ADN

In order..and explainations.


1. Notorious B.I.G. --Everything this guy writes is on another level..every song on his Life After Death cd was a classic in my eyes....this guy just does it for me. He isn't pretty, but took over the scene because of his music.

2. Pac -- This guy is as verastile as it gets....I'll assume most people have one of these two if not both in their top 5's...they're just never going to be anyone like these.

3. Eminem -- This guy, not only because he's white, but has the best multis in the business, the fact that he can go from underground to commerical and gain fans while not losing a lot of the ones he once had....is an accomplishment not many can speak on. He has some of the gayest play around songs...that even then are filled with more lyrical content and multis and flow than most rappers today

4. Tech N9ne -- Personal connection to him...so I'm biased whenever I hear his music, but I think he's incredible in all his work.

5. Twista -- if for nothing else...because every song he is on....is already that much better.....Put him on any R&B song...and its an instant classic and his verse becomes the favorite part in the song for mostly everyone. His speed and flow is legendary.




Who ya got?

Interestingly, down here in Aus, 1, 2 and 4 don't get much air-play around here, and so I haven't heard them.. yet... (good ol' eMule)

QUOTE(Lost Ghost)Tech N9ne -- Personal connection to him
Now THAT'S cool.. LoL

I would also very much agree on your explaination on Twista.. I've heard quite a few of his songs, and they are"already that much better"..

First, I must Lost Ghost you LG, and hate on your picks...Life After Death was a HORRIBLE album...Man, Ready to Die was the shit dreams were made of...I was heartbroken when I bought Life after Death, cause I was a broke ass college student at the time, and that damn CD was $22 bucks...It would have been an awesome single CD, but I can't remember but two songs off of the second disc...I did have a couple of jams on that joint, but it was NOT Ready To Die man...That's the classic...

Now, assuming that we are talking neither lyricist or vocalist but both, that is how I'm going to offer my joints...

1. Tupac - You were right LG, Tupac gets top honors, there is no way you rank Biggie on top of Tupac when you compare the body of work Tupac has to Biggie's...It is not even close...Biggie put out 2 albums...Shit Tupac has put out that many the first year after he died...There is Tupac, and then there is everyone else...His influence over everyone in the game is legendary...Think about how many Pac clones there are...And how many Biggies...Tupac was lyrical, and his delivery man, was full of passion...That man loved being a rapper...He cut All Eyez on Me in 2 weeks...The first rap double disc...He almost never worked with top flight, Neptunes type producers...You got a basic beat that didn't suck ass, and some lyrics...He covered gansta shit, political shit...He was an established poet...Just an artist and so much more than a rapper...I feel bad even putting him on a list of other dudes...


2. Andre 3000 - No one in the game is more versatile...He has reincarnated himself successfully every new album, and has NEVER disappointed...It is the only reason I rank him higher on my list than Slim...Fucking Andre 3000 decided that he would sing his last album, and that shit was STILL tight...Oh yeah, and he produced all the songs himself, including the Jazz track...Please...This dude is the realist...Several of the Outkast albums are classics, ATLiens, Aqemini...They play all the way through...

3. Eminem - He has murdered everyone he has stepped on the track with, and that has been some high, high company...Anyone knocking him cause he is white only does so cause they realize he can give it to you any way you want it...He is the greatest modern day lyricst, and a self admitted Pac clone...Nuff said...

4. Jay-Z - I was about to put Slick Rick here, and then I had to remind myself that Jay tells better stories...Like him or love him, Jigga got kung fu flow kids, with many, many styles...His body of work is questionable in places, but his flow is nice, he can be lyrical, and went commercial without loosing his soul...Well, at least not too much...Thank God for the underground...

5. Ice Cube -

• It's Ice Cube motherfucka
  He's a maniac
  no I'ma fool motherfucka
  Old school motherfucka, blow through a motherfucka
  What you heard about a nigga so true motherfucka
  • Classic rhyme scheme has worked for 20+...How can he not make the top 5..?
    
    Honorable mention: Bun B form UGK, rips every track he's on....The Game, has all the tools to be great...T.I...Has great flow, if he discovers a few new styles, he'll come at least in the top 20....Mos Def, needs no explanation, i would have loved to been able to put him in my Top 5, top 10 or 20 for sure...Cee-Lo, I can word for word about 20 of his flows, and he sings his ass off...
    
    Lots of cats I'm lovin' that didn't make it to my mindframe tonight, but I'm pretty confident of my Top 5...

A little trivia: Andre 3000 was born on my birthday /:D" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt=":D" />

1. Pac
2. Nas
3. Face
4. Em
5. Jay

I really can't give an order to them.. It's real hard.. But a lot of my picks are similar to LG's..




Notorious B.I.G. --Everything this guy writes is on another level..He isn't pretty, but took over the scene because of his music.

^^^Man, aint that the truth. I wish he was alive longer to put out more albums. I liked each of albums.. He is great in both of them IMO...

Pac -- This guy is as verastile as it gets....I'll assume most people have one of these two if not both in their top 5's...they're just never going to be anyone like these.

^^^He's real as hell! Definitly!

Eminem -- This guy, not only because he's white, but has the best multis in the business, the fact that he can go from underground to commerical and gain fans while not losing a lot of the ones he once had....is an accomplishment not many can speak on. He has some of the gayest play around songs...that even then are filled with more lyrical content and multis and flow than most rappers today

^^^MY exact view on him...

Nas-- Just everything beautiful... I love this dude's music. Concepts are dope, lyricism is dope, everything is dope about him.

Tech N9ne -- I ain't personally connected to him but I think he is one of the best in the industry. His style is awesome and some of his concepts are outstanding. Everysong he puts out I like. Very cool and he has an orginal sound. He could be mainstream but he could be underground too.

^^^^That's my view!


SOME REAL HIGH MENTIONS: Vishiss (www.vishiss.tk), he is really dope! Probably one of the best but officially hasn't come out iwth an album yet. But does have a bootleg album that is very inspirational and standard setting. He mixes his RnB Voice with his Flow and rhyming.. Perfect fit for making the perfect track. If you haven't heard him, you need to download some of his songs (Conquer the World, The Light, Product of my Environment, The New Guy, My Confession) at the site above. Seriously, he is very dope. I would consider him my favorite but no official record out and those above are my favorite mainstream. Atmosphere is very inspirational and deep when it comes to some of their songs. Very creative. I would have to say though, Atmosphere is more of an acquired taste than anyone can listen to them. Sage Francis another very inspirational and deep writer. I love his music. Very thoughtful and motivating. Talented writer!!! Andre 3000 for all the reasons Ayhja mentioned. ATLiens was an outstanding CD!!!

ya'll crazy... I'm old skool.

Will Smith (Best White Rapper Alive, versatile; a child protoge, and if you think he all just flake, think again. Lissen to some of his shit, and thurn it on. He'll teach you a thin or two about being real and marketable.)

Run DMC (My Adidas still poppin' - seriously, they took sampling to another level, and its hasn't gone far since. they also had the first guest star on a track, and used influences outside of the developing hip hop scene, and refwerences to cartoons. The invention of the multi.)

Tu Pac (man was on a mission) and Biggy (man was on a buffet of talent)

NWA (Snoop, Em, all them Dre Cats owe it to this joint,.. and all them big at one time or another (yes even Eazy.) Votin Em and not NWA is like voting Constantine and not Rome.)

Luke "Skywalker" - The Court of Appeals heard expert testimony (including Professor Long) and decided that the "Nasty" album did not appeal to the prurient interest and did have (culturally specific) artistic value.
***RAP's FIRST VICTORY AS ART.***

Vanilla Ice!!!!!

Will Smith (and Jazzy Jeff) was and is the shit! I have that shit in my CD player now.. Nightmare on my street! Damn, Will Smith is the shit.. But as far as saying top 5, Naw... I think I may have overdone it by saying B.I.G is top 5.. But who knows..

Run DMC, I'll be honest, Just never really listened to any of their albums.. Why? I have no fucking clue! lOl

NWA is my shit but top 5, naw! Eazy E, though, he is and was the shit!


A few other mentions would be Binary Star, Twista, and KRS ONE.
Shit, you could even throw in ICP if you wanted to talk about stepping stones in the industry. These two people have originated a style that has come along way, they were inspiration to a lot of people and still are. Their storyline for their albums is just amazing. Their lyrical ability is a bit different.. but they aren't ment to focus on the deeper shit, they have more of a "comedy" image.

And we can't forget about DMX. He is the shit (And then there was X).. WE all have to give him some sort of respect.

Shit, you could even throw in Esham, the father of Acid Rap. He is the shit and I forgot to mention him. He probably is in my top 5.

I feel you raum, but I didn't do my picks on influence, or hell yeah, Will Smith would have been on the list...There is nobody that has his level of talent and longevity...He challened rappers who talked shit about the fact he didn't curse in his records to step up and battle him...That test went untaken...Cats see Big Will and think he all Hollywood, but he all about paper...You have to be talented to be in the game this long, he's not lucky no more...And the fact that her doesn't curse is remarkable...

I noticed nobody said LL Cool J...And that is a good thing...

Notorious B.I.G. was good, but not top 5 of all time...