Kendrick is better than everyone on that list (objectively).Its literally no argument anymore.. us old heads, have to accept it... its like the NBA (MJ, LeBron, Kobe, Magic, Kareem)
-Tupac
-Jay Z
-Nas
-Biggie
-Kendrick Lamar.
This is the New Consensus Top 5 All Time.
- Thread starter Stick Up Kid
- Start date
AND? Having an exceptional 5 year run doesn’t make someone the GOAT of a genre that spans the course of 40+ years now
. Is Gale Sayers the GOAT Running back?
tehparadox
All Star
If consensus means the names that would pop the most when asking people what the top 5 is, then yeah Biggie is out. He ain't being mentioned like that by new listeners.
Its literally no argument anymore.. us old heads, have to accept it... its like the NBA (MJ, LeBron, Kobe, Magic, Kareem)
-Tupac
-Jay Z
-Nas
-Biggie
-Kendrick Lamar.
Nas is number 1 and Kendrick ain’t quite top 5 yet (I have him toggled between 6-8 depending on the day)
Pac and Biggie have been surpassed by several artists when it comes to discography. They died too soon. It sucks but it is what it is.
Jim Cornette
The Cult of Meat with Extra Cheese...
Pac had 3 straight classic albums…
Ran the west coast. Legendary run..
Easily still top 5 stfu
Lol no he didn't and doesn't
His classics are GKMC and TPAB
Section 80, very good. DAMN is very good. Mr Morales... eh. GNX... very good.
Anyways, rappers eligible for top 5, in no particular order:
Biggie
2Pac
Jay-Z
Nas
Ice Cube
Scarface (too regional, not his fault)
Big Boi (his solo career is very good, not elite like Cube after NWA)
Andre 3000 (solo career: non existent)
Rakim (important pacesetter from a critical perspective, but surpassed eventually)
LL (same as above)
Kendrick (plenty of deserved critical acclaim, but nothing we haven't seen before. Until last year he hasn't had a grip on the commercial sounds, let's see how long his new dominance lasts without a foil)
Eminem (technically up there, sometimes too much for his own good. Has the numbers, but only 1-2 classic albums)
Requirements:
Multiple classics
Critical acclaim
Commercial appeal
Elite songwriting ability
Genre pacesetters
Final selection is bolded. Don't care to rank them. But I can't make a case for any of the others out leaping the bolded. They're in the conversation though, not mad at anyone's list that includes the others.
tehparadox
All Star
DAMN has always been considered a a classic, will always be.
Damn is the 2nd highest rated rap album of all time, and also the 2nd biggest rap album of the 21st century (chart performances, sales, streams, according to a new billboard analysis), the only album to win the pulitzer outside of jazz and classical music, produced the only song eligible for 2x diamond in rap,... and let's not talk about its impact lol.
kendrick really dropped the highest rated rap album of all time in 2015, and followed with the 2nd highest rated rap album of all time in 2017.
What an absolute demon
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Yeah hard to argue against that. Kendrick is also the first rapper since early Kanye to release 3 straight classic albums in a row, while still having other albums of his in that discussion as well.
Based on discography alone, he was already being put in that top 5/10 discussion 4 albums in and he still hasn't missed.
Based on discography alone, he was already being put in that top 5/10 discussion 4 albums in and he still hasn't missed.
Lol what. Damn is literally one of the biggest albums in the past 25 years, while still having massive critical success
Gnx isnt the first time Kendrick is having a grip on the commercial sounds.
This is not something "we have seen before".
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Now he has 5 
genius.com
Common Says Kendrick Lamar Has Four Classic Albums
He put the Compton MC just outside of his top five favorite rappers.
genius.com
Lol what. Damn is literally one of the biggest albums in the past 25 years, while still having massive critical success
Gnx isnt the first time Kendrick is having a grip on the commercial sounds.
I have no idea why posters like to pretend that 2017 never happened and Kendrick didn’t absolutely OWN that year in music. He was inarguably the biggest rapper and one of the biggest ARTISTS in popular music that year.
Have to make sure I only converse with confirmed non-bots. The post counts and post topics are a dead giveaway 
OWN is a very strong word.
He was the top artist in 2017, fair enough. But he didn't OWN the year. He was the front liner amongst Migos, Cardi B and others. It was Humble/DNA, which got forgotten once Bad and Boujee came out. Which was eclipsed by Bodak Yellow. Again, nothing we haven't seen before in terms of commercial spread.
He OWNED 2024. No one came close.
There's a difference.
OWN is a very strong word.
He was the top artist in 2017, fair enough. But he didn't OWN the year. He was the front liner amongst Migos, Cardi B and others. It was Humble/DNA, which got forgotten once Bad and Boujee came out. Which was eclipsed by Bodak Yellow. Again, nothing we haven't seen before in terms of commercial spread.
He OWNED 2024. No one came close.
There's a difference.
How can it be forgotten if it kept chartin, breaking records ?Have to make sure I only converse with confirmed non-bots. The post counts and post topics are a dead giveaway
OWN is a very strong word.
He was the top artist in 2017, fair enough. But he didn't OWN the year. He was the front liner amongst Migos, Cardi B and others. It was Humble/DNA, which got forgotten once Bad and Boujee came out. Which was eclipsed by Bodak Yellow. Again, nothing we haven't seen before in terms of commercial spread.
He OWNED 2024. No one came close.
There's a difference.
Humble is now officially the best selling rap song of all time
That's accurateNow he has 5
Common Says Kendrick Lamar Has Four Classic Albums
He put the Compton MC just outside of his top five favorite rappers.
