Shea Serrano's The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed does pretty much what its title suggests.
Released earlier this month, it's New York Times best seller, and is presently sold out on Amazon.
Here are the 36 songs Serrano has deemed most important (which doesn't necessarily mean best) since 1979:
1979 'Rapper’s Delight' The Sugarhill Gang 1980 'The Breaks' Kurtis Blow 1981 'Jazzy Sensation' Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy Five 1982 'The Message' Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five 1983 'Sucker M.C.'s' Run-DMC 1984 'Friends' Whodini 1985 'La Di Da Di' Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick 1986 '6 in the Mornin'' Ice-T 1987 'Paid in Full' Eric B. and Rakim 1988 'Straight Outta Compton' N.W.A 1989 'Fight the Power' Public Enemy 1990 'Bonita Applebum' A Tribe Called Quest 1991 'Mind Playing Tricks on Me' Geto Boys 1992 'Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang' Dr. Dre, featuring Snoop Dogg 1993 'C.R.E.A.M.' Wu-Tang Clan 1994 'Juicy' The Notorious B.I.G. 1995 'Dear Mama' Tupac 1996 'California Love' Tupac, featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman 1997 'Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down' Puff Daddy, featuring Mase 1998 'Ruff Ryders’ Anthem' DMX 1999 'My Name Is' Eminem 2000 'Big Pimpin'' Jay Z, featuring UGK 2001 'Takeover' vs. 'Ether' Jay Z vs. Nas 2002 'Grindin'' The Clipse 2003 'In Da Club' 50 Cent 2004 'Still Tippin'' Mike Jones, featuring Slim Thug and Paul Wall 2005 'Gold Digger' Kanye West, featuring Jamie Foxx 2006 'Hustlin'' Rick Ross 2007 'International Players Anthem' UGK, featuring Outkast 2008 'A Milli' Lil Wayne 2009 'Best I Ever Had' Drake 2010 'Monster' Kanye West, featuring Rick Ross, Jay Z, Bon Iver, and Nicki Minaj 2011 'Niggas in Paris' Jay Z and Kanye West 2012 'Same Love' Macklemore and Ryan Lewis 2013 'Control' Big Sean, featuring Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica 2014 'Lifestyle' Rich Gang, featuring Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan
What do you think? And what do you think should be the entry for 2015?