3 of the Most Addictive Hip-Hop Songs With Pop Hooks

Wyclef Jean once explained to me the thinking behind blending pop and hip-hop. He called it “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s similar to the quiet verses and loud choruses that defined alternative rock in the 1990s, most notably on Nirvana’s Pixies-inspired “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. However, instead of distorted guitars creating the payoff, the pop hooks on these hip-hop tracks show the powerful effects of Jean’s analogy.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Love The Way You Lie” by Eminem ft. Rihanna

Combining hip-hop with an acoustic chord progression, “Love The Way You Lie” puts into visceral terms the details of an abusive relationship. Few rappers bend language like Eminem, and even fewer artists have articulated such violence, pain, and struggle. Both Eminem and Rihanna reveal pain in different ways. The Detroit rapper echoes a man losing his mind, losing his sense of reality, and spiraling into a defensive haze of jealousy and rage. But Rihanna, who sings with resignation, knows her partner’s words mean nothing—even when they are arranged with the kind of precision that made Eminem a rap legend.

“Empire State Of Mind” by Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys

Finding inspiration in New York City is easy. But writing a song that exists in the canon of Big Apple tunes alongside Frank Sinatra’s theme from New York, New York, or Billy Joel’s “New York State Of Mind” is the hard part. I still remember when Jay-Z’s hometown tribute landed in 2009. Alicia Keys’ hook already felt like something pulled from the Great American Songbook. An immediate standard. The piano riff is sampled from “Love On A Two-Way Street” by The Moments. And Jay-Z, understanding the history of a New York ballad, puts himself right in the middle of it: “I’m the new Sinatra / And since I made it here / I can make it anywhere / Yeah, they love me everywhere.” The same can be said for Keys, whose vocal makes “Empire State Of Mind” a true classic.

“Just A Friend” by Biz Markie

Not every hip-hop track with a pop hook requires a pop star to bring it home. Biz Markie’s signature jam features the rapper crooning Freddie Scott’s “(You) Got What I Need”. Markie’s interpolation landed in 1989, as hip-hop was ascending in popularity. He transformed Scott’s soul and R&B original into a beautifully off-key tale of unrequited love. You don’t need Scott’s soulful voice to hit these notes. Markie makes the chorus accessible to everyone. Also, don’t forget about the video, which features Markie belting his tune at a piano, dressed as Mozart.

Photo by Danny Clinch