BILLBOARD'S TOP 10 BEST RAPPERS LIST
Best Rappers List | Greatest of All Time | Billboard
Greatest Rappers of All Time
Diehard fans, music nerds and critics love lists. But in rap, greatest-of-all-time rankings like this take on a special level of import: aside from moving a crowd (shouts to Rakim), MC means proving you’re the best. In no other genre do artists so blatantly express their desire to outdo competition. That made Billboard's list a more high-stakes undertaking than usual. Many of our favorites -- Big Daddy Kane, Drake, KRS-One -- didn’t make it, and each of those omissions hurts deep down. We also have to note: we’re ranking rappers, not rap artists. That’s why Dr. Dre and Kanye West, for example, two legendary producer-artists who don’t match the mic skills of those listed here, were left out.
1. Notorious BIG
2. Jay-Z
3. Eminem
4. Rakim
5. Nas
6. Andre 3000
7. Lauryn Hill
8. Ghostface Killah
9. Kendrick Lamar
10. Lil Wayne
Best Rappers List | Greatest of All Time | Billboard
Greatest Rappers of All Time
Diehard fans, music nerds and critics love lists. But in rap, greatest-of-all-time rankings like this take on a special level of import: aside from moving a crowd (shouts to Rakim), MC means proving you’re the best. In no other genre do artists so blatantly express their desire to outdo competition. That made Billboard's list a more high-stakes undertaking than usual. Many of our favorites -- Big Daddy Kane, Drake, KRS-One -- didn’t make it, and each of those omissions hurts deep down. We also have to note: we’re ranking rappers, not rap artists. That’s why Dr. Dre and Kanye West, for example, two legendary producer-artists who don’t match the mic skills of those listed here, were left out.
1. Notorious BIG
2. Jay-Z
3. Eminem
4. Rakim
5. Nas
6. Andre 3000
7. Lauryn Hill
8. Ghostface Killah
9. Kendrick Lamar
10. Lil Wayne
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