Hip hop karaoke is its own thing. When it works, it really works — a room full of people who all know every word, delivering verses with total conviction. The key is picking songs where the lyrics are genuinely memorised and the hooks are built to be sung, not just heard.
Every song below is in our catalogue at The Old School Yard, London Bridge.
The Hip Hop Karaoke Essentials
Eminem — Lose Yourself / The Real Slim Shady / Without Me
Lose Yourself is the motivational rap performance of the session — the verses reward delivery, and the chorus is one of the most singable in hip hop. The Real Slim Shady for the pure fun of it. Without Me for the uptempo swagger.
Outkast — Hey Ya! / Ms. Jackson
Hey Ya! is one of the greatest karaoke songs ever written in any genre. The hook, the shake-shake-shake breakdown, the complete joy of the whole thing. Ms. Jackson for the verses that everyone knows and the chorus that lands every time.
Drake — Hotline Bling / God’s Plan / One Dance / Started from the Bottom
Hotline Bling has one of the most recognisable intros in hip hop and a melody that is extremely achievable in a karaoke room. God’s Plan for the delivery. One Dance because it’s impossible to resist.
Kendrick Lamar — HUMBLE. / Not Like Us / Swimming Pools
HUMBLE. is a short, punchy performance. Not Like Us for the energy and the cultural moment. Both reward knowing the lyrics.
Nicki Minaj — Super Bass / Starships / Anaconda
Super Bass is one of the best crossover karaoke hip hop songs — the chorus is huge, the rap verse is fast and rewards rehearsal. Starships as the pop-leaning option.
Cardi B — Bodak Yellow / I Like It
Bodak Yellow’s delivery is all about tone and confidence. I Like It for the bilingual hook that the whole room will join.
Old School Hip Hop
The songs that built the genre and never got old:
2Pac — California Love, Changes
Notorious B.I.G. — Juicy, Hypnotize (Juicy is one of the most word-perfect karaoke performances in hip hop)
Jay-Z — 99 Problems, Empire State of Mind, Hard Knock Life
Kanye West — Gold Digger, Stronger, Heartless
Snoop Dogg — Drop It Like It’s Hot, Gin and Juice
Dr. Dre — Still D.R.E., Forgot About Dre
50 Cent — In da Club, Candy Shop
Nelly — Hot in Herre, Dilemma
Coolio — Gangsta’s Paradise (one of the most complete rap karaoke performances)
Will Smith — Gettin’ Jiggy wit It, Miami, Men in Black
MC Hammer — U Can’t Touch This
Vanilla Ice — Ice Ice Baby
House of Pain — Jump Around
Beastie Boys — Fight for Your Right, Intergalactic
Run-DMC — It’s Like That
Salt-N-Pepa — Push It
Sugarhill Gang — Rapper’s Delight (the original — the full version rewards commitment)
Modern Hip Hop
Post Malone — Rockstar, Sunflower, Circles
Travis Scott — SICKO MODE, Goosebumps
Lil Nas X — Old Town Road, Montero (both crossover perfectly for groups)
Jack Harlow — First Class, Lovin on Me
Megan Thee Stallion — Savage, Body
Doja Cat — Paint the Town Red, Say So
Missy Elliott — Get Ur Freak On, Work It
Fetty Wap — Trap Queen
Macklemore — Thrift Shop, Can’t Hold Us
UK Hip Hop & Grime
Stormzy — Shut Up, Vossi Bop
Dave — Starlight
Central Cee — Doja
Skepta — Shutdown
Dizzee Rascal — Bonkers, Fix Up, Look Sharp
Wiley — Wearing My Rolex
Tinie Tempah — Pass Out, Written in the Stars
Crossover Hip Hop
Songs where the hook is as big as the rap:
Flo Rida — Low, Right Round, Good Feeling
Pitbull — Timber, Give Me Everything
Puff Daddy — I’ll Be Missing You (one of the great emotional karaoke moments)
Wiz Khalifa — See You Again
Black Eyed Peas — I Gotta Feeling, Where Is the Love?
Fugees — Killing Me Softly, Ready or Not
Hip Hop Karaoke Tips
Know the verses. Hip hop karaoke lives or dies on whether you actually know the words. Everyone knows the hooks — it’s the verses that separate the performances.
Delivery is everything. You don’t need to sound like Eminem. You need to commit to the delivery. Own the tone, the rhythm, the pauses.
Hey Ya! is the group moment. The breakdown is for everyone. When you get to the shake-shake-shake section, the whole room participates whether they want to or not.
Juicy is autobiographical. The more personal your delivery, the better it lands. Treat it like a story you’re telling.
Gangsta’s Paradise builds slowly. The verses reward patience. Stay in the pocket and let the hook arrive on its own.
Book Your Hip Hop Night
All these tracks are loaded in our private karaoke rooms at London Bridge. Groups of 6 to 20, no room hire fee.
See also: New Karaoke Hits → | Most Popular Songs → | R&B Karaoke → | Full Song List →
The Old School Yard | 111 Long Lane, London Bridge, SE1 4PH