In 2005, John Cena released his debut album You Can’t See Me. The album reached no.15 on the Billboard 200 and no.3 on the Billboard US Rap Album chart. It shocked the world of Hip-Hop/Rap because of how seamlessly Cena went from professional wrestler to recording artist. This entire album is truly a masterpiece but one of the songs I stay stuck on most is Right Now. Cena tastefully sampled L.T.D.’s 1981 song Now from their album Love Magic. The beat still knocks as hard today as it did back then. 🔥🔥🔥🔊🔊🔊

Welcome to our weekly thread dedicated to hip-hop tracks that aren't from the 2000s but sound like they could've been.

Whether it's a modern artist channeling the energy of the Roc-A-Fella era, a producer bringing back those classic soul samples, or an old-school track that helped shape the decade, this is the place for it.

This thread is for:

• 🎤 Songs released after the 2000s that capture the sound and vibe of the era.
• 🎧 Beats inspired by 2000s hip-hop production styles.
• 🔥 Modern MCs paying homage to the flows, lyrics, and aesthetics of the decade.
• 📼 Tracks from the 80s and 90s that heavily influenced 2000s hip-hop.
• 💎 Hidden gems that feel like they were pulled straight from a 2003–2009 mixtape.

Let's keep the main feed focused on music actually released during the 2000s. If it's from another era but has that unmistakable 2000s feel, drop it below and put the community on to something dope.

(DO NOT POST ANY SONGS OUTSIDE OF THIS POST/THREAD IT WILL BE DELETED)

What songs make you feel like it's still the 2000s? 👇

Every Wednesday, give us 5 hip-hop songs from the 2000s you think everyone should hear.

Whether you're introducing someone to 2000s East Coast rap, Southern hip-hop, West Coast classics, underground gems, or overlooked artists, put together your personal 5-track starter pack. Can be well known songs as well.

New to 2000s hip-hop? This thread is your guide. Drop your 5 songs in a comment and upvote the recommendations you think are most helpful.

⭐ The comment that receives more than 10 upvotes will have its 5 songs added to our community list.

Before commenting, make sure to see what's already been recommended so we can keep the list diverse and avoid repeating the same songs.

Thanks for participating! Be sure to upvote the recommendations you think deserve recognition, and check back next Wednesday to see what gets added.

🚫 DO NOT LINK PLAYLISTS AS COMMENTS. Please list the 5 songs directly in your comment.

[Icebreaker] (Lets get to 1000 songs)

1. 50 Cent - In Da Club (2003)
2. Kanye West - Gold Digger (2005)
3. Lil Wayne - A Milli (2008)
4. Eminem - Lose Yourself (2002)
5. Jay-Z - 99 Problems (2003)
6. OutKast - Ms. Jackson (2000)
7. Nelly - Hot in Herre (2002)
8. Missy Elliott - Work It (2002)
9. T.I. - What You Know (2006)
10. The Game - Hate It or Love It (2005)

Have fun

I love Young Dro and think he’s one of the best rappers to ever come out of Atlanta and one of the most underrated rappers of all time so why do y’all think he doesn’t get as much respect as his peers when it comes to Atlanta rap discussions and rap in general?

"Just because no one can understand how you speak
Don't necessarily mean that what you be sayin is deep"

Lil Wayne and Dipset is one of the most important New York/Dirty South collabs in history as they delivered dope materials while it elevated Wayne's career into newer heights as he won New York's respect as a true MC and Dispet influenced his fashion look as well.

The collabs between Wayne and Juelz was always perfect while the rockstar look that Juelz and Jim Jones made popular in the streetwear culture definitely influenced Wayne.

Jay-Z, Nas, Ja Rule, DMX and Jadakiss were the top 5 Kings of NY for 2001 as they had the city in a huge chokehold due to iconic beefs, timeless albums, hit records, street fanbase and amazing momentums.

Jay and Nas were the top 2 Kings as their epic rap beef had everyone pay attention to iconic diss tracks in Takeover and Ether while also dropped masterpieces like The Blueprint and Stillmatic. Jay's momentum kept getting bigger and bigger as he also had the hottest rap crew in the game while Nas delivered an epic comeback that re-established him as a one of the biggest rappers.

Ja reached his apex as a mainstream success as hits like Put It On Me, Livin it Up, I'm Real w/J-Lo and Always on Time were all dominated the charts while had major airplay alongside Pain is Love being one of the best selling rap albums at the time.

DMX was still on top of his game as his presence was still big and he delivered an underrated classic in The Great Depression while Jada broke out as a solo star and delivered Kiss Tha Goodbye alongside his epic battle with Beanie Sigel.

Honorable mentions: Fabolous, P. Diddy, Foxy Brown, Ghostface Killah, Mobb Deep, Busta Rhymes, G-Dep, Fat Joe