Hip Hop Classics (Kiss Presents/Parental Advisory) [PA] - Various Artists

As most of you will know, Kiss, the popular radio station and music channel are always bringing out various artist Rap/Hip-Hop and also R'n'B collections. This Hip-Hop classics is one of Kiss's most recent presentations. With 2 discs, there are some great hip-hop classics thrown into this collection.
Whether you are a hip-hop fan or not, you will know most, if not all of these hip-hop classics from the 90's and some even earlier.
This ...
...on each disc.

So, on with the songs. (Note: Some will be explained long, but others not so long as I am reviewing 38 songs!)

Disc 1

●Dr Dre ft. Eminem - Forgot About Dre●
This song is a fantastic one to start off a hip-hop classics album, as Dr Dre is the first, most popular and best selling hip-hop/rap artist and producer, closely followed by Timbaland and Diddy.
This song is ... more

As most of you will know, Kiss, the popular radio station and music channel are always bringing out various artist Rap/Hip-Hop and also R'n'B collections. This Hip-Hop classics is one of Kiss's most recent presentations. With 2 discs, there are some great hip-hop classics thrown into this collection.
Whether you are a hip-hop fan or not, you will know most, if not all of these hip-hop classics from the 90's and some even earlier.
This collection is a 2 disc set, which has 19 songs on each disc.

So, on with the songs. (Note: Some will be explained long, but others not so long as I am reviewing 38 songs!)

Disc 1

●Dr Dre ft. Eminem - Forgot About Dre●
This song is a fantastic one to start off a hip-hop classics album, as Dr Dre is the first, most popular and best selling hip-hop/rap artist and producer, closely followed by Timbaland and Diddy.
This song is the first song released featuring Eminem. Many hip-hop/rap fans were gob smacked by Eminem's fast rapping in this track when it was first released. Of course, we Brits weren't so shocked; as we have some great garage mc's who can mc 70 words a minute. But, in America, garage mc's, who are way different to rap mc's, are not so popular. They are only known by a small underground community, and so fast rap was never recognised in the mainstream of America before this song.
We start off with Dre rapping in the first verse about how he was one of the first rappers, and that you shouldn't forget about him, as he will always come back - which he does! He raps on to tell us to not forget that he brought us the very famous Easy E, Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg.
Eminem comes in to rap the famous line, "Nowadays everybody wanna talk when they got something to say, but nothing comes out when they move their lips just a bunch of gibberish, and mother f's that coz they forgot about Dre."
Em goes on to rap about his so called 'violent' rapping about beating somebody up and burning down a house. Dre then finishes off the song with the same theme as the first verse - don't forget about him.
The tune to this song is a basic rap tune, and one of the most recognised hip-hop tunes in the world. Over 20 artists have used this tune on more than 50 songs.

●Beastie Boys - No Sleep Till Brooklyn●
Beastie Boys were one of the first groups, not 'bands', groups, to collaborate hip-hop/rap with rock, and thus created the genre of rap/rock. As they were a rap/rock group, they're songs were usually quite loud, and so as you can tell from the song title, 'no sleep' you can tell that the theme of the song is making noise! There's no particular meaning to this song, the guys just rap about being loud, messing around and having fun!
The tune to this song is rocky, with a classic rap tune mixed into the background, which goes well with the song.

●The Notorious B.I.G ft. Mase and Puff Daddy - Mo Money Mo Problems●
If you ask all artists what they're favourite Biggie song is, the majority of them will say 'Mo Money Mo Problems' - I know this because it has been asked and this was the most popular answer! It is one of Biggie's most famous hits, featuring another classic rapper, Mase, and of course, Biggie's producer and manager, Puff Daddy.
This song features the Diana Ross classic, 'I'm Coming Out' as the chorus, changing the words to "Mo money we come across the mo problems we see". Mase starts off the first verse, Puff has the second verse, and Biggie finishes the song with the third verse. All verses have the same meaning - money brings problems. The tune to this song is 'I'm Coming Out' with an R'n'B revamp, backed by a bopping rap beat which mixes well.

●LL Cool J - Doin It●
To be honest, I have always hated this song. It is one of LL Cool J's first singles, and one of his most memorable songs too. It is basically about him being with his first serious girlfriend and he is feeling horny, and raps about what he want to do with this girl. LeShain is the female in question and she features on the song adding her vocals every few minutes. She talks back to LL, saying what she wants to do to him. A very sexy song. The tune is an old rap tune, as this song is from the early 90's, it has that 'old' sound to it, and even LL's voice sounds old too. The song carries the same theme throughout. The chorus is annoying as all it says is "Doin it and doin it and doin it well", three times. Not the best LL song, even though it is one of his most famous tracks.

●Warren G - Do You See●
Warren G is another hip-hop artist who is very well known by hip-hop fans and non hip-hop fans. This is one of the best hip-hop songs ever.
"You don't see what I see, everyday as Warren G".
The song features Snoop Dogg, although he hardly gets credited for it. In the first verse, Warren raps about what he sees as he's been growing up, and that he sees a lot of bad stuff, especially to his friends. It is the classic rap theme, growing up in a bad neighbourhood, seeing friends dying all the time, then sorting your life out with rapping, but it still doesn't fix the troubles back at your home neighbourhood, and even though you have made it, your friends haven't. It has that classic hip-hop moral. The tune is more of an R'n'B tune than a rap one. It is very easy to understand and the chorus is very catchy. "You don't see what I see, everyday as Warren G, you don't hear what I hear, everyday as Warren G'. Good song.

●Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It●
You all know this!!! How many people have covered this song? "It's Friday night and I feel alright, the party is here on the west side, so I reach for my 40 and I turn it up, designated driver take the keys to my truck". YAY, I love this song. The most well known cover of this is Peter Andre 'Flava'. It is exactly the same tune, exactly the same lyrics, just a tiny bit faster. This is just a real good feel good song. Have fun, have a drink and chill out etc. The tune is a simple beat. It's one of those that makes you want to get up and dance, or bop your head along to it. Great Song!

●Redman - Let's Get Dirty (I Can't Get In Da Club)●
You gotta love Redman, if not as a rapper, then as an actor. He's just so funny! The tune is Christina Aguilera's 'Dirrty', as you know Redman featured on that song, and so it used his 'Dirty' tune, so maybe that will help you know what the tune is like. This is one of those sweary and loud rap songs, but also funny, as most of Redman's songs are. It's a bit violent, so the basic theme of this song is just about getting dirty, like beating people up, messing around and hooking up with women. It's a really fun song, and it is also a feel good tune, which definitely makes you want to dance.

●Young MC - Bust A Move●
Young MC was well known for his simple rap tunes mainly about dancing, like this tune as you can tell from the title, 'Bust A Move'. He sounds like Vanilla Ice - just a simple almost talking rap rather than a fast mix it up rap. This tune has an 80's sound to it, but it is very boppy and fun. Basically, it is just about dancing and showing off your dance moves in front of girls and so on.

●The Pharcyde - Runnin●
This has the same tune to LL's 'Doin It', the simple, classic rap tune. It is the classic rap theme of getting into trouble and argument as a teen. The chorus just basically says, "Can't keep running away" over and over about 5 times. So you can tell they telling us you can't run away from trouble, it'll catch you up.

●NWA - Fuck Tha Police●
The best selling rap group, one of the first rap groups, and the rap group with the most famous members in it. This is one of NWA's biggest and most famous hits. Basically the theme of the song is how police can be very discriminative and they can lock you up for your colour, and how they just think you are doing something illegal because you dress or act a certain way. They just rap about how they get into trouble and basically just 'fuck tha police'. This is nearly a rock/rap song, but not almost there. It has a very simple freestyle rap beat with a simple rocky tune in the background.

●Luniz - I Got 5 On It●
Who doesn't know this song? Ask me which song reminds me of being young, and it would be this! The tune starts with a simple beat, leading into one of the catchiest and well known rap beats in history. The song doesn't have a certain theme or meaning to it, it is just basically a freestyle song about nothing in particular. I think most of you would know this song. "I got 5 on it". Top song.

●Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day●
We all know Ice Cube don't we? This is basically looking back on old times in Cube's life. It has a simple beat with nothing much to it.

●City High - Caramel●
This is more of an R'n'B song. It is a simple tune, and when the chorus comes in, there's hardly a tune there. A nice chill out song. Claudette sings most of the song, which is basically just about hooking up with a guy. This is classed as City Highs most famous song, but many of you may not know this song. Their other UK release was 'What Would You Do?'.

●Blackstreet - Don't Leave Me●
Blackstreet are one of the first Hip-Hop/R'n'B groups, with one of the most famous producers of the 90's - Lil Man. Blackstreet always sounded like they were from the 80's. Their songs were always slow chill out R'n'B tunes, and many people said they were the Hip-Hop version of Wet Wet Wet mixed with Boyz 2 Men. This is just a simple love song, with the guys singing to the girl in question, 'don't leave me'. Great song.

●Wreckx-N-Effect - Rump Shaker●
"All I wanna do is zoom, zoom, zoom and a boom boom.' This is one of those classic rap tunes that everyone remembers. Remember Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff's dancing to their songs? This song is one of those songs that were made to dance like that to! Not much of a theme to it, basically just rapping about dancing.

●Ina Kamoze - Here Comes The Hot Stepper●
You ALL know this. This is another song that reminds me of my childhood. Top song. It has that good clapping beat to it that makes you bop along, and it is simple rapping which is easy to pick up. All people who liked this song, knew the song off by heart as soon as they heard it. This tune has one of the famous tunes ever. 'Na na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na, na na na na, here comes the hotstepper, murderer, on the lyrical gangster, murderer, excuse me mr officer, murderer, still love you like that, murderer!" Top song!

●Run DMC - It's Tricky●
Rap piss take of the famous 'Mickey'. This is a classic song, of course, Run DMC always give you memorable songs. This is a bangy hip-hop tune, with a rock beat mixed into it. The lyrics are basically the 'Mickey' song changed into 'rap' lyrics of piss takes basically.

●Cypress Hill - When The Shit Goes Down●
Cypress Hill - the BeeGee's of Rap. They always sang in a squeaky voice which made the songs more fun. Cypress Hill are best known for rapping about weed. Of course, many fans may remember 'Hits From The Bong'. That was a good song. Basically, all this song is about is, 'when the shit goes down!' They rap about nothing in particular, just everyday stuff.

●A Tribe Called Quest - Can I Kick It?●
"Can I kick it, yes you can!" I think most of you will know this song. Another famous song from the 90's. Another rock/rap mix song which makes you want to dance.

Disc 2 (I'll make these song reviews a bit shorter this time around - I get carried away sometimes!)

●Missy Elliot - Get Your Freak On●
I think all of you have heard of this Missy track. All Missy Elliot's songs hardly ever have meanings. She sort of puts about 5 different songs into one, so there's not much to say about this song. It has a very catchy tune, and of course the famous chorus 'get your freak on - Is that your chick?'

●Wu-Tang Clan - Gravel Pit●
Another rap group who mixed rap with rock. They always had very beaty tunes which made you want to dance. This is a very sexy and sweary song with a girl adding her lyrics, "check out my gravel pit" as the chorus. Every verse has the 'introduction' to the next group member, and a different tune, which makes up the song, making it a true rap track.

●Busta Rhymes - Gimme Some More●
This is one of Busta's most violent tracks. Not in the version of beating and shooting people, but with the swear words. Busta shows off his rap talent in this tune as he raps in his fastest most possible way, so most fans that aren't rap fans will not understand most of this track. The whole theme is just about giving Busta some more songs, more weed, more of everything.

●DJ Jazzy Jeff And The Fresh Prince - Girls Aint Nothing But Trouble●
All rappers take the mick out of Will Smith, and lets face it, he isn't the best rapper of all time. Will and Jazzy's songs were always the fun summery, classic 90's type of songs. This is all about picking up a girl and how she is trouble!

●Verbalicious - Don't Play Nice●
This was only out last year by a 17 year old female Londoner. It isn't a rap song, more of a mc song. I loved this when it came out, the chorus is really catchy and beaty, which makes you bop along. Basically its all about how she don't play nice when she's out dancing and so on.

●Bubba Sparxxx - Lovely●
This is a simple rap tune with a very simple tune in the background with 'ooh, ooh, oohh,' and humming thrown into the tune. Bubba raps about how he's lovely. Yeah, Bubba, okay!

●Bob Base and DJ Ez Rock - It Takes Two●
Most of you will know this. "It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make it out of site'. This is one of those original 90's rap tunes with the rock and dancy beat added into it. No particular meaning, just the artists rapping about hooking up.

●Skee-Lo - I Wish●
This is another 90's classic with the basic 90's tune. Again, no particular meaning, just some very famous chorus lyrics which a lot of people have added into their songs. 'I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller'. All of the song is all of Skee Lo's wishes.

●Tone-Loc - On Fire●
This song has a Mobb Deep type of tune to it. Mobb Deep are a very famous rap group if you don't know. This song has the original rap theme of softcore violence. Not the best song by Tone-Loc, but it's ok.

●The Sugarhill Gang - Eighth Wonder●
The Sugarhill gang were brill. Sugarhill was a rap/hip-hop record label, and all the artists got together once in a while to release a single, and of course when they did this, they called themselves The Sugarhill Gang. One of the members who you will all know was LL Cool J. This song is just about the guys having fun, going to parties, hooking up etc. The tune isn't a basic rap tune, it's a salsa tune! This goes well with it though.

●Grandmaster Flash - Adventures Of Flash On The Wheels Of Steel●
Grandmaster Flash was known for his 80's style rap tunes. This is one of his most famous songs. "Good time, we all have a good time." Very simple beat, with hardly any lyrics in the song at all, just basic scratching and different tunes.

●Montell Jordan - Something For The Honeyz●
Another Montell Jordan classic. This is more of an R'n'B type tune. The theme is all about hooking up with a girl. A very good chill-out, laid back classic. "Something for the honeyz." The title mixes with the style of the tune, all soft and chilled out and more of a female's song than a males.

●Foxy Brown - Get Me Home●
Foxy Brown is one of the few females known for her very lyrical and dirty songs just like Lil' Kim, but this one is a big change from her usual style. Blackstreet sing the chorus, which makes it very laid back. Foxy is a great rap artist. This has that simple 90's rap beat, chill out sound to it. It's all about Foxy meeting this guy in a bar, and hooking up with him.

●Salt N Pepa - Push It●
Does this need an explanation?

●TLC - No Scrubs●
TLC weren't a rap group, they were a R'n'B band. No Scrubs is their most famous track. Basically, they don't want no idiot to date. They explain in the song what a scrub is, and talk about how they don't want a scrub. Another track that reminds me of my childhood.

●Fugees - No Woman, No Cry●
Fugees, made up of Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras. All have had very successful solo careers since their group days. Fugees were the Robson and Jerome of Hip-Hop/R'n'B. They always did covers, and even when they never did a cover, it was hardly recognised. I'm sure you all know this Bob Marley classic. No changes to the beat or the lyrics at all, just a small R'n'B revamp on it.

●Mya - My Love Is Like Woah●
This is a basic R'n'B love song, a hill out track mainly for girls. The whole song is just about this guy making Mya feel so good.

●Wyclef Jean - Perfect Gentlemen●
This is one of Wyclef's most famous tracks in the UK. It is just a fun song all about making it and having fun. This reminds me of turning a teenager! A catchy hip-hop tune which makes you bop along. A very popular song when it came out. Top song.

●Outkast - Ms Jackson●
"I'm sorry Ms Jackson, ooh, I am for real, never meant to make your daughter cry, I apologise I sympathise." This was one of Outkast's first songs in the UK. A catchy upbeat tune like all Outkast's songs are. It always reminded me of the classic 'Mrs Robinson' - I don't know why!

●COVER●
The front cover is a basketball player's foot. Sounds weird, but you will see the pic added to my review. The colours are very neutral The front cover is blue and silver type of colour, and the back is a light shade of brown with the tracks written in red and black, which are the Kiss logo's colours.

●MY OPINION●
If you are a big Hip-Hop fan, then this collection is for you. Some very famous classics, not only known by Hip-Hop fans, but many known to non Hip-Hop fans too. The great classics like 'I Got 5 On It' and 'Here Comes The Hotstepper' add that classic rap feel to it, and brings back a lot of childhood memories for me. I would definitely recommend this to all Hip-Hop fans.

I downloaded my album, so I couldn't tell you the price of which I bought mine for as it was free. Amazon has it for £12, and starts at £5.50sed and New, which are mostly new.
It was released on July 11th of this year, 2005 and is on the label UMTV, for Kiss. It was released in aid of Make Poverty History, so I think if you bought it from a proper shop, a small amount would go to that charity.
Parental Advisory is advised, although the swearing and violence isn't that bad. Be kind to your kids.

Thanks for reading
xx Staz xx
 

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