6. Master P/Dipset — “Bout It, Bout It”
That’s also part of the charm of “Bout It Bout It.” TheNo Limit general saw the song as the hood’s “national anthem,” which he took from his native Calliope Projects all the way to Harlem, where he linked up with Dipset almost a decade later. Cam'ron and Jim Jones essentially hijacked “Bout It Bout It… , Part III” from Master P, but with classic lines like "snow so white only thing missin' is seven dwarfs," their diplomatic efforts made the world a better place.
5. Meek Mill — “Tony Story”
Like the Philly version of Paid In Full, “Tony Story” is a tale of jealousy, betrayal and revenge. In part one, Tony kills his best friend Ty over a brick before finding himself on the other side of Ty’s cousin Paulie’s gun. In part two, Tony’s little cousin plots revenge on Paulie, only to meet the same fate as Tony and Ty. In part three, Paulie gets ratted out by his girl and winds up in county jail, where Tony’s people await. It's a vicious, never-ending cycle of death that only becomes more gripping through Meek's rhymes.
“Tony Story” has already been turned into a novel and according to Meek’s final line on part three, the upcoming “Tony Story 4” will “be a movie n*gga, literally.” Get the popcorn ready.
4. Rick Ross — “Maybach Music”
Of course, it would come to light that William Leonard Roberts II wasn’t the mobster he made out to be, but there’s no denying the imaginative rhymes and slick flows he brought to the “Maybach Music” series. After all, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League’s cinematic production (on the first four releases, anyway) deserved nothing less than creative license.
“Maybach Music” wasn’t the realest shit Rick Ross ever wrote—we had to wait 11 years and nine albums for that—but fiction is often more enchanting than fact.
3. OutKast — “Da Art of Storytellin’”
Like any good story, there’s a moral to OutKast’s “Da Art of Storytellin'" series. Rape Mama Earth’s heavenly body and she’ll eventually crumble (“Part 2”). Steal from a client like Wanda did on “Knowing” (aka “Part 3”) and expect the dude to “get in your shit!” It’s the basic law of karma, and the only way to reverse bad shit happening to you is to stop doing bad shit.
André 3000 and Big Boi always were great at telling it like it is, then telling it how it could be.
2. Drake — “AM/PM”
Like Kendrick’s “The Heart” series, you can also chart Drake’s evolution through his “AM/PM” series: from the confident yet anxious rookie on “9AM In Dallas” (“what if I don’t really do the numbers they predict?”) to the household name who’s established like the Yankees on “4PM In Calabasas.” Heavy is the head that wears the crown, so it’s no surprise Drake has become more vigilant throughout the series, from putting the little homie Tyga in his place on “6PM In New York” to killing three birds—Diddy, Budden and Meek—with one stone on “4PM In Calabasas.”
Joke all you want about his DeGrassi days, simp anthems and Ja-fake-an accent, there’s no denying Drake can rap with the best of them—when the time and place suit him.
1. Kendrick Lamar — “The Heart”
It’s no wonder “The Heart” series is filled with such emotion when you consider each of the last three songs have been released in the run-up to a new project—“Pt. 2” before Overly Dedicated, “Pt. 3” prior to good kid, m.A.A.d city and “Part 4” ahead of Kendrick’s impending album. All that energy, urgency and anxiety that's been building inside erupts like a volcano on “The Heart” series, manifesting itself in both positive and negative (or necessary) ways; Kendrick is desperate to “make a way for my people to see the light” ("The Heart Pt. 1"), but he's also fighting the urge to “kill you motherfuckers dead" ("Pt. 3").
Not only hip-hop's greatest song series, “The Heart” series also provides a fascinating snapshot of Kendrick Lamar’s journey from a “lil Compton n*gga” to “the greatest rapper alive.”
- “I’m Bout It, Bout It” ft. Mia X (1995)
- “Bout It, Bout It II” ft. Mia X (1996)
- “Bout It Bout It… , Part III” ft. Master P (2002) (The Diplomats)
That’s also part of the charm of “Bout It Bout It.” TheNo Limit general saw the song as the hood’s “national anthem,” which he took from his native Calliope Projects all the way to Harlem, where he linked up with Dipset almost a decade later. Cam'ron and Jim Jones essentially hijacked “Bout It Bout It… , Part III” from Master P, but with classic lines like "snow so white only thing missin' is seven dwarfs," their diplomatic efforts made the world a better place.
5. Meek Mill — “Tony Story”
- “Tony Story” (2011)
- “Tony Story Pt. 2” (2012)
- “Tony Story 3” (2016)
Like the Philly version of Paid In Full, “Tony Story” is a tale of jealousy, betrayal and revenge. In part one, Tony kills his best friend Ty over a brick before finding himself on the other side of Ty’s cousin Paulie’s gun. In part two, Tony’s little cousin plots revenge on Paulie, only to meet the same fate as Tony and Ty. In part three, Paulie gets ratted out by his girl and winds up in county jail, where Tony’s people await. It's a vicious, never-ending cycle of death that only becomes more gripping through Meek's rhymes.
“Tony Story” has already been turned into a novel and according to Meek’s final line on part three, the upcoming “Tony Story 4” will “be a movie n*gga, literally.” Get the popcorn ready.
4. Rick Ross — “Maybach Music”
- “Maybach Music” ft. Jay Z (2008)
- “Maybach Music 2” ft. Kanye West, Lil Wayne & T-Pain (2009)
- “Maybach Music III” ft. T.I., Jadakiss & Erykah Badu (2010)
- “Maybach Music IV” ft. Ne-Yo (2012)
- “Maybach Music V” ft. DeJ Loaf (2017)
Of course, it would come to light that William Leonard Roberts II wasn’t the mobster he made out to be, but there’s no denying the imaginative rhymes and slick flows he brought to the “Maybach Music” series. After all, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League’s cinematic production (on the first four releases, anyway) deserved nothing less than creative license.
“Maybach Music” wasn’t the realest shit Rick Ross ever wrote—we had to wait 11 years and nine albums for that—but fiction is often more enchanting than fact.
3. OutKast — “Da Art of Storytellin’”
- “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 1)” ft. Slick Rick (1998)
- “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Pt. 2)” (1998)
- “Knowing” (2003)
- “The Art of Storytellin’ Part 4” ft. OutKast & Marsha Ambrosius (2007) (DJ Drama)
Like any good story, there’s a moral to OutKast’s “Da Art of Storytellin'" series. Rape Mama Earth’s heavenly body and she’ll eventually crumble (“Part 2”). Steal from a client like Wanda did on “Knowing” (aka “Part 3”) and expect the dude to “get in your shit!” It’s the basic law of karma, and the only way to reverse bad shit happening to you is to stop doing bad shit.
André 3000 and Big Boi always were great at telling it like it is, then telling it how it could be.
2. Drake — “AM/PM”
- “9AM In Dallas” (2010)
- “5AM In Toronto” (2013)
- “6PM In New York” (2015)
- “4PM In Calabasas” (2016)
Like Kendrick’s “The Heart” series, you can also chart Drake’s evolution through his “AM/PM” series: from the confident yet anxious rookie on “9AM In Dallas” (“what if I don’t really do the numbers they predict?”) to the household name who’s established like the Yankees on “4PM In Calabasas.” Heavy is the head that wears the crown, so it’s no surprise Drake has become more vigilant throughout the series, from putting the little homie Tyga in his place on “6PM In New York” to killing three birds—Diddy, Budden and Meek—with one stone on “4PM In Calabasas.”
Joke all you want about his DeGrassi days, simp anthems and Ja-fake-an accent, there’s no denying Drake can rap with the best of them—when the time and place suit him.
1. Kendrick Lamar — “The Heart”
- “The Heart Pt. 1” (2010)
- “The Heart Pt. 2” ft. Dash Snow (2010)
- “The Heart Pt. 3” ft. Ab-Soul & Jay Rock (2012)
- “The Heart Part 4” (2017)
It’s no wonder “The Heart” series is filled with such emotion when you consider each of the last three songs have been released in the run-up to a new project—“Pt. 2” before Overly Dedicated, “Pt. 3” prior to good kid, m.A.A.d city and “Part 4” ahead of Kendrick’s impending album. All that energy, urgency and anxiety that's been building inside erupts like a volcano on “The Heart” series, manifesting itself in both positive and negative (or necessary) ways; Kendrick is desperate to “make a way for my people to see the light” ("The Heart Pt. 1"), but he's also fighting the urge to “kill you motherfuckers dead" ("Pt. 3").
Not only hip-hop's greatest song series, “The Heart” series also provides a fascinating snapshot of Kendrick Lamar’s journey from a “lil Compton n*gga” to “the greatest rapper alive.”
