Top 100 Hip Hop Songs For Weddings
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:
- Body – Megan Thee Stallion
- Mood – 24kGoldn feat. Iann Dior
- Circles – Post Malone
- Old Town Road (Remix) – Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
- FRANCHISE – Travis Scott feat. Young Thug & M.I.A.
- Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo
- ROCKSTAR – DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch
- WAP – Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion
- Go Crazy – Chris Brown & Young Thug
- Come & Go – Juice WRLD & Marshmello
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.
Similar song lists for further reading:
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: Jannuary 4, 2021
| Song | Amazon Link | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Pac California Love 1995, All Eyez on Me |  | |
| 50 Cent In Da Club 2003, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ | | |
| 69 Boyz Tootsee Roll 1994, Nineteen Ninety Quad | | |
| A Tribe Called Quest Scenario 1992, The Anthology | | |
| B.o.B Airplanes 2010, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray | | |
| Baauer Harlem Shake 2012, Released as a single | | |
| Baby Bash w/T-Pain Cyclone 2007, Cyclone | | |
| Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right 1987, Licensed to Ill | | |
| Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling 2009, The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) | | |
| Black Eyed Peas Let’s Get It Started 2003, Elephunk | | |
| Cali Swag District Teach Me How to Dougie 2010, The Kickback | | |
| Cardi B & Bruno Mars Please Me 2019, Please Me | | |
| Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin I Like It 2018, Invasion of Privacy | | |
| Chris Brown feat. Drake No Guidance 2019, No Guidance | | |
| Common The Light 2010, Go! Common Classics | | |
| Coolio Fantastic Voyage 1994, It Takes a Thief | | |
| Cupid Cupid Shuffle 2007, Time For A Change | | |
| DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper & Lil Wayne I’m the One 2017, Grateful | | |
| DJ Khaled feat. SZA Just Us 2019, Father Of Asahd | | |
| DJ Kool Let Me Clear My Throat 1996, Let Me Clear My Throat | | |
| DJ Snake feat. Lil Jon Turn Down For What 2013, Released as a single | | |
| Don Omar feat. Lucenzo Danza Kuduro 2010, Meet the Orphans | | |
| Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla One Dance 2016, Views | | |
| Drake God’s Plan 2018, Scary Hours | | |
| Drake Hotline Bling 2015, Views | | |
| Drake In My Feelings 2018, Scorpion | | |
| Drake Toosie Slide 2020, Toosie Slide | | |
| Ent Distrikt Same Ole 2 Step 2010, Same Ole 2 Step | | |
| Fatman Scoop Be Faithful 2008, Fatman Scoop "Hottest Featured Artist Recordings" | | |
| Fetty Wap Trap Queen 2015, Trap Queen | | |
| Flo Rida feat. David Guetta Club Can’t Handle Me 2010, Only One Flo (Part 1) | | |
| Flo Rida Good Feeling 2011, Wild Ones | | |
| Flo Rida Low 2007, Mail on Sunday | | |
| Freak Nasty Da Dip 1996, Controversee…That’s Life…And That’s the Way It Is | | |
| Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee The Message 1982, The Message | | |
| Grandmaster Slice Electric Slide (Shall We Dance) 1991, Electric Slide (Shall We Dance) | | |
| House Of Pain Jump Around 1989, House of Pain | | |
| Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX Fancy 2014, The New Classic | | |
| Jagged Edge Let’s Get Married 2000, J.E. Heartbreak | | |
| Jay-Z feat. Amil & Ja Rule Can I Get A... 1998, Vol.2 ... Hard Knock Life | | |
| Jay-Z with Alicia Keys Empire State Of Mind 2009, The Blueprint 3 | | |
| Jay-Z I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me) 2000, The Dynasty | | |
| Jelly Roll & Struggle Jennings feat. Shooter Jennings Love Won 2018, Waylon & Willie 2 | | |
| Kanye West Gold Digger 2005, Late Registration | | |
| Kanye West Stronger 2007, Graduation | | |
| Kendrick Lamar & SZA All the Stars 2018, Black Panther Soundtrack | | |
| Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz & Ying Yang Twins Get Low 2002, Kings Of Crunk | | |
| Lil Nas X Old Town Road 2019, 7 EP | | |
| LL Cool J Around The Way Girl 1990, Mama Said Knock You Out | | |
| LL Cool J I Need Love 1987, All World | | |
| Ludacris & Chance The Rapper Found You 2020, Found You | | |
| Ludacris Move B***h 2001, Word Of Mouf | | |
| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton Can’t Hold Us 2011, The Heist | | |
| Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz Thrift Shop 2012, The Heist | | |
| Mariah the Scientist ft. Lil Baby Always n Forever 2020, Always n Forever | | |
| Mase Feel so Good 1997, Harlem World | | |
| Megan Thee Stallion Body 2020, Good News | | |
| Method Man ft/ Mary J. Blige I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need to Get By 1995, I’ll Be There For You/ You’re All I Need To Get By | | |
| Missy Elliott Get Ur Freak On 2001, Miss E....So Addictive | | |
| Montell Jordan This Is How We Do It 1995, This Is How We Do It | | |
| Nelly Hot In Herre 2002, Nellyville | | |
| Nelly Just A Dream 2010, Just A Dream | | |
| Nelly Ride Wit Me 2000, Country Grammar | | |
| Nicki Minaj Starships 2012, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded | | |
| Nicki Minaj Super Bass 2011, Pink Friday | | |
| Notorious B.I.G. Big Poppa 1995, Ready to Die | | |
| Notorious B.I.G. Hypnotize 1997, Life After Death | | |
| Notorious B.I.G. Mo Money Mo Problems 1996, Life After Death | | |
| Outkast Hey Ya! 2003, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | | |
| Outkast The Way You Move 2003, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | | |
| Post Malone & Swae Lee Sunflower 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Soundtrack | | |
| Post Malone feat. 21 Savage rockstar 2017, beerbongs & bentleys | | |
| Post Malone Wow. 2018, Wow. | | |
| Quad City DJ’s C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train) 1996, Get On Up and Dance | | |
| Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock It Takes Two 1988, It Takes Two | | |
| Run DMC It's Tricky 1986, Raising Hell | | |
| Salt-n-Pepa Push It 1987, Hot, Cool & Vicious | | |
| Salt-n-Pepa Shoop 1993, Very Necessary | | |
| Salt-n-Pepa Whatta Man 1993, Very Necessary | | |
| Silento Watch Me 2015, Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae) | | |
| Sir Mix-A-Lot Baby Got Back 1992, Mack Daddy | | |
| Snoop Dogg feat. Dat Nigga Daz Gin & Juice 1993, Doggystyle | | |
| Snoop Dogg Drop It Like It’s Hot 2004, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece | | |
| Snoop Dogg Who Am I (What’s My Name) 1993, Doggystyle | | |
| Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em Crank That 2007, souljaboytellem.com | | |
| Splitzide In Love with Her 2012, In Love with Her | | |
| T.I. Live Your Life 2005, Paper Trail | | |
| T.I. Whatever You Like 2008, Paper Trail | | |
| Tag Team Whoomp! There It Is 1993, Whoomp! (There It Is) | | |
| Terror Squad Lean Back 2004, True Story | | |
| The Sugarhill Gang Apache 1982, 8th Wonder | | |
| The Sugarhill Gang Rapper’s Delight 1979, Sugarhill Gang | | |
| Timbaland The Way I Are 2007, Shock Value | | |
| Tone-Loc Funky Cold Medina 1989, Loc-ed After Dark | | |
| Tone-Loc Wild Thing 1989, Loc-ed After Dark | | |
| Trey Songz feat. Nicki Minaj Bottoms Up 2010, Passion, Pain & Pleasure | | |
| V.I.C. Wobble 2008, Beast | | |
| Warren G feat. Nate Dogg Regulate 1994, Regulate… G Funk Era | | |
| XXXTENTACION & Lil Pump feat. Maluma & Swae Lee Arms Around You 2018, Released as a single | | |
| Young MC Bust A Move 1989, Stone Cold Rhymin’ | | |
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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!