voice, storytelling ability, creativity, and general influence
through the microphone. Rap remains controversial as it’s
often misunderstood by outsiders, mocked by the masses as
a lesser art form. For his part, critic Bill O’Reilly has often
blasted rap as the mouthpiece of a violent and misogynistic
“street” culture.
Ironically, O’Reilly may find himself largely in agreement
with rapper Notorious B.I.G., who once riffed, “The street is
a short stop. Either you’re slinging crack rock, or you got a
wicked jump shot.” Yes, the rap game began as a proverbial
sanctuary for the inner city. Today, however, rap is blared
from the loudspeakers out in rural Minnesota to the raging
nightclubs of Ibiza, and everywhere in between. On the
other end of the spectrum, fans of “real hip hop” have been
known to blast music executives for their proclivity to put
out radio-friendly hits that are rather light on lyricism and
heavy on bass. A May 2014 Forbes piece praising Iggy Azalea
for running hip hop did set off a firestorm of debate within
many industry circles; mainstream popularity does not
always translate into masterful technique as an artist.
10. GZA
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Classic Albums: Enter the WuTang: 36 Chambers / Liquid
Swords
Gary Grice, aka GZA, aka The Genius, has made it onto this
list as the primary representative for the Wu Tang Clan. For
hip-hop, The Wu is comparable to the Kennedy dynasty. The
group also went on to spin off a plethora of acts and
affiliates, which include Killarmy and Wu Syndicate. The Wu,
of course, always felt greater than the sum of its respective
parts. These charismatic New York rappers began to
captivate a worldwide audience, after the 1993 release of
their “Enter the Wu Tang: 36 Chambers” debut LP.
For the Wu, GZA added the best lyrical dexterity to a group
that included Method Man’s Hollywood appeal, Ghostface
Killah’s abstract style, Raekwon’s hustle, RZA’s production,
and the late ODB’s outrageous griminess. Method Man
proclaimed, “we form like Voltron and GZA is the head.” The
GZA’s delivery was smooth, yet authoritative, as he often
dismissed the typical rap story lines of nightclubs,
provocative women, and tough-talk gun-play in favor of
science and wide-ranging philosophies.
As a solo artist, Liquid Swords was the classic album that
crystallized GZA’s distinctive technique. This masterpiece
was devoid of skits and prominently featured the basic, dark
themes of many genuine RZA productions.
9. Andre 3000
Source: Outkast.com
Classic Album: OutKast’s ATLiens
Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000), along with OutKast
partner Big Boi, helped to redefine the Atlanta scene away
from bass and party music and toward intricate storylines
featuring a Southern drawl. For his part, Andre 3000
transformed from a skinny, young bowl-cut emcee out of
Southwest Atlanta waxing poetic over a “ Player’s Ball” of
classic cars, cash, and women into a global celebrity and
fashion-forward icon.
As a rapper, Andre 3000 has experimented with lyrics and
background melodies ranging between the player lifestyle,
jazz, rhythm and blues, and even rock. Between 2002 and
2004, Andre 3000, Big Boi, and OutKast took home a total of
six Grammy awards: Best rap performance by a duo or
group, album of the year, and best rap album for their
collaborative efforts on Stankonia and Speakerboxxx / The
Love Below. From here, Andre Benjamin was able to
leverage his mainstream appeal to star as an actor in
several TV shows and movies, which have included Be Cool,
Idlewild, The Shield, and the lead role in Jim [Hendrix]: All is
By My Side.
As a solo artist, Andre 3000 will always be recognized for his
calm and somewhat lazy vocal inflection that serve as the
perfect contrast to oftentimes biting social commentary.
8. AZ
Source: rapradar.com
Classic Album: Doe or Die
The legacy of Anthony Cruz, or AZ, was somewhat
overshadowed beneath the star power of close ally Nas. Out
of Brooklyn, AZ is arguably the most underrated rapper to
grace the microphone. He’s notable for his relatively high-
pitched delivery and aggressive lyrics that jammed multiple
rhymes into each bar. AZ built his character up as somewhat
of an unwitting gangster, who embraced a life of crime
largely out of necessity, instead of out of calculated malice.
As such, AZ fit the ongoing Robin Hood narrative that has
permeated rap.
Rap fans were first introduced to AZ as a guest artist that
ripped through tracks on Nas’s 1994 Illmatic classic. He then
went on to release his solo Doe or Die album, which
throttled listeners with a dangerously callous outlook toward
American Life.
7. Snoop Dogg
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Classic Album: Doggystyle
Out of Long Beach, Calif., Snoop Dogg introduced himself to
the entertainment world while trading verses and barbs with
Dr. Dre on the Deep Cover movie soundtrack. From there,
Snoop starred as a talented protégé, who was featured
heavily throughout Dr. Dre’s classic album, Chronic. In 1993,
Snoop Dogg was to debut as a solo artist with his own
critically acclaimed Doggystyle LP.
Snoop’s laid back, smooth “California cool” voice inflection
delivered the perfect contrast juxtaposed to the blaring,
head-banging signature Dr. Dre production. Snoop Dogg will
forever be immortalized as the leader of the G-Funk Era,
which fused modern hip hop with 1970s soul music. As he
matured, Snoop moved on to popular music and achieved
unparalleled success, receiving six Grammy award
nominations between 2004 and 2013, according to IMDB.
6. Scarface
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Classic Albums: The Diary, My Homies, and Untouchables
Scarface legitimized Southern rap as the lead member of his
Geto Boys group. His subject matter was typically dark yet
authentic. For the past 20 years, a growling Scarface has
grappled with murder, court cases, hustling, total loss, and
humiliating deception throughout his storytelling career.
If anything, his brazen refusal to submit and change his art
according to the whims of industry execs preserved his
street cred. Scarface went on to collaborate with the likes of
Nas, Tupac, UGK, Jay-Z, Ice Cube, Too Short, and Dr. Dre,
who all sought the hardcore seal of approval from this Texas
rapper.
5. Nas
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Classic Album: Illmatic
In 1994, “Nasty” Nas exploded onto the scene with Illmatic,
which may arguably go down as the greatest hip hop album
of all time. At the age of 19, Nasir Jones had put out a
compact, 10-song banger of fierce beats, gritty storytelling,
sharp punch lines, and absolute raging fire on the
microphone. From there, the young emcee was poised to
battle Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z for the coveted King of New
York crown for years to come.
Over the years Nasty Nas went through stages of evolution,
turning into the relatively smooth Nas Escobar, before
attempting to ride off into the sunset as a sagely and self-
righteous Nastradamus and God’s Son. Competing rappers
took note of Nas’s struggles with navigating commercialism,
street cred, financial struggles, and a brutal divorce to
entertainer Kelis. This led to some antagonism toward Nas,
including some hate coming from Jay-Z, which brought Nas
back into full stride. He declared himself the King of New
York, and the only true remaining rival to Tupac and Biggie
Smalls.
4. Jay-Z
Elsa/Getty Images
Classic Album: Reasonable Doubt
Jay-Z emerged as that rare personality that has successfully
melded street cred, popular mass appeal, swagger, and the
classic Horatio Alger rags-to-riches storyline. As a rapper,
Jay-Z may be most notable for his smooth delivery and
authoritative voice that commands listeners to dance. In
addition to Nas, rappers 50-Cent, Camron, Jim Jones, and
Prodigy have resurrected their careers simply through
challenging Jay-Z. For his part, in this game of tough talk,
Jay-Z has already taken home an unprecedented 19
Grammy awards, according to Grammy.com.
The self-proclaimed “Michael Jordan of rap” has spit bars for
the projects, the dance floor, and the haughty intellectual. A
recent Forbes Celebrity 100 list claimed that Jay-Z had
already earned $60 million by June 2014. These earnings
were largely the result of a far-flung empire that includes
sold-out concerts, 40/40 clubs, and Def Jam executive
compensation.
3. Notorious B.I.G.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Classic Album: Ready to Die
Notorious B.I.G. built his legend upon the strength of
freestyle battles throughout the Brooklyn borough. Of
Jamaican descent, B.I.G.’s booming voice and hint of patois
dominated the streets, recording studios, and dancehall
clubs. B.I.G. described himself as “Heart throb never. Black,
and ugly as ever.” Still, his alliance with Sean “Puff Daddy”
Combs helped to create a flamboyant fat man who
maintained a penchant for beautiful women, fancy clothes,
fine dining, and stately mansions. Taken together, Combs
and Smalls emerged as the ultimate answer to West Coast
record label Death Row. The rivalry escalated with the still-
unsolved shooting and robbery of Tupac Shakur in the
hallways of a Midtown Manhattan recording studio, where
the East Coast Bad Boy entourage was also present.
The East Coast – West Coast rivalry set off a chain of events
that led to Biggie Smalls’s murder in 1997, when he was
gunned down outside of an L.A. nightclub. Many industry
insiders have speculated that this hit was in retaliation for
the 1994 murder of Tupac Shakur.
2. Tupac Shakur
Source: spin.com
Classic Album: All Eyez on Me
Tupac and his Me Against the World mentality often
bordered upon sheer lunacy. He made open calls to
violence against East Coast rappers, disloyal acquaintances,
corrupt politicians, and even scandalous women. In contrast
to his tough talk, however, were happy-go-lucky dance
mixes, love poetry, spiritual leadership, and an ode to “Dear
Mamma.”
As a self-proclaimed “boss-player,” Tupac was arguably the
most complex persona to ever approach the microphone.
Was Pac the kindred soul sabotaged by the fast living of
stardom — or was he a true egomaniacal monster who
leveraged his celebrity platform to toss breadcrumbs at the
little people? We can only speculate that Tupac was
somewhat of a chameleon who transitioned through various
roles according to his particular audience.
1. Rakim
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Classic Album: Paid in Full
Rakim is the father of modern day rap. A beaming Ghostface
Killah of Wu Tang Clan once proclaimed, “Rakim is the only
god. He taught me how to rock this.” Rakim’s calm delivery
effortlessly carries listeners through his own personal
journey of triumph, money making, and the fallibility of
mankind. The intense cutting, production, and scratching
skills of partner Eric B. served as the perfect contrast to
Rakim’s graceful wordplay.
As a rather precocious youth, Rakim’s subject matter was
steeped with high-minded braggadocio, existential
philosophies, and spirituality. To this day, Eric B. and
Rakim’s Paid in Full and 1988 follow-up album Follow the
Leader are still considered masterpieces. It was then that a
young Eric B. and Rakim first began to combine jazz
syncopation with verbal artistry, inspiring future rappers’
musical aesthetics.
If I missed someone please feel free to add
