Top 10 2000s Rap And Hip Hop Songs You Forgot Were Awesome

The Game feat. 50 Cent

What do you get when you combine the tough talking flow of The Game and 50 Cent with the production skills of Dr. Dre? The answer: one of the hardest mainstream rap tracks of the 2000s. “How We Do” cracked the Top 10 on music charts around the world, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and giving The Game the breakout hit he needed to make his debut album “The Documentary” one of the best-selling of 2005. Catchy, versatile, and instantly recognizable, the song propelled The Game to the top of the rap world and remains one of the most successful singles of his career.

Mystikal

A one hit wonder that later got into some serious trouble with the law, New Orleans based rapper Mystikal nevertheless managed to tear up the charts at the onset of the new millennium with this breakout hit. “Shake Ya Ass,” as well as its cleaner alternative “Shake It Fast,” burst onto the scene in the summer of 2000 thanks to its insanely catchy beat. The track was a runaway success and wound up being featured in a slew of films and TV series’. It doesn’t take long to realize that “Shake Ya Ass” is as awesome today as it was back then!

J-Kwon

The music video for this track might just be the most 2000’s thing ever, but the song itself is still pretty good! “Tipsy” was a chart-topping success when it was released in 2004, making it to number one in the UK and US and coming in at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. While it’s probably the only J-Kwon song you know, that should do little to diminish its staying power, as “Tipsy” remains one of the decade’s most fun-centric tracks! Seriously, throw this on at your next house party and see what happens!

Missy Elliott feat. Ciara & Fatman Scoop

Nearly a decade and a half later and this song is still causing people to bust a move whenever it starts to play. Missy Elliott has produced no shortage of funky hip-hop tracks in her illustrious music career, but for some reason this one hasn’t gotten the same amount of love as the others; which is a shame, because “Lose Control” is freakin’ awesome! The song is overflowing with style from start to finish, something that shouldn’t come as a surprise seeing as how Elliott wrote and produced it herself. We completely understand if you want to pause this video to go watch “Lose Control” in its entirety. Just make sure you come back when it’s done…

Chingy

Okay full disclosure, nobody has ever forgotten how awesome this song is. But due to Chingy’s, how do we put this delicately, lack of involvement in the music industry since its release, people may have forgotten that “Right Thurr” is a pretty sweet track all on its own. Released in 2003, the song is a head-bobbing, club-friendly tune that you don’t really need to understand in order to enjoy. When it hit the airwaves, it dominated the charts and turned Chingy into a household name. He may have fallen off, but this song never has!

Drake

Drake has dropped so many hits on us in the past decade that it can be easy to forget where it all started. “Best I Ever Had” served as the lead single off of his debut EP “So Far Gone” and despite the success he’s achieved since remains one of the catchiest and most recognizable tracks of his entire career. The song earned two Grammy nominations, including Best Rap Song, and provided the Canadian rapper with his first Top 10 single. In retrospect, “Best I Ever Had” was a sign of what was to come for Drake; heartfelt tracks about love and loss that everyone can relate to!

City High

This song is catchy and accompanied by a hard-hitting message about the struggles of being a single parent. Now there’s a combination you don’t see every day! “What Would You Do” was the 2001 anthem from hip-hop trio City High that the world didn’t know it needed. All these years later and not only does the song’s core message still ring true, but it hasn’t lost an ounce of credibility. “What Would You Do” peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned the City High a Grammy nomination. Not too shabby!

Terror Squad

Every summer has a “song” that defines it, and in the summer of 2004 that song was “Lean Back” by Terror Squad. If you don’t remember who Terror Squad was, allow us to refresh your memory. They were a hip-hop crew comprised of multiple rappers that included Fat Joe, DJ Khaled, Remy Ma, and the late Big Pun. “Lean Back” was far and away their most successful song, dominating the Billboard Hot 100 for three straight weeks and finishing as one of the Top 10 songs of the year. Nowadays it’s mostly remembered for its simplistic lyrics and club-friendly beat. Not that we’re complaining, we could bump this all day!

50 Cent feat. Nate Dogg

He may have been one of the foremost gangster rappers of the 2000s, but when he released this song in 2003, people began to look at him in an entirely new light. “21 Questions” was the second single released off of 50 Cent’s hugely successful studio debut album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” and it proved that the New York native was far from a one trick pony. A head bobbing love song with lyrics to match, “21 Questions” was an absolute smash, topping music charts and cementing 50 Cent as someone to watch for the remainder of the decade. Awesome? You could say that.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“Slow Motion”
Juvenile feat. Soulja Slim


“I Know What You Want”
Busta Rhymes & Mariah Carey feat. Flipmode Squad

“Gangsta Lovin’”
Eve feat. Alicia Keys

Nelly

It’s difficult to express just how big Nelly was in the 2000s. Everything the St. Louis native touched turned to gold, and it all started with his debut album and its titular lead single. “Country Grammar” remains of the decade’s most iconic hip hop tracks and it was brought to life through Nelly’s charm, charisma and skill. The rapper’s silky-smooth delivery perfectly complements the track’s simple yet catchy beat. The song would signal the start of something big for the future Grammy winner, as he would continue to drop catchy hits like this one for the rest of the decade; songs like Xref “Shake Ya Tailfeather” and “Hot in Herre.” Seriously, the man was a machine.