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There is no music genre that has more songs about cars than the rap genre. Half of the hip hop music videos can’t be imagined without a squadron of cars even when there isn’t a single bar about them in the lyrics. But there are a lot of tracks that celebrate specific cars, or just the experiences that they bring, and these are the very best of them.
Raps songs about cars come almost exclusively from the ’90s and the first decade of the new millenium, as the topics shifted to be more emmotional and party-centered in this decade. But you’ll have enough for a drive to the beach with these seven tracks as one of the key elements of hip hop songs about cars is their replayability.
Coolio – Fantastic Voyage
Besides having one of the most recognizable gangsta rap anthems, Coolio also made one of the best songs about cars. A feel good track that paints the picture of how much cars can mean in the hood, but actually, wherever you live. The vibe of the song captures that feeling of riding with your friends to a place where you can be completely relaxed, but you already are there by the time you close the door.
T.I. – Top Back
One of the tracks that established T.I. as a big deal in the rap industry, and deservedly so. A typical T.I. track as it has a very distinctive, chopy flow and a hype beat to follow it, making it perfect for a track to boom out of a sound system. It would be pretty hard to find a song that is better to bounce to while you’re swerving.
Chamillionaire feat Krayzie Bone – Ridin
Chamillionaire will be forever recognized as that one car rapper by those who are not deep in the rap game, as his track Ridin’ was a huge hit and almost a driving anthem. It put the rapper on the map in the competitive 2000s, as it is a complete track with the beat, music video, and flow all being on point. It’s one of the few songs about cars that is almost exclusively about wheels.
The Pharcyde – Officer
Tackling an interesting topic revolving around cars, a highly relatable and in a weird way endearing one, riding a crappy car without a license, stressing about getting caught by the law. The unofficial animated video manages to capture the feel of the funny, nostalgic song and is also the proof that the track was very dear to some people as they took the time to make a video especially for it.
Dr. Dre feat Jewell, Snoop Dogg, & Ruben – Let Me Ride
The perfect example of a g-funk track and a single from Dr. Dre’s first solo album The Chronic which is regarded as a classic and one of the best rap albums of all time. This track is perfect for cruising along the sunny coasts of California, as are the majority of tracks with the rolling West Coast beat. A feel good track almost on the level of It Was A Good Day and definitely one of the best songs about cars and driving.
T.I. – 24’s
T.I. is the only man on the list to have two tracks on it, and justifiably so as both were huge hits and are heavily focused on cars. 24’s perhaps even more than Top Back as it was a part of the legendary Need For Speed video game soundtrack. Short flow changes and a bumpy beat make the verses as equally great as the choir-based chorus making for the most hyped up song about a car.
Public Enemy – You’re Gonna Get Yours
A signature Public Enemy sound from the moment when the first bar drops. A classic hip hop track gaining the most from the rappers’ strong delivery typical for those ’90s songs even though the track was released in 1987. Oftenly subtitled “My 98 Oldsmobile”, it’s an aggressive track that achieved big popularity outside the genre as Red Hot Chili Peppers have been using it as an intro jam on their concerts.
Which other rap songs about cars would you consider the best?
