hiphop-elements.com

A debate in the exec forum about Eminem made me want to make this thread...Alright ya'll let me hear it who you think are the best in the game right now? I'm talking about active artists, no Kool G Rap, or Jeru The Damaja. I'm talking rappers now, not who necesarilly puts out the best music. For example I like Kanye more than I like say

1. Eminem - No other artist has had as many memorable verses for me than him, due to his lyrics and superior technical skill. Puts chills on my spine more than anyone else has no homo.

2. Jay-Z - Im surprised I put him this high, but after thinking about his career and albums he put out I had too. Not the biggest fan of his new stuff, but he still can carry an album with his intelligence and lyricism. Has more than one album that I consider classic. Consistent.

3. Tech N9ne - A controversial pick I'm sure, don't really know what to say. His music speaks for itself. Either you get it or you don't.

4. Evidence - From Dilated People if you don't know, if you don't you shouldn't be here. If you havn't had a chance to hear his post-Dilated solo material you are missing out. Weatherman Lp, Layover Mixtape and EP, and his work with Fashawn, Swollen Members, and Cunninlynguists is all top notch.

5. Ice Cube - This was a very tough choice him and 3 others were basically a tossup. I ended up going with Cube because of his proven ability to adapt and stay relevant. His early stuff was classic, and I am a bigger fan than most of his new shit, pyroclastic flow bitches!

Honorable Mention: Royce Da 5'9, Nas, E-40, Obie Trice, MF Doom, Big Boi, Joe'll Ortiz, Devin the Dude, Brotha Lynch Hung, Drake, Kanye West, Crooked-I, Kid Cudi

Kid Cudi? Brotha Lynch Hung? you are an idiot, this list shouldn't be titled best rapper alive but your fav rappers.

I'm sure your the man when it comes to hip-hop music over there in England, but your opinions don't mean shit to anyone here. Except for maybe the 5 other people that still go on this site. I don't give a fuck if you approve of my wording or not. My posts are not directed at your bitch ass ok?...I like different music than you, just slide a new tampon in and have some crumpets its gonna be ok

aww did i touch a nerve?

lol nah...you didn't, this is the internet...(emoticons are for females btw). How about posting your top 5 instead of just being a smartass. Seriously do you even listen to hip-hop? Seems like you are a little out of place.

god damn man hhe is so wack now, what happened to this place? shit is dead now, I don't know how ya'll still come here...well at least i can still get some free music and porn from the exec lounge.

Pharohe Monch, Percee P, Cage, De La Soul, Chino XL...i got more and it has no order.

this has to be the dumbest question of all time theres to many variables to narrow it down to top 5

My top 5 so far

1.Nas
2.Ghostface
3.Cormega
4.Roots
5.Krs One

My top 5 now

1.Reakwon
2. Slug
3. Styles P
4. Immortal Tech
5. Apathy

I had to make a top 6...

Chuck D
Always and forever. He was the mastermind behind the two best albums ever (It Takes A Nation & Fear of A Black Planet) and for that alone he's on my list. That he still makes good and relevant music helps as well. Ice Cube has always mentioned Chuck as his favorite rapper and the good O'Shea puit it well when he said "A lot of people can write better rhymes than Chuck d but nobody can rhyme like him"! Word the fuck up!!!

Black Thought
Consistent as hell and a beast on the mic. He might not drop quotable after quotable but just like Rakim he creates rhymes with a deeper meaning. You really gotta analyze his shit to get the full meaning of what he's saying.

Kool G Rap
I'm not really into his newer work as I find it too thugged out for me to enjoy. Not that I hate gangster rap (I really don't) but when you heard what G Rap can do when he tones the G shit down you really don't need all his mafia bullshit. On his first two albums G Rap out-rhymes and out-flowed everybody and while his lyrics these days are rather boring his flow is still one of the tightest in the game. People say Eminem has a tight flow....he ain't got shit on G Rap!

Jay-Z
Although he probably has as many mediocre ablums out as he has classics it's always a pleasure to listen to Jigga. So every time he drops a "Kingdom Come" it's no problem because there will be something as dope as "American Gangster" following it.

Ice Cube
I agree with plasticman on this. After leaving NWA he dropped three classic albums in a row (+ an EP) and has managed to stay relevant in a game where most rappers never put out a second album. His flow is ferocious, lyrically he's still dope and his voice is just down right scary. Westsiide!

Scarface
Always consistent and always on top of his game. T.I can act up all he wants but everybody knows who the real King of the South is. That he's a really dope producer as well just completes the package.

Jay-Z
Eminem
Andre 3000
Scarface
Nas
Honorable mention:
Ghostface Killah
Jadakiss
Raekwon

top rappers for me

MF Doom: actually offended that no one had him on their list, what other rapper do you know can spit on any fucking beat...no matter how quirky and weird it sounds. his flow is the most adaptable, his rhymes can be abstract, funny, silly, hard core, hard hitting any fucking thing and he continues to deliver. no other rapper can discontruct himself and revinent himself over and over and still manage to make great music.

Sean Price: This is another rapper that i think can adapt to any theme on any track and sound convincing, Price can do hardcore gangster and also pull of silly goofy rapper you dont wanna fuck with, on every track he features he manages to outshine the main artist imo and he is one of those artists you know will still sound relevant and never out dated even in 5 or more years to come.

Black Thought: for reason Morten already stated.

Scarface: Cos he sounds like a man thats been through it all and not a rapper that gets on the mike and just talks shit and brag and he manages to do it all while making music that sounds great.

I see a lot of my man Femi's personality in his favorite rappers. I feel sort of the same about mine..

Count Bass D - As far as rappers go, I feel like I can relate to his lyrics the most therefore he is my favorite. Plus he's "the rapper with the most chords"
Sadat X - I've always dug this dude's style. Probably one of the smoothest on the mic. Voice, flow, word play. Sadat X is one of the best.
O.C. - For the same reason Count Bass D is my favorite. And he dropped my hip hop favorite album. "Word...Life" is such a dope album, it's like you're on the rollercoaster of this dude's life. He put is whole heart out on that album.
Ras Kass - Dude is just super cool on the mic. I've always dug that laid back style of his.
Lord Finesse - One of the coolest dude's ever. One of the funkiest dude's ever. And he's got the best punchlines.

Marlon got a dope 5........

I hate Top 5 lists, so im just gonna list the top 5 kids that are impressin me at the moment.

Danny Brown
Laws
Freddie Gibbs
Big K.R.I.T.
Willie The Kid

and Smoke DZA

oh yeah...the kid CurT@!N$......dude is incredibly nice. Peep the "The Dissertation (The Wu-Thesis)".

Big K.R.I.T. is the truth, plus he's a beast on the boards too

I was just listening to "Hip-Hop Is Dead" and I have to add Nas to my list

He choses the wrong beats at times but lyrically he's one of the best

If Nas would get in the lab with producers that were willing to give him top-shelf beats, his last few albums wouldn't have been such a slog to listen to

you can't really blame that on the producers though...he has put out more garbage in the last five years than fred sanford...

I really don't think the beats were all that bad.

The "Nigger" album especially was really dope. It's one of those albums you gotta play a lot to really get into though but now I think it's one of his best efforts. The beat selection fits his voice perfectly.

for me, i liked that album the most on the first listen, until you start realizing Nas isn't nearly as intelligent as he would have you believe, some of his facts and theories are so far off base that its not even funny

Vado is the nicest new nigga imho. Anticipating Slime Flu.