And Step;1373467 said:
Top 10 to ever wield a MIC Not in any particular order.
KRS
NAS
RAKIM
CUBE
SLICK RICK
BIG
KANE
EMINEM
PAC
SCARFACE
Good list. :tu lol @ Em....h-rap feel betrayed
my 10 -
Pac (the GOAT, most versatile ever)
Rakim (the Wilt Chamberlain of MCing, LIGHT YEARS ahead of his time)
Biggie (simply incredible to this day, i feel sorry for Big haters. Ready to Die is the GOAT rap album. had he lived, he'd be RUNNING shit....Big over early Timbaland & Neptune beats? curtains)
Jay (even his worst albums have a handful of masterpieces, i can see him droppin classics @ age 55 like Bob Dylan....when he dies its very likely he'll take Pac's spot as the consensus GOAT)
Nas (I wonder who will make more classic LPs this decade, him or Jay?)
KRS (The Teacha.)
Ghostface (Do niggas realize this man dropped 7 back-to-back classics in one decade? That's Prince/Stevie Wonder level genius. Robert Christgau, the king of snob music critics, *LOVES* Ghost and has given ALL of his albums "A" ratings.)
Ice Cube ('88-'93 Cube obviously....on AmeriKKKa Most he blended the thug and conscious vibes better than anyone else, even Pac & KRS.)
Scarface (I barely listen to his music, so this is straight respect for the non-snitchin King of the South)
Chuck D (my childhood hero, I don't care what you think about Chuck D. I really don't.)
Honorable Mentions:
Big L (such a shame, only completed 1 retail album, but his storytelling skills were fucking mindboggling. Could've challenged Slick Rick for the storytellin crown. Woulda been making classic LPs w/ Just Blaze and Kanye had he lived to sign w/ the Roc. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Such a tragedy...)
Eminem (needs to stop bullshittin, tell Jimmy Iovine to go fuck himself, and make that masterpiece album we're still waiting for)
Big Daddy Kane (I hate how his voice changed. Long Live the Kane BDK was amazing.)
Slick Rick (GOAT Storyteller)
Royce da 5'9 (incredible, the only MC to outspit Em, the most consistent member of Slaughterhouse, and the most underrated doubletime flow in hip-hop.)
Common (couple years ago I was convinced that he was gonna make 3 more "Be" level albums w/ Kanye and force his way into my Top 10. Instead this nigga goin Hollywood, smh)
Big Pun (Capital Punishment is a classic, but latinos need to stop w/ that "its better than Ready to Die" blasphemy. 2nd album was MEH w/ 2 classic singles.)
Joe Budden (Fuck your hate for his twitter beefs. There's a reason this man was like GOD in The Reason from 05 to 07. The only, and I mean only, rapper that can do a 8+ minute solo song without the ish getting dull. Incredible versatility, he can rip the shit out of a punchline freestyle, and spit pain-filled confessional rap with staggering ease. Constantly starts shit with other MCs because he knows he's
that nice.)
Pharaoh Monch
Kool G Rap
Redman
Canibus when he isn't wack as fuck
Mos Def when he isn't bullshittin with his wack rock bands
Cam'ron (hate away...Killa. Dipset fool. Wordplay is oh so underrated, forget that puters putin line and listen to the nuclear fire he's spittin on "Why They" sometime. When he focused - watch out.)
LL