Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

[Rocky]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

Even if I can't say what's hip-hop according to you, I can tell him that his list is full of terrible rappers.

How?? People look for different things in different MC's. I've listened to nearly every rapper on the "hip-hop heads" list and it doesn't matter if you're mainstream or underground....if you're hot, you're hot.

Furthermore, great lyrics don't necessarily make great rappers. Jeezy isn't the most lyrical guy in the world but I think he is a pretty good rapper. He has a great flow(that ALOT of MC's have tried to jack), excellent charisma, and a good ear for beats. He also raps with alot of conviction and that makes him entertaining to alot of people.

The only one I consider wack on his list is probaly Rick Ross. He's just a knockoff. I also don't like Wayne to much, he relies way too much on phors and really can't deliver a message in his music like his peers.

[X*Cell]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

How?? People look for different things in different MC's. I've listened to nearly every rapper on the "hip-hop heads" list and it doesn't matter if you're mainstream or underground....if you're hot, you're hot.

Furthermore, great lyrics don't necessarily make great rappers. Jeezy isn't the most lyrical guy in the world but I think he is a pretty good rapper. He has a great flow(that ALOT of MC's have tried to jack), excellent charisma, and a good ear for beats. He also raps with alot of conviction and that makes him entertaining to alot of people.

The only one I consider wack on his list is probaly Rick Ross. He's just a knockoff. I also don't like Wayne to much, he relies way too much on phors and really can't deliver a message in his music like his peers.

His list is a southern boy's list though. Southern Crunk is pretty decent, until you start hearing guys like Phonte of Little Brother or Murs. Then your tastes start to change. I know many southern crunkers down here in Texas... after they heard my arsenal of music... they forfeited... and listen to some dope *** music with me. And they are very thankful for it.

I agree with J-Mood... these rappers in comparison are terrible... unless you like clubbin... then you're in buzzyyynesss

[JiggidyJames]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

His list is a southern boy's list though.

Exactly, though. Not everyone gets their music fixes on the 'net; they stay with regional acts.

Look at my list for example. Aside from one name, it's all NYC. I'm not going to apologize for that because that's where I'm from and that's the style that appeals to me. You don't like Crunk...I don't like Crunk...but you go to certain places and they LOVE it. They'll be dancing and going nuts for hours! It is what it is to them and nothing more.

[Rocky]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

His list is a southern boy's list though. Southern Crunk is pretty decent, until you start hearing guys like Phonte of Little Brother or Murs. Then your tastes start to change. I know many southern crunkers down here in Texas... after they heard my arsenal of music... they forfeited... and listen to some dope *** music with me. And they are very thankful for it.

I agree with J-Mood... these rappers in comparison are terrible... unless you like clubbin... then you're in buzzyyynesss

I think we are agreeing. I listen to Phonte and Murs and they are definately nice MC's. But I listen to Jeezy and TI for a whole different reason.......they're good at what they are just like Phonte and Murs are good for what they are. Two completely different lanes and emphasis on skills. One's on lyrics.....but they bore me to tears sometimes. The other has pretty elementary lyrics but great charisma and flow.

So to call Jeezy or TI terrible rappers isn't accurate, IMO. They are great at what they do.

[jmood88]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

TI isn't like jeezy, he actually has thought provoking stuff along with his club songs.

[Rocky]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

TI isn't like jeezy, he actually has thought provoking stuff along with his club songs.

I would agree with that. I was kinda dissapointed that Jeezy didn't get off the coke rap for TM102. That album is really hit and miss.....You Know What It Is, 3AM, Bury Me A G, What You Talkin Bout, Dreamin, and The Inspiration were some of the hottest songs of the year which he showed some potential.....the rest was kinda filler with hot beats.

[X*Cell]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

It's really hard for me to make a list like this these days, when the production aspect of albums is what really appeals to me. I would buy a 'Jeezy over 9th Wonder' album as opposed to a 'Phonte over Will.I.Am' album any day of the week.

With that, sometimes I can appreciate some music of the South. I love the song "Throw Some D's" by Rich Boy. The lyrics are absolutely deplorable. The beat is hot! I can definetely listen to it.

This is my take... beats and production are the foundation...

Lyrics can put that song over the tip...

A song with terrible lyrics and a great beat is pretty decent...

A song with awesome lyrics and a terrible beat... ehhhh

So it's tough for me to make a list like this. These guys I listed usually benefit more from choosing Nice producers as opposed to whack ones. Here is my top 10 producers... Alive (sorry Jay Dee)

1. 9th Wonder (and he only gets better)
2. Analogic (no-one knows him... but you all should)
3. Kanye West (he's usually consistent)
4. DJ Premier (his latest mixtape is kinda bad, but he's a legend)
5. Nicolay (Foreign Exchange soon baby!!!)
6. Khrysis (His latest work has been sub-par IMO)
7. Kev Brown (get the song "Albany")
8. Oddisee (funk mixed with rap type sound)
9. DJ Mekalek (of Time Machine)
10. Illmind (he's in G-Unit believe it or not)

[the_future420]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

After my number 1, this list is in no particular order:

1) Joe Budden
2) Royce da 5'9
3) Twista
4) Nas
5) Common
6) Andre 3000
7) Jay-Z
8) Lil Wayne
9) Ghostface
10)Ice Cube


I'm really feeling all the Joe Budden love. Far and away, my favorite rapper, and also the most underrated.

[Brandwin]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

I can't make a list...but artists I always check for, Phonte and Brother Ali.

[Cebby]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

Furthermore, great lyrics don't necessarily make great rappers. Jeezy isn't the most lyrical guy in the world but I think he is a pretty good rapper. He has a great flow(that ALOT of MC's have tried to jack), excellent charisma, and a good ear for beats. He also raps with alot of conviction and that makes him entertaining to alot of people.

The only one I consider wack on his list is probaly Rick Ross. He's just a knockoff. I also don't like Wayne to much, he relies way too much on phors and really can't deliver a message in his music like his peers.

The only thing Jeezy is good at is picking beats. His lyrics are trash, his flow is trash, his voice is trash, and he has no originality. He has 3 things going for him; his beats, Akon on Soul Survivor, and the fact that out of all the modern day wanna be thug rappers, he's one of the few who's actually telling the truth. Rick Ross is Jeezy minus the realness and plus 200 pounds. Both can only talk about selling coke, and when it comes to drug rhymes, nobody is touching Rae, Ghost, GZA, and INS.

Wayne is hot and cold. Not on an album, but within songs. He can spit a rhyme or two that are great and perfectly delivered, and then say 3 or 5 bars that are wack and completely off beat. Personally, I never like him much.

[trobinson97]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

Who are you to tell someone what's Hip-Hop and what's not?

It's his list and doesn't make him any less smarter than you or anyone else who thinks they're the standard bearer of Hip-Hop. I really hate when people act like this.

So do I, which is the reason that when i first say the thread, I decided not to participate. There are way to many pretentious folk who think they know what real hip hop is and what isn't and what it amounts to is ignorant judgements on another person's opinion. I am not saying this directly to anyonebut a lot of people like to put underground unknowns on a pedestel as a way of showing everyone else just how into hip hop they are; they know that since these artists are unknown most people won't argue. At the same time, they use it to tear down other people's opinions. Essentially it goes from "List your Top 10" to "I'm gonna list my top 10 then make you feel dumb for putting mainstream artists on your lists because you don't know **** about real hip hop".

[ehh]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

In terms of how good they are today (meaning leaving off legends like Rakim, etc who have fallen off)......

- Nas
- Ghostface
- Blueprint
- Murs
- Phonte
- Black Thought
- Common
- Masta Ace
- Immortal Technique (just because I really like his potential)
- Jay-Z

[ehh]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

So do I, which is the reason that when i first say the thread, I decided not to participate. There are way to many pretentious folk who think they know what real hip hop is and what isn't and what it amounts to is ignorant judgements on another person's opinion. I am not saying this directly to anyonebut a lot of people like to put underground unknowns on a pedestel as a way of showing everyone else just how into hip hop they are; they know that since these artists are unknown most people won't argue. At the same time, they use it to tear down other people's opinions. Essentially it goes from "List your Top 10" to "I'm gonna list my top 10 then make you feel dumb for putting mainstream artists on your lists because you don't know **** about real hip hop".

I think it's all based on how each poster decides to answer, whether it be subjectively or objectively.

If someone is just putting down their ten favorite artists than obviously no one can fault them for it because it's all based on their taste. But if you're asking someone to name the ten best rappers on the planet objectively then people definitely have a right to argue with someone who puts a mixtape rapper with no LP's over a guy like Nas or Jay-Z.

[the_future420]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

I think it's all based on how each poster decides to answer, whether it be subjectively or objectively.

If someone is just putting down their ten favorite artists than obviously no one can fault them for it because it's all based on their taste. But if you're asking someone to name the ten best rappers on the planet objectively then people definitely have a right to argue with someone who puts a mixtape rapper with no LP's over a guy like Nas or Jay-Z.

LP's dont always mean everything though. Although he is my favorite rapper and there will be some bias, Joe Budden's Mood Muzik 2 from last year was a better "album" than 95% of what was released under any label.

[supremeslang]

Re: Hip Hop Heads: Top 10 Alive

Ok. Here is the official list in no particular order:
Phonte
Sean Price
Nas
Jay-Z
Redman
Common
Black Thought
Ghostface
Lupe Fiasco
Talib Kweli
Honorable Mention:
Eminem (Encore was a diaster)
Andre 3000 (Would be top ten if he starts rapping more)
Mos Def (Would be top ten if he actually made another real hip-hop album)