10. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince - "A Nightmare on My Street"
9. Snoop Dogg - "Murder was the Case"
[Watch the Video]
No need for ghosts and goblins here, the mere thought of dying is terrifying enough for Snoop. Hear him testify: "I'm shaking and they breaking, tryin' to save the Dogg, pumping on my chest and I'm screamin'. I stop breathing, damn I see demons. Dear God, I wonder can you save me? I can't die, my Boo-Boo's bout to have my baby." Snoop's plea for mercy gets an even eerier thump from Dr. Dre's cinematic production.
8. Ras Kass - "Interview with a Vampire"
© EMI
7. Bone Thugs - "Hell Sent"
© Enterprise Music
6. Big L - "Devil's Son"
5. The Notorious B.I.G. - "Suicidal Thoughts"
© Bad Boy
Fed up with his personal failures, Biggie gives himself a death sentence on "Suicidal Thoughts." His friend (Diddy, in this case) attempts to dissuade him, but Biggie is too far down the windpipe to reconsider. We'll never know if B.I.G. was really as depressed as the song indicates, but "Suicidal Thoghts" is still one hell of a spooky song 11 years after his real death. For a more dramatic version, check out this E&L remix.
4. Eminem - "Stan"
© Interscope
You only need to listen to "Stan" once before realizing that this ill-fated account of a psychotic Eminem worshipper is simply unforgettable. "Stan" unmasks a vulnerable Eminem, one that turns up the pathos several notches while barely raising his voice. Dido's ethereal crooning adds more soot to the tale.
3. Gravediggaz - "6 Feet Deep"
© Island/Polygram
2. Immortal Technique - "Dance with the Devil"
Darkness permeates "Dance with the Devil" from start to finish, as Immortal Technique tells an elaborate tale of a man named Billy. Billy's hunger for social acceptance drove him to commit all sorts of atrocities, including one that involves a close relative. The song's hazed-out jazzy vibe, coupled with Tech's psychopathic recital, is incredibly chilling.
1. Geto Boys - "Mind Playing Tricks on Me"
Paranoia gets the best of Scarface as he stands alone in his four-corner room staring at candles, seeing images. "He owns a black hat like I own. A black suit and a cane like my own," 'Face rhymes. "It's f***ed up when your mind's playing tricks on you." Turns out he was staring at his own reflection. The vertically challenged Buswhick Bill then teams up with 'Face and Willie D to fight off a 7-ft tall enemy. The giant disappears only for Bill to realize he'd been ferociously pummeling the concrete all along.
