All original photos courtesy of Getty Images/Illustrations by T.L. Smith
Hip hop was really ahead of its time given today’s social media landscape. You don’t have to go far on the Web to find someone using rap lyrics to beef up their online profile.
Rappers like Drake seemingly create verses around punchlines that are destined for Instagram captions. Think: “I live for the nights that I can’t remember, with the people that I won’t forget.”
But rappers have been doing this via other forums for decades. Everyone from Rakim and KRS-One to Biggie and 2pac gave us quotables that could turn into tattoos or fill high school yearbooks.
In ranking the greatest hip hop lines of all time, we took into account their cleverness and level of lyricism. But also we leaned towards lyrics so iconic, they’ve become pop culture fixtures.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Lauryn Hill
From: Fugees’ “Ready or Not” (Verse 2)
Lauryn Hill might be the most underrated rap artist of all time for the simple fact that she belongs in your top 10 and the only reason she isn’t there is because she’s a woman. Right from the start, she was out to prove she was as good, if not better than the boys. And that’s her point on the Fugees “Ready or Not” — letting the guys know they can be fake gangsters, while she’s taking the higher the road in destroying them lyrically.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Jay-Z
From: DJ Khaled’s “I Got Keys” (Verse 2)
There really isn’t much to add here. If you thought Jay-Z could never top his Beyonce-centric line “Got the hottest chick in the game wearing my chain,” you were be wrong.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Prodigy
From: “Keep It Thoro” (Verse 1)
The opening lines to Prodigy’s manifesto as a solo artist are vicious. It’s so blunt and a clear sign that you’re about to listen to one of the hardest tracks in rap history.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: DMX
From: DJ Clue’s “It’s On” (Verse 3)
DMX’s third verse on “It’s On” is a list of warnings that begin with “Never…” And while some represent his life from the streets, none is more universal than the advice to remember your roots. There more than one meaning to the line “Someone will remind you.”
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Rakim
From: “Guess Who’s Back” (Verse 3)
Unlike most emcees that made their bones in the 1980s, Rakim was ahead of his time enough to feel at home in the late 1990s as well. “Guess Who’s Back” was a comeback of sorts and the first first he lets listeners know just how long he’s been the greatest lyricist in hip hop.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Pusha T
From: Kanye West’s “Runaway” (Verse 2)
On the surface, Pusha T doesn’t seem to be stating anything significant on a track that finds Kanye West bearing his soul. But, in truth, this is one of Pusha’s greatest verses, centered on a line about the cost of confusing material gifts with love. Also of note: It’s one of few verses from Pusha that doesn’t feature one line about drugs.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Masta Ace
From: “Pass the Mic” (Verse 4)
On a track also featuring a great verse from KRS-One, it’s Masta Ace who sums up the pride of Black America at a time when one of their own was sitting on top of the country.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Beyonce
From: “Flawless (Remix)” (Verse 1)
It might seem weird to feature an R&B artist on this list, but the swagger is real. Beyonce’s line addressing her relationship drama is so nice, she repeats it twice.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Kool G. Rap
From: Mobb Deep’s “The Realest” (Verse 1)
Kool G. Rap’s verse on “The Realest” is one of the greatest guest appearances in hip hop history. As evidence by it making The Source’s once highly coveted “Hip-Hop Quotable.” Kool G Rap drops the kind of knowledge only old heads can, letting you know bullets don’t discriminate.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: LL Cool J
From: “Mama Said Knock You Out” (Verse 1)
Let’s be clear – “Mama Said Knock You Out” was a comeback for LL Cool J. In the middle of a feud with Kool Moe D and coming off an album that wasn’t received all that well, LL opens the title track from his 1990 album with one of the most iconic statements in rap history.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Kanye West
From: “Last Call” (Verse 2)
“Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips” has an interesting history. It’s stems from a freestyle ‘Ye spit for Dame Dash that suggested he was much more than just a producer. But the mainstream world only heard the line on the finale track of West’s debut album “College Dropout” when he recounts the story of his career. And yes, it still stands as one of the best lines West has ever dropped.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Kool Moe Dee
From: Stop the Violence Movement’s “Self Destruction”
While still relevant, Stop the Violence Movement might seem a bit cheesy by today’s standards. Yet, Kool Moe Dee’s verse is quite poignant with a line questioning black on black violence in an eye-popping way.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Dr. Dre
From: “The Watcher” (Verse 1)
There’s still some debate as to who ghost wrote Dr. Dre’s verses on “The Watcher” — Nas or Eminem (My money is on the former). But it’s clear we’re hearing the work of a genius right from the start. Dre paints the perfect lyrical picture of where he stands in as an elder statesman in hip hop. He almost bests it later on in “The Watcher” with “I ain’t a thug. How much Tupac in you, you got?” The entire verse is fire.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Malice
From: Clipse’s “Grindin'” (Verse 3)
Pusha T’s opening verse on “Grindin'” is a monster, as he was certainly the better lyricist in the rap duo. But don’t sleep on Malice’s whose gritty lines kept the group’s drug-themed raps rooted in reality.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Q-Tip
From: A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhime”
In examining the mainstream surge of hip hop in the early 1990s (specifically, MC Hammer), Q-Tip saved his most poignant line in “Check the Rhime” for the very end. Hip hop was something more than just a fad.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Nicki Minaj
From: Drake’s “Up All Night” (Verse 2)
As the top female emcee in the game, Nicki Minaj had and has her fair share of haters. Thus, in answering the self-imposed question “What I look like?” on Drake’s “Up All Night,” she gives an easy answer that’s hard to argue with.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Raekwon
From: Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.” (Verse 1)
Has their ever been a more iconic line in the history of New York rap than Raekwon’s opening to Wu-Tang Clan’s legendary track? Nah.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: stic.man
From: Dead Prez’s “Hip Hop” (Verse 2)
It’s hard to go against the idea of money. But Dead Prez wasn’t about it, with stic.man asking the kind of question that would make even the most boujee of emcees question their decisions.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Snoop Doggy Dogg
From: Dr. Dre’s “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” (Verse 3)
The number of iconic lines from Snoop Dogg on Dr. Dre’s classic is endless. Yet, while many focus on Snoop’s incredible flow, he showed the ability to slay you with metaphors as well.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Lil’ Kim
From: Puff Daddy & The Family’s “All About The Benjamins” (Verse 4)
The line wouldn’t mean all that much if the verse wasn’t masterful. Thrown on a track with some of the best rhyme spitters of the time, Lil’ Kim delivers the best verse on one of the greatest posse cuts of all time. Thus, making the assertion that she can hang with the men a fact.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
From: “Juicy” (Verse 3)
There are several lines in “Juicy” that describe the journey to hip-hop glory about as well as any song in history. But “I went from negative to positive” remains a rallying cry for anyone trying to make it out of the hood.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Andre 3000
From: Outkast’s “Elevators (Me & You)” (Verse 4)
With Outkast seemingly on top of the world as one of, if not the best group in hip-hop, Andre 3000 used the fourth verse on “Elevators” to remind everyone where things really stood in terms of their grind.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Rakim
From: Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full” (Verse 1)
You can add in the extension “‘Cause ain’t nothing’ but sweat inside my hand.” Either way, Rakim’s opening to “Paid in Full” is the ultimate declaration of motivation and hard work.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Eazy-E
From: “Boyz-n-the Hood” (Verse 1)
This is as much about delivery as anything else. Just watch the scene in “Straight Outta Compton” that recounts the making of “Boyz-n-the Hood.” Yet, it’s also the perfect opener to N.W.A.’s mission to paint lyrical portraits of the hood for mainstream America.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Nas
From: Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque” (Verse 1)
As far as hip hop introductions go, it doesn’t get better than Nas on “Live at the Barbeque.” And there isn’t much to dig into from his classic line here. It’s simply a young emcee stating, in as impactful away as possible, how he isn’t to be messed with.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Lupe Fiasco
From: “Go to Sleep” (Verse 3)
After delivering one hell of a track, Lupe Fiasco caps “Go to Sleep” off with a thought provoking metaphor displaying just how valuable is words are. It’s the ultimate example of a lyricist bragging about his skills while justifying them.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: 50 Cent
From: “Patiently Waiting” (Verse 1)
Not only was 50 Cent shot nine-times, there was a certainly level of mythology to his story. Fiddy’s thuggery seemed heaven sent, which he uses that to beef up the first verse on “Patiently Waiting.”
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Scarface
From: “Born Killer” (Verse 2)
Scarface’s songs could get deep and dark. And his best line ever is a blunt statement about his ability to love, or lack thereof. It lets you know where his emotions stand.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Drake
From: “Over My Dead Body” (Verse 1)
Drake’s lyrics are tailor-made for the Instagram generation. But “Jealousy is just love and hate at the same time” is one of the rare ones that can be understood by any person of any age.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Freddie Foxxx
From: Gang Starr’s “The Militia” (Verse 3)
Freddie Foxxx’s voice is one of the most forceful in hip hop. On “The Militia” he finds some of the perfect metaphors to match it, including comparing a beef to something anyone who’s ever been down on their luck can relate to.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Lauryn Hill
From: “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (Verse 1)
Lauryn Hill could spit harsh rhymes with the best of them. But there was always a sense of poetry in what she was saying. Hence, this beautiful line from one of her biggest singles.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Big Daddy Kane
From: Marley Marl’s “The Symphony” (Verse 4)
On, arguably, the greatest posse cut of all time, Big Daddy Kane steals the show with a classic from old-school hip hop that still holds up today.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Jadakiss
From: “We Gonna Make It” (Verse 3)
This one ranks atop the list of lines that seem like they should be cringe-worthy…if it weren’t sadly 100 percent true.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Jay-Z
From: “D’Evils” (Verse 1)
Jay-Z may not have been the first artist to practice mafioso rap, but he certainly perfected it. There’s a reason his debut “Reasonable Doubt” is held in such high regard. It’s because of lines like this that embody the Scarface mentality hip hop was obsessed with.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Talib Kweli
From: Black Star’s “K.O.S. (Determination)”
Leave it to Talib Kweli to drop lyrics about life that will have you thinking for days. You could essentially pick anything from Black Star’s album or Kweli’s solo albums that could make this list.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
From: “Things Done Changed” (Verse 3)
Biggie’s line about what it takes to get out of the hood was so identifiable, both with urban and suburban audiences, that it made its way into the film “Boiler Room.” It became a universal message for either having the talent or the grind to achieve success when circumstances aren’t ideal.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Prodigy
From: Mobb Deep’s “Survival of the Fittest” (Verse 1)
There are plenty of Prodigy’s lines that could make this list, especially on Mobb Deep’s first album. Think: “My gunshots’ll make you levitate.” But the opening line of “Survival of the Fittest” is as poignant as they get, setting the stage for Mobb Deep’s brand of horrorcore rap.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Tupac Shakur
From: “Hail Mary” (Verse 1)
A lot of people might go to Tupac’s opening on “Hit Em Up” as his most iconic line. But on “Hail Mary,” there’s less of an overreaching swagger. It’s more a powerful warning that everyone that a man has his limits.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Kendrick Lamar
From: “Poetic Justice” (Verse 1)
It’s the kind of line that can (and has) spawned think pieces. Here, Kendrick Lamar questions our youthful attraction to beauty without knowing what’s behind it. The background is even more important than what you see on the surface.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Big Pun
From: “Twinz (Deep Cover 98)” (Verse 1)
As the story goes, Fat Joe had finally thought he bested his protege Big Pun on “Twinz” before hearing the “Dead in the middle of Little Italy…” part of the song. Sorry, Joe. No one was going to top that.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Kanye West
From: “All Falls Down” (Verse 1)
Kanye West isn’t the greatest rapper alive. But he’s a heck of a lyricist, especially when it comes to being vulnerable and capturing the human condition, and our obsession with unattainable wealth or social status.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: KRS-One
From: “Step Into a World (Rapper’s Delight)” (Verse 1)
Many rappers have claimed to be the greatest. But none did it in a more seismic way than KRS-One. As the full rhyme scheme goes: “I’m not sayin’ I’m number one, uh sorry, I lied. I’m number one, two, three, four and five.”
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Common
From: “The Light”
Quite simply, the most beautiful pickup line in hip hop history.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Eminem
From: “Lose Yourself” (Verse 1)
Everyone can recall the “mom’s spaghetti” line. But it’s the opening bars of “Lose Yourself” that truly sum up that feeling when you have a mic in your hand and have to learn the true meaning of being and MC the hard way.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Big L
From: “7 Minute Freestyle” (Verse 3)
There isn’t much to dig into when it comes to classic Big L lines, which could fill a list like this. He was just better at punchlines than virtually everyone who ever did it. Think about the fact that “7 Minute Freestyle” also features Jay-Z, but is considered by just about everyone to be a Big L track.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Ice Cube
From: N.W.A.’s “F*** Tha Police” (Verse 1)
Either of Ice Cube’s first two lines from N.W.A.’s controversial song could rank in this spot. But this one contains one of the most contentious phrases in the history of music.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Nas
From: “N.Y. State of Mind” (Verse 1)
Some of Nas’ lyrics are so poetic you think he was quoting some great philosopher. This is a prime example, as Nas uses something as simple as sleep to show the weight and finality of death. It’s thought provoking.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Lil Wayne
From: “6 Foot 7 Foot” (Verse 2)
It’s unforgettable line, once you get it, which many listeners don’t at first. Lil Wayne uses the art of lyricism to play around with words and give you a double meaning as well as a grammatical lesson.
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Chuck D
From: Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” (Verse 3)
Chuck D knew what he was doing. Public Enemy’s revolutionary music needed to be a shock to the system. So why not take the most celebrated white musician in music history and use him to express just how different the black experience is?
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Don’t Edit
Artist: Jay-Z
From: Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” (Verse 3)
Jay-Z hijacks Kanye West’s “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)” and delivers one of his most iconic lines that seems to get more relevant as time goes on. The man who has become hip hop’s first billionaire is truly a business in himself. And he told us so long ago.
Don’t Edit