks.  When I found a clean vinyl copy during an out-of-town record hunt, I broke out into song.  Ironically, I didn’t sing a song from the album when I found it.

That Kinks Greatest Hits! album was presented as a choice for me by a 2013 Puces Pop Record Fair vendor.  After comparing what I was gaining/losing from each track listing, I made my decision.

If memory serves correctly, The Kinks 20 Greatest Hits collection was advertised on television at the time of its release.  I at least remembered that compilation to have bought the CD when I was old enough to do my own music shopping.  At 20 songs deep, it was my one-stop-shop for The Kinks.  It would be maybe another ten years until I learned greatest hits packages only give you a synopsis of a musician/band’s work.  Sometimes there are gems on the individual albums that do not make it onto compilations. 

Such was the case when an invited Suite Delight guest DJ brought Kinks Greatest Hits! album and played Who’ll Be the Next in Line.  I had no knowledge of the greatest hits album, the song or which album the song could be found. 

The Paul Weller Under the Influence compilation introduced me to another Kinks song that I otherwise may never have learned of called Big Black Smoke. 

I contemplated getting a 2LP Kinks collection called The Kinks Files but opted not to do so. I believe I've captured enough Kinks for the time being. 
    

Dub Echoes

They say nothing happens before its time. The Dub Echoes DVD landed in my hands at the right time for me to truly understand and enjoy it.

I managed to learn the names of most of the artists that were interviewed from Howie B. to Ticklah. I'm also old, wise and fortunate enough to have learned reggae music history to fully appreciate the influence of dub reggae on electronic music.

Just when I thought Lee Perry was influential on Bob Marley, I find out he's important in the current electronic music scene. No wonder Dubblestandart and Andrew W.K. worked with him.

 

I paid no attention to dub versions or sides of singles. Now I have to pay a little more attention to respect dub reggae even more. I've been wondering how or if I'll incorporate dub reggae into my radio show or future DJ sets. Time and the playlists will reveal how I fare.

Top 10 Country Music Songs

I was up late one night and the Time-Life infomercial advertising the Country music compilation showed up on my television set. I reached for something to write with because inspiration hit me. My mild interest made me watch and quickly decide to compile my Top 10 favorite Country music classics.

10 I Ain’t Never – Webb Pierce

This is a very recent entry on the list. Among the songs played in the infomercial that I didn’t know, I liked the melody of this song the most. It’s good enough to rank higher with subsequent listens.



9 Wings of a Dove – Ferlin Husky

I remember this song form previous Time-Life Country compilations. I never heard it in its entirety but I want to.



8 Singing the Blues – Marty Robbins




I know Marty Robbins for El Paso but this too is a recent addition to my Country list and one I never heard completely, yet.



7 Buck Owens

While I was growing up, my father watched any country music television programming he could. Buck Owens co-hosted Hee Haw with Roy Clark. I cared just enough to remember their names. Clark and Owens had a sort of friendly faces and as a kid, that was the gateway for me. If they hosted a children’s show instead of a country music variety show, it could have ranked high up there with Mister Rogers Neighborhood and The Friendly Giant.

While I was at my home-away from home, Death of Vinyl/Nice Music, I heard an incredible Buck Owens cover of Simon & Garfunkel's I Am A Rock. I would have put that song on this list but my love for any Buck Owens earns him a spot here regardless of the song.

6 Patsy Cline - I Fall To Pieces




She is the original queen of Country music to me. It just seems so sad that most of her songs are so sad. I don't think anyone could sad Country music better than her though. This one is my favorite of hers.

5 Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire




4 Jack Greene - There Goes My Everything




It would be easy for anyone to discount, discredit or disregard Country music. I almost did so when I was younger but learned to be a bit more appreciative of the genre. The lyrics of some Country songs are so profound, it's almost too much to bear. One day I listened carefully to this song and realized it was brilliant and heartbreaking at the same time.

3 Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line




Johnny Cash was probably my first face and voice of Country music. When De La Soul used his music for their debut album, I felt a connection to them that is even stronger today. Although I would care little for Country during my hip hop pre-teen/teen years, I would tell you Johnny Cash is the man and his name twice on this list does that for me.

2 George Jones - She Thinks I Still Care




In the same vain as There Goes My Everything, She Thinks I Still Care is another tune that tugs at the heart strings. Does he really still care about her or not? The clever songwriting makes the question and song all the more ambiguous. Further listening may hopefully answer the question.

1 King Of The Road - Roger Miller




There's some debate as to whether King Of The Road is really a Country song. To me, it is one of the coolest songs, Country or otherwise, ever recorded. I always liked the song for some reason but love the song even more. I wonder how big the song was when it was released. I wonder if it was a monstrous hit. The song is truly classic and probably serves as my representative of what cool Country living is all about.