>Glad you got around to the Kendrick album though, that shit
>was/is high-powered.

given that i completely cuban b'ed any and everything any tried to tell me about it, i was able to have my damn mind blown by backseat freestyle. knew NOTHING about it coming in...i started smiling and just nodding like "yeah, youngin the next one...he got the glow"...joint gave me goosebumps.

>As far as best rapper goes, I wouldn't say Jay's one of them
>currently, I would say all-time he's certainly in the
>conversation.

never denied jay's charisma, flow or business acumen. just don't put him up there.

>I weigh the entire scope of the sound presentation, not just
>how lyrics look on a page.

this is the best i can put it: i assume every rapper can RAP. that's why i put it to the side. you SHOULD be able to compliment the beat with your vocals. it's literally your job. just because so many people suck at it, that don't mean i give extra points to dudes who do it well.

however, the only true SKILL that a rapper brings to the art-form is writing. for me, the heart of a rap song lives there, in the words, not the beat. rappers are not pop singers. i don't allow people with absolutely nothing to say to even come near my GOAT lists. you have to carry some WEIGHT, dogg....in the material, not with how much you've impacted the culture outside the recording booth. i don't care about that stuff. what was on the PAGE?!?! because for me, all that's left of who a rapper IS/WAS lives on the page. that's the essence.