Hip hop features the homemade, underground sounds of block parties and lyricists. Using isolated and repeated musical breaks, songs in rhyme were widely distributed from cassette tapes before making their way onto the radio. One of the first hip hop records to define the genre was "Rapper's Delight" by The Sugarhill Gang, released in 1979.
Hip hop was a social and multicultural movement that expressed identity and politics through the rhythm and poetry of music. Since then, hip hop needle drops have become a staple of cinema and a classic storytelling tool.
10 8 Mile (2002) - "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
8 Mile tells the semi-autobiographical story of rapper Eminem through the main protagonist B-Rabbit. They both engage in rap battles in north Detroit, working towards breaking into the music industry. Eminem shares the struggle of chasing after a dream in "Lose Yourself" when facing a hard-luck reality at the same time. The message is to focus on your craft to make great things happen.
9 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - "What's Up Danger" by Blackway & Black Caviar
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales, who becomes (another) Spider-Man in New York City. The villain Kingpin creates a portal that leads to alternate universes to bring back his wife and son. The original Spider-Man dies, but an older Spider-Man from the Spider-Verse helps Miles to destroy the device while training him to be a web-slinging hero.
The song "What's Up Danger" by Blackway & Black Caviar plays at the film's climax when Miles discovers and decides who he is.
8 Black Panther (2018) - "Black Panther" by Kendrick Lamar
Black Panther is about the fierce African warrior T'Challa who inherits his father's throne. As the king of Wakanda, T'Challa fights to preserve and protect his nation, but the black sheep Killmonger attempts to start a revolution. Wakandans are a technologically advanced people due to their use of the metal vibranium.
Killmonger plans to sell their advancements around the world, while T'Challa adheres to a neutral foreign policy. The song "Black Panther" by Kendrick Lamar presents the honor and responsibility T'Challa has, both as a king and warrior.
7 Office Space (1999) - "No Tears" by Scarface
20th Century Fox
Office Space is a satire about work culture and its sociopolitical and economic consequences. One worker circumvents the system, deciding he won't work or pay bills anymore. The film's soundtrack is laced with classic bangers, including "Get Dis Money" by Slum Village and "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" by Geto Boys.
The song in the opening scene, "No Tears" by Scarface, is being rapped by Michael Bolton making it one of the best needle drops and character introductions ever.
6 Bad Boys II (2003) - "Shake Ya Tailfeather" by Murphy Lee
Bad Boys II takes place in Miami, where detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett have trailed illegal drugs entering the city. Their investigation leads to over-the-top shoot-outs and car chases. The duo finds that the drugs are being smuggled out of Cuba.
One raid later, they are at the base of Guantánamo Bay, standing in a minefield. They kill the drug lords, and the Miami anthem "Shake Ya Tailfeather" by Murphy Lee blasts through the credits.
5 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) - "Act a Fool" by Ludacris
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2 Fast 2 Furious follows illegal street racers making a living off the races they have. One racer and ex-LAPD officer, Brian O'Conner, is given a pardon for his crimes if he can arrest the Argentinian drug lord Carter Verone. Over a series of confiscating cars, bets, chases, and nitro-fueled races, the film's theme song "Act a Fool" by Ludacris kicks into overdrive.
4 Above the Rim (1994) - "Regulate" by Warren G
Above the Rim tells the story of a high school basketball player, Kyle-Lee Watson. He applied for a scholarship, but while waiting for an acceptance letter, he is caught between sportsmanship and a drug dealer named Birdie who plays dirty. When the court and the streets collide, alliances are broken and bonds strengthened.
The smooth beat of "Regulate" by Warren G hits you with the focus of a gangster trying to survive another day.
3 Django Unchained (2012) - "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross
Django Unchained is a homage to Spaghetti Westerns with a revisionist plot involving black slave Django Freeman who reunites with his wife Broomhilda von Shaft with the help of German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz. Along the way, Django gets revenge on his former slave owners. The theme song "100 Black Coffins" by Rick Ross shows the evolution of Django and the fight for the freedom he deserves.
2 Men in Black (1997) - "Men in Black" by Will Smith
Men in Black is a science fiction action comedy following secret agents K and J investigating and regulating extraterrestrial activity on Earth. Aliens in disguise are the victims of crimes committed by an invasive bug species in pursuit of a tiny galaxy.
The hit song "Men in Black" by Will Smith shares the MIB organization's motive to protect humanity from alien threats while erasing witnesses' memory of their existence.
1 Dangerous Minds (1995) - "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio
Dangerous Minds is based on the true story of teacher LouAnne Johnson, who taught disenfranchised Black and Latino teenagers. To help her students see and make the best of life, LouAnne begins where they're at, creating lessons related to them. The Grammy Award-winning song "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio opens the movie and reveals what life is like growing up in the ghetto.
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