My friend and I were discussing old (80s/90s) rap songs and listening to some 'vintage' LL and I was surprised that she had never heard I Need Love or Big Ole Butt which led to us trying to think about what would be the most famous/well-known rap song of all time.

She nominated:

Freaks of the Industry by Digital Underground
Who am I? (What's My Name) by Snoop

I nominated:

The Message (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five)
Rapper's Delight (Sugarhill Gang)
Me So Horny (2 Live Crew)
Fight for Your Right to Party (Beasties)
Gangsta Glam <--kidding!!!

What do you think? I'm not talking about a rap song that was then resampled song, or most weeks at #1, I mean a rap song that most people would recognize and know the chorus or most words to even if they don't listen to a lot of rap or aren't from the US.

I kind of think it should be an "original" rap song--one that doesn't really sample older stuff (ie no Puffy/PDiddy, etc.) but make an argument for your choice if you disagree...

Let the voting begin!

I nominate "Wild Thang"-Tone Loc and "Baby Got Back"-Sir Mix-a-Lot (even though it does sample some old skool electronic funk.)

I agree with "Rapper's Delight". It was the first rap song that came to my mind when I saw this thread.

I heard 'Rapper's Delight' for the first time two days ago
[Edited 11/30/07 12:31pm]

I'd nominate:

"Baby Got Back" Sir Mix A Lot

"Ice Ice Baby" Vanilla Ice

"U Can't Touch This" Hammer

FuNkeNsteiN said:

what??? i hope you're kidding.

dancerella said:

No, I'm dead serious
I knew of the song, but I'd never heard it.

"Ice Ice Baby" sold something like 15 million copies as a single.

The breaks.....Kurtis Blow

Graycap23 said:

That's the only Kurtis Blow song I like, but I wonder how many young folks have heard it. I would think one of the more pop songs like "U Can't Touch This" would be the most well-known. I think more people might know that than Rick's "Superfreak".

yep , i think it's rapper's delight

How about
Walk this way - Run DMC

DevotedPuppy said:

you know rapper's delight isn't original music, right? Tough to find one without samples, though. But that's the first rap song I ever heard (way back in '78 or '79 and it's still probably my favorite

some others that seemed to permeate the mainstream

California Love--Dre & Pac
It Was a Good Day--Ice Cube
Stan--Eminem
Walk This Way--Run DMC (not original, I know)

Graycap23 said:

great minds think alike...

Ain't Nothin' but a 'G' Thing.

NDRU said:

lol...

Good suggestions everyone---I think it might be between Baby Got Back & U Can't Touch This. I still hear people doing the, "Oh...my...God, Becky, look at her butt...she looks like one of those rap guy's girlfriends" from BGB.

NDRU said:

Yeah Rapper's Delight isn't original but I feel like while the older rap songs may have sampled, they didn't sample from other rap songs...I'm having problems trying to explain what I mean. I mentioned Run DMC to my friend too, but she nixed them.

Fight The Power - Public Enemy.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

wow, i am truly surprised. where do you live?

Oooh, I just thought of another one---how about a little Salt 'n' Pepa? Either Let's Talk About Sex or Push It?

Everybody knows "Changes" by Tupac.

^ I don't. I might know it if I heard it, but from the title I have no clue which song it is....

DevotedPuppy said:

I don't think off the top of my head that I can remember what "Changes" sounds like either.

NDRU said:

"Walk This Way" was actually my first thought when I read the topic.

missing you - p diddy

guitarslinger44 said:

Whether you like them or not, it's these, with Vanilla probably being #1.

Cataclizm1 said:

I didn't think "Baby Got Back" was nearly as famous as the other two.

DevotedPuppy said:

I don't know it either . The only "Changes" song I know is the one that David Bowie sang back in the 70's.