50 Years Of Hip Hop: The Rankdown Part 1 (COMPLETE)

[Soulsista]

4. Rapper's Delight - The Sugarhill Gang

From Englewood, New Jersey, The Sugarhill Gang consisted of Wonder Mike (Michael Wright), Big Bank Hank (Henry Jackson), and Master Gee (Guy O'Brien). They were brought together by Sylvia Robinson, co-founder of Sugar Hill Records. In 1979 they recorded the song "Rapper's Delight". It peaked at #4 on the soul chart and was the first rap song to reach the Top 40 on the Hot 100, peaking at #36. It also topped the charts in Canada, Spain, and The Netherlands.

"Rapper's Delight" was built on a sample of Chic's "Good Times" and also contains an interpolation of "Here Comes That Sound Again" by Love De-Luxe. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards threatened to sue for copyright infringement, but the matter was eventually settled and the two were added as co-writers. Nile would later admit that "Rapper's Delight" is one of his favorite songs.

Big Bank Hank passed away from cancer in 2014.

Apologies to #LisaRinna...


Points: 972
Average: 10.50
Standard Deviation: 9.113 (12th lowest)

#LisaRinna - 1
American Idiot - 2
emerald - 2
Optical Apex - 3
Soulsista - 4
SHOOTER - 4
beyoncelover - 5
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 5
gonecountry - 5
jtd Thee Stallion - 7
rowellfarm490 - 8
singingrulebritannia - 9
willapted33 - 9
wyckyd - 9

chanman - 12
aerodynamite - 13
wrip - 13
annoymous1 - 13
B-Boy - 14
khan - 15
BB🌕 - 16
Ivy Leegue™ - 19
312999 - 19

dremolus - solarpunk - 45

Observing
samo🦕
mamooshka
Kelly's 10th Fan


The next reveal has two #1s and six additional Top 5s...but it was a bottom 5 that kept it out of the Top 2.

[Soulsista]

3. It Takes Two - Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock

Formed in Harlem, Rob Base (Robert Ginyard) and DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney "Skip" Bryce) are best known for their 1988 single "It Takes Two". It peaked at #17 on the soul chart and #36 on the Hot 100, and is certified platinum. Samples "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins.

Sadly, DJ E-Z Rock passed away in 2014 after suffering a diabetic seizure.

Apologies to jtd Thee Stallion and 312999...


Points: 992
Average: 9.67
Standard Deviation: 9.671 (18th lowest)

jtd Thee Stallion - 1
312999 - 1
B-Boy - 2
beyoncelover - 2
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 2
wrip - 4
wyckyd - 4
annoymous1 - 5
gonecountry - 6
Soulsista - 7
rowellfarm490 - 7
BB🌕 - 7
chanman - 8
SHOOTER - 8
emerald - 8
American Idiot - 9
willapted33 - 10

khan - 11
singingrulebritannia - 12
aerodynamite - 14
Ivy Leegue™ - 15
dremolus - solarpunk - 17

#LisaRinna - 26

Optical Apex - 46

Observing
samo🦕
mamooshka
Kelly's 10th Fan

[Soulsista]

vs.




Who will come out on top, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five or De La Soul? The Top 2 is coming up!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Tags}jtd Thee Stallion B-Boy beyoncelover singingrulebritannia chanman khan rowellfarm490 aerodynamite SHOOTER American Idiot 🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 willapted33 gonecountry BB🌕 wrip emerald Ivy Leegue™ dremolus - solarpunk 312999 Optical Apex wyckyd annoymous1 #LisaRinna samo🦕 mamooshka Kelly's 10th Fan

[312999]

I didn’t expect De La Soul to be in the top 2 but definitely not complaining. Imagine if it pulls an underdog win.

[Soulsista]

But first...

EXTRAS

The B-side to "The Show" is considered a classic in its own right, and has been sampled numerous times.

La Di Da Di - Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew

---

This song peaked at #4 on the soul chart. Samples "Risin' To The Top" by Keni Burke and "Ain't No Half Steppin'" by Heatwave.

Keep Risin' To The Top - Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew

[Optical Apex]

Sorry guys, I only marked It Takes Two low because of the sampling and the rap seemingly clashing with eachother when I listened to it. I still liked it, just a stacked list.

[Soulsista]

Here we go, the final 2...



2. Me Myself & I - De La Soul

De La Soul was formed on Long Island by Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos), David Jolicoeur (Trugoy The Dove), and Vincent Mason (Maseo), and are part of the collective Native Tongues. Their biggest and most well-known hit came with the 1989 release of "Me Myself & I". It topped the rap, soul and dance charts, and peaked at #34 on the Hot 100. It also hit #1 in The Netherlands. Samples "(Not Just) Knee Deep" by Funkadelic, "Funky Worm" by The Ohio Players, "Rapper Dapper Snapper" by Edwin Birdsong, "The Original Human Beat Box" by Doug E. Fresh, and "Gonna Make You Mine" by Loose Ends.


Points: 994
Average: 9.58
Standard Deviation: 9.117 (13th lowest)

aerodynamite - 1
dremolus - solarpunk - 2
willapted33 - 3
BB🌕 - 3
jtd Thee Stallion - 4
emerald - 4
Optical Apex - 4
B-Boy - 5
singingrulebritannia - 5
khan - 5
rowellfarm490 - 5
SHOOTER - 5
wrip - 5
wyckyd - 5
American Idiot - 8
Ivy Leegue™ - 9
312999 - 9

Soulsista - 13
beyoncelover - 13
gonecountry - 15
annoymous1 - 16

#LisaRinna - 24

chanman - 32
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 35

Observing
samo🦕
mamooshka
Kelly's 10th Fan

---

And the #1...only two people had this outside their Top 10! As a result, it has the lowest SD.



1. The Message - Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

They were formed in The Bronx by Grandmaster Flash (Joseph Saddler), Melle Mel (Melvin Glover), Kidd Creole (Nathaniel Glover), Keef Cowboy (Robert Wiggins), Scorpio, and Rahiem. They're best known for their 1982 single "The Message". With raps by Melle Mel and Duke Bootee (Edward Fletcher), it peaked at #4 on the soul chart and was one of the first socially conscious hip hop songs. It was later sampled in the remix to Ice Cube's "Check Yo Self" and in Puff Daddy's "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down".

Duke Bootee passed away in 2021 from congestive heart failure.

Interesting note: Keef Cowboy is often credited with coining the term "hip hop". He died from a drug overdose in 1989.

Congrats to dremolus - solarpunk for scoring a perfect Top 2!


Points: 1136
Average: 3.67
Standard Deviation: 3.908 (Lowest)

Soulsista - 1
B-Boy - 1
rowellfarm490 - 1
American Idiot - 1
gonecountry - 1
BB🌕 - 1
emerald - 1
dremolus - solarpunk - 1
Optical Apex - 1

jtd Thee Stallion - 2
singingrulebritannia - 2
willapted33 - 2
Ivy Leegue™ - 2
#LisaRinna - 2
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 - 3
wrip - 3
wyckyd - 3
beyoncelover - 4

chanman - 6
khan - 6
annoymous1 - 6
312999 - 10

SHOOTER - 13
aerodynamite - 15

Observing
samo🦕
mamooshka
Kelly's 10th Fan


And that concludes 50 Years Of Hip Hop: The Rankdown Part 1! Thanks to everyone who participated.

Part 2, which will cover the '90s, will be up next week!

[312999]

Sorry Ice Cube, Puff Daddy/P Diddy, and now Coi Leray, but nothing tops the original.

[gonecountry]

Thanks for another great rankdown Soulsista!  looking forward to part 2.

[Optical Apex]

That winner was absolutely deserved. Wow!

[khan]

Geez I didn't expect quite that level of domination, but it's cool to see them take it! De La Soul also super deserve to be in the top two. I just wish Queen Latifah could've made top ten. In any case, I'm super excited to see the next round!

[Soulsista]

Perfect Rankings:

singingrulebritannia / rowellfarm490 / Optical Apex - 5
🇯🇲 dollybaby 🇯🇲 / wrip / American Idiot - 4
khan / aerodynamite / gonecountry / Soulsista / 312999 - 3
beyoncelover / emerald / willapted33 / BB🌕 / SHOOTER / B-Boy / dremolus - solarpunk - 2
wyckyd / Ivy Leegue™ / jtd Thee Stallion / #LisaRinna - 1
chanman / annoymous1 - 0

[#LisaRinna]

Wow I floppedT! nnn

[SHOOTER]

Thanks for hosting! Soulsista

[Ivy Leegue™]

WILD RESULTS but thanks for another inspired rankdown, Qing of Rankdowns! Soulsista, not sure if you realized but Trugoy from DLS passed away last month.