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so who you think it is?

In terms of what?

Who put out the best albums, who was the best at MCing? Overall?

-AC

Jay-Z

most skilled
most successful
best albums

you can give so many answers. as AC said, based on what?

a few that came to mind for just their presence on the mic

Kool G Rap
Common
Pharoahe Monch

Method Man.

-AC

good answer^

but after Tical, he wasn't too consistent.

i'd probably say Redman instead of Method Man.

I just think that with both of them on top of their game, Method Man takes it.

There aren't many I wouldn't put Redman above, though.

-AC

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
In terms of what?

Who put out the best albums, who was the best at MCing? Overall?

-AC
well sorry for the non-descriptiveness.
i meant as in who can you start listening to from any one of his random albums and just be like "wow."
thats it, because you are too stunned and/or blown away to think of anything else.

well i have to go for The GZA myself.
his lyrics and flow mixed together is just like "WTF is this guy an effin human"?

KRS One
Big Daddy Kane
Naz

Pharoahe Monch

never disappoints lyrically.

Method Man.

-AC

Originally posted by Hidden Lotus
well i have to go for The GZA myself.

I'd second that.

Originally posted by Rogue Jedi
KRS One
Big Daddy Kane
Naz
Naz is great.

Originally posted by Papa Smurph
Jay-Z

most skilled
most successful
best albums

Agreed. As far as consistently putting out the fire, Jigga has really been the man. I don't know about being the most skillful though... he even admits that hes not playin up to par (if lyrics sold then truth be told id probly be, lyrically, Talib Kweli)
There are too many greats out to just say one guy rules it all. To a point you know like... BDK is in the hall of fame and The Game isn't, but its up to taste at a certain point. I say Common because he been hot from back in the day till right now. Plus, he's stayed true to himself the whole way along

Originally posted by Mr.Biscuits
Naz is great. His work on "God's son" is awesome. and I misspelled it, Nas.

Yea Nas is awsome. Did anyone else find HHID a bit... overstated, though?

Nas lost me after It Was Written.

I didn't even get that far. Illmatic is the only one that remotely interested me, seems like he got lucky with that album, cos nothing he produced since has been as good.

-AC

I really like Streets Disciple. Tell me you don't love that album!!! But I honostly find that Nas is often over rated... he's a great, but he so inconsistent, its a real shame. I think he's gonna come with the hotness on Ni&&a though. He's had a lot of stuff to talk about these lats two years.

Big Daddy Kane for best style and influence of other premier rappers

INDEED.

Heres an all star lineup. Corny vid, but the lyrics are amazing.


sSoXHUlwraU&feature=related

Originally posted by Deathblow
Nas lost me after It Was Written. Lost Tapes was one of my fav Nas albums.

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
Big Daddy Kane for best style and influence of other premier rappers

I'd say the same exact thing except replace Kane with Kool G Rap.

He even influenced Kane.

To me it's a toss of between Kool G Rap and Rakim with Kane coming in at a close third.

G Rap takes this though.

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
I didn't even get that far. Illmatic is the only one that remotely interested me, seems like he got lucky with that album, cos nothing he produced since has been as good.

-AC

I don't see how he got "lucky". Maybe production wise.

Lyrically Nas has always been on point, his only downfall has been his production (beats). Illmatic had legendary production by some of the best beat makers ever. Unfortunately he never recaptured that magic.

^agree. And he couldnt decide on his image for a while, whether to be a player, a prophet, a thug... that made it pretty hard for fans to accept what he was putting out

My top 5 all time: Chuck D, KRS-One, Gza, Black Thought & Mos Def.

Good to see Black Thought brought up. He never gets enough respect.

I'd say G Rap. Grew up listening to him when I lived in New York. GZA comes second, probably because of Kool's nostalgia for me.

Originally posted by D00m
I'd say the same exact thing except replace Kane with Kool G Rap.

He even influenced Kane.

To me it's a toss of between Kool G Rap and Rakim with Kane coming in at a close third.

G Rap takes this though.

Well, I guess they both did rhyme multiple words in the same sentence . . . but I don't think KGR influenced Jay-Z, Lloyd Banks, Tupac, Tony Yayo, Wale, but KGR is definitely top 5 material

Originally posted by Rogue Jedi
Heres an all star lineup. Corny vid, but the lyrics are amazing.


sSoXHUlwraU&feature=related

Yep, Kool G and Kane killed their verses.

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
Well, I guess they both did rhyme multiple words in the same sentence . . . but I don't think KGR influenced Jay-Z, Lloyd Banks, Tupac, Tony Yayo, Wale, but KGR is definitely top 5 material

Influencing those people is of questionable worth, really.

It's like when Fall Out Boy say they're influenced by The Smiths.

-AC

If you listened to Lloyd Banks (at least his work before 2005), you would hear BDk in him

I didn't dispute that.

You can hear Pearl Jam's influence in Creed, but they're still f*cking shit.

-AC

Nas hasn't put out fire since Illmatic? The hell?

It Was Written?
I Am?
Lost Tapes?

All at least good quality 9/10 at worst albums.

Originally posted by Blue_Hefner
Well, I guess they both did rhyme multiple words in the same sentence . . . but I don't think KGR influenced Jay-Z, Lloyd Banks, Tupac, Tony Yayo, Wale, but KGR is definitely top 5 material

Do your homework man, he did. Including Kane.

Originally posted by Papa Smurph
Nas hasn't put out fire since Illmatic? The hell?

It Was Written?
I Am?
Lost Tapes?

All at least good quality 9/10 at worst albums.

HEY POINT WHAT'S UP MAN? STILL ROCKING THAT DIPSET??

Iono who point is, but I am listenin to Back You Up and must say

Hell Rell > _______

Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Influencing those people is of questionable worth, really.

It's like when Fall Out Boy say they're influenced by The Smiths.

-AC

Hahaha, did they actually say that?

snoops my all time fav

but jiggas prolly the most consistent

and it was written is nas's only great album start to finish.

yea i said it

Eminem is my personal favorite. But Tupac is the GOAT with Notorious BIG clos behind.

Rap sucks now. I know people who think Lil Wayne is the greatest at my high school.

Surely that means people suck, not hip hop.

-AC

tupac? that niggas dead

Tupcas overrated imo.

Gza

Pharoahe Monch.

Originally posted by ragesRemorse
Gza Originally posted by Eon Blue
Pharoahe Monch.



anyone listen to the new Portishead?

New Portishead?!

For me the best rapper of all time would have to be Tupac. His lyrics are so tight man!!!

Aint really got ONE best artist. But Chicago rappers in general are the best, imo.

Best ever? Damn, that's a tough one.

A few that I keep getting back to are...

Gift Of Gab
Tech n9ne
Sage Francis
MC Supernatural
KRS-One (even though I've heard far too little of his work)

Best group, I think I would still have to say Bone-Thugs. Not lyrically but definitely technically. Even though their quality is inconsistent, they had crazy tight flow on their good days.

Biggie

I just have to drop the name Big L in here. Not saying he was the best ever but he sure is up there. Nas is still my fav.

i know everyone thinks it's cool to say Pac is the GoaT, but come on guys..

No doubt he has some dope songs, but he says the same shit throughout his career - and by that i mean he spits the same lyrics over and over - just over different instrumentals (i know thats not his fault).

he is in the top 10 influential rappers of all time, but not in my top 10 mc's ever.

In no particular order.

Guru
Krs
Mos
Talib
Wallace
Meth
Mathers
Common
J-Live
Cyne

nah none of u no wat is chattin if u had any sense u wuld all agree da greatest of all time is tupac his lyrics nd beats actually had real meaning to dem unlike all ur fake's now

Other artist exist besides Pac. He had a delivery that will never be replicated but that alone does not make him the greatest.

Some artists to this day come out with great music, but don't listen to the radio for it cause it won't happen too often.

Jay-Z has some of the best style. Ghostface Killah has great flow and addicting beats. Tupac knows how make a song sway and get into your head.

Overall, I can't say. There are so many great artists for different reasons.

Jay-Z did a remake of "Me And My Girlfriend" originally done by Pac, but with one big problem. He had no idea that Tupac has the deepest lyrics and that the song was actually about the collection of pistols he had owned in his life, and not about an actual girl. Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Nelly get the worst rapper awards. Jay-Z only for the huge Me and my Girlfriend screw-up, but still he deserves it. Deepest lyrics that sometimes contain double and even triple meanings goes to Tupac. Nas is arguably just as good as a lyricist though, he just has smaller balls.

"Bullets to my nuts only made my balls fatter." Tupac

here's a good song, artist Vordul Mega (part of Vast Aire's group)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyHCKznEkDo

"Megagraffiti"

Cold Vein is one of my favorite albums of all time, any genre, but these days Vordul just seems like he hasnt been doing anything new. Half the lines on that song sound far too similar to lines off songs on Cold Vein

I have to go with my man Jay-Z, followed by Big Daddy Kane and Rakim.

Hip hop is rap with a c. Crap.

Originally posted by deathbycorn
Hip hop is rap with a c. Crap.

Good thing you said that, cos I wouldn't have got what you meant.

-AC

Originally posted by deathbycorn
Hip hop is rap with a c. Crap. no wai man its Retards Attempting Poetry, duh.

Originally posted by RedAlertv2
no wai man its Retards Attempting Poetry, duh. Originally posted by Alpha Centauri
Good thing you said that, cos I wouldn't have got what you meant.

-AC

2Pac


Call me an idiot however much U want.

I listened 2 Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, NWA, Public Enemy, NaS etc.
They're really great, I'm a fan of them 2.

But Pac is still numba 1 IMHO

if you go to http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2008/10/the_best_rapper_alive_is/ you will find that Eminem has just won the award for best rapper alive (what you say to that lil wayne)? it makes me sick that people actually think ****ing lil wayne is the best. ive heard him live. he sucks, the only reason he a rapper is because his dad is birdman. Eminem can flow to any beat, he is the king of freestyles. and i hate it when people say dre writes all his songs and all of that shit. only thing dre does is supply Em with a beat and a contract.

Eminem's lyrics are amazing and the best part is that he writes ALL OF THEM! I agree with Eminem when he said that there may not be a best rapper ever, but there sho is a best rapper alive, Eminem.

2Pac
Kayne West
Eminem

Dr. Dre

Originally posted by Tyranno-Chris
if you go to http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives/2008/10/the_best_rapper_alive_is/ you will find that Eminem has just won the award for best rapper alive (what you say to that lil wayne)? it makes me sick that people actually think ****ing lil wayne is the best. ive heard him live. he sucks, the only reason he a rapper is because his dad is birdman. Eminem can flow to any beat, he is the king of freestyles. and i hate it when people say dre writes all his songs and all of that shit. only thing dre does is supply Em with a beat and a contract.

Eminem's lyrics are amazing and the best part is that he writes ALL OF THEM! I agree with Eminem when he said that there may not be a best rapper ever, but there sho is a best rapper alive, Eminem. nigga please, more like birdman is only relevant cause of weezy. im not into his new shit, he crossed over into making music for the bitches, now he's singing about lollipops and featuring t-pain on his tracks and shit. but anyone who can seriously listen to carter 1 and tell me he isn't a beast on that album has wack taste in rap

and whoever told you dre wrote eminem's verses for him... i have one question for them.. if that's true then who ghostwrote the verses for dre?

best is probably Biggie. one of the most under-rated and one of the best of all time: Cassidy

come on people lyrically the best at mcing is

CANIBUS that dude is too lyrical for his own good but there are many more dope mcs big L, ras kass, big pun, chino xl, immortal technique, virtuoso, gza, nas, biggie, em in his prime

Best album was Nas' Illmatic. But after that he was inconsistent. Same with Jay Z after Reasonable Doubt.

The best mainstream artist was IMO The Notorious B.I.G.

But Immortal Technique has the illest vocabulary out of everyone I've listened to. You can pick one word and he'll spit 30 more that rhyme with it.

Overall TUPAC r.i.p

Illest rapper lyrically and could hve been the best if he hadnt died real early-Big L

However due to Ls short time in the game Overall best ever-Biggie

Originally posted by Zoron
come on people lyrically the best at mcing is

CANIBUS that dude is too lyrical for his own good but there are many more dope mcs big L, ras kass, big pun, chino xl, immortal technique, virtuoso, gza, nas, biggie, em in his prime Funny thing is, I'd rate all those you mentioned after Canibus above Canibus. (minus virtuoso and IT)

Originally posted by Dr. Leg Kick
Funny thing is, I'd rate all those you mentioned after Canibus above Canibus. (minus virtuoso and IT) your opinion mate

Immortal Technique & Nas imo.

Originally posted by Kento
Immortal Technique & Nas imo. Good choices.

Im a long-time Technique fan. He was the first rapper that I ever liked, my interest in hip hop started after listening to Rev 2. Still think he's good, but he is definitely far from the best of all time

I just heard of him recently. IMO he's the best out of all I've actually listen to....which granted isn't much.