YW's Fifty Greatest Rappers of All TIme: 10, 9

And we are back. For the top ten on our list, five YW writers have come together to share thoughts about some of their favourite emcees. We will do two today, Wednesday and Thursday, three tomorrow, and unveil YW's greatest rapper of all time on Friday. Enjoy.


10) Black Thought
Average Score: 8.44
Government Name: Tariq Trotter
Known For: The frontman of The Roots has probably been overshadowed by the musicality and originality of his band throughout his whole career. On top of that, in the 22 year span of band activity, full acceptance into hip hop has been relatively recent. The bands first major tour was Lollapalooza in 1995, as part of a lineup that is usually reserved for hard rock and heavy metal bands. I remember reading an article about the Roots around the time that Phrenology was dropping in 2002. Black Thought was discussing his frustration in regards to a photo shoot in which the band was pictured in the woods. "I'm from South Philly, man. Why am I standing in leaves?"
It was, however, around this time when the Roots band backed up Jay-Z for MTV's Unplugged. This was the first of several performances which put the Roots in a hip hop-oriented public forum. These shows, coupled with a resurgence in the popularity of conscious rap led to long-overdue recognition of the Roots as a staple in mainstream hip hop.
Yet, inconsiderate of the genre that the Roots may fall-under, they have always been critically acclaimed. Drummer and band leader Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson is known as the creative genius behind The Roots, and really the group's most recognizable face. But one only needs to put on a pair of headphones and listen to anyone of the Roots eight albums, to understand why Black Thought should always be considered as one of the best rappers in history. Armed with a bassy and raspy voice that can switch from smooth to intense mid-measure, Thought doesn't just stay on beat, he rides it, without so much as a poorly-timed syllable. His lyrics have always fused battle braggadocio and political commentary, and have grown progressively more introspective over his career. And although the argument can be made that Black has the best flow in hip hop, his breath control is undeniably better than anyone's. This is most evident in live performance, as Black Thought never misses a word, sounding exactly like he does on recordings: emotional yet refined.
I remember watching Black Thought effortlessly hype-manning Nas during the latter's set at a Roots/Nas/Common/Talib concert in 2006. As Nas mumbled his way through his songs, missing what seemed like hundreds of words, due to a likely combination of poor memory and poor breath control, Black filled in every word God's Son missed, be it a single line-ender or an entire couplet. It was then that I realized Black's true dedication to hip hop, as well-honed as rapper's get, as fit to stand under the spotlight as anyone, yet happy to play impromptu hypeman for a lazier emcee, or defacto hypeman for the band he is supposed to front.
And so it goes, we usually hear Black Thought as another instrument on Roots' song, perhaps something like a second bass, certainly a second fiddle. We can imagine that his solo career would have earned him more praise, but we appreciate Trotter for never straying from the Roots, as we do athletes who stay on one team throughout their career. Besides, maybe that chip of under-appreciation on his shoulder is what has allowed him to work so hard throughout his career, on stage and in the booth, towards perfection.
Essential Album: Game Theory* (2006)
*This is not necessarily the best Roots album, but as far as providing a showcase for Black Thought as an emcee, Game Theory is as good as it gets.
by VodkaTron

9) Big L
Average Score: 8.55
Government Name: Lamont Coleman
As YW published a reflective article two weeks ago, celebrating the emcee on the 10th anniversary of his death, Strats decided to provide some more in depth information about Mr. Coleman's background and music career.
Background: Lamont Coleman was born to Gilda Terry on May 30, 1974, in Harlem, New York. As a youth, he acquired the nickname, "Little Lamont" - most likely due to his size - but eventually shed that moniker and became, Big L. Big L began his solo rap career in High School spitting infectious street tales of his Harlem upbringing. He is said to have won more sanctioned battles then any other Harlem emcee in the 1990's. While still in his teens, L teamed up with several other Harlem emcees to form a crew called Children of the Corn.

What You Should Know About Children of the Corn: -The most notable members of the crew were, Mason "Murder Mase" Betha, Cameron "Killa Cam" Giles, and Mase's cousin, Derek "Bloodshed" Armstead.
-They cranked out over thirty five songs in the few short years they were together.
-It is rumored that L persuaded both Mase and Cam to put down the ball and pick up the mic (they were aspiring pro basketball players).


Other Collaboration: At around the same time that COC formed, Big L caught the attention of the legendary Bronx producer and emcee, Lord Finesse. Finesse had recently formed the hip hop collective, D.I.T.C. or Diggin' In The Crates, and asked L to join.

What You Should Know About DITC: -Members include: Showbiz, AG, Fat Joe, O.C., Diamond D, and Buckwild.
-Most of DITC's material was released after the murder of L.

Solo Career: Big L released his debut LP, Lifestyles of the Poor & Dangerous, on Columbia Records, in 1995. On a promotional tour for the album, Big L made an appearance on the infamous Stretch & Bobbito show (WKCR Columbia University radio). That Thursday night/Friday morning, Big L along with the then unknown Jay-Z, recorded one of the greatest radio sessions in history.
Fast forward to 1999, Lamont is about to hit the big time. It is rumoured that a a deal with Roc-A-Fella is ready to be inked, and the world is about to get to know the svelte emcee representing 139 and Lennox, the block he famously tagged as the "Danger Zone." On February 15th, Big L was shot in his own neighbourhood.
There is no clear answer to what provoked the murder. The most widely accepted explanation was that the shooter (still unknown), was seeking retaliation for something L's brother - in jail at the time - did. In August of 2000, Rawkus Records released, posthumously, L's second and final studio album, The Big Picture.
Whether you like it or not, Big L's presence in hip hop is still felt a decade later. His witty punchlines were delivered in impressive internal rhyme schemes with the intensity and speed of Kalashnikov. So while he may lack the overall catalogue of other rappers in the top ten, Big L is all too worthy of our number nine slot.
Essential Album: The Big Picture (2000)
by The Stratetician