Is Rick Ross’ lyrical peak comparable to or even BETTER than Prodigy’s peak?

[Catch these Hands]

huge ross fan but hell on earth prodigy is a goat candidate.

Hell on Earth was a dope but HNIC was most likely his best body of work.
When I heard this verse on Veterans memorial I had to pause the track and sit there for a bit.

It's hard to believe that nikkas so strong
Could die so easily forever be gone
I could still feel the web of your palm, against mine
'Cause we did our hand shake all the time

 

[oO J Smooth Oo]

wtf goes through your heads when posts like this are conceived?

 

[eastside313]

There was a time when prodigy was the best rapper in the game.

 

[mobbinfms]

Skills
Impact
Influence
Longevity

*Had to include groups. Some of these artists were in their respective primes while they were in groups (prodigy, pimp c, Rakim, Pusha T, etc etc)*



1.Face (1-10)

NWA (Ice Cube, Eazy, Dre)

Run DMC

KRS-One

Eric B & Rakim

LL Cool J

Kane

Public Enemy

Slick Rick

Ice T


(11-20)

2 Pac
Jay Z
Nasir Jones
Snoop Dogg & The Dogg Pound (Kurupt, Daz, Warren G)
Kool G Rap
The Notorious B.I.G (Puff Daddy)*
Outkast
Three 6 Mafia (Lord Infamous, Paul & Juice, Pat*)
Wu-Tang Clan (Rae, Ghost, GZA, Meth)
Mobb Deep (Prodigy)

21-30

Kanye West
Tribe Called Quest (phife, Q-Tip)
2 Live Crew
UGK (Pimp & Bunny)
Redman
The Lox (Styles P, Jadakiss)
E-40
MC Lyte
The Fugees (L Boogie, Pras, Wyclef)
Ma$e (COC & Bad Boy)


31-40

Lil Wayne & CMB (B.G. Juvenile, Turk, Mannie Fresh)
DMX
Master P & NL (C Murder, Mac, Mystikal and Beats by the pound)
Bone Thugs & Harmony (krayzie, Lazie, Bizzy)
Lupe Fiasco
Big L
Eminem
50 Cent (G unit)
The Game
Rick Ro$$ (MMG, Meek, Wale, Gunplay)


41-50

De La Soul
Clipse (Pusha)
Beans
Young Jeezy
Kendrick Lamar
Gucci Mane Lil Flair (1017 Brick Squad)
J.Cole
Royce Da 5’9
Fabolous
Trick Daddy

In some ways I like including groups, but overall I just don't think its appropriate.
For example, Wu should have 3-4 spots on a top 50.
36 Mafia shouldn't have any (not to diss them, but "best rappers" isn't something they are known for).
Still - I :psalute:salute the effort.

If I may, a few glaring omissions and they will likely be less glaring the further I go down:
Melle Mel
Kool Moe Dee
Too Short
Kurtis Blow
Common
Pun
Treach
Puba
Lord Finesse
Guru
Del
Black Thought
Mos Def
D.O.C.

 

[Catch these Hands]

In some ways I like including groups, but overall I just don't think its appropriate.
For example, Wu should have 3-4 spots on a top 50.
36 Mafia shouldn't have any (not to diss them, but "best rappers" isn't something they are known for).
Still - I :psalute:salute the effort.

If I may, a few glaring omissions and they will likely be less glaring the further I go down:
Melle Mel
Kool Moe Dee
Too Short
Kurtis Blow
Common
Pun
Treach
Puba
Lord Finesse
Guru
Del
Black Thought
Mos Def
D.O.C.

I think DITC should be on the list. They sure had their place.

 

[mobbinfms]

I think DITC should be on the list. They sure had their place.

That makes me think that Buckshot/Smif N Wessun and Sean P are missing too
Jeru

 

[Catch these Hands]

That makes me think that Buckshot/Smif N Wessun and Sean P are missing too
Jeru

Sean P too. He did have impact. Especially after he died. He was a huge part of the Underground scene. I'm sad we'll never get to hear him and Rock on an album together again.

 

[mobbinfms]

Skills
Impact
Influence
Longevity

*Had to include groups. Some of these artists were in their respective primes while they were in groups (prodigy, pimp c, Rakim, Pusha T, etc etc)*



1.Face (1-10)

NWA (Ice Cube, Eazy, Dre)

Run DMC

KRS-One

Eric B & Rakim

LL Cool J

Kane

Public Enemy

Slick Rick

Ice T


(11-20)

2 Pac
Jay Z
Nasir Jones
Snoop Dogg & The Dogg Pound (Kurupt, Daz, Warren G)
Kool G Rap
The Notorious B.I.G (Puff Daddy)*
Outkast
Three 6 Mafia (Lord Infamous, Paul & Juice, Pat*)
Wu-Tang Clan (Rae, Ghost, GZA, Meth)
Mobb Deep (Prodigy)

21-30

Kanye West
Tribe Called Quest (phife, Q-Tip)
2 Live Crew
UGK (Pimp & Bunny)
Redman
The Lox (Styles P, Jadakiss)
E-40
MC Lyte
The Fugees (L Boogie, Pras, Wyclef)
Ma$e (COC & Bad Boy)


31-40

Lil Wayne & CMB (B.G. Juvenile, Turk, Mannie Fresh)
DMX
Master P & NL (C Murder, Mac, Mystikal and Beats by the pound)
Bone Thugs & Harmony (krayzie, Lazie, Bizzy)
Lupe Fiasco
Big L
Eminem
50 Cent (G unit)
The Game
Rick Ro$$ (MMG, Meek, Wale, Gunplay)


41-50

De La Soul
Clipse (Pusha)
Beans
Young Jeezy
Kendrick Lamar
Gucci Mane Lil Flair (1017 Brick Squad)
J.Cole
Royce Da 5’9
Fabolous
Trick Daddy

I bolded the rappers I don't think belong on a top 50. That's not saying everyone else would be in my top 50
But that I can see the argument for them.

 

[Redwing80]

Skills
Impact
Influence
Longevity

*Had to include groups. Some of these artists were in their respective primes while they were in groups (prodigy, pimp c, Rakim, Pusha T, etc etc)*



1.Face (1-10)

NWA (Ice Cube, Eazy, Dre)

Run DMC

KRS-One

Eric B & Rakim

LL Cool J

Kane

Public Enemy

Slick Rick

Ice T


(11-20)

2 Pac
Jay Z
Nasir Jones
Snoop Dogg & The Dogg Pound (Kurupt, Daz, Warren G)
Kool G Rap
The Notorious B.I.G (Puff Daddy)*
Outkast
Three 6 Mafia (Lord Infamous, Paul & Juice, Pat*)
Wu-Tang Clan (Rae, Ghost, GZA, Meth)
Mobb Deep (Prodigy)

21-30

Kanye West
Tribe Called Quest (phife, Q-Tip)
2 Live Crew
UGK (Pimp & Bunny)
Redman
The Lox (Styles P, Jadakiss)
E-40
MC Lyte
The Fugees (L Boogie, Pras, Wyclef)
Ma$e (COC & Bad Boy)


31-40

Lil Wayne & CMB (B.G. Juvenile, Turk, Mannie Fresh)
DMX
Master P & NL (C Murder, Mac, Mystikal and Beats by the pound)
Bone Thugs & Harmony (krayzie, Lazie, Bizzy)
Lupe Fiasco
Big L
Eminem
50 Cent (G unit)
The Game
Rick Ro$$ (MMG, Meek, Wale, Gunplay)


41-50

De La Soul
Clipse (Pusha)
Beans
Young Jeezy
Kendrick Lamar
Gucci Mane Lil Flair (1017 Brick Squad)
J.Cole
Royce Da 5’9
Fabolous
Trick Daddy

I would only argue for Gucci and Fab but this is solid

Hold this rep

 

[mobbinfms]

I would only argue for Gucci and Fab but this is solid

Hold this rep

Yeah - with the exception of the very early pioneers, this list covers damn near everything. You can't read this and assume its a flabby and sick list, an east coast list, a west coast list or anything else :psalute:

 

[Redwing80]

Yeah - with the exception of the very early pioneers, this list covers damn near everything. You can't read this and assume its a flabby and sick list, an east coast list, a west coast list or anything else :psalute:

A list like that is impossible to get right.. I respect the attempt though

 

[GrindtooFilthy]

Scientology
Foreclosure
Hold on
Devil is a liar
Red dress
Rich is gangsta


Yall telling me those tracks don't hit your soul especially the first 3

Man Ross nice with the pen don't front and I don't even fukk with Ross like that

 

[ZEB WALTON]

Im seeing people say ross better than rae n ghost. G rap. P. Pun. Etc

Ross has no classic albums. He has an assprtment of 7/10 tracks and he is above average but he is not great

 

[Shorty K]

Then how can we compare logically if thats the case

Prodigy in his peak & era.....had heaps of competition, to which he was still touted as 1 of the best rappers

Rick Ross in his peak & era....hardy any competition in terms of lyrical rappers, it was much easy for him to stand out

So i had to ask myself

Would Rick Ross in his peak stand out like he did in this era where Prodigy was at his lyrical peak (as you are comparing the 2)

of course he wouldn't

Ross in the 90s would stand out even more than he does now because his ear for beats is wayyy ahead of the average lyrical 90s nikka. If Ross rapped the same bars in the 90s nikkas honestly would respect that he's a top tier lyricist just because they overrate everything from that era. Nowadays nikkas'll look at you funny if you say Ross is a better lyricist than Wayne

 

[Piri Tomas]

Rick Ross isn't nice at all. People think he's lyrical because he came up in the post-50 Cent lyrical dessert period in hip-hop. Someone with intelligible lyrics is all of a sudden being put in the same conversation as lyrical geniuses, that shyt is absurd. Prodigy wasn't the most versatile rapper in the world but he really pioneered/mastered a sound (along with Nas/ Wu Tang). He held his own and then some in a lyrical golden age.