Meccapolis ranks “Kings Of New York” from 1985 to 2024

[Finesse]

Yeah there wasn’t a king every year

In fact there’s probably only been a few “kings” All-Time like 50, Big, Run DMC as a group

Idk why this is such a thing in NY rap discourse

Word only guy that comes to mind was 50 at the pinnacle of his powers


That to me is the level of KONY if you not hitting like that

 

[Ziggiy]

Honestly Jay Becoming king of NY is one of the biggest upsets in history.

Biggie was king from 94-97 then he died tragically. If I asked you on March 10th of 1997 who is gonna be the next guy, most people would say Nas. He was coming off a hugely successful multi plat album and was gonna drop the hyped firm supergroup record produced by Dre and Trackmasters that year.

Jay was independent in 96 and his album went gold which was a success but nobody thought he was gonna cross over to this extent even with the Def Jam deal in 97. Dmx didn’t even get signed to def jam till 2 months after biggie died.

But by the end of the next year, Nas wasn’t even top 2 because Jay Z and DMX emerged as megastars in a way he never did.

Nas put out 2 platinum albums in the same year the year after X did. I Am’s first week outsold Vol 3, The Slim Shady LP, Blackout and Guerilla Warfare’s first week’s. To say Nas wasn’t a megastar is to believe the revisionist bullshyt Jay tried to pull. Its just not true.

 

[REdefinition]

I really want to see the recent years' pics. Like last 10 years.

 

[Street Knowledge]

Nas put out 2 platinum albums in the same year the year after X did. I Am’s first week outsold Vol 3, The Slim Shady LP, Blackout and Guerilla Warfare’s first week’s. To say Nas wasn’t a megastar is to believe the revisionist bullshyt Jay tried to pull. Its just not true.

Jay and X were going 5 times platinum which is a level that Nas never got to. Volume 2 literally sold more copies in 6 months than IWW sold in 28 years lol.

Nas was never a megastar.

 

[BmoreGorilla]

How many kings can one really say there were?


So far the only NY MC who I can honestly say fulfilled that role fo real was Biggie


Nobody else hit the same. Including Jayz and Nas.

This here. And tbh he was prolly the last one. That title didn’t mean as much after he died. Before him there really was only Run. Between Run and Big there was too much comp.

 

[Finesse]

I really want to see the recent years' pics. Like last 10 years.

These guys

 

[L. Deezy]

Jay and X were going 5 times platinum which is a level that Nas never got to. Volume 2 literally sold more copies in 6 months than IWW sold in 28 years lol.

Nas was never a megastar.

Stevie wonder and Prince never sold what Michael sold with Thriller.. dont get your point here.

 

[REdefinition]

These guys

Definitley. But I feel its like cheating them too many years. Fivvio will probably get 1. Will Six Nine have a year? lol

 

[Street Knowledge]

Stevie wonder and Prince never sold what Michael sold with Thriller.. dont get your point here.

They weren’t on MJ’s level in terms of popularity at their peaks. Which is the fine and a fact.

Do you think Nas was hotter in 96 than Jay was in 98? You think IWW was bigger than Volume 2 which was the number one album in the country 5 weeks in a row?

It’s not Just 1998, Jay has several years where he’s bigger than Nas ever was in 96.

 

[Finesse]

Definitley. But I feel its like cheating them too many years. Fivvio will probably get 1. Will Six Nine have a year? lol

If we remove the whole "KONY" aspect to it and just classify it as the city's hottest & most impactful


It should go

Rocky
Boogie
Troy
Cardi
Pop
Fivi
6ix
Ice


Now we goin thru the Cash Cobain era

 

[qnsfinest]

He never gave us a criteria for this list. Is it highest selling artist of the yr? Most critically acclaimed album of the year? Best verse, best song?

Because Nas 100% should have 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 with his Magic and KD run.

 

[L. Deezy]

They weren’t on MJ’s level in terms of popularity at their peaks. Which is the fine and a fact.

Do you think Nas was hotter in 96 than Jay was in 98? You think IWW was bigger than Volume 2 which was the number one album in the country 5 weeks in a row?

It’s not Just 1998, Jay has several years where he’s bigger than Nas ever was in 96.

Bro, you really confusing this megastar thing. Its like 4 rappers that basically consensus top 4 in everyones list over the last 15 to 20 years. Jay and Nas are in that 4.. Is Jay slightly bigger, yes... but they in the same stratosphere. Again.. only 2 rappers have charted in the top 10 16 times. Its those two. Yall pro Jay guys be on some superhero shyt for no reason. Its not like Jay is Eminem level or something.

At all Jay peaks he was outsold by somebody in the industry.. whether it was Nelly, DMX, Ja Rule or Em..

 

[qnsfinest]

Bro, you really confusing this megastar thing. Its like 4 rappers that basically consensus top 4 in everyones list over the last 15 to 20 years. Jay and Nas are in that 4.. Is Jay slightly bigger, yes... but they in the same stratosphere. Again.. only 2 rappers have charted in the top 10 16 times. Its those two. Yall pro Jay guys be on some superhero shyt for no reason. Its not like Jay is Eminem level or something.

At all Jay peaks he was outsold by somebody in the industry.. whether it was Nelly, DMX, Ja Rule or Em..

The only time Jay stans bring up record sales, is when Nas is mentioned. That’s the only argument they can use against Nas.

But the same stans get up in arms when you mention Eminem, drake, nelly, Ja, dmx outselling Jay. I’ve seen the same stans all over this board say “man, we talking better MC or record sales, we more popular album or better album”.

That’s why I always laugh when jay said “only people moving units is em, pimp juice and us”. Nikka, nelly and em were going diamond from 2000-2003 while you were going triple. And Nas was going double during the same 00-03 run

 

[L. Deezy]

The only time Jay stans bring up record sales, is when Nas is mentioned. That’s the only argument they can use against Nas.

But the same stans get up in arms when you mention Eminem, drake, nelly, Ja, dmx outselling Jay. I’ve seen the same stans all over this board say “man, we talking better MC or record sales, we more popular album or better album”.

That’s why I always laugh when jay said “only people moving units is em, pimp juice and us”. Nikka, nelly and em were going diamond from 2000-2003 while you were going triple. And Nas was going double during the same 00-03 run

Right

 

[maxamusa]

Jim jones deserves a slot.