13 Essential Hip-Hop Songs For 808 Day
Rolling Stone marks 808 Day with a list of 13 hip-hop tracks chosen to illustrate the Roland TR-808 drum machine’s lasting influence on the genre. The article argues that, although the machine was sold only from 1980 to 1982, its distinctive bass and percussion became a foundational part of modern beatmaking across multiple hip-hop eras.
– “Planet Rock” — Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force: an influential 1982 fusion of hip-hop and electro that demonstrated the TR-808’s capabilities.
– “Posse On Broadway” — Sir Mix-A-Lot: a 1988 Seattle rap breakthrough that explicitly celebrates the “808 kick drum”.
– “It’s Tricky” — Run-D.M.C.: a 1987 crossover classic pairing 808 percussion with Rick Rubin production and Jam Master Jay’s scratches.
– “The Way You Move” — Outkast featuring Sleepy Brown: a 2003 Atlanta hit built around nimble electronic percussion and pronounced low-end bass.
- The TR-808 remains central to hip-hop production decades after its short commercial life.
- The list spans influential tracks from the 1980s to the 2000s.
- Featured songs show the 808’s crossover appeal and enduring cultural impact.
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The Roland TR-808 is an early drum machine: an electronic instrument that creates drum sounds without a live drummer. It was made by the Japanese company Roland and sold in the early 1980s, but musicians soon used its deep bass, sharp claps and synthetic rhythms in new ways.
Hip-hop producers adopted the 808 as the genre developed, using it for both fast, spare electro beats and heavy low-end rhythms. Artists such as Afrika Bambaataa, Run-D.M.C., Sir Mix-A-Lot and Outkast represent different periods and places in that history.
The machine’s sounds have remained common long after production stopped, often recreated with newer equipment and software. Its influence reaches beyond hip-hop into pop, dance and other electronic music, making it a familiar feature of modern recorded music.