Top 10 Greatest Hood Storytelling Rap Songs
This is a list of some of the greatest hood stories ever told in the form of rap.
Ice Cube's career-defining song is the pinnacle of West Coast rap storytelling. The song is timelessly untouchable, loved by pretty much every rap fan, and remains Ice Cube's biggest and favorite hit to date. It's simply a song about a day in young Cube's life where everything seems to go right.
I think part of what makes this song impactful is how much of this good day is just the absence of danger, whether from the police or other gangs. Most of us take that kind of safety for granted.
First track that came to mind as soon as I saw this list. Brilliant.
A song about Warren G and his friend Nate Dogg on a night out. The song features one of the most memorable hooks by the late, great Nate Dogg.
A hugely important song where Kool G Rap explains: "I got a job with the mob, making G's, doing some pickups, deliveries, and transporting keys."
Two iconic, relevant, timeless, deep rap verses which were vital to the evolution of the Wu. "Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M., get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all."
A tale of Kendrick and his boys being taken under by the hood.
One of the ultimate hood storytelling songs of all time. A rap classic for sure.
An early 2Pac single that, in one verse, tells the story of a young, 12-year-old, struggling mother (and prostitute) who just can't seem to hold it down. This became one of Pac's most widely recognized and popular songs.
An iconic story from 1986 that began when the cops knocked at Ice T's door. He escapes them eventually and ends up with his girl. One of the hits and masterpieces from an early West Coast eternal icon.
A day in the life of a "19-year-old" Snoop featuring vocals by Nancy Fletcher. One of the less celebrated classics from Snoop's 'Doggystyle' debut album (1993).
My favorite storytelling rap song. From what I have heard, Cube is a master at it. This song is about L.A. gang members moving to St. Louis to start "slanging" after it got too "hot" for them in L.A.
The Newcomers
A classic! Another ultimate hood storytelling song about, well, the "hood." The song describes life and living conditions in the ghetto.
A song that tells the story of a young thug who has just committed murder and is on the run. A dark song from a dark album by a dark artist. Rest in peace, Dark Man X.
Lyrically, one of my favorite rap songs. It's about a poor but straight kid who gets caught up in all the money and power when he is introduced to drug dealing.
One of the chilliest rap songs ever recorded, and it's no wonder with rhymes over a beat so sublime. The emcees of CMW, MC Eiht and the Chill, take turns speaking of their evening in the hood.
Besides "6 'N The Morning," this is the best Ice T hood storytelling song that I have heard from him. It's about Ice T getting a call telling him his gang just got into a shootout with a rival gang in a club, and one of Ice T's friends was killed. So they "gear up" and go looking for the rival gang for revenge. They end up shooting and killing the guy who killed their friend, but Ice T gets shot in the head and dies during the shootout.
Greatest storytelling song of all time!
