Whatsup everyone! I hope you’re having a fabulous Tuesday! It’s very snowy in Akron, Ohio today – what’s the weather like where you’re at?? So earlier this week I noticed that when I talk about music, I rarely mention anything from the rap genre. Contrary to popular belief (people usually classify me as a strictly indie/punk/alt girl), I like quite a bit of rap, so I decided to do an iTunes Shuffle segment specifically for the rap genre. Here’s a few of my go to rap songs when I want to unleash my inner gangster, who’s peacefully slumbering as we speak. Don’t make fun of me too hard for a few of these!

Trinidad James – “All Gold Everything”: LOL pleeease judge me for this one! Don’t believe me, just watch….me dance and sing poorly to this song. During a show I did a few years ago, this song was the straight up theme song for me and a few of my cast mates, so whenever I hear this track it takes me back to the theater! If you don’t rap along to “shout out to the freshmen, on Instagram straight flexin. Popped a molly I’m sweatin (WOO!)” then we can’t be friends. 🙂 #JAMES

Rick Ross ft. Jay-Z – “The Devil is A Lie”: This is actually one of my favorite rap songs, and it has been for the past year or so. I pride myself on knowing all the lyrics to this song, and seeing me rap along to it is TRULY a sight for sore eyes. 😉 I usually don’t care for Rick Ross on an individual level but I very much like his collaborations with other rappers (which is the exact same way I feel about Nicki Minaj). Jay-Z absolutely ANNIHILATES his verse. Hova always kills it in my opinion, but my god do I love his feature in this song. The beat is sick and the lyrics kill. 10/10

Cage – “Captain Bumout”: I absolutely LOVE Cage. I’ve been going on a four year relationship with him in my mind, and we’ve never been happier. What I like so much about this song (asides from the fact that it was the first Cage song I heard), is that it sounds so alternative to me, specifically in the chorus and I really dig that. I like Cage’s newer stuff, but his older albums particularly “Movies for the Blind” is the one that really hits a home run for me. I like how much this album dabbles into horrorcore with the prime example of “Suicidal Failure” which is another one of my favorite Cage songs. Not too many people I know are familiar with Cage, and if you’re not – I urge you to familiarize yourself with him immediately.

Tyler, The Creator – “Goblin”: Yes. Hell yes. I love the same titled album “Goblin” and this song fucking goes IN. I’ll never forget this one time I was driving home from a rehearsal fairly late one night. It was pitch black and it was raining like hell and I had this song straight bumping in my car. It was this really amazing moment because the weather and that pure middle of the night darkness made the perfect background for playing such a dark song. There’s just SO much working in this almost seven minute banger, particularly the lyrics. “I’m fucked in the head, I lost my mind with my virginity.” God, that’s good. I love how this song is a vent session, and even though I might not have similar feelings or situations that Tyler is rapping about, I feel like I can relate anyway. That’s when you know a song is powerful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evFc-ZghWME

Yelawolf – “Daddy’s Lambo”: I. Love. Yelawolf. First things first: hubba hubba, lord have mercy, and marry me now. Second of all: Homeboy spits FIRE. Yelawolf gets compared to Eminem so often, and I can see why – but I’m gonna throw this out there: I don’t care too much for Eminem. One can only handle so much of him being angry and bitter towards his mother and ex-wife. And don’t even get me started on how often he mentions his daughter. -___- Anyways, I like how much fun Yelawolf has with his music, it’s evident in all of his tracks and I appreciate that. Shout out to Drama Beats for laying it down in this song as well. He’s representing Ohio like no other!

Kid Cudi – “Ashin’ Kusher”: Another guy who’s doing Ohio proud! #represent This song is one of my absolute FAVORITE songs to drive to. It’s so catchy and the lyrics are fun as hell. “Who are you, JUDY?!” Ugh, love it. I like Kid Cudi a lot, and I feel like he’s one of those rappers that people who don’t care too much for rap music like anyways. This song is upbeat but it somehow feels so mellow. It’s the perfect song to do some slow head nodding to. I also absolutely love his song “Maniac” that features Cage. So good.

Kanye West – “Blood On The Leaves”: This is one of my all time favorite Kanye West songs. I’ll never forget the first time I heard this and was just blown away. The lyrics are fantastic and it gives such a dark vibe which is always what I’m drawn to. I know the lyrics to this song like the back of my hand, and I somehow always manage to get a bit teary eyed when he says “it’s like I don’t even know ya” which is the perfect sentiment of the disappointment I’ve felt towards many people in my life. “Yeezus” was a hit and miss album for me, but this song made up for all of the misses in a way. Bravo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0QcxWPB59o

Chris Brown ft. T-Pain – “Kiss Kiss”: I told you not to make fun of me too hard for some of the songs on here! Ha, I don’t even care, I love this song. I was fourteen when this song came out, and it takes me back to driving with my sister when she first got her license and this song would play on the radio ALL THE TIME. We would sing poorly to the Chris Brown verses and rap our asses off once T-Pain stepped in. “Shorty let me holla at you, YOU SO HOT HOT HOT HOT!!!” Lol, I can’t even….but I really can.

Nicki Minaj ft. Eminem – “Roman’s Revenge”: Yeah yeah, I know I said I don’t care too much for Eminem or Ms. Minaj but I love this song. SUE ME FOR IT!!! Honestly, “Pink Friday” wasn’t one of the worst albums I’ve heard in my life, and I really do like some of her darker stuff, not that poppy bullshit that’s played on the radio constantly. The lyrics from both her and Em are raw as hell, disgusting, dark, twisted and I shouldn’t love it but I do. I was in high school when “Pink Friday” came out, and me and one of my dear friends at the time would always play this song on the bus and rap along to it. Whenever I’m driving with my sister we tend to do the same thing as well. I dig it. What of it?

Big Sean ft. Kanye West and Roscoe Dash – “Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay”: If you say you don’t like this song, you’re a liar. Plain and simple. I think Big Sean is absolutely hysterical, everything he does just cracks me up. So many of his lyrics are just so goofy! This song is smooth, fun, and the beat is bangin. It’s a great collaboration, and all of the artists just work so well together in this track. Love it. #IDFWU

So there you have it, my iTunes Shuffle: Rap Edition! This doesn’t even begin to cover all of the artists and songs that I like in such a broad genre, but it’s a start! Who’s your favorite rapper? What’s one of your favorite rap albums? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Tuesday! -Sarah