How come Black Thought is one of the greatest lyricists ever but is never in anybody’s top 10 rapper list?
- Thread starter Amerikan Melanin
- Start date
RennisDeynolds
I am untethered and my rage knows no bounds!
Kyle C. Barker
Migos VERZUZ Mahalia Jackson
Kyle C. Barker
Migos VERZUZ Mahalia Jackson
Taadow
The StarchBishop™️
Funk dat - all give you all 20:
1. LL Cool James T. Smith - The Boy King who became The First Uncle of Hip-Hop.
The Originator of the term “GOAT” - who named his album such, and no one dared challenge he
(except arguably DMX, who had the stones to sneak dis him on said album - but that’s hip-hop all day)
2. The Notorious B.I.G.
3. 2Pac/Makaveli Da Don
4. Jay-Z (I don’t know how to put the umlaut above the “y”)
5. Ice Cube/The Nikkka You Love Ta Hate/Don Mega
6. Rakim
7. Krs-One
8. Scarface
9. Nasty Nas Escobar
10. The Kool Genius of Rap
11. Snoop Doggy Dogg/MC Snooper Duper/The Doggfather/Doggy Fizzle
12. Big Daddy Kane
13&14. TIE:
Busta Rhymes & Redman/Reggie Red/Funk Doctor Spock
(it jus depends on my mood that day)
15. Slick Rick/MC Ricky D The Ruler (crumbs)
16. Too $hort/Todd
17. Eminem/Marshall (he is one of the greatest to ever put words together, Brethrens.
I give credit where it is due)
18. Big Punisher/Big Moon Dog
19. Kurupt Young Gotti Babyface Capone, the Doniaice Nicca on the microphone.
Never ever has he ever gave a FUCC
20. Prodigy/Bandana P
Taadow
The StarchBishop™️
I have Nas at 9 because as great as he is, for damn near everything he does well there is another rapper who does that better than him.
My criteria is based on:
Originality
Effect on The Rap Game
Catalogue (by the pound)
Career Track/Evolution
Lyrics/what the MC actually said
For Nas:
Of course he is lyrically monstrous.
His catalogue is so up-and-down for a GOAT MC.
I won’t say “bad” - but he has a GANG of records that either weren’t my cup of tea,
or I thought were good ideas that could’ve been executed better.
He gets Originality points for imaginative concepts (Rewind, Book of Rhymes, etc.), but
he’s not very original stylistically - and virtually everything he has spoken on has been done before.
He is a son of Kool G, even though he has evolved past Kool G and made a better catalogue.
Which is why is rank Kool G #10 below him.
(sidebar: Kool G ranks so high mainly for his Effect on The Rap Game. Kool G arguably has
the most Elite Sons in Rap History)
(double sidebar: Son MCs are a heavy concept on my list. If effects Originality and EOG - Effect On the Game)
For all anyone can say about Nas pre-and-during Illmatic (which some might say was his greatest era),
he wasn’t even the greatest Young Queens MC Who Is The Future (see #1).
RennisDeynolds
I am untethered and my rage knows no bounds!
Ohhhh they about to come for you breh
He ain't done shyt to end up on top 3s and 5s
. Big Boi >>>>>>> OutKast >>>>>>
In a word, Questlove.
Tariq basically hitched his wagon to that live band/jazzy type steez that was dope in 92-94, but mostly done by 95. Digable, Buckshot Le Fonque, Jazzmatazz, US3, etc came and went. Gangstarr moved on but the Roots didn't.
The Roots stayed on that sound, period. Maybe they changed a little during Illadelph, but by and large they have always been on that "Sunday morning clean the house" style. So if you were into that Neo Soul scene, that's where they were. That was their lane.
So Thought's destiny was tied to whether or not you liked The Roots. And most folks thought the sound was cool, but not banging. Their biggest song might be You Got Me, and if that was anyone other than Erykah on the hook, I doubt they would even have that.
They have always been dope in terms of live shows, but it's sort of on some Dave Matthews Band vibe. Grown up when the market is teenagers and young adults.
The fact that they toured 9 months out of the year for decades also needs to be taken into account. If Thought did more guest features. But few wanted to be associated with his grown and sexy vibe.
So he's not in the conversation based on his aphiilyation.
And tied to that, he isn't good at picking beats. All his solo joints might have a good song or two, but a lot of the beats are just boring and generic. So even when Quest is not involved, he still picks Roots type beats. El Michel affair is a good example of aight beats, but very few bangers. Cheat Codes, Streams of Thought...
He can flow over everything, so he just flows over anything.
Skill wise, he can't be denied. But being a great mc is about more than skills.
Tariq basically hitched his wagon to that live band/jazzy type steez that was dope in 92-94, but mostly done by 95. Digable, Buckshot Le Fonque, Jazzmatazz, US3, etc came and went. Gangstarr moved on but the Roots didn't.
The Roots stayed on that sound, period. Maybe they changed a little during Illadelph, but by and large they have always been on that "Sunday morning clean the house" style. So if you were into that Neo Soul scene, that's where they were. That was their lane.
So Thought's destiny was tied to whether or not you liked The Roots. And most folks thought the sound was cool, but not banging. Their biggest song might be You Got Me, and if that was anyone other than Erykah on the hook, I doubt they would even have that.
They have always been dope in terms of live shows, but it's sort of on some Dave Matthews Band vibe. Grown up when the market is teenagers and young adults.
The fact that they toured 9 months out of the year for decades also needs to be taken into account. If Thought did more guest features. But few wanted to be associated with his grown and sexy vibe.
So he's not in the conversation based on his aphiilyation.
And tied to that, he isn't good at picking beats. All his solo joints might have a good song or two, but a lot of the beats are just boring and generic. So even when Quest is not involved, he still picks Roots type beats. El Michel affair is a good example of aight beats, but very few bangers. Cheat Codes, Streams of Thought...
He can flow over everything, so he just flows over anything.
Skill wise, he can't be denied. But being a great mc is about more than skills.
CashmereThoughts
Veteran
I came here to say this.
Air Game Rule
D.I.O.V.C.
He's one of the best ever at the art of MCing fukk all that other shyt. My top 5.
But music is subjective. People forget that too often
But music is subjective. People forget that too often
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