The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Skits

From groupies to game shows, answering machine antics to hard-boiled hood tales, Complex counts down the intros, outros, and interludes that real rap heads can't live without.

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Like scrimshaw, sand castles, and Haitian ice sculpture, the hip-hop skit is a lost art. Born in the late '80s, the tradition of dramatic album cuts flourished throughout the '90s. Some skits were humorous, some horrific, others corny or just plan ridiculous. At their height, skits were mandatory on any hip-hop LP worth its weight. But in recent years they’ve lost favor amongst many rappers, who seem content to clutter up their mixtapes with rambling boasts. In the mp3 era, skits have become an afterthought. And that’s a shame.

When we speak of skits, we’re not just talking about a basic intro, outro, or interlude. Skits don’t just fill the space, they set the mood and flip the script with expert acting and evocative sound effects. Some of them even sound like mini-songs complete with beats of their own, but one thing remains the same: Whether they’re answering machine vignettes, street sagas, manic monologues, or X-rated groupie stunts, good hip-hop skits are like little cinematic masterpieces for your mind.

At their best, skits are creative extensions of rappers' personalities, memorable moments full of comedy, tragedy—or a little bit of both. In fact rap could use a skit renaissance, and we’re trying to jump-start it right about now. (We do this for our culture.) So without further ado, Complex presents The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Skits Of All Time. And if you're still fiending for more, check our folks over at Egotripland...

Written by Gabriel Alvarez (of @egotripland)

50. Eminem "Public Service Announcement" (1999) / Eminem "Public Service Announcement 2000" (2000)

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Producer: N/A
Album: The Slim Shady LP/The Marshall Mathers LP
Label: Aftermath/Interscope
Eminem "Public Service Announcement"



Originally performed by Eminem's longtime producer Jeff Bass (of the Bass Brothers), Em's off-the-wall PSAs have became a long-standing tradition within the Shady camp with artists like D12 and Obie Trice also utilizing the device. It makes sense to do PSAs when you take into consideration the crew's extensive catalog of parental-advisory-stickered albums.

Combine that with their willingness to confront criticism head-on with big doses of humor and you get a slew of smart alec "warnings" aimed at mocking the censors who've got a problem with rap's vulgar and violent side.

49. Earl Sweatshirt "WakeUpFaggot" (2010)

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Producer: Tyler the Creator
Album: Earl
Label: N/A



This ain't no homophobic rant. What it is, is a totally understandable hate for having to wake up in the morning when you don't want to. Nobody likes that shit. And while Earl's "mom's" voice sounds way too young and sexy, you won't find us complaining.

48. Mobb Deep "G.O.D. Pt. III" (1996)

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Producer: Mobb Deep
Album: Hell On Earth
Label: Loud



There is a nihilistic streak in some of Mobb Deep's music, never more apparent than on the bleak Hell On Earth, a dark classic of depressing proportions. Out of all of the countless rap skits in which somebody shoots someone, leave it to the M-O-B-B to present one of the coldest acts of murder ever recorded.

Spotting an unsuspecting adversary from a project window, the merciless crew laugh their way through the lethal barrage of bullets they send his way. The Twilight Zone theme music on the TV signals that we've entered another dimension—one of pure evil.

47. King Tee "Baggin' On Moms" (1988)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Act a Fool
Label: Capitol



A sort of precursor to The Pharcyde's "Ya Mama," this skit finds King Tee and the homies snapping on each other's mothers. "Your mama ain't got no back, she's always frontin'" is just one of many handy disses you can still use today when playing the dozens.

46. Ice-T “Black 'N' Decker” (1989)

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Producer: N/A
Album: The Iceberg: Freedom Of Speech…Just Watch What You Say
Label: Sire/Warner Bros. Records



What does it sound like drilling someone's melon with a power tool? Like this.

45. LL Cool J "On the Ill Tip" (1987)

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Producer: N/A
Album: BAD (Bigger And Deffer)
Label: Def Jam



They call it "swag" these days, but back in the '80s it was just the way LL Cool J carried himself. LL being LL, he ends his sophomore record with a taunting jab at anybody who might have doubted him, gloating with obvious delight that he managed to make another album. Mr. Smith's obnoxious laughter is aimed at the "haters" long before anybody even knew what the hell haters were.

44. Ludacris "T Baggin'" (2003)

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Producer: Terrence "T-Storm" Battle
Album: Chicken-n-Beer
Label: DTP/Def Jam



An automated telephone menu that helps you find the nearest weed spot sounds like a service we wish really existed. Instead it's part of the amusing skit on Luda's Chicken-n-Beer album that saves the funniest option for last: "If you woke up with a hangover and a pair of hairy balls on your forehead, press #7."

Once the number is pushed, the electronic voice states: "You just pressed #7. You just been introduced to a moral crime called T Baggin'. We suggest you probably hang up the phone, beat the ass of any white guys you hung out with last night, and find and destroy all photos before they end up on the Internet." Truer words may have never been spoken.

43. Ghostface Killah "Who Would You Fuck" (2000)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Supreme Clientele
Label: Epic/Sony/Razor Sharp



"Who Would You Fuck" is locker-room style banter posing the type of questions that enter every man's mind: which hot female celeb would you wanna hit off if given the choice? (Which man old enough to remember the classic TV sitcom Three's Company, hasn't asked themselves: "Janet or Chrissy?") That it's members of the Wu chiming in with their perverted thoughts makes this whole thing a blast even if things do get a bit raw and certain parts get censored so as not to offend certain sensitive souls.

42. Black Sheep "U Mean I'm Not" (1991)

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Producer: N/A
Album: A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Label: Mercury



The intro to A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, "U Mean I'm Not," is an entertaining lampoon of gangsta rap clichés that demonstrates how much of what hardcore rappers were saying sounds ridiculous. In an uncharacteristically super-aggro flow, Dres recounts a particularly violent morning where he wilds out on his own fam ("Slapped her in the head, stepped on her corn/ "Don't fuck with mine, word is born!" he yells at his sis in one of the skit's tamer moments) before abruptly waking up to find out it was all dream.

41. Gravediggaz "360 Questions" (1994)

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Producer: Prince Paul
Album: 6 Feet Deep
Label: Gee Street



The prospect of two geniuses like Prince Paul and RZA connecting in the lab came to fruition with the classic horrorcore joint 6 Feet Deep. "360 Questions" consists of a chain of odd queries ("Hey RZA, how many bites did it take to chew your fuckin' arm off?") coming from random characters with unique voices, punctuated by gunshots: ("Hey Gravediggaz, who was the governor of Campania during the Herculonious period?" is *axed* by a chick with a thick, around-the-way NYC accent). A talk radio show for serial killers might be one way to describe this one.

40. De La Soul "Children's Book Kid Skits" (1991)

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Producer: Prince Paul
Album: De La Soul Is Dead
Label: Tommy Boy
De La Soul "Intro"



Perhaps the most astonishing thing about De La Soul is Dead is the number of creative risks that Plugs, 1, 2, 3 took along with producer Prince Paul. Flexing a level of artistic freedom that's rare in popular music, the group went all-out blending satire, social commentary, and crazy imagination to gave birth to a collection of shape-shifting songs that broke all the rules. Just how unconventional was this record?

Well, for starters, De La weaved two separate series of skits through its duration. The read-a-long children's book storyline (with Mase, Mista Lawnge from Black Sheep and Chi Ali supplying the kids' voices) not only addressed the inevitable backlash from finicky fans (the rugrats find De La's second album in the trash) but also showed just how many brainwashed followers there were in hip-hop (the bully torments his victim for daring to like something different). It was as if De La was telling the audience to grow up and think for themselves in the most non-condescending way possible.

39. Tim Dog "Michel'le Conversation" (1991)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Penicillin On Wax
Label: Ruffhouse/Columbia



With the Tim Dog vs. Compton war in full effect, the Bronx pitbull was ready to hit below the belt with an audacious phone skit that begins with boasting to a friend of his sexual prowess ("I must have went a good 35 minutes—hard strokes...that shit was awesome").

Then a squeaky-voiced caller rings Tim Dog up and there's no mistake it's supposed to be Michel'le, the R&B singer who was dating Dr. Dre at the time. Tim drops some crazy psychology on her (some might call it pimpin') and gets her to see things his way. Like they say, all's fair in love and rap beef.

38. Jay-Z "Fuck You, Pay Me" (1998)

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Producer: N/A
Album : Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life
Label : Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam



Pain in the Ass is back with another famous movie moment reenactment specially catered for Jigga. This time around, he reworks Ray Liotta's "Fuck you, pay me" speech from Goodfellas to show everyone that's listening that Jay-Z truly is the boss.

37. The Pharcyde Intro to "Groupie Therapy" (1995)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Labcabincalifornia
Label: Delicious Vinyl



Anyone who has ever lived with roommates knows this skit's scenario of everybody chillin' in the living room together watching TV. They also know damn well that making snappy remarks is almost mandatory, like when a weather reporter is heard talking about an "off shore flow" and one of The Pharcyde points out, "He said 'flow.'"

Then, of course, there are the arguments over whether or not to play video games (Madden, in this case). The debate here is interrupted, however, when a make-believe commercial aimed at celebrities who are having groupie problems comes on the TV. And this is 15 years before Basketball Wives, mind you.

36. Master P "Make Em Say Uhh!" Intro (1997)

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Producer: N/A
Album : Ghetto D
Label : No Limit Records



Evidently, Master P's time spent up in the Bay Area getting his music empire off the ground meant he could count on the smooth Frisco player Rappin' 4-Tay to answer the phones at No Limit Studios. And it's a good thing he did.

When a P impostor calls up, 4-Tay challenges him to prove he's the real P by challenging him to say, "Uhh!" When he responds with something like the sound a poor, wounded animal would make, 4-Tay tells him what we all suspected to begin with: "This ain't no muthafuckin' P!"

35. Black Sheep "L.A.S.M." (1991)

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Producer: N/A
Album : A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Label : Mercury



Black Sheep take a moment to address their critics in the sketch called "L.A.S.M." ("Lesbians Against Sexist Motherfuckers"), in which the duo of Dres and Mister Lawnge go toe-to-toe with no-nonsense female TV show hosts who take them to task for their chauvinistic views, particularly for the use of the word "ho." (It's short for "honey," the duo claims.) Whether you could get with this type of humor or not, Black Sheep flipped the script on what to expect from the Native Tongues posse.

34. Mobb Deep "[The Infamous Prelude]" (1995)

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Producer: N/A
Album : The Infamous
Label : Loud



"The Infamous Prelude" was an in-your-face drama setter demonstrating the power of the spoken word. P set off beef with the Def Squad, who interpreted the words "to all them rap-ass niggaz with your half-ass rhymes talkin' 'bout how much you get high, how much weed you smoke and that crazy space shit that don't even make no sense" as shots fired at Redman, Keith Murray and Erick Sermon's crew. This interlude of Prodigy speaking the dun language also spawned the infamous line, "I might have to get on some ol' high school shit and start punchin' niggaz in they face just for livin'."

33. LOX "Rape'n U Records" (2000)

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Producer: N/A
Album : We Are The Streets
Label : Ruff Ryders/Interscope



D-Block keeps it one hundred in their message to all up-n-coming rappers with dreams of making it big in the cut- throat music biz. Jada is Jay Jerkin' Niggas, a mean-spirited label boss who dishes out deals for fake Rolies and Honda Civics. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the LOX are taking swipes at their ex-boss Diddy in this brutally funny skit.

32. Redman "Chicken Head Convention (Skit)" (1996)

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Producer: Reggie Noble
Album : Muddy Waters
Label : Def Jam



Leave it to Redman not to give a flying funk when it comes to political correctness. A mass gathering of uncouth females prone to smacking gum and picking the underwear out of their asses are at a 'hood rat convention, and tell-it-like-it-is rapper Nikki D is there to interview them amidst the sound of real-life chickens cluckin'. This skit is so good you can almost see the neck rollin'.

31. Dr. Octagon "I Got to Tell You" (1996)

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Producer: Dan the Automator
Album : Dr. Octagonecologyst
Label : Bulk Recordings



Just the concept of weirdo Kool Keith as a crazy gynecologist is enough to tickle funny bones. This fake commercial for the demented doc's practice, which sounds more like an ad for an ambulance-chasing lawyer, further adds to the fun.

Over a classical composition Dr. Octagon lets you know that he specializes in rectal rebuilding, relocating saliva glands, and treating moose bumps. Just call him at 1-800-pee-pee-5-1-doo-doo for an appointment.

30. Ghostface Killah "Woodrow the Base Head" (2000)

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Producer: N/A
Album : Supreme Clientele
Label : Epic/Sony/Razor Sharp



There is a contrasting blend of humor and hard, cold truth in the "Woodrow the Base Head" skit. The action centers around a fiend named Woodrow (played exceptionally well by rapper Superb) who comes off like some sort of tragic court jester of the 'hood. While at first a source of cheap entertainment, Woodrow's increasingly flippant attitude toward GFK, which the rapper first tries to dismiss ("It's Christmas tomorrow," he tells him), soon spirals into 'Dro threatening to pull out a gat (he warns Ghost that all he has to do is go to his girl's pad and yell, "Suzy! Throw it out the window!). What starts off funny turns into a grim reminder of just how fucked up the drug game really is.

29. Jay-Z "'Okay, I'm Reloaded' Skit" (1996)

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Producer: N/A
Album : Reasonable Doubt
Label : Roc-A-Fella



Funnyman Pain In Da Ass channeled Al Pacino's lead character in Carlito's Way for his confrontational hypeman job on Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt. If you think the on-point impersonation was a bit obnoxious, well, it was supposed to be—the Roc was on a mission to take over, and felt the competition was nada. Customizing the dialog only slightly, the actor/comedian spits, "OK, I'm reloaded! You motherfuckers think you big time?! Fuckin' wit' Jay-Z you gonna die, big time! Here come the pain!" Ah—good times.

28. Kwest tha Madd Ladd "A Day In The Life Of My Asspipe" (1996)

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Producer: N/A
Album : This Is My First Album
Label : American Recordings



Kwest's cult album had this shockingly funny albeit gross scenario in which the profane activity of his rectum is explored for 24 hours, from the morning dump to the nasty after effects of a White Castle lunch, to an unfortunate run-in with a crazed cellmate. Ouch.

27. GZA "Hell's Wind Staff/Killah Hills 10304"" (1995)

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Producer: RZA
Album : Liquid Swords
Label : Geffen



RZA's clandestine meeting with the mysterious Mr. Grieco is interrupted by Noodles (Masta Killa) who has a phone call from Tony Starks informing Bobby Steels that an associate of Grieco's—one Don Rodriguez from the Bronx—is at the police precinct "singin' his fuckin' ass off like a fuckin' bird." Through it all, GZA's going off in the background, riffing about the Hell's Angels while random singing can also be heard. In this skit, RZA creates the feeling that all the action is taking place in some hot tropical locale, while the slight sniffing sounds hint at the presence of cocaine. It's like a weirdo episode of Miami Vice starring the Wu.

26. Fugees "Chinese Restaurant" (1996)

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Producer: Fugees, Jerry Duplessis
Album : The Score
Label : Ruffhouse/Columbia



The local Chinese take-out spot in the 'hood is the setting for this popular food fight off The Score. When two impatient customers get into it with an elderly owner (played to the hilt by the comedian Talent), the results are some swift karate chops to the dome pieces. While some might cry foul over the over-the-top Asian accent, it's all in good fun, like watching badly dubbed kung fu flicks.

25. Common "Another Wasted Nite With..." (1994)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Resurrection
Label: Relativity



Answering-machine messages are sometimes dismissed as a lazy skit cliché, but one could argue that they provide a sense of everyday life that most people can relate to. Take this morning-after lament from one of Common's buddies, for instance. Nearly all of us at one point or another have received a call from a close friend talking about the previous night's festivities.

For dudes, it's often about the female their amigo hung out with. Here, Com's bud voices his particular displeasure in that the girl from the club that he managed to get back to his place wanted to watch movies rather than give up the drawers. "This ain't no muthafuckin' cinema, bitch!" he says, and every dude who's ever had blue balls can relate.

24. Ice Cube "The Drive-By" (1990)

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Producer: Sir Jinx
Album: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Label: Priority



What begins like an ancient throwback to Orson Wells–era radio (complete with an old-timey organ playing in the background) quickly gets updated to modern times when the announcer states, "And now—the drive-by..."

By the time this movie-like moment on Cube's solo debut made its way into listeners' ears, the media had made it known nationwide that gang violence sometimes included vehicular manslaughter of another kind. So when two perps get into an automobile whispering to each other, the listener expects to hear gunshots.

While the inclusion of Young MC's widely popular "Bust a Move" on the car stereo mellows the tension momentarily, we all know the gunshots are coming. The real TV news soundbite at the very end serves as a sobering reminder that "outside the South Central area, few cared because it didn't affect them."

23. Cam'ron "I'm A Chicken Head" (2004)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Purple Haze
Label: Roc-A-Fella/Diplomat



Perhaps more than any other skit out there, this one leaves you asking yourself, "Yo, is this real?" One scorned woman ain't having no more of Cam'ron's shit and wants to sock him in the eye. "I'm a chicken, I'm gonna act like a chicken...quack, quack, quack," she says, seething on the other end of the cell. "That's a duck," responds a cool, calm and collected Cam, delivering an epic self-ethering. This one is the audio equivalent of the Killa "You Mad" pics flooding the Interwebz.

22. N.W.A "A Message to B.A." (1991)

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Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: Efil4zaggin
Label: Ruthless



"A Message to B.A." was N.W.A letting the "traitor" Benedict Arnold, otherwise known as former member Ice Cube, know exactly how they felt about him leaving the World's Most Dangerous Group. This profanity-filled rant, disguised as a radio show call-in segment, imagined a host of folks from across the nation hurling insults at Cube (the "I smell pussy!" line was adopted by G-Unit years later in their attack against Ja Rule). It was this incendiary skit that provoked Cube to retaliate with his infamous dis track, "No Vaseline."

21. De La Soul "WRMS Radio Skits" (1991)

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Producer: Prince Paul
Album: De La Soul Is Dead
Label: Tommy Boy
De La Soul ""WRMS' Dedication to the Bitty"



Besides the kid skits, the other connecting link on De La Soul is Dead's treasure trove of musical brilliance and weirdness were the made-up WRMS radio station broadcasts, which can be heard throughout the album, sometimes as tracks of their own and sometimes at the start of songs like "A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays.'"

Besides serving up a bit of nostalgia (who doesn't have at least one fond memory of an airwave dedication or the thrill of hearing a song for the first time?), these breaks—which are almost songs in themselves—were a chance for some good-natured fun. On the "Rap de Rap Show," Prince Paul showcases his Dew Doo Man persona with buddies like Q-Tip and the Jungle Bros.

20. Wu-Tang Clan "'Yo, Meth Where My Killer Tape At?' Skit" (1993)

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Producer: RZA
Album: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Label: Loud



"Yo, Meth, where my Killer tape at, God?" That simple question was the gateway into Wu's wondrous world of blazing skits. As soon as you heard this one-and-a-half minute ghetto soap that starts at the top of "Wu Tang: Seventh Chamber," you knew you were hooked on these real cats who could turn an ordinary argument into some riveting, marvelous shit.

Of course the drama sets in when Ghost bangs on the door and enters to announce that Shameek from 212 just got bust in the head two times and is lying there like "a fuckin' newborn fuckin' baby."

When someone asks if he's dead, GFK goes off: "Is he fuckin' dead?! What the fuck you mean is he fuckin' dead, God? The nigga laying there with all types of fuckin' blood comin' out." Then in an absurd moment, the Killer tape is mentioned again and the room erupts with more incredulous reactions.

The dark humor mixed with every-day ghetto tragedy feels like we're watching Joe Pesci and company in Black Goodfellas. (By the way, it seems Rae really did need that Killer tape, judging by the influence that the John Woo flick had on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...)

19. The Notorious B.I.G. "Intro" (1994)

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Producer: Sean "Puffy" Combs
Album: Ready to Die
Label: Bad Boy



This cinematic introduction to Biggie Smalls' Ready to Die is damn near Oscar-worthy. The milestones of Christopher Wallace's life are brilliantly delineated by musical cues (Curtis Mayfield's music signifies the era of Big's birth, The Sugar Hill Gang's 1979 "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang his troubled childhood, Audio Two's "Top Billin'" evokes the rapper's teen life as a late '80s stick-up kid, while Snoop's 1993 "Shiznit" coincides with his release from jail), this is one intro that stays with you for a long time.

Credit the album's concept of beginning with Biggie's birth and ending with his "suicide," and the first-class performances featuring the voices of the late rap star himself with Puff Daddy and Lil' Kim in key roles as Big's family members.

18. Snoop Dogg "Betta Ask Somebody" (1993)

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Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: Doggystyle
Label: Death Row



It might be a little corny, but the "My Name is Snoop" interlude featuring little kids talkin' shit is always good for a decent chuckle. When it's a little kid that's supposed to be a young-ass Snoop Dogg, well that's even better. As a kindly teacher goes around the classroom asking the children the traditional "What do you want to be when you grow up?" question, an underaged Calvin Broadus responds, "I wanna be a muthafuckin' hustler." The rumor that the tyke is actually rapper Bow Wow takes this G-Funk skit that's far from G-Rated to a whole new level of bad ass.

17. Ice Cube "Robin Lench" (1991)

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Producer: Boogiemen, Sir Jinx
Album: Death Certificate
Label: Priority



Lampooning the top-rated (at the time) TV show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, this "ghettoized" parody reinvents the British-born host Robin Leach as the vulgar Robin Lench, who narrates a show called Lifestyles of the Poor and Unfortunate in a faux British accent. You can pretty much guess the angle here, everything is the flipside of lavish living: instead of focusing on, say, luxury cars, here it's about taking the RTD bus, or the Rough Tough & Dangerous. The trademark closing catchphrase from Leach, "champagne wishes and caviar dreams," becomes "40 ounce drinks and watered down wishes." That's the Lench way.

16. Raekwon f/ Ghostface Killah "Shark Niggas (Biters)" (1995)

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Producer: RZA
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Label: Loud Records



As far as Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are concerned, whoever said that "imitation was the sincerest form of flattery" can take that quote and shove it up their ass. In a short convo that definitely shook up the New York rap scene, Rae and Ghost let their true feelings be known about copy cats. "Niggas bit off Nas' shit," says an under-the-weather-sounding Starks midway through with Rae gigglin' in response.

These words were undoubtedly aimed at the similarities between Nas' Illmatic album cover and Biggie Smalls' Ready to Die, both depicting the rap stars as kids. GFK ends things by declaring, "I don't want niggas sounding like me on no album! Get your own shit, man, and be original."

15. Eminem "Ken Kaniff" (1999)

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Producer: N/A
Album: The Slim Shady LP
Label: Aftermath/Interscope



Your boy Kenneth Kaniff has got to be one of the sleaziest characters to pop up in pop culture. The creepy-voiced gay from Connecticut with a strong admiration for Eminem first dropped the rapper a line back in 1999 and the results were pure comedy gold, right? (Ken saying, "Automated piece of shit" while trying to connect to Em's cell shouldn't even be that funny, but it is). The part of Kaniff was originally played by Detroit underground rapper Aristotle, but after an alleged falling out, Em took over the voice for subsequent skits.

14. Redman "Who Took Da Satellite Van (Skit)," "We Got Da Satellite Van (Skit)" (1998)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Doc's da Name 2000
Label: Def Jam
Redman "Who Took Da Satellite Van (Skit)"



By the time Reggie Noble recorded his fourth studio LP he'd mastered the art of making skits. Always a fan of the medium, his early efforts were arguably a little strange or all over the place (one might point the finger of blame at those excessive blunts he was smoking).

But he finally hit his prime here in the sensational N.W.A-esque satellite van skits, which start with a dorky reporter coming to the 'hood in Newark asking Reggie Noble too many of the wrong questions.

Towards the end of the album he finds out that his news van has been stolen by Gov Mattic and Mr. Not of Brick Mob. As the cops give chase, recurring character Nasty Nadj helps the culprits from the Fuck Y'all Hella-Cam high up in the sky. Criminal mischief never sounded so fun.

13. Dr. Dre "Deeez Nuuuts" (1992)

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Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: The Chronic
Label: Death Row Records



No matter how many times you hear it, Warren G's immature yet irresistible crank call to a female acquaintance never gets old. The attention to small details, like the old movie playing in the background while the G-Funkster dials, adds to the realistic ambience. But all these years later, nothing resonates like the silly, obnoxious, still-somehow-surprising punchline of "Deeez Nuuuts!"

12. Raekwon f/ Ghostface Killah "'Niggas Tried To Assassinate Me' Skit" (1995)

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Producer: RZA
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Label: Loud Records



It's no secret that some of the best rap skits come alive like scenes lifted from a movie. When it comes to star power, the charismatic duo of Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are on some Pacino and DeNiro levels and they both turn in some top-notch performances in the gritty skit right before the start of the "Can It Be All So Simple" remix.

Listen closely for the realistic sounds of dollar bills being flipped and the cars whizzing by on the street. Seems there's a rival crack dealer slanging on the wrong turf—Tony Starks' corner, to be exact. Egged on by Rae, Ghost checks the out-of-bounds foe, slapping vials out of his hand, only to have shots be fired. The ensuing chaos leaves GFK hit and bleeding. "Yo, son! I'm hit!" he declares before uttering one of the most memorable lines in skit history: "Niggas tried to assassinate me, man."

11. N.W.A "Just Don't Bite It" (1990)

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Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: 100 Miles and Runnin'
Label: Ruthless



It's no surprise that a group calling itself Niggaz Wit' Attitude would make some highly explicit skits. And "Just Don't Bite It" is about as explicit as it gets, but it's an inspired piece of work as well. What starts off as a hot and heavy X-rated encounter between Eazy and and unknown female turns dangerous when her oral skills prove to be completely out of whack.

Then, just like that, a stiff, overly "Caucasian" voice comes on, and we realize that we're actually listening to a commercial for an exciting new sex book called The Art of Sucking Dick. When you're looking for the best hardcore skits (sex related or not), go see Dr. Dre.

10. The Notorious B.I.G. “Mad Rapper Skit” (1997)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Life After Death
Label: Bad Boy



The famous Mad Rapper skit at the beginning of "Kick In The Door" really blew open the floodgates on the term "hater," a crabby curmedgeon who envies the lifestyle of successful rappers to the point of obsession and spends a significant portion of their lowly lives talking ish. Producer Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie's hilarious voice for the Mad Rapper made the character's mini-rants memorable. The popularity of the MR was proven by the numerous appearances he made on subsequent Bad Boy releases—but the first is still the best.

9. Ice Cube "JD's Gaffilin'" (1990) / Ice Cube "JD's Gaffilin' (Part II)" (1990)

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Producer: Ice Cube, Sir Jinx
Album: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted/Kill at Will
Label: Priority
Ice Cube  "JD's Gaffilin'" 



Da Lench Mob's JD proved that sometimes you don't need anything but some inspired boasting to make a memorable skit. His gritty street tales of jackin' (or "gafflin'") motherfuckers for their Nissan trucks ("McDonald's was my spot! Right in the drive-thru," he says facetiously in between the shaking of some dice) is some fly-on-the-wall shit that has you wishing for more, which is why there was a Part Two on the Kill at Will EP. This time, JD goes off at the boys in blue in full no-holds-barred mode. Just hearing him say "straight jackin'" with his distinct twang is worth your time.

8. Snoop Dogg "W Balls"  (1993)

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Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: Doggystyle
Label: Death Row



As radio parodies go, the loc-quacious comedian Ricky Harris as DJ Salt E. Nuts broadcasting live on WBALLS set the barometer pretty high. The action begins with a Dre staple, the sound of radio stations whizzing by, finally landing at 187.4 on your FM dial. Reminding you to tune in later for DJ E-Z Dick and the Jack-Off Hour, Salt E. Nuts introduces Snoop's "Tha Shiznit" (that song is the shit, BTW) in one of the best introductions you're likely to hear on a rap record.

7. Raekwon f/ Ghostface Killah "Clarks Skit" (1995)

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Producer: RZA
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Label: Loud Records



You really can feel the summer heat blazing during the skit preceding "Glaciers of Ice," wherein Ghost revels in his love for customizing Clarks desert boots in exclusive homemade colors. "I had crazy visions!" The enthusiasm Tony Starks displayed for his shoe hobby would become contagious.

6. Mobb Deep "[The Grave Prelude]" (1995)

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Producer: N/A
Album: The Infamous
Label: Loud



Things get real bad in Queensbridge when Big Noyd gets "shot" one shitty, stormy night. The tension is heavy in this "prelude" with the urgent pleas of "don't fuckin' fall asleep" resonating loudly, suggesting that the Mobb might have been through this scenario before. All this commotion carries over to the song that follows, giving the already gloomy track a deeper sense of sadness.

5. De La Soul "Game Show Skits" (1989)

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Producer: Prince Paul
Album: 3 Feet High and Rising
Label: Tommy Boy
De La Soul "Intro"



3 Feet High and Rising sounded like no rap album before it, and after its release, no other rap album sounded the same. Simply said, De La and co-conspirator Prince Paul (along with engineer Al Watts as the host and Don Newkirk as the announcer) made something special.

The recurring game show parody skits sprinkled throughout the LP were a) the reflection of a quirky sense of humor shared by these uniquely talented fellows from Long Island; b) a cohesive device for an album bursting with an expansive set of seemingly contradictory elements, combining everything from old school hip-hop to prog rock to French dialogue; and c) proof that pop-culture references like "How many times did the Batmobile catch a flat?" could bring together people from many different walks of life, all relating to each other through shared rituals like watching TV or reading comic books.

Along with Dr. Dre, De La changed the game for good with their creative interludes.

4. Big Pun "Pakinamac Pt. 1 (Skit)" / "Pakinamac Pt. 2 (Skit)" (1998)

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Producer: N/A
Album: Capital Punishment
Label: Terror Squad/Loud Records
Big Pun "Pakinamac Pt. 1 (Skit)"



Big Pun's talents were not restricted to the vocal booth. His sly sense of humor was often on display during his brief career, perhaps nowhere greater than the amazing two-part "Pakinamac" saga from his debut LP. When a dude on the street talks smack the Punisher retaliates with a heavy dose of erratic bullets, catching some bystanders in the process...

Pun: "I hit you?" Dude: "Yeah, nigga. Fuck." Pun: "You gonna live?" Dude: "I'll be i-ight." (He then shoots him again.) Pun: "Dick." Then he jumps into his whip and you can hear "Off the Books" on the radio. That's just some funny shit.

Part Dos shows an amped Punisher telling amigo Cuban Link about the shooting incident. In his excitement Pun slips into the multisyllabic rhyme pattern that made him famous on the microphone, explaining that he was "packin' the Mac in the back of the Ac." After a slight pause, both Pun and Cuban dive into a rapid-fire rendition of the phrase that sounds like some sort of twisted, hilarious Vaudeville act from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.

3. The Notorious B.I.G. "Fuck Me" (1994)

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Producer: Sean "Puffy" Combs
Album: Ready to Die
Label: Bad Boy



Though it may not be as authentic as the blowjob at the end of "Respect," this sex skit sounds so real you might wanna turn it down (or turn up, if you're that type of neighbor). "Fuck Me" is Big laying down his status of not only being the King of New York but the king of the bedroom, too.

Lil' Kim gives a noteworthy performance, reaching levels of ecstasy that cause her to almost speak in tongues as she rattles off a food-inspired chain of descriptive praise for her overweight lover: "...you Oreo cookie eatin', pickle juice drinkin', chicken gristle eatin', biscuit fuckin'... V8 juice drinkin', Slim-Fast blended, black greasy motherfucker!" Not sure if this will make you hungry for a romp in the sack or a visit to the refrigerator, but either way it's all good.

2. Wu-Tang Clan "Torture Skit" (1993)

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Producer: RZA
Album: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Label: Loud



Part of what made Wu-Tang so great was their willingness to throw raw, unfiltered material out there with no concern for who might catch feelings. The infamous "Torture" skit right before the smash single "Method Man," sounds like you're eavesdropping during a break in recording and happened to catch Mef and Rae engaged in some unscripted, good-ol'-fashioned snapping.

Laughing their asses off all the while, they seem not the least bit worried about delivering their lines perfectly. Which is why it's so perfect. The one-upmanship of outrageous imagery escalataes ridiculously, climaxing with Tical stating, "I'll fuckin' sew your asshole closed and keep feeding you and feeding you...." It's sick as hell and funny as can be—all at the same time.

1. Dr. Dre "The $20 Sack Pyramid" (1992)

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Producer: Dr. Dre
Album: The Chronic
Label: Death Row Records



Even if you're not familiar with The $20,000 Pyramid, Dr. Dre's masterfully orchestrated send-up of the popular '70s TV game show still gets plenty of laughs. Possibly a small nod to De La's famous 3 Feet High and Rising game show sketches three years earlier, "The $20 Sack Pyramid" is, of course, a low-budget, gangstafied version with a woman credited as Big Tittie Nickie playing the part of host Henny Loc, while contestant Duck Mouth (played by The D.O.C.) provides clues ("En Vogue, Halle Berry, your Auntie Clarisse") and Bootnee Lee Farnsworth (played by somebody named Samara) guesses the answers ("Bitches I want to fuck!") in hopes of winning the grand prize of a dub sack and a $35 gift certificate to the Compton Swap Meet. Expertly acted with impeccable comedic timing, the skit also manages to take a shot at Compton's musical nemesis Tim Dog. These types of imaginative disses doesn't happen in hip-hop that often anymore—and boy, do we miss 'em.

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