Life bursts at the seams with mysteries we'll never fully understand, like the Texans' decision to pass on Vince Young, Kesha's entire existence and the strange concept of hidden songs.
Some of them are superior to the ones that make an album's final cut and track listing. Why hide a song that could potentially enhance an album? We'll leave that discussion for another day. For now, let's toast five hidden rap songs you should be up on.
5. Jay-Z - "People Talking" Original Song: "Jigga That Nigga" (Begins at 8:22) Album: Jay-Z feat. The Roots, Unplugged
Released in the thick of Jay's feud with Nas, "People Talking" served as a precursor to The Blueprint, Vol. 2. Jay seized the opportunity to toss some subliminal disses at his then-nemesis Nas ("I see right through ya, Judas/ The man that I am, and damn, don't you know, the harder you go at me the harder I flow, let's do this") in between a few humorous lines ("Can you even fathom not having a fear in the world? I'm cool in my afterlife if I'm reading these chapters right).
Too bad he wasted a brilliant Ski beat on a hidden track.
4. Viktor Vaughn (MF Doom), "Change The Beat" Original Song: "Change The Beat" (Begins at 3:35) Album: Vaudeville Villain
Rap's quintessential enigma, Daniel Dumile, released Vaudeville Villain under one of his 849 aliases, Viktor Vaughn. As it turns out, the final song on this album is not a song at all. It's a skit set against the backdrop of extreme weather conditions.
The skit lasts a few seconds, followed by three minutes of nothing but rain. Then, DOOM puts down whatever he's smoking and starts rapping." True to its title, the beat changes every few bars. It's totally worth the three-minute wait.
3. The Roots, "Act Fore the End" Original Song: "Return to Innocence Lost" Album: Things Fall Apart
The Roots are notorious for sneaking a hidden track or two onto their albums. They've had some remarkable ones, but there's none is more stunningly wondrous than "Act Fore the End," in which ?uestlove wakes up at 5 a.m. to complain that something is missing from the album. Black Thought steps up to the challenge and delivers a steely verse over the course of four minutes.
