Complex: 50 Best New York Rappers of All-Time

[kingofnyc]

I was 13 in 96. I’m 40

spliz was a 9 year old DJ

much respect tho

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Damn how they gonna have Run and no DMC? Prodigy and no Havoc?

 

[FreshAIG]

Damn how they gonna have Run and no DMC? Prodigy and no Havoc?

Q-Tip and no Phife smfh

 

[BmoreGorilla]

Q-Tip and no Phife smfh

Damn I didn’t even peep that smh

 

[BmoreGorilla]

I'm not in major disagreement with you about Nas' resume in general, it's why I find the arguments that he should be over Hov disingenuous at best, outright lying at worst...

As it compares to Big, i just think it has to matter that Nas was here and hot before Big, sustained his relevancy while Big was here and on fire, and was hot AFTER Big. Like how and for what reason do we undermine that? It's not like Big's star completely snuffed Nas out...

The quality of Nas' best work holds up with Big's as well. Big was a bonafide hit maker, but Nas is as versatile and creative a lyricist as Big ever was. So even if you give Big the edge in lyricism there us no major gap...

So ultimately for me the guy with more work on the board gets the lead when the quality of the work was otherwise level...

About LL, come on, homie. You know by the time Big hit big LL was already transitioning towards acting (In The House). LL was still dropping classic records while Big was popping (Loungin, Doing It, etc) and this was with his attention pivoting into acting. You can't shyt on LL like Big came and took his star, like you said James was the original rap SUPERSTAR. His combo of songwriting, lyricism, hits, sex appeal, crossover appeal, is the blueprint every rapper including Big could bite from moving forward...

LL was hot for a strong 7 or 8 years before Big was even heard of, don't do this, fam. His longevity as an elite rap star can't be shytted on...

Ultimately I'd be cool with Big over LL because unlike with Nas, LL's lyricism really ain't fukking with Big's, and I do think Big's peak work is stronger than LL's by a notch. But it's only a notch and LL being the OG GOAT, having classic work, being That Guy YEARS before Big's star was born, it's a coin flip...

I’ve said this on here before but LL is the prototype MC. I’d definitely put him over Big. He’s had hits in three decades and is the face of this whole 50th anniversary shyt

 

[maxamusa]

No Max B

 

[BK The Great]

No Banks on this list is a travesty.

 

[spliz]

breh - i gots absolutely positively nothing against you, but you’re exposing yourself because your timeframe is just not adding up
once again … how could you claim to be a DJ back in the mid 90s and you’re not even 40 now
the mid 90s was 30 years ago

I’ve been DJing and doing block parties since I was 11 years old. E Money Bags fam was my mentor. And the nikka who dapping u is the same fukking age as me.

 

[spliz]

I was 13 in 96. I’m 40

spliz was a 9 year old DJ

I wasn’t 9 in 96 u fukkin faggit. @kingofnyc me and @FreshAIG the same age and y’all don’t question his shyt. My history with hip hop runs deep as fukk so nikkas could eat up. I was in middle school in 96 and I was at the back to school concert at Nassau Coliseum when Nas announced PAC’s death.

 

[Cladyclad]

I wasn’t 9 in 96 u fukkin faggit.

Jesus lol

are u ready to fight across the street from a Walmart like the last time u were angry at me?
just say the word breh

trick trick was my mentor

I been knocking nikkas out since I was 8

 

[Mastamimd]

Q-Tip and no Phife smfh

Phife better than Tip too lol

Glad I avoided this thread because of the inevitable...y'all gotta let the Stan war shyt go man some of y'all are literally 40

 

[spliz]

Jesus lol

are u ready to fight across the street from a Walmart like the last time u were angry at me?
just say the word breh

trick trick was my mentor

I been knocking nikkas out since I was 8

I’mma say it like this. Me and u basically the same age. But if any of u nikkas got a daughter over 20 I could run down cause I’m a fly nikka who don’t look older than 25. lol. That’s all that matters.

 

[JYoung24]

Biggie was NOT a better lyricist than Nas even HE HIMSELF didn’t believe that. I can’t even believe this is a back n forth argument? Nas’ last Gold album was in 2012. So how is that sitting in the corner making music. Nas’ just got a Grammy in 2021. That’s sitting in the corner making music? Nas’ last top 10 debut was in 2022. That’s sitting in the corner making music? Hip hop is 50 that’s had a huge festival, commercials, documentaries. Grammy performances, and the list goes on. That was all curated by NAS and his team. That’s sitting in the corner? WTF is Jay doing then? The nikka ain’t even dropped a project since 2017. And he dropped 2 collab projects that flopped. One with Bey and one with Jay Elec which sold less than both Kings Disease 1 and 2.

That's what I'm saying that nikka saying Nas not being relevant in 20 years is wild Nas has almost went gold in his first week these last 20 years

 

[JYoung24]

We not in any major disagreement on Nas' career. This push he's gotten in the last half-decade is parallel to the post-retirement, then post-death push, Kobe got, and it stems from insecurity that formed a groundswell in opposition to Jay-Z (Bron for Kobe)...

We knew and acknowledged what Nas was for years, and what he's meant to The Culture. But the very fact most heads even put Jay over him sent some muhfukkas over the edge and you got this "Nas is underrated/isnt respected" type shyt that has brought us where we are now...

In his prime he was putting out mid music (Nastradamus was bad and I AM was only slightly better). He recovered with Stillmatic then like you said hit a wall for awhile (though I do think the N Word album was gimmicky, I actually think it's a pretty good drop. It's not amongst his worst)...

So yeah obviously he and his legion of Stans curated this media groundswell that has elevated him beyond where he actually should be. He isn't underrated, he isn't disrespected, nor is he the greatest rapper ever...

But compared to BIG, I gotta value the fact Nas has more work on the board. We talking 2 albums and a 3-year window with Big. Thats just not enough work to give you an eternal slot when you have Nas' overall body of work...

Don't do this, dog...

I don't know bruh, BIG and Nas in the same upper echelon of lyricism to me...

Also you quoted the wrong poster, I didn't say Nas just was sitting in a corner. But this run of the last half-decade or so, it's not organic. He's making good music but this doesn't elevate nor sink him, nothing he's done the last 3-4 years changes Nas' historic position...

He's definitely a beneficiary of having friends and Stans in high places so I'm not really moved on him getting a Grammy and performing there. Do we really need to talk about the artists and classic work that never got Grammy acknowledgement?

And again I'm not even coming at Nas like that, I'm a fan. I have him over Big...

Nah Nas is definitely the greatest ever

 

[CrimsonTider]

Nah Nas is definitely the greatest ever

He’s not