Macklemore - Thrift Shop
This dude won a Grammy for best rap album. Won a GRAMMY for BEST RAP ALBUM!! Yes, you read that correct. The guy that goes to thrift shops across the country looking for grandpa-looking strap on shoes and fluffy fur coats to go and ride on his teal colored high handle-barred bicycle. Believe in yourself kids. Anything can happen (sorry Kendrick).
Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina
Here's a case of a short termed big time superstar that also had another big hit that you've heard of if your parents are old farts like mine, (Wild Thing) also by Tone Loc. When you're young, hip and have as good a sense for cool as it gets, this might not seem like your average everyday Drake or Wayne single, but back then this is what was in. Tone Loc was known for his mixture of rock and rap, and it's evident with the use of guitar in "Funky Cold Medina" and "Wild Thing", which are widely regarded as his 2 biggest hits.
Baby Got Back - Sir Mix-A-Lot
This list wouldn't even have been a thought if it weren't for this song. Who doesn't know this song? I haven't heard it on the radio in quite awhile if ever, but would I be surprised if I heard it? Absolutely not. Arguably the biggest booty anthem (and if it isn't Nicki Minaj certainly sampled it into one), you could probably put it on a list for most popular songs of all time in any genre, not just rap, this is certainly the easiest choice on this list. You could almost say this song has set the precedent for not only how people view rap, but also one of the the first songs people think of when they think of parodies.
Riff Raff - Tip Toe Wing In My Jawwdinz
If there's any dude in the rap game today that nobody takes seriously (or that I really hope you wouldn't at least), it's Riff Raff. This dude's entire career is a parody. There's no denying that he has some sort of ability to freestyle whether you respect his skills or not, and if you don't know you can check out any of his radio show freestyles (Shade 45 with Sway, etc.). The weirdest thing about Riff Raff is that he has a rare disease called synesthesia, where he is able to hear colors and smell sound (no joke, look it up if you don't know, it's actually extremely fascinating), which means he associates sounds and musical notes with different colors and smells, which could almost explain his musical voice and abilities.
Biz Markie - Just A Friend
The Biz with this jam (teehee) is pretty short and sweet. "Just A Friend" includes an incredibly catchy drum beat with an almost nursery rhyme-like piano, and Biz's voice and seemingly slurred-word rapping style just adds to the hilarity of it all. The best part is the god-awful hook Biz lays down, though. You want to say he's singing, but you almost legally can't.
You really could say that parody songs have given people a new outlook on rap. When it comes to the older jams like "Just A Friend" and "Funky Cold Medina" (or any older rap songs viewed as parodies for that matter), people may not have seen these songs as a parody at the time, but looking back they say "wow I can't believe this was big back in the day." It's certainly a growing process thinking about rap's timeline, and today is no different. The only debatable difference I see myself is that today rap is living on a much grander scale and has so much more of an influence than it did during its come up in the late 70s and 80s. You have to be able to make fun of yourself to grow properly though, and whether it seems like rap has gotten to that point yet or not, you can't argue that it's getting there. So make sure you're able to laugh and appreciate things while you can.
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