The 50 Greatest Bay Area Rap Songs

I ran across this article today and I'd thought I'd share it with you all. Incase you're wondering why I'm posting about the Bay Area, that's where I'm from and still reside and we don't get enough shine!! Peep the article below.

The Bay Area has a chip on its shoulder when it comes to hip-hop. Everyone steals Bay Area slang, but the radio won't play Bay Area music. It doesn't help that The Bay's artists never want to deal with major labels, and then cry foul when they don't get spins any further east than Sacramento. This relative isolation has led to a certain kind of creativity, or strangeness, depending on how one sees it. Whether it's E-40's "Woody Woodpecker on crack" voice, Keak da Sneak's smoker's cough gibberish, Mac Dre's ecstasy-twisted dance moves, or Andre Nickatina's apparent obsession with Jungle Book, some of the Bay Area's most celebrated artists are downright bizarre and that's what people love about them.
This alternative approach to rap, in the East Bay especially, has a long tradition outside of street rap, that goes back to Digital Underground, Hieroglyphics, Hobo Junction, and continues today with internet phenomenon Lil B. In the Bay Area, gangsta rap is not all that serious, and serious rap is still really fun. Would the Bay Area give up its strangeness for a shot at the mainstream? We hope not. In any case, here's a primer with The 50 Greatest Bay Area Rap Songs for those who have been missing out. Don't be surprised if you feel like you really missed out; you did.


50. N2Deep- Back To The Hotel (1992)
49. Mc Hammer- U Can't Touch This (1990)
48. The Team-Bottles Up (2006)
47. E-40 Ft. Keak Da Sneak- Tell Me When T0 Go (2006)
46. The Conscious Daughters- Fonky Expedition (1993)
45. B-Legit Ft. Levitti -City To City (1996)
44. Husalah-Sleep With The Fishes(Boom Clap) (2006)
43. Spice 1- 187 Proof (1992)
42. Saafir- Light Sleeper (1994)
41. San Quinn- Shock The Party (1996)
40. Too $hort- Blow The Whistle (1996)
39. E-40 Ft Spice 1, 2Pac & Mac Mall- Dusted & Disgusted (1995)
38. IMP ft. Cellski, Dre Dog & Chuey - Frisco (1993)
37. 11/5- Killahoe (1995)
36. The Coup- Fat Cats, Bigga Fish (1995)
35. Casual- I Didn't Mean To (1994)
34. Lil B The Based God- Pretty B*tch (2009)
33. Too $hort- I'm A Player (1993)
32. Digital Underground- Freaks Of The Industry (1990)
31. Young Lay Ft. Ray Luv & Mac Mall- All About My Fetti (1996)
30. RBL Posse- Don't Give Me No Bammer (1992)
29. Mistah Fab Ft. E-40 & Turf Talk- Super Sic Wit It (2005)
28. Messy Marv- Get On My Hype (2005)
27. The Pack- Vans (2006)
26. Mac Dre- Feelin' Myself (2004)
25. Cellski- Livin' In The Bay (1995)
24. Spice 1- Trigga Got No Heart (1993)
23. TWDY ft. Too $hort- Player's Holiday (1999)
22. Mac Dre Ft. Mac Mall & Miami The Most- Stupid Doo Doo Dumb (1998)
21. The Jacka- Barney(More Crime) (2005)
20. Celly Cell- It's Goin Down (1995)
19. Del- Mistadobalina (1991)
18. Lil Bruce- Mobbin In My Old School (1994)
17. JT The Bigga Figga- Game Recognize Game (1993)
16. Mac Mall- Let's Get A Telly (1996)
15. Andre Nickatina Ft. San Quinn- Ayo (2002)
14. E-40 Ft. Suga T- Sprinkle Me (1995)
13. Too $hort- Freaky Tales (1987)
12. 2Pac Ft. Digital Underground- I Get Around (1993)
11. The Federation- Hyphy & Hyphy Remix (ft E-40) (2004)
10. Dru Down- Pimp Of The year (1994)
9.   Digital Underground- Humpty Dance (1990)
8.   Dre Dog- Smoke Dope And Rap (1993)
7.   Keak Da Sneak- Super Hyphy (2005)
6.   Mac Dre- 2 Hard 4 The F*ckin Radio (1993)
5.   E-40 Ft. The Click- Captain Save A Hoe (1993)
4.   Souls Of Mischief- 93 Til Infinity (1993)
3.   Rappin' 4 Tay- Playaz Club (1994)
2.   Too $hort- Cusswords (1988)
1.   Luniz- I Got 5 On It & I Got 5 On It Remix Ft E-40, Richie Rich & Too $hort (1995)

To get the full description of why these songs were chosen and listen to them head over to Complex