Posted May 22, 200916 yr Here's my list (thought about for ages) 1. Jay-Z 2. Eminem 3. Public Enemy 4. Eric B & Rakim 5. Kanye West 6. Common 7. Notorious BIG 8. Run-DMC 9. Jurassic 5 10. Wu-Tang Clan 11. A Tribe Called Quest/Q-Tip 12. Nas 13.Mike Shinoda/Fort Minor 14. Atmosphere 15. Sway (UK) 16. Beastie Boys 17. Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip 18. OutKast 19. Pharoahe Monch/Organized Konfusion 20. Black Star 21. Blackalicious 22. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien 23. Fugees/Lauryn Hill 24. Black Eyed Peas 24. Zach De La Rocha (One Day As A Lion/Rage Against the Machine) 25. 2Pac [NOTE: NWA missed out because their rhymes are undeniably powerful but they don't really think outside the gangsta box, except for on the party anthem, "Express Yourself". As for Dr. Dre, his production is amazing but this list is focused on rapping; his rhymes are all ghostwritten, mostly by the Westside MC DOC (I must get round to listening to his LP) or Jay-Z. I think Biggie is rated unfairly high because of his early death although Ready to Die is a classic mix of dark humour, toughness and vulnerability. Life After Death is OK. Where the heck is 2Pac? He would be number 21. He too is overrated due to death and although he has released some great material (Me Against the World, Changes, California Love) he is nowhere near as good as Biggie. Talib Kweli is overall better than Mos Def (seriously fell-off after Black On Both Sides) but as a group with Hi-Tek (Black Star) they were on fire. Just Hi-Tek & Talib is almost as good and they are still part of Black Star umbrella. Mike Shinoda is amazing in Linkin Park and on his seriously underrated Fort Minor project with Styles of Beyond, Common & others. The Roots are the best live act by far, but on record other MC's are better. Company Flow aren't there because I haven't heard enough yet. Apart from those who have only released one album, all the acts have released below-par albums at some point in their career, but most have very long careers and have released other very good albums Let the inevitable debates begin! Edited May 23, 200916 yr by musicbox4249
May 22, 200916 yr Hmm, I wouldn't have Jay Z #1 on my list, neither would I have Notorious on it at all..
May 22, 200916 yr Author Hmm, I wouldn't have Jay Z #1 on my list, neither would I have Notorious on it at all.. OK, but why? And who would you have on your list?
May 22, 200916 yr OK, but why? And who would you have on your list? Don't really rate Jay Z that much, and I cannot stand Notorious B.I.G., I don't like a single record of his. I'll write up my list in a minute :D
May 24, 200916 yr HRMMZZ. I don't feel like listing anything, but these are mine: Black Milk / Kanye West / Cage / Aesop Rock / Invincible / Talib Kweli / Common / Missy Elliott / Lupe Fiasco / Outkast / Notorious B.I.G. / A Tribe Called Quest / El-P / Dizzee Rascal / Finale / Spank Rock etcczzz.
May 24, 200916 yr Author El-P is a legend! (New album I'll Sleep when You're Dead: Rapping is a bit crazy and sometimes difficult to make out lyrics - like loads of sentences scribbled over each other - but production is mind-blowing) Must check out his group Company Flow after hearing the amazing "Patriotism" from Rawkus Soundbombing II What great tracks/albums by Black Milk, Cage, Aesop Rock, Finale should I download? (Never heard anything by them but certainly heard of them) Edited May 24, 200916 yr by musicbox4249
May 24, 200916 yr I'd probably agree with Jay-Z being listed as #1. I remember when people would call him a shoe-in filler for BIG after his death, funny that, huh? So many street anthems, lyrically, he's virtually untouchable (at his peak). His rivalry w/ Nas was one of the best, and most influential in Hip Hop history. Tupac would probably win if we're talking most influential, though. Like you, however, I feel he's overrated. I'll also agree that Biggie was far superior, and his flow was just remarkable. N.W.A would make my list in a heartbreat; the originators of gangster rap. Ice Cube, especially, who was the pin-up of West Coast music. So many to choose, it'd be hard to compile a list. I'll provide my Top 5, but this is not concrete. #1: Jay-Z #2: Notorious BIG #3: Rakim #4: Ice Cube #5: Nas
May 25, 200916 yr El-P is a legend! (New album I'll Sleep when You're Dead: Rapping is a bit crazy and sometimes difficult to make out lyrics - like loads of sentences scribbled over each other - but production is mind-blowing) Must check out his group Company Flow after hearing the amazing "Patriotism" from Rawkus Soundbombing II What great tracks/albums by Black Milk, Cage, Aesop Rock, Finale should I download? (Never heard anything by them but certainly heard of them) El-P is ridiculously amazing. ;o Didn't know other people liked him. Hrmm. As for reccomendations, here are my favorites by each: Black Milk - Give the Drummer Sum or Bounce Cage - Perfect World or Good Morning Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass Finale - One Man Show
May 26, 200916 yr 1. Zack De La Rocha 2. Beastie Boys 3. Saul Williams 4. NWA 5. Eminem 6. Jay-Z 7. Public Enemy 8. Mike Shinoda 9. Run DMC 10. Paul Wall
May 26, 200916 yr It is an absolute tragedy that you do not have BIG L mentioned anywhere on this thread.. :o . The only rapper to beat biggie in a freestyle and only had one true album before he was murdered. On a side note huge fan of de la rocha. very underrated.
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