Top 50 (Rap) Lyricists Of All Time...

[Laszlo]

According to The Source

#1. Rakim
#2. Nas
#3. The Notorious B.I.G.
#4. Jay Z
#5. 2Pac
#6. Eminem
#7. KRS-ONE
#8. Big Daddy Kane
#9. Lauryn Hill
#10. Melle Mel
#11. LL Cool J
#12. Chuck D
#13. Andre 3000
#14. Ice Cube
#15. Slick Rick
#16. Scarface
#17. The D.O.C.
#18. Kool G. Rap
#19. Big Pun
#20. Q Tip
#21. Redman
#22. Common
#23. Mos Def
#24. Jadakiss
#25. Queen Latifah
#26. Big L
#27. Pharoahe Monch
#28. Talib Kweli
#29. Snoop Dogg
#30. Guru
#31. Kanye West
#32. GZA
#33. Method Man
#34. Black Thought
#35. Bun B
#36. Lil Wayne
#37. Busta Rhymes
#38. Posdnous
#39. Prodigy
#40. T.I.
#41. Fabolous
#42. Ludacris
#43. DMX
#44. Canibus
#45. Lil Kim
#46. Rick Ross
#47. Styles P
#48. Royce Da 5'9"
#49. Lupe Fiasco
#50. 50 Cent

(Originally printed in The Source #253, 2012)


Discuss

[wub]

TBF I'd probably agree with the top 20...maybe not have Eminem place quite so high, but that's only because I'm not vibing off anything past the first two albums.

Lil Kim and no Missy though?

[wolf89]

50 cent and T.I

no Vast Aire or Kool Keith... hmmm....

[mo_respect]

lil kim is #45^


this is just like the last list they did; meh.

[wub]

lil kim is #45^

Yes, I was commenting on the fact that she has made the list and Missy Elliot (IMO a superior lyricist) has not.

[Hedley King]

Big L should be higher than 26

[wub]

BTW +10 Hipster/Wanker points for the first person who posts a video of some obscure underground act.

[Laszlo]

Big L should be higher than 26

This and GZA and Redman should be higher, imo.

Some of the placings are suspect as fuck!

[fractal]

kanye west over black thought

[mo_respect]

lil kim is #45^

Yes, I was commenting on the fact that she has made the list and Missy Elliot (IMO a superior lyricist) has not.

yeah i read that wrong, woops.

never been a fan of missy really, sans the hits, but im surprised shes not on there (since she was probably on the last list). fuck the source though; benzino drove that shit into the ground

[mIrReN]

TBF I'd probably agree with the top 20...maybe not have Eminem place quite so high, but that's only because I'm not vibing off anything past the first two albums.

Lil Kim and no Missy though?

Whats 50c doing there btw

[mo_respect]

because its the source

[volcanogeorge]

no doom

[dickman69]

According to The Source

#5. 2Pac

#6. Eminem
#7. KRS-ONE

#25. Queen Latifah
#26. Big L

#29. Snoop Dogg
#30. Guru

#31. Kanye West
#32. GZA
#33. Method Man


#36. Lil Wayne
#37. Busta Rhymes

(Originally printed in The Source #253, 2012)


Discuss

are you fucking kidding me

i think they purposefully put horrible rappers in front of legendary ones to rustle jimmies

[volcanogeorge]

oh god i hadn't noticed lil wayne in front of busta

[mrdii]

BTW +10 Hipster/Wanker points for the first person who posts a video of some obscure underground act.

Aesop rock

Seriously I'm not a huge fan of Lupe Fiasco but how is he only #49?? And only one place above Fiddy?!

That list is baloney. Personally I'd put Nas top too.

[Laszlo]

Maybe if we cross reference this list with their list of '5 mic' albums we can shed some light on the matter.


Illmatic by Nas
Stillmatic by Nas
All Eyez on Me by 2Pac *
Me Against the World by 2Pac*
Life After Death by Notorious B.I.G.
The Chronic by Dr. Dre*
The Chronic 2001 by Dr. Dre*
Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg*
Enter Wu-Tang by Wu-Tang Clan*
Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim*
Let Rhythm Hit Em by Eric B. & Rakim
By Any Means Necessary by Boogie Down Productions*
Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions*
The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest
Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.*
Run Dmc by Run D.M.C.*
Raising Hell by Run D.M.C.*
Radio by L.L. Cool J*
Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys*
The Fix by Scarface
The Diary by Scarface*
Straight Outta The Jungle by The Jungle Brothers*
No One Can Do It Better by D.O.C.*
Strictly Business by EPMD*
Amerikkkas Most Wanted by Ice Cube
Death Certificate by Ice Cube*
Long Live the Kane by Big Daddy Kane*
Great Adventures of Slick Rick by Slick Rick*
The Score by Fugees*
Infamous by Mobb Deep*
Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z*
The Blueprint by Jay-Z
Grip It on That Other Level by Geto Boys*
It Takes a Nation of Millions by Public Enemy*
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon*
One for All by Brand Nubian
De La Soul Is Dead by De La Soul*
Breaking Atoms by Main Source*
Aquemini by Outkast
Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MCs
The Naked Truth by Lil' Kim
Trill O.G. by Bun B

(* = given 5 mics after a initial less than five mic review or given five mics in consideration of being released before The Source was released on a regular basis or at all in the 150th issue of The Source.)


A bit more confused? Me too!

[dickman69]

Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys*
Straight Outta The Jungle by The Jungle Brothers*
Strictly Business by EPMD*
Infamous by Mobb Deep*
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon*
One for All by Brand Nubian
De La Soul Is Dead by De La Soul*
Breaking Atoms by Main Source*
Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MCs

none of them are on the top 50 "lyrical" rappers list?

ALSO WHERE THE FUCK ARE DOOM & JERU

[fractal]

no riff raff?

[wub]

Maybe if we cross reference this list with their list of '5 mic' albums we can shed some light on the matter.


Illmatic by Nas
Stillmatic by Nas
All Eyez on Me by 2Pac *
Me Against the World by 2Pac*
Life After Death by Notorious B.I.G.
The Chronic by Dr. Dre*
The Chronic 2001 by Dr. Dre*
Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg*
Enter Wu-Tang by Wu-Tang Clan*
Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim*
Let Rhythm Hit Em by Eric B. & Rakim
By Any Means Necessary by Boogie Down Productions*
Criminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions*
The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm by A Tribe Called Quest
Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.*
Run Dmc by Run D.M.C.*
Raising Hell by Run D.M.C.*
Radio by L.L. Cool J*
Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys*
The Fix by Scarface
The Diary by Scarface*
Straight Outta The Jungle by The Jungle Brothers*
No One Can Do It Better by D.O.C.*
Strictly Business by EPMD*
Amerikkkas Most Wanted by Ice Cube
Death Certificate by Ice Cube*
Long Live the Kane by Big Daddy Kane*
Great Adventures of Slick Rick by Slick Rick*
The Score by Fugees*
Infamous by Mobb Deep*
Reasonable Doubt by Jay-Z*
The Blueprint by Jay-Z
Grip It on That Other Level by Geto Boys*
It Takes a Nation of Millions by Public Enemy*
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon*
One for All by Brand Nubian
De La Soul Is Dead by De La Soul*
Breaking Atoms by Main Source*
Aquemini by Outkast
Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MCs
The Naked Truth by Lil' Kim
Trill O.G. by Bun B

(* = given 5 mics after a initial less than five mic review or given five mics in consideration of being released before The Source was released on a regular basis or at all in the 150th issue of The Source.)


A bit more confused? Me too!

Didn't Dre have his rhymes ghost written?