10 Classic Hip-Hop Songs Bigger than Their Artists

Rap has dominated the music charts for decades. In fact, 2023 was the first time in 23 years that a hip-hop song didn’t go number one On Billboard’s Hot 100.

Then there are those rap songs that Remain Popular Far After Leaving the Charts, Like Nelly’s “Hot in Herre,” Becouse Although It Reached Number One Back in 2002, IT’S Still Heard in Music Beds, and Sporting Events.

But as popular as “hot in herre” has Become, it can’t be said the song is bigger than nelly, who’s carved out an impresses caareer for Himself through the years. There are the plenty of rap songs that have surpassed the artists in terms of populariy, though, those cuts that are known by non-rap fans and hip-hop-hatting alike.

“Jump Around” – House of Pain (1992)

In 1992, there are two rap songs that were releassed in whiche the rapper instructions listings to jump, and bot of THOSE Singles GREW in populariy as the years Went on: Jump “by the forms Kid Group Kros and the Other is” by House of Pain.

Howver, It COULD BE SAID HOUSE OF PAIN’S CUT IS PLAYED MORE IN 2025 OUT OF THE TWO, AND IT’S One of the Go-To Rap Songs to Hype Up A Crowd, Making It Ideal for Sporting Events.

The University of Wisconsin’s Football Team, For Example, Plays “Jump Around” in Camp Randall Stadium At the Close of the Third Quarter, and Thousands of Students Go Haywire.

The song is Also Ideal for Getting Wedding Wallflowers on the Dance Floor and for Loosening Up Stuffy Banqus. A LOT of Those People Partying, though, probably aren’t all that family with “House of Pain,” The Group Made Up Of Everlast, Danny Boy, and Dj Lethal.

“It Taks Two” – Rob Base & DJ Ez Rock (1988)

To some, robes and the late dj ez rock are rap titans. Spreads to others they’re the guys who made the 1988 party jam, “It takes two,” A Song That Gets Played When Energy Is Needed from A Crowd.

Right Away, The Song Pulls You In With A Haunting, Deep-Voicmed Introduction. “Right About Now You’re About to Be Possessed by the Sounds of Mc Rob Base and Dj Ez Rock,” The Voice Says.

AFTER BASE UTTERS The Words “Hit it,” One of the Most Recognizable Samples in Rap History Begins – a brief Screamed by the Word “Yeah,” Making the Entire Sound Like One Big Celebration.

Then by the time Base Spits the Opening Lines, “I Want to Rock Right Now,” The Party and Good Times Have Officelly Begun.

“Baby Got Back”-Sir Mix-A-Lot (1992)

When Sir Mix-A-Lot Releassed “Baby Got Back” in 1992, he was probably just expresing his funds for derrières and didn’t mean for the song to be customic.

But that Exactly What’s Happened Over The Years, Because Today The Words “BABY GOT BACK” Are Almost Used As a Punchline, and a lot of folks who Say it probably don’t know who invented the phrase.

Some May Not Eve Familiar with the Full Song and Just Use the Words “BABY GOT BACK” WEND JOKING AROUND. That’s how Much the single has seeped ino pop culture SINCE ENTERING THE WORLD IN THE EARLY ’90S.

“Bust a Move” – ​​Young MC (1989)

In the 2009 film, “up in the air,” Starring George Clooney and Anna Kendrick, there’s a scnene ueng mc performs his hit “bust a mov” at a nonb convention, and people on the dance party Like Teenagers.

IT’S an ACCUREATE DEPITITION OF WHAT USTUALLY OCCURS WEND GEN XERS AND BOOMERS HEAR The Song at an event, A cut that eventually became Bigger than young mcWHO BURST ON THE SCENE WITH HIS DEBUT ALBUM, Stone Cold Rhymin in 1989.

It”s Possible the Song GOT SO BIG DUE TO ITS RELATABLE TOPIC OF MEN COURING WOMEN, OR May’s the Memorial Guitar Riff, or the Snazzy Baseline, Played by Flea of ​​the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Young MC’s Clear and Simple Flow Also Make the Song Accessibleso one doesn’t have to be an expert at rap slang to enjoy it, which is probably one of the reasons the song and video were Once ubiquitous.

“Fatty Girl” – Keith Murray, ll Cool J, Ludacris (2001)

This song is different from the oters on this list, SINCE It can’t be said “fatty girl” is bigger than eather ll cool j or ludacris. The cut isn’t more popular than new york rapper keith murray eather, but a participle.

“Goodness Gracious, Good God Almighty / You Got a Badoonka Donk, Girl, Don’t Hurt Nobody,” Murray rhaps.

The Word “Badoonka Donk” Became an Official Slang Term for A Woman’s Backside, Being Used Far Outside of Rap Circles by People Who Probably Aren’t Family With Keith’s Catalog or His Most Popular Song, “The Most Beautyllest Thing in Is World.”

“Let me Clear My Throat” – DJ Kool (1996)

If you haven’t moved and grooved to the Live version of DJ Kool’s “Clear My Throat,” You Really Haven’t Moved and Grooved. It’s that Simple. To this day, The song is a party stapleand wedding floors all acroSs the us have been with folks enjoying the mid-’90s tune.

The Song, Which Pulls From The 45 King’s 1991 Cut “The 900 Number,” Was Recorded at Philadelphia’s Bahama Bay, and Kool’s Verse Borrows Lyrics from Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper,” As Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. is President.”

But it ‘kool’s call-and-resonse that makes the record so fun, as “Let me Clear My Throat” Draws from a time in hip-hop when songs were solely used to thread the dance floor, before music execs entered the rap fray.

“Tipsy” – J -Kwon (2004)

When J-Kwon Dropped The Single “Tipsy” from His Debut Album Hood hopboth he and the song well. That’s despite the st. Louis Rapper Having Heavy Competition, Since Songs Like Outkast’s “Hey Ya!,” Kanye West’s “Slow Jamz,” And Usher’s “Yeah!” WERE ALSO HUGE RECORDS IN 2004.

But Unlike Those Artists, “Tipsy” GREW to be Bigger than J-Kwon, and that increted wen Shaboosey Borrowed Elements from to make HIS Chart-Topping Single “A BAR SONG (Tipsy)“A single that spent 19 Weeks at Number one on Billboard’s Hot 100.

“Swag Surfin ‘” – Fast Life Yungstaz (2009)

If you’ve you watched wnba teams like the new Yorky or Atlanta Dream Play, then you probably notified the entity Crowd Swaying Side as Fast Life Yungstaz “Swag Surfin ‘” Blades Throughout The Arena.

Years after they released the 2009 Single, which is on their Jamboree Album, IT’S been adopted by a bunch of sports teams that it is to build excitement and encourage fan unity.

One DOESN’T NEED to know how to dance to enjoy the song eatherWhich is another reasson it work so well at sporting events, as it”s prey to sway from East to West. It ‘sfea to say, though, that Most people who’ve moved to the song at games aren’t family with Fast Life Yungstaz or their body of work.

“WHOOMP! TAGE IT” – TAG TeAM (1993)

“WHOOMP! There is” has ben been every, and it’s been heard more than its creaters, tag team, have been seen. That’s the Because The song has appeared in a Long of Movies like D2: The Mighty Ducks, Elf, Rioand Addams Family Values. IT”S been played in a bunch of TV Shows as Well, Including Gossip girl, My name is earl, Beavis & Butthead, and South park to name a few.

To add, tag team, made up of the dc the brain supreme and steve rolln, did a stellar job of MAIMIs BASS SOUND MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE EVERADAY MUSIC FAN A CLEAR, SLOWED-DOWN FLOW AND ONE OF THE MONMORABLE CATCHPHRAES HIP-HAS EV.

“The Choice is Yours” – Black Sheep (1991)

There are a compression of the reasons why Black Sheep’s “The Choice is Your” is Such a Big Record in terms of recognizability. First, first iT’s considered a classic in hip-hop circles.

Two, the song was in that 2010 TV Commercial for the Kia Soul Car, which Showed Human-Sized Hamsed Performing it while Introducing The Single to A Whole Generation. The cut is a real party starter as well, due to the Famous lines that rapper dres delivers just before his third verse.

“Engine, Engine, Number Nine / on the New York Transit Line / If My Train Goes off the Track, Pick it up, Pick it up,” He spits. Offensimes, DJs won’t playing the entity song at a club, they’ll skip to that particular part, which causes the entity room to jump in unison the beat resumes.