Im not sure but i think it might be akon

I don't really listen to rap but I remember when I was a kid, sometime before hitting the teen years, I like that dangerous minds cd. So whoever made that I guess lol.

This would probably be better in the Music discussions forum though.

KRS-ONE without a doubt the illest MC of all timessssssssssssss and then Jean Grae the illest female MC

Santa Claus's elves..... they wrap me presents so good, I have to use a pig sticking knife to open them!

actually..... Digital Underground > “Shock G” Jacobs, who also went by the stage name of Humpty Hump. Tupac Shakur was a member at one time.

Affinity flexing his Uber-potential is right, this would be better discussed in the music discussions forum, however while this topic is still here.



WOW i really can tell your age when say "akon" he is lucky to have been around maybe 5 years... hardly qualifies as "all time" while i do admit akon is kool... he still is just a guppy in a large pond of the hip hop genre.

back to topic, and not a huge fan of his stuff but he has been around a little bit longer than akon, but i would have to say 2pac.

but thats just my 2¢, peace!

Is Akon a rapper? thought he was more r&b or something??

Anyways, theres loads of great rap/hip-hop out there (as well as a few threads about it too) but if your talking all time then go with the founders of turntablism - GrandMaster Flash.

moved to Music

Have to say either 2Pac or Nas.

I'm so impressed you like Jean Grae, you may be my new favourite darksider! KRS-ONE is pretty cool, but I'd have to go with Rakim I think.

One with a heated seat & soft paper

2pac, Biggie and Eazy-E

Don't rate Pac but Biggie and Eazy are pretty sick.

2pac, krs-one, biggie, nas, eazy, ll cool j, just to name a few of the bigger ones from rap history to groups like digable planets, master ace, pharcyde, to name a few we usually forget, (and i know we can all add to this list) all have played a huge part in making rap what it is, by their own unique styles have brought movement to this music.

But who is "the best rapper of all time" and how do we define that, that is the question!
Peace!

nas and marley marl

although marley marl is more of a producer, he is still a legend

almost forgot BIG L

R.I.P

thats true

my favorite rapper of all time? "Weird Al" Yankovic

his songs are better than the originals

Amish Paradise
Couch Potato
White & Nerdy

Most stylish and original: Rakim
Most talented: Abdominal
Best female: Jean Grae
Best lyricist: Saul Williams
Best group (of MCs): Jurassic 5 (pre-Feedback)
Fastest: Fu-Schnickens

Of course all of that is pure opinion haha.

forgot
record sales
record plays (on air)
grammy nominations etc.

and again just like you said brincy just my opinion, peace!

i agree, grandmaster flash would be my all time choice.a lot of peeps seem to think rap began in the 90's,it was at its best before then

my opinion:

Most stylish and original: Nas
Most talented: Rakim
Best female: Shawwna
Best lyricist: Eminem
Best group (of MCs): Jurassic 5 (pre-Feedback) <--agreed
Fastest: Twista
Most influential: 2Pac



record sales=Eminem
record plays (on air)=Eminem
grammy nominations etc.=Eminem

Eric "EAZY-E" Wright

another quality the "greatest rapper of all time" should have, good mr tdurden

i think another thing to add to our criteria is longevity: dead or alive who is still around, ya know?

longevity and still RELEVANT?....possibly Snoop, maybe Ice Cube,maybe Nas, maybe Dre if he ever drops "detox", busta has been around for awhile and is still making good music, if Rakim can find a label to stay at, i think he would win longevity (1987 eric b & rakim)...

and im glad all the dead rappers have stopped dropping albums, i luv 2pac, but if i hear another from the grave record, or something labeled "new 2pac" and all it is, is new beats, same lyrics im gonna go crazy...

he would be my choice though for dead rapper....

Tupac was Humpty's bitch.Was good to see Rakim up here as well as EZ

Gza-liquid swords is perfect

Rakim was far more influential than pac, pac pretty much inspired all of modern r 'n' b (which is a pretty shameful position to be in!)

thats a bold statement....maybe Pac wasnt your backpack rapper, or freestyle guru, but he has more to his legacy than r'n'b....which im not sure if that is even acurate....how has he influenced r'n'b?

cant stand pac never could, Biggie Smalls first album was fire but he fell on the r'n'b crap. Guru has to be one of the best ever, cube, madd props to ez. Rakim has to be mentioned as well as Run DMC who really put hip hop on the map.

Xzibit is good, so is Eminem and Dr. Dre.

Hands down the award goes to NAS, that man is a pure musical genious...every album is gold! Poetic lyrics along with original fresh beats.

Also, I am a sucker for Eminem's stuff too, he knows how to put together a solid track.

Always liked EPMD, throw in some Public Enemy as a close second.

EPMD and Public Enemy are pretty good.

As far as the Tupac comment, to me his music has a real r 'n' b feel to it, his lyrics lack real substance (with a few exceptions, and those exceptions are all pretty much the same) and his music lacks real diversity. I felt he was pretty limited as a rapper, with no particular element standing out (he can't rap fast, his emceeing doesn't flow well and his lyrics lack inspiration). His production is fairly typical of West Coast hip hop of that time, which has developed and branched to give is the modern r 'n' b that we are used to. I think that it's a combination of all this that means he has had the biggest impact on the r 'n' b scene, and I'm willing to bet if you ask any r'n'b artist who their favourite or most influential MC was they will say Tupac.

i tried not respond to your post, but for you say "no real substance" "no diversity" "lacks inspiration", these statements lead me to believe you have never had to struggle for anything in your life.

Now i am not a Tupac "Stan" , as you can see in my other posts in this thread, but these statements you make are absurd. pac has influenced many lives, as well as hip hop. His raps were almost preacher like, they told a story. Can you name one rapper today, who even compares to his style? Most artists strive to be as influencle as Pac.

2pac,EmineM,DR.DRE

2pac bone thugs n harmony and outkast

First off Akon is not a rapper he sing's R'N'B. And second, in rap there's 2 people 4 me that are rap 1 is 2 pac his beats and lyrics are from the soul. I've seen videos of pac when he is in the studio mixing 1 track and writing another 1. Then we have Dr Dre his albums the chronic and 2001 are in my mind 2 of the best all round rap albums ever. No matter how many times i listen to them the beats still sound fresh i never get sick of the lyrics. Lets just hope he drops Detox soon. So for me it's:

1. 2 pac
2. Dr Dre

I already said that I think most r 'n' b today sounds similar to his style, that was the point I was making. I'm not talking about struggling for things in life at all, I'm talking about the music. I never said he didn't influence people, I just don't think he influenced (musically speaking) in a positive way. Some of the messages he spread were great and I think he probably did a lot for the young black youth, but it get's tired when you hear it over and over in his music.

I wasn't trying to insult him as a person, merely saying I think he was limited as an artist, it always amazes me how popular he was and it irritates me that other, more talanted, artists go without as much recognition.

I like Dre's Chronic album that was hype but will say it again never have never will like 2 pac I can however admit that he did alot for the west coast scene.

@brincy, I feel that same as you bro

Cheers mate, I appreciate what he did, but just don't like his music. By the way, you know Tupac was originally from NY? ...... East Coast Rules haha.

Oh yea theres lotsa stuff with him and biggie on the same tracks. They were tight until Pac got blasted going into the studio or something like that.

Master P Ice Cream Man or Snoop Dog Gin and Juice and the best at what they do

I guess another question is what constitutes a good mc or hip hop group. In other words why is your favorite mc/hip hop group your favorite?

grave records thats hilarious!




rawkus i know you know your stuff, but "rapper" and "mc" are two different things in my book,
when you say "mc" i know you refer to an element of hip hop wich really isnt rap music today, right?

Thats a good point IMO it all depends on how you break the scene down. For myself I see rap as a different style of music then I do hip hop. Sorta like rock and alternative if that makes sense to you. To me a rapper is Snoop, Cube, WC, Eminem and so on. For an mc I think of Immortal Technique, Sabac Red, DemiGodz, Snowgoons and on and on. To some people rap and hip hop are one in the same . Hope this makes sense I'm half asleep typing it and will have to check it over when I get up lol.

Jblade, I have some crazy trick dj stuff for you that I plan to up in the next few days when I have time if your interested bro

J5 do the most amazing harmonised emceeing, that's what makes them the best group IMO.

I guess rap and hip hop are different, I tend never to really use the term rap, and never use the word rapper really. I would define rap similarly to rawkus.

@ jblade: I know what you mean about rappers and MCs, I listen to very few "rappers" and generally don't enjoy that sort of music as much, don't get me wrong though, there are still classics.

Oh always interested, i look forward to it, peace!
BTW just picked up AtrakvsQbert and MixMasterMike's new joints from your latest ups thank you!
Its all about the elements!

@brincy I feel you too! classics are just that and seem to so far bridge generations, i am pushin 40 and my kids listen to ALOT of stuff they call "old skool" wich to me is just a song or just a rapper, its a trip!

TUPAC SHAKUR RIP

Without a doubt...top 3 all time.

1. Makaveli

2. Frank White

3. Bruce Mathers III - hate to admit it

If you dont know. do your homework

*Of course there is so many other things that can be weighed out in this decision, like beats, rhymes , freestyle , storytelling , and so on.


But the way those three spit, ain't nobody do it with such skill, some come close - others dont need dare to compare. No matter.

Is there any need to be that prententious? You could just say Tupac, Biggie and Eminem, especially seeing as pac only released one album under the name makaveli and Frank White was just Biggie's nickname. Also why do you hate to admit Eminem is one of your favourite rappers of all time?

hey guys correct me if im wrong but wasnt it "Marshall Mathers"