I haven't liked mainstream rap/hip-hop for a long time. I can't jam to the songs on the radio. I can't karaoke to "Panda." When someone asks me who my favorite rap artist is, I have to tell them, "You probably don't know him. I listen to conscious rap."

"What's that?" some ask.

I defined it in this article as music that enlightens a person about the world around them, causes awareness, and contains a positive, informational message behind it.

Now that we know what conscious music is, I want to share with you my top 15 favorite conscious rap and hip-hop songs, ordered by the name of the artist. (And don't worry, the list includes a few mainstream artists, too).

K-Rino

1. "You can have your heaven or your hell right here on earth"

2. Shout-out to Donald Trump, another "American Hero"

3. "How will you react, when you can't find no fast food places to eat at?"

4. "The Universal Author: Who begun men with one pen"

5. "All we see is peace and real L-O-V-E"

6. "If you was never born, that would be a disaster"

7. Anddd the Winner for Best Inspirational Song of All-Time is:

Jasiri X

8. "But no one stops to think about the babies"

9. "When I saw that checkpoint, welcome to Apartheid"

Akilah Nehanda

10. "If I don't shake it will they say I won't make it?"

Songs You May Know

11. "I am no prison commodity, not just a body you throw in a cell"

12. "God ain't put us on the earth to get murdered, it's murder"

13. Not Hip-Hop, but c'mon! It's Bob Marley

14. "Justice for all just ain't specific enough"

15. 1989 but still in style and season