I have been getting back into vinyl in the last couple of years and I was actually inspired to dig out the old records by my neighbor Ian Weisberg. Ian is a doctor and he says that the only way in which he can switch off at the end of a tough day is to spin the turntable and listen to some wax. We often discuss genres and we also often debate about different artists and albums. Recently we got into it about the best rappers of all time and we decided to try and put our top 3 together. After much thought then, here are mine, take a look and see if you agree or disagree.
1 – Eminem
The best thing that I can say about Marshall Bruce Mathers III is that he was such a god rapper that he made people forget about the color of his skin. Eminem faced a tough baptism in hip-hop because he was white, often seen as Vanilla Ice wannabes back then. We should all be thankful therefore that Slim Shady kept on pushing, as he has grown into the best lyricist and rhyme spitter that we have ever seen. Whether off the dome or written down, his words are powerful and infectious. Nobody wants beef with Em because they get slayed and very few people even want him on the feature any more, because he outshines everyone, the GOAT.
2- Nas
Not only does Was have the greatest record of all time in Illmatic, he is also my number 2 greatest rapper of all time, and a man who’s lyrics will be studied one day in the future like we do now with Shakespeare. Was consistently produces outstanding songs and the way in which he tells stories is like no other. Through Nas’ lyrics you feel as though you are right there in the situation that he is describing and his use of vocabulary and the way that he bends and plays with words is masterful. Nas is often considered a failure given that he never lived up to the first album, but when that first album is the greatest of all time, you can blame him for not hitting that mark again.
3- Black Thought
This was a straight shoot-out between Pacm Biggie and Black Thought and after much consideration I just think that Black Thought is the better rapper. Lead singer of The Roots and one of the most insane freestylers that the game has ever seen, Thought is able to conjure up a world of wisdom from his lyrics. What I love most about him is the way in which he flows, a snarling and ferocious stream of consciousness with woke lyrics and a perfectly managed rhyme pattern. If you wanted any evidence as to why I have placed the Roots man at number 3 in this list, just check out the freestyle which he did on the Funkmaster Flex show last year.
And so, let me know what you think in the comments below. And to read more about topics like this, check out our hobbies category!