22 hip hop songs turning 20 in 2022

Coming off the heels of his party anthem “Hot in Herre,” Nelly switched it up when he dropped his rap ballad “Dilemma.” Teaming up with Kelly Rowland, the song sampled the Patti LaBelle hit “Love, Need and Want You” as it detailed Nelly's infatuation with someone who was already in a relationship. It was also fitting that LaBelle played Rowland’s mother in the music video, as a sweet homage to the legendary singer and her hit from nearly two decades prior. "Dilemma" showcased how rap songs with R&B artists singing the hook will never go out of style. 

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. He also took the track to another level when he released a remix featuring Diddy, Snoop Dogg, and Murphy Lee, as they represented their hometowns as well. 

But more importantly, it's the hook that draws listeners in as they say "Welcome to Atlanta where the players play / And we ride on them things like everyday / Big beats, hit streets, see gangsters roamin' / And parties don't stop 'til eight in the mo'nin.'" 

The Neptunes became one of the most in-demand production crews in the early 2000s, but part of their success is owed to work they did with N.O.R.E. in the late '90s. While N.O.R.E. and The Neptunes saw success with the rapper's 1998 hit "SuperThug," they teamed up again in 2002 on "Nothin.'" The single became N.O.R.E's biggest hit to date and landed in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.

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.

Hip-Hop duo Clipse teamed up with The Neptunes on their debut album Lord Willin.’ On the lead single “Grindin,'” Pharrell is heard in the beginning saying, “And I just want to let y'all know, the world is about to feel something that they never felt before”—and he was right. The production this time around was way more sparse than the typical Neptunes style, filled with stripped-down drums, percussions, and claps—let's just say remaking this beat on classroom desks and cafeteria tables was a millennial pastime. 

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.  

Collaborations with Ja Rule and Ashanti have always been a match made in heaven. They ruled the early 2000s with singles highlighting love and relationships—and their single "Mesmerize" was no different. The music video was filled with inspiration from the film Grease and the song sampled the Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye hit “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart).”

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.

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.

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.

The early 2000s was a primetime for female rappers, especially since each one had their own style. Eve was representing the Ruff Ryders crew and released her third album Eve-Olution. She teamed up with Alicia Keys on the album's lead single “Gangsta Lovin.'” With production from Irv Gotti and 7, “Gangsta Lovin'” helped Eve express her feelings for a potential lover.

With a career spanning since the ‘80s, LL Cool J is one of the OGs of hip-hop. In 2002, LL dropped his tenth album properly titled 10, led by The Neptunes-produced single "Luv U Better." On the track, LL reflected on the relationship with his partner, realized he may have taken her for granted, and needed to step his game up in order to keep her in his life. 

Birdman, formerly known as Baby, and his brother Slim founded Cash Money Records back in the '90s. During that time, they signed artists like Lil Wayne and Juvenile that helped take the label to another level. Birdman also teamed up with in-house producer Mannie Fresh to form the duo known as Big Tymers. In 2002, Big Tymers released their third album Hood Rich led by the single "Still Fly." The fake-it-til-you-make-it anthem told the story about people trying to show off their lavish lifestyle, even if it was a struggle to maintain.

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.

Rap beefs are innate in the hip-hop world, and in the early 2000s, all eyes were on Nas vs. Jay Z. At the height of the beef, Nas knew he had to continue releasing hot music that fans and haters would keep in rotation. So he dropped his sixth album God’s Son, led by the first single "Made You Look." The Salaam Remi-produced track was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.

Although the track "I Know What You Want" was released as a single in early 2003, the song was first heard on Busta Rhymes' 2002 album It Ain't Safe No More. Busta teamed up with Flipmode Squad members Spliff Star, Baby Sham, Rampage, and Rah Digga alongside Mariah Carey to give fans one of the most memorable rap and R&B collaborations of the millennium. "I Know What You Want" is all about a couple that's been together for quite some time and their careers keep them busy, but they know exactly how to satisfy each other when they're together. 

When it comes to producers who helped dominate Atlanta hip-hop, Lil Jon will always be in the conversation. In 2002, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz had everyone going "from the windows to the walls" on their single "Get Low." The crunk single was a top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and southern hip-hop was never the same. 

By the time Cam'ron signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, the rapper was set to release his third album Come Home With Me. He teamed up with producer Just Blaze and his fellow Dipset crew member Juelz Santana on the album's lead single "Oh Boy." The song was a top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Mariah Carey made a response to the song with her 2002 hit "Boy (I Need You)." 

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. 

Making a hip-hop love song is a solid attempt to gain fans that are either unfamiliar or uninterested in the genre. Common, also known as one of the most prestigious MCs in conscious rap, teamed up with Mary J. Blige on his love song "Come Close." The Neptunes-produced single finds Common telling his partner about how much he adores her and the relationship, before ultimately proposing as he says, "It's destiny that we connected girl / You and I, we can affect the world / I'm tired of the fast lane / I want you to have my last name."

Throughout Ludacris' career, he's been known to drop anthems, and it was evident across his second studio album Word of Mouf. Although the album was released in late 2001, his final single "Move @#$%&!" dropped several months later and it became the rapper's first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Ludacris teamed up with Mystikal and I-20 on the track to tell everyone that's in their path to move out of the way, it also became the perfect driving song for anyone that's considered a speed racer. 

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.