Since the beginning of rap, the question raged. Who is the dopest rapper of all time? When you look at what a rapper should embody, you should consider lyrical ability, flow, story telling, street creditability, charisma, delivery, consistency, and track record. We all know rap has had its time in each part of the US, East coast, West coast, and Dirty south. So any respectable list must have artists from all over and not just one region. Often times, when this type of list is composed, it becomes a popularity test. However, I have attempted to base it solely on hip hop facts and its fans. I know this list is going to create many arguments and much discussion, so please understand that although it is based on facts, it is still only a opinion.
Top 5 Rappers Of All Time
5. Outkast
No rap discussion can exist without mentioning Outkast. When you consider what they have done for rap in the south, they belong without question on this list. They flourished at a time when the south didn’t respect hip hop and changed all that. They delivered that eclectic flow with hipnotic beats to form the original bump in the trunk. Outkast definitely were one of the first rappers to get lyrical respect in the south.
4. Nas
Nas could easily have been number one, but unfortunately, there can only be one taking up that spot. There really isn’t anybody much better tan Nas when it comes to lyrics. One could argue that Illmatic is the greatest CD of all time. His consistency in the game is almost unmatched. His first cd, Illmatic, is like a Hip Hop bible and with his latest release, Hip Hop is the epitome of consistency. Nas, who is the self titled best story teller, delivers a strong lyrical punch on almost every appearance. Nas has also been a part of some of Hip Hop’s biggest battles. You know you are one of the Hip Hop elite when you clashed with 2 others on this list.
3. Scarface
When it comes to street cred, no one, and I mean no one, has it on the same level as Scarface. Ask any rapper, from Jay-Z to T.I. and Pac, who their favorite rappers are and it is almost a certainty that face will be mentioned. Scarface has been at it since the late 80s and has delivered classic after classic. One of the reasons he is not mentioned in more of these conversations is because he isnt gonna win your everyday popularity contest. He doesn’t have that female craze like some of the others, so often times he gets looked over. However, when you consider the lyrics, consistency, and the art of story telling, Face is considered a hip hop god. He is one of the few rappers who never mentioned bling and his car in every song.
2. 2pac
Now, some may say “Well, how is he number 2? He should be number one or shouldn’t even be on the list!” One thing is for certain, whether you like 2pac’s music or not, he is consistent and has lasted on even 10 years after his death. Pac, who always delivered a message in his lyrics, is one of the original bad boys of rap. He went through the struggle so that rappers today wouldn’t have to. In that regard, you cannot question his place. Lyrically, Pac gave you strength with words. You could feel his message in every line. He may not be number 1 in any specific category, but he is in the tops of all of them. This makes him a Hip Hop legend.
1. Jay-z
The god MC Jay Hova. Many will argue and hate this pick for the number one spot, but when you consider the categories and his success, it should not even be a question. Lyrically he is a wizard, displaying consistency, variety, and flow. He has his place with two Hip Hop classics: Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. You would be hard pressed to find an artist with two of the greatest albums of all time. He has shown story telling supremacy on tracks such as Where im from, in which he states he’s “From where they crossover and clap boards”. Jay is in a class of his own when it comes to trend-setters. Consider all of the trends he has started and you will realize what Hova has done for the game. Were it not for Jay, you probably wouldn’t have that shirt you have on right now, or that chain you have on, or wearing that hat the way you do. Whether you like Jay or not, you cannot deny his place in Hip Hop and his place at the top. We all have contributed to his success one way or another. You have either worn a pair of S. Carters, or worn some Rocawear, or even right now if you’re on a HP computer, you have bought into the world of the god MC. Without question, he should have a place in the music hall of fame.
Please consider that this list is just an opinion and is not solely based upon lyrics. Also Biggie was left off of this list for one reason; he was unfortunately murdered before he could demonstrate his longevity in the game.
COMMENTS
by FAR the worst GOAT list i've ever seen...you can firmly make an argument for all of those MC's...i have no problem w/ the list itself...your order...but your support was the wackest i've ever seen!...
you make the argument of like a 6th grader..."outkast got respect in the south...so they were respected in the south"...and you talk about outkast like its one person...there's 2 people...Andre and Big Boi...as i'm sure you know...but you fail to convey that knowledge in this article...
go the fuck home with this wack shit...and come back with better support...i'm not going to argue against your points...i dont agree with most of them...but that isnt why this sucks...you just come off like you have no idea what youre talking about and yet your trying to make all these claims...
full of typos...just poorly writtin...bad look defsounds...very bad look...you're one of my favorite rap sites...but if you keep letting shit like this slip through...you might lose me...
just come correct...of ALL the things to come wack on...a GOAT list is the worst thing you can do...you have to come fully correct on a GOAT list...research...PROOFREAD!...take all forms into account...list at least 10...not 5...have honorable mention...say what makes these guys better than the others...you just have NO support...
very wack...bad look...never come this weak again defsounds...horrible look
is this a fuckin joke? Jay Z over Pac.. that's blaspehmy
Scarface above Nas? hmmmm I dont think so, Scarface def has lyrical skills, but Nas killed it on to many tracks I can remember, especially on Illmatic and It Was Written....Also, I love Jay Z but to put him over Tupac I think is pushing it.....Good list but heres my list of top 5 mcs of all time:
5. LL Cool J
4. Nas
3. Jay Z
2. Tupac
1. Notorius BIG
I know some wont agree with either LL bein on the list, or Biggie at 1, but in my opinion lyric for lyric, not just album sales or popularity, you have to put Tupac and Biggie at the 1,2 spots.....
How can the dog DMX not make this list? He brought rap back to the streets and is the only reason Def Jam exists today. "Six number one albums, imagine that!"
im stunned jayz ova pac
u need a slap
jayz aint no where near the top ten he crap im ashamed of those who think pac is second an biggie aint dat good man he should be second
Damn... looking @ comment #1, then realizing it's AMJ who made this article... You know, the guy who always hated on us for how we write and what we say... Ah the irony...
Only thing I didn't like about this list was Tupac being number 2, and putting Outkast as a whole on the list.If you're going to say, best rapper alive, you can't have a group in the mixs.I would have pick Andre3000, he's the more lyrical of the two.And I know I'm going to get hate from the Tupac fanatics, but he just wasn't lyrically nice.Yes, he made good songs with goods messages,but he was no lyricist, and if you don't believe me, go look up his lyrics.All in all, good topic.
My lists
1.The Notorious B.I.G
2.Nas
3.Jay-Z
4.Rakim
5.Krs-one
Can't wait for the dudes with Lil Wayne as his number one or on the list at all, I know it's coming.lol
WHOEVER MADE THAT LIST DESERVES TO BE SHOT FOR PUTTING SCARFACE UP THERE INSTEAD OF THE NOTORIOUS B.............I...........GGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
list is whack and how u leave wayne out
WAYNE? WTF WRONG WIT YOU NIGGA! WAYNE NIGGA?! STOP SMOKIN', SIPPIN' DICK RIDIN' FAGGOT. NO SPEAKY NO MORE!!
When you talk about the G.O.A.T there will always be some conflict because everybody will have their own opinion of who they think the greatest rappers are. I am just thankful that I am around in the era of a B.I.G and Pac. Hov and Nas. Face and Snoop. Kane and Rakim. KRS and LL. We can go all day. Andre 3000 and Luda. Kiss and Beanie. 50 and Joey Crack. Big Pun and WU Tang. Everybody has a valid argument as to why they feel their favorite rappers should be in the top list. It's like your friends sending you messages asking why they ain't in your top friends on my space.
My Top 5: In no paticular order / Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Black Thought, Common, Big Pun. 5000
In regards to comment #1 I can't I argue he is correct....but in my defense I did it on my sidekick....so oh well.lol. But I swear people cannot read. First I explained why big was left off, I also feel he is one of the best. Secondly this list was no completely composed by jus 1 person. Third I clearly state that their is plenty of people who can be on and off this list. Far as pac I didn't even want him that high. I also explained nas coulda easily been number 1. But respect everyone's opinion and comments
Lol@ 'flyying pussy" (inside joke)
for anyone who thinks lil wayne should be on the list your a moron.
dammmmm. this is my first post. and already credibility is lost. Jay??? how can he be above nas when nas eitherd him, pac treated him lil a lil bicth, he sucked biggies dick and word is he got slaped by pun. what a stuppid post. worst list ever. Im from the west an ill still give props where is due but camel face number 1. here is the truth....
GayZ 4
Nas 3
Big 2
Pac 1
there is nobody fif.
Dude smokin crack!!!! BY lyrics not popularity!!!!!
1.Nas/RAkim
2.Biggie
3.Pac
4.Jay-Z
5.Common
Nas did hit Jay with ether, but 2pac didn't do anything but talk shit about a nigga who wasn't even in the game, which only made him look foolish."Jay-Z suck biggies dick" makes no sense, and Big Pun Slapping him is complete bullshit.And the fact that a nigga from the west has tupac as number one is not surprising.Tupac was about as west coast as a Yankee fitted,and as lyrical as T.I.He was an average rappers who made some good songs, but truely became famous because of his beefing ways, which in turn,took his life.
Cutup list is kind of sick and I completely agree with amj1227, your a moron if you believe Lil Flames belongs on this list or any list with the headlines "TOP 5 RAPPERS OF ALL TIME",GREATEST RAPPER OF ALL TIME","BEST RAPPER ALIVE", you get the picture.
????????? Sad to say but this was weak. most of the statements had much if any backing to it. u put jay-z at #1 mostly because he's a fashion trendsetter when Dame Dash started roc-a-wear? lol. OUTKAST= 2 RAPPERS,and how come Rakim and the other early greats were not mentioned
ok first I have to say respect the man's opinion, he thats his top five let him rock, you dont have to agree, but for future reference when trying to decide on the best rappers, you should take, Flow, WordPlay, Delivery, Punchlines, Content,Style, Creativity, Origionality, and then lastly record sales, if you did that then, you might be suprised at who your number one is. Further more record sales should get the least amount of points, because some of the best rappers sell the least amount of records. Oh and anybody who thinks litle wayne should be on anybodies Top Needs to End their Life Now, Oh and Defsounds.com is still the best hiphop site so why hate people, everybody has a bad day or two
can't sum up the greats with only 5 slots.... you gotta take into account Em, jadakiss, big L...... you can't even question these dudes, lyrically jada and big l were assassins, and Em came in embraced by white people because he was a white rapper, but embraced by everybody else because dude can rap period
get$
oh and outkast is a group not an individual, so they can't be on this list
get$
its obviously a matter of opinion i dont feel pac or biggie were the best rappers of all time i d have to say Ice CUbe hands down ran circles around them all Cube is downplayed because of Tupac and Biggie being dead but truthfully Ice Cube discovered
gangsta rap the rap that tupac and biggie rapped about both mixed it up but Cube started the games,young geezys the 50 cents and not only that he did the black conscious raps to "you cant turn the ghetto into black korea" go to your local hood store and see who owns it....alot of people may disagree with me because they biased
because of their beliefs or where they from but Cube is the best!
1.Cube
2.Pac
3.Nas
4.Eminem
5.Biggie
1.nas
2.jay-z
3.biggie
4.pac
5.rakim
you can reorder that list any way you like but that should of been the list how is outkast on there are you serious lol they are the worst, hey ya come on its hip hop, they started singing to get attention and dressing like characters out of wizard of oz..for that note put chingy on there lol AND NO LIL WAYNE DOESNT DESERVE TO BE ON HERE WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE LIL WAYNE IS NOT EVEN TOP 15 better yet top 25 what has this game come to, to mention him.smh He hasn't made a classic song yet he hasn't changed any part of the game he is kissing dudes end of discussion. Scarface how could you put him above Nas lol no way possible, he nice but as far as being consistent he is not. Scarface never was on top of the game like Nas was at one time like Jay-Z was at one time like Biggies was at one time Pac and Rakim. So he doesn't belong in the same breathe with them.
Lmao I can't believe Jay got number 1, for what his lyrics or his consistancy? Get that nigga off the top please, bull shit even Nas is better than Jay.
Shoutouts to everybody who realize that this is just the opinion...This was not a DEFSOUNDS list....It was my list with others opinions...One good thing is that people seem to be passionate about hip hop so thats love. Somebody mentioned other topics, i clearly say i based the list off those topics....So other topics arent relevant in this discussion. Also far as Rakim to me he is the best lyrically...Maybe not of all time but he is up there. However In my opinion who would you take off? The topic was not best Lyricist....And for whoever said that i picked jay-z for fashion reasons and things like that.....THATS OBSURD! The man has 3 hip hop classic albums, how can you deny him his place. The man called him GAY-Z then still put him in his top 5...Irony??? but like i said i respect everyone's opinion the purpose of the article was to see everyones opinion.
yea for the criteria u got up the list makes some sense. theres always gonna be arguments and ppl left off. as for me my favorite rappers to listen to are
Jada, Nas, Black thought, Jay, and Pun.
That d be my top5 in no particular order. And i know lil wayne dont belong on no top 5. but he steppin his game up. and its kinda sad when ppl will prefer to listen to him(myself included) than to some other rappers that were good but now are slippin. and rofl at em on top 5. hew WAS nice when he started...
ur all wrong
7.Young yeezy
6.fiddy
5.Biggie
4 dr Dre
3 Nas
2 Eminem
1 2pac
he was nice but he was never considered lyrical until The Carter.....now of course 500 degrees and other cd's was fire, but come on he wasnt even in this class until recently, the people on the list have been considered great since they first came out until today
lol shad listen to hip hop on the weekends only. part time fan with that list...
7.(r kelly)
6.fiddy
5.Biggie
4 dizzy rascal
3 Nas
2 Eminem
1 2pac
evil dre lmao!! that was funny nigga! but thats always funna be a conflict on whos the top 5 im suprised I havent read some1 say Big L I dont recall readin him Big L was the piff. But yah that always gonna be an argument I jus wanna say Tu pac aint on my top 5 or 10...
i wanna kno wasup with dat niggas not puttin pac first. how disrespectful is to put jay before pac, ll cool j, nas. niggas was raised off of des niggas. who da fuck was raised off of jay. BETTER DAN 2PAC R U FUCKIN SERIOUS. MAYNE FUCK SONGS UNTIL JAY EVEN COME CLOSE TO RECORD SALES DEN HOLLA AT ME
OK ITS TIME TO LET THE TRUTH OUT FOR ALL JAY DICK RIDERS REAL STORY. TO DIS NIGGA UP TOP AND DA REST OF NIGGAS WHO THINK JAY BETTA THAN NAS. LISTEN JAY IS NAS, NAS IS JAY. LET ME TELL U A TRUE STORY. BACK IN DA HOOD WHEN JAY WASNT EVEN HEARD OF YET NAS WAS STILL DROPPIN LYRICS. JAY WAS ON NAS DICK SO BAD IT WAS RIDICULOUS. JAY USED TO ALWAYS CALL NAS HOUSE AND ASK QUESTIONS LIKE YO IM FEELIN UR SHIT HOW U DO THIS HOW U DO DAT. SO NAS GAVE HIM SUM TAPES AND LET HIM LISTEN TO IT. JAY COPIED NAS BUT ADDED A LIL FLAVOR TO IT. DATS HOW JAY CAME BOUT. WHY U THINK JAY ALWAYS SAID SUMTHIN BOUT NAS, GOY HIM ON DEAD PRESIDENTS, ON WHERE IM FROM HE SAID WHOS THE BEST MC BIGGIE JAY-Z OR NAS. HE NAMED RAP GAME CRACK GAME OFF OF IM MY LIFETIME VOL.1 AFTER NAS SAID SOMEHOW WHO DIS RAP GAME REMIND ME OF THE CRACK GAME ON ILLMATIC. SAID HE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO A SONG WITH NAS BUT NAS DIDNT WANT TO. DATS WHY NAS CALLED HIM A STAN ON ETHER. DA TAPES GAVE BIRTH TO DA NAME THE BLUEPRINT 2 THE GIFT AND CURSE. JAY GOT DA GIFT FROM NAS WIT DA TAPES AND ADDED A LIL FLAVOR AND CURSED NAS WITH IT. DATS THE UNHIIDEN TRUTH BEHIND JAY AND NAS. WHY U THINK JAY WAS FUCKIN NAS BABY MOTHER CUZ HE WANT TO BE LIKE HIM
"Now you wanna hang with niggas I hung with
Fuck bitches I hit, it's funny I once said" - YOUR DA MAN OF STILLMATIC
READ THESE LYRICS IF U THINK IM LYIN
"To diss niggaz with Jigga too much, he used to say Jay wanted my spot
I laughed, stayed home, never hung a lot
A quiet man who used to be alone planning
Baby moms thought I was too quiet, couldn't stand it
She hit the streets, later on she hittin the sheets
With a rapper who wanted me on his songs, thinking he strong
I taught her how to watch for cars that might follow
Tauht her street shit that I know
Her weakness was shine yo
But that's her, I ain't mad baby, it made me stronger
Now I get my paper longer
Illmatic I was boss
It Was Written I flossed
One of the most creative LPs ever to hit stores
In the Firm I learned I am Nastradamus
QB's Finest, Oochie Wally, faced more problems
I gave it all up so I can chill at home with mama
She was getting old and sick so I stayed beside her
We had the best times, she asked would I make more songs
I told her not till I see her health get more strong
In the middle of that, Jay tried to sneak attack
Assasinate my character, degrade my hood
Cause in order for him to be the Don, Nas had to go
The Gam-B-I-N-O rules I understood
What you want, see, I already had
The Gift and The Curse? Fuck that shit, the first shall be last
I'm the man's man, a rapper's rapper
G-O-D S-O-N, they'll be none after
I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo
It hurt me when I had to kill him and his whole squad for dolo" LAST REAL NIGGA ALIVE
FROM GOD SON
DIS IS A MAIN REASON WHY I LOST RESPECT FOR NAS. I UNDERSTAND NAS WENT WIT JAY B/C OF MONEY CUZ HIS BABY MOMS SAID DATS DA REASON, BUT U HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JAY DID WAS TOTALLY WRONG. TO DISRESPECT SUMBODY WHO BIRTHED UR CARRER BY FUCKIN HIS BABY MOMS AND SHOW NO REMORSE AT ALL. IF UR MOTHER HAVE TO COME IN AND TELL U TO SAY SORRY DATS NOT GOOD. HE SHOULDNT HAVE SAID IT OUT HIS MOUTH IN DA FIRST PLACE. DAT SHIT KILLS ME WHEN I HEAR JAY DA GREATEST AND ALL DAT. CUZ DES NIGGAS DONT KNOW DA REAL TRUTH BOUT HIM. I WISH NAS WOULD HAVE REALLY PUT DAT OUT THERE BUT HE KEPT IT ON DA LOW. I USED TO BE A JAY-Z FAN BUT HIS MUSIC JUST BECAME DOO DOO WHEN HE STARTED FUCKIN WITH BEYONCE. CHANGE CLOTHES AND GO, GO AND BRUSH UR SHOULDERS OFF, SHOW ME WAT U GOT LIL MAMA, WTF IS DAT. AND DIS IS DA NIGGA U SAY BETTA DAN PAC. IM STARTIN TO SEE HIP HOP IS VERY CLOSE TO BEIN DEAD
ahaha Dis list is just fuckin hilarious.. JAY-Z??? he had 2 be high. and itz apperant that ppl r startin to forget about Tupac as teh time goes by. if there is ANY rapper i wish was alive and in his prime right now, without a QUESTION itz tupac, and no lil wayne DOES NOT deserve to be in the GOAT list. yet. he has to keep coming hard for another year or two and actually rap about different things mines
5.chris brown
4.r kelly
3.K. fed
2.rich boy
1.Michael Jackson
ahahahha kiddin ppl kiddin
5.Eminem(on his serious songs)
4.Andre 3000
3.Biggie(higher if he could have lived and made more songs)
2.Nas
1.Tupac
Itz great that not evry1 automatically thinkz tupac'z the greatest. means we thinkin more.
Games changin, mayb not for teh best, but itz changin.
Yo, the list was straight whack. How u gon name best rappers and leave out:
5. 2Pac, 4. Lupe Fiasco, 3. Talib Kweli, 2. Common, 1. the greatest rapper in the world,world, world's famous: Kanye West
Look, you see what you started AMJ. WWIII. No one is ever gonna agree with anyone's top five or maybe even ten because everybody has their opinion on who is the best and that is good. As long as folk continue to embrace true lyricism and don't be fooled by imitation mcee's. There are too many great MC's out there to narrow it sown to five. Nobody mentioned Chuck D, Snoop, Canibus, Chino XL, Rass Kass, Kurupt, Beanie Sigel, Redman, Ja Rule. Nah I was just bullshittin bout Rule lol. I forgot about EM. What other rapper you know can make classic material without using the most used filler word in music, "Nigga" Rappers use this word to complete and bring together many raps summarizing their vocabulary skills. Em showed you how to do it without ever using the word. Big L was supreme in his day. I ain't see Kool G. Rap who most of these rap cats today still emulate. I ain't see Kane, Killah Priest, Will Smith. Just bullshittin again lol. I love Pac but, I never looked at Pac as a rapper. I always envisioned Pac's Poetic Skills. He was a motivational speaker if you will. I really don't think Pac started to just rap until he was shot five times. I think then he gave up on trying to be a positive figure for society and when he got out of jail what he say, he was gonna start digging in these niggas chest right. "A Quik, gimme the binoculars nigga. The binoculars" 5000
I mean if you think about any top 5 list is just people's opinions, aint nobody ever gonna know who the top 5 best is ever.
my top
1. Nas
2. Big L
3. Eminem
4. Ice Cube
5. Tupac
In all seriousness why does pac has to be #1? How is it disrepsectful for him not to be number 1? Can someone explain to me why he is number 1? Im being dead serious. What makes him so much better than everyone else where its blasphemy???lol...Thats funny to me. All these rappers go around saying he was the best....Yet when he was alive Snoop, Dre, Jay, Face, or any other rapper called him the best ever. He did not get that crown until after he died. Why is it people are scared to crown Jay? If he died tommorow he would probably be crowned. Again you people dont have to get so mad, its just MY opinion.
i meant to say no rapper called him the best when he was alive
Why the hell is some cats coming at amj1227 for his opinion?? Dude is just expressing his thoughts. Your never wrong when expressing an opinion. Now if he was passing off his opinion as a fact then by all means fuck him up! LMAO!! Just fuckin with ya! Personally I think Jay is the best that has ever did it so far on the music and business end of the game. Rakim is my number 2 after that shit gets fuzzy for me. By the way it's just an opinion not a fact.
folks get HEATED about a personal top 5 *laffs*. ready to swear off coming to the site and all... which i think is a lie btw. Interesting list regardless. Outkast would not have made mine just because they are a group. Some of these other lists are hilarious to me. LL Cool J? fiddy[50 cent]? Interesting also how Big L was so big in the East but many folks in the West have never heard of him. Same reason amj doesn't have BIG on his list, Big L should never be on a top 5 list. IMO.
sorry AMJ1227 , but ur opinions are whack.....and as far as your question goes ""n all seriousness why does pac has to be #1? ""
listen to his albums and start with his first one
2Pacalypse Now November 12, 1991
Mean while forget all the hype surrounding him, forget that hes dead, forget all the beefs that hes had and all the public shit, and all the posthumous albums.
and end your listening session with Makaveli— The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory November 5, 1996
even though that album came out after his death, i think that is the last album made the way pac wanted it.
when ur done with the listening you will realize that this is a rapper that is beyond his time you really wont know if the albums are from 1991 or 2007.....that is TUPAC the only rapper that remains and will remain as hip hop forever.
RESPECT.
yea...i saw all this commming...people listing thier dumb ass top 5's...people yelling for people that have dropped one album...the Pac enthusiast that thinks its Blasphemy to call Pac anything less than #1...its allways the same old shit in these discussions...i'm just glad i havent noticed a Jim Jones for GOAT yet...i was going to just close the page and never return when if i saw that....
but honestly...EVERYONE on that list is a great...EVERYONE on that list has millions of things that you could list in support of them...EVERYONE on that list "spits that hot fire"
Jay-Z is a lyrical GIANT...i'm not a fan of Kingdom Come, but most every other album is in steady rotation in my I-pod...NO denying his word play, metaphores but most of all his swaggar...Jay has a swaggar like NO OTHER...just his presence on a track gives it the feel of greatness...
Pac...all of you are kidding yourselvs if you think ANYONE else on this list...or anywhere in hip hop would have sold/will sell a fraction of what Pac has sold since his passing...a major reason Pac was not nesicarilly crowned durring life was there was so much hype and attention on the man and his actions that his music way highly overshadowed...also...arguably his best album (the Makaveli album) wasnt released untill his after his death...Tupac touched people's soul with his music...his word choice was the greatest i've ever heard...and you could feel the mans emotion because he spit with more conviction than anyone i've ever heard...he is simply a legend...possibly the best known artist in hip hop history...
Scarface...now i'll be honest...i've not yet gotten the chance to listen to any of his albums...i have a list of hip hop classic's i've yet to buy and both The Diary and The Fix are on there...everything i've heard him on is fire...but that can be said of most arists when you only hear their more popular tracks...no disrespect to Face...but i'm just honestly not up on him like that yet...(dont question my knowledge thought just because i'm not up on Scarface yet...he'z on the list)
Nas...Illmatic...It Was Written...I Am...(the bad one w/ the long name)...Stillmatic...God's Son...Streets Diciple...HHID...3 classics...2 boarderline classics...in my opinion...Nas puts albums together like no other...he'z the most lyrically nimble mother fucker i've heard in my life...and he'z stayed true to himself and stayed consistant throught his career...this man is a teacher...like i'm in history class like 2 weeks ago and they're talking about ancient africa...talking about the Kush empire...i'm like "Nas said that shit on 'I Can'!"...how many rappers drop history class knowledge??...and i'd put Nas up verse for verse with anybody in the game...the man is a beast
Outkast...now again...i've got Speakerboxxx/Love Below...i've listened to thier earlyer shit a few times...but yes...they have albums on my list of yet to be purchased albums...ATLiens, Stankonia, Aquemini, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik....all on there...i have major respect for Outkast...Andre is a BEAST...Big Boi has that sick flow and that old school pimp swaggar to him..Dre is just crazy though...and these guys have taken HIP HOP...fuck sayin just the south...they have taken HIP HOP to new places no one ever dared too...and they have mastered the art of the single...what more could you want??
now...sorry if this is a little long...sorry i cant address more comments individually...i feel a lil obligated to say something more because my comment was refered too in several comments subsiquently...
overall though...all of the people on this list could be anywhere from 1-lets say...25?...yea...i could more than likely list 25 MC's the same calliber for different reasons as these guys...arguments just as strong...but what good would that do??...none right now...
so Amj1227...good look on the topic...just come a slightly more correct when your fuckin w/ this type of heaveyweight issue in the community...
i could talk for days about this shit...
do i have a top 5-10...yea...but i honestly wont reveal that untill i feel in my heart i've compaired everything i can about the people on my list...i've got that list of classic albums i still need...once i get those...listen...maybe then i'll share my thoughts w/ the folks at defsounds on who my GOAT is...
untill then...good look yall...keep the bitchin and moaning going!!!!! lmao
either way biggy pac nas eminem jay-z gotta be it DAS ALL n if u wanna talk about who's still alive leave biggy and pac out and put in ppl like luda and... fifty(his old shit?...kinda?... lol idk cudnt think of noone else...)
let me respond to amj. the reason u have to crown pac amj because look at all da artists dat hopped on his dick. ever since dmx came out or ja rule. how many artists have u seen dat acted like pac. just from da lil things. how many niggas u see wit a tatoo across da belly after pac got it. u got nas, lil wayne, and more. man fuck that how many niggas u see wit their shirt off with a bunch of tattos after pac. a whole lot. how many niggas compared themselves to being a modern day pac. i know niggas in l.a that will bust ur head if u ever talk bout pac in a bad way. shit niggas in mexico will definetly do it. theres not one rapper dat is more loved than him. u dont have niggas dat will bust in ur head for jay, please. i give u another reason. if pac was still rappin in da 2000's there would be no jay-z. if big was still rappin in the 2000's there would be no jay-z. just like how it was when jay was out in 96 and 97. niggas didnt pay any attention. dats why he went with dmx and ruffryders. cuz they was the hottest out. reasonable doubt and im my lifetime vol.1 didnt go plat when he first released it. but dmx went plat when he first released its dark and hell is hot. if u ask me dats wat started jay carrer. him goin wit ruffryders. until u show me more people around the world who is influenced more by jay than pac did holla at me. its obvious pac is felt more than jay to people b/c of the sales, over 75 million records sold. u will never hear wayne say he betta than pac, like he said to jay
"I'm the Cash Money Makaveli, yall ain't ready"
Pac is the top 5 rapperz of all time in 1 .....everyone knows it.....it depends
best rapper=pac
bestlyricist equals = eminem
not sure who else would be in that category with those 2 ??????
no one really comes close to those two different categories..
LOL I knew this shit was gonna happen, DAMN niggas its just opinions, why niggas gettin mad like they gonna cry some nigga didnt put they favorite artist on they list, damn too many sensitive niggas these days.....to the niggas that put KRS One and Rakim in the top 5, thats respectable....
To the niggas that claimin Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West and DMX should be on the list, yall niggas is suspect b.....too many part time hiphop niggas these days aint done they homework....matter of fact some you dumb niggas was born in the 90's so yall aint got a fuckin clue.....anybody who GREW UP in the 90's already know that these niggas was puttin down....
Nas, Jay, Biggie, Pac, Big L, Rakim, Jadakiss, KRS One, these the niggas that lyrically will always be better than these bitch ass niggas on the tv these days....yall niggas claimin Lupe Fiasco and Kanye on the list before these niggas need to go ahead and cop that Kevin Federline, you niggas suspect like that bitch ass nigga....peace to the niggas on here keepin it real with real rappers and MC's, not that bullshit cause a nigga like a song some lame rapper came out with.....
this the kind of shit im talkin bout...bitch niggas that aint got a clue, read this dumb shit this nigga just wrote:
"just like how it was when jay was out in 96 and 97. niggas didnt pay any attention. dats why he went with dmx and ruffryders."
posted by Makeveli1490
nigga please, these the kind of niggas we got on this websit, lil niggas aint got a fuckin clue bout this hiphop shit then make comments like this. Jay went with Ruffryders and DMX? how do you figure that? how the fuck did you come up with that and I want a reasonable explanation, because with a comment like that, it shows me and anybody thats a REAL hiphop nigga that you a part time fruitcake ass nigga....you didnt pay attention in 96, some of us niggas did, and thats the shit im talkin bout....you cant be a part time rap nigga and just jump on the scene, you gotta have and know your history, and from that dumb comment, its obvious you need to carry yo ass somewhere else cause you exposed yo self as a phony....
Joey crack your hilarious...... All that tough talk form a guy who mimics a rapperz name and has 50 as an avatar... your funny....sensitive...negative homey... but be yourself... are ya'll even from da hood? no one is getting mad dogg....its just opinion...right??? u use cats pictures and names like you playing a video game??? why don't you just call yourself Guille or Ryu from street fighter and put their pic as an avatar...hahahahah excessive roastage....haha
and there goes all intellegent talk....Joey...you on some real shit though...i feel you
This is a great topic, but too many niggas are getting heated over one mans list.And I have to admit, I wasn't choosing my opinion of the best rappers, but the best lyricist.With that said, what makes a person the best rapper?And certain peoples opinion seem to be bias and out right stupid.One being the nigga who has lupe fiasco on his list(He has one album to date) and Kanye as his number one.I know everyone has there own opinion,but Kanye as the best rapper ever is stupid from any angle.I think anyone under 21 should lay off this topic, because there lack of knowledge will only lead to list with dudes like jibbs and Unk on them.And amj1227, you're never going to get a straight answer from the Tupac fanatics on why he's the best, because they don't know why.It will only be some generic nonsense, with little to no indepth facts,followed by an angry Tupac fanatic insulting you because they can't think of anything intelligent to say.I would never put the likes of Tupac or Ice Cube over the likes of a Nas or Jay-Z, because I base my opinon on lyrical skills,something neither Ice Cube or Tupac possess(Fact, go look up there lyrics).And it's shocking that someone name makaveli1490 would have a obvious Tupac bias and a serious distaste for Jay-z being name ahead of him in a list of greatest rappers alive,but let me correct some of your mistakes anyway.Tupac sold a lot of records, but only 7 million were when he was alive and his total is far less than Jay-Zs.Jay-Z has sold 30 million as a solo artist, and a added 10 plus million with his collabos,Pac is nowhere near those numbers.And your story was entertaining, but that's about it.I can paint a similar picture with Pac as being a fake thug and a man jealous of Biggie for getting more love than him on the eastcoast.I then can say Tupac ran to the westcoast to fill more loved and had sex with Faith Evans in a twisted attempt to be more like Biggie.And can bring attention to his digital underground backup dancing days and his appearance in a chevy chase movie looking out right foolish.But none of this, like you post, has anything to do with the subject of someone being the best rapper.
zikio, I would have put Big L in my top 5, but that would have been bias.He was unfortunately taken away before he come have a lenghty enough career, but he was always sick with the lyrics when he walk the earth.
Intelligent talk...and you call yourself rap fans... rap is from da hood not the burbz...you sound like business men not block monstaz....please beleive im intelligent but what ya'll be talking about is gossip.. lets get on some real shhh... There is some west coast cats that i would put in my top 5 for sheezy ..but wouldn't be in yours..for example big l wouldn't be in my top 5 or no east coast cats...so im bysist..feel me just like you ...
Whos the top five rappers....DYLON,DYLON,DYLON,DYLON,...and DYLON..end of story......
*sorry someone had to do it*
HAHA now thats funny....LOL thats what i'm talking about...
i was waiting for the Dylon...i thought about it...but decided to keep it classy
TO EVIL_DRE
Yes there are tupac fanatics and there will always be......but to know that hip hop is appreciated in parts of the world where even english is not the spoken language, and to personally know that it is because of one single person.....that means and speaks a lot to me. (no doubt that person is PAC)
this is my experience from living in different parts of the world (UAE,INDIA,SINGAPORE)
and seein people wear tupac tshirts and buyin pac albums as soon as they hit, yes there was hip hop there before pac, but just seein people go crazy over him coz of what he stood for and his message (positive ones) and seein that he can have the same effect in different parts of the world the same way he has on the US, im sorry ive never seen any rapper to date that can do that. (yes 50 cent is popular there too but its not the same way if u know what i mean)
he had the power to cross borders, boundaries before i think he was in his prime.
so to know true hip hop and artists that the world adores u need to get out of the US and see who is making sense.
PEACE.
ghetto star i 2nd that motion...sir francis whats up with all this classy shh though... i think ya'll are lil to funny style about rap for me...its like ya'll are hippies over this rap shhh...come on man ... u say some real things but dang man... where im from we let our nttz hang low...
To EcDre: You got me in fuckin tears with that one! I didn't see that one comming!
Hyfee-Bay-Ridah, your right about raps being from the hood, but even it oldschool rappers like Krs-one and Rakim believe in quote unquote intelligent rap.Shit, Krs-one was talking about how red meat was bad for you in songs,trying to educate dudes.
i feel that but i have never really been a fan of that style or them for that matter.. i respect what they did for the game 4 sho..i know cats liek them out there for sho .. but i never saw why.. they are so old school its anew day brah...i like some conscious rap especially on sundays... only rap like that i like is living legends the grouch and elijah especially.. i do like some Lupe Fiasco..del the funky homosapien is one of my favorites... but for the most part... those cats dnt spit shit that youcan post on the block and hustle an relate to...
Where is kool G rap and big l, redman, showbiz, ag , methodman, the whole wu-tang, beanie sigal, alot of niggas.
This is a straight east coast site dang... You didn't name 1 west coast rapper...we show love to da east can the west get some love....