Remember when hip-hop purists believed ringtone rap would spell the end of the world? Two decades later, hip-hop is still alive and thriving. Still, there was this notion that the genre and culture were shifting too far away from its original sound and values. Moreover, people felt like the songs were only great for its chorus, something that would only span the length of a ringtone.
Looking back on that era, it’s clear why so many of those artists didn’t have particularly lengthy careers. When the hits inevitably dried up, what were you left with? However, it would be foolish to completely write off ringtone rap as a whole. A good chunk of those songs are still great, hip-hop’s equivalent to catchy bubblegum pop.
Consequently, Noisey has selected four essential ringtone rap records. From crunk jams to maximalist, futuristic stylings, we dive into why so many people were obsessed with buying ringtones in the mid to late 2000s.
Four Ringtone Rap Records That Still Sound great Today
“Laffy Taffy” by D4L
“Laffy Taffy” was as delightfully sticky and rubbery as the candy itself, with an odd, twangy synth line that gives its signature bounce. Although it gets most of its strength from its aggressively catchy chorus, rapper Fabo’s cartoonish cadence in the first verse is irresistibly goofy. “Oh, I’m lookin’ for Mrs. Bubble Gum, I’m Mr. Chick-O-Stick/I wanna dun-dun-dun, oh, ’cause you so thick” Fabo raps.
Mixed with its signature snap, it’s no wonder why so many people made it their ringtone and danced to it in the club.
“Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” by T-Pain and Yung Joc
To call T-Pain a ringtone rap artist feels a little unfair. He was far too talented to be shafted into a sub-genre that people dispose of far too easily. But in a sense, it can also be a compliment. T-Pain was the master of a chorus, the king of hip-hop and R&B ear-worms. It was natural for him to fit seamlessly in the ringtone environment.
“Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” captures the snap movement to define the ringtone rap movement but was too addictive to remain stuck in its time. People today still croon the hook like it’s on the radio with every other hit song today.
“Tipsy” by J-Kwon
Long before it got repurposed as a history-making country jam by Shaboozey, “Tipsy” was an explosive house party anthem. The drums and bass would blast hard enough to knock liquor off of shelves and render car speakers useless. Of the ringtone rap era bangers, “Tipsy” still sounds fresh today.
“Turn My Swag On” by Soulja Boy
Soulja Boy has quietly been an innovator for years. As often as he claims he was the first to do literally anything in hip-hop, he did revolutionize the genre and culture’s relationship with the internet. Catchy records like “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” made countless people pull out their cheap digital cameras to do their own dances.
With his talent to make songs that stick in your head, it was natural for Soulja Boy to become a staple in ringtone rap. “Turn My Swag On” was the best of them, magnetic and contagious with youthful exuberance. “Took a look in the mirror, said, ‘What’s up?’/Yeah, I’m gettin’ money, oh,” Soulja Boy confidently coos in the mirror. It immediately makes you feel like the best version of yourself.
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