Top Rappers

[Jane]

Considering I only started listening to hip hop and rap at the start of the summer, my views on the genre are pretty limited, but I've got a pretty good start on the music so far. So my question is who are, in your opinion, the greatest rappers of all time? Don't just say someone because they're the most famous, go for the people you think are the best. I don't care how many. I'm just interested in hearing people's opinions. Here we go.

8. Kid Cudi and Wale-Sort of an odd choice, considering these are young guys who are just starting out, but I love them both, from the little bit we've heard so far. I grouped them together because I feel like they're about even right now, even though Cudi is a little bit ahead, with an album. These guys are both destined for great things.

7. The Notorious B.I.G.-An amazing rapper, who I think is overrated, but that doesn't make him bad. He made some great music, and even though I wouldn't put him at the top he deserves the praise he receives, and it's unfortunate his life had to be cut off where it was.

6. Kanye West-Another kind of odd decision, but I'm a pretty big Kanye fan, no matter how big an asshole he is. He's been doing a lot of great work lately with other artists, and his stuff is so catchy I have to love it.

5. Immortal Technique-Though his music is a little heavy for me most of the time, Immortal Technique just has such amazing and powerful lyrics he has to be here. The song Dance With the Devil is probably the most intense rap song ever written.

4. Jay-Z-People are pretty split on Jay-Z, but his recent album and his older stuff are definitely deserving of a number 4 spot. He's brought a lot to rap, and his songs are just so great to listen to, no matter what they are. He just knows how to make good music, which makes sense considering he's a billionaire.

3. Nas-Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, along with Immortal Technique, Nas is just the definition of pure rap. His songs are so deep and spoken with so much emotion, you just get blown away when you hear him.

2. Tupac-Probably the most common answer to who is the greatest rapper, Tupac is the one who made rap what it is. There's just something about his songs that really is amazing. Every song gives you something new and amazing, and like Biggie it's such a shame he died so early, because he really was one of the most amazing musicians ever.

1. Eminem-Alright, so, I'm probably gonna get some heat for this, but Eminem is the most consistent rapper of all time, and it's always great. I can't think of one Eminem song I dislike, and even though he's not some people's type he's brought so much to rap he can't be denied. He can rap about anything, and from D12 to today he's the king of rap. Who knows what would have happened if Tupac or Biggie were alive today, but Eminem will always be number one for me.

Honourable Mentions-Lupe Fiasco, Bone-Thugs n Harmony(all of them), Proof

 

[INDYjon22]

I can dig most of that list. I haven't listened to much Immortal Technique though. I am a little partial to any member from the Wu Tang Clan. More specificly Raekwan and Ghostface. They consistently impress me with their rhymes and beats. Raekwan's new album is so good, it reminds me of an old school Wu album.

Another rapper that I think should be considered would be Lupe Fiasco. His beats are so tight and his words are just amazing. Easily my favorite rapper in the game today and I can not wait for his new album to drop.

Good list though, Jane. I agree that Eminem is probably the best rapper in the world today and probably in the past 10 years. He just always delivers greatness.

 

[Big Sexy]

1. Eminem- I know he seems to be the favorite of casual rap fans and "real fans of hip hop" don't consider him to be the best, but he has always been my favorite rapper and he's always going to be at the top my list. Lyrically there are few that can match him.

2. Tupac Shakur- More classic songs then any rapper I can think of, and that was with a shortened career. The majority of his songs talked about real issues. He is the most influential rapper of all time.

3. Notorious BIG- He had an amazing flow and put out two classic albums in his very short career. After Tupac he is probably the most influential rapper ever.

4. Nas- Illmatic is possibly the greatest album ever put out. He crushed Jay Z during their brief feud, Ether is one of the best diss tracks ever. He created a style that many rappers today have tried to adopt.

5. Rakim- The God emcee. I love me some old school rap. Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Run DMC. They all deserve a spot on this list, but out of all of them Rakim is the best. Go listen to "Lyrics of Fury" and tell me he isn't a beast.

6. Cassidy- His albums haven't exactly sold through the roof, but his flow is ridiculous. Look up his freestyles on youtube and you'll see what I'm talking about.

7. Wu-Tang Clan- The first super group in hip hop. It's 9 of the best lyricists in the game joined together to dominate hip hop. Every member was great by themselves, and by putting them together they are unstoppable.

 

[J-Dogg]

Boot Camp Click- Look this supergroup up they are from Brooklyn, New York City, they are some of the best and have been around since 1993, and they are a group to be a fan of if you like underground rap music.

Jay-Z- Jay-Z has continuely put out great music from Reasonable Doubt up to Blueprint 3, Jay has built a legacy and an empire plus he does write his rhymes down, he has the unique ability to recite them in his head.

Wu-Tang Clan- Another old school pick, these guys have been a staple since 1993 for hip hop, and a collaborated with alot by underground and mainstream artists.

 

[Dagger Dias]

1. 50 Cent
He is my favorite rapper. I have all of his cd's and every track on them is great. The great beats really help out too.

2. Eminem
Same reason as 50 Cent, only I don't listen to him as much anymore. I used to all the time when I was younger. His songs were good to listen to when I was in bad moods, especially "Stan". I had that thing memorized.

After that it gets difficult to pick who I like more. Anything from the 8 mile soundtrack is great, and anything from The Re-Up. Anything with a good beat too. I don't listen to rap as much as I used to though.

 

[Freddy4190]

It's no competition for me at all. Eminem. I'm a huge Marshall Mathers fan. He's yet to release a bad song. I love his music. He's got so much talent, it's insane. He pretty much destroys every rapper in the mainstream right now. I remember the first song I heard with Eminem in it was "Forgot About Dre." I was so like.. into it. I didn't know who this dude was, or if he was black or white. But I loved it. The first Eminem album I bought was "The Eminem Show" and I listened to that thing literally until it broke. Eminem is still consistent, he's still putting out good tracks, and I cannot wait for "Relapse: Refill" and "Relapse 2" next year.

 

["Cool Guy" Jensen]

This won't be entirely in an order per se, but these are just some of the people that I would include if I were talked about some of why I believe are the greatest rappers. The top 4 are in order, but the rest is just in a random order.

1. Tupac Shakur: I think he really helped make rap what it is today, during the early 1990's. While, I don't exactly like all of his songs, I see something about his lyrics that make him one of the most inspirational rappers of all time. He can't be topped when it comes to rappers, in my opinion.

2. T.I.: I know a lot of people don't like him, and he's yet to be mentioned in this thread, but he is my favorite rapper. Some may say he's annoying, but I take the time to listen to as many of his songs as possible. I've come to the conclusion that he is one of the best rappers when it comes to real lyrics. The emotion and effortless skill he puts in his songs are second to none.

3. The Notorious B.I.G.: Due to his murder in 1997, his career was cut very short. Only one of his albums was released during his lifetime, while the second was released days after his death. He's had many less posthumous singles than Tupac, but his skills can still be seen. His flows were just sick and his rhymes are some of the best I've ever heard.

4. Nas: While I don't like nearly as many of his songs, like I do Tupac, T.I., and Biggie, I know he's one of the most talented rappers ever. He calls himself a "poetical tyrant", and I can really see why. He raps about things that matter and can get you to think. He's also inspirational like Tupac, and to a lesser extent, T.I.

Some honorable mentions...

Eminem
Jay-Z
Kanye West
DMX
Lil Wayne
Busta Rhymes

Also, give it some type and I'm sure that Drake will be on his way to making it onto my list.

 

[NSL]

Youshould all be ashamed of yourselves...No mention of Ludacris? Really? His beats and flow are better than anything new coming out, and he has to be listed among the greatest of all time. He was creative as hell with writing, and he knew how to entertain anyone.

Another rapper that brought me over (who only got a passing mention so far), was Busta Rhymes. This man could just go, and even if you had no clue what he was saying, you liked it. He could rap about anything, and make it gold.

 

[Alex]

No mention of Run-DMC, shame on all of you, Run-DMC is the greatest rap group ever, they brought rap into the mainstream, without them none of these people mentioned would be as big as they are, also no N.W.A sheesh, these guys also deserve credit, without these guys half of todays rappers wouldn't have inspiration and Dr Dre wouldn't be helping some of these guys with their albums

 

[Sasori]

1. Eminem:He's been my favourite rapper since I was a little boy, and I have yet to hear an Eminem song that disappoints. He can go from depressed, to psycho, to just straight up fun.

2. Tupac:The reason I got into rap, Em was my fave, but Tupac is the one who hooked me. He made rap what it is.

3. Jay-Z:He doesn't have much to do. He is widely considered the greatest rapper in the world today. And he has amazing collaberations.

4. T.I.:One of my favourites, he's learned from his mistakes. And he's made song really good songs. Just great dude.

Honerable Mentions:
Notorious B.I.G.
Kanye West
Nas
Busta Rhymes
Lupe Fiasco
WILL SMITH! WOO LOL!

 

[Rizza]

This is really a no brainer for me, Wu-Tang Clan together is my all time favorite music act, solo or group of any genre. My favorites out of Wu were GZA,RZA, and Inspectah, Deck, but really aside from U-god, Masta Killah, and ODB, I will take them all individually over my whole list.

6 Busdriver
Man, I debated whether I would put Busdriver in my top 6 or not but in the end I loved his temporay forever album a whole lot, lots of good crazy nonsensical abstract-ish style flows came from that album, hell, I still bump it out every now and then but only when I'm by myself, nobody I hang out with likes him.

Busdriver-Painkillers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OGe4Qn3ly4

Busdriver-Imaginary Places
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpP-8tJ-9Js

Here is some Busdriver for any thats never heard of him, he is not for everybody though.

5 Eminem
I always have liked Emenim, maybe not as much as others, but I have respect for the man and I can clearly see he his one of the best lyricist in the history of the art, but I really only enjoyed 2 albums from the guy, The Marshall Mathers LP, and The Slim Shady LP, which IMO aside from 36 Chambers and Ghostfaces Ironman, is the best Hip Hop album I have ever had the pleasure listening to. It was also one of the first real hip hop albums I heard at such a young age when it came out. It had so much impact on me it really changed my life.

4 Gravediggaz
Ah yes the Gravediggaz, though they never get any love, this group is one of the best to come out of the 90's and are some of the original practicer's of Horrorcore. Which is defined as: quote from wikipedia " a subgenre of hip hop music based in horror-themed lyrical content and imagery." They were the best Horrorcore artist I have ever heard, while most Horrorcore musicians try so hard to produce "scary hip hop" that they forget about there lyrics, something that Gravediggaz never did, as they ripped it up lyrically on every song. Not to mention they also had Prince Paul one of my favorite producers ever, and RZA hands down my favorite producer ever.

3 Sage Francis
Sage is IMO the best lyricist on the planet, I don't think there is anyone better, but alot of people will disagree with me on that becuase Sage probably isn't there cup of tea. He is a very deep rapper who mixes poetry with his ryhmes perfectly. He has some of the best one liners, fast flows, and the best stringing together of words I have ever heard only maybe topped by a young Emimen in lyrical greatness.
Here is one song by Sage, it was hard to choose just one because most of his(he has more music then I have ever fucking imagined) are pretty good.

Mourning Aftermath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlUCvnjQZSw

2 Bone Thugs
Love Bone Thugs, they sing, they rap, hell what can't they do? They appeal to underground fans, and the main stream alike, true legends of Hip Hop. While I like some of there solo work,(mainly Thug by Nature and Heavenz Movie) they are always at best when all together, love just about every album from them with E 1999 Eternal being my favorite and Strength & Loyalty my least favorite.


1 Boot Camp Click, but mainly just Heltah Skeltah
Behind Wu Tang and most Wu tang members for me is Heltah Skeltah. A badass New York duo from the supergroup Boot Camp Click[which is composed of OGC, Smif and Wessun, and Black Moon] thats been in the game a good few years now. They are fan-fucking-tastic, really. Sean Price and The Rockness Monstah are great rappers with Sean being the more lyrical one of the group even though I personally like Rock better. They really don't stray from the gangsta persona that the 90's rappers were all about, and they really don't have to with them being so good at mixing it up, but really not leaving the subject. They were the group that made me transition away from the main stream and look into the underground scene and I hold them in very high regard because of that.

 

[Barbedwire Ropes]

This is, by far, one of the most embrassing threads I have ever read in my entire life having to do with hip-hop/rap. Why, for the love of god, is Eminem so popular? He is the furthest thing from great and he is barely mediocre...a borderline tragedy. The names of Ludacris and Kanye West also belong no where on a top rappers list, especially if were talking about quality, not popularity. Some good names have been thrown out there though. Like Immortal Technique and Jay-Z, but there is really a strong lacking of any real technique and skill talked about here.

5. Immortal Technique
There is a reason why this guy isn't mainstream and its simply because he is to good. He stays away from the selling out aspects of auto-tune and radio pop singles. He does it his own way.

4. Snak The Ripper
If anyone has a right to write about the struggles of life, its this guy. A former drug addict who battled his way back from homelessness and poverty to become one of hip-hops hottest young prospects. You'll be hearing alot more of this guy in the coming years.

3. Moka Only
With over 30 albums underneath this guy's belt, he is a true frontrunner in all things hip-hop. Every young up and comer today could learn a career's worth of knowledge from him in just one hour in the studio.

2. Atmosphere
Its his way, or no way. Its a shame, after such a storied career like his that he isn't a household name. He has yet to release a bad record and tours North America with a relentless drive. He is a force not to be reckoned with.

1. SHAD
This guy is the definition of true hip-hop. No gimmicks, no fake gangster B.S either. A flow that is unmatched, beats and lyrics that are true to the old school days of hip-hop. Not to mention that the whole 50 Cent/G-Unit camp is afraid of this guy and refuses to battle him, even to this day.

 

[J-Dogg]

This i directed at Rizza Ric, im glad there is another BCC fan, Heltah Skeltah are awesome, Sean continuely comes out with great music and BCC are the reason why i transitioned to alot of underground music after i found Black Moon a few years ago i got hooked on the whole Boot Camp Click. But Sean Price is just that guy who makes great music and the fans are behind him and quite a funny guy in his songs. One of the reasons i like Sean and Rock is because if you listen closely to some of their material they make pro wrestling references.

 

[Rzarectah]

This is, by far, one of the most embrassing threads I have ever read in my entire life having to do with hip-hop/rap. Why, for the love of god, is Eminem so popular? He is the furthest thing from great and he is barely mediocre...a borderline tragedy. The names of Ludacris and Kanye West also belong no where on a top rappers list, especially if were talking about quality, not popularity. Some good names have been thrown out there though. Like Immortal Technique and Jay-Z, but there is really a strong lacking of any real technique and skill talked about here.

5. Immortal Technique
There is a reason why this guy isn't mainstream and its simply because he is to good. He stays away from the selling out aspects of auto-tune and radio pop singles. He does it his own way.

4. Snak The Ripper
If anyone has a right to write about the struggles of life, its this guy. A former drug addict who battled his way back from homelessness and poverty to become one of hip-hops hottest young prospects. You'll be hearing alot more of this guy in the coming years.

3. Moka Only
With over 30 albums underneath this guy's belt, he is a true frontrunner in all things hip-hop. Every young up and comer today could learn a career's worth of knowledge from him in just one hour in the studio.

2. Atmosphere
Its his way, or no way. Its a shame, after such a storied career like his that he isn't a household name. He has yet to release a bad record and tours North America with a relentless drive. He is a force not to be reckoned with.

1. SHAD
This guy is the definition of true hip-hop. No gimmicks, no fake gangster B.S either. A flow that is unmatched, beats and lyrics that are true to the old school days of hip-hop. Not to mention that the whole 50 Cent/G-Unit camp is afraid of this guy and refuses to battle him, even to this day.

Finnaly someone who has some damn sense, this is embarrising, this is just a bunch of idiots talking about Eminem (who USED to be good don't get me wrong) and 50 cent like they're the best. I haven't heard of top 4 but I have heard of Immortal Techinque and I will check out the rest. I like the gravediggaz mention and I'm loving the Wu Tang love as well. As far as Daggerdias or whatever, you should have never even fucking looked at this much less posted on it, your picks were garbage and you gave garbage reasons. ANYWAY, here are my top 5. Oh wait, before I go on, this is my top 5 without including Wu Tang Members as that would just make it boring repetetive and hard for me to think of what order to put it in.

5. Killah Priest: One of the greatest of all time, great lyricist and I love how he can switch tempos from one song to the next, Heavy Mental might be the greatest rap album of all time.
4. Big Boi: Great voice, great flow, great material, great subject matter, I love it.

3. Notorius B.I.G.: Can do just about anything in the rap game.

2: Mac Dre: Man put out about 20 fuckin albums for cryin out loud, and all of em were good, what more can I fuckin say.

1: Andre Nickatina: Great flow, with a awesome voice and a great musical mind.

 

[Jane]

Finnaly someone who has some damn sense, this is embarrising, this is just a bunch of idiots talking about Eminem (who USED to be good don't get me wrong) and 50 cent like they're the best. I haven't heard of top 4 but I have heard of Immortal Techinque and I will check out the rest. I like the gravediggaz mention and I'm loving the Wu Tang love as well. As far as Daggerdias or whatever, you should have never even fucking looked at this much less posted on it, your picks were garbage and you gave garbage reasons. ANYWAY, here are my top 5. Oh wait, before I go on, this is my top 5 without including Wu Tang Members as that would just make it boring repetetive and hard for me to think of what order to put it in.

5. Killah Priest: One of the greatest of all time, great lyricist and I love how he can switch tempos from one song to the next, Heavy Mental might be the greatest rap album of all time.
4. Big Boi: Great voice, great flow, great material, great subject matter, I love it.

3. Notorius B.I.G.: Can do just about anything in the rap game.

2: Mac Dre: Man put out about 20 fuckin albums for cryin out loud, and all of em were good, what more can I fuckin say.

1: Andre Nickatina: Great flow, with a awesome voice and a great musical mind.

I really hate people like you who come in and go on about how shitty Eminem is or whatever, since you're not a fan. For the past 10 years he's been consistently amazing, and every one of his albums is worth listening to. I don't get why you have to come in here and bash people for what they enjoy. So what if Eminem isn't the most incredible rapper in your opinion? I love him, and apparently tons of others do as well. I like listening to guys like Em and Jay-Z, so they're my favourites. I'm not gonna bash who you chose, because I know YOU LIKE THEM. Well I like Eminem. So there ya go.

And I love how you quote the guy before you, saying how you agree with him and FINALLY someone has some sense... yet you haven't heard of 4/5 rappers he selected? Not to mention you applauded his choice of Immortal Technique, who was on my list! Stop trying to act badass cause you don't like mainstream music. It's not working.

 

[Rzarectah]

Ah, Jane I didn't realize you replied to what I said, as far as me "trying to be badass" I am (as you now know) very much a badass and I do like Jay-Z as well as older Eminem stuff so I'm not completely againest mainstream, just mostly. You are correct on the fact that you can like whoever you want, and I am correct on the fact that I can criticize those choices, so there you have it.

 

[INDYjon22]

Well from all the banter in here I just had to come in an share. I would not claim to be the smartest when it comes to rap but I do know who I like and who I do not like so here goes my list. Raekwon, Lupe, Ghostface, Danger Doom,

5. I have always been a fan of Dr. Dre and still believe he is one the best rappers in the game, even if he hasn't done anything for damn near 10 years. There is no album I am more anticipating then Detox, whenever that drops. He always seems to show up on whatever track he is on and deliver a great verse. And his beats are usually tight as hell.

4. Danger Doom would be next on my list. He has such an interesting flow and way of how he goes about his music. Doom is one of the most inventive rappers I have heard in a long time and Danger Mouse always comes up with some good beats. There album based on adult swim characters is one of my favorite albums to listen to, ever.

3. Raekwon. I couldn't go without listing at least one member of my favorite rap group. Only Built for Cuban Linx....Part 2 is my pick for best album of the year and was way overdue. It was such a great sequel to the original album. A very nice reunion of sorts for the WTC. Rae stole just about every song however, which is awesome considering he had Ghostface on most of the songs as well.

2. Okay so I lied, I have two WTC members on my list. Ghostface Killah is my second favorite rapper to listen to and his stuff is always tight. The dude is funny yet can be amazingly serious in the same song, it really is a thing of beauty. He is so great with coming up with good yet unique rhyme schemes for his songs and he almost always spits the best lines in any song he is in, except some of the early Wu stuff.

1. My top rapper is Lupe Fiasco. Lupe is always on with his lines and comes up with probably the tightest mainstream stuff around. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves and is almost always overlooked by guys like Jay-z and Kanye. I am so hyped for his new album, whenever it comes out this next year.

 

[TheFreshPrints]

I wasn't going to post in here, as it seems a lot of emotions get stirred up when you question their favorite rappers (or anything for that matter). But here it goes:



6. Nas - Though I am more a Jay-Z fan, I can't deny what this man has done for Hip Hop. Illmatic is one of the greatest albums of all time. When you read a lot of people's classic/top 10 album lists, this album is either always mentioned as number one or damn close to it. Granted, he's put out some mediocre albums. But he's proven he's one of the best lyricists in the game.


5. Black Thought - This man doesn't get the shine he deserves. In fact, there were a lot of names I felt could tie for my #5 spot, but I had to make a decision and I stand by it. Him, along with The Roots put on one of the best live shows...ever. He's had countless verses that would shit on your favorite rapper's favorite rapper verses. If you don't believe me, check out the following bars:

"Black master of any trade under the sun
Talk sharp like a razor blade under the tongue
Clear my path and come get your captain hung
Trying to breath like black'll collapse your lungs"

Enough said. I haven't heard a wack verse from him yet.


4. Common - From Resurrection to Like Water For Chocolate Common has put out a lot of great material. And while some people may not agree with me, you'd be hard pressed not to. Just listen to the music. Yeah, he's experimented on a couple albums, and maybe strayed away a little from what brought him to the table. But the man is DOPE. Don't take my word for it, check out his catalog.


3. Biggie - This choice doesn't really need an explanation, does it? Ready To Die? CLASSIC. Life After Death? Exactly, the album is certified Diamond. The man is an icon. A LEGEND. The only reason he's not #1 on my list, is because of the lack of material. I wish he were still alive today. I always wonder what kind of stuff he'd be putting out now. But what he gave us before he left was amazing, IMO. And definitely deserves to be #3 on the list (though I'm sure a lot of people could feel he should be #1...at times I would agree).


2. Jay-Z - I'm sure I'll catch a lot of flack for this, but guess what? I don't care.

"But dude, he bites Biggie all the time!"

Really? Stop it. That argument is played out. What about all his other shit that doesn't acknowledge Biggie? How about "Imaginary Player" for example? Never heard the song? Well, listen to it. Dude has quoted Big, but acknowledged those lines in the tracks. And why does no one complain every time Rakim is sampled on someone else's track? Enough people. Whether you like him or not, Jay-Z is one of the greatest of all time. To deny it is just stupid. Yeah, maybe I'm a little biased because I'm a fan. But how can you say you love Hip Hop and deny what Jay-Z has done for it? Not to mention his flow is god like. Face it, the man is regarded as one of the greatest. But opinions are opinions I guess...

1. Rakim - The GOD. Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest emcees – perhaps the greatest – of all time within the Hip Hop community. He's an innovator. His flow, his technique, his delivery...legendary. I was a little surprised to see that only ONE person mentioned him (Big Sexy - I shall rep for you for it). Without Rakim, 90% of your favorite rappers wouldn't even exist. Think I'm lying? Ask Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Rock (of Heltah Skeltah), Raekwon, Ghostface, etc.. Rakim = G.O.A.T.. PERIOD. END OF DISCUSSION.


Honorable Mentions:

Andre 3000
AZ
Big Pun
Kool G Rap
Redman
2Pac


*Note: I didn't mention any groups because I feel that would be a whole other discussion. Also, everyone has their own opinions, please, let's not bash people for them.

 

[Cookie]

Talib Kweli. I can't believe nobody mentioned him. I first heard of him after a friend suggested I listen to Black Star (love Mos Def as well) and I've been a fan ever since. I feel like I don't know enough about this to clearly state why I love him so much, but his music has stuck with me through the years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_hf30d7NRw

 

[X]

Lots of really good choices in this thread. So yeah, here's my list, and this is totally subjective and just a list of the five rappers who I personally enjoy the most and who I believe to be the most talented in the rap game's past and present. In no specific order:

Nas - Yeah, no shit. Everyone who knows me knows that I love Nas and hold him in the highest regard and I always will. Illmatic is perhaps the greatest rap album ever made and the man has continued to make great music for well over a decade now. He's still just as ferocious on the mic as he was back in 95 and he's probably the best lyricist I've ever seen in the rap game.

GZA - The core center that holds all of Wu-Tang together, his heavy voice and ridiculous rhymes and storytelling abilities always put GZA at the very top of Wu-Tang IMO. Liquid Swords is another album that's right up there next to Illmatic in the discussion for greatest rap album ever made. It's a shame that guys like Method Man get more attention from the media than GZA. Not that Meth isn't good, but GZA is out of this world talented.

Big L - The undersung motherfuckin' KING of underground East Coast rap back in the 90s, he and the DITC crew put out some of the absolute best rap I've ever heard in my fucking live, Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous is a classic in the gangsta rap genre and just the sheer wealth of freestyles and remixes and underground mixtapes he made already had him pegged as a legend, his tragic shooting death ended all that though back in 1999. I could listen to Big L all day and then some more in the morning man.

Guru - I'm a Boston boy so you fuckin' know I've got to give love to Gang Starr and Guru. Guy just has this insanely smooth flow that is totally unique and just awesome to listen to. It helps when you have DJ Premier, probably the single greatest producer in the game coming up with your beats. Gimme a forty and put on "Battle" and I will go to fucking war. So fucking underrated, Guru should be in everyone's top ten.

Biggie - Well the last spot was going to be either Biggie, Pac, or maybe Q-Tip, so I just went with Biggie. Easy choice here. One of the very first artists to actually get me into rap alongside Dr. Dre, songs like Machine Gun Funk still hit just as hard today as they did a decade ago.

So many honorable mentions though, 2Pac, Q-Tip, AZ, KRS One, Rakim, Paris, Jeru the Damaja, Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, Black Thought, and a bunch of other people I'm forgetting.

 

[Ty Burna]

In no particular order and not based on anything in particular other than my own tastes and avoiding the usual suspects (aka Nas, Bigie, 2pac, etc):

RZA - X can go with GZA, but it's RZA I think is highly underrated as an MC. We all know his ability as a producer and as a businessman, but on the mic he's talented as well. He's got a great flow when it comes to slower songs, and he can pick up the pace when necessary as well. His lyrics range from the streets, to his religious and philosophical ideals all they to simply playing chess. Superbly talented in all fields of hip hop, RZA deserves a lot more love than he gets.

Kutt Calhoun - A member of the Strange Music Family, the man has been kind of the lesser known man between himself, Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko. I have no idea why as this man is a beast on the mic. He brings some hard songs, some comedic songs, and can bring in a party song all one album. Kutt's becoming one of my favorites relatively quickly and I hope he blows up soon.

Atmosphere - Slug and Ant have been tearing it up for years, and have since become one of the top independent hip hop artists ever. Slug's lyrics bring a more thoughtful and introspective aspect to hip hop that isn't seen much anymore these days. And Ant's beats are off the fucking hook.

Murs - A West Coast cat that's a part of the Living Legends camp, he's starting to get more and more attention from the more mainstream fans. Similar to Slug he's got an introspective styling to his lyrics, but at the same time can switch it up and make a fun song such as "Dreadlocks".

Mos Def - Mos Def is awesome, simply put. He easily has one of the smoothest flows ever on the mic, and lyricism to go with it. He can incorporate a portion of funk and soul into his hip hop better than Common can, and his last album The Ecstatic was amazing.

k-os - Man I love k-os. His music has a definite funk/reggae/soul sound to it and he's always bringing a positive message to his songs and his music just makes ya feel good. I love his lyrics and his flow, and to top it off, he's Canadian.

Inspectah Deck - Inspectah has been looked over for far too long in the Wu Tang Clan. He's got abilities that match up with GZA or Method Man on any given song. I checked out his solo albums, and he shines from beginning to end on them. No way should he be one of the lesser know Wu Tang Clan members.

Just a few people I've been listening to a lot more of lately in that list, again I didn't include the usual people on the list such as Pac, Biggie, Nas, or even my favorite hip hop group Bone Thugs. I felt that everyone knows who the legends are and it would make no benefit to those wishing to do some musical exploring if they did not see any artists they've never heard before. RZA of course is the exception but he's known more for his production rather than his rhyming.

 

[Hart Attack]

I'm a huge fan of Joe Budden. I actually like all the guys from Slaughterhouse. I think Budden, crooked, royce and ortiz is about as good a supergroup as you can find.

Dre is always a great choice. Really looking forward to Detox (for the past 5 years)

KRS One is another one I will always love for what he did in the early stages of his career. Criminal Minded and Blueprint to hip hop are still some of my favorite albums.

I have seen Wu Tang clan come up a lot in this and I couldn't be happier to see so much respect for them. I'm a huge fan of them, especially Meth and Ghostface.

Shady is defintely one of my favorites. His flow is second to none for sure.

Being from philly i love the local guys like meek mill, gillie da kid and reed dollaz

 

[Rizza]

RZA - X can go with GZA, but it's RZA I think is highly underrated as an MC. We all know his ability as a producer and as a businessman, but on the mic he's talented as well. He's got a great flow when it comes to slower songs, and he can pick up the pace when necessary as well. His lyrics range from the streets, to his religious and philosophical ideals all they to simply playing chess. Superbly talented in all fields of hip hop, RZA deserves a lot more love than he gets.

I agree with this completely man, RZA is my favorite figure in Hip Hop, he is my absolute favorite producer, and possibly my favorite rapper also,(only reason he isn't a shoo-in for that is that I don't think he solo albums are as good as they could have been) he is good at everything. When he is on point with is rapping, he can steal the show from the best of them. I knew RZA was good when I was listening to just Wu, but the Gravediggaz is where I think I have heard some of the best rapping from RZA. Some of my favorite tracks that I think he completely kills on are, Assaanation Day on Ironman, Wu Gambinos on OBFCL, and 4th chamber on Liquid Swords just to name a few. He also just kills about every track on 6 feet deep and The Pick, The Sickle and The Shovel. He is just a completely amazing artist, that I feel is very overlooked for his rapping, when I think that he is one of the top 3 lyrically in Wu period.

 

[Hacksaw Highway]

OK bear with me, I really don't know anything about rap, I only won 2 rap CDs (Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers and John Cena's CD, which I bought for the novelty and not the music), but I have really been getting into Brother Ali lately. Something about his stuff just clicks with me, like I say I know so little about rap that I can't even put my finger on what I like about it, it's just good stuff. Uncle Sam Goddamn is a great protest song.

 

[Kayoh]

5. Tupac. Hands down the most influential being ever to grace the rap industry, and an EXTREMELY good rapper to boot. His voice is extremely recognizable, he has wonderful flow, and his lyrics are never lacking. "Out on Bail, fresh out of Jail, California Dreamin is just plain fun to rap along with in California Love, which is arguably his biggest hit.

4. Biggie Smalls. Yes, he's better than Tupac. This is a "Top Rappers" topic, not "Most Influential Rappers" topic. Biggie had an absolutely impeccable flow that was completely unmatched, even by Mr. Shakur.

3. Eminem, PRE-Encore. His freestyles from back when he was on the battle scene are simply incredible. Basically, when Eminem TRIES, he's one of the best in the business. Unfortunately, that whole "trying" thing seems to have been left back with The Eminem Show, Marshall Mathers LP, and Slim Shady LP.

2. Tech N9ne...Tech is very hit and miss. His consistency is that all of his songs are CLEVER. He's got a few songs with RIDICULOUS flow, a LOT of songs with RIDICULOUS lyrical quality, and two or three CDs that have a definite "PLAY IT AGAIN!" quality to them, namely Absolute Power, Everready, and his most recent CD, K.O.D. Tech is different, for sure. My favorite song by him is Absolute Power. That or Riot Maker.

1. Rakim. He is, for lack of a better word, perfect. His lyrics are incredible, his flow is second to none, and he is just one of the rare artists who you can listen to for HOURS and still be hungry for more. All the way back to the days of Eric B. and Rakim, he's amongst the best, arguably THE best. Rakim is one of those guys who the uninformed rap enthusiast wouldn't recognize at first, but then you play a song and they're like "OOOOOOOHHHHHH, SO THAT'S WHO THAT IS!"