Yea Biggie NEEDS to be on this list if it is to have any legitimacy

Everyone is entitled to there opinion. Best rapper is hard say because we all have so many different views of what makes a rapper the best. I will say though omitting B.I.G. from any top 5 list is highway robery at knife point, just don't make no sense lol. Any way my top 5 of ALL TIME are


5A. The Notorious B.I.G.: He has a place in all hip hop fans hearts, and even though he only released 2 albums, you know, you just know this man would've remained a force had he not been taken from us.

5B. NaS: The street poet has been the voice for injustice and education. NaS blended the harsh reality of life within the concrete jungle, with information and knowledge to some of the things we should pay attention to. Social injustice being one of his main speaking points, NaS time and time again can be counted on to give you something to think about.

4. Jay-Z: The man's talent cannot be ignored. He would've be just as influential if he chose to remain street. He gets knocked a lot of dumbing down his lyrics to double his dollars, but at the end of the day, J knew this was a business, and you can't enjoy the success he has without any talent.

3. Tupac: What can’t be said about this man. Much like NaS, social injustice among black people and other people of color was something he was very passionate about. Tupac lyrics touched all that opened the ears for the man. His list of classics are undeniable and something very few rappers get to ever realize. Simply put; Tupac was one of the most influential people of his time. Lyrically, very few were better than him. He rapped with a passion that is mostly gone from the game today.

2.Rakim: This guy was Jay, NaS & Biggie all in one. I know it’s hard to imagine how good this guy was when now we have ringtone rappers like Soulja Boy and Woka Floka…. But the man was instrumental for rap. His delivery and lyrics were very different from those making records around him at the time and topping the charts (N.W.A. & Snoop Dogg). But this list isn’t about topping charts, it’s about flow and lyrical skill, and he had plenty of that.

1. Eminem: I know people are like huh?! Eminem?! Listen I can understand your arguments completely. But at the end the day, what rapper has done it the way Mr. Mathers has. Eminem sound is way different from every one else on ths list, but his lyrics are air tight. Simply put, anyone one of the rappers on this list is going to have to bring their A game to beat him in a battle. Trust me, no one is going to put their neck out there and get sauteed by Em.


The essence of rap was to battle, and for me, when it boils down, these guys aren’t somebody you want to be on the other end of a rap battle.

commercial hip-hop/rap hurts my ears but if I had to do a top five:
Big Pun
Tupac
Biggie
Em
Nas
And to be honest that order is interchangeable because they're all so good. Personally I look around for unknown underground artists because the music is so much better then what they play on the radio. Some of my favorite, lesser known artists are Lupe Fiasco (known but under appreciated) J.Cole (starting to break out), Murs, Blu, Jedi Mind Tricks/ Army of the Pharoahs/ Demigodz (pretty much anyone associated with those groups), wordsworth, JayElectronica

I think their's more to rap then just style & delivery skills. If a dude can rap but he doesn't talk about anything how important is he? People have to listen more about what they say then how they say it.

1. Rakim
2. Jay-Z
3. Notorious B.I.G.
4. Souls of Mischief
5. Eminem

Revision:

3. B.I.G./Tupac

Hard to make a list like this... So many greats have to be left off the list...

...and I shouldn't have to mention Craig G. One of the illest battle MCs ever.

Big belongs in the top 10, but keep in mind he only released two albums, and both were heavily produced by Sean Combs. To all the old heads, and I should know...I'm getting older myself, you simply can not compare guys of old to the new era. That's like comparing the 70 steelers to the 2009 Saints! The Saints would cream any vinatge team and Lil Wayne is a leaps and bounds over the likes of KRS one and the Rza's of the world.
Honorable mentions: Pimp C, Rakim, LL Cool J, Andre 3000

In my opinion, Lil wayne isn't anywhere close to my top 5, but that's just me.
Nas, B.I.G, Eminem, Jay-z, Pac, and Mos for me..6 I know, but I couldn't leave one out. No particular order either.

Lil Wayne would cream KRS sales wise, but not lyrically, in my opinion. But what you say is true. You can't really compare the two as they are from totally different eras. But in case you didn't know, KRS is still doing his thing. He and Buckshot did an album together last year that was bangin.'

DR. Dre?????????????????????Are u serious..I love Dre's music but Cube Jay Z the D.O.C wrote his rhymes...u lost homey...

1. Nas
2. Big L
3. Biggie
4. Gangstarr

**** i pressed enter by accident and it submitted the list lol
5. Wu-tang (I know its a group but you gotta put dem in there)

Man y'all trippin...D is for never dirty MC is for mostly clean. DMC is where it started for me...Dabbled in that Easy E with NWA Cube kept 'em strong but they were too violent and vulgar for my taste...So I looked Uncle L he can still drop fresh beats til this day...What's my Djs name? Cut Creator!!Then I found this dude who had a political message and Chuck D delivered even with the goofy Flava Flav. PE told you what time it was son.Some where in between was my favorite group and that is TRIBE.Q-tip, Phife Dawg & Ali Shaheed Muhammad they brought it all together for hip-hop.That my 2 centsDueces

1. Nas
2. Krs One
3. B.I.G
4. Big Daddy Kane
5. Slick Rick
Im 34 and I have been listening to hip hop since the mid to late 80's. This list is only my starting five of course there is more. These dudes i feel represent True MC's !!!!