rap Bring The Noise), plus an essay by
one of the set's compilers, paying tribute to hip hop's reggae
heritage. The Hip Hop Box continues the Hip-O Records tradition
of genre box sets, including The Funk Box (2000) and The
Reggae Box(2001).
Chronologically arranged and so kicking
off with hip hop's Big Bang, " Rapper's Delight," Disc
One of The Hip Hop Box also offers the first realB-Boy record
to sell a million copies, "The Breaks" (Kurtis
Blow);
the song that drew the line in the sand, "Sucker M.C.'s" (Run-D.M.C.);
hip hop's women's emancipation with "Push It" (Salt-n-Pepa) and the
birth of XXX hip hop with "Freaky Tales" (Too $hort). Other classics
include "The Body Rock" (Treacherous Three), "Planet Rock" (Afrika
Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force), "The Message" (Grand Master
Flash & The Furious Five), "Wild Wild
West" (Kool Moe Dee), "Roxanne Roxanne" (UTFO) and "Roxanne's
Revenge" (Roxanne Shante).
Disc Two picks up with the incomparable "Follow
The Leader" from Eric B. & Rakim; "My Philosophy," one
of the first great socially conscious raps, from the Boogie
Down Productions of KRS-One; "I'm Your Pusher" from
Ice-T, the first L.A. rapper to win national respect; the
anthem "Fight The Power" from Public Enemy that
punctuated Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing, and "The
Gas Face" from 3rd Bass, the first white rappers to
crack the rap Top 5. Also heard are M.C. Hammer, 2 Live Crew,
De La Soul, Biz Markie, A Tribe Called Quest, Main Source,
and Chubb Rock.
Disc Three busts it with "O.P.P.," one
of hip hop's most enduring party starters, from Naughty By
Nature; the crossover killer "Summertime" (#1 Rap/R&B/Pop)
from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince; "Tennessee" from
Arrested Development, the fountainhead of today's Dirty South; "Slam" from
Onyx, the pioneers of black punk-rap; "C.R.E.A.M." from the Wu-Tang
Clan, the Parliament-Funkadelic of hip hop; "Regulate," the quintessential
G-Funk track, from Warren G & Nate Dogg, and "Flava In Ya Ear," the
beginning of the Bad Boy dynasty from Craig Mack. Tracks from Queen Latifah,
Digable Planets, Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, and The Pharcyde join those from
DJ Quik, Black Sheep, and Method Man (featuring Mary J. Blige on the "I'll
Be There For You/You're All I Need To Get By" Puff Daddy mix).
Disc Four brings home the thug life with
hardcore Ruff Ryder DMX and his street version of "Get
At Me Dog"; the dirty version of "Gettin'
Money (The Get Money Remix)" from Junior M.A.F.I.A. featuring Little Caesar,
Little Kim and The Notorious B.I.G.; Noreaga's "Superthug (What, What)," and
the RP
remix of "Until The End Of Time" from 2Pac. On the soul tip is "Tha
Crossroads," the
#1 Rap/R&B/Pop smash from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Others heard are Scarface,
Redman with Method Man, Busta Rhymes, Timbaland & Magoo, Gang Starr and
the only self-contained band in hip hop, The Roots, featuring Jill Scott on
the live "You Got Me." The Hip Hop Box enters the new millennium
with the love song "The Light" from Common and "21
Questions" from 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg. Wrapping up the box are two
artists who are as responsible for the explosive success of hip hop as any,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, with "The Next Episode."
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