When it comes to rap music almost all the artist love to refer to them as the greatest i.e the Goat. In recent years as this genre has seemed to have taken over more and more of the world the competition in this field has risen to a mountain top.
With some of the elite rappers like Eminem, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West the race for the top is definitively a challenging one. However, there are only a few of them make their name as big as defining the whole music industry on their name. Here are the top 10 greatest rappers of all time.
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The Best Rappers In The World
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter known as Jay-Z is an American rapper and record producer. This hip-hop star has sold over 100 million records worldwide. He also holds a solo artist record of 14 Billboard 200 number-one albums. He is possibly the most respected rapper in the industry. In 2019 Jay-Z became the first hip-hop billionaire and the wealthiest American musician.
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. better known as Rakim is a highly established east coast rapper hailing from long island. He was part of the hip-hop duo Eric B and Rakim. However, the duo was separated after releasing four studio albums. His album ‘Paid in Full‘ was the greatest hip-hop album of all time by MTV in 2006.
Eminem
Do we really need an introduction to this rap star? Eminem is known as “rap god”, however, he started as an underground battle rapper in Detroit there is absolutely no music lover who doesn’t know his name. His music history is full of controversies and breaking several barriers through his lyrics. Firstly, he is the first rapper to win an Oscar. Secondly, he became the first rapper to win a Grammy award for three consecutive albums.
Kanye West
Kanye West is still one of the best in his game when it comes to rap. West was born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago. He is one of the best-selling artists and has sold over 160 million records. He has 22 grammy awards and 75 nominations in his alley. Kanye’s six albums have made their name to Rolling Stone’s 2020 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. some of his top songs are ‘Bound’, ‘Heartless’, and ‘Flashing Lights’.
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J. Cole
J. Cole is considered the finest in North Carolina. This rapper has made it to the charts in recent years. Cole started making his own beats at the time of 15. Jermaine Lamarr Cole was born on a military base in Germany. His debut studio album, ‘Cole World: The Sideline Story’ was debuted at number one on Billboard 2020. Some of his top songs are ‘No Role Modelz’, ‘Wet Dreamz’, and ‘Middle Child’.
Yasiin Bey
Yasiin bey, earlier known by the stage name ‘Mos Def’ is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a hip-hop artist from Brooklyn New York is one of the very first to explore the genre of conscious hip-hop. Some of his top songs are, ‘Into the Dream’, ‘Magical Pajamas’ and ‘Pacha’s Dance.
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Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar is known for his top-tier lyricism and portrayal of vivid imagery in his songs. Lamar has been nominated for 21 grammy awards and has won 12 out of them with two for the best rap album. Kendrick also became one of the first industry artists to win a Pulitzer prize for music for his album Damn.
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones known by his stage name Nas is one of the greatest American rappers of all time. His debut album named ‘Illmatic’ came out in 1994 and is considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Nas has various nominations and even Grammys in his pocket. Although this singer was a part of various controversies with artists like Jay- Z and 2Pac one cannot deny his rapping skills.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace known as the Notorious B.I.G or Biggie was a prominent figure of hip hop in the 90s. He was born in Brooklyn in 1972 and was murdered in 1997. This hip-hop legend emerged during the golden era of hip-hop and had a big influence on the musical genre as a whole. It’s been more than two decades since his death however he still maintains his name among one of the greatest rappers of all time.
2pac
2Pac’s ‘Me Against the World’ ‘Makaveli’ and ‘All Eyez On Me’ are indeed three of the greatest rap albums of all time. This rap star made lyrically sound and poetic story-telling songs that incorporated R&B and instruments/beats that were never heard before. Although his last album ‘Makaveli’ was released approximately two months after his death, it made its way as number 1 on billboard 300.
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