Top 5 Rappers

10 through 6 were on Friday, here's the top fizzle:



5. DMX - I think we forgot how dominant X was in his prime. He never had any pop appeal, and really didn't care. He truly is the hardest rapper of all time, and keeps up his image by continuing to get arrested despite being one of the most successful rappers ever. His music was at times inspiring, at times comedic, and at times scary.
Best album: ...And Then There Was X. Good singles: "Ruff Ryders Anthem," "Party Up," "What's My Name?," "Where The Hood At?," "X Gonna Give It To Ya'," and "Fame."



4. Nas - Nas has the best album ever (Illmatic), but also some real stinkers. He's probably better than #3, and definitely beat him in their battle, but has not been consistent enough to crack the top 3. He's this high due to the strength of Illmatic, which came out 15 years ago, and some of his other good singles.
Best album: Illmatic. Good singles: "One Love, "One Mic," "Hate Me Now," "Hip Hop is Dead," "The Makings of a Perfect Bitch," and "The World is Yours."



3. Jay-Z - It pained me to put him above Nas, but he's had much more musical success (10 platinum albums). I'd say Nas is the better pure rapper, but Jay-Z has had much more appeal across all types of music. Jay-Z's material is also much more consistent; although he never had an album on an Illmatic-level, he's also never turned out garbage (the worst was probably The Blueprint, which still had a lot of good stuff on it).
Best album: The Black Album. Good singles: "Can I Get A...," "Moment of Clarity," "03 Bonnie and Clyde," "I Just Wanna Love U," and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder."



2. Biggie - Would have been #1 if he had only lived a few more years. His material was probably better than that of Pac, but it just wasn't enough. His laid-back style on "Big Poppa," the heartfelt "Juicy," and the club bangers "Mo Money Mo Problems" and "Notorious B.I.G." were his most famous hits. However, lesser-known songs are equally as fun to listen to, including "Rap Phenomenom," "Kick In The Door," and "Big Booty Hoes." It's too bad that he doesn't have the material to match #1, and a tragedy that his life was cut short. If he's Wilt Chamberlain....



1. 2Pac - then Pac's Bill Russell. Maybe not as good a player, but he's got the most rings. Pac's 5 albums released during his life were incredible, and so were the five released posthumously. He also has an orgy of compilations, mixtapes, and live performances. It's almost impossible to pick his best song, but "Changes," "Dear Mama," "Hit 'Em Up," "California Love," "Hail Mary," "Baby Don't Cry," and "Picture Me Rollin'" have to be on the list. He was a certifiable genius as well as a psycho, which shows in his music. He's the undisputed #1 rapper of all time.

Biggie gets an A+ for talent and a B for quantity of material. Pac gets an A for talent and an A for quantity material, which puts him above BIG. It's that close. Biggie is still in our hearts and minds in no small part due to Puff Daddy's/Puffy's/P. Diddy's/Diddy's success and continued chanting of "thought I told ya we won't stop." Conversely, Pac is still in our hearts because of the quality of his lyrics alone. You'll probably find people that put Biggie ahead of Pac, but not me. Career length needs to be included, and Biggie's just wasn't long enough, while Pac's has been exceptionally strong from the beginning.

Biggie's best album: Ready to Die
Biggie's best song: Juicy
Pac's best album: All Eyez On Me
Pac's best song: Dear Mama