Now that we’ve reached the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we wanted to celebrate the greatest rappers of all time.
Ranking musicians is an impossible task, of course, because everyone brings their own criteria and preferences. For example, we recently tried to rank the greatest American rock bands, and we realized there was no perfect science.
Music isn’t like sports. There aren’t definitive stats we can mention in order to demonstrate why someone is better than someone else. Rap is so much more about the way something makes you feel, which makes it very hard to judge and quantify.
But we still did our best to try and answer some important questions.
How exactly does one define greatness? Is it your personal favorite rapper, or is it more based on accomplishments and influence? How much do we factor technical ability relative to storytelling? What weight is given to flow compared to popularity? We all had our own definitions so we had to really just trust our gut here.
What about collectives? Rap groups (e.g. Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, The Beastie Boys, N.W.A., Public Enemy, Run D.M.C., Salt-N-Pepa, etc.) were excluded from this list. We will revisit this at a later date.
Here was our methodology: Our staff was allowed to cast ten votes for any rapper, dead or alive. We were asked to rank each rapper from No. 1 overall to No. 10 overall. Rappers that got first-place votes from a staffer received ten points, rappers that got second-place votes received nine points (and so on … until rappers that got tenth-place votes earned one).
We calculated the results and brought them to you, the reader. This article is, by nature, imperfect. This list missed a lot of the best rappers to ever touch a microphone.
Art is subjective, as we know. But this was the closest we could get our staff to at least sort of agreeing.
RELATED: Hip-hop’s 50th anniversary is the perfect time to celebrate how intertwined it is with sports
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14
Drake
Let’s get something out of the way: Drake is who he is and sometimes that is a guy who is very corny. But he is more than just one of the most important musicians of the last decade or so. Drake is now literally the most-streamed artist on Spotify of all time. He is the highest-selling singles artist in RIAA history and he recently even passed The Beatles for most top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
No one makes a hit record quite like Drake (e.g. “One Dance” or “God’s Plan” or “Passionfruit”), but he has some emotional tracks like “Marvin’s Room” that will make you remember he is able to do more than just make some ridiculously catchy music — while also maintaining his status as one of the biggest celebrities in the world.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
13
Rakim
It’s honestly wild to me that Rakim is this far down on the list. If you ask me, Rakim rapped a lot better than many of the names above him. They didn’t call the man the God MC for no reason. The dude created some of your favorite flows in Hip-Hop today. He doesn’t always get the credit for it because his prime predates Hip-Hop’s big boom in the 90s, but he was part of the reason that boom happened. So I’ll give him his flowers for that here.
— Michael D. Sykes
12
Big Boi
When a lot of folks talk about OutKast – the greatest hip-hop duo of all time – praise is typically given first to André 3000. And that’s fine: 3 Stacks is one of the best, an eccentric rapper with flair, fervor and mind-blowing rhymes whose lyrics still resonate.
But Big Boi deserves credit too. If the duo were basketball players, André 3000 would be the wing that flushes dunks and swishes threes, while Big Boi would be the point guard dishing assists and crossing up defenders. There is no OutKast without Big Boi, which means Southern hip-hop – and everything that came after 1994’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik – might not exist without him. Antwan Andre Patton Sr., aka Big Boi, aka Daddy Fat Sax, aka Sir Lucious Left Foot, has long been one of the boldest rappers in the game.
Big Boi isn’t all that big – he’s about 5-foot-7 and isn’t fat. However, he rhymes with just as much confidence and swagger as those larger-than-life hip-hop stars and is armed with both a workmanlike approach to the art form and an incredibly unique narrative approach. He is gimmick-less but can be inventive and creative, a skill displayed on Speakerboxxx – the better of OutKast’s 2003 double album. He can also be a detailed and nuanced storyteller, something he really shows on ATLiens and Aquemini.
And he’s also displayed the ability to carry successful solo tracks, from “The Way You Move” to “All Night”. When you talk about OutKast, don’t overlook or disrespect Big Boi. Just listen to André 3000, who once told GQ, “Big Boi is smart as f*ck… Big Boi can rap better than me.”
— Mitchell Northam
11
Eminem
I remember when I first heard “My Name Is” … and I was floored. Who IS this guy? He’s hilarious! He’s creative as hell! And then he proceeded to tear through the music world with hit after hit, gathering fans who could see why he’s a star: He had a seemingly endless amount of rhymes and could spit them out at warp speed. Yes, there was the anger that he plumbed the depths of and was honest about, but there was a storyteller who kept us hanging on every word.
— Charles Curtis
10
MF DOOM
No one included on this list caused more internal controversy amongst our staffers than MF DOOM. (Just remember ALL CAPS when you spell the man name.) But the mysterious masked supervillain of hip-hop is one of the most distinctive and clever musicians in the genre. Persona plays such a massive role in hip-hop and his worldbuilding was idiosyncratic and singular. With a cult-like following and some of the most unique samples and rhymes you will ever encounter, DOOM had an undeniably bizarre career. He used body doubles and struggled to gain U.S. citizenship, so live performances or appearances were rare and a struggle.
Yet critically-acclaimed albums like his debut Operation: Doomsday (1999) or Madvillainy (2004) with Madlib are essential listening. Despite mostly working independently of a major label, the elusive rapper drew praise from all corners of the world. A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip called DOOM “your favorite MC’s favorite MC” and there is truly no higher praise.
— Bryan Kalbrosky
9
Lil Wayne
While Lil Wayne made his debut as a young rapper from New Orleans in 1999 with The Block Is Hot, he catapulted into the mainstream and began his journey into mega-stardom with his 2005 album, Tha Carter II. After we heard hits like Fireman and Hustler Musik, an era began – for about the next eight years – in which anytime Lil Wayne put out new music it was an event.
Lil Wayne’s era of supremacy was also the mixtape era. We all rushed to either DatPiff or Limewire to download the latest lyrical hotness from Weezy – or perhaps you were visiting your local convenience store where bootlegs of these mixtapes may or may not have been sold at the counter.
But it wasn’t just Lil Wayne’s solo work that resonated. He was also the guy during that eight-year-or-so stretch that everyone wanted to work with, including other rappers on this list, from Jay-Z to Eminem. Wayne has this singularly unique voice and style, that sometimes sounds like a squeak or a croak, but he has the ability to punish the microphone and own beats with rhymes that are visceral, mesmerizing and tenacious. He also has the versatility to perform on songs that are softer, playful or even a bit immature.
Lil Wayne has now been in the rap game for more than two decades and he’s cemented his spot among the best. “And next time you mention Pac, Biggie, or Jay-Z, don’t forget Weezy, baby.”
— Mitchell Northam
8
Kanye West (Ye)
Do I feel great about including Kanye on this list? Nope. Not at all. There was discussion among the staff about omitting him from our ballots entirely. The last few years of his public life have been as despicable as they are pathetic and there’s no doubt it’d be easier to enjoy his work if he just went away (which….*looks around cautiously*….might be the case?). At any rate, few artists have been able to put out back-to-back hit albums. Kanye had a run of five straight smashing successes. His production level was second to none. Simply put, we miss the old Kanye.
— Blake Schuster
7
André 3000
One of Atlanta’s favorite sons, André 3000 co-headlined the all-time great rap duo OutKast for many years. While Big Boi brought the structure of OutKast, André 3000 was the energy. You can pick out any verse Andre 3000 appears on with basically any OutKast song, and you instantly pulsate with excitement. An André 3000 verse is a lightning bolt, and few in the rap game have ever really brought such a mix of electricity and gravitas to the mic quite like 3000 has.
While OutKast might be a thing of the past, the rapper has become the most coveted guest verse in the genre. He’s just in a class of his own.
— Cory Woodroof
6
Snoop Dogg
Quick, name a rapper more famous than Snoop Dogg. You probably can’t, because no one has transcended the genre more. Snoop was able to attain mainstream success without really sacrificing his gangster persona. He didn’t go to the masses, he made the masses come to him. The influence speaks for itself. When you think of West Coast rap, Snoop should be one of the first names that comes to mind.
On top of that, his catalog is damn good. From the very beginning with Doggystyle, and even after his work with Dr. Dre, Uncle Snoop has enough hits to make anybody sweat in a Verzuz battle.
— Prince Grimes
5
Nas
Simply put, Nas is one of the greatest street poets to ever do it and, in my opinion, should be in the top two. The Queensbridge native has the requisite classic album for this type of list, and he hasn’t faded from the consciousness of hip-hop since Illmatic debuted in 1994. Even before his recent run of magic (no pun intended), including the King’s Disease series, he was stamped as a legend in the game. These latest projects only strengthen his position as one of the last remaining bridges between the old and new.
— Prince Grimes
4
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar dominated rap in the 2010s. Between putting out three of the finest albums across any genre that decade, providing an entire political moment with its anthem with “Alright” and winning a literal Pulitzer, Lamar has established himself as one of our vital perspectives across all cultures with the way he sees the world and the stories he chooses to tell.
However, his industry-scorching verse on Big Sean’s “Control” also proved that he’s a thunderous voice behind the mic and brings an elite level of creativity and unfailing confidence to his raps. Lamar might’ve put his eternal place in rap best on that “Control” feature: “I’m Makaveli’s offspring, I’m the king of New York, King of the Coast, one hand, I juggle them both.”
— Cory Woodroof
3
Tupac
The word I keep coming back to with Tupac Shakur as I thought about why I ranked him so high: Range. He could bring you to tears, he could make you laugh, he could make you want to get up and dance. He could rap about his mom, about his enemies, about flirting, about … well, everything. He was a poet and it showed in his verses. You can’t have a GOATs list without him.
— Charles Curtis
2
The Notorious B.I.G.
A lyrical genius who wasn’t afraid to prove it and quite possibly the best storyteller in rap. Biggie always made it feel like he was letting you in on a secret. He’s chatting with you (mostly bragging) and you alone in a voice that’s both gentle and cutting. Many hip-hop artists are products of their era. Biggie is timeless.
— Blake Schuster
1
Jay-Z
Jay-Z is the rapper who everyone tends to just plug in at the top of their all-time hip-hop lists. You’re probably thinking that’s exactly what we’re doing here and I can’t necessarily blame you for your skepticism.
But, yo, we’re talking about Hov. The man is the truth. We’ve got countless moments across 13 albums, thousands of songs and an endless list of verses that carry a timelessness that many of the other artists on this list couldn’t even dream of having. From ‘96’s Reasonable Doubt to 2017s 4:44, the man has given us bar after bar after bar. And he’ll remind you time after time that he wrote none of it down. Do I believe him? No, not fully. But still, nonetheless, it’s impressive.
— Mike D. Sykes
