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list Jan 3 2016 Written by

Top 25 Hip Hop Posse Cuts

POSSE CUT: a Hip Hop track with verses from at least four different rappers, from at least two different acts.

In this selection you will find 25 of our favorite posse cuts – are YOUR favorites in there? Disqus!

best hip hop posse cuts

25. Juice Crew - Juice Crew All-Stars (1987)

Did YOU know this forgotten 1987 Juice Crew banger? Over a typical hard-hitting Marley Marl beat, Kool G Rap, MC Craig G, Glamorous, MC Shan, Tragedy and Roxanne Shante let loose. Oh my goodness!

24. Ice T ft Rhyme Syndicate - What Ya Wanna Do (1989)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ6HPq-yVe8

8 minutes of straight rhyming by most Rhyme Syndicate members, taken from Ice T‘s third album The Iceberg. Who had the best verse? Our money is on Donald D.

23. Heavy D ft Kool G Rap, Grand Puba, CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pete Rock, Q-Tip - Don't Curse (1991)

From Heavy D‘s 1991 Peaceful Journey album, this is a star-studded track with a refreshing message: don’t curse.

22. Big L ft. Lord Finesse, Microphone Nut, Jay Z, Party Arty & Granddaddy I.U. - Da Graveyard (1995)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eEzzN08Moc

One of the two dope posse cuts from Big L‘s debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous.

21. LL Cool J ft Big Money Grip, Bomb, HIC - Farmers Blvd. (1991)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIRhlrhloFY

LL Cool J and his homies pay homage to the place where they are from: Farmers Boulevard in St. Albans, Queens.

20. Run DMC ft Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Down With The King (1993)

Down with the King was the second and final single from Run–D.M.C.‘s sixth studio album Down with the King. It featured Pete Rock & CL Smooth with Pete Rock also producing the song.

The music video, which was directed by Marcus Raboy, received heavy airplay and featured cameos from Eazy-E, Redman, Kris Kross, Jermaine Dupri, Onyx, Salt-n-Pepa, KRS-One, EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Kid Capri,Das EFX, P.M. Dawn and Naughty by Nature. See if you spot them all!

19. Mobb Deep ft Nas & Raekwon - Eye For An Eye (Your Beef Is Mine) (1995)

From Mobb Deep‘s classic second album, this track has Prodigy, Havoc, Nas and Raekwon dropping verses in a song that has the haunting and rugged vibe that is typical for the whole album.

18. Showbiz & AG ft Big L, Deshawn & Lord Finesse - Represent (1992)

One of Big L‘s first appearances on wax, he immediately steals the track with a trademark Big L verse. The other three kick some dope bars as well, that makes this a posse cut not to be slept on.

17. The D.O.C. ft N.W.A. - The Grand Finale (1989)

This brilliant closing track from The D.O.C.‘s classic No One Can Do It Better track has The D.O.C. dropping a verse over a dope Dr Dre instrumental, following verses by his N.W.A. homies Ice Cube, MC Ren and Eazy E.

16. Onyx ft Raekwon, Method Man & Killa Sin - The Worst (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIvA9xfNtms

From the 1998 Shut Em Down album, this is a nice collabo from Onyx with Wu Tang members Raekwon and Method Man and Wu Tang affiliate Killa Sin. The song features a dope sample on the hook from Ol’ Dirty Bastard‘s verse of Wu-Tang Clan’s Protect Ya Neck.

15. Noreaga ft Nature, Big Pun, Cam'ron & The Lox - Banned From TV (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfVdxaTUk8A

Banned from T.V. is a song Noreaga, released as the third single from his debut studio album N.O.R.E. (1998). The song, produced by Swizz Beatz, features Nature, Big Pun, Cam’ron, Jadakiss and Styles P.

14. EPMD ft K Solo & Redman (1992)

Head Banger is the second single released from EPMD‘s fourth album, Business Never Personal and features fellow Hit Squad members K-Solo and Redman, who delivers as always. This track is HARD.

13. The Fugees ft Pacewon, Rah Digga, Young Zee & John Forté - Cowboys (1996)

Straight bars on one of the best tracks from the classic The Score album. If only Lauryn Hill and Rah Digga would do an album together…

12. Ron G ft Raekwon, Killa Sin, KRS One, The Notorious B.I.G. & O.C. - Stop The Breaks (1994)

Dope track of the 1994 mixtape It’s On: Part 2 by Ron G. Features: Raekwon, Killa Sin, KRS OneThe Notorious B.I.G. & O.C.

11. Black Sheep ft Diggedy Dogg, Chris Lighty, Dave Gossett & Chi Ali - Pass The 40 (1991)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMtVNDW1d34

From their classic debut album A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing, this posse cut has Black Sheep and crew passing the mic / a bottle of 40. Hilarious lyrics with the trademark Black Sheep cheeky humor. One of the highlights from an all around dope album.

10. Luniz ft Dru Down, Richie Rich, E-40, Shock G & Spice 1 - I Got 5 On It (1995)

The Luniz recruited a number of Bay Area top dogs for the remix of their West Coast classic I Got 5 On It. As fresh today as it was 20 years ago.

9. LL Cool J ft. Method Man, Redman, Canibus, DMX, Master P - 4,3,2,1 (1997)

This dope posse cut is best-known for sparking the beef between LL Cool J and Canibus, who intended to do a verse in which he asked “to borrow the mic [tattoo] from LL’s arm”. LL Cool J took exception to that, slammed Canibus in his own verse on this song – and the beef was born.

8. Stop The Violence Movement - Self Destruction (1989)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTsIpZ_Si3A

The Stop the Violence Movement was started by KRS-One in 1989 in response to violence in the Hip Hop and African American communities.

Composed of some of the biggest stars in contemporary East Coast Hip Hop, the movement released a single, “Self Destruction”, in 1989, with all proceeds going to the National Urban League.

“Self-Destruction” was produced by KRS-One and D-Nice of Boogie Down Productions (Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad is credited as an associate producer), and featured: Boogie Down Productions (KRS-One, D-Nice & Ms. Melodie), Stetsasonic (Delite, Daddy-O, Wise, and Frukwan), Kool Moe DeeMC LyteDoug E. FreshJust-IceHeavy D & Public Enemy (Chuck D & Flavor Flav).

7. Sway & King Tech ft RZA, Eminem, Tech N9ne, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Jayo Felony, Chino XL, KRS-One & Kool G. Rap - The Anthem (1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrwF2b_t4RI

Sway & Tech are the hosts of the nationally syndicated radioshow, The Wake Up Show. For The Anthem they invited a bunch of class-A emcees to create one of the dopest posse cuts ever.

6. De La Soul ft Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip & Monie Love - Buddy (1989)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F69dt5clGPo

“Buddy” is the third single released by De La Soul from their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. The video version features the Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip & Monie Love. A timeless classic.

5. Craig Mack ft Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Rampage, Busta Rhymes - Flava In Ya Ear Remix (1994)

This version of Craig Mack’s classic Flava In Ya Ear may be one of the best remixes ever done. Biggie‘s verse is just sick, full of Quotables. Check the video if you can spot all the cameo’s beside the inevitable Puffy.

4. Fat Joe ft Nas, Big Pun, Jadakiss & Raekwon - John Blaze (1998)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGYBJ8uAnzA

Fat Joe gathers four top New York emcees to join him on this classic posse cut from the 1998 Don Cartegena album. As always Big Pun steals the show.

3. Main Source ft Nas, Joe Fatal & Akinyele - Live At The BBQ (1991)

Classic, if only because it was the debut on wax from young Queensbridge emcee Nasty Nas, who opened the track with some unforgettable bars. Nas would go on to use this track for the intro to Hip Hop’s magnum opus Illmatic.

2. A Tribe Called Quest ft Leaders Of The New School (1991)

From ATCQ’s second album The Low End Theory, Scenario is without a doubt one of the best and most famous posse cuts ever. One of the stand-out tracks from one of the best albums ever – it doesn’t get more classic than this.

Scenario also marked Busta Rhymes‘ career-defining break-out moment, with just that one verse.

1. Marley Marl ft Master Ace, MC Craig G, Kool G Rap & Big Daddy Kane - The Symphony (1988)

THE ultimate posse cut. Marley Marl’s beat brilliantly interpolates Otis Redding’s Hard to Handle, Masta Ace and Craig G warm things up nicely, and Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane kill it with classic verses.

The Symphony is the standard by which all other posse cuts are measured.

Honorable Mentions

  • N.W.A. ft The D.O.C. – Parental Discretion Iz Advised (1988)
  • West Coast All-Stars – We’re All In The Same Gang (1990)
  • Above The Law ft N.W.A. – The Last Song (1990)
  • KRS One ft. Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Foxxx, Harmony, Kid Capri, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Ms. Melodie, Run-D.M.C & Queen Latifah – Heal Yourself (1991)
  • Naughty By Nature ft Lakim Shabazz & Apache – 1, 2, 3 (1991)
  • MC Serch ft Nas, Chubb Rock & Red Hot Lover Tone – Back To The Grill (1992)
  • Heavy D ft Guru, Biggie Smalls, Busta Rhymes, Rob-O, Third Eye – Buncha Niggas (1992)
  • Big Daddy Kane ft Scoob Lover, Sauce Money, Shyheim & Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Show And Prove (1994)
  • LL Cool J ft Prodigy, Foxy Brown, Fat Joe & Keith Murray- I Shot Ya Remix (1995)
  • Big L ft Terra, Herb McGruff, Buddah Bless, Big Twan, Killa Cam, Trooper J & Mike Boogie – 8 Iz Enuff (1995)
  • Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, B-Real, Coolio, Method Man – Hit Em High (1996)
  • Heltah Skeltah ft OGC – Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka (1996)
  • D.I.T.C. (Diamond D, Big L, A.G., Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, O.C.) – Day One (1998)
  • Mase ft The Lox, Black Rob & DMX – 24 Hrs. to Live (1997)
  • Dr Dre ft MC Ren, Time Bomb, Hittman, Defari, Xzibit, King T, Knoc-turn’al, Kokane- Some L.A. Niggaz (1999)
  • Eminem ft Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit and Nate Dogg)- Bitch Please II (2000)
  • UGK ft OutKast – International Players Anthem (2007)
  • DJ Premier ft Rakim, Kanye West, Nas, KRS One – Classic (2007)

Written by

HHGA founder. Hip Hop historian. Proud dad. Top 10 favorite MCs: Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS One, Kool G Rap, Kool Keith, Pharoahe Monch, Percee P, R.A. The Rugged Man, Black Thought, Murs.…

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