The Biggest Rap Hits Of 2007

  A moment in history can often be defined by the popular music that accompanies it; who, after all, could imagine the 1960s without the Beatles, or the early 1990s without Nirvana? Music speaks volumes about a society: where it’s been, what it values, and where it’s going. So decades from now, when historians look back on the year 2007, which songs will stand out as having captured the zeitgeist and best represented that moment in time? After much thought and deliberation, these are TrendPimp’s choices for the 10 songs that truly ruled hip-hop in 2007:

“Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy
  While hip-hop purists and music critics alike dismissed the track as a perfect example of everything that’s wrong with rap music today (particularly the meaningless lyrics), that didn’t stop “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” from becoming an international smash hit and topping the Billboard Hot 100 charts. But what really makes this a defining song of 2007, apart from its phenomenal success on pop radio stations, is the way in which 17-year-old Soulja Boy produced and distributed his music: he recorded all of his songs using the home audio program FL Studio, and rapidly gained popularity by distributing his songs on websites like YouTube and MySpace. Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” made a major splash on the charts and helped redefine the way young artists release their material.

“The Heart Gently Weeps” by Wu-Tang Clan
  The first single off of Wu-Tang Clan’s first album in 6 years is as grandiose and tightly-produced as one would expect from the triumphant return of RZA and the rest of the Clan. Built on the Beatles song “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ John Frusciante on lead guitar, Dhani Harrison – son of deceased Beatle George Harrison – on rhythm guitar, and vocals from R&B queen Erykah Badu, “The Heart Gently Weeps” isn’t necessarily the type of song that most people would immediately associate with the grimy, street-wise Wu-Tang Clan. Regardless, the song comes together beautifully courtesy of RZA’s masterful production skills, and will no doubt stand the test of time as one of Wu-Tang Clan’s most original tracks.

“Stronger” by Kanye West
  Kanye West is the type of artist who can produce top 40 hits in his sleep, so it was no surprise that when he got hold of a sample as good as Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” a hit single would be the result. Featuring the massive boasts (“bow down in the presence of greatness,” Kanye raps) and attentive production that have defined Kanye West’s career, “Stronger” is Kanye at his best and will inevitably go down as one of the biggest hits of his career.

“Big Shit Poppin’ (Do It)” by T.I.
  How does a rapper at the peak of his career succesfully follow up a smash hit like “What You Know”? If you’re T.I., you borrow a guitar sample from the Top Gun movie soundtrack, add a pounding beat that could blow out the best subwoofers in the world, and lyrically build on it in the context of a concept album in which you suffer from a serious case of split-personality disorder. While the aforementioned things may not be conventional recipes for success, T.I. pulled them all off perfectly, making “Big Shit Poppin’” one of 2007’s best songs period and helping make his fifth album, T.I. vs T.I.P., a Grammy-nominated success story.

“Ayo Technology” by 50 Cent
  After becoming embroiled in a very public professional rivalry with fellow rapper Kanye West and vowing that his upcoming album Curtis would out-sell Kanye’s Graduation in first-week sales (both albums shared the same release date), 50 Cent found himself in a heap of trouble when the first three singles off of Curtis flopped on the charts. But he had an ace up his sleeve: a Timbaland-produced synth track featuring Justin Timberlake called “Ayo Technology,” which proved to be a much-needed hit for the struggling 50 Cent, peaking at number 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the U.K charts. So while Curtis ultimately failed to out-sell Graduation, “Ayo Technology” nevertheless proved that 50 Cent could still put out a major club hit.

“Blue Magic” by Jay-Z
  On this track about the heroin trade from Jay-Z’s recent concept album American Gangster, Jay takes the listener right back to 1970s Harlem with samples from the movie of the same name, a simple yet effective Neptunes-produced beat and a twist on En Vogue’s “Hold On” sung by none other than Neptune producer Pharrell Williams. It may not be the best single of Jay’s career, but it is a good representation of an all-round solid album.

“Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” by UGK
  After rapper Pimp C, one half of the Texas-based hip-hop duo UGK, was released from prison in 2005 after nearly four years behind bars, fans of the group’s unique take on Southern rap were waiting in anticipation for UGK’s next record. When it finally dropped in August 2007, UGK (Underground Kingz) debuted at the top of the billboard charts, largely riding on the success of “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You),” a catchy DJ Paul & Juicy J-produced track featuring fellow Southern rappers Outkast. With Pimp C’s unexpected death on December 4th and the presumed dissolution of UGK as a result of his passing, the track is even more relevant because it is – sadly – likely to be the group’s last hit song.

“This Is Why I’m Hot” by Mims
  While Washington Heights-based rapper Mims claims that he aspires to “bring back New York hip-hop,” the single that came about from this desire – “This Is Why I’m Hot” – sounds like anything but New York rap. With lyrics inane enough to rival “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” in terms of sheer meaninglessness and a simple, repetitive hook, “This Is Why I’m Hot” sounds more like an attempt to mimic Southern crunk-based hip-hop than an attempt at re-establishing the classic New York rap sound of groups like Wu-Tang Clan and Mobb Deep. In spite of its apparent contradictions, “This Is Why I’m Hot” topped the Billboard singles charts and got major airplay on pop radio stations, earning it an undeniable place as one of the biggest rap songs of 2007 and establishing Mims as a mainstream rapper.

“Buy U a Drank (Shorty Snappin’)” by T-Pain
  While musically sounding more like R&B than rap, “Buy U a Drank (Shorty Snappin’)” nevertheless figures into the rap music equation as a result of rapper Yung Joc’s skilled appearance on the track, as well as the fact that T-Pain’s singing verses reference a plethora of other recent rap artists, including 50 Cent, Lil Jon and Lil Scrappy. “Buy U a Drank” helped push Florida-based singer T-Pain’s sophomore album Epiphany to a surprising #1 debut on the Billboard album charts, out-selling female singer Rihanna’s new album and proving that T-Pain could truly move records off of store shelves.

“Wouldn’t Get Far” by The Game
  Featuring much more light-hearted and satirical themes than the street bangers usually made by L.A. rapper The Game, “Wouldn’t Get Far” pokes fun at several prominent hip-hop video vixens – the so-called “eye candy” of rap videos – and the things they have allegedly done to get ahead in the industry. Produced by – and featuring – Kanye West, “Wouldn’t Get Far” sports a sample from Creative Source's "I'd Find You Anywhere" and a smaller sample from 2Pac’s “All Bout U”. “Wouldn’t Get Far” may not have necessarily been the best song off of Game’s Doctor’s Advocate album, but it was undoubtedly the funniest.

About the author:

  Curtis is a writer specializing in politics, popular media and the entertainment industry. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, he graduated from Kwantlen University College with an Arts degree in 2006 and is now a contributing editor at TrendPimp magazine. His online portfolio can be found at CurtisSpring.com.