Comments on: Murder Ballads with a beat?

Question: Murder Ballads with a beat?

Bookhouse — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:46:36 -0800

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.

By: majick

majick — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:59:28 -0800

The first thing that comes to mind is the classic "6 'N The Mornin'".

By: good in a vacuum

good in a vacuum — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:01:48 -0800

How about "The Setup" by Obie Trice?

By: cowbellemoo

cowbellemoo — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:03:33 -0800

Tricky - Bad Dream [Lyrics]

By: burnmp3s

burnmp3s — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:05:44 -0800

Children's Story by Slick Rick is a classic.

By: cowbellemoo

cowbellemoo — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:07:42 -0800

That reminds me...
Morcheeba - Women Lose Weight (feat. Slick Rick)

By: nameless.k

nameless.k — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:14:51 -0800

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.

By: nameless.k

nameless.k — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:16:15 -0800

Run by Ghostface Killah

By: clh

clh — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:16:18 -0800

uh... R Kelly
Trapped in Closet

or is that not really a "song"?

By: clh

clh — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:17:43 -0800

Grrr...

Trapped in THE Closet

By: Jofus

Jofus — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:18:38 -0800

Ice Cube - "A Chick From The Projects" from his first solo album.

By: yerfatma

yerfatma — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:22:28 -0800

Ugly Duckling, The Confrontation (I believe that's the right one, no lyrics online).

By: thinman

thinman — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:41:36 -0800

Hardly current, but "Midnight" by Ice-T seems to fit the bill.

By: robotdog

robotdog — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:42:22 -0800

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

By: creasy boy

creasy boy — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:44:03 -0800

Big L, "Casualties of a Dice Game" and "The Heist".

By: peacecorn

peacecorn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:45:08 -0800

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.

By: creasy boy

creasy boy — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:45:37 -0800

Also on "Bloody Chain" MF Doom and some guy Poison Pen tell a story from two different perspectives.

By: kidbritish

kidbritish — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:54:00 -0800

Seconding Immortal Technique's Dance With The Devil.

By: buddha9090

buddha9090 — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:54:03 -0800

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?

By: rhizome

rhizome — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:04:49 -0800

The entire "Ghost Dog" soundtrack.

By: waraw

waraw — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:10:41 -0800

MC 900 Ft Jesus' "Adventures In Failure"

Public Enemy "Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos"

Ice-T "Midnight"

By: neilkod

neilkod — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:14:33 -0800

6 in the morning by Ice-T

Murder was the case by Snoop

By: milarepa

milarepa — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:38:02 -0800

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.)

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:39:46 -0800

Peel Their Caps Back - Ice T.

By: cashman

cashman — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:42:06 -0800

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.

By: cashman

cashman — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:26:09 -0800

Scarface - Conspiracy Theory (2000)

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:59:32 -0800

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

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:20:11 -0800

Thanks for all the answers. To give an answer to my own question, I'd also add "Walk Around" on the new Ghostface.

By: oblio_one

oblio_one — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:25:30 -0800

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

By: flibbertigibbet

flibbertigibbet — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:09:22 -0800

Common -- Testify. Not necessarily about the crime, but about the court trial.

By: xbalto

xbalto — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:09:41 -0800

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

Classics.

By: softlord

softlord — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:25:49 -0800

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

also Stan by Eminem.

By: jcruelty

jcruelty — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:38:25 -0800

The Coup - Fat Cats, Bigga Fish

By: 31d1

31d1 — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:38:33 -0800

Tales From The Crackside - K-Solo
Renee - Lost Boyz
Renee - K-Solo
Scent of A Robot - Pete Miser