100 Best Hip-Hop Love Songs

What Are the Best Rap Love Songs?

Hip-hop or rap is a highly stylized beat-oriented genre of music accompanied by unique vocal deliveries incorporating street vernacular, rhythmic speech, and rhyme. While hip-hop is broad-based, it is often used as an umbrella term to denote an entire subculture associated with rapping, MCing, DJing, playing turntables, graffitiing, break-dancing, sampling, and rhythmic beatboxing.

The list below showcases a diverse number of rap and hip-hop love songs and ballads. If you feel the groove, show some love and dedicate songs to your girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, friend, or any person who means the world to you. If you are a die-hard hip-hop fan, then you'll definitely have something to say. Rap it all in the comments section! Peace and love to all!

Top 10 Best Hip-Hop Love Songs

1. "Love"—Kendrick Lamar (featuring Zacari)
2. "Bound 2"—Kanye West (featuring Charlie Wilson)
3. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By"—Method Man (featuring Mary J. Blige)
4. "The Light"—Common
5. "Best I Ever Had"—Drake
6. "I Need Love"—LL Cool J
7. "21 Questions" —50 Cent (featuring Nate Dogg)
8. "Dilemma"—Nelly (featuring Kelly Rowland)
9. "Temptations"—2Pac
10. "Perfect"—Dave East (featuring Chris Brown)

The Development of Hip-Hop Music

Hip-hop was developed in the '70s through the collaboration of Black, Latinx, and Caribbean communities in the Bronx borough of New York. Rap was made popular as a form of entertainment at neighborhood block parties.

Although a number of musicians displayed their skills with percussive breaks and turntables, the genre did not gain mainstream attention until the '80s, when the first music videos erupted in popularity and helped spread the rap image to mainstream audiences.

The popularity of groups like Public Enemy and N.W.A paved the way for an expansive hip-hop subculture. As rap became more and more profitable, a glamorous new image started to emerge. "New school hip-hop" (or second wave of hip-hop) originated in 1983, leading to a period known as "the golden age of hip-hop," which lasted from the mid-'80s to the early '90s. This era catapulted the genre to a new level of success.

While different types of hip-hop and rap styles emerged from the West and East coasts, it was the fusing of R&B and hip-hop that became globally popular. This blending of genres led to many of the famous love songs that boosted hip-hop's accessibility.

#11–20

11. “Redbone”—Childish Gambino

12. “Loyalty”—Kendrick Lamar (featuring Rihanna)

13. “What You Want”—Mase (featuring Total)

14. “Super Bass”—Nicki Minaj

15. “Make Me Better”—Fabolous (featuring Ne-Yo)

16. “Bonita Applebum”—A Tribe Called Quest

17. “Noname”—Montego Bae (featuring Ravyn Lenae)

18. “How’s It Goin’ Down”—DMX

19. “Luv U Better”—LL Cool J

20. “Beautiful”—Snoop Dogg (featuring Pharrell)

Scroll to Continue

10 Punjabi Songs Dedicated to Father

The Untold Truth Behind Los Angeles Wildfire Disasters

Eleven Most Important Vitamins of Intrinsic Synthesis

Popularity of Hip-Hop Love Songs

While ‘90s gangsta rap, hardcore rap, and alternative rap were notable for containing strong political messages, the decade was also notable for its liberal blending of genres, most notably R&B. The decade witnessed a number of hip-hop and rap artists collaborating with R&B artists. These diverse musical collaborations led to a new form of hip-hop balladry. This blending of rhythms and vocal techniques caused both genres to evolve, and hip-hop love songs became exceedingly popular with global audiences.

Hip-hop love songs, laced with R&B, became very popular in the 2000s, eventually stamping their authority on the decade. A number of rap love songs found their way into mainstream pop, increasing their global reach and leading to larger and larger fan bases.

While certain rap and hip-hop music videos were criticized for their portrayal of vulgarity, a number of music videos from the genre were also praised for their slickly choreographed sequences and visually stunning concepts.

#21-–40

21. “Say It”—Tory Lanez

22. “Ex Calling”—6lack

23. “Do You Mind”—DJ Khaled

24. “Come Close”—Common (featuring Mary J. Blige)

25. “Eye Know”—De La Soul

26. “Passin’ Me By”—The Pharcyde

27. “Touch Me, Tease Me”—Case (featuring Mary J. Blige and Foxy Brown)

28. “Always on Time”—Ja Rule (featuring Ashanti)

29. “Me & My Bitch”—The Notorious B.I.G.

30. “Teenage Love”—Slick Rick

31. “Interlude (That’s Love)”—Chance the Rapper

32. “Love the Way You Lie”—Eminem (featuring Rihanna)

33. “Planez”—Jeremih featuring J. Cole

34. “Studio”—ScHoolboy Q (featuring BJ The Chicago Kid)

35. “Around the Way Girl”—LL Cool J

36. “Comfortable”—K Camp

37. “Renne”—Lost Boyz

38. “Poetic Justice”—Kendrick Lamar (featuring Drake)

39. “See You Again”—Wiz Khalifa (featuring Charlie Puth)

40. “Searching”—Pete Rock and CL Smooth (featuring Vinia Mojica)

New Hip-Hop Love Songs

The trap movement developed in the 2000s as a result of the cross-pollination of various musical styles. This style of hip-hop, which was comprised of half-time syncopated rhythms, drum machines, layered sub-bass, hi-hats, brass orchestration, woodwinds, keyboards, and orchestral synthesizers (set to a melancholic backdrop, often containing dark lyrics), had a great deal of success on mainstream music charts in the 2010s.

In recent years, a number of modern hip-hop love songs with trap cadences have had a great deal of success. Rooted, like all American music, in African American culture and history, hip-hop always seems to reinvent itself in innovative new ways throughout each decade; the future will definitely be bright for this genre.

#41–60

41. “Incredible”—Future

42. “Wild Irish Roses”—Smino

43. “You Never Know”—Immortal Technique (featuring Jean Grae)

44. “B.E.D.”—Jacquees

45. “Good Lovin’”—Ludacris (featuring Miguel)

46. “I Wanna Be With You”—DJ Khaled (featuring Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and Future)

47. “ROS”—Mac Miller

48. “Living Single”—Big Sean (featuring Chance the Rapper, Jeremih)

49. “Honeydips in Gotham”—Boogiemonsters

50. “I Need a Girl (Part Two)”—P. Diddy featuring Ginuwine, Loon and Mario Winans

51. “How to Love”—Lil Wayne

52. “I Used to Love H.E.R.”—Common

53. “Song Cry”—Jay-Z

54. “Or Nah”—Ty Dolla $ign (featuring The Weeknd and Wiz Khalifa)

55. “Heebiejeebies”—Amine (featuring Kehlani)

56. “While We’re Young”—Jhene Aiko

57. “Lotus Flower Bomb”—Wale (featuring Miguel)

58. “Turn on the Lights”—Future

59. “I’ll Take Her”—Ill Al Scratch

60. “000000”—A.CHAL

#61–80

61. “Smooth Operator”—Big Daddy Kane

62. “Mahogany”—Eric B and Rakim

63. “Drunk in Love”—Beyonce (featuring Jay-Z)

64. “You Got Me”—The Roots (featuring Erykah Badu and Eve)

65. “I Know What You Want”—Busta Rhymes and Mariah Carey

66. “Put It on Me”—Ja Rule and Vita

67. “Kim”—Eminem

68. “Hey Luv (Anything)”—Mobb Deep featuring 112

69. “Back Like That”—Ghostface Killah featuring Ne-Yo

70. “Take Care”—Young Thug

71. “Your Love”—Nicki Minaj

72. “I Won”—Future (featuring Kanye West)

73. “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)”—Erykah Badu and Common

74. “Receipt”—Lil Wayne

75. “Gotta Man”—Eve

76. “Coffee Bean”—Travis Scott

77. “Love and Appreciate”—Murs

78. “All for You”—Janet Jackson

79. “Never Been in Love”—Talib Kweli (featuring Just Blaze)

80. “Situation”—Chaz French

#81–100

81. “Let Me Take You Out”—Bryan J. (featuring Travis Potter)

82. “International Players Anthem (I Choose You)”—UGK (featuring OutKast)

83. “We Know”—Talib Kweli (featuring Faith Evans)

84. “The Book of Soul”—Ab-Soul

85. “Just a Friend”—Biz Markie

86. “Do for Love"—2 Pac

87. “Power Trip”—J.Cole (featuring Miguel)

88. “Lady Brown”—Nujabes (featuring Cise Star)

89. “Pullin’ Me Back”—Chingy (featuring Tyrese)

90. “Testify”—Future

91. “Nothin’ on You”—B.o.B (featuring Bruno Mars)

92. “Into You”—Fabolous (featuring Tamia)

93. “Make Your Move”—Heiroglyphics (featuring Goapele)

94. “Wanna Get to Know You”—G-Unit (featuring Joe)

95. “Love Language”—Talib Kweli and Hi Tek (featuring Les Nubians)

96. “Now that We Found Love”—Heavy D & The Boyz

97. “Love Thirst”—Jean Grae

98. “Ruffneck”—MC Lyte

99. “Shortie Like Mine”—Bow Wow (featuring Chris Brown and Johnta Austin)

100. “I Love You”—Lil B

Other Notable Hip-Hop Love Songs

• “Hey Lover” —LL. Cool J (featuring Boyz 2 Men)
• “My Love Is Like…Wo”—Mya
• “Brown Skin Lady”—Black Star
• “Use Me Up”—UGK
• “Sweet Cheeks”—J Hus
• “Lots of Lovin’”—Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth
• “Hey Ma”—Cam’ron featuring Julez Santana, Freekey Zekey and Toya
• “Shakiyla (JRH)”—Poor Righteous Teachers
• “Jennifer”—Trinidad Cardona
• “I Need A Girl (Part One)”—P. Diddy (featuring Usher and Loon)
• “Beautiful Skin”—Goodie Mob
• “Rider”—Future
• “Can’t Get Over You”—Starlito
• “One More Chance/Stay With Me”—The Notorious B.I.G.
• “Fall in Love”—Slum Village
• “No Better Love”—Young Gunz (featuring Rell)
• “See You Again”—Tyler, The Creator (featuring Kali Uchis)
• “Down Bitch”—YG
• “Everybody’s Something”—Chance the Rapper
• “First Things First”—Blu & Exile (featuring Miguel Jontel)
• “London Bridge”—Twenty 88
• “So Amazing”—50 Cent (featuring Olivia)
• “Ms Jackson”—Outkast
• “If You Can’t Say Love”—Visionaries
• “All Eyes on You”—Meek Mill (featuring Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown)
• “Can You Get Away”—2Pac
• “Neva End”—Future (featuring Kelly Rowland)
• “Best of Me, Part 2”—Mya (featuring Jay-Z)
• “The Worst”—Jhene Aiko
• “Dangerous”—Meek Mill (featuring Jeremih and PnRock)
• “Sunroof”—Boogie (featuring Dana Williams)

• “Lava Walk”—Manila Grey
• “Gotta Get You Home”—Foxy Brown (featuring Blackstreet)
• “One Love”—Whodini
• “Crazy in Love”—Beyonce (featuring Jay-Z)
• “Brainstorming”—MC Brains (featuring Boyz 2 Men)
• “Self Care”—Mac Miller
• “Ashley”—Big Sean (featuring Miguel)
• “Otha Fish”—The Pharcyde
• “Cherry Wine”—Nas (featuring Amy Winehouse)
• “Hereditary”—JID
• “White Dress”—Kanye West
• “A Treatease Dedicated to The Avian Airess from North East Nubis”—Shabazz Palaces
• “Ex Girl to Next Girl”—Gang Starr
• “Gangsta Lovin’”—Eve (featuring Alicia Keys)
• “What’s on Your Mind”—Eric B and Rakim
• “Slum Beautiful”—OutKast (featuring Cee-Lo Green)
• “Breakfast in Bed”—Ella Mai
• “Marvin’s Room”—Drake
• “Love Ain't”—CunninLynguists (featuring Tonedeff)
• “S.W.I.N.G.”—Tory Lanez (featuring PnB Rock and Trey Songz)
• "Mind Sex"—Dead Prez
• “‘03 Bonnie & Clyde”—Jay-Z (featuring Beyonce)
• “Dear Mama”—2Pac
• “Wanna Be Wit You”—Mia X
• “My Beloved”—Brother Ali
• “Save Me Dear”—Ghostface Killah
• “Family Feud”—Jay-Z (featuring Beyonce)
• “Homecoming”—Kanye West
• “Break Ups 2 Make Ups”—Method Man (featuring D’Angelo)
• “We Ride”—Gucci Mane (featuring Monica)
• “Luv (sic) Part 2”—Nujabes (featuring Shing02)

© 2019 Ansel Pereira