Thanks to the Freemasons, Illuminati, Fox News, Big Oil and all the other power-brokers that royally screwed us, there is no doubt your asshole boss has told you to do ‘more with less’ lately. In that spirit, here are 17 of the best short-but-sweet hip-hop jammies. The criteria is strict, no longer than 120 seconds. No bona fide interludes; instrumentals are eligible but there has to be at least a minor musical progression. Blog police: I’m not saying these are the best, I’m just saying these are fucking incredible. Chime on in, ye of the short-attention span, that is, if you made the grade in hip-hop masterclass.
The playing field here slants towards J. Dilla, DOOM and Madlib who all crafted careers out of making their listeners long for more. A minimal masterpiece from the Masked One and the Mad Liberator.
Reggie Noble wastes no time laying this rugged Erick Sermon track to waste. A 2-minute spit-a-thon. “Murder motherfucks like Manson…”
Stop me if you heard this one before. Dilla, Dilla, still the best; who else could mesh two reels from eclectic composer Raymond Scott into a cut that breakers lose their shit over.
Hmmm.How do I not be condescending here? Lets pick De la Souls (widely regarded) worst album “Buhloone Mind State” Lets pick “En Focus” from the album. Better than all of the above bar the PE nterlude. What the fucj are you smoking? Hip Hops best? You don’t know nothing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FULL STOP WHITE BOY ROY!
very constructive criticism white boy roy and/or paul. i would have liked to see a few more exclamation points. You seemed to miss the point altogether, these are some of the best hip-hop songs under 2:00. “En Focus” is well over 3:00 from De La Soul’s third least satisfying album (the words “worst” and De La Soul do not go together) behind the AOI series. Thanks for sort of reading this post and adding nothing but drunken over-punctuation.
Sean P and One definitely deserved to be on this list. When that joint dropped, I had it stuck on repeat. Good looks. Although, for my money, I’d give the best 2 minute SP joint award to his freestyle over Snow. Straight fire.
Good list – i’ll throw another one out. Nas – Project Roach from Untitled. Quick metaphor in the vein of “I Gave U Power” and “Last Words”
respect evan, good suggestion, if “Queens Get The Money” was 17 seconds less it woulda been on this list