Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Greatest MCs of All Time (To me anyways)

1. The Notorious B.I.G.- The most complete MC of all time! He had all the flows, was a crazy lyricist, both his albums are classics, taught MCs how to sell records without losing street credibility, and he didn't write his rhymes.

2. Rakim- The greatest hip hop lyricist of all time put an end to MCs yelling all the time and made them focus on lyrics. He said "MC means move the crowd" and he can still do this. The run he had with Eric B. has barely been matched by any other group and he is the prototype to what we see now.

3. KRS-One- Arguably the best battle MC and talked about real life issues and topics and history, sociology, and thw urban community. Also, he is one of the best hip hop performers ever.

4. Nas- When he first came out he was considered the next Rakim but he proved to be the first Nas. Made the greatest hip hop album of all time (in my opinion), Illmatic, when he was just 19 years old. He beat Jay-Z in their famous battle and continues to get better with age.

5. Tupac- The most popular MC of all time. He connected with his audience like no other MC. You hear his pain and emotion through the speakers. He along with Biggie's impact is so big in the game that people are still trying to emulate them.

6. Big Daddy Kane- The inventor of the punchline and king of swagger. The ladies wanted to be with him and the men wanted to be him. One of the versatile MCs ever. He could make a braggadocios record, a song about teaching the youth, and then a love song with Barry White.

7. Jay-Z- Even though he started his first album came out when he was 26 years old, he has still managed to capture the ears of the new generation. With his vivid tales of his drug dealing past and great wordplay, he has managed to stay relevant in the game.

8. Ice Cube- The greatest gangster rapper of all time. He ghostwrote for Eazy-E and Dr. Dre when he was still in NWA. His solo career was even more impressive with classics like Amerikkka's Most Wanted and Death Certificate.

9. Eminem- When many people first saw him, they thought he was a gimmick. Until they witnessed his wordplay, crazy stories, flows, and the emotion he can put on records. Dr. Dre knew he was up to something when he signed him.

10.Scarface- Scarface helped bring lyricism to the South and has never sold out for success. "My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me" was a big hit for the Geto Boys but people don't know he wrote all the verses execpt for Bushwick Bill's. The raw emotion and paranoia he brings to his music is unparallel. He retired from hip hop this but his legacy continues through his words.

Honorable Mention (No Particular Order)
Kool G Rap
LL Cool J
Chuck D
Slick Rick
Melle Mel
Grandmaster Caz
Kool Moe Dee
Andre 3000
Redman
Common
Lauryn Hill
Snoop Dogg
Big Pun
Big L
Black Thought

12 comments:

  1. interesting list, and im glad to see that you did not put Jay at the top, but im sure you will have a bunch of people mad with that one, and not to mention the absence of lil Wayne even in the honorable mentions lol ... and what no Gucci lol

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  2. Do you think any of the relatively new rappers out right now (Wale, Cudi, Wayne, Gucci, Lupe, Drake, B.o.B., Blu, J.Cole, Asher Roth etc...) have the potential to make this list 5-10 years from now?

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  3. I don't see it but it's not impossible

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  4. I'm glad Nas is before Jay-Z. And I think the list is very well put together, adn I'm glad KRS-1 is listed high because after seeing him perform, I think he is wonderful...but I still think Tupac is the best rapper ever...but Biggie is good too!

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  5. I think you should make a list of the new school and id say Cory Gunz is on the top of that list

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  6. thats out of drake, wale, kid cudi, asher roth,bobby ray, tyga

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  7. Pretty Good. I think Cube and Em may be a little high. Then again I gotta remember NWA Cube, and not Are We There Yet Cube LOL. But I guess it depends on what factors. If your talking monetary success, maybe Jay goes a little higher (Dude is gonna end up being a Billionaire off of this). Any Current artists you think that has a chance of cracking the top 10?

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  8. I don't really see anyone coming in this top 10 for a while not because they don't have the skill but because of how the game is now. The talented artists don't get radio play or television attention.

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