As we continue, today's entries are largely an ode to the old school.
Tied 40) The Beastie Boys
Average Score: 6.9
Group Members: Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz
Average Age: 43
Amount of Records Sold Worldwide: 37 Million
Known For: The Beastie Boys are one of the most successful rap groups in history, and are known for their abrasive delivery and often comical content.
Essential Album: Paul's Boutique (1989)
39) Dr. Dre
Average Score: 6.95
Government Name: Andre Romelle Young
Grammy Awards: Five
Known For: More of a producer than a rapper, it is rumored that Dre doesn't write his own lyrics. Nevertheless, his strong vocal presence, and the general quality of music he releases earns Dre the respect of hip hop heads across the globe.
Essential Album: The Chronic (1992)
Tied 37) Snoop Dogg
Average Score: 7
Government Name: Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr.
Movie and TV roles and appearances: Thirty
Known For: First celebrated for his revolutionary flow, and important role in the media phenomenon that was gangster rap, Snoop is now a household name, known more recently for his comedic antics, on and off the track. Over his fifteen year career, Snoop has recorded thirteen albums on nine different record labels.
Essential Album: DoggyStyle (1993)
Tied 37) 50 Cent
Average Score: 7
Government Name: Curtis James Jackson III
Average Record Sales per Major Album: 8.1 Million
Rappers he has had beef with: Ja Rule, Benzino, The Game, Young Buck, Nas, Jada Kiss, Fat Joe, Cam'ron, Rick Ross, etc...
Known For: While 50's independent release of The Power of the Dollar (2000) earned him respect in the New York underground scene, it was not until 2003 that 50 cent took the world by storm with Get Rich or Die Tryin (2003), an album that went on to sell over 12 million copies. 50 is one of the best hit makers in hip hop, and his love for confrontation is hilarious.
Peep his thoughts on Cocaine, India, and Croatia.
Essential Album: Get Rich or Die Tryin'(2003)
36) Beanie Sigel
Average Score: 7.1
Government Name: Dwight Grant
Religion: Sunni Muslim
Hood Shit he has Done: Weapons Possesion (Convicted), Attempted Murder (Acquitted), Failure to Pay Child Support (Convicted), Assault (Convicted), Violation of Parole on account of Positive Drug Tests for Xanax and Percocet (Convicted). He was also shot in 2006, and allegedly somebody kidnapped his father and burnt him alive.
Known For: The Broad Street Bully is a well known Philly rapper, respected for his brutal sincerity, clever lyrics and problems with the law. Beanie was also the founder of the rap crew State Property.
Essential Album: The B. Coming (2005)
35) Rakim
Average Score: 7.11
Government Name: Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin, Jr.
Years in the Game: 23
Sidenote: Rakim is generally considered in the top five rappers of all time on similar lists. His rating at #35 is probably a reflection of the age of the judges.
Known For: The innovator of the internal rhyme's utilization in hip hop, and widely thought of as the first great lyricist, Rakim is arguably the most respected rapper ever.
Essential Album: Paid in Full (1987) with Eric B.
34) Ludacris
Average Score: 7.15
Government Name: Christopher Bridges
Restaurants Owned: Three, including The Straits Atlanta which specializes in Singaporean cuisine
Known For: The former radio personality is best known for his funny, clever rhymes and having one of the best technical flows in history. Ludacris has released 7 albums since 2000 with US sales of 15 million records.
Essential Album: Chicken-N-Beer (2003)
33) Method Man
Average Score: 7.2
Government Name: Clifford Smith
Aliases: Hot Nikkels, Iron Lung, John-John McClane, Johnny Blaze, Johnny Dangerous, Johnny Storm, Methical, The Panty Raider, Sha-Kwon, Tical, Ticallion Stallion
Known For: Of the nine members of the Wu Tang Clan, Meth is the most formidable frontman, particularly during live performance. His innovative flow, swagger, and smooth voice have ensured the quality of Method Man's work, whether with the Wu, with Redman, or as a solo performer.
Essential Album: Tical (1994)
Tied 31) De La Soul
Average Score: 7.25
Group Members: Kevin "Plug One" Mercer, David "Dave" Jude Jolicoeur (pretty heart in French), Vincent "Maseo" Mason
Known For: Through light-hearted and quirky, yet meaningful lyrics, De La is one of the great alternative hip hop acts. For the last two decades, the Strong Island trio has provided thoughtful commentary on the state of hip hop.
Essential Albums: 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Tied 31) Fabolous
Average Score: 7.25
Government Name: John David Jackson
Clothing Line: Rich Yüng Society Clothing
Known For: The first of several New York punchline rappers on this list, F-A-B-O, has similes for days. For almost a decade, Fab has successfully spanned the grey area between commercial success and mixtape respect.
Hip Hop Quotable: "Go ahead nigga, say another name/ Take this family for a joke, play them Wayans Brother games/ And I'ma get you sucka, I be schemin' with this Keenan/ Aimin with this Daman, I'm putting that Major Payne in/ My lil' man is on ya, Marlon and Shawn ya..."
Essential Album: Real Talk (2004)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
YW's Fifty Greates Rappers of All TIme: 40-31
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15 comments:
FAB AND BEANIE HIGHER THAN 50!
this is insanity.
50 AT 37?!?!?! I'm having a lot of trouble with this...
Please someone, anyone, make an argument for how Beanie fucking Sigel is higher than 50.
in the last year, i have begun to like 50, and appreciate his contribution and importance. a year after get rich or die trying came out, however, i did not feel the same. i think a lot of people would argue that fifty is detrimental to hip hop, maybe even that when g-unit was on top, the rap game was in its worst state in history.
the massacre and curtis are pop-trash. furthermore, beefing with half of new york's rap institutions alienated 50 from a lot of hip hop fans. back in 05 or 06 when he was taking shots at evrybody, i was basically like "fuck a 50 cent, dipset all day", ya know?
while beanie didn't have the impact that 50 had, anyone that respects real street shit and/or quality emcees respects beanie. 50 doesnt have that universal respect.
hima's 3 for the dude didnt help his case very much either. without that, he would have had an average score of 7.44, taking him to the 27th spot.
as far as fab goes, it does seem weird, but almost everyone gave him a seven or above so....
I hate Fab. He's a cornball.
Beanie is a real dude so I have no complaints with his place on the list.
Clearly some dudes gave 50 2's and 3's because 50 shouldn't be so low.
Luda before Rakim? I don't know much of Rakim's music but I know this is wrong. Luda is AITE at best. AMAZING delivery, but, 'sit.
Snoop Dogg is garbage. Nothing good has come from his mouth since D'Style.
And Method Man? We should just made top 10 list and then listed 30 honorable mentions in no particular order.
BTW. 'Tron, great write-up.
I really like how you put a random fact about each rapper/group in their and not just some uniform BS.
Good shit.
All good points. I guess for me Power of the Dollar, which is relentlessly slept on if not completely unknown by many people, including 50 fans themselves, is an album that ranks up with any album ever. He displays true mid 90's style emcee ability on that album and in that vein it deserves to be talked about with illmatic, enter the 36, or whatever else you want to include.
My extreme love for De La forces me to comment on this round...
While "3 Feet High and Rising" is, perhaps, the go-to De La album for many a fair-weather fan, as it is full of silly pop jams, neon colored retro flower graphics, and friendly odes to the mellowness of life on Strong Island, I'd press that if someone was going to own only one De La album (which would be a terrible decision for anyone who likes hiphop), that either "De La Soul is Dead" or "Stakes is High" would be a better representation of just how well De La can really bring it...
i actually had a very difficult time deciding on the essential de la album. with a career like theirs, choosing one album is impossible.
i think seeing 30-some-odd rappers above rakim is cool. hip hop based media always tries to force-feed that old school shit down our throats- telling us to be all too considerate of innovators and pioneers. weve been "socialized" (in quotations, cuz the word's usage here does not bear the heavy connotation of normal socialization) to believe that rakim is better than luda.
the truth is, its been a long time since rakim was relevant, and his music has proven to have limited lasting power.
i think power of the dollar is great, but with all the jacked or mediocre beats it reminds me of a mixtape, plus its too long.
I can count on my normal 5-fingered hands how many hot lines 50 has actually spit in my life, Power of the dollar included. His rhymes are so generic and hes been repeating the same ones for ten years. Power of the dollar is amazing(not with illmatic or 36 tho), but the dude can not spit, its just really really really real. However, im surprised hes still so low, cuz u got to respect it, like you gotta respect the gay parade or something. On the subject of real, NO ONE is realer than Beanie. He is just the most gangster mother fucker ever. The B. Coming is really fucking good, and when the dude lets his thug down, he spits some heartfelt shit, and he's nasty with it. The verse on Freeway's what we do is wrong is a fucking rap, like, thats rap.
Vodkatron, if you ever make a disrespectful comment about a mixtape again, IM GOING TO CUT U. I don't want to hear this mix tape babble, ill mix your fucking tape. Mix Tape just means, for the streets. It is just something that does not get released as a studio album to make money off of. granted, you get some low quality shit sometimes, but a mixtape can be every bit as good as a studio album.
I am actually very surprised Luda isn't higher. He pulls off an amazing feat of being very funny, almost clown, but still damn good and respected. If I needed 16 for a track, Luda would be one of the first people I went to. The dudes put out so many good tracks over a bunch of years now. And hes actually intelligent and has used it to put himself in a position where he can release singles that he chooses, not pop records(after hes already released one or two of those prob). Hes a lyricist, but hes also funny, thats tough. I think his flaws are limited.
I have a soft spot for fab, hes brooklyn, his punchlines are outta control, and hes slick as fuck. Tho his first album with keepin it gangsta and all that stupid shit might be the best.
Ur all stupid.
If 50 "can't spit"...then what does that say for your beloved dipset?
I agree with you that he isn't the best lyricist, however, he's one hell of a rapper and he got low balled on our list. I would say he's top 25 ever.
You have zero clout in my mind when it comes to hip hop.Go listen to 180 Weezy songs in a row, dig in the crates for some classic Hell Rell and then bump JR Writer's 4th mixtape.
mr grimes, i know you're salty cuz i won that argument against u and j store about the carter III and the carter three sessions or some such nonsense. all i was trying to say that no mixtape, or nothing that resembles a mixtape can compare to illmatic or 36 chambers.
but, except for that part about you wanting to cut me, i am in total agreeance with you.
and nick, besides for cam 50 is an all around greater rapper than everyone in dipset, but hes industry. dipset is in the streets.
that was from vtron
nickname, nobody respects your taste in music cuz ur a hater, and nobody likes haters. lyrically, cam, jr, jimmy, and juelz murder 50, hell rell and zeekey do not. Like Vtron said, all things considered, hes better than them(not cam or juelz) but he spits hot garbage.
Vtron, jerk store was on your side about C3 being better than the sessions, I was the only one arguing that, but you were saying absolute garbage that you had no idea about, like this wasn't finished or doesn't sound right. especially something you forgot, which is a perfect song. You lost that argument. bitch.
hold up. did you ever hear the revolution? when it comes to released songs sounding like they aren't finished, don't sound right, or aren't well mixed, i know more than anyone in the world. besides, i can tell by your tone that you are still heated cuz i won. if we had judges, they would have said i won. i won.
dont forget some dipset affiliates as being lyrically better than 50. tom gist and SAS both come to mind.
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