WHO's THE GREATEST RAPPER

Hooky

Many times people ask me who do you think is the greatest rapper? There are so many but as far as i can tell TUPAC has to be the best. So many songs that influence people in different ways,
Who do you think is the greatest and Why?

LegacyUser

Greatest Living: Eminem

Greatest Dead: Notorious B.I.G

garthv

Jesus tbh

radiospan

I like Abdominal (he features on about three tracks on DJ Format's "Music For The Mature B-Boy") because the word-play in "Vicious Battle Raps", and especially "The Hit Song" is excellent.

And hardly a curse in sight...

Cannibal Ox

Abdominal's got an album out recently with DJ Faze. It's not bad, there's a couple of good songs but he's not as good as he is on Formats stuff.

As for the Greatest...dunno. An awfull lot of possibles come out, release an album or two that are just ****ing great then follow those up with stuff that isn't worth mentioning (Nas, KRS, L.L etc, etc).
I'll say Rakim for the hell of it.

Klimseven

not another bloody "greatest rapper" thread, where everyone choses between 3 commercial as s hit emcees and chooses their favourite, having never heard of Rakim, Mf Doom, Guru, Del tha Funky Homosapien or any other actual decent emcees.

Btw, Tupac is nowhere near the greatest emcees of all time, skillwise, he was average, sorry...and Biggie kicks his ass anyway, bleh....

Makaveli

2pac of 50cent.
Because they were both like real thugs.
Rap is all about thugs you see.
Anyway, 2pac got shot like 5 times and didn't die and 50cent got shot 9 times and didn't die, so they're both mad hardcore.
2pac has more albums though and like he makes deadly party tunes like California Love, but then he makes sad ones like Brenda's Got A Baby, and just cool ones like Changes (even if the song lifts a verse from I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto).
But like 50 has that massive tune In The Club. I love that song. And he's in that cool gang G-Unit. They are the best rap group ever.
Anyone who says Biggie is stupid. He was just a big fat ass. And he only had 2 albums. And like I don't remember him cos he hasn't be whored since his death like 2pac so he isn't cool at all.
So like I dunno, 50 or 2pac. But maybe Eminem too, cos like he is THE ONLY WHITE RAPPER EVAR. And he makes fun of people and his sound isn't getting the slightest bit repetative.
NA NA NA GUESS WHO'S BACK? BACK AGAIN?

Yeah so 2pac, Eminem or 50Cent.
COS LIEK I CANT PICK JUST ONE!!!!11!!!!

RE*AC*TOR

Chuck D, most vocally powerful "rapper" i've heard.
MC Supernatural is a great freestyler.

JoeSchmoe

slug
eyedea
sage francis
mc abdominal
roots manuva
ty

Creamy Goodness

brandon dicamillo from cky/jackass fame

he raps better than any rapper i know.

Seaneh

Nas, Talib Kawli, KRs or RAKIM.

ps.s You HAVE to spell RAKIM in caps, it's the law.

Makaveli

You can't be telling people how to spell when it is in fact

NaS
Talib Kweli
and
KRS-One

fnar fnar

giftgrub

jay z

Bri

It's that Jay-Z?! Makaveli a bit slow on the uptake there!

No way by the way. Out of the 'commercial' crowd it's NaS without a doubt...doesn't matter if you pump out tons of ablums if the content is poor.

Hooky

Klimseven wrote:

not another bloody "greatest rapper" thread, where everyone choses between 3 commercial as s hit emcees and chooses their favourite, having never heard of Rakim, Mf Doom, Guru, Del tha Funky Homosapien or any other actual decent emcees.

Btw, Tupac is nowhere near the greatest emcees of all time, skillwise, he was average, sorry...and Biggie kicks his ass anyway, bleh....

Think again biggie could bearly breath let alone rap

Makaveli

HA!

Hooky

Tupac
The best there was
The best there is
The best there will be

Doctor J

Chuck D or maybe ODB around the time of his first solo album.


Nah, Chuck D.

giftgrub

everyone says tupac...would they be saying that if he was alive?

David19

giftgrub wrote:

everyone says tupac...would they be saying that if he was alive?

Yeah, probably.

Hooky

He is still alive lol

ubu

giftgrub wrote:

jay z

Eh, no

giftgrub wrote:

everyone says tupac...would they be saying that if he was alive?

everyone isnt saying 2pac

Bri wrote:

It's that Jay-Z?! Makaveli a bit slow on the uptake there!

What?

hooky wrote:

I'm an idiot

I think this is what you're trying to say



This Thread is turning into a p1sstake, its not tupac, it sure as hell ain't gay-z
There are several condenders for G.O.A.T status but i dont think its something which is ever going to be agreed upon, if its put to a vote the commercial rappers are always going to win
My opinion would be that someone like RAKIM or KRS-One who have been around for so long and have had the most influence on the game, buts thats not to say that there isnt a better rapper out there, for example my favourite MC at the moment is Talib Kweli but dont think he could be described as 'the greatest' because he hasnt been around long enough

Optikus

Slick Rick , Biggy Smalls , Melle Mel , ODB , Prodigy (from Mobb Deep) and Mos Def are all among my favourites.

Klimseven

Grand Master Flash

um..... Grand Master Flash isn't an emcee...he's a DJ...

davej

Listening to Ready to Die right now. Amazing album - So i'll vote for Biggie.


davej

Bri

Eh it was a typo gimme a break...we were on the subject of correct spelling.
:rolleyes:

Makaveli

oh teh ironing.

rabbitinlights

1st = Charlie 2na (J5)

2nd = Guru (Gangstarr)

3rd = Rakim

Whoever said Eminem? I really dont consider Eminem to be a rapper, More a pop star.

Sean.

puntosporting

Im not claiming to be an expert here ,far from it actualy!
But if these non-commercial rappers are so damn good how come there not selling records?
To my understanding the reason the likes of 2pac and Biggie where so big was because of there lyrics.

David19

puntosporting wrote:

Im not claiming to be an expert here ,far from it actualy!
But if these non-commercial rappers are so damn good how come there not selling records?
To my understanding the reason the likes of 2pac and Biggie where so big was because of there lyrics.

This is a good point. Tupac hardly made commercial songs, he just made good ones. In terms of the non commercial rappers not selling, its because they don't make commercial songs. Its not because they're not good. Still tupac out sold them all. Probably out sold all of the ones mentioned put together.

Makaveli

Record labels, MTV and Marketing.

David19

Makaveli wrote:

Record labels, MTV and Marketing.

Thats too simplistic. Marketing alone won't make anyone sell 25+ million albums. Also in tupac's day rap wasn't like it is now with artists like nelly and chingy flooding the radio. It wasn't commercial. There was no where near the marketing they have now. Fair enough tupac is still releasing albums now but he sold big when he was alive. All eyez on me went nine times platinum. Also the people mentioned, rakim, krs, odb etc had some airplay and marketing too.

Makaveli

2pac didn't sell nearly as many albums when he was alive as he has since he died.
He's become this massive rap icon, seen as many as the be all and end all of rap music. So based on this he sells a load of records. The fact that he was murdered is what spurs interest in him.
The whole faux east coast west coast beef was a record labels dream as it was pushing rap into the limelight. Obviously they shifted a lot more units. Then 2pac and Biggie were killed making them look like martyrs.
Now nowhere there does it show 2pac was a fantastic emcee. He's a marketers dream.

RAKIM, KRS-One, ODB had some airplay. Wow, fantastic. How often do you see one of their videos on MTV? How many times have you heard their stuff on the radio?
They don't present an image that can be sold like 2pac and 50Cent and Eminem.
Which is what it mainly comes down to. Image. How many kids buying 50Cent, Ja Rule and Chingy albums are actually listening to the lyrics? How many of them care? They like this whole bling bling bull**** image. The image that record labels and MTV are forcing down our throats.

It's too late for this rant anyway. Rap has been commercial since Puff Daddy and Bad Boy starting whoreing it. So, yes back in 2pac's days it was commercail. Not on such a wide spread scale as it is now, but don't kid yourself.

David19

Makaveli wrote:

2pac didn't sell nearly as many albums when he was alive as he has since he died.
He's become this massive rap icon, seen as many as the be all and end all of rap music. So based on this he sells a load of records. The fact that he was murdered is what spurs interest in him.
The whole faux east coast west coast beef was a record labels dream as it was pushing rap into the limelight. Obviously they shifted a lot more units. Then 2pac and Biggie were killed making them look like martyrs.
Now nowhere there does it show 2pac was a fantastic emcee. He's a marketers dream.

RAKIM, KRS-One, ODB had some airplay. Wow, fantastic. How often do you see one of their videos on MTV? How many times have you heard their stuff on the radio?
They don't present an image that can be sold like 2pac and 50Cent and Eminem.
Which is what it mainly comes down to. Image. How many kids buying 50Cent, Ja Rule and Chingy albums are actually listening to the lyrics? How many of them care? They like this whole bling bling bull**** image. The image that record labels and MTV are forcing down our throats.

It's too late for this rant anyway. Rap has been commercial since Puff Daddy and Bad Boy starting whoreing it. So, yes back in 2pac's days it was commercail. Not on such a wide spread scale as it is now, but don't kid yourself.

Actually he sold the same amount before his death as he did after. Before he was murdered a lot of people in rap were calling him the best ever. This can't be argued with, they were. You can't just wave all his success away as being a marketing gimmick. Tupac wasn't my favourite rapper but lyrics wise anyway he was untouchable. He probably was the best in my opinion.

I agree with most of the second paragraph but are you really comparing 50 cent to tupac? I hope not... Anyway all this is off topic tbh. Being the best has nothing to do with being commercial or not. Contrary to what some people are saying here, commercial rappers can be the best. You might not agree with their songs content but its their rapping talents which we're debating here.

Bri

David19 wrote:

I agree with most of the second paragraph but are you really comparing 50 cent to tupac? I hope not...

Imagewise yes I would. 50 can't rap to save his life but the whole gangster image with bling bling etc. is pretty much what Tupac woulda presented himself as if he were getting big around now...in his videos at least. I'm sure he'd open his mouth and show he had a bit more grey matter than 50 in an interview or something but in the hands of a record company yes.

David19 wrote:

Contrary to what some people are saying here, commercial rappers can be the best. You might not agree with their songs content but its their rapping talents which we're debating here.

As NaS proves.

David19

There's a lot more to Tupac than image. The only thing between 50 and Tupac that was similar was the thug persona (Tupac didn't really have a bling bling image). Tupac had a lot more substance. People don't remember him for his thug image. If you listen to any of his albums you know he was about social issues and change for the people around him. No rapper has been so thought provoking as tupac. There's no way you can just say all his success and the fact he's seen as the best as all image. Its not just kids who buy chingy who say he's the best. In fact a lot of them probably don't know much about him. I bet if you asked all the rappers mentioned so far in this thread who they think is the best, one name would come out on top. It'd be Tupacs.

Bri

David19 wrote:

There's a lot more to Tupac than image. The only thing between 50 and Tupac that was similar was the thug persona (Tupac didn't really have a bling bling image). Tupac had a lot more substance. People don't remember him for his thug image. If you listen to any of his albums you know he was about social issues and change for the people around him. No rapper has been so thought provoking as tupac.

Eh did you actually read my post? I deliberatley said imagewise so as not to start this kind of thing. I know he had more substance, hence the grey matter comment. I also said 50 can't rap. Sheesh!

By the way I actually have all his (real) albums. If you listen to any his albums you'll find plenty of "how do you want it" style references in there amongst your social injustice. In fact if you think 2Pac is all 'Brenda got a baby" then your simply plain wrong.

David19 wrote:

There's no way you can just say all his success and the fact he's seen as the best as all image.

Did I?

2Pac was a great rapper. He also had plenty of cr&p material too...old albums and posthumous.

And in regards to bling bling - it's a product of today's culture that bling is so much more extravagant - it's all relative. Hence me speculating at what 2Pac would do in his videos if he were getting big now. But for old times sake...

Makaveli

David19 wrote:

There's a lot more to Tupac than image. The only thing between 50 and Tupac that was similar was the thug persona (Tupac didn't really have a bling bling image). Tupac had a lot more substance. People don't remember him for his thug image.

Are you joking? A guy with Thug Life tattooed across his stomach, a guy who went to jail for sodomy, a guy along with others beat a guy almost to death in a casino isn't remembered for being a thug?
He may have been a talented person, but he was a scumbag, and all the other little scumbags wan't to emulate him. Thug life was his image.

David19 wrote:

If you listen to any of his albums you know he was about social issues and change for the people around him.

Like Bri I've listened to all the real albums, and to echo his point for all the songs about social plight etc there's plenty of tit and ass songs.

David19 wrote:

No rapper has been so thought provoking as tupac. There's no way you can just say all his success and the fact he's seen as the best as all image.

There's plenty of rappers that have been as thought provoking as Tupac. Just because he's well known to the masses people hear his more thought provoking songs. That's not to say he's the only one who writes these kind of songs. Go listen to some BDP and some of KRS-Ones' solo stuff.

David19 wrote:

I bet if you asked all the rappers mentioned so far in this thread who they think is the best, one name would come out on top. It'd be Tupacs.

You can't bring points like that into an arguement. It's pure speculation.

Hooky

You ask any body did they hear of 2PAC young or old and they'll say "oh ye thats that rapper" my mother has hears me play it so much she starts singin along. I dont care about rappers images i just like listening to the lyrics , Tupac had some great Lyrics especially Unconditional Love

pixie_student

Tupac without a doubt!

Not a huge rap fan anymore.. but i'd still listen to pac a good bit. He's a legend.

MidnightQueen

Definetly Tupac! The greatest rapper that ever lived.

Oh by the way i posted a thread just like this months ago and people got really pissed off about it!

Optikus

KittyKat wrote:

Definetly Tupac! The greatest rapper that ever lived.

Oh by the way i posted a thread just like this months ago and people got really pissed off about it!

No hes not !! be bit his style off of Biggy.. plus he got raped on rykers island, not something that hapens to the greatest "gangster" rapper is it?

MidnightQueen

Optikus wrote:

No hes not !! be bit his style off of Biggy.. plus he got raped on rykers island, not something that hapens to the greatest "gangster" rapper is it?

Well Tupac is my idol and probably always will be!

FX Meister

I'd say KRS myself, deffo not TuPac.

Optikus

KittyKat wrote:

Well Tupac is my idol and probably always will be!

Fair enough.. but maybe you should do a bit more reseach on someone before.. before you go as far as calling them your "Idol" .. he should of been called OnePac after he got shot in the balls by biggy.

David19

Lol yes Bri i did read your post. My reply was to you and Makaveli, and to the general argument hence I didn't quote you. I take both of your points that yes he had some crap thug songs and I agree. Makaveli they remember him for being a thug but also a lot more due to his social conscience songs. He's not 50 cent. 50 has nothing else bar a thug image. He was a contradiction sure but thats part of what made him interesting. I agree that the thug image probably did help his sales but his talent was more of a factor. I don't think thats open to debate really.

That said being the best rapper has nothing to do with image. His lyrical talent is without a doubt the best imo. His flow and style probably didn't match his lyrics but they were obviously up there with the best of them. Thats why I mentioned him as possibly being the best. This thread isn't an argument about why tupac sells records.

Btw Makaveli I don't think thats speculation. I based that on years of hearing fans, other rappers and people in the industry saying it. His name is usually mentioned. So is KRS, Biggie and Rakim but tbh I think Tupac is mentioned more.

MidnightQueen

Optikus wrote:

he should of been called OnePac after he got shot in the balls by biggy.

Ha Ha!

I call him my idol because of his songs not because of what he did. He had a good talent and i wished i had something like that, but i never would have wanted to be famous.

JoeSchmoe

i'm not saying his ****e, but 2 pac is the most overrated rapper ever...

Optikus

JoeSchmoe wrote:

i'm not saying his ****e, but 2 pac is the most overrated rapper ever...

Ditto

FX Meister

David19 wrote:

So is KRS, Biggie and Rakim but tbh I think Tupac is mentioned more.

Blink 182 is mentioned more than 2Pac in the music industry in general, popularity does not make him the best rapper.

David19

FX Meister wrote:

Blink 182 is mentioned more than 2Pac in the music industry in general, popularity does not make him the best rapper.

Keep what I say in context. He's mentioned more as the best rapper. Blink aren't mentioned as anything.