Poll: Who's the Greatest Rapper of All Time?
Thursday October 26, 2006
The "best rapper" insignia changes hands every year. If the year was 1988, Chuck D would be everyone's top pick. Ice Cube ruled in '91. 'Pac was the undisputable champ from '95 - '96. The Game was head of class in 2005. However, only few rappers have earned enough stripes to compete for the G.O.A.T. title.
So, tell us, who really is the greatest of all time?
- Rakim
- 2Pac
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Scarface
- Nas
- KRS-One
- Kool G Rap
- Big Daddy Kane
- Jay-Z
- Other (Specify in the comment section)
View Results
Poll Closed.
Comments
Rakim , the only one that I feel has remained consistent throughout his life. 2Pac had 3 amazing albums, but dont believe the hype, he wasnt THAT good of a rapper. Biggie had great flow but never really said anything that was socially aware. KRS-One has really relied on his legacy too much recently, and I never really thought his work was as good as everyone thinks. Plus hes gotten on my nerves with all this preaching lately. The rest of the guys all have had good careers, but definatly not good enough to be GOAT.
Dead Prez
*Rubs hands together* I was waiting for this one
Ty Hen-Ree
Run Dmc takes it for me.
*Rubs hands together* I was waiting for this one
Ty Hen-Ree
Comment by Tom — October 20, 2006 @ 4:21 pm
——————
LOL! You’re welcome Tom.
Yo, Dead Prez and Run DMC are groups, not rappers.
^^Yeah, tell ‘em, son.
If skills sold, truth be told…….anyways, I voted Pac because I thought he was (and still is) the face of hip-hop.
He could make party tracks that are played all day on radio stations, while at the same time pump out songs like “Panther Power”…Pac was a poet.
Rakim takes a close second though….
will.i.am!
nas, eminem or tupac
Yo man…For REAL Eminem has to be up in this thing! No ethnitcity issues here…If he were Italian, Palestenian or whatever, the guy is a badass rapper who nobody sounds like him…Yo take songs like Lose Yourself, Mosh, or Mockingbird, they all say something. And I mean just like a good actor like Jim Carrey…The guy has funny material and serious material. Not calling Eminem the best rapper yet, but he definitely makes the list.
I agree that Tupac is number 1. What other rapper could’ve released so many posthumonous albums and each drop platinum…No concerts, no promotional tours, no real advertising, just Tupac as we remembered him and the socially conscious blueprints of a great rapper and entertainer.
I don’t know ’bout the rest of you but my pick is Nas. Only cat been holding it down since 92. Just wait till december.
I think we forget that 2Pac was really not mentioned in the G.O.A.T. talks before somebody killed em. I love 2Pac, my favorite rapper because he was such an engaging person, but not the best rapper per se.
Argh!.. whats up with my man Nas doing bad?
All are very sweet in their own ways. Eminem needs to be on here as well as common. Also i would say Andre of outkast and if we are including groups… dead prez, fugees, the tribe, and wu tang. But i digress, common and eminem need to be on here.
NaS, the dude put out the best album all time and he also beat Jay-Z (they said its over but everybody knows he won) so i picked him
Rakim or Krs-one hands down. No one comes close to their influence and catalouge. Nas is at best a distant 3rd to these 2. Rakim did amazing work solo and with Eric B. While the teacha drops knowledge all the time. And neither sold out always stayin true. Krs might have the edge with more albums along with the fact that he is a leader personality with hip hop culture.
Alot of ppl mention groups like Wu tang but this is one emcee not group. Take a solo artist from a group like The Gza. But when u compare any artist to Krs and Rakim they just dont come close.
BTW 2pac may have done great work while alive but we do make hime bigger than he realy was. Dont want to take away from him but we make him a martyr and bigger than he really was. If he never died i could see him maybe sittin on the throne of greatest. He is still a dope emceee but u cant compare him to the God emcee in Rakim or the Teacha. And Jay is definitly above average but not the greatest.
I change my mind I would say its between Biggie and NaS.Biggie only put out 2 albums but both of them were two of the best albums of all time. I would put both of them in my top ten. And Nas because of what I said earlier. I would put Emeniem in the the top ten all time just because he was never fake. He never tried to be a thug, he rapped what he knew and I respect him for that.
BK: Biggie’s body of work isn’t as large as Pac’s. Biggie was the better emcee, Pac was a better rapper. Biggie wasn’t as versatile, but Pac touched on everything: violence, love, lust, and everything in between. My pick? Neither.
Folks, Eminem hasn’t been consistent enough to earn a spot in the top 10. He’s still one of my favorites, so it’s nothing personal (or racist) as people presume it is.
^^ In response to Henry:
Rakim gets edged off by 2pac (in my opinion) for the very same reason.
Yeah I agree, eminem’s first two cds were classics but since the quality of his albums has gone down.It just doesn’t seem as if he’s putting his all into every song.At least for the time being, em stays outta the top 10.
^^ In response to Henry:
Rakim gets edged off by 2pac (in my opinion) for the very same reason.
Comment by Ivan
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Em’s had two brilliant CDs and one solid disc. Rakim has had at least 4 exceptional albums. Plus, he’s one of the most influential ever (besides Pac and Jay). His rhyme structure is Top 5. He swayed the game several times. He diversified his style over and over. Rakim is an emcee’s emcee. Period.
It’s interesting to see that Jay and Nas are heated off in the race for third place.
5 days left.
Lil’ Wayne…..he’s da best, regardless of age!!
D Mahb, what u smoking son, I want some because u said Lil’Wayne is the G.O.A.T. U must be smoking something.
i think common should be in the list, but the greatest.. well, in my opinion, nas or B.I.G.
Looks like 2Pac has ran away with it. I still stick with Nas though.
Looks like 2Pac has ran away with it. I still stick with Nas though.
Comment by Tom
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It ain’t over til it’s over. There’s still 5 days left.
Nas is the GOAT, 2Pac is really compelling, he might be my favorite artist and personality, Nas has some Pac in him, in terms of deep content, but lyrically hes in another dimension alone with Kool-Moo, Biggie beats him on flow but not on anything else, Nas released so many gems is not even funny, even Nastradamus has a few classic records on it like Project Windows.
Pac released.. debut classic, Me Against the World classic, All Eyez on Me classic, 7 Day Theory classic, and a ton of amazing unreleased works so even though hes not the best MC you cant dispute hes power as a rapper.
Illmatic > Paid in Full by the way, Nas took off where Rakim and KRS One left off, and then took off were Pac left off with all the same time maintaining his lyrical gift… hes by far the GOAT, and doesnt get the respect he deserves.
Just peek Lost Tapes Vol 1 its his best stuff since Illmatic and thats his friggen throwaways
Lil’ Wayne…..he’s da best, regardless of age!!
Comment by D`Mahb
___________
LOL!
Aint over till its over eh? So Nas still has a chance??
ALL VOTE NAS!
Juicy, and Sky’s the Limit touched on some conscious stuff, but as a New Yorker, I really get sick of the same monotonous Biggie party stuff and violent stuff on the radio
PAC>BIG content wise
I agree with Illmatic, Biggie’s subject matter is boring.
BIG wasnt alive long enough to show what he could really do.If given more time he might of had more subjects to talk about.
middle-class fat boy who sold a few packs, didnt have much to say in three years, not to mention his abuse of the females in his life…
Keep Your Head Up > F*** U 2Night
Nuff said
K-Fed, fools! What! WHAT!!
The Notorious B.I.G. or 2pac is the best and Nas is the best alive. But if Nas died (God Forbid) Eminem, KRS One, or Rakim be the best alive. Jay-Z bites too much.
No one and I mean no one can touch Pharoahe Monch in his prime with maybe the exception of Illmatic Nas and 87-88 Rakim. Just listen to the Stress album from front to back and decide for yourself.
I’m from the oldschool. Rakim is a bad brotha. And I also know that LL Cool J has been in the game before all these fools, and he’s STILL making records. But with the smooth flow, can’t nobody touch Rakim.
Where’s Masta Ace!?!?
lol
I love masta ace, acknowledge is one of my favorite diss tracks
Rakim is generally regarded as best ever skills wise - opposed to 2Pac and his influence and legacy - but one man who is literally nearly as nice is Big Daddy Kane. He had some serious skills, just listen to Ain’t No Half Steppin, he never gets the Props he deserves. Also I would put Nas, Pharoahe Monch, Ras Kass, Aceyalone as on that next level rhyming. It really depends if you want to go by best rapper which those guys or greatest which would be more along the lines of Biggie, Pac, Chuck D, and KRS-One.
I surprised Big L ain’t even on the list
Big L=GOAT
Big L is one of the best, no doubt. Unfortunately, people tend to overrate past rappers. Big L is far from Top 10 in my opinion.
his flow and style is more unique that anyone’s
Yeah, I like Big L a toonn, hes first album was classic, and Jay-Z jacked a lot of his swagger, but hes a punch-line rapper, no way he could make an album as technically good as Illmatic, or as powerful as Me Against the World.. no way, he was deeper then most ppl think though, Street Struck etc all had a good socially aware message, RIP BIG L.
^You’re right: Big L was deep.
He wasn’t as versatile as Pac. I guess we didn’t get a chance to enjoy the total package. We lost him too soon.
Vote up, people! Only one day left.
Nas > Jay-Z and Rakim in 2nd, I have rekindled respect on the rap.about audience, I suppose the whole voting MC Lyte thing wasnt just a fluke!
^LOL.
Quick question. A lot of people compare Nas to Rakim and Jay-Z to Big Daddy Kane. Who do you think is greater in each pair. My personal opinion would have to be Rakim > Nas (even though Illmatic is he greatest album ever made) and Big Daddy Kane > Jay-Z (even though Jay is the most consistant rapper of all time).
You answered your question. Classic.
Absolutely, only thing is Nas aint just Rakim, hes part Rakim, part KRS-One, part 2Pac, part Koo Moo G, can’t box him in, hes on of a kind…
Jay-Z has left a huge commerical impact in the game, mainstream likes him, who knows what his full impact with be, not to mention that he has actual skills that the heads adore too
we all know its the one and only, gza, the genius
SNOOP DOGG !!!!
SAY FIRST OFF ALL EVERYBODY WHO SAID EMINEM IS TRIPPIN BECAUSE LOOK AT ALL THOSES WHACK SONGS …ASS LIKE THAT AND JUST LOSE IT ..THOSE SONGS WAS THE END OF HIS CAREER ….2PAC GREATEST OF ALL TIME AND THATS THE BOTTOM LINE !!
AND SAY ….WHAT DO YALL THINK ABOUT THE GAME ??
The Game is aight he mentions Easy-E too damn much. I like what somebody said before “people tend to overrate past rappers”, I notice the do it alot on the internet. The best rapper of all time is either 2pac or Biggie for me. most underrated is 1)AZ 2)Mos Def 3)Big L. But if I had to pick between pac and big I pick…
JUST A REMINDER TO EVERYONE….TUPAC SHAKUR IS NUMBER 1 ALWAYS AND FOREVER COME ON NOW ITS JUST COMMON SENSE HOW GREAT THE GUY WAS……OTHER ARTISTS AREN’T EVEN AT HIS LEVEL NOT EVEN NEAR
R.I.P PAC
I know it hurts, but lets face it! The whiteboy needs to be on the list, and not just some where down at the bottom! I agree with k; -nas, M and pac
if were talking about the realist the deepest and most complex coming from the soul then 2pac over anybody becuase he is one of a kind and aint nobody gonna match that because no one well ever understand how deep he was, just look at the books he read
Come at me and youll know im plottn results finished unravel my attack having visions seeing bombs exploding unstoppaple blasts feel the wrath coming from a warrior when your sleepn hear the soldiers thunderin roaring were swarmin every corner now your stuck casted starring role in a real live horror rewind the tape finished watching the day we came for yuh another tale in the mind of a warrior but in reality reminder what you did me so now im really comn for yuh
i mean we gotta wonder what are we talkin about when we speak of hip hop.
For ex. if you take an mc and he sounds pretty good, and you know his lyrics are well written and what not, but then if you take an mc who writes directly from within and from there perception on the world and you know there truly genuine and brillant regardless on the mic or not, i mean then now you got look and see more than what sounds good and what style is cool
Of course everyone has their own opinion about who is the best depending on what era you grew up in. I am 35 so I pretty much heard it when it got started until now where the new rappers are terrible. Tupac is definitely not it. When a musician dies they are always regarded as better than when they were living. He was into theatre when he was a teenager. One of his best friends was Jada Pinkett. Then all the sudden after he left Digital Underground he was this thug from the ghetto. He was so fake & I cant believe how everyone just went along with it. Chuck D, Rakim, Method Man & Ice Cube are the best. Eazy-E, Nas, Biggie are up there. Ice-T is one of the most underrated ever. His early work was great. And he was the one who started gangster rap. Eminem isnt in my top 20.
all of you are fools…pac was good but he was overated..BIG is a monster but his subjuect matter wasnt as deep as the best rapper of all time…NAS he is the most gifted rapper to ever touch a mike you fools act like yall never heard ILLMATIC…..NO and i mean NO pac album is even close you people are haters nas is the greatest of all time
Eminem has the best lyrics, flow, and more talent than any other rapper #2. Nas
wut about Guru of Gang Starr, Masta Ace, and Q-tip. fine lyricists.
Nas and Jay-Z by far the most consistent in terms of albums, singles, charts etc.. Jay-Z has a better flow, both are about equal in their lyrical ability I think.. KRS ONE is on another level in the way that he rhymes..like he said– he IS hip hop..!! Biggie is definitely as good as Jay-Z flow wise..Pac had strong lyrics and messages in his songs that do beat pretty much everyone else.. Rakim is an UNBELIEVABLE lyricist.. Common has DEFINITELY got to be up there, his flow is unique, his lyrical ability is insane and his linguistic skills… Eminem is also up there, he’s gone too commercial though and he’s drifting a little too far from hip hop culture, like Common said ‘too many rape the culture’.. Big L is DEFINITELY a contender lyric and flow wise… BEST GROUP HANDS DOWN >> A TRIBE CALLED QUEST.
my top 5
1.2pac
2.eminem
3.nas
4.the game
5.dr. dre
LOL look at tony with eminem…. Plz Dawg hes a joke Its All about Wu Tang and Bone thugs n harmony and DMx AND Dr.Dre Dr.Dre Brought Eminem into the rap game he is the big dawg
I dont care wat none of you say 2oac is the best rapper ever
Black Thought of The Roots, amazing freestyler and consistent in his raps constantly dropping knowledge. It’s hard to pick G.O.A.T since theres so many good rappers. Whoever said Lil Wayne is the greatest must be on crack.
i love 2pac i think he`s the sickest rapper in the world ..rest in peace…pce out gangsta`s
Big L is obviously the best rapper of all time.
Big L is easily the greatest ever. Let’s put aside catalogue, fame, etc. which really don’t matter. If you talk about who has the best flow, best multis, best punchlines, best delivery, most clever lyrics, this goes to L easily. Nobody even comes close to that. Second best is BIG but he’s not even close.
When you talk about G.O.A.T, theres one word you have to consider and its bigger than your opinion, IMPACT! 2pac had more impact on the world than any rapper to date. Touched more people in different countries than any of the other rappers you’ve mentioned. 2pac had a legacy, and it still lives on? 2PAC BOOTLEG ALBUMS STILL GO PLATINUM! BOOTLEG!!!! You think if any of the rappers youve mention can drop half-assed albums and still go platinum? Biggie, Jay, Nas, Rakim, Em are all up there too. Its all about impact. Enough said.
Its nothing but rap.com is the biggest raper of the recent times.
ITS GOTTA BE EMINEM.
No match to him nigga. Eminem is the best rapper of all times
yo yo yo lil wayne can not rap I bet you i can rape 6 times better than him and i’m 16. tell him to battle me and see what will happen.
DARAE IS THE WORST RAPPER OF ALL TIME AND LIL WAYNE CAN DEFINITLY BEAT HIM IN WHATEVA HE DOES SO DONT LISTEN 2 DIZ BUM CUZ HE DOESNT KNOW WAT HE TALKS ABOUT.
tupac is the greatest rapper of all time. NO DOUBT.
yo daraeman’s a vampire slayman because im comin through the line harder than strahan.
2Pac is great, The Game is one of the wackest rappers I’ve ever heard in my life, I’d probably pick Vanilla Ice over him.
My top 10 are
01. Eminem
02. Snoop Dogg
03. 2Pac
04. Slick Rick
05. Bizzy Bone
06. NaS
07. MC Ren
08. Ice Cube
09. Del Tha Funkee Homosaphien
10. Tech N9ne
Honorable mentions are Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Young Buck, Andre 3000, Bun B, El-P, Necro, Ill Bill, Goretex, Violent J, and possibly Biggie (I don’t like his subject matter neither)
I from Mongolia. best rapper is 2pac in Mongolia yeaz, many many people only 2pac know
in this case i think is really hard Rakin,Dre,Ice T,and Ice Cube have good lyrics and in the other hand we have rappers lyk 2pca,Biggie and Big pun.Big Pun was a good rapper who rapped about everythin life and pain and a bit late came 2pac and Biggie followed practically this three are the best and without them hip-hop wud never b there no more.2pac rapped about supportin his career,colour,life and family and so thats y i support him because he was a very brave man and prepared 2 die if that wat it took.(R.I.P u will always be remembered only ur skin is gone not soul and words)
no dubt….tupac THA DON shukur….
young buck is the greatest by far
fo sho
Dude, did someone actually say will.i.am. what a freak. Greatest of all time, has got to be 2 Pac.
vanilla ice & mc hammer
DaRae is a big ass stupid geek and he cant rap
BIG L
gotta give it up to 2pac.. my faviorate rapper
still balling
smile
thugs mansion
to live and die in la
trouble some 96
all eyes on me
all about you
aint hard to find
2 of americas most wanted
how do you want
probably one of the greatest diss ever wrote hit em up his a genius with the pen i listen to the words not the beat most people just be likeing songs cause of there chrous.. so many people think his the best example look at jazy took one of his songs eminem nas think his the best poet/song writter biggie even has respect for him
2Pac will always be the greatest of all time. Rakim was and is very good, but nothing to 2Pac, respectfully. Rakim was good at raping but didn’t have the true message and sucess that 2Pac had. Biggie is the best freestyle rapper but didn’t have the truth. Jay Z never lived up to 2Pac. It seems that every person 2Pac dissed (expect Biggie) when he was alive is now famous. If 2Pac and Biggie were, you wouldn’t be hearing Eminem or 50 Cent or The Game. But bottom line:
1. 2Pac
2. Biggie
3. Rakim
4. KRS One
5. Big Daddy Kane
Pac is da man who deserves da lion’s share.If even tho he is dead,he still rules.
KRS One
LL COOL J hands down been kicking it for 20 years
1) Jay - Z - has great word play
2) Tupac - very versatile
3) Biggie - incredible punch lines and rhyme wit - no substance though
4) Rakim - overall complete rapper
5) Emeinem - has great rhyme wit
6) DMX - just real - the way he raps, I believe he is as a person - He is dark man X - X meaning the unknown!!!
7) Ice cube - very, very underrated
8) Big Daddy Kane - great punch lines only - no content
9) Method Man - has skills, also underrated
10)Rev Run/LL Cool J - just for old school sake -
I think they are underrated also.
Pharoahe Monch,i think what he has done lyrically with that pen & paper no one can match
I think it’s 2 pac , he always raps about things that are true ( about his life and about the thuglife ( life on the streets ) and his rhymes are always good on the beat …Tupac was the greatest rapper of all time ..
It’s a sad day in hip-hop when over 100 people leave comments on the best emce ever, and Big L is only mentioned a few times. Listen To Chung (80). How are names like Big L and Big Pun not even on the list. Pac is the most recognized emcee of all-time. Not the best. No doubt, hes nice but he could never go verse for verse with Big L or Pun or B.I.G. OR NaS etc. Jay-Z is a clown, a theif and now a pop artist. I don’t consider him an emcee. Rakim wasn’t as lyrically gifted as the Big’s, but he is a hip-hop pioneer.
My top 10:
1-Big L
2-The Notorious B.I.G.
3-Big Pun
4-NaS
5-Eminem
6-Rakim
7-Canibus
8-Tupac
9-GZA
10-AZ
Honorable Mention- Big Daddy Kane, Lil’Kim, The rest of The Wu-Tang Clan, Krs-One,Kool G rap, Lord Finesse, Killa Cam and Murda Mase (Before they blew up), Percee P, Jadakiss, Benefit, The whole N.W.A, Snoop Dogg and anybody else I missed.
The Game is utter trash now. R.I.P Hip Hop
2Pac is the greatest of all time his records are still going platinum and he will never be forgotten. RIP (G.O.A.T)
jay-z is the best of all time and no one will ever pass him. lil wayne aint got nuthin on jay-z even if jay-z dies he will still be better than lil wayne
Eazy-E & Tupac and Bone Thugz Got it unda tha table eazy
Big Punisher was the G.O.A.T. even though he only had 3 albums! 1st Latino to go Platinum, and if he was still here he’d have atleast 3 more albums including reggeaton! he would have evolved his style and taken over!
dude i believe 50 cent should be up in dis thang….yo 50!
1. KRS-One –>realest mcee
2. 2Pac/Makaveli –>rhymes
3. Biggie Smalls –>flow
4. Nas –>lyrics
5. Ice Cube –>for west the best
6. Rakim –>knowledge
7. Method Man, Raekwon –>wu-tang killaz
8. Snoop Dogg –>flow
9. Big L –>freestyle
10.Eminem –>brain^^
http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_week/2006/emcees/index11.jhtml
nuff said
I think this is a bias poll. This poll include rappers mainly from NY. It excludes the like of Eminem and Lil Wayne. I personally think that LiL Wayne is the best rapper alive hands down. To do what he has done in the ammount of time that he has done it is remarkable. Jay has surround himself with rappers like Kanye and Nas. With those to guys on your team you should sell more records then anyone. Lil Wayne has been do his thing alone for the past 6 years. Thats why i say he is the best rapper alive. Kanye even said it.
2 pac greatest
bigge williest
nate dogg hookeist
warren g funkiest
Yo, What about 3 white Jewish boys from NYC. THE BEASTIE BOYS. U all can say whatcha, whatcha want, but they are some of the highest selling,most respected, Integritably creditable MC’s of all time. Not too mention they weren’t “recording artists”, they were MUSICIANS, big difference. Truer to hip-hop’s roots more than ALMOST everybody still flowin today! Im not sayin they are the best of all time, but how bout some f’n credit.
Andre 3000 tops the list. honorable mentions are KRS, Q-Tip, Brother J, Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Scarface. . .
Jay-Z sucks. Emimem not even on the list.
2pac greatest of all time. biggie n emineim 2nd n 3rd.
man nobody put eazy e he’s the greatest rapper of all time
1 easy e
2 big L
3 bone thugs-n-harmony
4 fu-shnickens
5 nas
6 das efx
7 lords of the underground
8 kanye west
9 jay z
10 biggie
does anybody ever listen to Kool G Rap. i mean come on. he is the inventor of multis and mafioso rap. Rakim and Big Daddy Kane adopted multis from him and were inspired by G Rap to step their game up. In ‘86, G Rap came with “It’s A Demo” which is the first song to ever have multis in it. No disrespect to other emcees, but Kool G Rap is a BEAST AND THE GOD OF RAP.
definitely the most underrated of all time.
the best two rappers are Blaq Poet and Gangstarr they are both amazing lyricists and have the most insane beats which are usually made by the famous Dj Premier who is the best at making beats