2003 - THE BEST YEAR IN HIPHOP & R'N'B
soulmarcosa
4,296 Posts
Apologies if this topic has been discussed recently but I'm nostalgic today.
By 2003, I'd been DJing 60s-70s original vinyl soul/funk/freakbeat in the Triangle area of NC long enough that I was frequently asked to do more mainstream parties where I could bust out some hiphop vinyl. Masala Beat Club also started about that time, so I found myself picking up a lot of new urban 12"s to fill out my sets.
Luckily the hiphop & r'nb charts of 2003 (give or take monhts from late-2002 and early-2004) were straight-up BLAZING with one track after another of bangers, and almost every week saw me excitedly traveling to 44 Records in Raleigh (and what was the name of that hiphop store Durham?) to pick up the latest club wax and chop it up with owners Merlin, Mooney & Co. I gotta say I really miss those days... downloading MP3s just ain't the same as dropping the needle on a freshly-minted promo 12" and though there's still great jams being made today, that year just had the right flavor.
I mean look at this 2003 year-end chart and tell me this year wasn't PACKED with future classics:
http://www.soulsystem.it/yend.asp?date=12-31-2003&image2;.x=12&image2;.y=5&image2=ok
Anyway, here's some of my favorite jams from that era.
Nas - Made You Look
Joe Budden - Pump It Up
Beyonc?? & Jay-Z - Crazy In Love
Clipse feat. Pharrell - When The Last Time
Tha' Rayne-Didn't You Know
Juelz Santana - Dipset (Santana's Town)
Three Six Mafia - Testin My Gangsta
Monica - So Gone
Missy Elliott - Gossip Folks
Sean Paul - Get Busy
What were your favorite 2002/2003/2004 bangers?
By 2003, I'd been DJing 60s-70s original vinyl soul/funk/freakbeat in the Triangle area of NC long enough that I was frequently asked to do more mainstream parties where I could bust out some hiphop vinyl. Masala Beat Club also started about that time, so I found myself picking up a lot of new urban 12"s to fill out my sets.
Luckily the hiphop & r'nb charts of 2003 (give or take monhts from late-2002 and early-2004) were straight-up BLAZING with one track after another of bangers, and almost every week saw me excitedly traveling to 44 Records in Raleigh (and what was the name of that hiphop store Durham?) to pick up the latest club wax and chop it up with owners Merlin, Mooney & Co. I gotta say I really miss those days... downloading MP3s just ain't the same as dropping the needle on a freshly-minted promo 12" and though there's still great jams being made today, that year just had the right flavor.
I mean look at this 2003 year-end chart and tell me this year wasn't PACKED with future classics:
http://www.soulsystem.it/yend.asp?date=12-31-2003&image2;.x=12&image2;.y=5&image2=ok
Anyway, here's some of my favorite jams from that era.
Nas - Made You Look
Joe Budden - Pump It Up
Beyonc?? & Jay-Z - Crazy In Love
Clipse feat. Pharrell - When The Last Time
Tha' Rayne-Didn't You Know
Juelz Santana - Dipset (Santana's Town)
Three Six Mafia - Testin My Gangsta
Monica - So Gone
Missy Elliott - Gossip Folks
Sean Paul - Get Busy
What were your favorite 2002/2003/2004 bangers?
Comments
pharell's scraping by
http://www.hollywoodheavy.com/detail/000732/pharrell-makes-new-music-on-luxury-yacht-studio/2425/#image
P. Diddy Nelly Murphy Lee "
ewf.
if I never hear that song ever again it will be far, far too soon.
I recall when it was 100% unavoidable on the radio.
that's a rental.
not saying dude isn't PAID. AS. SHIT.
which he is, obv.
but that's a rental.
Who was your partner?
I love the pacing/carriage returns/use of caps in this post. Perfectly conveys rhythm and tone.
A+ Internet Post.
Yep that was me, and they were SCOOTER rallies man, get your machines straight haha. Although in NC, there were so few scooterists that they almost always included British motorcycle enthusiasts in the mix too. My partner was DJ Midnite Cowbwoy who's still doing events in the Triangle area of NC.
As for my setlists, here's my latest...
I had 20 minutes to throw down some bollywood disco & boogie on original vinyl at Falls Lounge DTLA for Ubiquity's MOVEMENT weekly (and resident Duran Castro's b-day) with Agent45 a couple of weeks ago. Here's what went down, including Indian versions of Swingtown, Hot Stuff, Billie Jean and Don't Stop Til You Get Enough:
SOULMARCOSA BOLLYWOOD SET (All original vinyl LPs)
Vijay: Aavi Ja Mehfil Jawan Chhe Sensuos
Rajesh Roshan: Ham To Aap Ke Deewane Hain
Bappi Lahiri: Let's Dance for the Great Guy Bruce Lee
Usha Uthup: Aaj Mere Ghar Aye
Bappi Lahiri: Ding Dong Ding Dong
Bappi Lahiri: Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena Pt. 1
Usha Uthup: Chhupke Kaun Aya
DJ Kay Slay ft Nas, Amerie , Baby and Foxy Brown - Too Much For Me
and T.I. - Doin My Job
12: jaylib "the official/the red"
cd: outkast "Speakerboxxx,The Love Below"
fm: twista "slow jamz", luda "splash waterfalls", usher "yeah" (Jem Aswad of Entertainment Weekly called it "irresistibly crunked-out", Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine said that the song has brought Usher to a "whole new level of crunk.")
nice.
haha jamie foxx on my radio in 2003
Glad to be reminded of this one too, always thought it a bit underrated:
Really brilliant beat - another Dre/Elizondo masterpiece I guess. Very melodic, yet stripped down. Just perfect modern funk.
first list has some good looks, but this was THE track of 2003 for me at least!
I HEARTILY ENDORSE THIS PRODUCT
Great list, M***. This is thread is making me crazy nostalgic especially since I really don't listen to hip hop that much these days. Thank you for posting!
Sean Paul owned 2003.
Yea, this whole record is so good.