Murder Ballads with a beat?

January 15, 2008 9:46 AM

I'm looking for hip-hop songs that function as crime fiction, like "Shaky Dog."

I'm looking for more songs that tell a linear narrative and have details, as opposed to general gangster rap "I shoot people all the time." ("Gold" by GZA is another example). I have a pretty good grasp on 90s hip-hop, so more current examples would be preferred.

posted by Bookhouse to media & arts (33 comments total)

The first thing that comes to mind is the classic "6 'N The Mornin'".
posted by majick at 9:59 AM on January 15, 2008

How about "The Setup" by Obie Trice?
posted by good in a vacuum at 10:01 AM on January 15, 2008

Tricky - Bad Dream [Lyrics]
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:03 AM on January 15, 2008

Children's Story by Slick Rick is a classic.
posted by burnmp3s at 10:05 AM on January 15, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

That reminds me...
Morcheeba - Women Lose Weight (feat. Slick Rick)
posted by cowbellemoo at 10:07 AM on January 15, 2008

Mayor by Pharoahe Monch

Crime Story by DMX

Dance with the Devil by Immortal Technique

Also, Nas has several tracks spread out across nearly all of his albums that qualify.
posted by nameless.k at 10:14 AM on January 15, 2008

Run by Ghostface Killah
posted by nameless.k at 10:16 AM on January 15, 2008

uh... R Kelly
Trapped in Closet

or is that not really a "song"?
posted by clh at 10:16 AM on January 15, 2008

Grrr...

Trapped in THE Closet
posted by clh at 10:17 AM on January 15, 2008

Ice Cube - "A Chick From The Projects" from his first solo album.
posted by Jofus at 10:18 AM on January 15, 2008

Ugly Duckling, The Confrontation (I believe that's the right one, no lyrics online).
posted by yerfatma at 10:22 AM on January 15, 2008

Hardly current, but "Midnight" by Ice-T seems to fit the bill.
posted by thinman at 10:41 AM on January 15, 2008

rewind by nas

warning by biggie

the professional by dmx

the damien series across the dmx albums... (the omen with manson is my fav)

here we go again by dmx
posted by robotdog at 10:42 AM on January 15, 2008

Big L, "Casualties of a Dice Game" and "The Heist".
posted by creasy boy at 10:44 AM on January 15, 2008

Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx is essentially a full-album arc that plays out like a ghetto Scarface. Although there is probably only one song that fits the idea of a full-cycle narrative across three minutes ("Spot Rusherz"), the album itself can be loosely read in terms of a rise to crime glory by a couple of young "Knuckleheadz" (track two on the disc).

Raekwon's slang is reasonably impenetrable at times, but it's hard to miss the way the lyrical realities and aspirations get bigger and bigger from the point of view of the protagonists as the album progresses. Source magazine gave it five mics (although not right away), and I'd give it six if such a thing existed. It's a desert album hip-hop CD for me, to be sure.
posted by peacecorn at 10:45 AM on January 15, 2008

Also on "Bloody Chain" MF Doom and some guy Poison Pen tell a story from two different perspectives.
posted by creasy boy at 10:45 AM on January 15, 2008

Seconding Immortal Technique's Dance With The Devil.
posted by kidbritish at 10:54 AM on January 15, 2008

You may already be familiar with this given your handle on nineties hip hop, but Prince Paul's A Prince Among Thieves is an entire album that covers the story of an aspiring rapper who enters the drug trade in order to raise money for a demo tape. The album has tracks by: Kool Keith, Big Daddy Kane, Chubb Rock, Biz Markie, De La Soul, Everlast, Sadat X, Xzibit, Kid Creole, Special Ed, Chris Rock, RZA and Buckshot.

It also includes the fantastic line by Chubb Rock:

From East to West whether your thin or thick
Whether your girl sucks lollis or just pure dick
Mario Puzo said that I'm the don
W W I'm the shit dot com


Sure there should be three "w"'s in there, but who's counting?
posted by buddha9090 at 10:54 AM on January 15, 2008

The entire "Ghost Dog" soundtrack.
posted by rhizome at 11:04 AM on January 15, 2008

MC 900 Ft Jesus' "Adventures In Failure"

Public Enemy "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos"

Ice-T "Midnight"
posted by waraw at 11:10 AM on January 15, 2008

6 in the morning by Ice-T

Murder was the case by Snoop
posted by neilkod at 12:14 PM on January 15, 2008

Nas has a lot of them. I know that you are up on your 90's hiphop but many of them were not released on his albums, like "Wanna Play Rough," "The Hardest Thing To Do Is Stay Alive," "Tales from the Hood" Etc. (If you don't have these unreleased songs, but want them, mefi mail me.)
posted by milarepa at 12:38 PM on January 15, 2008

Peel Their Caps Back - Ice T.
posted by pompomtom at 12:39 PM on January 15, 2008

I have to make sure you know about "Addicted to Danger" by Ice-T. That, to me, is one of the greatest crime drama raps ever.

More recent - Nas has a few off of the first disc of Streets Disciple, as was alluded to.

How about Taco Day (Jean Grae) (2001)?
Progress of Elimination (Boss)
Murder Ink (Dr. Dre) (2001)
Trilogy (Pharoahe Monch (2007)

And when you get the list, can you please post it? I'd love to make a mixtape of the titles (sans R. Kelly, natch). Also, throw in U Mean I'm Not from Black Sheep.
posted by cashman at 12:42 PM on January 15, 2008

Scarface - Conspiracy Theory (2000)
posted by cashman at 2:26 PM on January 15, 2008

Slick Rick - Children's Story
Black Rob - Thug Story
Ghostface Killah - Run
Killah Priest - Science Project
Pastor Troy - Ain't No Sunshine
Notorious B.I.G. - Me & My Bitch
Method Man - Mr. Sandman
Busta Rhymes - Things We Be Doin' for Money
Warren G - Regulate

Prince Paul's "Prince Among Thieves" album
Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" album
posted by rxrfrx at 2:59 PM on January 15, 2008

Thanks for all the answers. To give an answer to my own question, I'd also add "Walk Around" on the new Ghostface.
posted by Bookhouse at 4:20 PM on January 15, 2008

Jay-Z - "Friend Or Foe '98"
MURS - "The Night Before"
MURS - "Risky Business (juvenile party while parents aren't home crime)"
Ice Cube & Dr Dre - Natural Born Killaz
posted by oblio_one at 4:25 PM on January 15, 2008

Common -- Testify. Not necessarily about the crime, but about the court trial.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 5:09 PM on January 15, 2008

KRS-One: - "9mm Goes Bang", "Love's Gonna Get'Cha"

Classics.
posted by xbalto at 10:09 PM on January 15, 2008

Some of the Horrorcore genre is like this. 'season of da siccness' by Brotha Lynch Hung especially

also Stan by Eminem.
posted by softlord at 6:25 AM on January 16, 2008

The Coup - Fat Cats, Bigga Fish
posted by jcruelty at 11:38 AM on January 16, 2008

Tales From The Crackside - K-Solo
Renee - Lost Boyz
Renee - K-Solo
Scent of A Robot - Pete Miser
posted by 31d1 at 8:38 PM on January 16, 2008