Hip Hop Week- Tuesday: Top 10 Party-Starters

Top 10 Classic Party-Starting Hip Hop Songs Of All Time

10. "Tell Me When To Go"- E40. "Jesus Christ had dreads, so shake 'em/ I ain't got none, but I'm plannin' on growin' some/ Imagine all the Hebrews goin' dumb/ Dancin' on top of chariots and turnin' tight ones." Enough said. (Hyphy is so awesome!) (In case you don't know what "goin' dumb" is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dozc0-Jbye8. Feel free to imagine Jesus.)
9. "Back That Azz Up"- Juvenile. It definitely creeps me out when girls sing along to this song, but they inevitably do. And you kind of have to. To be honest, I'm not crazy about Juvie's rapping on this one (ending every phrase in in "yeah" does not count as rhyming, home boy) but that hi-hat beat is siiiiick. And yeah, this is the perfect song to do The Worm to (my signature dance move [shoutout to 2007!]).
8. "California Love"-Tupac. (imagine my former boss, a very tall, very conservative, very German man, watching this in his office: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWOsbGP5Ox4 and totally loving it. [if you like what you see, Guitar Center is hiring!])
6. "Got Your Money"- Ol' Dirty Bastard. No, ODB can not rap his way out of a paper bag. Yes, he has less rhythm than... um, anyone, ever. As far as both swagger and sensibility, he's the rap equivalent of a crazy, senile grandfather. But I ain't mad at ya, ODB. My favorite part is when he screams at his backup singers: "SING IT! SING IT RIGHT NOW!" Throw this on at your next party, or "bitch, I'll cripple yo' style." (Not to be all scene, but I think you should hear Say Anything's cover if you haven't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV4Wisu5bXM if only for comedic value.)
5. "We Run This"- Missy Elliott. Don't hate on Misdemeanor. Don't you remember how she brought the pain on "Lady Marmalade?" Missy is the First Lady of Swagger... and, most importantly, you have to love ANYTHING that samples "Apache." (Incidentally, best thing on Youtube right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFGzGfym-7Y) No, Sir Mix-a-Lot did not invent that genius hook for "Jump On It."
4. "Rollin' With My Homies"- Coolio. "I think we should do a lap before we commit to a location." Shoutout. But seriously: (this is a true story): once I was driving on a snowy night, HIT A CAR, and still was having a good time because I WAS LISTENING TO THIS SONG. Recipe for the perfect vibe at a party: just add "Rollin' With My Homies." Purple clogs optional.
3. "Return Of The Mack"- Mark Morrison. I find that this song is not only a fantastic party-starter, but also a perfect first song for driving with people you don't know very well. In terms of bonding and friendship-forming mechanisms, it's like the auditory equivalent of a Jager Bomb. I think it serves as an instrument for a happy regression back to our childhoods: the Jock Jams days.
2. "Ride Wit Me"- Nelly. I know when I'm rollin' with my crew and everyone does the requisite shout-along with "heyyyyy, must be the mon-ay!" it feels fucking AWESOME. It wouldn't feel any better than if you were actually IN the back of the Ben-z, smokin' L's with Nelly and his crew.
1. "Yeah"- Usher. Is there any other song that could get you, your mom, your grandma, your little brother, your drunk aunt, your Christian aunt, and your cousin Cory and his "roommate" all equally bumpin' on the dance floor at weddings?! No. This is the PERFECT party song... after all, it's really easy to say "yeah!" over and over again when you're wasted.

Your urbandictioary.com word for Tuesday, Oct 20:
"1. triflin' (adj): Consistantly lying. Always up to no good. Sneaky. Suspect. Whorish. Always scheming. Conniving. (Should never be trusted)
Maarij Jathiyah is too triflin - he's steady off the tryin to be slick tip."
-thejunkie