Top 5 MCs (Not producers! AKA Dre)
 

Who are your top 5 MCs of all time or who you are bangin to right now.

No order
1. Big L
2. Masta Ace
3. Biggie
4. Early Jay-Z
5. Nas

What I mean by "early" is not "The Black Album," I'm talking "Reasonable Doubt" Jay-Z and his early stuff that he did with Biggie, Big L (7 Minute Freestyle is a must for any true hip-hop fan). He had a fire back then that he lost through time.

Pick up Masta Ace's Disposable Arts LP. You dont need to skip a track. If you want a sample, listen to "No Regrets," "Dear Diary," "Acknowledge," "Don't Understand." Although all the tracks are real.
Masta Ace is one of the most underrated MCs ever.
The last four lines of "Acknowledge"

"You that cat in the club to get hit with a bottle.
****ing with me, you are better off trying to hit lotto.
And don't answer back, this is hard **** to follow
And you can't spit nigga, so you obviously must swallow, motha*****."

1 & 2. The 2 guys from Binary Star (One Many Army & Senim Silla)
3. Talib Kweli
4. K-os
5. Chali 2na

biggie, pac, 50, eminem..

I dont understand how 50 Cent makes anyone's top 5 list of MCs. Lyrically, he's not coming with it. I was feelin 50 on "How To Rob" a while back, and also on "Bump That." Some of his stuff is alright, but to put him in a top 5 MC list, I think is kind of ridiculous. Lyrically he is just too weak. Personally, I like some of eminem's stuff, but I dont think I could place him near a top 5 list right now.

I agree that 50 doesn't deserve to be on any top 50 list for MCs. He's completely whack. He's a hip-pop MC that doesn't have any lyrical or musical talent. I don't even like his early stuff. He just plain sucks when it comes to anything but getting the girls' pants wet.

Umm.. 50cent, is the only gangster rapper out now that is rapping stuff he knwos about, unlike Ja.. besides Many Men.. thats a killer song...

I don't think that being a gangster rapper means you're a good MC. I think Ja Rule sucks too. Being an MC is a lot different than being a rapper. Being an MC is about the lyrics, the subject matter, and the delivery. Look at some of the great old MCs (Slick Rick, KRS One, etc.).

I think that part of the problem in "rap / hip-hop" music is that too often people are merging to the two genres. Rap is a LOT different than hip-hop in the historical sense. Also, people are confusing the term MC with modern day rappers. Just some thoughts...

i think 50cent is an aswome lyricist..

I write better lyrics. Honestly.

50 doesn't even write all of his lyrics. Em writes, and Dr. Dre writes (part of the problem). "He raps what he knows about?" I mean, personally I haven't heard in the news anything about 50 Cent shooting anyone lately, or him robbing any other rappers, and that is what he raps about.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy some of 50. I enjoy him at face value though. I understand that he isn't a good lyricist at all. I understand not to expect big things out of him. If I dont want to emerse myself in the lyrics, then I listen to 50. If I want weak lines just to listen to non-serious hip-hop then I stick in 50, because even I think that 50 is better then the other 99% of rap crap that gets played on the radio. But if I want to listen to a true MC who did what 50 Cent is trying to do (and failing miserably), I stick in BIG L. (Get "The Big Picture" and you'll understand).

I dont have a problem with people saying that they enjoy 50. I do have a problem when people start saying that he is a good lyricist and that he is a top 5 MC of all time, because then that just means you havent listened to anything besides the Angie Martinez hour on HOT 97, and you haven't watched anything besides TRL on MTV. Peace.

P.S. Comparing an artist to Ja Rule isn't the best way to go about proving your point.

I couldn't agree more. It's not that I don't like listening to the occasional 50 Cent song, but that he doesn't deserve any serious recognition. He was all pissed that he didn't get a grammy -- so funny. Well, duh, you have no talent.

50 is straight up wack...
amyone who thinks that he is in a top 5 list is a mad newjack...

Anyways...i like lopezand's list, except it definatly needs Rakim in it, and Pun is up there too...decent list though

50 doesn't even write all of his lyrics. Em writes, and Dr. Dre writes (part of the problem). "He raps what he knows about?" I mean, personally I haven't heard in the news anything about 50 Cent shooting anyone lately, or him robbing any other rappers, and that is what he raps about.

Yes he does write his own lyrics... dude, he ghostwrites for Dre, not the other way around

Anyhoo while he's not even close to a top 5 lyricist hes damn good at what he does

Plus, a lot of people have only heard Get Rich Or Die Trying and base their decisions off that... Power of the Dollar, Guess Who's Back were both ILL CD's, and after GRoDT he's consistently been putting out mixtape **** (G Unit Radio) and tons of unreleased songs... he's good


Anyways top 5

Big L
Guru
Ghostface Killah
Immortal Technique
Breezly Brewin

those are not my top 5 of all time, just the 5 im most feeling now... theres no way im going to narrow down ALL the mc's i know to top 5.

Definitely feeling Guru. Good pick there.

Im pretty sure they all ghostwrite for each other. But he doesn't write that much for dre, because how much does dre really rap on anything? Also, just because he puts out "mixtape ****" all the time, it doesn't mean that any of that is actually good.

what makes a good MC in your minds?

A good MC is:

1. Writes meaningful, or original lyrics. (Rapping about cars, money, etc., does not fall under meaningful or original.)
2. Has their own unique voice.
3. Has perfect flow. (This means that when they rap on a beat they rap perfectly on time.)
4. Can freestyle. (Basically, do they need 100 tries in the studio or can they do it just whenever they want?)
5. Can do well with different Producers. (This means can they do well with lots of different beats and styles.)

That's the core of what makes a good MC to me.

Pac can't free style.. he sucked at it, he could compose like a god but free style he couldn't really do well...

Pac rapped about cars.. bitches, hoes.. he has done that...

50cent... lyrics are meanin ful.. Many Men.. holds great meaning about his life... he has a flow, and I have heard some of Pac's song which flow really was weak...

50cent is a good MC.. just have to set aside and give him time..

I never said I thought 2Pac was a good MC. He's a good rapper, but not a good MC. (Also, I've heard some of 2Pac's freestyles and they're actually not bad. But that's besides the point.)

If by Pac rapping about "Cars money and hoes" you mean songs like "Picture me Rollin" I consider that a much better song than "Many Men." You also have to take into context what was going on in society at that time and also in Pac's life. You also have to take into consideration that a lot of the "gangsta rap" that pac started to spit towards the end of his career was highly influenced by Suge Knight and Death Row Records. I love pac, I dont consider him on my top 5 MC list though (or at least right now).

50 Cent is rapping about cars money and hoes in a much different way. He is just saying look at what I got. This is how I roll to get the honies. Stuff like that. I think that there is a large difference. As I said before and numerous times, I dont hate 50 Cent. He has songs that I listen to and enjoy. He has some rhymes that I can listen to. But I enjoy them as what they are. He is by no means a very good lyricist. He is by no means a top 5 MC out right now. He claims that he is so good, but he is comparing himself to the other mainstream rappers out right now. Lets be real 95% of the other "mainstream" rappers are horrible also. To say that he is one of the best in the game is way too premature and way too ridiculous. Once again, I dont hate 50 Cent, he has songs I can listen to, but I can not give him credit as an elite MC right now, and I dont think anyone should. And if you read my other posts, I know about his previous stuff too, so please dont use that again.

you guys are confusing.. gangster rap and pop rap..

Ja Rule.. is pop rap, songs like I'm Real is consider pop rap... You can't compare two different types of music, thats like me saying 50cent is better then a country singer.. two different types of music..

Name a gangster rapper that is better then 50cent?

I don't like Gangster rap, but...

Past or present?

Mach 10, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, NWA, Easy E, etc.

Gangsta rap as a whole is a played out genre

But MOP, Cube, Big Pun etc are all lightyears ahead of 50

Dude you should listen to Necro and Ill Bill if you want hardcore Gangster rhymes. Fifty isn't gangster or an MC. He's a product just like a big mac. He's only out their to sell records.

Top Five of Time for me is

Rakim
Nas
KRS One
Guru
Kool Keith

damn ya'lll buggin .......... lemme quit all da confusion ......
50 cent is mad whack ... he use da same words 2 rhyme all da tyme .... it get borin ...
2nd of all, gangsta rap aint played out .... i mean, as long as therez a gangsta who becomez a rappa n talks bout his life, therez gonna b gangsta rap ........
3rd of all, pop rap 2 me is ...... ne sell out rappa .... nelli n jayz is 2 gd xamples of sell out rappaz, all u gotta do is compare their old lyrics, 2 their new lyricz .....
4th of all da 5 greatest rappaz ...........
#1 ... big pun
#2 .... nas
#3 .... biggie
#4 ... rakim
#5 ... 2pac