In hip hop, fans and critics often marvel at and put a premium on the supreme soloists or groups who can craft classic songs and bodies of work while remaining the central figure. However, the most electric moments in the culture occur when multiple emcees collaborate on a track with the sole purpose of asserting themselves as the most lyrically gifted by delivering an epic rhyme spill that outclasses the others. Throughout the years, the songs — which are generally referred to as “posse-cuts” — have become some of the most memorable in the genre’s history, as rap’s most legendary stars team up on wax and bringing the most rabid of rap fans’ fantasies to reality.
In celebration of these historic songs and what they mean to the culture, REVOLT Presents: “Tale of the Tape,” our series in which we break down the greatest posse cuts of all-time and rank the verses from worst to first.
In our latest installment of the series, we’ll be revisiting “The Day The Niggaz Took Over,” a fiery selection from Dr. Dre’s seminal solo debut, The Chronic. The first project helmed by Dr. Dre following his departure from N.W.A., The Chronic also doubled as the rap world’s introduction to Death Row Records; which housed stars like Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, RBX, and Lady of Rage. Aside from popular radio hits like “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang,” “Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebrating)” and “Let Me Ride,” one song from the album that struck a chord with listeners was this politically charged deep cut.
Recorded and released in the wake of the Rodney King trial — during which four LAPD officers were acquitted of using excessive force and riots engulfed Los Angeles as a result — “The Day The Niggaz Took Over” encapsulated L.A. residents’ fury. Pairing Dr. Dre with Dat Nigga Daz, RBX, and Snoop Dogg, “The Day The Niggaz Took Over” was a pivotal statement that showed Death Row was sociopolitically aware and unafraid to address abuse, and discrimination against the black community.
Without further adieu, check out our ranking of the verses on “The Day The Niggaz Took Over.”
3. RBX
RBX’s tenure at Death Row came and went without the release of his own studio album. But, the lyrical enforcer was a key component in the creation of many of the label’s hardest cuts. Contributing a focused verse to this incendiary offering from The Chronic, RBX expresses his rage in the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict. Murdering a police officer in his bars and attempting to evade helicopters in hot pursuit, the rapper goes out in a blaze of glory in the name of justice.
Standout Lyrics: “One-time trigger happy, no nigga love/One-eighty-seven time, time to grab the glove/Can’t get prints on a 9 I throw away/Or get prints on my Uzi when it spray/Pop-pop, pop, another motherfucker drop/And I get relief like, plop, plop, fizz/Smash, I crashed his head like a window/I ain’t Nintendo, I’m high off the indo.”
2. Dr. Dre
Despite being highly regarded as an icon for his prowess as a producer, Dr. Dre’s exploits on the lyrical tip have accounted to some of rap’s most classic verses. One performance that’s indicative of Dre’s skill as a riveting orator when behind the mic is this high-powered selection. Reporting live from the comfort of his living room, Dre speaks on the solidarity going on between the Crips, Bloods, and Mexican gangs to combat police brutality and push back against the powers that be. Giving a detailed account of life in Los Angeles during the riots, the producer’s verse serves as a time capsule to those turbulent times in the city’s history.
Standout Lyrics: “Yo, straight puttin’ it down, gettin’ my scoot on/It’s jumping off in Compton so I gots to get my loot on/And come up on me some furniture or somethin’/Got a VCR in the back of my car that I ganked from the Slauson Swap Meet/And motherfuckers better not try to stop me/’Cause they will see that I can’t be stopped/’Cause I’ma cock my Glock and pop ’til they all drop.”
1. Dat Nigga Daz
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg are rightfully credited with spearheading the making of The Chronic. But, Dat Niggaz Daz also played a huge role in molding the album into a classic. Of the multiple appearances Daz makes on the album, this one showcases his chops as a rapper, as well as his versatility. Employing a Jamaican patois accent while delivering the introductory verse, the Dogg Pound member name-drops Rodney King and references the riots that engulfed Compton, Long Beach, and South Central L.A. Conjuring the image of a war zone with his rhymes, Daz’s verse is vivid and indicative of a moment in time when Southern California was at its most nihilistic.
Standout Lyrics: “Dem wonder why mi violent and nuh really understand/For de reason why mi take mi law in mi own hand/Mi nuh out for peace and mi nuh Rodney King/De gun goes click, mi gun goes bang/Dem riot in Compton and dem riot in Long Beach/Dem riot in L.A. ’cause dem nuh really wanna see/Niggas start to loot and police start to shoot/Lock us down at seven o’clock, barricade us like Beirut.”
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