Side 9 of 11
2008
Auto-Tune hits the function
5 tracks
- 01
Say Yeah
Wiz Khalifa
hip-hoppartyFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #25 on the Hot 100; Wiz's first taste of mainstream success.
Why it mattered
Before 'Black and Yellow,' before the Snoop Dogg collab, there was this. Wiz Khalifa's party-starter announced Pittsburgh had a new star. The college circuit adopted him early.
- 02
My President
Young Jeezy · feat. Nas
trappoliticalFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #64 on the Hot 100; became a cultural anthem after Obama's election.
Why it mattered
Jeezy and Nas captured a historic moment. When Obama won, this was the song that played. It transcended trap music and became a genuine piece of American history. Campuses erupted.
- 03
Hip-Hop Saved My Life
Lupe Fiasco
consciousstorytellingFind similar tracks →On the charts
From The Cool; a fan favorite and critical darling.
Why it mattered
Lupe told the story of a struggling rapper trying to make it, and every aspiring MC saw themselves in it. This was the song that reminded people what hip-hop could be at its most empathetic.
- 04
Sexual Eruption
Snoop Dogg
synth-funkwest coastFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #7 on the Hot 100; Snoop reinvented himself over synth-funk.
Why it mattered
Snoop went full '80s synth-funk and it somehow worked. The clean version was 'Sensual Seduction' but everyone played the original. Snoop proved he could adapt to any era.
- 05
Heartless
Kanye West
hip-hop808semotionalFind similar tracks →On the charts
Peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 from 808s & Heartbreak.
Why it mattered
Kanye's heartbreak album rewrote the rules. Auto-Tune over 808 drums, emotional vulnerability from a rapper — this influenced the next decade of hip-hop and R&B. Drake's entire career started here.
