36 Songs That A True Hip-Hop Fan Should Know Word For Word, Bar For Bar

Who else can rap any of these songs perfectly?

Hip-hop is global phenomenon that has evolved into a beloved culture.

Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Many of us millennial and Gen Z'ers grew up with hip-hop, discovering its amazingness through either MTV, BET, or our Gen X parent's collection of CD's. Throughout my childhood, I would snag my mom and dad's hip-hop/rap mixed CDs to add to my music collection, and blast in my CD player. For those born after 2003, mixed CDs are CDs that are filled with various songs and a CD player plays CDs—hopefully, that’s enough clarity for any readers under 19-years-old.

Real hip-hop fans have a deep bond with the genre, and that special connection allows them to be able to retain the lyrics of certain dope hip-hop/rap records. I'm a genuine hip-hop music lover, so I composed a list of 36 songs that a true hip-hop fan would know word for word, bar for bar.  

1. "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang" —Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg

Death Row Records / Via Tenor

No way should any hip-hop fan, that grew up in the 1990s especially, not know each lyric in "Nuthin' But a "G" Thang." Snoop Dogg's verse should be so ingrained in your psyche that you could rap it a capella.

2. "In Da Club" —50 Cent

Interscope

"In Da Club" was in such heavy rotation in 2003 that everybody that loved hip-hop had 50 Cent's song lyrics memorized from the moment "In Da Club" dropped.

3. "Hustlin" —Rick Ross

Slip-n-Slide

"Hustlin" by Rick Ross is the chosen rap song to rap along to when you're ridin' round and gettin' it like you're Rick "The Boss" Ross.

4. "6 Foot, 7 Foot" —Lil Wayne

Young Money

Lil Wayne and the Young Money crew dominated the hip-hop scene during the 2010s. A millennial rap fan could rap Lil Wayne's "6 Foot, 7 Foot" at the drop of a hat, I promise you.

5. "Party Up (Up In Here)" —DMX

Ruff Ryders

Before the beat even drops I'm hyped and ready to go in. If you're a hip-hop lover, you would know this song so well that if you're rappin' "Party Up" by DMX during rap karaoke, you wouldn't even need to look at the lyrics on the screen. 

6. "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" —Jay-Z

Rock-a-Fella

Are you really a hip-hop fan if you don't know Jay-Z's song, "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" by heart?

7. "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" —DMX

Ruff Ryders

DMX has a special place in my heart, and his "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is my jam. Who else can relate to rappin' this song word for word, bar for bar whenever it comes on the radio station while you're driving? 

8. "What You Know" —T.I.

Grand Hustle

T.I.'s Grand Hustle era was truly a dope time in hip-hop history, so much so that T.I. inevitably became the King of Trap Music. As the self-proclaimed King of the Trap, T.I. created lit music that many hip-hop fans have committed to memory like, "What You Know."

9. "Grillz" —Nelly ft. Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp

Universal Music

How can you say you love hip-hop and not know all of the verses on Nelly's "Grillz"?

10. "Lose Yourself" —Eminem

Interscope

The build-up alone in Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is what makes this song exciting for hip-hop fans to bust out rappin' whenever they hear it.

11. "International Players Anthem" —UGK ft. Outkast

Jive

Hip-hop'ers may not remember the entire national anthem, but best believe they can recite each of the verses on UGK ft. Outkast's "International Players Anthem" word for word, bar for bar. 

12. "I Wish" —Skee-Lo

Sunshine Studios

If you claim to love hip-hop, you should be able to quote all of the wishes that Skee-Lo made in "I Wish" in order.

13. "Conceited" —Remy Ma

SRC

Baddies that love rap know each of Remy Ma's bars in her record "Conceited."

14. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" —Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige

Def Jam

This song will separate those that truly rock with hip-hop from people who only vibe with hip-hop because it's cool to do so.

15. "Move B***h" —Ludacris

Disturbing Tha Peace

Anybody that knows rap Ludacris, not just Fast & Furious Ludacris, and can repeat each word in "Move B***h" with ease is a hip-hop fan for real.

16. "California Love" —2Pac ft. Dr. Dre

Death Row Records

Don't you dare classify yourself as a hip-hop fan, especially if you're from Cali, if you don't know every lyric of 2Pac and Dr. Dre's "California Love."

17. "Get Money" —Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Atlantic

Just like 2Pac, Biggie Smalls is also an iconic hip-hop figure. Therefore, every real rap fan will know Biggie's music to-a-tee, especially this one that he did with his clique, Junior M.A.F.I.A.

18. "Check The Rhime" —A Tribe Called Quest

Jive Records

A Tribe Called Quest's music is everything, and their song "Check The Rhime" is well-known by hip-hop heads — young and old.

19. "Boyz-N-The-Hood" —Eazy-E

Ruthless Records

Eazy-E's "Boyz-N-The-Hood" is such a hip-hop classic that not knowing the words to it is just criminal.

20. "ATLiens" —Outkast

LaFace Records

Both Big Boi's and Andre 3000's verse is so dope on "ATLiens" that most Outkast fans know the words of the song from start to finish.

21. "Gin N' Juice" —Snoop Dogg

Death Row Records

Snoop Dogg has some of the most recitable lyrics of all time, and many of them can be found in his song, "Gin N' Juice."

22. "Funkdafied" —Da Brat

So So Def Records

Only OG hip-hop fans, like Raven-Symoné, can rap Da Brat's song "Funkdafied" and own it.

23. "Ms. Fat Booty" —Mos Def

Rawkus Records

Are you really down with the #HipHopCulture if you don't know who the flow-tastic Mos Def is? Probably not...

24. "Who Am I" —Snoop Dogg

Death Row Records

Every hip-hop fan will know several of Snoop Dogg's songs word for word, bar for bar, because his music is quotable like that.

25. "Regulate" —Warren G ft. Nate Dogg

Death Row Records

Warren G is one of the pioneers of G-Funk music, therefore it's disrespectful to be a hip-hop fan and not know all of the lyrics to Warren G and Nate Dogg's "Regulate."

26. "Shook Ones (Part II)" —Mobb Deep

RCA Records

Mobb Deep's Part 2 of "Shook Ones" is a song you bust out rappin' when you trying to flex your hip-hop knowledge.

27. "Quiet Storm (Remix)" —Mobb Deep ft. Lil' Kim (Specifically Lil' Kim's Verse)

Loud Records

The original Queen B was so saucy on Mobb Deep's "Quiet Storm" remix, that she turned an awesome rap song into a hip-hop masterpiece. That's why hip-hop fans know all of the words to her verse til' this day. 

28. "Hypnotize" —Notorious B.I.G

Arista Records

"Hypnotize" by the Notorious B.I.G, aka Biggie Smalls, is another hip-hop classic that every rap fan knows verbatim.

29. "Ready Or Not" —Fugees

Ruffhouse Records

Lauryn Hill impeccably represented for the female emcees when she was with the Fugees. The Fugees song, "Ready or Not", goes so hard, mainly because of Lauryn Hills' verse. Real hip-hop fans know the song frontward and backward.

30. "All Falls Down" —Kanye West ft. Syleena Johnson

Rock-a-Fella

Old Kanye is the best Kanye, period. His song, "All Falls Down", is thee song that all hip-hop heads know and will rap passionately when given the chance.

31. "Not Tonight (Remix)" —Lil' Kim ft. Angie Martinez, Left-Eye, Missy Elliot and Da Brat

Atlantic Records

No hip-hop fan can honestly say that they haven't rapped everyone's part in Lil' Kim's "Not Tonight (Remix)."

32. "B***h Don't Kill My Vibe" —Kendrick Lamar

Top Dawg Ent.

Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest rappers of this generation. It's mandatory for millennial and Gen Z rap fans to know all of the lyrics to Kendrick Lamar's "B***h Don't Kill My Vibe."

33. "Blow The Whistle" —Too Short

Too Short

Too Short is a west coast hip-hop legend, and for that reason alone, hip-hop fans will know all of the words to "Blow the Whistle."

34. "Power Trip" —J. Cole ft. Miguel

Roc Nation

J. Cole is the Jay-Z of Gen Z, hence why younger generation hip-hop lovers know each and every line in J. Cole's "Power Trip."

35. "Forever" —Drake

Young Money

Drake is beloved in the hip-hop community, and many fans have been rollin' with him since the mid-2000s. "Forever" by Drake is the hip-hop song rap fans break out when they're trying to prove they're a day-one Drake fan.

36. "Ms. Jackson" —Outkast

Arista Records

"Ms. Jackson" by Outkast is a record that no rap fan shouldn't know seamlessly.

Are there any songs you think should be added to this list? Are there any songs you disagree with on this list? Let me know in the comments section below!