The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2005
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A look at the best hip hop songs of 2005, including hits from Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and 50 Cent.
The Best Hip Hop Songs of 2005
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a decade since 2005, but that’s exactly how long ago it was when some of the best hip hop songs of 2005 were released. If you’re a fan of hip hop, then you’ll definitely remember some of these songs. Let’s take a look back at some of the best hip hop songs of 2005.
“Laffy Taffy” by D4L
“Laffy Taffy” is a song by American hip hop group D4L from their debut album Down for Life (2005). The song was produced by Shawty Redd and features Pop-Lock & Drop-It artist Mr. Collipark. The song was released on January 11, 2006, as the lead single from the album. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it the group’s only top 40 hit in the United States. The song was also a top 10 hit in New Zealand and Australia.
“Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani
“Hollaback Girl” is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). It was released on March 15, 2005, as the album’s third single. The song was written by Stefani, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, and produced by the latter two under their production name The Neptunes. A pop and R&B song, “Hollaback Girl” is about Stefani rejecting a man who has disrespected her, although its hot rap-influenced beat and chorus presents an ironic twist that belies its feisty message.
The single peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Australia and Canada, becoming one of Stefani’s most successful singles as a solo artist. It received generally positive reviews from music critics; some praised its production while others criticized its lack of a strong hook. An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Paul Hunter and Stefan Merchant and features Stefani walking around Los Angeles flanked by doppelgängers in blonde wigs; according to Stefani, the video represents her ” alter egos”, with whom she does not identify herself.
“Gold Digger” by Kanye West
“Gold Digger” is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from his second studio album, Late Registration, on September 13, 2005, the song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 11, 2005, becoming West’s second number-one single andFoxx’s first. It features contributions from Ray Charles and closely samples his 1956 hit “I Got a Woman”.
The single broke a record for the most digital downloads in a week, selling over 80,000 digital copies in that time frame. “Gold Digger” became the twentieth-second song to reach the one million mark in paid downloads with 3.8 million downloads as of August 2013. The hip hop remix of Country Grammar by Nelly is second only to “Gold Digger” as the highest certifying single ever; it was certified double diamond by the RIAA in 2020. In 2009 it was named Hate Song of the Decade by Spinner UK.
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring American singer and producer Pharrell. The song was released on October 11, 2004 as the lead single from his eighth studio album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004). Snoop Dogg co-wrote the song with The Neptunes, who produced it. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and remained there for three consecutive weeks. The song also peaked at number one in Denmark and New Zealand and within the top-five in Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
“Let’s Get It Started” by The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas released “Let’s Get It Started” in June 2005 as the lead single from their fourth album, Monkey Business. The song was a result of will.i.am wanting to write a song that would make people want to get up and dance, and it features a sample of James Brown’s “Funky Drummer.” “Let’s Get It Started” peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2006.
The Worst Hip Hop Songs of 2005
It’s no secret that 2005 was a banner year for hip hop. With classics like “Drop It Like It’s Hot” and “Gold Digger” released that year, it’s hard to deny that 2005 was a great year for the genre. However, there were also a fair share of duds. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the worst hip hop songs of 2005.
“Laffy Taffy” by D4L
“Laffy Taffy” is a 2005 song by American hip hop group D4L from their album Down for Life. The song was produced by Shawty Lo and features rapper Fabo. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the group’s only number-one single.
The song was met with mixed reviews from music critics. Allmusic’s David Jeffries called the song “annoying” and “mindless”, while Pitchfork Media’s Scott Plagenhoef said it was “catchy in a ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?’ sort of way”. In a positive review, Billboard’s Simon Vozick-Levinson wrote that the song was “infectious” and “impossible to resist”.
Despite its mixed reviews, “Laffy Taffy” is often considered one of the worst hip hop songs of all time. In 2009, Complex ranked it at number eight on their list of the 25 worst rap songs ever, writing that it was “perhaps the most ear-bleeding thing to ever hit radio”. In 2012, Vibe placed it at number seven on their list of the 50 worst rap songs of all time, calling it a “disgusting display of ignorance”.
“Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani
“Hollaback Girl” is a song recorded by American singer Gwen Stefani for her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (2004). Written by Stefani, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, the track was released as the album’s lead single on March 15, 2005, by Interscope Records. It is a dance-pop and hip hop song with influences of new wave music. The composition is built around a thumping chant-like hook inspired by Saliva’s hit song “Click Click Boom”.
The single peaked at number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Mainstream Top 40 charts. It became Stefani’s first solo top five hit in the United States, while reaching the top ten in many international territories, including Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. “Hollaback Girl” charted within the top five of year-end lists about 2005 inAustralia and the United States. The song received nominations for Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 48th Annual ceremony; however, it lost these to Mariah Carey’s “We Belong Together”.
“Gold Digger” by Kanye West
“Gold Digger” is a song recorded by American rapper Kanye West featuring guest vocals by Jamie Foxx. Released as the second single from West’s second album, Late Registration, “Gold Digger” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 6, 2005, becoming West’s and Foxx’s second number-one single. The single was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over three million copies in the United States.
The music video for “Gold Digger” was directed by Hype Williams and filmed in various locations throughout New Orleans. The video features an all-gold set design and ratchets up the sexiness of West and Foxx’s interactions by several notches.
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” by Snoop Dogg
“Drop It Like It’s Hot” is a song by American rapper Snoop Dogg featuring American singer and producer Pharrell. The song was released on October 11, 2004 as the lead single from his seventh studio album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004). “Drop It Like It’s Hot” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on December 11, 2004, becoming Snoop Dogg’s second and Pharrell’s third US number one single. Outside the United States, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” peaked within the top 10 of charts in various countries including Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom.
The song was produced by The Neptunes. In 2012, Complex magazine ranked the song number 14 on their list of the greatest songs of all time. The song won Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2005 Grammy Awards.
“Let’s Get It Started” by The Black Eyed Peas
“Let’s Get It Started” by The Black Eyed Peas was one of the worst hip hop songs of 2005. The song was not only overplayed, but it was also simplistic and had a very repetitive hook. Additionally, the lyrics were often nonsensical and uninspired.
