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| 1. BROTHER ALI Brother Ali is versatile. He can get on any beat, at any time, and freak it. He actually keeps it real. His songs are heartfelt, honest, and incredible deep. Ali can also hang with the best in the game when it comes to lyrics, and wit. He's an all-around rappers' rapper, and his live performance game is SICK! Suggested Listening: "Uncle Sam Goddamn" |
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| 2. NAS Nas is the greatest MC of all-time. No one has ever blended all of the elements of rapping together as beautifully as him. Illmatic is a masterpiece, and he has soooo many great albums to go with it. I haven't seen Nas live before, and I pray that I get the chance to someday. Suggested Listening: "One Mic" Nas on Wikipedia |
 3. SLUG (from Atmosphere) Everyone can relate to Slug's lyrics. And his live performances are flawless, even though he adds so much new flavor to his material while performing it for an audience. He is constantly gaining more recognition, and deserves it all. Suggested Listening: "The Woman With The Tattooed Hands" Slug on Wikipedia |
 4. JAY-Z Jay has been one of the hottest MC's in the game on a consistent basis since the mid 90's. He is Mr. Relevant. His songs are still as great as they were on Reasonable Doubt, even though his sound has grown. Seeing him live at Comerica Park made me a bigger fan of his than I ever was, because he was so impressive. He had not one recognizable flaw in his entire performance. He is the consummate professional. He influences just about my every move. Dapper x1000000000. Suggested Listening: "Regrets" Jay-Z on Wikipedia |
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| 5. EMINEM Em has reigned supreme as the best in the game at two different times. He's the Theodore Roosevelt of hip hop. At the turn of the century, he was on top, 10 years later, he's back... he's beastin' in a way I've seen few others do. Suggested Listening: "Not Afraid" Eminem on Wikipedia |
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| 6. SAGE FRANCIS Some people say that groups like Main Source, and De La Soul pioneered alternative hip hop. I'm not sure that I agree, but if that is true, then Sage Francis is the guy who took it to the next level. He offers pure hip hop, through an alternative lens, a completely different scope. No one is more hip hop than Sage, yet everyone appears so. He can write, rhyme, beatbox, and break dance. He's actually quite excellent at all of these things, yet he doesn't take his skills too seriously. He is a spoken word artist with rhythm, he is a rapper without swagger. Suggested Listening: "Got Up This Morning" Sage Francis on Wikipedia |
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| 7. KANYE WEST The College Dropout is, in my opinion, a genre defining album. It set the standard for what real hip hop was going to sound like for the new generation. Since that album, Kanye has become a bigger star every moment. And after 808's & Heartbreak, and the Taylor Swift fiasco, it looked like it was finished. And then, Kanye flipped the script, and put out a couple of classic albums, taking the game by storm, once again. The sky isn't even close to the limit for him. Suggested Listening: "Can't Tell Me Nothing" Kanye West on Wikipedia |
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| 8. DMX DMX is the reason I started rapping. The first time I heard "Slippin'," it was a wrap. That's the moment I started listening almost exclusively to hip hop, as well. DMX wrote songs the same way that 2Pac did, except his songs were more personal. But you couldn't front on him, cuz he was the MOST hardcore dude out. It seems like yesterday, but it was close to 15 years ago that this guy changed the way I view, and do, everything. Suggested Listening: "Slippin'" DMX on Wikipedia |
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| 9. 2PAC I don't have to explain Pac's appeal. I will say this, he was a one of a kind person. As a personality, there could never be a replacement for him. He had the guts to tell the truth straight into the face of the establishment. |
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| 10. (tie) RAKIM & BIG DADDY KANE I put these two together here, because neither has made much great music in close to 20 years. But I love listening to their records, they are the Gods of hip hop. Without them, most of the people on this list wouldn't have picked up a mic. |
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| 11. ICE CUBE Cube made intelligent gangsta rap. He probably had the least amount of street credibility of all of the members of NWA, yet HE was the one that gave them their edge. I read in XXL that he actually was doing a majority of the writing for Eazy and Dre before they asked him to be in the group. Cube dropped out of college, and instantly became a legend. Suggested Listening: "Who's The Mack?" Ice Cube on Wikipedia |
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| 12. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. Biggie Smalls was super lyrical. His flow was unmatched. He somehow had a cadence similar to Nas, even though his stature should have made that impossible. He was one of those full circle artists, he made street anthems that still bang, but could also get on those r&b cuts and swoon as smoothly as the likes of Big Daddy Kane. Suggested Listening: "Juicy" The Notorious BIG on Wikipedia |
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| 13. RICK ROSS I catch flack from time to time about my fandom for Rozay. I just can't remember there ever being a figure quite like him in hip hop. And that's so rare. You could draw style comparisons from Biggie, but Ross is more fashionable. You could draw flow comparisons from a number of southern rappers, but Ross is more deliberate. You could call him a fake, he took the name of a famous cocaine kingpin, and used to work as a corrections officer. But he is hardly the first to do this... and he may be the best at it. He has a persona that is so raw and believable that you almost forget it's an act. That's something that his contemporaries have a very hard time pulling off. Not to mention, his music is really good. Suggested Listening: "B.M.F." Rick Ross on Wikipedia |
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| 14. ANDRE 3000 If this guy doesn't put out an album on which he raps very soon, I may go insane. There hasn't been a flow like his before. And when B.o.B. came onto the scene sounding exactly like him, it wasn't long before the humongous gap in lyrical skill between the two was exposed. 3000 is under appreciated by a lot of heads. His skills are impeccable. Suggested Listening: "Da Art of Stroytelling Part IV" Andre 3000 on Wikipedia |
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| 15. MAC LETHAL Mac has been putting out consistently good material through his label, Black Clover Records, for years now. He has always tried a little too hard to break through to the mainstream, though. He has often made songs that left you scratching your head, because they seemed like frat boy anthems. He recently had some success on youtube, for rapping really fast. His target audience with that kind of stuff is obviously not his own. But when he keeps it pure, he is different, and incredibly talented. I hope that if he finds the success he's yearning for, that he'll stay true to himself. Suggested Listening: "Calm Down Baby" Mac Lethal on Wikipedia |
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| 16. DRAKE Drake is a newcomer, relatively speaking, to the hip hop world. There are several things about him that seems to put off the true heads. I think that he has his own style, and has paved his own lane, out of the shadow of Lil' Wayne. He sings a tad too much for my taste, to be honest, but when he gets serious about his rapping, he's ferocious, yet introspective. He makes genuine mood music, and he lets himself be vulnerable to the listeners judgement. That's a true artist. Suggest Listening: "Successful" Drake on Wikipedia |
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| 17. TALIB KWELI Kweli has a voice that can't really be compared to anyone else. He is, whether he admits or not, a conscious hip hop pioneer. His work with Mos Def is legendary, and he has a knack for finding great beats to showcase his skills. Suggested Listening: "Get By" Talib Kweli on Wikipedia |
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| 18. COMMON Common is one of the greatest lyricists hip hop has ever seen. So many rappers of today have him to thank for paving the way for them. He took on the most hardcore rapper in the game, Ice Cube, early on in his career, and shredded him. He can cut people down, and build people up, with his lyrics. 20 years in and he's still dropping classic albums. Suggested Listening: "The Light" Common on Wikipedia |
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| 19. SCARFACE To me, Scarface was the 2Pac of the south, before 2Pac was even 2Pac. His songs were always based in poetry and reflection. His storytelling game is top notch, and he will forever have the streets on lock. Suggested Listening: "My Block" Scarface on Wikipedia |
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| 20. PROF Prof is technically a newcomer. He's actually a 'hasn't been yet', by mainstream standards, and a 'been there, done that' by underground standards. There's absolutely nobody like him in the business. He's completely original and genuine. And gifted. And hilarious. And talented. He's a lot of things, and I imagine within a few years he'll be higher than this. Suggested Listening: "Animal" Prof on Bandcamp |
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| 21. BIG K.R.I.T. Big Krit dropped Big K.R.I.T. Wuz Here independently, and within a short period of time, had major labels tearing down his door. He reminds me of a southern Kanye West, in that he's an incredible producer, who makes conscious music, but can also make a crossover, Top 40 single in the blink of an eye. He has a great feel for the music. And the type of soul that's hard to come by in today's music industry. I think this guy is going to be a huge star, someday. Suggested Listening: "The Vent"Big K.R.I.T. on Wikipedia |
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| 22. GHOSTFACE KILLAH Ghost is my favorite Wu Tang member, and that means a lot, considering the wealth of legendary talent in that group. His flow is hard to copy, unless you're Action Bronson. His style is unique and he has a language all of his own. Shits. Suggested Listening: "All That I Got Is You" Ghostface Killah on Wikipedia |
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| 23. LIL' WAYNE There was a time when Wayne would have been way higher. He once went on a 4 year bender where no one was touching him on the mixtape circuit. He was doing world tours off of mixtapes and features. Tha Carter series is etched in the fabric of time, and his status has become legendary, even though his flow has become somewhat lackadaisical. Suggested Listening: "Hustler Musik" Lil' Wayne on Wikipedia |
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| 24. TECH N9NE I admit it, I liked Tech N9ne much more in the role of the industry reject. I think he's lost some of his luster now that he is getting the respect he deserves. Funny how that shit works, isn't it? Suggested Listening: "Imma Tell" Tech N9ne on Wikipedia |
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| Suggested Listening: "None Shall Pass" Aesop Rock on Wikipedia |
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| 25. (tie) AESOP ROCK & IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE Both of these guys have paved their own ways, and the only comparable rappers are dudes within their own crew. Aesop has perfected his own style, which cannot be authentically duplicated, and Technique is an unwavering revolutionary who does more than just talk the talk on social issues in this country, and abroad. Suggested Listening: "You Never Know" Immortal Technique on Wikipedia |
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| 26. LUDACRIS Once again, I love originality. Luda does it like none other. He has his own way of rapping, and all others like him come off as biters. The first concert I ever went to was a Ludacris concert, and I will never forget his flawless performance. Suggested Listening:"Southern Hospitality" Ludacris on Wikipedia |
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| 27. DAVID BANNER I won't front, David Banner is on this list exclusively because of his debut album, Mississippi: The Album. Banner made big money to go with Universal, and he stayed true to his roots and put out a classic. His brutal honesty still hits hard today, and despite any less than stellar projects he's put out since, he still remains one of my favorite MC's. Suggested Listening: "Cadillac On 22's" David Banner on Wikipedia |
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| 28. T.I. I bought Urban Legend, and King the day they came out. I was once a hardcore T.I. fan. I've grown less entranced with his some of his newer albums, but loved Paper Trail and his newest mixtape. Few rapper's do it like Tip. Suggested Listening: "Rubberband Man" T.I. on Wikipedia |
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| 29. Joe Budden Joe Budden was around long before Slaughterhouse. His debut, Joe Budden was a commerical failure, but a complete musical success. Buddens was supposed to be the next big thing back in 2003, but his debut fell flat on its face soon after its release. I still cherish that album, as well as many of his mixtapes from the same period. I am very happy to see him find success and recognition again with Slaughterhouse. Suggested Listening: "Walk With Me" Joe Budden on Wikipedia |
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| 30. BIZZY BONE My favorite Bone Thug has always been Bizzy. His voice is so original and his ferociousness is awesome. Suggested Listening: "Nobody Can Stop Me Now" Bizzy Bone on Wikipedia |
