Could be just a list of favorites or who you consider the greatest for factors such as longevity, lyricism, album quality, longest time at the top, etc.

Curious to see how lists have changed or not changed over the past decade.

10. Run
9. LL Cool J
8. Pharoah Monch
7. Keith Murray
6. Chuck D
5. Large Professor
4. Raekwan
3. Wise Intelligent
2. Chill Rob G
1. Rakim

Based on what music I bought and listened to and historical achievement

I know Nas, KRS are good but ....eh..not really my thing

edit forgot Keith Murray

NICE!

Maybe not exact order, but something like this...

1. Black Thought
2. Rakim
3. DOOM
4. Aesop Rock
5. Pharoahe Monch
6. Nas
7. EL-P
8. KRS-One
9. Masta Ace
10. Phonte

he didnt pop in my head as i was trying to put my lists together. on pure skill it is hard to put anyone over thought.

taking everything into account he is in the asterisk range for me on both lists. i would have no issue swapping out anyone at/below the asterisk for black thought.

im going to make my top 10 favorite rappers and an "objective" greatest rappers list.

Favorites, combination of how skilled i think they are and how much i enjoy their music.

Rakim
Posdnous
Del The Funky Homosapien
One Be Lo
Royce Da 5'9
Lupe Fiasco
Gift of Gab
Slick Rick*
KRS-One
Andre 3000

GOAT, impact, originality, quality of music, whatever else.

Nas
Jay-Z
Rakim
2 Pac
The Notorious BIG
Eminem
KRS-One*
Big Daddy Kane
Andre 3000
Drake

*from here and below theres a group of rappers i would swap out for without issue.

>Favorites, combination of how skilled i think they are and how
>much i enjoy their music.
>
>Rakim
>Posdnous
>Del The Funky Homosapien
>One Be Lo
>Royce Da 5'9
>Lupe Fiasco
>Gift of Gab
k-os
>Slick Rick*
>Andre 3000
>

sorry krs

Mostly favorites but has some just general greatness sprinkled in.

Common
Nas
Posdnuos
Andre 3k
Royce
Phonte
Thought
Jay
DOOM
Monch

i think i only did because i havent been listening to his music much the past couple of years. before that he might be in my top 5 favorites.

In no order:

Redman
Rakim
KRS-One
Ghostface
GZA
Black Thought
Posdnuos
Ice Cube
Phonte
MF DOOM
Casual

1. Andre 3000
2. Black Thought
3. J-Live
4. Phonte
5. Aesop Rock
6. El-P
7. Q-Tip
8. Mos Def
9. Common
10. Posdnuos

J-Live was so nice with it. Haven't liked much of his stuff over the last 5-6 years, so cat fell out of my top 10...Indeed a talent though...

i would have said hes better than krs. what he had done up to that moment was amazing. hes had some dope stuff since but not as consistently.

probably still my in top 30 favs.

Not sure if this is in order but pretty close

1 Nas
2 Andre 3000
3 Rakim
4 Black Thought
5 Lupe Fiasco
6 Mos Def
7 AZ
8 Aesop Rock
9 Scarface
10 OC

OC...dope MC. Yeah, he gotta be at least top 20, and wouldn't argue someone having them in their top 10...that's peace.

Time’s Up
Born 2 Live
Point O Views
What I Represent
My World
Can’t Go Wrong
Far From Yours
Jewelz

He just makes perfect hip-hop in my opinion.

He’s lyrical but not overly lyrical-miracle
He picks dope beats that fit him but is still versatile and varies his production
He has that everyday-man relatable style down but doesn’t come off soft
He can rock on hard joints but doesn’t come off as fake or over-doing
He speaks on various topics but doesn’t over do it to the point where he’s labeled conscious or “preachy”

Just really checks all the boxes for me

1. Q-Tip
2. Del
3. Pos
4. Aceyalone
5. Sadat X
6. Monch
7. Masta Ace
8. DOOM
9. Rakim
10. Phife

Very Honorable Mention: KRS, Trugoy, Mikah Nine, Common, Kool Keith (UM years),
Andre 3000, Dres, Wise Intelligent

1a big
1b pac
3 nas
4 jay
5 rakim
6 chuck d
7 scarface
8 andre 3000
9 mf doom
10 black thought

>1a big
>1b pac

>>1a big
>>1b pac
>

Black Thought
Andre 3k
Jay Z
Big Punisher
Nas
Notorious BIG
Eminem
Kool G Rap
MF DOOM
Lupe Fiasco

I mean this list changes a bit, but this is pretty much it for me.

Nas
Scarface
Phonte
Black Thought
Rakim
Redman
LL Cool J
Dre 3000
Q-Tip
Big KRIT

Andre 3000
Jay Z
Aesop Rock
Blu
Scarface
Slug
Kendrick
Killer Mike
Curren$y
K-Rino

Black Thought
Blu
Andre 3k
Q-TIP
Dave / Pos
Jay-Z
Mos-Def
Phonte
Lupe
Freddie / Joeybada$$


werd.

Based on stuff like overall skill on the mic/lyricism, album quality (the rapper has to be a part of at least 2 albums I think are incredible) and how often I revisit their work.

Nas
Black Thought
Andre 3000
Raekwon
Ghostface
Q-Tip
Common
Kendrick Lamar
Posdnous
Aesop Rock

Honorable Mentions (basically people who, if you ask me on any other day, might be in this list):

Rakim
El-P

-Jay-Z
-Jean Grae
-Ghostface Killah
-Joe Budden
-Talib Kweli
-Posdnuos
-Phonte
-Elzhi
-Jadakiss
-Big Boi

....all 10 have records that make up who I am today.

Here's my list, I actually posted my top 50 emcees/rappers on my fb earlier this year, some I based my order on their prime years and where they are now, with only a few new/recent kats making an appearance; anyway here is just the top ten.

(1)Pharoahe Monch
(2)Nas
(3)KRS-One
(4)Elzhi
(5)Planet Asia
(6)Royce 5'9"
(7)Busta Rhymes
(8)Redman
(9)Chris Rivers
(10)John Robinson aka Lil' Sci

The Notorious B.I.G.
Black Thought
Nas
Ice Cube
Scarface
Chuck D
Redman
Pharoahe Monch
Common
Guru

1. nas
2. andre 3k
3. black thought
4. lupe fiasco
5. aesop rock
6. rakim
7. krs1
8. MF DOOM
9. Pharoahe
10. Q-TIp

1. RAKIM
2. KRS ONE
3. BIG DADDY KANE
4. KOOL G RAP
5. POSDNUOS
6. NAS
7. Q-TIP
8. BLACK THOUGHT
9. MASTA ACE
10. O.C.

andre 3000
black thought
royce
nas
jay-z
biggie
phonte
rakim
doom
ghostface

1. Thought
2. Royce
3. Nas
4. DOOM
5. Redman
6. Ghostface
7. Jay
8. Common
9. Big L
10. B.I.G.

All time is pretty hard to do because a lot of em done fell off (Kweli, Common, Redman), or not enough original content (Biggie, Pun, Big L) so i'll just stick to my favorites of the last 20 yrs or so.

1. Nas
2. Prodigy
3. Sean Price
4. GFK
5. BT
6. Raekwon
7. Monch
8. Eminem
9. Marci
10. Pep Love

I feel like it's a bit unreasonable to expect any emcee - even the one's who I think are the greatest of all time - to be "on" for their entire career. That's why when I do things like this I try to do it based on a combination of what I think their top skill level is on the mic (lyricism, concepts, rhyme schemes etc.), the quality of their best albums and how often I gravitate towards them.

The amount of emcees who haven't fell off, at least in my opinion, is extremely small, like I would never call someone crazy for having a rapper like KRS-One or Nas - who have both definitely fallen off at times - in their top 10 list instead of a rapper like Masta Ace, who I would argue has never completely fallen off at all. Using Common as an example, Common has definitely had rough patches (even though I loved Black America Again, which is recent), but for me it doesn't really negate the greatness of everything he has done before (Resurrection, LWFC, One Day It'll All Make Sense, Be).

Also I heavily considered Prodigy, I'm surprised he isn't here more too.

..along with Trugoy, Puba, Biggie, Kool Keith, Zev/Doom!, Busta, Ghostface, Redman & Pharoahe

i think Sean P would be in my 21-30 range..

Off the top


1 Pac
2 Yasiin
3 Thought
4 Elucid
5 Common
6 Kendrick
7 blu
8 KA
9 Monch
10 Elzhi

Others- 3000, One be Lo, Diverse (One AM is a fucking classic), El-P, Milo, Phonte, old Kweli, Lupe, Pos, Brewin, Woods, Jay Elect

I mean, I guess Jay and Nas though I don't think either crack my top 20 anymore.

All interchangeable outside of the top 4 at this point. Top 4 is pretty set. And Kendrick, blu, and KA are all close to bumping Comm down if I am being honest.

I know as soon I hit "post message" I'm going to realize I missed some and kick myself.

Greatest 10 - Usually someone who 'changed' music in some significant way (in no order)

- Rakim
- KRS
- Biggie
- Nas
- Lauryn
- Andre 3K
- Ice Cube
- Jay Z
- Kendrick
- Run

Favorite 10 - Artists that either made remarkable music or MC's that I related to on an emotional / identity level
- Black Thought
- Q-Tip
- Fatlip
- K-Os
- Redman
- OC
- Chuck D
- Jay Electronica
- Common
- LL Cool J

1. Rakim Allah

2. KRS-One

3. Pharoahe Monch

4. Mos Def

5. Black Thought

6. Dre3k

7. Posdnuos

8. Chuck D.
......

LL Cool J, Latifah, Common, Tre Hardson, Redman, Ghostface, Jean Grae, Bahamadia, MC Lyte, Busta, Q-TIp, GURU, TLA Rock, Sha-Rock, Inspectah Deck, OC (had to add him).



I know there are people who folks say are top ten that are missing but their subject matter in my opinion is repetitive and boring, or they simply aren't that technically gifted in how their delivery or flow. ***Shrugs***

Nas
Pac
Jay
Redman
Prodigy
Rakim
Q-Tip
Andre 3000
Ghostface
Kendrick

no order

1. Q-Tip
2. Black Thought
3. Aceyalone
4. Mika 9
5. Gift of Gab
6. Pharoahe Monch
7. Andre 3000
8. Del
9. Posdnuos
10. Redman

Others: Mos Def, Common, Guru, Abstract Rude, Eyedea, J Live, Rza, Krs One, Aesop Rock, Kool G Rap etc

.. he's definitely sniffing my top 10 as well. He was so fun and dynamic in his heyday.

1. common
2. black thought
3. nas
4. rakim
5. ice cube
6. krs
7. kendrick
8. snoop
9. masta ace
10. monch

1-5 might change order, but none of them will ever leave my top 5. kendrick might make it to #6

Alphabetical order:

André 3000
Black Thought
Ice Cube
Jay-Z
MF Doom
Nas
The Notorious B.I.G.
Posdnuos
Rakim
Scarface

>Could be just a list of favorites or who you consider the
>greatest for factors such as longevity, lyricism, album
>quality, longest time at the top, etc.
>
>Curious to see how lists have changed or not changed over the
>past decade.

Took no time so I’m sure I’m forgetting some folks.

Wu tang clan - I cheat and say them every time
Tupac
Outkast
JayZ
Kendrick
Big
MF doom - bridge from Wu to every ‘weird’ act that eats now IMO
Ugk
Common
Curren$y - one of the best ‘lane’ artists..even now.

So many Honorables: Roc Marciano, the roots/Thought, Griselda, Freddie Gibbs, Nas, Snoop, LL Cool J, Tribe, the guy from Chicago up through Cruel Summer, Rick Ross, Mobb Deep, J Cole even if it’s not cool to think he’s good

Nas
Jay-Z
Rakim
Eminem
Lil Wayne

Notorious BIG
Kendrick Lamar
Big Daddy Kane
Kanye West
2Pac

Guru
Jay
DOOM
Ghost
Thought
Del
Nas
Big
KRS-One
Blu

Haven't really thought about it.
In no particular order.

- Black Thought

- Kendrick Lamar

- J. Cole

- Royce da 5'9

- Eminem

- Lupe Fiasco

- Lauryn Hill

- Jay Electronica

- Phonte

- Masta Ace

Honorable mentions to Lil Wayne. Don't like much of his music but dude is a beast. Same for Nicki Minaj. She got mad bars and ill delivery. Can't front on her.
And then Drake. Yeah he may not be writing all of it, but to be so consistent and on top for this long....and bounce from one genre to the next...whether it is hip hop, dirty South, or pop. It takes skill and a diverse ear.