The Greatest Rapper of All Time

[Rocky]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

In order to properly answer this question, you have to define "greatest". What makes someone the greatest rapper of all-time? What superior qualities does he possess over others, and how does one illustrate that this rapper is unmatched in these qualities?

If people can agree on an answer to that then the discussion can really begin.

Personally, I'm admittedly not overly in-tune with hip-hop and rap so my opinion might mean zero, but I've always thoroughly enjoyed Eminem's work, so I voted for him.

I think that is a fair statement. I think critical success has to be up there, influence as well. Commercial success and status (relatively) is also important as well. Subject matter and technical skill (delivery, flow, metaphors) should be apart of the criteria as well.

You look at a guy like Eminem or Jay-Z who are tremendously popular and as well as very skilled MC's. How do they compare to Rakim, who isn't nearly as popular but was so advanced for his time that it influenced nearly every single rapper today? Listen to Paid In Full and it's lyrics are still great by today's standards...and it came out 25 years ago!

I think that's what makes this question so tough. So many factors go into it and you could go in alot of ways. I voted Pac. He just connected with so many listeners on an emotional level (whether he was talking about social plight of women and blacks or shooting holes through his enemies) and I think that is what it's all about.

[Beantown]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

Toss-up between Pac and Eminem for me. Voted Eminem, though.

[BlueNGold]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

I think that is a fair statement. I think critical success has to be up there, influence as well. Commercial success and status (relatively) is also important as well. Subject matter and technical skill (delivery, flow, metaphors) should be apart of the criteria as well.

You look at a guy like Eminem or Jay-Z who are tremendously popular and as well as very skilled MC's. How do they compare to Rakim, who isn't nearly as popular but was so advanced for his time that it influenced nearly every single rapper today? Listen to Paid In Full and it's lyrics are still great by today's standards...and it came out 25 years ago!

I think that's what makes this question so tough. So many factors go into it and you could go in alot of ways. I voted Pac. He just connected with so many listeners on an emotional level (whether he was talking about social plight of women and blacks or shooting holes through his enemies) and I think that is what it's all about.

Well under this criteria it's basically a four horse race between Biggie, 2Pac, Em and Jay. Maybe Cube as a dark horse.

[LionsFanNJ]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

Rakim. Without him most complex lyricism would not exist. Besides, he could take seven MC's, put them in a line, then add seven more brothers who think they could rhyme. then just take another 7 more before he goes for his. Ends up with 21 MC's ate up at the same time. AT. THE. SAME. TIME.

[areobee401]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

It still amazes me how many people actually liked 2pac.

[BlueNGold]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

It still amazes me how many people actually liked 2pac.

[areobee401]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

I'm not sure what your trying to say here. I just found Pac to have simple lyrics and a basic delivery.

[BlueNGold]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

I'm not sure what your trying to say here. I just found Pac to have simple lyrics and a basic delivery.

Maybe I should have crossed out the eyes in that picture.

You basically just called out any and every one that is a Pac fan and acted like your opinion is somehow superior because you don't like him.

[areobee401]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

Maybe I should have crossed out the eyes in that picture.

You basically just called out any and every one that is a Pac fan and acted like your opinion is somehow superior because you don't like him.

No I just don't get the why he is so revered. It's only music so too each his own. Nothing but opinions....

[TheShizNo1]

No I just don't get the why he is so revered. It's only music so too each his own. Nothing but opinions....

That may be why you don't understand the love for Pac. It wasn't JUST music and that's a big reason why he was loved.

[areobee401]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

That may be why you don't understand the love for Pac. It wasn't JUST music and that's a big reason why he was loved.

He was also a hypocrite so all that JUST goes out the window for me.

[SPTO]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

i'm not going to put my answer in the poll so as not to skew results but i'll say this. It's a toss up between 2Pac and Ice Cube to me. Pac for the fact that he may not have the most complex lyrics but he had a pretty good delivery. He was also one of the main driving forces for rap's meteoric second wave of popularity in the mid '90s.

Ice Cube is also up there IMO because he took what was a somewhat stale genre at the time and added teeth to it with the gangster rap. I know it would become a source of great controversy but Cube added a ton of realism and grit to the genre that went on for a good 5-7 years before rap turned into an orgy of excess with bling and loose women.

[Sublime12089]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

Nas, Rakim, and KRS-ONE. In that order to me, but that is a fair debate.

[Sublime12089]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

Rakim. Without him most complex lyricism would not exist. Besides, he could take seven MC's, put them in a line, then add seven more brothers who think they could rhyme. then just take another 7 more before he goes for his. Ends up with 21 MC's ate up at the same time. AT. THE. SAME. TIME.

I just posted my opinion, but to play devil's advocate, was Kool G Rap not using complex rhyme schemes years before Rakim?

[BDKiiing]

Re: The Greatest Rapper of All Time

clearly Em, did ya'll not hear the song G.O.A.T.?...but for real, I say Dre, no doubt.