Something got to me over Spring Break. What is the deal with people that listen to rap now a days? No one knows how to respect their elders, and there is no more of this “gangsta” rap any more. There is no more East Coast vs. West Coast, or Jay-Z vs. Nas, or even Eminem vs. Fred Durst. That what rap needs; a good ol’ fashion rivalry. With that said, time to rattle off who are the 5 best rappers of all-time, as my opinion isn’t up for debate, it is a fact.
1. Tupac Shakur– Listen to any of his stuff, and tell me anyone that is lyrically better than him. Whether it be “Dear Mama”, “Me Against the World” or “So Many Tears”, Me Against the World is at worst arguably the best rap album of all-time (it is in the top-5, no doubt). Throw in some classics like “California Love”, “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”, “Can’t C Me” or “Ambitionz Az a Ridah” from All Eyez on Me, and it is game over. Try arguing this one.
2. Jay-Z- Might be a little biased on this one, but The Blueprint, Reasonable Doubt, and The Black Album are three of the best albums of all-time. Whether it be “Empire State of Mind”, “Izzo”, “Big Pimpin”, or “99 Problems”, the man they call H.O.V.A. is the best East Coast rapper of all-time, bar none. If you have never seen the jigga-man in concert ever before, do it. He isn’t going to be around forever.
3. Notorious B.I.G.- It is a shame that biggie was killed when he was (he was 24), as he was on his way to dominating the rap game, and changing how music was listened to. Ready to Die and Life After Death are two albums that have countless hits on them like “Juicy” (Thanks PSUWLAX), “Hypnotize”, “Mo Money Mo Problems” or “Big Poppa”, any time you hear the beginning instrumentals, you know what is good.
4. Dr. Dre– Where to start? Dre has had a number of contributions to rap (and music, in general) whether it is Beats by Dre, N.W.A., or Aftermath Records. Some classics include “Still Dre”, “Nuthin’ But a G Thang”, or “Forget About Dre” on the solo side of things. Detox needs to come out one of these days, as the talk of this album coming out has been way too long.
5. Nas– As much as a Jay-Z fan I am, Nas had probably the best album of all time in Illmatic when it dropped in 1994. A number of top-notch albums have come out since then, such as Hip Hop is Dead (in 2006) and I am (in 2000).
-Others that were close to making the top-5 include Eminem, LL Cool J, 2 Chainz, Drake and Jkwon.