11 Bangers from the 2000s That Kick A** | Playlist 🎧

11 Bangers from the 2000s That Kick A** features songs by Beyoncé, Ciara, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and Usher.

 

Ah, the 2000s! Aging myself, the decade encompassed my final year of middle school (2000), high school (2000 – 2004),  college (2004 – 2008), and graduate school (2008 – 2010) 🎓.  It was a big decade for me. However, it was also a big decade for music, especially ‘bangers.’  The aughts delivered some heavy-hitting hip-hop, rap, and R&B songs that I’ll never forget.  I still bang these bangers to this day, hence why they ‘kick ass’ (pardon my French 🤭). 11 Bangers from the 2000s That Kick Ass is all about urban music gems from the 2000s. 11 Bangers from the 2000s That Kick Ass features songs by Beyoncé, Ciara, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and Usher.  So, without further ado, let’s reexamine, or be introduced (for some) to 11 Bangers from the 2000s That Kick Ass!

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~ Table of Contents ~

1. Usher, “Yeah!” (Ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris)

2. Ciara, “Goodies” (Ft. Petey Pablo)

3. T.I., “What You Know”

4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (Ft. Jay-Z)

5. Ying Yang Twins, “Wait (The Whisper Song)”                                                                               

6. Snoop Dogg, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (Ft. Pharrell Williams)

7. Ludacris, “Splash Waterfalls”

8. Twista, Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz”

9. Terror Squad, “Lean Back” (Ft. Fat Joe & Remy Ma)

10. Afroman, “Because I Got High”

11. 50 Cent, “In Da Club” 

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1. Usher, “Yeah!” (Ft. Lil Jon & Ludacris)

Confessions // LaFace // 2004 

“Peace up, A-Town down!” YEAHHHH!!! On Confessions, the 2004 masterpiece LP by Usher, “Yeah!” is a surefire, attention-getter. “Yeah” serves as the banger – the club joint.  On the former, 12-week no. 1 single, the Grammy-winner receives some help from some of his southern friends: Lil Jon and Ludacris.  Both Lil Jon and Ludacris earned a Grammy courtesy of “Yeah!” winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. “Yeah!” continues to bang two decades later. Sure, crunk has long fallen by the wayside, but “Yeah!” remains fresh. The beat! Those minor-key synths! Usher exemplifies swagger:  

“Yeah, shorty got down low said, come and get me 

Yeah, I got so caught up, I forgot she told me 

Yeah, her and my girl, they used to be the best of homies 

Yeah, next thing I knew she was all up on me screamin’…”

Throw in Lil Jon’s exuberant shouts (“Yeah!”) and Ludacris’ nastiness (“If you hold the head steady, I’mma milk the cow…I won’t stop till I get ‘em in their birthday suit…”), and “Yeah!” showcases ultra-beast mode 💪.   

  

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Y Songs: No Rhyme or Reason (2021)
• 13 Incredible Songs That Make You Say YES! (2024)

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2. Ciara, “Goodies” (Ft. Petey Pablo)

Goodies // LaFace // 2004 

“My goodies, my goodies, my goodies / Not my goodies!” “Goodies” is one of the great earworms of the 2000s. This opening track from Goodies is the song that put Grammy-winning R&B artist Ciara ‘on the map.’ Assisted by rapper Petey Pablo, Ciara spent seven weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Backed by a minimalist, crunk instrumental produced by Lil Jon, “Goodies” sounds fresh two decades after it was originally released.  The looped synth is infectious, anchored by a simple but potent groove.  Eventually, more synths enter the mix but never at the expense of the lead vocals.

Ciara never breaks a sweat.  Those goodies are firmly intact – they’re not just going to any guy. Her vocals are breathy, enticing, and sexy.  “Baby, this is what I’m lookin’ for,” she sings in the first, continuing, “Sexy, independent, gotta spend it type that’s gettin’ his dough / I’m not bein’ too dramatic, that’s the way I gotta have it.” In the third verse, she adds to the requirements: “Just because you drive a Benz / I’m not goin’ home with you / You won’t get no nookie or the cookies, I’m no rookie.” Word.  Of course, the centerpiece is the chorus, one of the all-time greats of the aughts:

“I bet you want the goodies (Ah)

Bet you thought about it (Yeah)

Got you all hot and bothered (Ow)

Mad ‘cause I talk around it

If you’re lookin’ for the goodies

Keep on lookin’, ‘cause they stay in the jar

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, yeah.”

Ciara is the star, but Petey Pablo ‘brings the heat’ too.  He performs the first and fourth verses.  He sets the tone in the first, proclaiming himself as “The truth, and I ain’t got nothin’ to prove / And you can ask anybody ’cause they seen me do it /…Barricades? I run right through ’em, used to ’em.” As for the fourth verse, he spits game regarding his success with women: “All I got to do is tell a girl who I am (Petey) / Ain’t ne’er chick in here that I can’t have / Bada boom, bada bam, ba-bam (I’m bad).” Ciara and Petey Pablo drop a multiplatinum banger for all ages with “Goodies”. 

Appears in 🔻:

• Ciara, Goodies: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 92 (2024)

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3. T.I., “What You Know”

King // Grand Hustle, LLC / Cinq Recordings // 2006

Question: “What you know about that?” DJ Toomp produced a kick-ass rap banger for Grammy-winning rapper T.I. in 2006.  King was an incredibly successful album for the southern rapper (double platinum). The crown jewel of King was “What You Know”. On this, double-platinum certified, no. 3 Billboard Hot 100 hit, T.I. is confident AF, delivering a compelling cadence and flow.  Through the course of three verses over Toomp’s brassy, malicious, minor-key production, the rapper characterizes himself as ‘that dude.’ “I’m fast as lightning, bruh / You better use your Nikes, bruh,” T.I. raps in the first verse, continuing, “Know you don’t like me ‘cause / Your bitch most likely does.” Oh, snap! In the second verse, he drops a memorable line when he spits, “Young bitches get low (Ayy!) because I get dough (Ayy!) / So, what I’m rich, ho? (Ayy!) I still will pull a kick-door.”  In the third and final verse, there’s some rap beef: “Say you wanna squash it /… What you still talking shit for?” WOO! The section to beat is the chorus:

“Don’t you know I got ki’s by the three

When I chirp, shawty chirp back

Louis knapsack where I’m holding all the work at

What you know about that?

What you know about that?

What you know about that?

Hey, I know all about that.”

All told, “What You Know” is one of the best songs from the T.I. catalog.  It exemplifies a banger from the 2000s that ‘kicks some serious ass.’

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4. Beyoncé, “Crazy in Love” (Ft. Jay-Z)

Dangerously in Love // Sony Music Entertainment, Inc. // 2003 

“Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh no, no / Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh no, no.” #ICONIC! “Crazy in Love” was the single that launched Beyoncé as a superstar.  Yes, she’d already attained success with Destiny’s Child, but “Crazy in Love” was the breakthrough moment for what would be an illustrious career. “Crazy in Love” was written by Beyoncé, featured guest (and hubby) Jay-Z, producer Rich Harrison, and Eugene Record.  Beyoncé produced alongside Harrison, who in the 00s, brought a fresh, intriguing sound to contemporary R&B.  Specifically, his beat plays a pivotal role in the success of “Crazy in Love.” Also, a soul sample doesn’t hurt the cause (Chi-Lites’ “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So)”). Safe to say, Bey had ample fuel for the fire on this multiplatinum, 8-week, no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Bey gets gassed up in the intro by Jay-Z (“Yes / So crazy right now / Most incredible / It’s your girl, B / It’s your boy, Young”).

“Crazy in Love” – a vibe of all vibes.  Set in a minor key, with bright exuberant sounds and those sick, Rich Harrison drums, Beyoncé is on autopilot from the jump.  The verses are both tuneful and rhythmic.  Bey brings the heat, with her beautiful tone and big personality.  “Such a funny thing for me to try to explain / How I’m feelin’, and my pride is the one to blame,” she sings in the first verse, adding, “‘Cause I know I don’t understand / Just how your love can do what no one else can.” That is what we call ‘a mighty love.’ The sentiment is similar in the second verse, where she pays an ode to the only person she loves (“It’s the beat that my heart skips when I’m with you”).  Of course, her biggest moment comes with the chorus – one of the most memorable of the aughts!

“Got me looking so crazy right now

Your love’s got me looking so crazy right now…

I’m looking so crazy, your love’s got me looking

Got me looking so crazy in love.”

Jay-Z doesn’t only gas up his wife in the intro and ad-libs throughout – he also delivers the rapped third verse. Perhaps he says it best when he brags, “Ever since I made the change over to platinum / The game’s been a wrap, one.” All told, “Crazy in Love” is a masterclass in releasing a lead single from a debut solo album. Unsurprisingly, it earned two Grammys on its own at the 46^th Annual GRAMMY Awards (Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best R&B Song).  Nominated for three Grammys, the sole loss was for Record of The Year.  “Crazy in Love”, again, is #ICONIC.

Appears in 🔻:

• Beyoncé, Crazy in Love: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 26 (2024)
• 15 Fantastic, Utterly CRAZY Songs (2024)

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5. Ying Yang Twins, “Wait (The Whisper Song)”

U.S.A. – United State of Atlanta  // The Orchard  // 2005

“Hey, how you doin’ lil mama let me whisper in ya ear / Tell ya somethin’ that you might like to hear / Got a sexy-ass body and ya ass look soft / Mind if I touch it to see if it’s soft.” Ah, we close out this ‘wait-worthy’ playlist with a classic – Ying Yang Twins’  “Wait (The Whisper Song).” Yes, “Wait (The Whisper Song)” from the duo’s 2005, platinum-certified album,  U.S.A. – United State of Atlanta, is one of the filthier southern rap songs you’ll ever hear.  That said, it’s also among the most infectious and memorable.  Why? The minimal production work (Mr. Collipark), the whispered rhymes, and honestly, a heaping dose of filth. Case in point – the hook:

“Hey bitch, wait ‘til you see my dick

Wait til you see my dick

Hey bitch wait til you see my dick

I’m a beat that pussy up.”

Oh, snap! “Wait (The Whisper Song)” peaked at no. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Great Songs Totally Worth The WAIT (2019)
• 13 More Songs Where The Keyword is SONG (2023)

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6. Snoop Dogg, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (Ft. Pharrell Williams)

R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece // Geffen // 2004

“Snoop / Snoop!”  Ooh wee! Snoop Dogg (Calvin Broadus) earned his first no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Drop It Like It’s Hot”. The 16-time Grammy-nominated rapper (who should have won at least one) got a huge lift from the production of The Neptunes.  Beyond the distinct, minimalist accompaniment crafted by the duo, Pharrell Williams serves as a featured guest. 20 years old, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” remains fresh, and well deserving of the title of a rap classic.  With innovative production and two big personalities collaborating (Snoop and Pharrell), magic was inevitable.

The chorus, first and foremost, is the section to beat regarding lyrics:

“When the pimp’s in the crib, ma

(Drop it like it’s hot, drop it like it’s hot, drop it like it’s hot)

When the pigs try to get at you

(Park it like it’s hot, park it like it’s hot, park it like it’s hot)

And if a nigga get a attitude

(Pop it like it’s hot, pop it like it’s hot, pop it like it’s hot)

I got the Rollie on my arm and I’m pourin’ Chandon

And I roll the best weed, ’cause I got it goin’ on.”

Gah-day-um! One of the best, most infectious hooks, hands down.  Beyond the hook, which ignited the popularity of the phrase ‘drop it like it’s hot,’ Snoop says his fair share of memorable lines. “I keep a blue flag hangin’ out my backside / But only on the left side, yeah, that’s the Crip side,” he raps in the second verse, referencing his gang affiliation. In the third verse, the former pimp asserts, “I’m a bad boy with a lotta hoes / Drive my own cars and wear my own clothes.” Translation: he’s rich, bi-otch! Pharrell also deserves his flowers for the first verse, confidently and raunchily rapping, “Eligible bachelor, million dollar beat / That’s whiter than what’s slippin’ down your throat.” Oh, snap! No deep analysis is necessary for “Drop It Like It’s Hot”, one of the best rap songs to come out of the 2000s. SNOOP!

Appears in 🔻:

• Snoop Dogg, Drop It Like It’s Hot: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 93 (2024)

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7. Ludacris, “Splash Waterfalls”

Chicken – N – Beer // The Island Def Jam Music Group // 2003

“They want it nice and slow, kiss ‘em from head to toe / Relax and let it go – say it (make love to me),” Ludacris raps in the first verse of his freaky hit single, “Splash Waterfalls”. Ooh-wee, child! “Splash Waterfalls,” a former top-10 hit (no. 6) on the Billboard Hot 100, graces his 2003 critically acclaimed album, Chicken – N – Beer. He continues spitting, “They want it now and fast, grabbin’ and smackin’ ass / You gotta make it last – what? (fuck, me!).” Throughout this colorful rap record, Ludacris balances refined, romantic vibes (“make love to me”), and a freakier, more unapologetic ones (“fuck me”).  Of course, with a Ludacris song, refined is relative. The sound of “Splash Waterfalls” (production by Icedrake), is one of many selling points. Honestly, it sounds sexual, regardless of the so-called balance between love and straight-up, passionate sex. Of course, Ludacris’ hardcore sex bars are the most interesting… explicit…eyebrow-raising… horny – you get the picture. Any time that “scratches on your back” and “she’s on your sack and balls / You call her Jabberjaws” is involved, it is NSFW.  Furthermore, how is Ludacris going to compare her mouth to an animated shark 🤦‍♂️? Focusing mostly on the ‘F Me’ moments sung by Sandy Coffee, The Grammy-winning rapper spits about driving stick, “Do it standin’ up,” and “ropes and handcuffs.” Jesus!

Appears in 🔻:

• Ludacris, Splash Waterfalls: Midnight Heat 🕛 🔥 22 (2023)

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8. Twista, Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, “Slow Jamz”

The College Dropout // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 2004

“She was talkin’ about the music all fast in the club, you know / She gotta drink water ‘cause she thirsty,” Jamie Foxx states in the intro of the Billboard Hot 100 no. 1 hit, “Slow Jamz”.  “Slow Jamz” was released as a single in late 2003 and reached its peak in 2004.  Credited to Twista, Kanye West, and Foxx, it appeared on both Twista’s 2004 album, Kamikaze, and West’s landmark, 2004 album, The College Dropout. “Slow Jamz” cleverly and famously samples the Luther Vandross classic, “A House is Not a Home”. After establishing the need to ‘emphasize the ladies,’ Foxx drops a soulful chorus: “She said she want some Marvin Gaye, some Luther Vandross / A little Anita [Baker] will definitely set this party off right /… She said she want some Ready for the World, some New Edition / Some Minnie Riperton will definitely set this party off right.” Ooh-wee – that old school!

Kanye West not only produces “Slow Jamz,” but he takes the honor of performing the first verse.  This is the signature, old-school Kanye with his distinct, entertaining bars.  Two stellar examples: “She be grabbin’, callin’ me Biggie like Shyne home,” and “She got a light-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson / Got a dark-skinned friend look like Michael Jackson.” *Cues up the MJ yelp! Before Twista brings his fast-paced flow, Jamie Foxx name-drops more noted old-school artists who excel at slow jams. Aisha Tyler, however, wants to speed things up, hence, gassing up Twista! Twista’s bars name-drop the likes of Evelyn Champagne, Whispers, Spinners, and Earth Wind & Fire among others.  Of course, the modus operandi is “Fulfilling our every temptation / Slow jammin’, havin’ deep sex.” Ooh-wee!  Two decades later, “Slow Jamz” is a timeless bop. Twista, Kanye, and Jamie Foxx did that she-it!

Appears in 🔻:

• Twista, Kanye West & Jamie Foxx, Slow Jamz: Bangerz N Bopz 🔥 38 (2024)
• 13 Songs Where Things Go SLOW (2024)

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9. Terror Squad, “Lean Back” (Ft. Fat Joe & Remy Ma)

True Story // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 2004

“I said my niggas don’t dance / We just pull up our pants and, do the rockaway / Now lean back, lean back / Lean back, lean back.” WOO! In 2004,  Terror Squad dropped a rap banger that kicked some substantial ass in “Lean Back”.  Fat Joe and  Remy Ma brought the heat on this Grammy-nominated, gold-certified, no. 1 hit on the Hot 100 from the album, True Story. Featuring malicious, minor-key production from a red-hot  Scott Storch, “Lean Back” was a banger for the ages.  The chorus is the most memorable part of the record, though the attitude contributed by both Fat Joe and Remy Ma also goes a long way.  Joe delivers his fair share of memorable, hard-nosed bars, including his opening assertion, “I don’t give a fuck about your faults or mishappens / Nigga, we from the Bronx, New York, shit happens.” Oh, snap! The rapper has been criticized for his use of the n-word, given the fact that he is Latino, not black.  Furthermore, he drops the f-slur in the third verse (“These faggot niggas even made gang signs commercial”). Not a good look these days. The f-slur was more prominent in rap years ago, which was unfortunate.  It’s one of those words you should avoid like the plague.  Anyways, as for Remy, she’s “R to the Ezzy, M to the Yzzy / My arms stay breezy, the Don stay flizzy.” Yessir! Well… yes, ma’am!  “Lean Back” was a banger to the nth degree, and aside from some controversial word choices, still holds up today.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Captivating Songs to LEAN Into (2023)

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10. Afroman, “Because I Got High”

The Good Times // Republic // 2001 

“‘Cause I got high / Because I got high / Because I got high / (La-da-da da da da-da-da-da).” Afroman (Joseph Foreman) earned brief success. His main claim to fame was his song, “Because I Got High”, which appeared on his 2001 gold-certified album, The Good Times. “Because I Got High” cemented its place in 2000s hip-hop/rap history.  It peaked at no. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, was certified platinum, and earned a Grammy nomination (Best Rap Solo Performance).

“Because I Got High” is self-explanatory – no deep analysis is necessary.  Because Afroman spends far too much time getting high (on weed), frankly, he does lots of dumb shit. It’s not so bad early on though: “I was gonna clean my room until I got high /… I was gonna get up and find the broom, but then I got high.” Not cleaning a room? Forgivable.  His academics are affected by his weed intake, which is less than stellar, hence why he’s “Taking it [the class] next semester” because he flunked.  Where things get hairier on this infectious, melodic rap cut is Afroman shirking bigger responsibilities.  Not going to court and paying his child support – DEAD BEAT DAD! Running from the cops instead of pulling over like he should, and because he was high, he ends up paraplegic… Process that one.  Among the funniest and lewdest happenings in “Because I Got High” occur in the seventh verse:

“I was gonna make love to you (Oh!) but then I got high

… I was gonna eat yo pussy too, but then I got high

Now I’m jacking off and I know why

‘Cause I got high

Because I got high

Because I got high.”

Damn, Afroman! At least he’s transparent when he asserts, “I messed up my entire life because I got high.” His mistakes are troubling but sweet music to our ears on the unforgettable “Because I Got High”, a stoner anthem for the ages!

Appears in 🔻:

• Afroman, Because I Got High: 1 Hit WONDERful 39 (2024)
• Eye 👁 This List of Must-Hear “I” Songs, Vol. 2 (2024) 

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11. 50 Cent, “In Da Club” 

Get Rich or Die Tryin’ // Shady / Aftermath / Interscope // 2023 

“Go Shorty, it’s your birthday / We gon’ party like it’s your birthday / And we gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday / And you know we don’t give a fuck, it’s not your birthday.” “In Da Club” is a surefire, totally undeniable club classic. This is the breakout, no. 1 hit that made 50 Cent a star, and propelled Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2003) to multiplatinum status. Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo ‘stuck their foot’ into the production of this aughts hip-hop masterwork. The intro is iconic. The chorus is the crowning achievement, in all it’s irresponsible excellence:    

“You can find me in the club, bottle full of bub’  

Look, mami, I got the X if you into takin’ drugs  

I’m into havin’ sex, I ain’t into makin’ love  

Soo come give me a hug if you into gettin’ rubbed.”   

Totally unapologetic, but irresistibly so! The verses are no slouch either, with 50 Cent bringing toughness, memorable lines left and right, and a unique delivery.  Some of the standouts include referencing being shot (“Been hit with a few shells, but I don’t walk with a limp…”), or the regrettable use of a gay slur 😬 (“I’m that cat by the bar toastin’ to the good life / You that faggot-ass nigga tryin’ too pull me back, right?”). That ugly ‘f-word’ aside, there’s plenty to love about “In Da Club,” two decades after its release! 

Appears in 🔻:  

• 11 Compelling Songs That Reference Da Club (2020)
• Incredible Songs: 2000s, Vol. 1 (2023)

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11 Bangers from the 2000s That Kick Ass (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype; Aftermath, Cinq Recordings, Geffen, Grand Hustle, LLC, Interscope, LaFace, Republic, Shady, Sony Music Entertainment, Inc., The Island Def Jam Music Group, The Orchard, UMG Recordings, Inc.; Vika_Glitter from Pixabay]

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