Best Parody Rap Songs

I probably take a lot of stuff way too seriously. I mean it, like, seriously bro. One of these things would definitely be my music. If you start dissing my music, you better be ready to start throwing hands. One pretty cool aspect about music though is that it can bring out all sides of a person. Whether you're super happy, nervous about a particular situation, enraged and want to let off some steam, or maybe you're just down on yourself for whatever reason, music is the ultimate therapy for any and every person alike. Rap music just happens to be the bomb diggity for just about any given situation, but I thought it would be good to look at one particular type of song that stands out more than others. Without further ado, I give you the best parody rap songs (by "parody" rap songs I mean actual rap songs that may seem like a parody at this point and time, so if you're looking for Weird Al Yankovic type songs, you'll probably be disappointed). (*Disclaimer: I do not own any of these videos, songs, or the rights to them*.)

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.            

  
  
      
















  

Why Snow Tha Product Is the Best Femcee

It seems like whenever a girl is on the come up in rap, they're never taken seriously at first, if ever. Few chicks in rap today get the attention they deserve (at least because of their music). For whatever reason that may be, this particular femcee (yeah, that's a twist on the phrase "female emcee", do you like it?  I read it somewhere and I'm using it from now on) could be the one to change that. Her name is Snow Tha Product, and if you don't know who she is, you're about to. I had been introduced to her briefly (one feature verse) before, but the Latina femcee definitely earned my attention.

So obviously if you tuned into the BET Awards, and you're like me, the only reason you really watched was because of the cyphers. Of course it's depressing knowing no cypher will measure up to the 2011 edition featuring the monstrous Shady 2.0 cypher, I watch every year just to see if anyone worthy of watching is participating. This year was certainly another disappointment, but there's always that 1 or couple of verses that you hear and you're left wondering:  just how in the hell have I not heard of this artist before?  Well, now knowing Logic is as underrated as it gets, the other verse that caught my attention was Snow's. This chick got on spitting ridiculous, keeping up with the best of the best, even had a point where she got off some Spanish bars!  After I saw this I knew she was the real deal and like a drug, I needed to have more.

And I certainly wasn't disappointed in what I'd found. A datpiff.com search came up with 3 mix tapes, and like the thorough researcher I think I am, I checked out all 3. Her first effort, Run Up Or Shut Up, was the typical first mix tape you'd hear from an artist on the come up. Iffy production, an over saturation of party tracks, and talks of haters and "shwag" (another new word, but one I like to think I've created, it's pretty much the parody of "swag" and the realization of how dumb the word "swag" really is). Her second mix tape, Good Nights & Bad Mornings, was exactly the potential I believed Snow could reach put into musical form. She comes with a more aggressive style, better production, a better quality in music including more topics and subject matter, and her competitive and confident attitude takes full swing. It's safe to say Snow found her voice on this project. Her third mix tape, Good Nights & Bad Mornings 2: The Hangover, is certainly a continuation of the great music she made on the first edition of the series, the only difference being the addition of some big name features including Ty Dolla $ign, Dizzy Wright, Trae The Truth, Cyhi The Prynce and Riff Raff.

So looking into her music, I was certainly impressed (and I'll be downloading some key tracks from those mix tapes, I'll admit). I cant say I had expectations going in, but if I did Snow has far exceeded them. She definitely made an impression on me with her mix tapes, but an impression being made on me in terms of lyricism, flow, and proving that you're a good rapper is a completely different story. You can make good music without being the "kill you on your own track" type of rapper. To me, this sort of thing shows true ability and the aspect of competitiveness that takes a rapper farther than their abilities alone, and if there was one track I needed to hear to have Snow prove her abilities to me, this would be it.

Ummm... alright. Ms. Tha Product, is it?  You have my full attention. Normally any one rapper (man or woman) being featured on a Crook song doesn't get my attention because, well, I know what Crooked I can do. He's Crooked I. What else need be said?  No other verse I've ever heard on the same song as Crooked I having a verse has come even close lyrically, but if I had to pick one, this one certainly takes the cake.

So who is Snow Tha Product?  If you asked me, I'd simply reply "the best female rapper you haven't heard of yet." The rest of the game has it's Nicki Minaj's, you have your Iggy Azalea's (and people will claim Iggy isn't hip-hop, though it's hard to argue at this point), you even have the proven greats like Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Lil Kim, etc., but Snow is unlike anything you or I have heard before. To say it isn't hard for a female to come up in the music industry (especially rap) would be a straight up lie, but obviously for the ones that have made it, you give props to them because whether you like their music or not, they've earned that come up. Snow isn't quite there yet, the main reason being she has no studio album out yet, but I believe Snow is the next Nicki Minaj. No, scratch that. I believe Snow has potential to represent every woman in America with strength, dignity, and an unrivaled ability to spit with the best of them all, period. If you haven't seen it yet, check out Snow's cypher verse, spitting alongside Vic Mensa, Treach (Naughty By Nature), King Los and David Banner in the 2014 BET Awards below.

                                   (*I do not own any of these videos, or the rights to them*)