10 Hip Hop Songs Turning 20 in 2022

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Although Jermaine Dupri has mostly been known as a producer and songwriter, as well as helping launch the careers of artists such as Bow Wow, Da Brat, and Xscape, he also dabbled with a solo career of his own.

In 2002, he linked up with Ludacris to make an anthem that praised their hometown properly titled, "Welcome to Atlanta."

It's a timeless track that gives fans an outlook of the city, from nightlife and restaurants to leisure activities and fashion style—the song has it all.

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There’s no doubt about it that Diddy is a sample king who enjoys making remixes, so it was only right for him to release his 2002 album properly titled We Invented the Remix.

The album’s first single “I Need a Girl (Part 1),” was a collaboration alongside Usher, someone who Diddy mentored early on in his career.

On “I Need a Girl,” Diddy reflects on having everything he could dream of in his life, but the one thing he still wants is a partner to share it with.

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Missy Elliott knows how to put her thing down, flip it, and reverse it. She did just that on her hit song “Work It,” the lead single from her fourth album Under Construction.

In addition to the infectious beat thanks to Timbaland's production, Missy applies vivid imagery, masterful storytelling, and memorable lines to amplify her sex game.

It's no wonder that the rapper was finally inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame nearly two decades after this song was released.

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Long before Snoop Dogg was hosting cooking shows alongside his buddy Martha Stewart, his claim to fame was being one of the hottest rappers hailing from the West Coast.

By the time the early 2000s rolled around, Snoop teamed up with The Neptunes on his sixth album Paid Tha Cost to Be da Boss.

Pharrell Williams and Charlie Wilson lent their vocals on his hit single “Beautiful," in which Snoop praises women for their beauty.

Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage for American Music Awards

Long before Snoop Dogg was hosting cooking shows alongside his buddy Martha Stewart, his claim to fame was being one of the hottest rappers hailing from the West Coast.

By the time the early 2000s rolled around, Snoop teamed up with The Neptunes on his sixth album Paid Tha Cost to Be da Boss.

Pharrell Williams and Charlie Wilson lent their vocals on his hit single “Beautiful," in which Snoop praises women for their beauty.

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Jay Z saw plenty of success when he started working with newcomer Kanye West on production for his album The Blueprint.

So when it was time for Jay to start creating songs for The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, the rapper teamed up with West again on his single "'03 Bonnie & Clyde."

He recruited Beyoncé to collaborate with him as they sampled Tupac's song “Me and My Girlfriend.”

At the time, the song had sparked rumors that Jay and Beyoncé were more than just friends, and well, the rest is history.

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Before 50 Cent released his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin in 2003, he was featured on the soundtrack of the film 8 Mile.

It probably helped that 50 Cent's friend and mentor Eminem starred in the film.

The soundtrack’s second single “Wanksta” reached number three on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.

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Eminem tested his acting chops when he starred in the film 8 Mile, in which he plays an aspiring rapper known as B-Rabbit.

Naturally, Eminem portraying a rapper only made sense for him to work on the film's soundtrack as well.

The lead single “Lose Yourself” showed Eminem summing up the movie’s plot from his family life to his rap dreams.

The song was the first hip-hop track to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

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Any artist that works with The Neptunes will more than likely have a hit song on their hands.

Although Birdman was pretty busy running Cash Money Records and teaming up with Mannie Fresh as the Big Tymers, he also made time to work on his solo music.

He teamed up with The Neptunes and rap duo Clipse on his hit single "What Happened To That Boy," a song that popularized the rapper's infamous bird call.

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Back in the '90s, Styles P became well known as a member of the rap trio The Lox.

Just a few years after the group's debut album, Styles decided to try a solo career with his project A Gangster and a Gentleman.

While the lead single "Good Times" sampled the Freda Payne love hit “I Get High (On Your Memory),” Styles took it to another level rapping about a different kind of high.