So today I heard a bunch of people talking about Lupe's new album "Lasers," which apparently isn't as good as "The Cool" or "Food and Liquor" (which were amazing albums). I personally haven't listened to the album yet (downloading it as we speak), so I can't comment, but all this talk about "hip hop going pop" shit and "Lupe being one of the greatest rappers out right now) made me think about rap music a little more closely.
Personally, I feel that rap has gone "pop," but in my opinion, it was inevitable. I would argue that due to hip-hop music of the early 2000's (I'm talking about Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil Jon, Ying Yang Twins, etc), hip-hop music and culture just straight up spread throughout suburbia. I mean think about how many white upper-class kids were bumping "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" when it came out. I mean, music evolves, that's the whole point of it--our culture changes, and people within it change, and you honestly can't hate on that. So people talk about, "oh remember the good old days with Tupac and Biggie rapping instead of Wacka Flocka Flame?" Well, I'm sure that in the early to mid 90's, people were saying "oh remember the good old days with Run DMC and the Sugar Hill Gang rapping before LL Cool J and Craig Mack?" Here's the deal, music will change based on the audience and the time frame--why do you think gangsta rap is out now, and artists like Kanye West are getting so much play?
With that being said, my favorite era of rap was definitely early 90's to early 2000's, and I've assembled a list of who I feel are the Top 5 Rap MC's of all time:
Honorable Mention) Andre 3000: While his lyrics are absolutely unbelievable, I just couldn't put him on the top 5 because most of his best songs came not solo, but with Big Boi. I felt as though his solo work (
The Love Below) simply wasn't on par with the rhymes he kicked in
ATLiens, Southernplayalistikcadilacmuzik, and
Stankonia, and while a close call, I couldn't put him in the top 5.
5) Nas: One of the most, if not the most, underrated rapper of all time (along with Common). Just for the work he did with
Illmatic as a 17 year old should make him a top 10 MC of all time. His flow is matched with the likes of Biggie, and the intelligence present in his rhymes are matched with the likes of Eminem. His first two albums
Illmatic and
It Was Written were monsters (and in my opinion the best albums he put out), and he still showed up with
Stillmatic. I think besides his flow, the biggest strength that Nas has is the imagery that is present in his rhymes, and it really showed in his first album.
Notable Songs: Take It in Blood, One Mic, Memory Lane
4) Jay-Z: One of the most prolific rappers of all time. In his 15 year career, the man has put out great album after another (well besides like
Volume 3,
Blueprint 2, and
Kingdom Come, but we won't mention those). Personally, I feel that Jay-Z started off really strong and then kinda leveled out after
Blueprint but that's just my opinion. His lyrics are just insane on some tracks--I mean the man read dictionaries as a kid. I do have to agree though that at times Jay-Z is overrated, and people think a track is the shit just because he's on it (like "Monster" on Kanye's latest album). But I think Jay says it the best "would you rather be underpaid or overrated?"
Notable Songs: Can't Knock the Hustle, Dead Presidents (Part 1), 99 Problems
3) Notorious B.I.G.: He had the best lyrical flow of any rapper to hold a mic, hands down. Some of the shit that he came up with in his rhymes are actually unreal, and I don't think anyone can disagree with that. The one criticism I have with him is that his rhymes are a bit one-dimensional, as in he never really raps about significant issues (well, other than "Juicy" and "Suicidal Thoughts" I guess). In any case, I have to put him over Jay-Z simply because of his unparalleled lyricism.
Notable Songs: Juicy, Big Poppa, Everyday Struggle
2) Eminem: I might get a lotta shit for this, but yes, I did put Eminem above Biggie, and rightfully so. There is not a single rapper that possesses his word play in his lyrics. The dude can basically rap about anything, and pretty much has rapped about everything. He's come out with three unbelievable albums (his first three commercial ones), and two other great ones,
Relapse tho was meh and even he admits it. Not only that, but there is not another rapper who has done as well as he has in bringing the listener a full fledged glimpse into his crazy ass life (his drug problems, his mom, his ex-wife, his little girl, his lawsuits, his crazy ass fans, the pressure of being famous, the pressure of not producing hit songs, etc etc). He was able to take his lyricism and really apply it to make meaningful songs (for the most part that is). Oh and not to mention he has some of the best pump up music a la "Lose Yourself," "Til I Collapse," and "Not Afraid."
Notable Songs: Lose Yourself, The Way I Am, Stan
1) 2Pac: Most people say he is the best rapper to ever hold a mic, and I have to agree; the man was unbelievable in his short 4 year career. He is the most prolific rapper ever (like damn how many songs has this man put out after his death?), and most importantly, he embodies the whole purpose of hip-hop: to give a voice and a means of expression to a group who otherwise did not have one. In this case, it is the urban black America. Not only was Tupac and incredibly intelligent rapper (he read countless books when growing up in Baltimore and Marin City and was influenced by the likes of Malcolm X and Machiavelli), but when you hear his songs, u really can feel the passion (and pain) that is expressed in his words. 2pac also brings 100% in every single song he does, and depending on the track, you can actually feel the struggle, anger, joy, or whatever emotion he's trying to convey. No other rapper has yet to emulate that, and probably never will.
Notable Songs: Dear Mama, Letter to My Unborn Child, My Block
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