Okay, so you’ve got your grilling game right.  And yeah you’ve got a cooler full of cold drank.  And of course, you have all the homies coming through.  Cypher complete right?  Not quite, player.  Because what’s a summer bbq without the proper music to serve as the official soundtrack to it?  Now since we at The 5th Element care about your summer being as enjoyable as if it were our own, we’ve provided a list of definitive summer hip hop anthems that will coronate your bbq function with a crown of official activation.  Click through to start the ceremony.

20. Naughty By Nature – Feel Me Flow
Treach, Vin Rock, and Kay Gee created an enduring summer setting in the music video, while the actual song was equal parts easy going vibe and head nod worthy banger.

19. Kendrick Lamar – Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe
Who says you can’t get all introspective and self-reflective on a summer anthem?  That dude K.Dot shows us that you can still employ a joint that will fit in with your active backyard bbq just as much as it would during a warm summer night chillin’.

18. Dr. Dre – Let Me Ride
This joint is the definitive musical accompaniment to any and all types of summertime cruising.  For the full “ridin’ ’round and gettin’ it” effect, the volume must be up and the windows must be down.

17. De La Soul – Buddy
If your bbq is not adorned with the unforgettable mating call of “Meany, meany, meany, meany (say whaaat?!)”, then it is more than likely devoid of all forms of dopeness in the same way a Will.I.Am record is.

16. Camp Lo – Luchini AKA This Is It
Once you hear the horns blare along with Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba shouting out, “This is, what!”, then you already know what time it is.  Luchini is pourin’ from the sky and your function is officially poppin’.

15. The Pharcyde – Passin’ Me By
We’ve all more than likely had that ‘coulda-been’ and ‘shoulda-happened’ kinda infatuation with a summertime crush that was just not feeling it.  But of course, we turned those sorrows into a enthusiastic sing-along to this bonafide classic.

14. Outkast – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
The laid back southern drawls of Big Boi and Three Stacks take us all on an easy stroll through a summertime feeling that is just too crucial to not be played at any occasion this season.

13. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin & Juice
Homeboy Alone Part 2.  Starring you, your friends, and a grip load of alcohol.  Executive producer, Snoop Doggy Dogg.

12. Kanye West ft. T-Pain – Good Life
If you find yourself floating on a cool body of water, sipping on something even colder, all while enjoying the smells of grilled meat and the sights of beautiful, barely clothed individuals, well then congratulations and welcome to the good life.

11. Warren G – This DJ
It’s kinda easy when you listen to this classic G’d up sound.  The DJ be Warren G and the vibe be on maximum summertime fresh when you’ve got this song on blast.

10. The Dove Shack – Summertime In Tha LBC
Even if you’ve never even been to Long Beach or don’t even live there, you’ll easily find yourself turning this anthem up every time it plays.  The mellow groove and the melodic hook will have you reppin’ hard like you grew up on PCH and Atlantic.

9. T.W.D.Y. – Player’s Holiday
Whenever summertime rolls around, it really does feel like every day should be a holiday for a stone cold player such as yourself.

8. Raekwon ft. Ghostface Killah & Method Man – Ice Cream
Nothing can define the summer season more than the ice cream man AND minimally dressed honeydips cruising the streets.  The Wu shows their appreciation for this scenario via this classic anthem.

7. Cam’Ron ft. Juelz Santana – Hey Ma
Okay so it’s a perfect summer night where you’re out with your friends and looking to get into something interesting.  Linking up with some fly individuals would be ideal and Dipset representatives, Cam’Ron and Juelz Santana, narrate how the whole experience should be like on this track.

6. A Tribe Called Quest – Bonita Applebum
So just as you’re about to take a fat bite into your grilled-to-perfection burger with all the delicious trimmings, you spot HER.  You know.  The ultimate summertime Miss that will have you trying to holler from June to August on some “you gotta put me on” kinda game.  What better way to accompany the thrill of the chase than the Tribe’s memorable hit?

5. Jay-Z ft. UGK – Big Pimpin’
Timbaland you crazy for this beat.  Pairing up a unique Middle Eastern sample with infectious flutes, all while putting that signature Timbo touch to it, brings us a track that has Jay-Z and UGK pied-piping all listeners into one big mean mugging and shoulder shrugging mass.

4. UGK ft. Outkast – International Players Anthem (I Choose You)
This song has the coldest beat drop of all time.  You couldn’t convince me otherwise.  And when the beat is absolutely custom made for all participating emcees?  Please.  This song should forever be on every summertime playlist.

3. Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day
Imagine messing around on the courts and getting a triple double, winning some cash in a a game of dominoes and rolling dice, hooking up with a girl you’ve been sweet on since the 12th grade, AND not having to use your AK?  Sounds like a perfect summer day to me.

2. 2Pac – I Get Around
All you have to do is watch the video and admittedly sing along to the lyrics that you know you memorized years ago and what you have is the general premise of how summertime should be.  Pac may be long gone and in hologram form, but this timeless summer anthem will live on in our speakers forever.

1. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime
Look, you had to know that this was coming.  Like really, when it comes to definitive summertime anthems, you cannot escape this song.  The smooth vibe, Will Smith’s laid back monotone flow over the Kool & The Gang-sampled beat, and the females singing, “Summer-summer-summertime…” is just the perfect math to equate just what summertime really should be.