A high production value and an industrial feel throughout much of the song impart an engagingly chaotic and progressive feel to the song.
6. MC Lyte is one of the few successful female rappers. In "Paper Thin" MC Lyte raps over minimalist music that includes just the beats and the occasional sound of a synthesized but unidentifiable instrument playing an eerie melody. Lyte tells the story of a jilted lover, with an overall theme of empowerment. Occasional encouragement from background vocals and a chorus of "ooooh" refer to African music. MC Lyte also draws gender issues into the repertoire of rap lyrics.
7. The Beastie Boys "Paul Revere" stands out because of the reverse-played scratch sound. Synthesized maracas add sonic texture, but the focal point is the amusing story. "Paul Revere" is one of many New York area rap songs denoting a shift of content away from love of music to violence and street culture. Although humorous, the song has a darker tone. The song also builds up a lot of tension because a chorus never really comes in for most of the song. It's just the reverse-played scratch that creates the killer beat with loads of texture. "Paul Revere" boasts an interesting song structure with innovative sounds.
8. Run DMC's "My Adidas" shows how hip-hop culture blended popular culture and consumerism into its lyrics. The drum machine sounds used in the song would sound cheesy in a modern production...
"My Adidas" is interesting because it relies on a traditional rock song structure including verses and a chorus about "My Adidas." The Run DMC rappers describe how clothing and jewelry became a part of hip-hop and therefore point to the beginnings of the commercial hip-hop style. Scratch is used only for accents, and the bass is mixed low.
9. If Run DMC rapped about materialism in "My Adidas," Public Enemy show that political critiques and social commentary continued to characterize early rap music. Referring to a number of different social and political problems ranging from Iran to guns on the street, "Rebel without a Pause" has a chaotic feel. The song is not just about politics, however. Public Enemy also raps about the Def Jam record label. Live audience sounds at the beginning and end of the song draw from rock and roll.
10. Oakland, California produced one of the pioneers of early hip-hop, too Short. Too Short's eponymous song "Life is Too Short" uses electro bass lines and drum machine as well as low-key and lo fi lyrics. Too Short raps about his spending "eight years on the mike" and working hard to make a name for himself in the music business. He mentions "money and fancy things" but only in relation to musical career success. Revealing the philosophy behind his name, Too Short inspires other aspiring rappers and advises them to give up on the dream.
