>Eminem isn't a Top 50 or 100, solely because they don't like >his songs, or his content.
I mean let's be real...Eminem turns 41 this year, Jay is 43, Pharoahe Monch is actually OLDER than Rakim so it's kind of hard to buy the ageism claims when most of the top MC's that you've mentioned that weren't from the golden era are actually around the same age as MC's that some folks will claim sound so old. I really think this is more about perception than what the actual reality is. Em broke out in his late 20's as did folks like Kanye and 50. Back in the 80's and 90's by the time KRS, Rakim & G Rap were that age they were already 3 or 4 albums into their career so people seem to think they are so much older than they actually are. > >Even how Tee Love is on Facebook, always saying "Kendrick is >extremely average, I was there in the 90's when you had to be >GREAT to be seen as a good rapper. He would be mediocre in the >90's"
I think Kendrick is dope and I would actually argue that if he came out in the 90's he might be bigger than he is now because there was more attention on the West and it was rare that more of the lyrical MC's broke out from the West to sell any units so if he were able to do what he's doing now he'd probably be double or triple platinum.