1 / 12

Slick Rick, "Children's Story" - As you don your most creatively courageous costume and head out into the streets at night picking up candy from strangers  – the one night our parents say that's an okay thing to do  – remember these classic cautionary tales, lest you live too YOLO and wind up like the young'ns in "Children's Story" of Slick Rick's debut LP, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.Click on for some eerily good advice from the airwaves.(Photo: Def Jam)

2 / 12

Kendrick Lamar, "Swimming Pools" - K. Dot dives deep into the topic of alcoholism in this single off his smash debut good kid, m.A.A.d. city, divulging his own family history with a constant "pour up, drink" problem. The point? Watch your intake.  (Photo: Interscope Records)

3 / 12

Nonchalant, "5 O'Clock" - In 1996, when many an MC bragged on record of selling drugs or having done so in their former lives, this Washington, D.C.-raised femcee boldly warned of the deadly consequences. (Photo: MCA)

4 / 12

UGK, "Pocket Full of Stones" - Bun B and Pimp C sling hard and wind up in prison after murdering a member of law enforcement on this 2011 single. (Photo: Jive Records)

5 / 12

TLC, "Waterfalls" - The groundbreaking female trio landed one of their biggest hits with this cautionary cut, which metaphorically warned against chasing fleeting (and potentially deadly) pleasures. In this case, it was selling drugs and unprotected sex.  (Photo: LaFace Records)

6 / 12

Ice Cube, "Once Upon a Time in the Projects" - For his 1990 debut LP AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Ice Cube blasted a dysfunctional Black family living in the projects. While he may have been describing an isolated clan happily trapped in crime, poverty and ignorance, Cube's aim was to disuade folks from becoming them.  (Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

7 / 12

Scarface, "Seen a Man Die" - If you're a recently released ex-con thinking of re-entering the crime scene, think again, and use potent Scarface track as a reminder of how much grief getting stuck in the cycle can cause. (Photo: Rap-a-Lot Records)

8 / 12

Kanye West, "Gold Digger" - For this warning shot to both men and women on the dating scene, Yeezy sampled Jamie Foxx singing Ray Charles and raps about a woman whose priorities only have to do with getting money from her rich boyfriend... who leaves her for a Caucasian chick once he becomes famous.(Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)

9 / 12

Erykah Badu, "Bag Lady" - The first single off her 2000 LP Mama's Gun, "Bag Lady" was Badu's message to not let the past hinder our ability to enjoy the now. (Photo: Motown Records)

10 / 12

A Tribe Called Quest, "Show Business" - To aspiring music artists who think the music biz is a utopia, ATCQ warned to think again. On this classic 1991 cut, the iconic hip hop crew talked of the unsavory side of the business. (Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection)

11 / 12

Kool Moe Dee, "Go See the Doctor" - In 1986, hip hop pioneer Kool Moe Dee used street corner hillarity to convey this fictional account of catching gonnorrhea as a message to keep it in your pants. (Photo: Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

12 / 12

Eminem, "Guilty Conscience" - Mixing humor and social awareness, Eminem released this cut about using one's conscience when thoughts of doing the wrong thing arise. Playing the part of Em's inner voice (telling him to do right) was none other than Dr. Dre.  (Photo: Interscope)