What solo rapper would you say has had the best career as a whole, when it comes to being consistent, relevant, and always a factor?

It's NOT a question on who you like best, who made the best music, or even who's been the most influential...but if you were a rapper, who's career would you like to have inside of Rap, meaning it's not about the movies, TV shows, or anything else outside of it?

This is how I see it....

Jay-Z - Blew up in 96, and still seen as a "Top 5 hottest rapper"...had the biggest single of the year last year (shared with Kanye, of course). Under pressure to where folks will judge him hard if they think his material is average or wack, but has large number of fans that will always defend his moves. Has probably been a "Top three rapper in the game" nearly his entire career since 98.

Snoop Dogg - Blew up in 93, and although he's not seen as being relevant in the way Jay and even Eminem are, whenever he makes a hit, folks will say "yep, he's back!" Isn't judged for making wack music, but gets props for his good music. Probably has the most creative freedom in Rap, along with Kanye (808's). Had the most hyped debut in history and delivered.

LL Cool J - Started in the Mid 80's, and had a strong run arguably to 2006. The only rapper to make hits in three consecutive decades. Also may be the only rapper to be seen as a sex symbol by ladies that still got major respect from guys and was able to please both sides of his fanbase.

Eminem - Probably the biggest selling rapper of all time after Pac (unless he's passed him). Even if certain Rap fans don't pay any attention to him, he seems to effortlessly go platinum whenever he drops. Able to take breaks from music and come back whenever he feels like it, and will still be just as major.

Nas - Blew up in 94, and one of the only rappers (maybe just him and Jay) who got major love on both sides, from the Underground and Hip Hop heads to the commercial heads. Always under pressure and judged hard when he tries to go for Radio. Has one of the most loyal fanbases who will almost fight you in his defense.

Other candidates....Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, KRS-One, Kanye West, Rakim, MC Hammer (hey)

Poll result (17 votes) Jay-Z (14 votes) Vote Snoop Dogg (0 votes) Vote LL Cool J (1 votes) Vote Eminem (1 votes) Vote Nas (1 votes) Vote Other (You idiot, you forgot [insert rapper]) (0 votes) Vote

Though Em at his peak was bigger than Jay at whenever his peak was. Snoop's been coasting on his name for years, LL hasn't really been relevant musically for a while (though he had a great run), and Nas... I don't think Nas even belongs in this poll (and before you say I'm a Jay Stan/Nas Hater... I'm not)

And ten years ago, he wasn't MAJOR but was still a factor. Nobody at all from the 80's was even close to as relevant last decade...and plus, he inspired this thread so I had to put him in LOL

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is super calculating but pretty much does whatever he wants and it comes out roses

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"Good hair"-Uzi

1619 the 1st slaves are brought to American shores
thus begins the phrase “mine is better than yours?” (huh?)
forced to serve-too broke to by freedom
the systematic rape of African culture has begun
little time

>LL Cool J -
>Also may be the only rapper to be seen as
>a sex symbol by ladies that still got major respect from guys
>and was able to please both sides of his fanbase.

BDK?

___________________________
OL' DIRTY BASTARD on himself:
"I may curse, I may have a bad mouth, whatever whatever. I'm not that bad, yaknow'mean. Bad to y'all, I dunno how y'all... I don't give a fuck. Um, I'm a good person at heart, for real and shit.

hurt his career...(along with Gangsta Rap (c) Unsung)

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www.royallegacy.org
http://therapfest.com/up-next-artists/

if I had a career…I would prefer to be able to do whatever I wanted to do.

not that everyone on this list can't do whatever they want, because their success would prompt their labels to give them their freedom, but there is only 1 dude on that list that has a "fuck what they're talking about, I'm doing what I want" attitude.

but I see what you mean about LL. He remained MAD relevant throughout the 90s even though he wasn't rhyming all the time, then took it back in the early 00's with a couple pretty great songs that made noise. So there's an argument to be made I suppose, but...

I dunno ain't nobody seeing Jay really IMO. I'm with the crowd that says he's never been THE hottest at any one particular moment but he's been top 3 for the better part of the last 18 years so, the consistency is unmatched.

And I agree with whoever said Nas shouldn't have made this list. I like Nas way more than Jay and just about anybody when it comes to artistry and MCing but, if we're talking relevancy and mainstream success over a career Nas just isn't there. He's made noise but he's mostly had his (albeit very strong) cult following with a few stragglers jumping on and off throughout his career. But like you said, his core fanbase is VERY strong and with good reason.

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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

>but I see what you mean about LL. He remained MAD relevant
>throughout the 90s even though he wasn't rhyming all the time,
>then took it back in the early 00's with a couple pretty great
>songs that made noise. So there's an argument to be made I
>suppose, but...
>
>I dunno ain't nobody seeing Jay really IMO. I'm with the crowd
>that says he's never been THE hottest at any one particular
>moment but he's been top 3 for the better part of the last 18
>years so, the consistency is unmatched.
>
>And I agree with whoever said Nas shouldn't have made this
>list. I like Nas way more than Jay and just about anybody when
>it comes to artistry and MCing but, if we're talking relevancy
>and mainstream success over a career Nas just isn't there.
>He's made noise but he's mostly had his (albeit very strong)
>cult following with a few stragglers jumping on and off
>throughout his career. But like you said, his core fanbase is
>VERY strong and with good reason.

Success is a relative term. and if I were an artist, I would take that core fan base over everything else.

I honestly don't know what the fuck people are talking about in this post.

The responses in this post are the very reason we get so many bitch ass artists trying their hardest to do whatever it takes to be as famous as they can be.

having a great career in music is not limited to just how popular you are.

From the OP, the very first sentence:

"What solo rapper would you say has had the best career as a whole, when it comes to being consistent, relevant, and always a factor?"

So, yes, he did mention relevance. And also success as in "always a factor" which is a pretty big indicator of success.

>Success is a relative term. and if I were an artist, I would
>take that core fan base over everything else.

Me too. But that wasn't the question.


>I honestly don't know what the fuck people are talking about
>in this post.
>
>The responses in this post are the very reason we get so many
>bitch ass artists trying their hardest to do whatever it takes
>to be as famous as they can be.
>
>having a great career in music is not limited to just how
>popular you are.

I don't disagree. I was answering the question.

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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

I actually skipped that first sentence.

so I'll take that one.

but i will say that the post is a bit of a contradiction because it assumes that those factors are what is the most important to people in regards to the success of their music career.

>but i will say that the post is a bit of a contradiction
>because it assumes that those factors are what is the most
>important to people in regards to the success of their music
>career.

I don't think it's a contradiction at all. He never said that these things are what's most important to the people he listed. He asked who has remained relevant and has always been a factor in popular rap music. It's a pretty simple question, and I think the answer is pretty simple.

Bro you and I are on the same page that Nas is the far better artist than JayZ is, but Nas doesn't have to win every poll. Nas has successfully carved out an impressive niche and since having a few slipups in the late 90s, has really found his stride over the last 10+ years dropping a lot of great work. But if we're talking overall success in terms of relevance in the big picture and remaining a factor in hip-hop's mainstream, JayZ is the NO BRAINER answer to this poll question.

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"Fuck aliens." © WarriorPoet415

Tilt - Arcade Funk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPtLcEoyxKY

people got shit twisted up in this post.

I know i could always cop a Scarface album and be satisfied w/my purchase. Hell even Balls and My Word knocked and i think it's one of his weakest joints.

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n/a

i mean NWA changed the game

then CUBE went back East and worked and did that colab for Amerika's most wanted and turned it out

his solo career for a rapper back in the day was compared to Stevie Wonder for the early solo album run

then his stuff with Da Lynch Mob

then his stuff with West Side Connection


anything Cube was touching musically for a while was hitting.

he had been successful in two different groups in two different decades and a strong respected Solo career to boot and we ain't even talking about the film game, etc..


Cube on that list easily

mistermaxxx R.Kelly, Michael Jackson,Stevie wonder,Rick James,Marvin Gaye,El Debarge, Barry WHite Lionel RIchie,Isleys EWF,Lady T.,Kid creole and coconuts,the crusaders,kc sunshine band,bee gees,jW,sd,NE,JB

Miami Heat, New York Yankees,buffalo bills

seem to think he completely fell off...shit, many people really say 88-92. I was a hometowner, so I actually bought (aand even loved) War & Peace Vol 1. and 2...and his 2006 album was definitely solid, the one with "Why we thugs" on it.

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He churned out classic after classic, but his prime only last a handful of years. Mind you that's as a solo artist, which is what we're talking about here.

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