Should you refresh your Top 5 Rappers list often?

[5 Grand]

Nope. My top three will always be

1. Rakim
2. KRS
3. BDK

Past that it can fluctuate here and there, but the top three will always remain.

Rakim and KRS were my favorite MCs in high school, and Kane was probably in my top 5-10. But the thing is, Rakim and KRS didn't have much mainstream success compared to the rappers that would come later i.e. Pac, Nas, Jay, Biggie.

When you're rating MCs I think mainstream success and influence on pop culture should be a category. I mean, KRS was a beast, but I can't say that he had the same affect on pop culture as 2Pac or Biggie.

Also, MCs in the 90s and beyond had bigger budgets than MCs from the 80s. They could record in better studios and hire big name producers whereas 80s MCs recorded their records on shoestring budgets.

 

[konceptjones]

Rakim and KRS were my favorite MCs in high school, and Kane was probably in my top 5-10. But the thing is, Rakim and KRS didn't have much mainstream success compared to the rappers that would come later i.e. Pac, Nas, Jay, Biggie.

When you're rating MCs I think mainstream success and influence on pop culture should be a category. I mean, KRS was a beast, but I can't say that he had the same affect on pop culture as 2Pac or Biggie.

Also, MCs in the 90s and beyond had bigger budgets than MCs from the 80s. They could record in better studios and hire big name producers whereas 80s MCs recorded their records on shoestring budgets.

Rakim single-handedly re-wrote the rules for spittin'. His impact on hip hop is still being felt. And he did have commercial success, three gold and one platinum album, especially at a time when most MC's were happy to hit 100k sold is no small feat.

Same for KRS. Three gold albums under Boogie Down Productions, one gold as KRS One, which also happened in '97 (same year that Rakim went gold with 18th Letter) up against all the glossy, shiny ass hip hop coming out.

Nah, they had mainstream success, but even then, mainstream success really don't mean shit as for who's the dopest MC. I don't rate by "pop culture impact" either, that has no bearing in how I rate MC's.

 

[5 Grand]

Rakim single-handedly re-wrote the rules for spittin'. His impact on hip hop is still being felt. And he did have commercial success, three gold and one platinum album, especially at a time when most MC's were happy to hit 100k sold is no small feat.

Same for KRS. Three gold albums under Boogie Down Productions, one gold as KRS One, which also happened in '97 (same year that Rakim went gold with 18th Letter) up against all the glossy, shiny ass hip hop coming out.

Nah, they had mainstream success, but even then, mainstream success really don't mean shit as for who's the dopest MC. I don't rate by "pop culture impact" either, that has no bearing in how I rate MC's.

Yeah it's been said that KRS and Rakim were going gold and platinum, but all of Nas's albums are platinum (I think), all of Jay's albums are at least 1X platinum. Me Against The World and All Eyes On Me are Diamond. Life After Death is Diamond. You can't compare somebody that's going gold to somebody who's going diamond.

Now MC Hammer went diamond in 1990/91 while Rakim and KRS were going gold and platinum. But Hammer came and went like fast food. KRS and Rakim had lengthy careers and are more critically acclaimed than Hammer. Jay and Nas are still going plat. 2Pac and Biggie sold alot of records when they were here.

I'm not saying MCs should wear shiney suits and sample hits from the 80s to sell records like MC Hammer, But if comparing MCs and one of them has a bigger impact on pop culture, all other things being the same, the MC that has a bigger following should be ranked higher imo.

 

[konceptjones]

Yeah it's been said that KRS and Rakim were going gold and platinum, but all of Nas's albums are platinum (I think), all of Jay's albums are at least 1X platinum. Me Against The World and All Eyes On Me are Diamond. Life After Death is Diamond. You can't compare somebody that's going gold to somebody who's going diamond.

Now MC Hammer went diamond in 1990/91 while Rakim and KRS were going gold and platinum. But Hammer came and went like fast food. KRS and Rakim had lengthy careers and are more critically acclaimed than Hammer. Jay and Nas are still going plat. 2Pac and Biggie sold alot of records when they were here.

I'm not saying MCs should wear shiney suits and sample hits from the 80s to sell records like MC Hammer, But if comparing MCs and one of them has a bigger impact on pop culture, all other things being the same, the MC that has a bigger following should be ranked higher imo.

Again, pop culture doesn't even figure into how I rank my top five; it has no bearing on it.

 

[BlackRain]

Does your top 5 have to change? No. But people who stick to the "only the music I grew up on is great" sound like idiots and often miss out on even more great music being so closed minded

 

[konceptjones]

Does your top 5 have to change? No. But people who stick to the "only the music I grew up on is great" sound like idiots and often miss out on even more great music being so closed minded

I give everybody a chance. Problem is very, very few cats are worth continuing to listen to. Case in point, them Griselda cats all got my respect, all them dudes got skills and they sound like "themselves", if you catch my drift. ABW actually put me on to 'em.

 

[AZTG]

I gotta have rules to my top 5 now?

 

[5 Grand]

I give everybody a chance. Problem is very, very few cats are worth continuing to listen to. Case in point, them Griselda cats all got my respect, all them dudes got skills and they sound like "themselves", if you catch my drift. ABW actually put me on to 'em.

Yeah Griselda is one of the few new groups I like

 

[BDBOULIBALY]

In the way she states it no.

A 40 year old for example with their top 5 shouldn’t feel the need to change it up because no matter how nice a new cat could be they won’t ever have the same connection to them. In comparison to a rapper that was killing shit while they were in their late teens, 20’s or early 30’s. There’s nostalgia with that music that can’t be replicated.

Now on the flip side same dude really shouldn’t be pretentious to someone younger that doesn’t have that personal tie to the music. Because to them it’s just the music when they revisit it and that’s it. And while some of that music holds up to someone younger, some doesn’t and they don’t have that tie in to compensate. And that’s fine.

Music is the only subjective art that this concept seems to get lost in.

Person A that was around for Terminator 2 having it in their top 5 and person B who was born a decade later not having it in their top is not even big deal. But in music especially hip hop a nigga will lose their mind.