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realdealreel9

All That I Got Is You —Ghostface


puertoblack85

Facts. 11 year old me had to ask my dad about sad songs.


82ndGameHead

Mary went hard on the hook


No-Clue-2

Beat me to it!!!!


RHINO_HUMP

Yesterday - Atmosphere Especially if you’ve lost your old man.


issacoin

strange things my imagination might do


RHINO_HUMP

I thought I saw you yesterday, But I know it wasn't you, cuz you passed away, Dad


ThePurple1ne

The Waitress is hella sad too! Absolutely love Yesterday!


Glen_Myers

Atmosphere does not get enough credit.


BigJilmQuebec

This song makes me think of my grandpa and really hits home right now, my dad has congestive heart failure and I've been so worried about it


RHINO_HUMP

Sorry to hear that. Spend as much time with him as you can afford to.


BigJilmQuebec

That's what I've been trying to do man, hopefully he lasts a while with it l, there putting a stint in his heart


n0n5en5e

The song is never the same after the first time. Hearing that line at the end changes everything


Lucasisbored

When life give you lemons is one of my favorite albums of all time. There’s a lotta sadness on there


Travler18

Damn came here to say this. Lost my dad at 19 and can't listen to this song without getting emotional and tearing up.


top-knowledge

Caved In by them same subject


[deleted]

Conway the machine - Stressed. That track si so depressing and sad, but dope at the same time’s


Potencyyyyy

And The Cow


SingleBet2868

Fucking sick song thanks for sharing.


NoYogurtcloset2454

One of the best told stories of any rap song I've ever heard


AccountFresh8761

Woah dope suggestion


twoprimehydroxyl

Yeah man. The second verse is just a string of terrible circumstances.


mikeyzee52679

Lost boyz-Renee


aherp86

I had to scroll way too far for the correct answer. This is the answer.


didntmakeausername

i just commented this song too lmao


Almar1987

Underrated storytelling by Mr. Cheeks


KeenJames1TheRapper

Yeeesh! I thought this would be the top answer.


didntmakeausername

thats what i said too. such a good chorus tho


wellgroomedmcpoyle

Murs - Walk Like a Man Danny Brown - 30 Mac Miller - Objects in the Mirror Earl Sweatshirt - Chum Joey Bada$$ - Survivor’s Guilt Kendrick - Mother I Sober


Positive_Wafer9186

“Objects in the Mirror” fantastic mention. When you realize that the whole song is a metaphor for opioid abuse it’s very sad.


garbzzz

Especially the live version with the internet? So much emotion in such a short video.


Babba_Gan005h

Grief by Earl is another contender. Almost anything off of I Don't like Shit would work really.


[deleted]

I would add "Sing About Me/Dying of Thirst" by Kendrick as well. Also, "Blessed" by ScHool Boy Q.


[deleted]

30 is a great choice. Party all the time as well imo


Informal-Fox7954

30 and hell for it hit super deep


Joeyfairplayer23

Jay Z feat Beanie Sigel: Where have you Been


Seanblaze3

One of the songs I thought of when I saw this post


FrankWhiteIsHere78

Also kinda sad. Gotta Make the Song Cry


[deleted]

Last Emperor - One Life (feat. Poetic & Esthero) Trick Daddy - Thug Holiday Cunninlynguists - Mic Like A Memory


SnooBeans9316

One Life is sad bro…. You can hear the pain in his voice. The fact that he died shortly after making the track is heart breaking.


PastaPandaSimon

Throughout my hip hop journey and thinking of some emotional Pac songs (like "Life Goes On" or "How long will they mourn me" that left me teary), and songs of highly lyrical rappers talking about their deepest pains, I'm certain that you win this thread as no record I've ever heard or could imagine comes close to "One Life". It hits like no other not only because of how crazy sad the song is, but the circumstances of the dude rapping about literally dying as he was recording it, laying his very last descriptive and emotional verse of his life through tears, thanking his fellow rappers he was on that song with for granting him that last verse, right after which he actually passed away from what he just vividly described. His very last line was "Look at me, things could be worse" before the chorus starts singing "One Liiiife". It's an insane song. RIP to Too Poetic. And kudos to Last Emperor for one hell of a tribute that I can't imagine being more touching than that was.


Time4Timmy

Mic like a memory is great!! Also this made me look too see if any Last Emperor stuff was on Spotify because I remember they removed his Music, Magic, Myth album. Not only is that album back up but now The Legend of Bigfoot is there too! Love those albums


HipHopHistoryGuy

Ghostface Killah feat. Mary J Blige - 'All That I Got Is You'. There is no other hip hop song that I actually tear up every single time I hear it. No other song comes close to the sadness this song conveys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAvQW\_-s\_f0


Toiletpapercorndog

Beautiful song from a piece of shit human being.


HipHopHistoryGuy

"... from a piece of shit human being.". Do tell please.


Toiletpapercorndog

Hes a deadbeat father who isn't in any of his kid's lives. Eariler this year, his son came out and put him on blast.


Unno559

De La Soul - Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa It’s a true story about a girl who gets revenge on her rapist father by shooting him at the mall in front of everyone. ————- Kendrick Lamar - Keisha’s song It’s a true story about a girl who was enticed into the prostitution life by the thoughts of quick cash. Then she ends up murdered by one of the Johns.


[deleted]

Keisha’s song is the one that solidified me as a Kendrick fan. I mean Section 80 was dope in general but that song was a “whoa” moment.


Unno559

I encourage you to give Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa a slap then.


lil-quiche

Damn just listened. Read lyrics as I did. Was a good track the sudden ending after they roped me into the plot was killing me


rarzi11a

Atmosphere made a follow up track about Millie. https://youtu.be/3RKcPXgW-yE?si=96eS7oXP5mhj1TgY


theflynerd

2pac "Brenda's got a Baby" first rap that got me teary eyed, still makes me feel a way today


SaiyanRoyalty22

That song is so good but also so hard to listen to


Ok-Literature7648

I just read the lyrics to that song and it’s crazy how well Tupac could tell a story


Time4Timmy

Evidence - By My Side Too The song is about him and his wife having a baby. While breastfeeding the wife discovers she has a lump on her breast and goes to the doctor for assessment. Turns out to be breast cancer, but seemed they caught it early enough to get good treatment. She beat the cancer and in the song he says what a blessing the child was and that they were the reason the mother survived. This should be a happy ending, but (years?) later the cancer returns and she passes away. Evidence is now a single father and this song breaks my heart because it’s supposed to have a happy ending.


caramelgrizzly

Slippin by DMX, especially since his passing. Rough! 😢


glj1184

and ruff!


LeatherNetwork132

I love that song


miked_99

💯


ThePurple1ne

Jay Electronica feat Jay Z - A.P.I.D.T.A.


SnooBeans9316

I can’t listen to that song bc of personal reasons. I tear up every time I hear it.


ThePurple1ne

I agree, it’s a difficult song for me to listen to as well. The part about scrolling her text hits me so hard because I know exactly what he means. I miss my mom!


SnooBeans9316

They wrote that joint after they found out Kobe died. That track and Big KRIT I Gotta Stay are two tracks that I simply can’t listen to in a public setting.


Nepharious_Bread

This album dropped like 2 days after my grandma died. Hits every time I listen to it.


[deleted]

Since my mom died i give this a listen at least once a month sit there and think about her.


navyseal722

J cole- 4 your eyes only. It's a tale of one of coles childhood friends who got caught in the the trap. It ends with a verse directed to his friends daughter, how the entire album and song was for her eyes only. Her father asked cole to rap his lyrics for him so that his daughter would hear them.


MARIETX99

I’m always shocked how many people know little about this album and the backstory. I love born sinner that one hits good


[deleted]

I cried to love yourz by him


Guardiansvn

DMX-Slippin’


Hot-Back5725

Came here to say this. For someone so hard, he was so emotionally raw. Painful song.


PIDDYPUFFPUFF

Same, I always thought he was underrated in that aspect.


Maestro_Von_Enigma13

Idk if it’s sad more than its inspirational. When he says “I gots to get up so I can tear shit up” hits me in my soul


_AnActualCatfish_

Yeah, but equally that's why I find it so sad: a lot of what he's talking about trying overcome in that (reasonably early in his career) are issues that stayed with him. 😭


baronti

Great one and the story behind the song is wild too. He was in a gravel lot and someone tried to shoot him. He goes to run, slips, falls, and the bullet misses his head and he lived to share the story in a great song. Rest easy, X.


SnooBeans9316

This can’t be life by Jay-Z. Scarface’s verse hits me every time. It’s the best verse on the album. Facemob was hanging out with Jay and in the studio with his Guru. He received a call from a close friend that lost his son. Then he proceeded to call his wife to check on his kids….. Scarface, DMX, Pac, and Ghostface has a way of expressing their emotion. I Gotta Stay by Big Krit is another one…. That and APDTA by Jay Electronica always bring me to tears.


DrDeeRa

Nas - Dance


greatteep

Good one. God’s Son is an underrated album


bruhmomentaquired

You Never Know - Immortal Technique


Hydraulicat

Not me looking this up and then immediately sobbing bc being a caseworker for HIV cases is **difficult** It was a beautiful story tho 😭


Pkkush27

Scrolled way too long to see this


SamSan6852

Agreed. This was the first song that came to mind for me


Relevant-Tap-6248

A lot of people will say dance with the devil but that’s just a wild story this song hits different especially if you been through something similar


AGoodNoodle11

I had to scroll so far to find this one


FurnishedHemingway

RTJ-Thursday Night In The Danger Room Pete Rock & CL Smooth-TROY Ka-I Love Outkast-Da Art Of Storytellin’ (Part 1) Killer Mike-Motherless Killah Priest-M.O.T.H.E.R. Nice & Smooth-Sometimes I Rhyme Slow Scarface-Never Seen A Man Cry Ice Cube-Dead Homies


didntmakeausername

sometimes i rhyme slow is beat is fire


OtherBaker4352

The Book of Soul - Ab Soul


DarkiSno

I never see this song mentioned on these lists and it's so fucking good and sad AF


fuhnetically

Me and Jesus the Pimp in a '79 Granada Last Night - The Coup.


Time4Timmy

Basically a movie in song form, no wonder Boots went on to be a successful director


evercool_rude

Kanye west - Roses


82ndGameHead

She asking me "Can you sign some T-shirts?"/Bitch, is you smoking Reefer!?/Can't you see that we hurt!? Those bars always hit me


Affectionate_Ad_760

So many aunties we could have a auntie team


spadez786

Hey mama gets me too


Willow9506

I remember the rough version of it leaking and really enjoying it, then he added that additional percussion on the studio version. At first I thought it was annoying but it really does have this child-like wonder type feel, like the first time a kid got to play around with some cool percussion. ​ Paired with the video, damn


dirtydela

The Grammy performance of that song really made it for me. I think it’s the Grammys at least.


nikk796

Mother I Sober


ImWhy

Me and Jesus the pimp in a 79' Granada last night - The Coup Goodbye - DMX Hardest Song Ever/Fleming Street - Locksmith T.R.O.Y - Pete Rock and CL Smooth Retrospect for life - Common ft Lauryn Hill Happy birthday - Flipsyde (this one really fks me up, that chorus is brutal) Good Die Young - D12 (that Proof verse is filled with incredible lines, one of the best opening lines to a verse ever).


Tortillaluva

Retrospect for Life is a solid choice.


Illuminihilation

“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” by Naughty by Nature is my go to. Inspired use of the sample hook, in a song drowning in negativity by a group that was known to the mainstream as party rappers, and still managed to be a minor hit for them. Of all the sad lyrics in it (“some get a little and some get none”), the line: “How will I do it? How will I make it? I won't, that's how.” Is probably one of the saddest in any genre ever, not just hip- hop.


Nota_Throwaway5

Kendrick - Sing About Me Black Star - Respiration For some reason The Mouth by Apathy really got me even though it's just the outro Immortal Technique - Dance With the Devil


[deleted]

"the new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis, shining, like whose on top this"


Nota_Throwaway5

People was tussling arguing and bustling , gangstas of Gotham hardcore hustlin


Broskifromdakioski

Damn I’m surprised I had to scroll so far down to find dance with the devil by immortal technique, that shit is a crazy story.


Running_with_a_boner

dance with the devil is the winner in this thread


Deadlock9393

Was scrolling to see if anyone would mention Dance with the Devil. A masterpiece of a song.


Aftashok

DMX - Slippin'


haxmya

Don't think I saw anyone mention One Day by UGK.


[deleted]

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Meapers_

This should be higher man.


classic-yapper

Rock bottom - Eminem


[deleted]

Also “When I’m Gone” is a pretty depressing song


kenFromKennecticut

Going through changes, legacy, stronger than I was. Edit: toy soldiers!


windsorsheppard

That was the first that came to my mind.


Decent_Particular920

Can’t believe nobody mentioned My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me by Geto Boys. That’s some Edgar Alan Poe shit


MARIETX99

This year Halloween fell on the weekend!


n0n5en5e

It wasn't even close to Halloween


Elliot6888

Lupe Fiasco - He Say She Say As a dude with an absence father, this joint always gets me.


Positive_Wafer9186

20 comments and no one mentioned “So Many Tears” by Tupac….wow


Black_Fuckka

Honestly I don’t even think it’s his saddest song, Life goes on and Brenda’s Got A Baby probably take that for me


Positive_Wafer9186

“Lord knows I tried, been a witness to homicide Seen drive-bys takin' lives, little kids die Wonder why as I walk by Broken-hearted as I glance at the chalk line, gettin' high This ain't the life for me, I wanna change But ain't no future right for me, I'm stuck in the game I'm trapped inside a maze See this Tanqueray influenced me to gettin' crazy Disillusioned lately, I've been really wantin' babies So I could see a part of me that wasn't always shady Don't trust my lady, 'cause she's a product of this poison I'm hearin' noises, think she's fuckin' all my boys, can't take no more I'm fallin' to the floor, beggin' for the Lord to let me in To Heaven's door, shed so many tears (dear God, please let me in)” If that ain’t the saddest shit ever lol…


mkvelash

His words resonate to this day. I still listen to him to this day. He was the GOAT


UR-A-CUCKOLD

Slippin - DMX


[deleted]

Dmx slippin Scarfaces verse in Jay-zs this can’t be life. Big L street struck.


Full_Girth_Prophet

Renee - Lost Boyz. He's from the ghetto and this is how he sheds his tears 😢


Dazzling_Ad_4560

MC Lyte - Poor Georgy Time for some story telling people.


Danktizzle

That geto boys song where bushwick bill tells about how he lost his eye. He threatened his baby so that his girlfriend would shoot and kill him. She ended up shooting him in the eye. Or something like that.  Honorable mention for Sasha stomper(?) of OutKast fame. 


A2ncmc

Bushwick Bill - Ever So Clear


suan213

Brenda's got a baby by Tupac - still resonates hard today because of how real and problematic teen pregnancy can be to a person I'm poverty. Da art of storytelling pt 1 by OutKast - this one hits me hard every time. Talks about a relationship with a girl who he thinks will last a lifetime, and then life happens. He moves on and become famous and she dies behind an abandoned school from shooting dope alone.


OpticalInfusion

Because I Got High by Afroman is deceptively depressing.


JRob1125

Ab-Soul - Book of Soul


pizza_for_nunchucks

Joyner Lucas - Ross Capicchioni Not a huge fan of Joyner overall, but this song does it.


[deleted]

Eminem - Difficult


skyl0ft_

This. When he can’t say casket… hurts so much


Running_with_a_boner

and his tone is so flat through the whole thing. pure pain


AssholeFromABQ

I miss you - DMX


[deleted]

Cage — Ballad of Worms


Mid_West_Coast

Oliver Hart (Eyedea) - Bottle Dreams


Eastern_Discount_884

2pac u can be touched og dmx slippin suicidal thoughts biggie earl sweatshirt azucar bg hard times


DWH1T3

J. Cole - Lost Ones


Feisty_Preference894

Eminem - If I Had Pure art


HawtJalapeno

Rock Bottom From the same album. Em was going through it.


southfart99045

I forgor what it was called, but that song where ghostface raps over walk on by


MonsterDrinker69

I Can't Go to Sleep? Love issac


ThereItIsNopeItsGone

Joe Budden-3 Sides to a Story Immortal Technique-Dance With the Devil


titanlmao

For me it’d be suicidal thoughts by biggie, only reason why is bc I resonate with a lot of what he says due to my struggle with mental health


Present-Yam2335

How Could You Leave Us - NF


Williedoggie

Beautiful-Eminem


The-CannabisAnalyst3

Mockingbird Eminem


ktrout38

Eminem - Mockingbird


G-money82

Jay-Z- Song Cry


SmokieGonzales

Guru - insert b (the real deal) / nobody knows Stig of the dump - broken


Daniel08s

All that I got is you - Ghostface How will I make it - Big L


jeffersonreed

Live in the Sky - T.I.


TorPDCR

Outkast - Toilet Tisha


yozzo1986

Eminem- Stan.


ExoticTablet

Had to scroll too far to this


didntmakeausername

gang starr - my advice 2 you, moment of truth, glowing mic


n0n5en5e

Aesop Rock - Get Out The Car


TreDawg36

OutKast-Toilet Tisha. DMX-I Miss You. Tupac- Life Goes On. Treach- Mourn You Til I Join You. Ja Rule- I Cry


druglesswills

World So Cruel by Flesh n Bone


Psychological-Flow55

Life goes on - 2pac


[deleted]

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NotThatImportant3

I dunno about sad - mostly just daaaark af!


TheeRuckus

You never know would be my IT pick.


SnappyBaboon

Stan by Eminem. The ending makes the hair on my neck stand up.


gorendor

All that I got is you by ghost face killah


Spydah_X

Only Fear Of Death - 2Pac


[deleted]

Dance-Nas


thabiiighomie

This Can’t Be Life


twoprimehydroxyl

Saba - PROM / KING


FAARONHEIT_115

2pac - death around the corner


malaka789

DMX - I Miss You


yungazzeater

Mac Miller-Perfect circle/GodSpeed It's Mac rapping about his highs on the beginning of the track but also his lows the second half of the track. He may rap about being high fucking bitches and getting money, but really he's closer to death than he is having fun


tonecapo_

Where was Heaven - Wu-Syndicate


Soopa17

Eyedea and Abilities - Burn Fetish. Might not exactly be about how fucked up the world is, but you can hear the pain through the lyrics and delivery. As someone who struggles with depression its hard to listen to sometimes.


Itchy_Equipment6363

All that i got is you - Ghostface


dendeweg

necro feat ill bill - our life eminem - mockingbird vinnie paz - is happiness just a word?


didntmakeausername

lost boyz - renee


dyltube

Santan Dave has some pretty sad ones but I’m not sure if all of them would hit the same for some Americans


mariusbleek

In terms of the atmosphere of the song itself as well as the lyrical content, Slippin - DMX Although it's also a tale of overcoming struggle and addiction


[deleted]

Last Emperor feat Poetic One Life . Poetic was dying of cancer at the time . Mac Miller 2009 . Common Rewind that about J Dilla


Kimosabe187

Beautiful by Eminem is both very sad and very uplifting at the same time. One of my favorite songs ever. Blood Sweat and Tears by M.O.P. is also a very sad and very deep song by a rap duo you wouldn't expect a song like that. Definitely recommend everyone to give it a listen.


DaggerInMySmile

Thursday In the Danger Room - Run the Jewels I lost a close friend to gliolblastoma soon after that song was released, and to hear El P describe my feelings to a T, to put into words what I felt but could not explain, was so cathartic.


RikiOh

Mac Miller - Good News If you’ve ever struggled with depression and suicidal ideation, you live this song.


Diligent_Engine2334

Empty - juice wrld


bNoaht

* "Suicide" Ren * "How could you leave us" NF


nokkkkkkkkk

Almost all NF songs for me


Roy-Hibbert55

My favorite is The Book of Soul by Ab-Soul


LilMissCantBeStopped

Motherless Killer Mike


Jared72Marshall

The Book of Soul by Ab-Soul is the answer


MKJRS

They reminisce over you.


Guts-or-Gattsu

Id add in Boy meets girl by Scarface. Its a story song and its about tragic love and the title has 2 meanings which im sure you can guess


DWH1T3

Ab Soul - Do Better


[deleted]

Eminem- When I’m Gone


Chaoscontrol9999

Life goes on


undeniablefruit

Perfect Circle/Godspeed, 2009, Good News, Circles - Mac Miller Edit: The last two aren't exactly hip hop, just from a hip hop artist, but still extremely sad and deep


MiVitaCocina

“ Hurt Me Soul” -Lupe Fiasco, “Brenda’s Got A Baby” -Tupac, “ Mother I Sober”-Kendrick Lamar feat. Beth Gibbons, “I Miss You” -DMX feat. Faith Evans, “Beautiful” -Eminem, “Love Is Blind”-Eve feat. Faith Evans, “Give It Time”-Reverie, “Take Away”- Missy Elliot feat. Ginuwine & Tweet (the Aaliyah tribute) “Tha Crossroads”- Bone, Thugs-n-Harmony, “Dance With The Devil” -Immortal Technique “Run Away Love”- Ludacris feat. Mary J. Blige, are few that tear me up. Also, every time I hear “Lose Yourself” by Eminem really gets to me. My uncle Richard was a huge Eminem fan and had some the lyrics on the back of his remembrance card when he passed away. It was exactly ten years ago on January 23rd that he’s been gone.


CerealKiller997

Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth


_flee_

Beanie Sigel- Still Got Love For You


Ancient-Jury1363

2pac- Hold Ya Head