11 Hip-Hop Songs That Remind Me of Childhood

It’s no secret that the '90s is my favorite decade when it comes to music — but technically, my childhood was shaped by the most unique decade of all (in my humble opinion): the '80s.

Whenever I watch Stranger Things, I’m reminded of the '80s landscape that decorated my early years. If the '90s were when I woke up, the '80s were when I first opened my eyes.

Of course, pop music exploded in the '80s — Michael Jackson and Prince were killing it. But every now and then, when old-school hip-hop plays, I’m instantly transported: sitting in the living room watching MTV, or tagging along with my mom, cousin and brothers to the skating rink.

So, without further ado, here are 11 hip-hop songs that evoke side ponytails, The NeverEnding Story, leg warmers, and boomboxes:

1982: The Message: Grandmaster Flash, The Furious Five, The Sugarhill Gang (Hard to overstate how iconic this is. Street poetry before we had a name for it.)

1982: Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa, The Soulsonic Force (This one takes me straight back to the skating rink with my mom, cousin, and brothers. Instant nostalgia.)

1983: Freaks Come Out at Night - Whodini (I love saying that line — “The freaks come out!” Classic.)

1984: Rock Box - Run-DMC (My bros and I played the bass line on the piano.)

1986: Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys (That three octave magic though.)

1986: Walk This Way - Run-DMC and Aerosmith (This will always remind me of early MTV and the genius fusion of rock and rap. Just gimme a kiss!)

1987: Push It - Salt-N-Pepa (I remember this blasting on the radio constantly. Shout out to the trailblazing women of hip-hop — this track is timeless and synonymous with the dance floor.)

1988: Bring The Noise - Public Enemy & The Anthrax version as well (I have this faint memory of Naje saying the “B is for Sonny Bono” line when we were kids — but I could be wrong. The Anthrax version? Makes you wanna headbang and get in a mosh pit.)

1988: Ain't No Half Steppin' - Big Daddy Kane (This one takes me straight back to the orange carpet in our living room — hanging out with my family.)

1988: Children's Story - Slick Rick (This song is classic and I hope Slick Rick got a huge payout when Montell Jordan released... "This is how we do it! Nanananana yeah yeah!")

1989: Me Myself and I - De La Soul (I always laugh when this song plays because of the Funkadelic sample. That bass synth is so in your face, it just cracks me up how funky it is. I love how laid-back and chant-like the lyrics feel.)

Well, Anomalies, I have to admit — I don’t always know the names of every artist or song, but I do know how deeply the music I grew up with shaped me, whether consciously or not.

There are so many more songs I could list (and other genres too). The soundtracks of our lives are endless — woven into a rich tapestry of moments, experiences and memories.

With braids and beads in my hair - The Anomaly