I don't think Kendrick is the best, but I don't deny his right to be in the discussion.

Sorry, the only other song I've heard besides Swimming Pools(Drank) is Poetic Justice. When I was getting high all the time, that song meant something to me. Now it means less than that long hair you pull out of your ass crack in the shower.

I won't vote, there is no NOTA.

Nota?

The Throne ofc.

None Of The Above

Every poll should have that option.

Ahh okay. Who do you think should be best then? If they were up in the poll who would you vote for?

I couldn't pick, but if I had to it would be Tech N9ne because he could fit in with all the styles those rappers do including some those rappers don't.

I also think Aesop and Lupe should replace 50 and Game.

Don't worry guys, he's only trolling us.

Nope. Most rappers in the list exceeds in the things that put them as contenders, but they all have short comings too. Tech holds a touch of all the things that make those rappers great. So if I absolutely had to choose it would be Tech because I feel he has song that can fit on any playlist.

I agree with this.

This not so much. I've listened to a crap load of Tech and I wouldn't place him near the top for best rapper he does deserve honorable mention though.

I also think it's missing LL Cool J and some Wu Tang. Like, all 3 members of NWA get put in, two of them didn't even write their lyrics, but no Wu Tang artist? Ghostface or RZA could get a spot.

Lamar in the lead demonstrates a horrible understanding of hip hop history among the members of this forum.

It has more to do with Kendrick still being in his prime. Three albums deep that are regarded as instant classics and people are still feeling the buzz. Where as, Eminem is past his prime. Not saying that he isn't still good but MMLP2 wasn't an instant classic like SSLP or MMLP or even Eminem Show and all of those came out a decade ago.

It's too prong:

1) bull**** hype for a boring overrated rapper with one really good song (ADHD)
2) brutal ignorance

Lamar has never and will never release a classic, instant or otherwise.

In my eyes, and most hip hop fans' eyes, Section 80, GKMC and TPAB were all instant classics. He might be boring to you but not to others. I personally find Lil' Wayne to be boring and in general horrible and would much rather listen to Game but I don't feel Game has innovated or inspired enough people or even done anything special enough to be considered when Wayne has. And it's not brutal ignorance when I'm sure most of his fans know where his influence came from. In fact, a lot of his popularity comes from people who do respect the history and feel he is bringing back the spirit of hip hop in it's 'glory' days.

Who do you feel deserves the votes BTW?

To Pimp a Butterfly was widely regarded the best album of last year by multiple and numerous outlets. It wasn't my favorite album of the year and it obviously wasn't yours but I think saying that album won't become a classic based on your opinion on it is a bit silly. Like, I HATE Guns N Roses but I still acknowledge Appetite for Destruction as a classic 80's metal ablum regardless if I like it or not.

OK

I don't care about the semantics of classic

He's a bore

Lil Wayne is even duller

Biggie is the obvious pick on that **** list

Well I'll agree with you on that one. I almost voted for Biggie.

Forget that **** list, who would you pick in general.

Biggie all time overall

Busta Rhymes on rapping virtuoso

Dre and RZA not for rapping but as hip hop architects

What about an artist who started their career in the last ten years?

That's what makes this discussion so hard because you have to consider that many rappers are kings in a certain aspect. Like Eminem's technical ability. Or NWA's major impact. Lupe's word play. Kanye's been the most influential rapper of the last two decades.

Earl and Tyler

I like Future

New names I'm interested in 21 Savage and Kodak Black

Linafornia
Quelle Chris
Dalek
Scruffnuk Dust

I honesty don't think Kanye is influential at all

First he would have to do something unique

MF Doom is the most influential rapper of the last 20 years.

At least he's interesting

Also...not a gay fish.

Do you guys even listen to hip hop?

He's changed the sound of hip hop multiple times over the last twenty years and had more influence on the biggest names than anybody else. Whether good or bad it's true. He influenced and brought us Lupe, Kid Cudi, Drake, Big Sean and Pusha T.

No. I don't listen to hip hop. I'm just making uneducated statements in here.

What's a hip hop?

Well you can't really deny his influence on the sound of mainstream hip hop.

Like, take Yeezus. Okay, Yeezus isn't anything new to somebody who's listened to Deathgrips but it is new to everybody else and I feel as though that album kick started all of this darker sounding electro industrial trap music.

But I just did.

You can also deny that Eminem is white but he's still gonna be white and you know it.

I think value of artists he influenced comes into play here. I don't like any of the artists he influenced. MF Doom however is responsible for some of my favorite artists so to me, he's more influential. Madvilliany literally changed hip hop.

I love Kanye but Pusha T was around with Clipse before Yeezy even blew up so that's BS, and Cudi and Big Sean are trash so f that.

The value wouldn't come into play as in whether or not he was an influence. In the discussion of the best rapper I guess it does, but to have as huge of an impact as he's had he definitely deserves to be a part of the discussion.

Okay, so he's influenced a bunch of sh*t artists.