Billboard
magazine recently released a list of the Top 10 Rappers Of All Time.
As you can probably guess, its bullshit. In late 2013 I made a list
of my Top Five Rappers Of All Time and from what I can recall I
didn't get much in the way of disagreement. Strangely, only one of
mine made Billboard's ten. Actually, its not that strange. When
people make lists a lot of people disagree with them because we all
have our favorites and those we think deserve more respect.
Billboard
said “Diehard fans, music nerds and critics love lists. But in rap,
rankings like this take on a special level of import: aside from
moving a crowd (shouts to Rakim), MC means proving you're the best.
In no other genre do artists so blatantly express their desire to
outdo competition. That made Billboard's editorial list a more
high-stakes undertaking than usual. Many favorites -- Kane, Drake,
KRS -- didn't make it, and each of those omissions hurts deep down.
Note: we're ranking these folks as MCs, not artists. That's why Dr.
Dre and Kanye West, for example, two legendary producer-rappers who
don't match the mic skills of those listed here, were left out. Even
Tupac, perhaps the most influential rapper ever globally, is arguably
known more for great songwriting than dominant bars.”
