Three For the Road - Hip Hop

As I was taking care of me weekly grocery shopping, I strolled through the magazine department to look at my usual favorites (Car & Driver, Men's Health, Rolling Stone, etc.) when I saw the cover of the newest Rolling Stone magazine featuring the 50 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.  The top portion of the chart is filled with many old school rap, which, like most Rolling Stone charts, plays ode to pioneers and ground breakers.  So this led me to my "Three for the Road" for today.  Three hip-hop songs.  I excluded all Beastie Boys songs, out of an unfair bias.  Still, I had a hard time whittling down the list to just three.  So, with all respect to Jay Z and Kanye West, who both JUST missed out with "Jesus Walks" & "Big Pimpin'" respectfully, here are my three.

 "Peter Piper" - Run-DMC. 
I practically wore out my Raising Hell cassette, not because of "Walk the Way," but because of this song.  So much of the newer hip-hop owes respect to Jam Master Jay for sampling so many classics that show up in today's rap world: the bell, video games, and some fine scratching.  Awesome!   

"Can't Truss It" - Public Enemy
Truly one of the pioneering hip-hop groups.  So powerful.  Chuck D.'s vocals are so booming, intertwined with the playful interjections of Flavor Flav.  Mix that with the live presentation of Professor Griff, and the mixing of Terminator X, and this group was the coolest around.  I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb listening to this, but you cannot go against greatness.  Most people do not choose a song form their later catalog, but it's quality.  The video was also a solid and striking one.  I still get ticked when I see the baby, and it's the slave masters!

"My Mind's Playing Trick's on Me" - Geto Boys
In my mind, this is the greatest hip-hop song of all time.  Gald to see it got soem respect form RS, coming in at #5. Scarface tells about how he is delusional and cannot handle his new day to day life.  He was supposed to do all three verses, but then Bushwick Bill comes through with a gem.  This group was so hardcore, that when Bill suffered a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the eye, the boys met him at the hospital and posed for a photo that would later become the cover art for the album.