100 Best Hip Hop Songs For Weddings
2020
Should you play Hip-Hop at your wedding reception? We say “Hip.” You say “Hop!” Of course, you should. Do you want your wedding reception to be fun or boring?
How Can I Make My Wedding Reception Fun?
A wedding reception is fun when you include music everyone likes. You can add a prompt on your RSVP or a survey on your bridal website.
“Guests completed the following sentence: You’ll find me on the dance floor when they play ______,” says Kristen Ley Green from Published & Pretty.” BridalGuide.com
Either way, you’ll be sure to include Hip-Hop in the fun category for your wedding playlist!
What is Hip-Hop?
Hip-Hop has its beginnings in the 1970s block parties in New York City where DJs would isolate percussion breaks of popular songs. Turntable techniques, playing records, beat mixing/matching and beat juggling eventually developed along with the breaks. This created a foundation that could be rapped over.
Hip-hop was predominantly popular in New York City in the 70s but became immensely popular with the new styles introduced in the 80s.
“Hip-hop [sometimes spelled hip hop, without the hyphen] is often identified as just a music form, but it goes well beyond music. Originating in New York’s South Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop includes four elements: deejaying (also known as DJing or turntabling), MCing (emceeing or rapping), graffiti painting and breakdancing (B-boying). Hip-hop has been adapted by cultures around the world.” Diversity Style Guide
Is Rap Hip-Hop?
Yes and no.
Hip hop is a style of music created from African music. For all intents and purposes, rap music can be intertwined with Hip-Hop music. Rapping is a vocal style in which the vocalist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse. The creation of Hip-Hop has been accredited to Keith Cowboy of the music group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
There are many claims on the first Hip-Hop recording. However, our favorite is to be The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” from 1979. The lyrical content of Hip-Hop evolved from the 1970s to metaphorical lyrics over more complex, multi-layered instrumentals.
Artists such as Chuck D and KRS-ONE revolutionized hip-hop by transforming it into a more mature art form. Hip hop from the ’80s and into the new decade formed into many genres including east coast and west coast Hip-Hop, gangsta rap, new school Hip-Hop, world, and crunk.
What’s Popular in Hip-Hop Now?
The Top 10 Hip-Hop & Rap Songs according to the number of downloads:
- FRANCHISE – Travis Scott feat. Young Thug & M.I.A.
- WAP – Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion
- Circles – Post Malone
- Mood – 24kGoldn feat. Iann Dior
- Old Town Road (Remix) – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
- ROCKSTAR – DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
- death bed (coffee for your head) – Powfu & beabadoobee
- Sunflower – Post Malone & Swae Lee
- Laugh Now Cry Later – Drake feat. Lil Durk
- Whole Lotta Choppas – Sada Baby
What are the Best Hip-Hop Songs of All Time?
VH1 created a list of their Top 100 Hip-Hop Songs of all-time. We got to thinking and decided to narrow down their list to our favorite wedding songs.
Hip-Hop fans can be excited as our list is part of the most memorable and historical songs in music history. The year the song was released is noted with the rank on the VH1 Hip-Hop songs list.
Here’s our list of the greatest 14 wedding Hip-Hop songs.
Greatest Hip Hop Songs by VH1 ReCalculated
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Heavy D. and the Boyz – Now That We Found Love
(1991 – Ranked 86).
This a great upbeat song to fill dance floors. Now That We Found Love would also be a great intro song for the wedding party.
PM Dawn – Set Adrift On Memory Bliss
(1991 – Ranked 81).
A remix sampling from Spandau Ballet’s True. Set Adrift On Memory Bliss has a great beat and would make a great background song or slow tempo dance song.
House Of Pain – Jump Around
(1992 – Ranked 66).
Not for your stereotypical wedding song. This uptempo song is for a younger crowd but will fill the dance floor.
LL Cool J – I Need Love
(1987 – Ranked 60).
I Need Love is considered the first rap ballad. A classic slow song that rose to #14 on the Billboard charts. I Need Love would also be a good Garter Removal song.
Young MC – Bust A Move
(1989 – Ranked 47).
Bust A Move has been a time tested dance song to fill wedding dance floors. With a fast tempo beat, wedding guests will want to bust a move to this song.
Method Man ft/ Mary J. Blige – I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By
(1995 – Ranked 44).
From all the songs listed on the Greatest 100 Hip Hop Songs, this song makes the best choice for the first dance song as a married couple. I’ll Be There For You is based upon the original song sung by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock – It Takes Two
(1988 – Ranked 37).
It Takes Two is a dance classic to fill dance floors for years to come. A great party song for all ages.
Nelly – Hot In Herre
(2002 – Ranked 36).
This is a great song for the garter removal or for the garter placement. Hot In Herre is also a fast tempo song to fill dance floors.
Queen Latifah ft. Monie Love – Ladies First
(1989 – Ranked 35).
We could not leave out a song from one of the most influential women in Hip Hip history. Ladies First would make a great bouquet toss song.
MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
(1990 – Ranked 26).
This is probably the most recognized Hip Hop/Pop song on the list across all genres. A great fast tempo dance song to get wedding guests dancing.
50 Cent – In Da Club
(2003 – Ranked 18).
This is the newest Hip Hop song on the list. In Da Club rose to #1 on the Billboard charts and will definitely get wedding guests in the mood to dance.
Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
(1992 – Ranked 17)
A great fun party songs to fill the dance floor. It may offend some. However, there was a viral video on YouTube that showed a bridal couple dancing to this.
Run-DMC ft/ Aerosmith – Walk This Way
(2001 – Ranked 4).
A great collaboration between Hip Hop and Rock all-stars. Originally performed by Aerosmith and sampled by Run-DMC. Wedding guests will want to get their groove on to this mid-tempo song.
Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight
(1980 – Ranked #2).
Considered one of the few songs that helped popularize hip hop music. Rapper’s Delight was revitalized with a skit in the movie The Wedding Singer in 1998. Not only can you breakdance to Rapper’s Delight, but many wedding parties also plan rehearsed dance moves to this song.
Best Hip-Hop Wedding Songs
We have our own list of the 100 best Hip-Hop songs for your wedding reception here. It has been curated by Matthew Campbell.
Do you see a song missing from this list? Let us know in the comments which song we should include and which song it replaces.
Last Updated: September 30, 2020
Listen to our best Hip Hop wedding playlist on Spotify.
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You don’t have ONE Michael Jackson song OR Prince song. “Wanna be starting something” & “Kiss”. Also Cameo “Candy”
What it should replace, that I don’t know but there’s a few suspect songs on here. Just my opinion.
Hi DJ UNEEQ. Thanks for your input. However, we would consider your song suggestions more of the R&B side than the Hip Hop genre. You can see it here https://www.myweddingsongs.com/wedding-song-lists/rb-wedding-songs/ Cameo’s song “Word Up” is one of my favorites!