The main difference between a good rapper and an excellent rapper, is that while the former will focus on getting convincing rhymes, the latter will manage to captivate the public with shocking narratives taken from their life on the streets and they will also be able to keep the attention of those who are listening. Rappers have evolved as hip hop has grown, and their storytelling skills have turned these performers into true artists.
This list includes the best rap songs with the greatest storytelling. From lost souls who ruin their life because of bad decisions, to very complex life scenarios and autobiographical stories that would leave anyone perplexed. Check out the 30 Best Storytelling Rap Songs written so far.
A Tribe Called Quest “8 Million Stories” (1993)
This song tells the story of a guy with very little luck. In just one afternoon, he is robbed, burns a hole in an outfit he’s ironing for a date, brings his brother to a toy store to look for a toy they don’t have, gets robbed again, and then gets stood up for his date.
As if that weren’t enough, he also tells us that he’s attempting to get rid of his materialistic girlfriend.
Kool G Rap “On The Run” (1992)
On the run talks about a long, twisting robbery thriller of a low-level criminal seeking redemption. He steals a shipment in order to start his own business because he is unsatisfied with the monetary reward he receives for all of the illegal activities he is forced to do on a daily basis.
His bosses catch him up on the way to the airport, but somehow, he manages to shake them off and make his escape.
Boogie Down Productions “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love)” (1990)
Love’s Gonna Get’cha was released 3 decades ago and tells the story of a good-natured boy who resorts to crime in order to provide for himself and his brothers the expensive things that his mother cannot afford.
This sets in motion a chain of events that spiral out of control. While the song tells a tough story, in real life its performer truly managed to establish himself as the wise old master of the hip-hop generation.
Lupe Fiasco “Kick, Push” (2006)
The song begins with a sluggish character analysis of a young boy whose love of skateboarding has made him an outcast. By the conclusion of the second verse, he’s met a girl who shares his excitement.
While our protagonist seems to have found a place where he is finally satisfied, the chorus’ refrain of “Kick, push, kick, push, coast” emphasizes that the key to life is to escape static and keep moving through it.
Digital Underground “Freaks of The Industry” (1990)
“Freaks of the Industry,” the album’s third single, is a tribute to having relations with groupies that probably tells you more than you ever wanted to know about what it’s like to go backstage at a Digital Underground show.
The second verse’s multiple-choice pop quiz, in which Shock G asks what you’d do if what you’re doing in the room next to where your friends are hanging out gets too noisy, is the most memorable moment.
Lost Boyz “Renee” (1996)
This is the third single from their debut album. The song narrates Mr. Cheeks’ connection with Renee, a law student on the verge of a successful profession. Cheeks falls in love, but it’s a doomed relationship.
In verse three, he receives an unexpected phone call notifying him that Renee has been mortally wounded, and he spends the rest of the song drinking away in order to cope with the agony of losing her.
Ice Cube “It Was A Good Day” (1993)
In this song we are told what it feels like to have one of those smooth days, full of good little moments. From the moment the Ice Cube starts his day, everything happens in a peaceful way.
His dog doesn’t bark, his breakfast is good, his basketball team wins, and he wins a big game of craps. He manages to avoid getting pulled over by the police and finally ends his day having dinner at a Fatburger.
Beastie Boys “Paul Revere” (1986)
The Beastie Boys’ debut album, License to Ill, was essential in bringing hip-hop out of the city and into the suburbs. The albums’ mix of hip-hop attitude and rock ‘n’ roll sounds drew in millions of admirers from different genres.
“Paul Revere” refers to a colorful narrative in which the Beastie Boys are reimagined as Wild West bandits who meet in the desert and set their sights on the nearest saloon, managing to get away with it.
The Notorious B.I.G. “Warning” (1994)
The title of the song prepares us for a narrative that talks alerts us about how things can get bad.
It’s essentially a phone call between Big and a friend who has learned of a robbery plot against him. But the plan appears to fall through before he can hang up, and the slow-burning suspense is only broken in the skit after the song, when Biggie blasts the two hitmen intended to hit him.
Ghostface Killah ft/ Raekwon “Maxine” (2001)
This is one of those songs that is not fully appreciated and goes unnoticed despite telling a great story. “Maxine” is the story of Moony, an illegal dealer who sets out on a quest to punish two employees who he suspects of skimming off the product and ends up getting more than he bargained for.
The story takes place in Stapleton, and Moony makes it obvious that this type of anecdote is common in the area.
Redman “A Day Of Sooperman Lover” (1992)
From the album Whut?, “A Day of Sooperman Lover” narrates how a couple of youngsters hassle their father to tell them a story, but they will be surprised to notice that the story that their father tells them is much more than what they have imagined.
Reggie gives them a very crude story that ends badly, which as the chorus of the song indicates: “They said they call me the Sooperman Lover, yes. But something is wrong.”
Mobb Deep “Trife Life” (1995)
Havoc’s stanza is about a dude seeking revenge after a guy who is found leaving his girlfriend’s house late at night.
As the title of the song indicates, “Trife Life” is a theme that refers to living and acting in a way that for most people is considered undesirable. This is evidenced in the chorus, when it says “Check it out, check it out, check it out, yo Trife life got me thinking like an animal”.
Outkast “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Part 1)” (1999)
In these lyrics, Andre 3000 tells the story of Sasha Thumper, a childhood pal who, as she grows older, loses her innocence and comes face to face with a harsh world. He writes “Talking bout what we gonna be when we grow up, I said what you wanna be, she said, “Alive”.
In the last stanza we find out that she never got to his show after being found lifeless in her apartment.
Organized Konfusion “Stray Bullet” (1994)
These rappers narrate the story from the point of view of a bullet that has just been shot from a gun. Monch’s shot hits a youngster on a playground before nearly missing a second person, ricocheting off a car, and taking the life of a third.
Po’s sequel follows another gunshot as it makes its way to a hospital through the body of a wounded heroin user. “Stray Bullet” provides a compelling case for gun control.
Nas “Shootouts” (1996)
This song corresponds to the album “It Was Written” released by this rapper in 1996. The story is similar to others told by the same artist in the past. It narrates a typical street story, where the protagonist tries to do justice by his own hand.
In the first verse, Nas and his crew carry out a cold revenge plot against a cold-blooded neighborhood cop that puts them through a bullet-blazing confrontation that ends badly.
Scarface “I Seen A Man Die” (1994)
Scarface portrays the life of a criminal who returns home after seven years in jail, only to discover that the consequences of his actions still haunt him.
In the first verse the man tries to turn over a new leaf and deal with the guilt of ending a man’s life, but he spends the entire third verse on the verge of death, suffering the horrible fate he so carelessly inflicted on others as a younger man.
Jay-Z “Friend or Foe” (1996)
The song begins when Jay-Z checks the intentions of a stranger who approaches him, saying “Friend or foe, state your biz.” When Jay-Z discovers that he is a member of a rival gang, he offers him a deal: his life in exchange for the pack of substances he carries.
The song was released in 1996 and to know the outcome of the story, we must listen to the song “Friend or Foe ’98” released sometime later.
Eminem “Kim” (2000)
We’ve all accessed details of Eminem’s life thanks to his rhymes. “Kim” tells the story about a relationship that has gone tragically, psychopathically awry. Listening to a person fantasize about hurting his children’s mother in a song named after her, really makes anyone feel overwhelmed. This piece belongs to the 2000’s album Marshall Mathers.
A few months after the album’s release, Kim filed a lawsuit for defamation after how she was portrayed in the lyrics.
Snoop Dogg “Murder Was The Case” (1994)
This song tells the story of how the protagonist miraculously recovers after a serious incident in his car. The lyrics speak of the deal he had to make with an inhuman being in order to survive.
However, such a deal did not turn out to be free for him, as by verse three, Snoop has been sentenced to life in prison for murder. “Murder Was the Case” seemed like something out of a horror movie.
Outkast “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” (1998)
Lyrics of “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” by Outkast, tell a story based on the lively but dangerous lifestyle of the Atlanta neighborhoods.
The genius of “SpottieOttieDopaliscious” is in its accurate portrayal of the Atlanta party scene: where there’s as much chance for greatness as there is for destruction, and the conclusion of every night depends on how well you can hold your cool.
The Notorious B.I.G. “Niggas Bleed” (1997)
This song from the album “Life After Dead” really knows how to lead the listener to represent the situations narrated in it very vividly. “Niggas Bleed” talks about moments of extreme violence that are brilliantly recounted in the lyrics.
The explicit and wild violence of this theme makes each element look, feel and sound as if you were right there.
De La Soul “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa” (1991)
In “Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa Claus” the story revolves around how a distressed Posdnuos gets close enough to his court-appointed social worker Dillon to discover that he is perhaps molesting his daughter Millie.
Because Dill is regarded as a trustworthy member of the society, no one believes Millie, but she ended up finding a way to end her suffering.
Schoolly D “Saturday Night” (1986)
“Saturday Night” narrates a succession of nights in the life of a rogue. He gets in a bad condition and things only get worse from there, as our protagonist ends the night with a flurry of fights and bad decisions.
The next night, things don’t get any better, and due to a mistake, the character becomes the laughingstock of his friends.
Ice T “6 N The Mornin” (1987)
Many believe “6 N The Morning” to be a fundamental document of the gangsta rap period.
Ice wakes up to the sound of the cops at his door, but instead of panicking, he calmly jumps out the bathroom window. The rest of the story is a maze of partying, crime sprees, county jail time, and even more bathroom window escapes.
Common “I Used To Love H.E.R.” (1994)
This song managed to put Common on the radar. When you first listen to the song, you’d probably think you’re listening to the band reminiscing about a girl whose morals are tainted when she comes out West and joins a group of hard-drinking delinquents.
Then, at the end of verse three, you get the twist: the girl refers to hip-hop itself!
Public Enemy “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos” (1989)
In “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos” we hear the story of Chuck, who after avoiding the military draft by refusing to fight in a war for a country that doesn’t appear to care about his interests, gets sentenced to prison.
Chuck waits for an opportunity and finally executes a plan that frees not only him but other colleagues.
Eminem ft/ Dido “Stan” (2000)
“Stan” has come to be considered Eminem’s best concept song. The story tells how the rapper receives stalking letters from a fan that in the end is the victim of an unexpected turn.
Despite the fact that in real life it is difficult to believe that this artist could stop answering a letter from a fan, the story is still captivating.
The Notorious B.I.G. “I Got a Story to Tell” (1997)
The notorious B.I.G. is one of the best rap songwriters of all time. This song, far from involving violence, is developed in such a way that none of the protagonists is hurt.
The event centers on the escape of a lover who pretends to be a thief to escape without being attacked by the girl’s boyfriend when he gets home.
Wu-Tang Clan f/ Tekitha “Impossible” (1997)
The story begins with the sound of a gunshot and the terror caused by learning that the victim is a friend that probably won’t survive.
In the end, the lyrics make a call to question ourselves as a society, emphasizing that gun violence is out of control, and unless we do something together, we will continue to hear stories like this.
Slick Rick “Children’s Story” (1989)
“Children’s Story” begins when Rick volunteers to read a bedtime story to a couple of children, but instead of a typical fairy tale, he chooses to tell the story of a child who follows a friend into a life of crime, with disastrous consequences for the kid.
Due to its memorable content, this song reached the number one position in this ranking.