I must be the perfect man to countdown the best of the hip hop industry, as not only do I hate the rap culture in general, but I also tend to dislike the music produced by artists who I would consider sub standard at their best. Still, I respect the genre as an art form, so I will try as objectively as possible to countdown who I consider the best in the business.
#10 Rakim (1985-)
Rakim is largely considered the last O.G in the world of hip hop, or 'last original gangster' for the more civilised among us. This lasting legacy is predominantly because his fresh style managed to usher in a new age of hip hop that would take the 90's by storm. As opposed to the old cheesy formula of hip hop Rakim had an incredibly smooth style that fit his simple yet effective beats. Sounds a simple feature for a hip hop artist now, but in the late 80's this approach was a breath of fresh air from the usually high energy world of hip hop. His now legendary partnership with DJ Eric B was one of the greatest combinations in hip hop history, with Rakim being able to display his full range of skills as an MC, with Eric B producing some heavily sampled and high impact instrumentals for the almost perfect combination of style and substance.
To this day Rakim is still considered by many to be the greatest MC of all time, and his 1987 debut album 'Paid in Full' has often been cited as the greatest hip hop album of all time. It's easy to see why. The man could rhyme just about anything he wanted too, and yet still made the delivery sound effortless in execution. Flow is a big topic often discussed in the rap business, and this man had a ton of it. With the debut album also came a new typical persona for rappers everywhere, so I suppose we also have this man to thank for the larger than life rapper trope that's common today, as Rakim kept banging on about how great he was on the mic; which he was, but we didn't need to keep hearing about it. I honestly hate the self centred approach in the majority of rappers, but I guess that's just another indication of how influential this man was on the business.
#9 LL Cool J (1984-)
'Ladies Love Cool James'. How hip hop is that name? LL Cool J might not be the biggest gangster in the business, but he still had the persona of a credible performer from the streets, even if he did heavily infuse many pop elements into his work. This merging of two opposites actually worked to an advantage, as although this man's sound is nowhere near as gritty as gangsta rap, it did lead to mainstream success, and with this success came an increased diversity in his material. The results of this diversification are some genuinely good songs like the one above that still tick all the boxes in the credible rapper list.
We see a completely different side to hip hop when viewing LL Cool J in comparison to rappers such as Rakim. LL Cool J doesn't really care how technically brilliant his songs are, and doesn't view them as a form of poetry, instead throwing in elements that are all over the place both in terms of pacing and overall style. Nothing is ever too flashy for an LL Cool J song, which mostly revolve around the simple formula of a plain beat and some hardcore mic work; A far cry from the earlier rap work that LL Cool J helped to eradicate. The man now fronts the very popular 'Lip Sync Battles' on television, and stars in roles for film and TV, which shall we say are mixed. LL Cool J is also a serious bodybuilder, so maybe I won't be slagging off his other ventures in this article.
#8 Run DMC (1981-2002)
Yeah okay Run DMC are more rock than any other hip hop artists on this list, but they're undeniably a huge part of the culture. The fact that they liked to put more rock influenced sounds into their work is probably why I like them so much, although the word 'like' is very tenuous in that sentence. The trio of Joseph Simmons, Daryl McDaniels and Jam Master Jay became a staple of the 1980's hip hop scene. In short they made rap a popular genre, and introduced that now iconic style to the masses. DMC gained the first gold certified album, the first platinum certified album, and the first mutliplatinum certified album of any hip hop artists in history, paving the way for the so called golden age of hip hop.
The success of the group had the foundations in their perfect image for a genre centred around the streets. They had the style, they had the image, and they had a solid selection of tunes that are all uniquely produced. That was until their final album, 'Crown Royal', released in 2001, that was essentially just an argument and lacked the chemistry and style of their original material. The final nail in the coffin for the group was when Jam Master Jay was shot dead in 2002 outside his recording studio in New York, which I suppose is at least committing fully to the stereotypical rapper image that these man help popularise. There's no denying that Run DMC's influence on popular music is legendary, and they have since been inducted into the 'Rock and Roll Hall of Fame' in 2012, becoming the second hip hop artists to achieve that feat. That's just another one of the many records that this influential band managed to achieve for the hip hop community.
#7 Snoop Dogg (1992-)
How can you not love the character and charisma of Snoop Dogg, or whatever he's going by these days? Snoop Lion was my personal favourite, which is a name he adopted after converting the Rastafarian movement. Snoop whatever his surname is, is certainly an all round entertainer. He's not one of the most talented rappers out there, but he has such a widespread appeal from his charisma that I'm sure everyone has happily dropped one of his bangers before and not felt in any way guilty. He's sold thirty five million albums worldwide, which include the decent 'Doggy Style', the not so good 'The Doggather', and most recently 'Doggumentary'. Many of these classic albums are still played in clubs today, showing the guy has lost none of his appeal to the masses. He's even ventured into television starring in the amazing 'Doggy Fizzle Televizzle'.
Once you get past the brilliant persona you discover that Snoop isn't a hardcore rapper, rather relying on a cool melodramatic tone to perfectly accompany that 70's soul vibe you get from his work. His music is a bit like being taken on a psychedelic experience, and in fact Snoop is often quite famously on drugs, somehow managing to freestyle through song after song no matter how baked he might be. Snoop may have made a name for himself through the gangster rap scene, but he's now far away from the gangster that Dr. Dre helped to establish into a household name. Now Snoop is just the cool guy of the rap genre that everybody loves. He claims to smoke eighty cannabis blunts a day, is a self proclaimed certified pimp, and is one of the best selling hip hop artists of all time. What a guy.
#6 Notorious B.I.G. (1992-1997)
When you talk about iconic figures in the rap game then Christopher Wallace has to be near the forefront of every conversation. Both this man's unique style and persona were never matched by any other artists to the same extent. Listening to the state of rap music nowadays it's embarrassing how far it's fallen from the technical proficiency and raw talent of Wallace. Everything about this man's game was silky smooth. The flow in his songs is effortlessly done and often varied to accommodate complex rhyming schemes, and this smooth and cool tone came to be the iconic factor about East Coast rap, that until 'Biggie' came along was floundering against its West Coast rivals.
Unlike all the fake 'playas' in the game this guy was an actual gangster. He used to hustle to feed his daughter, and you can feel that tough upbringing in his raw and direct style of rapping. He tells a captivating story that despite its questionable legitimacy is instantly believable. The man was an institution in the now infamous East Coast-West Coast feud, which ultimately led to the death of Wallace in 1997, when not surprisingly he was shot outside of an LA nightclub, as nearly any rapper from that time was. Wallace was a prime target in this feud considering his high profile rivalry with Tupac Shakur on the West side, despite 'Biggie' never actively 'dissing' his rivals. His subsequent double album, titled 'Life After Death', is one of the few hip hop albums to ever be certified diamond, and also a fitting tribute to a great career.
#5 Kanye West (1996-)
What separates Kanye West from the majority of rappers is his ability to produce a hit. He always has that second nature of knowing what will sell, and if it isn't a quality product you just know it will get people talking. I know there's going to be a lot of hate for putting him above 'Biggie', but Kanye is a man who knows the music business like no other, even if he is a monumental wanker. He was even called a 'jackass' by President Barack Obama, and when that happens you know you've been a massive cunt. I hate to be the one to blow smoke up this guy's ass, because he does that enough as it is anyway, but Kanye is a man we can thank, which really might not be the right word to use, for the modern rap industry. He's not some gangster or hustler, just a self aware guy who loves to talk about himself, and that's about it. That might not sound like an accomplishment, but apparently it is.
Not only is Kanye responsible for the transition of the rap genre from being dominated by thugs to twats, but he's also the man that gave his style of rap a more commercially viable edge when compared to the more classic rap of old. West tends to ignore strong themes in favour of appealing to a broader audience. That's the way he's always played it, and in many ways that's worked out more than fine. I can't say I'm a fan of that style, and just watching his Glastonbury main event slot is proof as to why I hate that style so much, but it has allowed Kanye to get very creative over the course of his career, which I guess can be viewed as a positive. The man does appear to care about his work, and in all honesty that's what's missing from much of popular music these days. Just listening to a single one of his albums is like watching a musical variety show, and I respect that about his ethos. Just wish he'd stick clear of that autotune though. When looking through his library there's a lot of shit to sift through thanks to that shite.
#4 Nas (1991-)
Nas, which I believe is short for Nasir Jones and not the National Autistic Society or Network Attached Storage, is often cited as one of the most gifted rappers of all time. Nas' debut album 'Illmatic' is to this day seen as possibly the greatest rap album of all time, containing material that encapsulates everything that made rap such a mainstay in 90's culture. He was 19 when that debut album was released. Nineteen. If a musician can produce that quality at that age then it tells you he's something special. hen you actually listen to 'Illmatic' it becomes instantly clear why Nas is so highly regarded. The production value is fantastic, and the atmosphere and lyrics of each song are just so perfect for the culture of the time.
The only thing that matches Nas' ability to produce a quality album is his equally brilliant ability to MC, spitting some bare bars as I believe they say in the hood. With 'Illmatic' you get a glimpse into some mesmerising stories in the ghetto told by an angry young man who will take on anyone, whether that be society itself or hip hop legends like Jay Z. Over his career Nas has proven that he's a one of a kind MC that runs rings round all the others in terms of raw ability. He's since fallen off the radar, popping up occasionally in such stupid shit as appearing in Justin Bieber songs. But let's just remember the legend that brought the gritty realism of 90's gangsta rap to life.
#3 Eminem (1992-)
Eminem is often revered as one of the greatest rappers ever, having an extraordinary diversity in his content that appeals to a great many people. He's one of those rappers that you can really make an emotional connection to, and his rhymes often tell a deep personal story that's relatable to many of his fans. With his work we've comprehensively covered such huge topics like rape and murder, that although might not be taken as seriously as they should be are still powerful elements in some very powerful work. To say the man's lyrics were charged would be an understatement, and over the years Eminem has rapped about burying his dead wife, and how people plan to kill US presidents, and most shockingly of all talking a lot of smack about his own mother, which I can confirm is not a solid strategy.
Eminem is always at his best when he's trying to shock the audience. Take his latest hit 'Phenomenal' as an example. That's just meaningless and dull drivel that in no way does justice to a man with the capabilities of Eminem. Sure it still has that 'bouncing around on stage for ten minutes' content that Eminem just loves, but it's not got that sound lyrical content that makes Eminem the great artist that he once was. Both as an artist and producer Eminem has shown he has a serious ear for rhymes, and so it's pleasing to see this talent has translated into big album sales. Eminem is one of the best selling artists of the modern age, eclipsing the statistics of his compatriots, and is thought to have sold over 170 million albums worldwide. The man also has over six billion views on Youtube and the sixth biggest selling artist in the USA, so this man has very much left a lasting legacy on the world of hip hop.
#2 Tupac Shakur (1987-1996)
Despite portraying himself as a big gangster figure, Tupac was a philosophical and poetic genius to many people. His lyrics have such great meaning and speak tremendous volumes about Tupac's strong views on the society he lived in, often revolving around race and social issues, although they were sometimes heavily disguised under the usual rap bravado. It wasn't just about showing off though like we see these days, and there was a deeper, introspective meaning behind this bigging up that separates Shakur from the usual rapper cliches. In many ways this is one of the most prominent and inspiring figures in the music industry. That inspiration may come from deep inside his lyrics, as in reality violence is at the forefront of almost everything this rapper did. That's reflected in his personal life too, having incidents where he threatened to beat fellow rappers up with baseball bats and shooting police officers. He's even the only man to ever have a Billboard 200 number one whilst serving time in prison, so I don't think there's any denying that this man was a proper gangster.
His 1996 album 'All Eyez on Me' is widely regarded as one of the best hip hop albums ever produced. Every single word of that album comes from Tupac's heart. You get the sense he actually cares about the message he's trying to carry, no matter how shocking that might be to some. He's a truly extraordinary individual who let the music do the talking. Tupac's life was cut short when he was shot in 1996, in which he had to be placed in a barbiturate induced coma because he kept trying to get up after being shot four times, which is pretty much all you need to know about the guy. His legacy has become arguably the greatest in the rap industry, becoming the flagbearer for people who transform their musical genres and ideas into a credible art form. Arguably Tupac has been more active since his death, and now is considered a legendary artist by almost anyone of any persuasion.
#1 N.W.A. (1986-1991)
In my opinion the greatest hip hop artists of all time were the boys 'Straight Outta Compton'. I'm of course referring to their most famous lineup: Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and MC Ren. 'N.W.A.' literally stands for 'Niggaz with Attitude', and they certainly bought attitude into mainstream hip hop with their strong lyrics and direct demeanour towards authority being instrumental in their success. They were the only guys in the genre speaking their mind, and the N.W.A. certainly knew how to put their ideas into their songs, which lyrically are all sublime, and are all perfectly accompanied by some fast paced beats and stellar production.
This group's now legendary lyrics and themes were seen as such a danger to the American population that the FBI actually sent them a warning letter in response to the now iconic 'Fuck The Police' track. The N.W.A. dominated the rap scene in the late 80's despite only releasing just the two albums, which says a lot about how powerful and influential those two releases were. This now legendary partnership ended in 1991 over pay disputes, which led to a lengthy feud from all parties involved. The group only reconciled after Eazy E's death from AIDS in 1995, by which time all members of the group had become legends in the hip hop game.
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