Who is the best?

“Kings Lose Crowns, But Teachers stay Intelligent…” – KRS One

Wise words spoken by a wise man that has helped pave the way for a lot of young men to be able to follow their dreams of being heard by the masses. Without a question there are many Legends, and maybe more to come, who will be the spokesmen of their era with songs, whether of negative or positive persuasion, have given people music to relate to which is truthfully the goal for all musicians – to make good music. It’s hard to deny a song with a beat that makes you move and lyrics that get you going and it’s also hard to deny when someone has a skill that no one else has…the skill to create music that’s relevant to all ages. Anyone can rap nowadays and everyone is trying, but who is considered to be a “Legend” to be remembered as, “The Greatest Rapper of All Time?”
Of course, you can’t rule out the pioneers who have opened the doors for all the emcees in the world that have changed hip-hop and taken rap music to new heights and levels of marketability. Hip-Hop has produced some of today’s most “Glorified Emcees”, which brings us to the question again, who is the best rapper and what would make them the best? This controversy has become one of the most un-done arguments with many agreeing that the late Notorious B.I.G. and the late Tupac Shakur are the only two legends comparable, and now we even have young emcees declaring themselves as being the best rappers…dead or alive.


Dead or alive, here are the ingredients you need to be considered the “Best”:
• Delivery
• Lyrical Content
• Marketability
• Uniqueness
• Presence
• Versatility
• Longevity

KRS One, who is a very intelligent Emcee and has been in the game for more than 2 decades, is self proclaimed as one of the greatest rappers out of The South Side of Bronx, but, its 2007 and nobody is banging KRS like they did back in the late 80’s. He has a style that is unique and shows his skill but he doesn’t have any songs that children of the late 90’s want to hear. Why, because they can’t relate.

Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, and Ice T, have all been around for years and they will forever be pioneers just not the greatest of all time.
It’s hard to say that the Inaugural Emcee is the best, because no one else has done it before them so really there isn’t any comparison, but, when someone who has came along the way, paid homage, and made them known to the status of “Legend”, then comparisons are valid.
Enter Biggie Smalls and Tupac; both very lyrical have been compared as the two greatest emcees. Although their careers were stopped short due to violence, their music lives on.
“Who Shot Ya? Separate the Weak from the Obsolete…” – The Notorious B.I.G.
Hip Hop has always been a competitive genre, where your lyrical arsenal had to be empowered by catchy punch lines & creative metaphors. Most artists back in the 80’s all took a certain style, but since the 90’s, music has changed all together. There isn’t anyone who raps like they did back then. Everyone that comes up now, fuels they’re lyrics with guns, money, drugs, and women. It’s always been a part of the music, but since rap has gained world-wide success, corporate America has made sure that the lifestyle of rap shows to be a rough one.


So what does this have to do with being the best? To truly give props where props is due, you can’t rule out those who have taken their struggles and emotion and put it into words, made it a style, and mastered the art of a hot 16 (bars). The artists that have credibly paved their way into Hip Hop Fame as Legends, (Dead or Alive), are: the legendary Christopher Wallace aka “Biggie Smalls” & Tupac Shakur; the compelling Sean Carter aka “Jay-Z” and the poetic Nasir Jones aka “Nas”.
“I’m from where niggaz argue all day, like who’s the greatest rapper, Biggie, Jay-Z, or Nas…” – Jay-Z
All four rappers have reached a level of celebrity that is hard to achieve, anybody can say they’ve sold a lot of records, but it’s the ones whose message reaches you every time you hear a song. It’s the ones who have music for almost every mood your in, and the artists that have evolved throughout their career.
Following the career of one guy’s legacy and being able to see the gradual progression the he’s made and the risks they’ve taken to create good music. Ultimately becoming the subject of all arguments, it’s very hard to deny the fact that there are a lot of eligible emcees to argue, but no one can actually say that one guy has made it to be the best until their legacy has been finished.
You know who you feel the best is…