Best Rap Songs

The Top Ten
1 Lose Yourself - Eminem

The best rap song ever. Every lyric and word in the song counts and none is wasted. The beat is catchy and the song is well produced. Eminem also seamlessly switches from the 3rd person to the 1st person point of view.

It's Eminem! The best thing about this guy is his attitude of bringing out the raw truth through his songs. Stan touches my heart because it brings out the fragility of life. It makes us look past the words and delve deeper into the true meaning of the song. It brings out frustrations, obsessions and guilt. It gives us a peek into the master-rappers conscience, as it brings out his vulnerability. Truly a cultural milestone! Deserves every single sale and rank it has ever made. Proves precisely why Marshall is the best. Bravo!

Its actually best song ever... When I heard this it pumped me up and I also started rapping its actually best song ever and no can be as great as eminem... He's the best selling man in hip hop ever... Love you em...

Easily the best rap song ever. I remember hearing it for the first time and nearly broke down with tears streaming down my face. And it had nothing to do with the content - I had no idea who Eminem was at the time, his story, his other songs, nor did I care much for rap. It was all about the moment of realization that I'm experiencing true genius. Every beat, every word, the intensity, the conviction with which the words are delivered. And the technical mastery - rhymes within rhymes within rhymes - intertwined - but not in a "fake" way with nonsense words or something like that - and none of it takes away from the message, the telling of the story. Then, when fully in awe you're convinced that nothing can top this, he goes and doubles-up in the "baby momma" part of the song and you're left shamed with the thought that your previous amazement was at someone just warming up. It is humbling. It is the realization that whereas other songs can be rated on say a 1-100 scale, this guy ...more

2 Changes - 2Pac

Changes opened people's eyes to what they could do to better their lives with just something as simple as listening to the world around you. ONLY you can change your life... Only you can plan your future and if everyone fights to make the changes as a whole for the world, it is possible that we could be living in harmony rather than war.

The media were always making Tupac out to be a thug. They never bothered to really look into the meaning. 2pac wanted the world to change. A lot of stupid people never looked in to what beliefs in change and justice he had. The media didn't want change. He eventually got sick and tired of the media and decided I'll play thug for these stupid. All eyes on me was a true gangsta album but it still related to the problems and despair Tupac had when it came to the streets. It is a true testament to his despair about the situations in the world. I believe it was recorded in 92' but was not specially mixed like it is till 98'.

Changes isn't only a song, it is a political statement that held its truth long after both the artist and time period past.
Studied at universities and played in the darkest of streets, changes was able to scrape though the layers of class difference and expose humanity at it's core- Equality in emotion, the ability to touch souls from every socio-economic stature and background.
And really, isn't that what hip-hop was originally about? The telling of a story with a voice that made people want to listen?

How Can You Put Eminem on top of tupac, eminem is commercialized rap that is mass marketed to middle America. While eminem is good he is no tupac, tupac talks about how it really is for a young black man in the inner city, he raw emotion when he spits and he made a lasting mark in just a short 25 years. You can't compare any rapper to tupac he is the best rapper and changes just glorifies his legacy

3 Juicy - Notorious B.I.G.

Now I'm in the limelight because I rhyme tight.
Ah this song is amazing. Makes me really happy and uplifted when I listen to it.
Makes wiz Khalifa and drake look like pathetic little kids. This is the best rap song, all respect to lose yourself and changes which are great too but Juicy is just amazing

Timeless classic. Crank That shouldn't be here at all and Remember The Name is a dope song but it isn't anything special.

Such a beautiful song. The meaning of the song is also showing a sense of payback to the people that said he would not get anywhere in life. It's a song of happiness and the fact that he started from the bottom. It is where it should be on this list.

This song is the reason hip hop is still a big genre of music. Biggie's inspiring words in this song can change the meaning of rap as a whole. It can lift your attitude up if you feel down. Its definitely something I would listen to.

4 Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang - Dr. Dre

This by many critics is voted in the top 3 rap songs of all time! And these are REAL Hip Hop critics who know what there saying. This song eats any thing Lil Wayne had made! Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre two legends in the game. A real classic!

The 2 rap legends in this song make this song one of the best.. It deserves itself in the top 5 spot... Dr dre at his best... And the lyrics is the most awesome... Making it a classic.. This song has made its place in the history of rap... Ain't nuthin but a g thangg baby!

My favourite and best song of all times! Grand Theft Auto San Andreas best game ever! When I was listening to this song I am always thinking about Grove Street, Los Santos
And first and earlier games when I was playing this game.
Nuthin but a G Thang baby!

Best hip song of the 90's and onward. I'm sorry but id take grandmaster flash over him in the 80's. Still an ageless classic. Why is some white punk from a rock band here? Not afraid shouldn't even be here, not a rap. Em's old stuff is better. You people are crazy.

5 N.Y. State of Mind - Nas

Nas completely underestimated himself before he saw the ratings and reviews the first album received back then. Among the album, this song takes rappers to a new plateau, encouraging older and newer rappers to try new things, having won himself the title as the greatest and most influential rapper of all time.

NY State of mind deserves to be number 1, or at least in the top 5. How 'Remember The Name' 'Lose Yourself' and 'Not Afraid' made it in the top 5 I don't know. People don't know what real hip hop is. A good beat is only the foundation of a good rap song and people have seem to forgot that. This song is one of the best songs off, arguably, the greatest album of all time.

Greatest rap song ever, from the greatest single rapper ever. Personally, not off of the greatest rap album ever (that belongs to Enter the Wu-Tang), but still the single greatest rap song in history. Nas is a genius, a lyrical mastermind, and this song shows him at his best.

I think this is the best rap song ever. I know I'm from Lubbock my names Christian Dominique Vega but nas is far out the best lyricist in the world he's gone beyond the limits he took hip hop to a whole other level it's crazy! I look up to nas though beast! Point blank period.

6 Stan - Eminem

I think that this song, is what embodies rap. It shows that rap isn't for a bunch of stupids, it shows that rap is about real things. Not about stupid things that these stupid rappers pass off as rap. Rap, and real life isn't about flashy things, girls, fur coats. Maybe it's my bias towards Eminem, but any song that he makes deserves to be on top. He's one of the only remaining pioneers of rap. The story is completely, and wholly captivating. Its easily the best rap song ever written. The emotion is raw. It makes you feel something. It makes you feels Stan's pain.

Fantastic song, when I first listened to that second last verse, for some reason it just psychologically scared the crap out of me. Just thinking about it, that some guy would... Well, I won't spoil the story, but, Eminem manages to make a song that actually sounds like a letter in each verse, even though it sounds like a Dr Suess book for adults with all the rhyming. A masterpiece, the pinnacle of his career, so much better than every song on this list

Eminem has been acclaimed as one of the most lyrical rappers of all time and this is good proof of that. This truly shows the more emotional and meaningful side of Eminem, talking about an obsessed fan who takes his obsession too far. Shame that 19 years later, morons decided it would be "cool" and "quirky" to call yourself a stan without knowing the actual meaning.

This is more than a Song, This is a story. It was not only a sad story but a clever metaphor and this song will always be my personal "Best Rap Song of All Time" and nobody can convince me otherwise. It's also worth mentioning the performance Eminem did with Elton John that silenced all his critics telling him that he's homophobic.

7 The Message - Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five

I guess had Eminem made "The Message" all these clowns who vote for his songs would have made it #1. Never seen a list with so much Eminem love. You'd think that that signifying, imitating clown invented Hip Hop and the 1970's and 1980's never happened. Hip Hop started when the movie "8 Mile" came out as far as you people are concerned. I guess that proves REAL Hip Hip REALLY is dead because nobody alive today seems to know what REAL Hip Hop is. IF you guys want to sleep with Eminem (and from reading your comments, sounds like some of you think about him while you're lying a bed at night) just send a tweet and tell him.

Such a huge song that it's impossible to not have heard it somewhere, even if you haven't heard the whole song. The signature synthesizer riff has been sampled by a million hip-hop artists and is the primary reason this group became the first ever hip-hop act admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007). This song was chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the United States National Recording Registry, and is also #51 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (the second highest for any song released in the 80�s.) One of the first old school rap songs to address POVERTY, the struggles and frustrations of living in the ghetto - and it was selected by the Registry for this exact reason.

This song just has what all other hip-hop artists seem to have forgotten. To make a good rap song it doesn't matter how many girls you say you screwed, how many blunts you say you smoked, how many guys you shot, or even how much profanity you throw out, its all about just telling your story (ies) and your views through your rhymes and it doesn't have to be anymore than that, the only one who can even get near this song is maybe em with lose yourself and Stan but damn there's just so much right with this song, now if only we could get more of these instead of another club banger by Lil Wayne or something, oh well, back to the underground

What an excellent song. This was one of the first rap groups, and released a ton of good songs. The Grandmaster's rhythm is enough to rival almost every modern rapper.
And the backing beat is perfect.

8 Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.

I don't care what or how you feel about rap, it is the catchiest music of all genera by far from the different styles and how far its evolved no other style of music has you stop and listen to what the performers next verse will be better than rap music. There are to many artists to thank for what they have contributed to it such as Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee or to the more present like Ice Cube, Tupac and Eminem. I'm just grateful I have been lucky enough to have been able to experience the majority of its growth. I look forward to the many more great songs and artists yet to come.

Straight Outta Compton is my favorite song of all time. Out of every song ever made it is an amazing song. NWA are the best rap group of all time and all are amazing singer's. Best singers of all time. Eazy E is my favorite but they are all amazing. I think it should be number 1 on the list but it is good to see it on the list as number 12

Such a great song, so true to the hood! This song deserves mad respect and should crack the top 20! It's raw and real.. It's depressing to know that there is no longer this kind of music anymore.

MAD RESPECT to Yella, Eazy, Ren, Ice Cube and Dre

The Only Line That's confusing is :
"So When I'm in your neighborhood you better duck
Caouse Ice Cube is crazy as F***"

Whats that supposed to mean?
Is it a self dis or something?

Anyway its still the best rap song of all time after the message.

9 Not Afraid - Eminem

Oh my God!? I love Eminem he is my favorite rapper. But sorry Not afraid is maybe of his personnally top15 but I never put it 8th in a top 10 of BEST rap songs of ALL TIME. After Proof's death, hmmm, I won't say Eminem turned boring, but he does not have that sparkle in his eyes on stage anymore and we can all understand that, unfortunately this could have been better if it would have been written before Eminem got sad and depressive. I know it's a "come back" song but still would have been even better if it was the 1999-2005 Eminem that would have write it. And now I'm losing the point, sorry guys but this isn't a top10, maybe top50 but I just can't imagine it's 8th. And I'm not a hater, Eminem is the best ever, he is my favorite by far, but go listen to Stan, Lose Yourself, Role Model, The Way I am, and you'll understand why this song isn't a top10...

You know this should be at least number 5. This song has so much - I mean so much emotion and meanings. Not Afraid is well written. It 'maybe' describes other people that 'feel like they've been down the same way' if you know what I mean. This song always gives me goosebumps. This the song got me into rap, actually - Eminem got me into rap. He's the best rapper alive - and ever, he's the king of rap.

He's a rebellion.

LOVE this song... It has so much emotion and is so well written! Eminem's the best rapper ever! Long live king of rap!

I think this song really gives people a boost in life, he had been down a road and got knocked down, but he got back on his feet and it encourages all of his fans to do the same thing if they are really down. I have also been down the same road and I think we all have. And it helps people stand up to there demons and how many songs have inspired people to do that

10 Rap God - Eminem

Sure, 'Rap God' doesn't really make much sense compared to Eminem's other rap songs, but you've got to admit, best lyrics I've ever heard, and I think this rap should at least be in the top 20.

Shows everything rap should be. A great beat, fantastic hook, and incredible verses. Any new rapper should aspire to be like this. No Yachty, no Wayne, no Drake. This is what the greatest rap sounds like.

This should be in #1 not #14, this is the fastest rap of all time, it set the record of most lyrics in 6 minutes and in the supersonic speed he reached 100 words in 15 secs. The best song EVER!

Who told that it deserves to be in top 10? Well that's too less for a song like rap god,it deserves to be at the top or at the 2nd no.! My favourite song and most famous song written by Eminem! This is $lim $hady at his best! True description of Eminem!

The Newcomers

? Guilty All the Same - Linkin Park
The Contenders
11 California Love - 2Pac

The best producer of all time paired up with the greatest rapper of all time. How can you question this song? And what in the world is it with all the Eminem. I can understand Lose Yourself and Stan, but Not Afraid? What! You people need to change this list!

This song has a brilliant catchy beat which immediately attracts the interest of most listeners. Dr Dre and Tupac make a great rap duo with their voices complimenting each others. All in all it's a brilliant song.

Dre is the best hip-hop producer of all time. I love his MC work too. Pac was awesome here. Killer song. This is what comes to mind when I think what's the best hip-hop song ever!

This is one of the greatest rap songs but it is probably the rap song that influenced today's mainstream rap. It does not have deep lyrics compared to other 2pac songs...

12 Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang

I was never that into rap, and then my mate introduced me to rappers delight. OH MY GOD. Rappers delight is clearly the best rap song, I mean, it may lack some of the meaning and depth of other rap songs, but it makes up for that with some dope rhymes and fresh boogie. I have taken the time to learn damn near the whole fifteen minutes of this song, and its become a sort of party trick, but every time I listen to this song it gets better.

The best song of all time and deserves to be in the top ten, legendary status. All rappers should respect this masterpiece and bow down to the old school legends like Grandmaster Flash and The Sugarhill Gang!

When this came out in 79 the likes of Slade were in the charts - nothing against them but just to show how different this was - I was six - hip hop boy from that day on!

The greatest rap song from the greatest rap group of all time. The Master D, Big Bank and Wonder Mike remain the best trifecta ever.

13 I Used to Love H.E.R. - Common

I can't believe people would vote for songs by Kanye West, 50 Cent, Eminem, Lil Wayne, and douche bag Soulja Boi. Songs these days always have to go with a dance. This song is deep. Not like Crank That or Stronger, where you just dance. I hate how those types of songs are always popular.

Cannot even imagine why this song isn't top 3, Common is the reason hip-hop still means something and this song demonstrates that. I really don't understand how Soulja Boy gets more recognition than Common, for shame society.

Sickens me to see the first song to give rap a gender, show its flaws and what is happening to it.

This is a joke this song is pure, real hip-hop. The fact that its not in the top five just shows how much hip hop is dying

14 C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan

This along with "Children's Story", "Regulate", and "Check the Rhime" introduced me to hip-hop. That time, I was a big Eminem fan, and now I have moved into the real hip-hop I'm in right now. I have a playlist with over a thousand rap songs, and have memorized most of them in just a year. I am also starting to listen to new school, as I have an unfinished playlist based on it.

As much as this song gets quoted, there is no reason for this song to be so low on the list. Rza does his thing and makes one of the best beats of his career right out of the gate. Method man creates a simple yet very catchy and funny hook while Rae and INS deliver two of the best verses in hip hop history. "As the world turns I learned life is hell, livin' in the world ain't no different from a cell. "

All experts say that this is the best song in history of rap, the album that this was featured on is also in the top 5 hip hop albums ever made, his song was the reason that Nas made Illmatic, and the reaon that Tupac made all eyes on me, this song pushed them to do better.

This is one of the best songs ever. I don't get why this isn't in the top Ten or top Five. Its way better than Not Afraid, Hit Em Up and Remember the name. Most of the songs above this are Eminem, Tupac and members of N.W.A.

15 Hit 'Em Up - 2Pac

This song has such an amazing beat! Kinda reminiscent of old classic rap fused with modern rap beat. The background score is A.
The manner in which 2pac raps in this song is so chilled out.

Best diss song ever, and by one of the most legendary rappers ever. Good beat, nice lyrics, but no hating on B.I. G fools good too You know it's true just admit laugh out loud

Quite easily the best diss song of all time. As far as hip-hop songs go, I think the only songs better than this are Stan, Rapper's Delight and Dear Mama along with Renegade.

Is the best song of all time. Don't forget Tupac not is a rap singer but a soldier. Bad boy killer forever and ever. Tupac is the king

16 F*** tha Police - N.W.A.

This is the finest rap to ever be produced. You have to give the love to NWA!

Lose Yourself and this are perfect rap songs!

Is it bad that this is my favorite rap song?

So agree, Rap is the best genre with the best song inside of it, which is this one. F--- the' Polise

17 Forgot About Dre - Dr. Dre

You should be ashamed that this isn't in the top 10 and that that soulja boy crap is ahead of this song.

Souljaboy should never even have been considered for this top 10, as in my eyes, its not rap. Whereas This song, and these artists, create/have created some of the most iconic tracks in rap history.

Really nice flow throughout, the chorus with Eminem you have to listen to so many times because its really the only chorus to ever be spit so quick. LISTEN TO IT.

Everybody talkin' like they got something to say but every time they move their lips nothing' comes out but a bunch of gibberish!

18 Real Mutha******' G's - Eazy-E

The true meaning of Eazy-E, a stirring rivalry between to friends heated up with Dre Day by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, frustrated Eazy-E decided to mix his own little diss track, Real G's has to be one of the best Diss Songs ever made besides Hit Em Up

This song, has got to be one of the greatest rap songs of all time, Eazy-E, one of the best rappers of all time, making his most popular song. Its got to be big!

Love this song and Eazy E. He is underrated because a lot of people don't know nothing about him.

Eazy-E is a great legend and this song is so hardcore!

19 Shook Ones, Pt. II - Mobb Deep

By far one of the best rap songs on this list. A shame it's only 22. It has one of the best beats in the history of Hip-Hop, and the whole song is just dope. Murders 9 out of 10 of the songs on this list.

Classic east coast hit! Without doubt the coldest hip hop song of all time. Havoc simple but impeccable producing with Progidy's lyrical abilities recreates the tensions from the streets of Queens.

This song should easily be in the top 10 if not top 5.. As much as I love remember the name, I have to say that shook ones is way better.. Incredible beat, powerful lyrics and the chorus.. WOW! Just an amazing song

Comes from easily the best album of all time. Not only is there not 1 bad song on the whole album. But Shook ones is the best song on an album full of great songs

20 In da Club - 50 Cent

One of the best lyrically written tracks, accompanied by a unique but amazing flow. This rap song has to be one of the best rap songs I have ever listened to. 50 Cent also manages to add a 'happy' feel, to a otherwise depressing beat, by starting off by going "Party Like It's your birthday".

The greatest club song of all time! The best 50 Cent song! The greatest rap song! Should be up there with Crank That and Lose Yourself! For the win!

How is ice baby and crank that in top 10, yet this is not, obviously people don't know what good rap is these days haha! I love this song, everything is perfect!

It's like the national anthem for party people! If you are on a party, make sure that you play this great song by Curtis Jackson!

21 It Was A Good Day - Ice Cube

Represents peace, something not commonly rapped about at his time. This song has everything. Good lyrics, good flow, good beats. Near perfection.

The most chill rap song ever. Its both feel good and raw and brings rap back to the basics. This song is my favorite rap song that completely blows that soulja boy junk out of the water

Ice Cubes greatest song, it is a DEEP gangster rap song! ICe Cube is a legend in the game and always makes dope beats, so much better than Lil Wayne and his stupid crap!

Great lyrics and flow. Ice Cube shows he can be lyrically intelligent, easily should be in the top 10.

22 Forever - Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem

Alright I might get hate for this one but this is the best rap song released in this decade. Hook's catchy, beat's nice, has a good flow. Drake's opening verse is strong, Kanye got the second verse and he was beast as usual. Lil Wayne isn't great or anything but in this song his verse was really really good. But this was all nothing. At the end Eminem (who got the last verse on the song) took it to a whole new level

I was really expecting this song in the top ten, seriously this is one of the top 5 rap songs of the decade.
Drake's opening verse strong as hell, Kanye beast as usual, Lil Wayne isn't usually that great but his verse in this song is one of his best ones. And at the ending Eminem takes it to whole new level of greatness

Yes for this song to not be filled with my favorite rappers of all time this is a very high quality well timed rap song for the ages collectively they put it down.

The collaboration of the different types rappers brings an intellectual sound and vice towards the listeners. This song should definitely be a bit higher up.

23 Runaway - Kanye West

Listen to the full 8 minute and 29 second version of Runaway, it will blow you away. You will be wondering why it's not in the top 20. Runaway is pure, raw material which should be respected on a high level.

Absolute masterpiece from Kanye. Probably the only song I like from him and it's in my top ten.

One of the longest hip hop songs, and it never loses the listener's interest.

One of the most underrated rap songs of all time.

24 Till I Collapse - Eminem

How the world is this 25, it should be top 10. It's literally about "no matter how hard you fall, you have to get back up and fight" and it's actually REAL rap, not rap like old town road (no offense lil nas X)

The lyrics in the song are so understandable, its unique how much word's eminem uses in just one song. I mean "till I collapse I'm spitting these raps" as soon as eminem said that I already knew this song was going to be a catchy, inspiring, remember able. This song really deserves to be at like number #3 or near the number.
:D

I have nothing to say about this song other than the fact that it's awesome sure eminem has other fantastic songs like lose yourself not afraid monster without me and etc. But this one stands out for me

I don't know if this song was released to an album but it is my favorite song which is in my favorite movie realsteel.

25 N***** In Paris - Jay - Z and Kanye West

Song is awesome and should definitely be in the top 20 anything lower is a crime.

When Laura Lee said that thing about black people, Paris, Crompton etc. She was actually right.

The beat is just perfect, and that Will Ferrel sample was genius.

Why. Do. Rappers. Use. The. N-word. So. Freaking. Much. Please stop! I cringe every time I hear it!

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