Now That’s What I Call Music: The Best of 2000s Hip Hop
In celebration of the release of Now That’s What I Call Music: The Best of 2000s Hip Hop, we’re looking back at the best hip hop tracks of the decade. From Missy Elliott to Kanye West, these are the songs that defined the 2000s.
The Best of 2000s Hip Hop
The 2000s was a decade of great hip hop music. We saw the rise of artists like Eminem, Jay-Z, and Outkast, who helped to define the sound of the genre. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best hip hop tracks of the 2000s.
Nelly – “Hot in Herre”
“Hot in Herre” is a song by American rapper Nelly from his second studio album Nellyville (2002). The song features additional vocals by fellow St. Lunatics member City Spud. It was released on April 16, 2002, as the lead single from the album. The song was produced by The Neptunes and became a worldwide hit, peaking atop the charts in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks and is currently ranked as the twentieth biggest song of all-time on the Billboard Hot 100.
At the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004, “Hot in Herre” won Best Male Rap Solo Performance and was nominated for Record of the Year. In 2010 it was voted as the greatest pop song of all time by a Popjustice poll of thousands of music fans and critics. The music video was directed by Little X.
50 Cent – “In da Club”
“In da Club” is a song by American rapper 50 Cent from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003). The song was written by 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo, and produced by Dr. Dre with co-production from Mike Elizondo. “In da Club” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming 50 Cent’s second US number-one single, following “Stupid Hoe” in 2012. “In da Club” is considered one of 50 Cent’s best songs and is his most commercially successful single. The music video for “In da Club” was directed by Chris Robinson and filmed in Los Angeles.
Snoop Dogg – “Drop It Like It’s Hot”
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” is a single by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring American singer and producer Pharrell. It was released on October 11, 2004 as the lead single from his fifth studio album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004). The song peaked at number one on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, giving Snoop his first and only number-one hit in both countries. The music video was ranked as the greatest hip-hop video of all time by MTV.
Missy Elliott – “Get Ur Freak On”
“Get Ur Freak On” is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. The song was written by Elliott and Timbaland for Elliott’s third studio album Miss E… So Addictive (2001). It was released as the album’s lead single in February 2001. “Get Ur Freak On” marks the first of several collaborations between Elliott and Timbaland.
The song starts with a sitar played over an amen break, and features a sparse, electro backing track @ 0:40 with most of the instrumental elements being synthesized. “Get Ur Freak On” was one of the first songs to popularize the use of southern hip hopargot in mainstream music, specifically the terms “chill”, “bounce”, and “shake”.
The song peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for seven weeks. In 2002, it was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Short Form Music Video at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2015, Pitchfork ranked it at number 140 on their list of The 200 Greatest Songs of the 2000s. In 2017, NME ranked it as the greatest rap song of all time.
Outkast – “Hey Ya!”
“Hey Ya!” is a song recorded by American hip hop duo Outkast for their fifth studio album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003). It was released on September 26, 2003, as the lead single from the double album. The song was written by André 3000 and produced by him along with organized Noize. “Hey Ya!” takes influence from New Wave and post-disco music; it features a note of psychedelic music and funk rock in its sound. Music critics applauded the song for its freshness; some compared it to works by Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.
“Hey Ya!” was one of the most successful singles of the 2000s. Upon its release, it debuted atop of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became Outkast’s second number-one single in the United States (after 1994’s “Player’s Ball”). It also achieved chart success internationally; reaching number one in Australia and various European countries, while also becoming a top five hit in Canada, New Zealand, and Japan. The single won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2004 ceremony. Its accompanying music video features all nine members of the band playing instruments throughout a crowded street, as well as American actor Faizon Love reprising his role as Bengalo from the film Blue Crush (2002).
In 2008, “Hey Ya!” was ranked at number 296 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.
The Best of 2000s Hip Hop (continued)
In the 2000s, Hip Hop evolved with the help of technology. Artists were able to create new sounds by sampling and manipulating tracks with MP3s and computers. This decade also saw the rise of the rap battle, with artists using their skills to lyrically battle each other. We saw the emergence of some of the biggest names in Hip Hop, including Eminem, Jay-Z, and Outkast. Let’s take a look at some of the best Hip Hop tracks of the 2000s.
Jay-Z – “Empire State of Mind”
“Empire State of Mind” is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z, featuring vocals by American singer Alicia Keys that was written by Angela Hunte and Jane’a Mitchell. Produced by Al Shux, Hunte and Jay-Z, the song was released as the third single from Jay-Z’s eleventh studio album, The Blueprint 3 (2009).
The single peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became Jay-Z’s second number-one single on the chart as a lead artist, and Alicia Keys’ fourth. It spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most successful singles of 2009. The track peaked within the top ten in several countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Kendrick Lamar – “Humble”
“Humble” is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The song, produced by Mike Will Made It, features a minimalistic production that incorporates trap and hip hop elements. The song’s lyrics refer to Kendrick’s overall humble nature, as well as his uncontested dominance in the hip-hop industry. Upon release, the song received critical acclaim from music critics and was ranked as one of the best songs of the year.
The music video for “Humble” was directed by Dave Meyers and co-directed by The Little Homies. It won Best Music Video at the MTV Video Music Awards and was nominated for seven more awards, including Video of the Year.
Chance the Rapper – “No Problem”
The song, which Chance the Rapper said was originally titled “No Prob LLama”, was released on May 27, 2016, as the lead single from Chance’s third mixtape, Coloring Book. The song features guest appearances from fellow Chicago rappers Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz. The song was produced by Chance the Rapper, Kaytranada, Brasstracks, and smoko ono.
“No Problem” peaked at number 82 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song received a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards.
Lil Wayne – “A Milli”
In 2008, Lil Wayne released his sixth studio album, Tha Carter III. The album featured the platinum-selling single “A Milli”, which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. “A Milli” was Lil Wayne’s highest-charting single as a lead artist until 2010, when he topped the chart with “Lollipop”.
Kanye West – “Stronger”
Kanye West – “Stronger”
Stronger is a song by American rapper Kanye West, released as the second single from his third studio album, Graduation (2007). The production was handled by West, with an extended outro co-produced with Mike Dean. The composition features repetitive piano riffs, synth swells and electronicDistortion. It also contains elements of house and techno music. Lyrically, “Stronger” expresses an epiphany where the Protocol droid character C-3PO sees the light in life despite being surrounded by darkness. “Stronger” peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became West’s second song to top the chart and his first since his 2005 hit single “Gold Digger”.
The song received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards. “Stronger” has been voted as one of the greatest songs of all time by publications such as Pitchfork Media, NME and Time. It was placed at number 39 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 100 Greatest Songs of 2007”, ranking it as the sixth best song of that year.
