>With rap artist being an all-encompassing term that takes
>into account more than simply how good one may be at writing
>and rapping. No rapper has ever been able to remain "hot" or
>commercially viable for as long as he has. And he hasn't
>really made any drastic concessions or pandered to any
>audience other than his own (rap/r&b) in the process. He gives
>the people what they want. And that sounds extremely simple
>and easy to accomplish in theory, but the long list of names
>that weren't able to "be around next year" in hip-hop speaks
>to the contrary.
>
>There was a HEATED post not too long ago in GD about how Jay-Z
>was never the hottest rapper at any point during his career;
>and some accuse(d) him of aping Young Chris' style and deride
>him for his countless (uncredited) interpolations of others
>rhymes, but the general public doesn't really care about the
>stuff that spawns multiplatinum posts on these boards. All
>they generally desire from their artists is music they can
>dance, ride and chill to, and Jay has consistently given
>audiences that for over fifteen years now. LL dubbed himself
>the GOAT at about 12 years in on his seventh album, with at
>least two duds in his discography at that point, and it was
>pretty much all downhill for him afterward. And though some
>may say that Jay has a few duds of his own, there's at least
>one record on each of his albums that has kept him on the
>radio or in the clubs and secured his relevancy.
>
>And with all that said, yes, he is one of the best technical
>rappers to ever spit as well. People use the fact that others
>praise Jay's business acumen and commercial success as a knock
>against him, as if they only do so to compensate for a lack of
>sheer rapping ability. Personally, my inability to get into
>dude has had more to do with his voice, my (past) keep it
>real/backpackery aversion to the jiggy era sounds and ethos,
>as well as his blatant attempts (in rhyme) to
>control/dictate/rewrite his, and the history of rap's
>narratives for his benefit. But his talent is undeniable. Even
>the staunchest anti-pop fan can't deny a song like Hovi Baby,
>or say dude can't flow after listening to Roc Boys. So it's
>not like Jay has coasted his whole career and he's got over on
>the general public by utilizing the art of
>suggestion/persuasion alone lol.
>
>So yeah, he's the best. A small part of me cringes when I type
>that but his career speaks for itself. LOUDLY! And no other
>rap artist to date has had a run that can match its decibel
>levels.

He is "the greatest rap artist of all time". Excellent post.