The best rap singles of the noughties ('99 - '09)

A few of you may possibly remember when Y.N hinted on the XXL site back in its halcyon days of 2006 (Bol and Noz posting everyday, Y.N himself comin' through with old KMD and Raekwon audio intervews, Sickamore being rechristened Yung Lipgloss after posting an extremely suspect picture of himself, DJ Drama gettin' run off the internet due to the torrent of abuse every post of his brought forth, the angry Bun B cameo in Bol's post about Pimp C etc etc) that there was gonna be a new Ego Trip's Book Of Rap List due in 2009 to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the first book on. So, ummm, yeah - what happened there then?

The Ego Trip book bodies "socio-political examinations of hip hop culture" like Can't Stop, Won't Stop because it concentrates on what's really important : rap music. The often amusing lists which make up 3/4 of the book provided the blueprint for what would make up the contents of rap message boards and blogs the past decade, but it's the lists of the best singles and albums from 1979 - 2008 in the last 1/4 of the book which elevate it to the bible of rap literature; they aren't always right because Don't Sweat The Technique, All We Got Iz Us and Street Gospel not making the album lists is some never-forgive action and there are numerous key omissions littered throughout the singles lists (Space Is The Place and Pack Jam by Jonzun Crew, Gettin' Money by Dr Jeckyll & Mr Hyde, Street Girl by Spoonie Gee, High Rollers and New Jack Hustler by Ice-T, I Shouldn't Have Done It and Sittin' In My Car by Slick Rick, What's On Your Mind by Eric B. & Rakim, Real Muthaphuckin' G's by Eazy-E, Toss It Up and Rakin' In The Dough by Zhigge, 4 Deep and Birds In The Kitchen by C-Bo, Check It Out remix by Grand Puba & Mary J. Blige, Pocket Full Of Stones remix and It's Supposed To Bubble by UGK, Rugged Neva Smoove by M.O.P, What Would U Do by Tha Dogg Pound, What's Going On, Black by Azie and Case Dismissed by Pretty Tone Capone, Comin' Out Hard and Listen To The Lyrics by 8Ball & MJG, Havin' Thangs by Big Mike ft. Pimp C, Sugarhill and Mo' Money, Mo' Murder "Homicide" by AZ, The Ghetto's Trying To Kill Me and I Miss My Homies by Master P, 1 Luv and Flashin' by E-40, Evil Streets by Onyx, Pimp Of The Year and Can You Feel Me? by Dru Down, Y'All Ain't Ready Yet and Here I Go by Mystikal, Firm Biz remix by The Firm with Half-A-Mill, On My Way and If U Stay Ready by Suga Free, Lookin' At Me by Ma$e, Luchini and Black Nostaljack by Camp Lo, Soulja Rag by Juvenile, How Ya Want It Native Tongues remix by Jungle Brothers et al, and Piece Of The Action by Godfather Don are some personal favourites conspicuous by their absence), but, fuck it, I can forgive them such transgressions since compiling the first 19 years of rap into list form must have been such a mammoth, brain-frying task.

So, since we aren't getting our promised new Ego Trip book I've had to nerd-out and come up with my own lists of singles for the past ten years. As this decade has progressed and we've seen formats like vinyl become near extinct it's become harder to define what actually constitutes a single nowadays, so here's my criteria : it must have come out as an actual single on 12"(or cd/tape) or/and have received video treatment. Like the Ego Trip book, I'm also considering b. sides on 12"s to count as singles and it's one song per artist a list unless they dropped something under a different moniker. Got it? We're good to go then :

1999

1. Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says
2. UGK - Wood Wheel
3. Lil' Wayne - Tha Block Is Hot/Juvenile - U Understand?
4. Mystikal ft. OutKast - Neck Uv Da Woods
5. Screwball - F.A.Y.B.A.N
6. Mobb Deep ft. Lil' Kim - Quiet Storm remix
7. Slick Rick ft. Big Boi - Street Talkin'
8. Dr Dre ft. Snoop, Kurupt & Nate Dogg - The Next Episode
9. Common ft. Sadat X - 1999
10. Bumpy Knuckles - A Part Of My Life
11. Gang Starr - Full Clip
12. Silkk The Shocker ft. Mystikal - It Ain't My Fault
13. Project Pat ft. Gangsta Boo - Ballers
14. Beatnuts - Watch Out Now
15. Young Bleed - Give And Take
16. Sir Menelik ft. Grand Puba & Sadat X - 7XL
17. O.D.B ft. Kelis - Got Your Money
18. Pastor Troy - No Mo' Play in G.A
19. The Clipse - The Funeral
20. R.A The Rugged Man - Stanley Kubrick

Since the Ego Trip book finished in '98 and '99 - '09 is a full decade we begin here. Nas Is Like? You've come to the wrong blog if you expected that overrated clunker to be anywhere near this list. Simon Says is a bit of an obvious choice for # 1, but in this instance it just about seems the right one.

2000

1. M.O.P - Ante Up
2. Black Rob - Whoa
3. Ghostface & Raekwon - Apollo Kids
4. 8Ball & MJG - Pimp Hard
5. Prodigy - Keep It Thoro
6. Mystikal - Shake Ya Ass
7. Sadat X ft. Diamond D - X-Man
8. C-Murder ft. Magic & Snoop - Down For My N's
9. Beanie Sigel - The Truth
10. Three 6. Mafia ft. UGK - Sippin' On Some Syrup/Project Pat ft. La' Chat & DJ Paul - Chicken Head
11. Scarface - It Ain't Part II
12. OutKast - Ms. Jackson
13. Ruff Ryders ft. Snoop, Yung Wun, Scarface & Jadakiss - World War III
14. Mac Dre - Off Tha Rictor
15. CNN ft. Foxy Brown - Bang Bang
16. Jay-Z ft. Memphis Bleek & Beanie Sigel - Change The Game
17. Cormega - Take Mine
18. De La Soul ft. Redman - Oooh
19. Shyne ft. Barrington Levy - Bad Boyz
20. Big Scoob - Kryptonite

It seems a lifetime ago now when hardcore NY street records like Whoa, Bad Boyz, Keep It Thoro, and Ante Up could become these huge pop hits and radio mainstays, huh? Honourable mention go to Boom by Royce Da 5'9".

2001

1. OutKast ft. Sleepy Brown - So Fresh, So Clean
2. MF DOOM - I Hear Voices
3. Z-Ro ft. Trae - I Found Me
4. Beanie Sigel - Beanie (Mack Bitch)
5. Ghostface & Raekwon - The Watch
6. UGK ft. Devin The Dude - Ain't That A Bitch
7. G. Dep ft. Faith Evans - Everyday remix
8. Nate Dogg - I Got Love/Ludacris ft. Nate Dogg - Area Codes
9. AZ - Problems
10. Mystikal - Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against The Wall)
11. M.O.P - Cold As Ice
12. Mobb Deep ft. Big Noyd & Vida - Burn
13. Jadakiss ft. Styles P - We Gonna Make It
14. 8Ball & MJG ft. DJ Quik - Buck Bounce
15. Casual - Turkey And Dressing
16. Fabolous - Young'n (Holla Back)
17. Juvenile - Set It Off
18. Sean Price - Don't Say Shit To Ruck
19. Backbone - Five Duce Four Tre/Dungeon Family - Trans D.F Express
20. Bubba Sparxxx - Ugly

Despite the fact that most rap fans were enamoured with the beef between that dude who went on to pork Beyonce and that other dude who'd get fleeced by Kelis this year, there was so much better music elsewhere as this list proves. Takeover may have turned Prodigy into Harry Caul at the end of The Conversation, but make no mistake that Mobb's Burn bodied any single released in '01 by Jay-Z. Honourable mention goes to As I Come Back by Busta Rhymes.

2002

1. Nore - Nothin'
2. Scarface - My Block
3. The Diplomats & Master P - 'Bout It, 'Bout It Part 3
4. Trick Daddy ft. Cee-Lo & Big Boi - In Da Wind
5. The NYG'z - Giantz Ta This
6. AZ ft. Nas - The Essence/Nas - Made You Look
7. E-40 - It's All Gravity
8. Bubba Sparxxx - Lovely
9. The Clipse - Grindin'
10. Devin The Dude - Lacville '79
11. Edan - Emcees Smoke Crack remix
12. OutKast ft. Killer Mike - The World World/Killer Mike - Akshon (Yeah!)
13. State Property - Roc The Mic
14. Big Noyd - Shoot 'Em Up (Bang Bang)
15. Pastor Troy ft. Ms Jade - Are We Cuttin'?
16. Camp Lo - How U Walkin'
17. Styles P ft. Pharoahe Monch - The Life
18. 504 Boyz - Get Back
19. Tragedy Khadafi ft. Littles - Stay Free
20. Trina ft. Ludacris - B R Right

Honourable mentions go to Built For This by Cormega, From Tha Church To Tha Palace by Snoop, Issues Pete Rock remix by Grand Puba and Connected For Life Mack 10 ft. Ice Cube, Butch Cassidy & WC.

2003

1. The Dipset - Dipset Anthem
2. Ghostface ft. Jadakiss - Run
3. Baby ft. The Clipse - What Happened To That Boy?
4. Freeway ft. Jay Z & Beanie Sigel - What We Do
5. Three 6. Mafia ft. Lil' Flip - Ridin' Spinners
6. King Geedorah ft. Mr Fantastik - Anti-Matter
7. T.I - Rubberband Man
8. David Banner - Cadillac On 22s
9. OutKast - Ghetto Musick/Killer Mike ft. Big Boi - Adidas
10. E-40 ft. Turf Talk - Gasoline/The Federation ft. E-40 - Hyphy
11. Ludacris - Stand Up
12. Gang Starr ft. Jadakiss - Rite Where U Stand
13. Bubba Sparxxx - Jimmy Mathis
14. Blaq Poet - Poet's Comin'
15. Bonecrusher ft. Cam'ron, Jadakiss & Busta - Never Scared remix
16. Beanie Sigel ft. O.D.B & Peedi Crakk - When You Hear That
17. Juelz Santana - Dipset (Santana's Town)
18. Mobb Deep - Gangstaz Roll
19. Fabolous - Can't Let You Go remix
20. G-Unit - Stunt 101

See, I always think of 2000, 2002 and 2005 as being my favourite years this decade, but I look at this list and I'm like Damn. Stay Real by Black Moon, and Fall Back by Peedi Crakk & Freeway receive honourable mentions, although the video version of the latter sans Freeway which emerged a few years later was preferable to the original.

2004

1. Nas - Thief's Theme/AZ ft. Nas - Serious
2. Z-Ro ft. Scarface - These N*ggaz
3. Mac Dre - Feelin' Myself
4. Ghostface ft. Method Man, Streetlife & Trife - The Drummer/Cormega ft. Ghostface - Tony Montana
5. Lil' Wayne - Go D.J
6. MF DOOM - Hoe Cakes/Madvillain - All Caps
7. Devin The Dude - Right Now
8. Body Head Bangerz ft. Young Bleed & Lil' Boosie - I Smoke, I Drank
9. Keak Da Sneak ft. E-40 - White Tee, Blue Jeans & Nikes
10. Too $hort - Burn Rubber
11. KanYe West ft. Twista & Jamie Foxx - Slow Jamz/Twista ft. KanYe West - Overnight Celebrity
12. The Federation - Go Dumb
13. Slim Thug, Mike Jones & Chamillionaire - Still Tippin'
14. The Diplomats - Crunk Muzik
15. B.G - I Want It/Juvenile ft. UTP - Nolia Clap remix
16. Pete Rock ft. CL Smooth - Appreciate
17. 50 Cent - Ski Mask Way
18. Lil' Wyte ft. DJ Paul - Bye 2 Da Bad Guy
19. Common ft. KanYe West - The Food
20. Lil' Flip - Game Over

For me this is the full stop on Nas's career because after Thief's Theme and his verses on AZ's Serious this retarded tin-eared retard ceases to exist in my world. This is also the year when Texas and the Bay really started killin' it with banger after banger, and when Ca$h Money Records alumni thought possibly washed up on smack dropped three of the best singles of their career. Real Big by Mannie Fresh is an honourable mention alongside Breathe by Fabolous, I Tried by Geto Boys, Lessons by R.A The Rugged Man, Drop It Like It's Hot by Snoop, Game Of Death by Roc Marciano, and No Problem by Lil' Scrappy.

2005

1. Beanie Sigel - Feel It In The Air
2. Bun B ft. Pimp C, Z-Ro, Young Jeezy & Jay Z - Get Throwed
3. Sean Price - Onion Head
4. Boyz 'N Da Hood - Dem Boyz/Young Jeezy ft. Jay-Z - Go Crazy remix
5. The Jacka - Barney (More Crime)
6. AZ - Never Change
7. Cam'ron - Girls, Cash, Cars
8. Purple Ribbon Allstars - Kryptonite/Killer Mike ft. Big Boi - My Chrome
9. Z-Ro ft. Paul Wall & Lil' Flip - From The South
10. T.I - ASAP
11. M.O.P - Instigator
12. Ludacris - Number One Spot
13. Black Rob - Star In The Hood
14. Saigon ft. Kool G. Rap - The Letter P remix
15. O.D.B - Lift Ya Skirt
16. Mac Mall & Mac Dre ft. E-40 - Dredio/Mac Dre ft. Boss Hog, B-Luv & Husalah - Hustle
17. Common ft. KanYe West & The Last Poets - The Corner
18. Slim Thug ft. Young Jeezy, Killa & Slick Pulla Diamonds Mannie Fresh remix
19. Three 6 Mafia ft. Young Buck & 8Ball & MJG - Stay Fly
20. Juvenile - Get Ya Hustle On

Possibly my favourite year for singles this decade. Honourable mentions go to Super Sic Wid It by Mistah F.A.B ft. Turf Talk & E-40, Funky Rhyming by Edan, The Great Diamond D by Sadat X ft. Heltah Skeltah, Sittin' Sidewayz by Paul Wall ft. Big Pokey, Rumors by Maino, Drive Slow by KanYe et al, Kings Of The South by Lil' Flip & Z-Ro,, Mic Check by Juelz Santana, Window Shopper by 50 Cent, Hate It Or Love It by Game ft. 50 Cent, Gotcha by Camp Lo & Tyler Woods, Got Dat Drank by Frayser Boy ft. Mike Jones & Paul Wall, and Gilla House Check by Redman.

2006

1. Trae ft. Z-Ro - No Help
2. Prodigy - Mac Ten Handle/Mobb Deep - Put 'Em In Their Place
3. OutKast - The Mighty "O"
5. UGK - Game Belongs To Me
6. Tha Dogg Pound & Snoop - Cali Iz Active
6. E-40 ft. Keak Da Sneak - Tell Me When To Go
7. AZ ft. M.O.P - Sit 'Em Back Slow
8. Ghostface - The Champ
9. 8Ball & MJG ft. Project Pat - Relax And Take Notes
10. Young Bleed - Put Your Stamp On It
11. Byrd Gang - Life's Like A Movie/Agallah - Club Hoppin'
12. T.I ft. UGK - Front Back/Young Dro ft. T.I - Shoulder Lean
13. Young Jeezy - Bury Me A G
14. D. Block - Take Everything You Got
15. Curtains - That's What It Is
16. The Pack - Vans
17. Too $hort - Blow The Whistle
18. P. Brothers ft. Boss Money - Blam Blam For Nottingham
19. Lil' Boosie ft. Yung Joc - Zoom
20. Bubba Sparxxx ft. Killer Mike & Cool Breeze - Claremont Lounge

The last year in this list where near enough every single came out as a 12", bar the Young Bleed and Prodigy tunes which were released as internet videos. The Prodigy clip pretty much saved his career after the G. Unit dickriding, but I really liked Put 'Em In Their Place too even if nobody else did. The Pharcyde and Y'All So Stupid had been seen sporting various Sk8 His and Eras on LP sleeves in the 90s, but nobody foresaw a group of young upstarts from the Bay droppin' rap's first musical ode to the footwear of one Paul Van Doren. Honourable mention goes to Da Beeper Record by Fam Lay.

2007

1. UGK ft. OutKast - Int'l Players Anthem
2. Prodigy - Return Of The Mac
3. Lil' Boosie - Fresh Cut/Foxx ft. Lil' Boosie & Webbie - Wipe Me Down remix
4. KanYe West - Can't Tell Me Nothing
5. Devin The Dude ft. Snoop & Andre 3000 - What A Job
6. Cam'ron - Wet Wipes/Byrd Gang - Sour Diesel
7. Camp Lo - Material
8. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Peedi Crakk - Brand New Funk 2k7
9. Styles P ft. AZ - The Hardest
10. Ghostface ft. Styles P, Beanie Sigel, & Solomon Childs - Barrel Brothers
11. Huey ft. Bow Wow & T-Pain - Pop, Lock And Drop It remix
12. Rich Boy - Boy Looka Here/B.O.B ft. Rich Boy - Haterz Everywhere
13. Common ft. DJ Premier - The Game
14. Dude N Nem - Watch My Feet
15. Crime Mob - Circles
16. Rhymefest ft. Lil' Jon - Angry Black Man On An Elevator
17. G-Side - I Feel Like I Look
18. Wu-Tang Clan - Take It Back
19. Red Cafe - Paper Touchin'
20. Shawty Lo - Dey Know

Usually, these single lists give a good indication of my listening habits per year, but that wasn't the case in '07. Freeway and Scarface both released great albums with dud singles, and nary a single was plucked from my 2 favourite albums of '07 - Turf Talk's West Coast Vaccine and Husalah's Huslin' Since Da 80's. Still, it seems churlish to whine about such minor trivialties in the year which gave us that top 10 and a fair portion of the list on crisp black wax 12" singles.

2008

1. Big Boi ft. Raekwon & Andre 3000 - Royal Flush
2. Blaq Poet - Don't Give A Fucc
3. Trae ft. Slim Thug - Nuthin' 2 A Boss
4. AZ ft. Styles P - The Hardest Part 2
5. E-40 ft Ice-T - Earl
6. Lil' Wayne - A Milli
7. Curren$y - The Reagan Era
8. Pete Rock ft. Jim Jones & Max B - We Roll/Max B - Picture Me Rollin'
9. Consequence ft. KanYe West - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
10. Hot Stylz ft. Yung Joc - Lookin' Boy
11. Prodigy - Dirty New Yorker
12. Young Jeezy - Crazy World
13. Lil' Will ft. Soulja Boy - My Dougie
14. Maino - Hi Hater
15. Curtains - Night Of The Living Dope
16. Laroo & The Jacka - 20 Bricks
17. T.I - What Up, What's Happenin'
18. Jackie Chain ft. Jhi Ali - Rollin'
19. Heltah Skeltah - Everything Is Heltah Skeltah
20. Busta Rhymes - Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On 'Em)

A few of these became official singles long after they dropped (The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, We Roll and Nuthin' 2 A Boss), and it's a good thing they did because great singles weren't exactly overflowing in 2008. Can't complain about the singles released this year, though, (especially that top 10) and every tune other thsn Royal Flush and We Roll were afforded a video. As much as I love the format of the 12" single, at this point i'll take a video on Youtube or WSHH over a piece of wax in a plain cardboard sleeve which I'm running out of room to store.

2009

1. Lil' Boosie - Mind Of A Maniac
2. DJ Quik & Kurupt - 9 Times Outta 10
3. DOOM - Gazzillion Ear
4. Curren$y - Elevator Musik
5. Raekwon ft. Method Man & Ghostface - New Wu
6. Big Boi ft. Gucci Mane - Shine Blockas/Gucci Mane - Lemonade
7. Young Chris & Freeway ft. Beanie Sigel - Last 2/Beanie Sigel - The Ghetto
8. Cam'Ron - I Used To Get It In Ohio
9. G. Mane ft. G-Side - No One Duz It Betta/G-Side ft. P.T - My Aura
10. UGK - Da Game Been Good To Me
11. Lil B - I'm God
12. A-Wax & Gonzoe ft. C-Murder - Natural Disasterz
13. Young Jeezy - Circulate
14. De La Soul - Excursions '09
15. Jacka & Berner ft. Fed-X & Lee Majors - Traffickin'
16. Tha Dogg Pound ft. Turf Talk - Y'All Know What I'm Doin'
17. Royce Da 5'9" - Shake This
18. Rich Boy - Drop
19. Witchdoctor - Rich And Poor
20. Treal Lee & Prince Rick ft. Wideframe - Mr Hit Dat Hoe

All of these got the video treatment, bar De La's Excursions remake that appeared on an 12" EP of the best tunes from that J. Period tribute to Q. Tip/ATCQ mixtape, which is a nice way to end the decade. Honourable mention goes to On Smash by Camp Lo ft. Styles P.

*EDIT* And on we go :

2010

1. Max B - Where Do I Go?
2. Lil' Boosie - Top To The Bottom
3. Lil B - Good Morning (or maybe Like A Martian)
4. E-40 - Undastandz Me
5. AZ - Feel My Pain
6. Gucci Mane - Normal/Waka Flocka Flame - Hard In Da Paint
7. Yelawolf - Pop The Trunk
8. $tarlito - What Was I Thinking?
9. Big Boi ft. Cutty - Shutterbugg
10. Raekwon - Canal Street
11. Curren$y - Life Under The Scope/Curren$y & Fiend - Flying Iron
12. CNN ft. Imam Thug & MussoliNY - Thug Planet
13. Earl Sweatshirt - EARL
14. Big K.R.I.T ft. Killa Kyleon & Curren$y - Moon & Stars remix
15. Dru Down ft. The Jacka - Hello, Hello, Hello
16. Red Cafe ft. Pete Rock - Heart And Soul
17. B.o.B ft. T.I & Playboy Tre - Bet I Bust
18. Eddi Projex & Beeda Weeda - Gettin' G's
19. Danny Brown - Re-Up
20. Yo Gotti - Look In The Mirror/Young Jeezy ft. Yo Gotti - All White Everything remix

Honourable mentions go to No Fear by Black Rob, I'm Da Boss by Zed Zilla, Slidin' by NhT Boyz, 30 Thousand, 100 Million by Soulja Boy & Lil B, I'm Raw by Fabolous and Ric Flair by Cam'Ron & Vado