51
50
50
49
49
48
48
47
47
46
46
45
45
44
44
43
43
42
42
41
41
40
40
39
39
38
38
37
37
36
36
35
35
34
34
33
33
32
32
31
31
30
30
29
29
28
28
27
27
26
26
25
25
24
24
23
23
22
22
21
21
20
20
19
19
18
18
17
17
16
16
15
15
14
14
13
13
12
12
11
11
10
10
9
9
8
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
The 100 Best Opening Lines in Rap History, Part 2: 50 - 1

First impressions, they say, are everything. In the blink of an eye, the human brain fires off a series of signals after receiving information that—time and time again—studies have shown are harder to change the more time passes after it. 

To that end, a first line in rap might just be the first line. But it's always so much more. Not just the beginning of a song, but for the ones that really count, the beginning of a legacy: For a song, for an artist, for an entire body of work or era of a genre. And you only have, really, only one line to get that first impression right. For the artists who did that, their first moments on a track were really more than just first impressions, but the beginning and end of a micro-legacy that usually results in more than just the start of a song, but the start of a much larger place in history, too. 

These are The 100 Best Opening Lines in Rap History: 50 - 1. 

Written by Kathy Iandoli, David Drake, and Foster Kamer. 

[PREVIOUSLY: The 100 Best Opening Lines in Rap History: 100 - 51]

LIKE COMPLEX MUSIC ON FACEBOOK

Tags: lists, opening-lines, rap-lists
Older Video: Disclosure f/ AlunaGeorge "White Noise"
Music
NewerVideo: Sean Price f/ Pharoahe Monch "BBQ Sauce"
blog comments powered by Disqus