The Summer Jam has a long, storied history. In the Middle Ages, monks were known to spice up their Gregorian chants in the hot months with a little freestyle beat-boxing. Handel, while mostly remembered for his Messiah, also penned the lesser-known “Solstice Oratorio Number 5 (Shake Thine Rump),” which in its time raised many, many cathedral roofs. Even the early American settlers got into the act, though the Puritans’ summer songs were all rather dirge-like, and were mostly just warnings against the evils of uncovered ankles.

The Summer Jam didn’t truly find its legs until the advent of American-style R&B music, and it really came into its own with hip hop. There’s no reason you can’t listen to hip hop year round, of course, but each summer tends to have its own special hip hop anthem. You’ll hear it all over — on the radio, at picnics, blasting from car windows. I’m not sure what I was doing in the summer of 1991, for instance — celebrating the end of apartheid? watching Blossom? — but I was definitely listening to Fresh Prince’s “Summertime” while doing it.

Frankly, I have no idea what this year’s official Summer Jam is, probably because I don’t listen to the right radio stations anymore, or maybe the right radio stations no longer exist? The music world seems to be fractured and disjointed in a way that makes it a much different landscape than the one we all traversed as kids. Or maybe I’m just old. I’m no longer the target market for pop radio, i.e. the Justin Biebers and Ladies Gaga of the world.

But I’m keeping my ears open. Here’s one contender for Official Summer Jam of 2010. It’s actually about summer, so it has that going for it. Also, it’s a collaboration seemingly dreamed up in hipster heaven, featuring Kid Cudi, Baltimore’s Beach House and one of the dudes from Vampire Weekend.

“All Summer,” Kid Cudi with Best Coast

I don’t really understand the whole sponsored-by-Converse aspect to the song — is Converse commissioning music now? But whatever. It’s pretty catchy and summery, and so it deserves our consideration.

Here’s another entry, from Southern rapper B.O.B. His debut album, released this year, hit number one here and in the UK. I think “Airplanes” is the big single, but the backup singer on that one reminds me of the rather annoying girl-band Evanescence, so nuts to that. This track, though, “Not Lost,” is catchy as hell, plus it features T.I., which gives it bonus points in the Summer Jam tally. There’s no official video for the song, so you’ll have to click the little clicky thing here to give ‘er a listen.

 
“Not Lost,” B.O.B. featuring T.I.

Honestly, more and more often I find myself digging back into Summer Jams of the past. Like I said, I am old. Though this song is new to me, because frankly I always considered Naughty by Nature to be a semi-annoying novelty act. When I was in college, songs like “Hip Hop Hooray” and “OPP” seemed to be the soundtrack to the date-rapiest parties on campus. But I recently stumbled upon “Jamboree,” and I have to say I like it, though the video does feature the requisite “girls in bikinis getting sprayed by water,” which seemed to be a Naughty by Nature trademark.

“Jamboree,” Naughty by Nature

The other song I’ve been listening to a lot this summer is an old 1991 De La Soul classic, which still sounds great. It evokes a simpler, more innocent time, when Cross Colours still existed and roller skating had yet to be replaced by roller blading (white people — we really do ruin everything).

“A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday,” De La Soul, featuring Q-Tip

So there you go. Some hip hop Summer Jams for your listening enjoyment. Feel free to tell me all the awesome ones I’m missing in the comments. Or if you have suggestions for Official Summer Jam of 2010?