too many takes on the industry, and their luminaries
Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:24 pm
Top Rappers (Lyricists) of All Time
1. Rakim ... Although he never became a household name, Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs -- perhaps THE greatest -- of all time within the hip-hop community.
2. Aesop Rock - his outstanding ability to continously create scrolls of thought-provoking lyrics, parables, & rhymes baffles the mind as to how a single rapper can possess this much prowess.
3. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Cousin of renowned gangster rapper Ice Cube, Del's rap isn't as grim or violent as Ice Cube's is, but in fact, he's been known to include something in his music that's far too uncommon in most rap: genuine Humor.
4. Nas - Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for years as one of New York City's leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists.
5. Jay-Z - Hip Hop mogul Jay-Z was one of East Coast rap's top acts as the 21st century began, known for his street-hustler background and for creating his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records. A near-savant in that he has not once written down a single line of his lyrics.
6. 2pac ... More renowned nowadays for his tragic shooting death, it seems both the generation before and the generaion after Tupac Shakur's fame don't fully realize how prolific and how "true" a rapper 2pac really was.
7. KRS-One - He was the leader of Boogie Down Productions, one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the '80s. At the height of his career, KRS-One was known for his furiously political and socially-conscious raps, which is the source of his nickname, "the Teacher."
Greatest Icons of Rap Today (in terms of overall stature)
- this will go in a "comparable" two-man tandem structure, so that you can see
the similarities and difference between the success and reception of the two rappers -
1. Eminem / 2pac ... it may seem close, but honestly it's not. Marshall Mathers (Eminem) holds a firm grip on a more broad scope of people and social groups ever since he skyrocketed to fame as the apprentice of Dr. Dre.
2. Dr. Dre / Snoop Dogg - The "godfathers" of rap, these two icons have been a mainstay in the rap culture for nearly 2 full decades. Their immediate presence inspires awe amongst the masses. And, really, where would we be without "Gin and Juice"?
3. Jay-Z / Nas - the feud between these two in the mid-90s propelled both artists to even greater heights in terms of both talent and recognition. Both artists are now universal household names when mentioning the best of NY Rap.
4. Biggie Smalls / Ice Cube - similar in terms of build, that's where the comparison stops. One is from the East Coast, the other from the West Side, both rappers polarized their audience and captivated their followers. Ice Cube fronted and led a potent gangsta-rap clique with NWA, while Biggie worked alongside Sean "Puffy" Combs and Bad Boy Prod.
5. Chuck D / Rev Run ... the two frontmen of two of the most iconic and enduring rap groups of all-time in Public Enemy and Run-DMC, these two strong-mouthed MCs had a great supporting cast and social situation that propelled them to Hip-Hop stardom.
The Best Rap Outfits and Hip-Hop Groups of Our Generation
1. Run-D.M.C. - More than any other hip-hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music. As the first hardcore rap outfit, the trio set the sound and style for the next decade of rap.
2. Public Enemy ... Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. With his powerful, authoritative baritone, lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism.
3. Outkast - individually, Big Boi and Andre Benjamin could be within the discussion each as being a consideration as the greatest rappers of all time. As a duo, OutKast took Southern hip-hop in bold, innovative new directions: less reliance on aggression, more positivity and melody, thicker arrangements, and intricate lyrics. Definitely should be in everyone's top-5 list of rap duos/groups, as they have been a mainstay in terms of success and superb talent.
4. The Roots - Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.
5. The Wu-Tang Clan ... it's not hard to classify this as a juggernaut of talent when you possess such rappers as RZA, the GZA, ODB, Ghostface, and Method Man.
6. N.W.A. ... N.W.A, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap, are in many ways the most notorious group in the history of rap. The true antithesis of what Public Enemy stood for in terms of educating the masses, NWA sought more to pummel them to a pulp, celebrating the violence and hedonism of the criminal life, capturing it all in blunt, harsh language.
7. De La Soul ... At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as the future of hip-hop. With its colorful, neo-psychedelic collage of samples and styles, plus the Long Island trio's low-key, clever rhymes and goofy humor, the album sounded like nothing else in hip-hop. Where most of their contemporaries drew directly from old-school rap, funk, or Public Enemy's dense sonic barrage, De La Soul were gentler and more eclectic, taking in not only funk and soul, but also pop, jazz, reggae, and psychedelia.
1. Rakim ... Although he never became a household name, Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs -- perhaps THE greatest -- of all time within the hip-hop community.
2. Aesop Rock - his outstanding ability to continously create scrolls of thought-provoking lyrics, parables, & rhymes baffles the mind as to how a single rapper can possess this much prowess.
3. Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Cousin of renowned gangster rapper Ice Cube, Del's rap isn't as grim or violent as Ice Cube's is, but in fact, he's been known to include something in his music that's far too uncommon in most rap: genuine Humor.
4. Nas - Beginning with his classic debut, Illmatic (1994), Nas stood tall for years as one of New York City's leading rap voices, outspokenly expressing a righteous, self-empowered swagger that endeared him to critics and hip-hop purists.
5. Jay-Z - Hip Hop mogul Jay-Z was one of East Coast rap's top acts as the 21st century began, known for his street-hustler background and for creating his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records. A near-savant in that he has not once written down a single line of his lyrics.
6. 2pac ... More renowned nowadays for his tragic shooting death, it seems both the generation before and the generaion after Tupac Shakur's fame don't fully realize how prolific and how "true" a rapper 2pac really was.
7. KRS-One - He was the leader of Boogie Down Productions, one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the '80s. At the height of his career, KRS-One was known for his furiously political and socially-conscious raps, which is the source of his nickname, "the Teacher."
Greatest Icons of Rap Today (in terms of overall stature)
- this will go in a "comparable" two-man tandem structure, so that you can see
the similarities and difference between the success and reception of the two rappers -
1. Eminem / 2pac ... it may seem close, but honestly it's not. Marshall Mathers (Eminem) holds a firm grip on a more broad scope of people and social groups ever since he skyrocketed to fame as the apprentice of Dr. Dre.
2. Dr. Dre / Snoop Dogg - The "godfathers" of rap, these two icons have been a mainstay in the rap culture for nearly 2 full decades. Their immediate presence inspires awe amongst the masses. And, really, where would we be without "Gin and Juice"?
3. Jay-Z / Nas - the feud between these two in the mid-90s propelled both artists to even greater heights in terms of both talent and recognition. Both artists are now universal household names when mentioning the best of NY Rap.
4. Biggie Smalls / Ice Cube - similar in terms of build, that's where the comparison stops. One is from the East Coast, the other from the West Side, both rappers polarized their audience and captivated their followers. Ice Cube fronted and led a potent gangsta-rap clique with NWA, while Biggie worked alongside Sean "Puffy" Combs and Bad Boy Prod.
5. Chuck D / Rev Run ... the two frontmen of two of the most iconic and enduring rap groups of all-time in Public Enemy and Run-DMC, these two strong-mouthed MCs had a great supporting cast and social situation that propelled them to Hip-Hop stardom.
The Best Rap Outfits and Hip-Hop Groups of Our Generation
1. Run-D.M.C. - More than any other hip-hop group, Run-D.M.C. are responsible for the sound and style of the music. As the first hardcore rap outfit, the trio set the sound and style for the next decade of rap.
2. Public Enemy ... Public Enemy rewrote the rules of hip-hop, becoming the most influential and controversial rap group of the late '80s and, for many, the definitive rap group of all time. With his powerful, authoritative baritone, lead rapper Chuck D rhymed about all kinds of social problems, particularly those plaguing the black community, often condoning revolutionary tactics and social activism.
3. Outkast - individually, Big Boi and Andre Benjamin could be within the discussion each as being a consideration as the greatest rappers of all time. As a duo, OutKast took Southern hip-hop in bold, innovative new directions: less reliance on aggression, more positivity and melody, thicker arrangements, and intricate lyrics. Definitely should be in everyone's top-5 list of rap duos/groups, as they have been a mainstay in terms of success and superb talent.
4. The Roots - Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.
5. The Wu-Tang Clan ... it's not hard to classify this as a juggernaut of talent when you possess such rappers as RZA, the GZA, ODB, Ghostface, and Method Man.
6. N.W.A. ... N.W.A, the unapologetically violent and sexist pioneers of gangsta rap, are in many ways the most notorious group in the history of rap. The true antithesis of what Public Enemy stood for in terms of educating the masses, NWA sought more to pummel them to a pulp, celebrating the violence and hedonism of the criminal life, capturing it all in blunt, harsh language.
7. De La Soul ... At the time of its 1989 release, De La Soul's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as the future of hip-hop. With its colorful, neo-psychedelic collage of samples and styles, plus the Long Island trio's low-key, clever rhymes and goofy humor, the album sounded like nothing else in hip-hop. Where most of their contemporaries drew directly from old-school rap, funk, or Public Enemy's dense sonic barrage, De La Soul were gentler and more eclectic, taking in not only funk and soul, but also pop, jazz, reggae, and psychedelia.