BEST RAPPER ALIVE...?

With swagger taking the front seat in hip hop, who really is the best RAPPER alive?

I’m pretty sure it all started off on the Black Album. Jay-Z…Dirt Off Your Shoulder. Dope song. At the very end, you’d hear “Best Rapper Alive”. Prior to that, you never really heard anyone proclaiming that phrase as much as you hear it now. Jay-Z started once again another trend and the rest of us hip hoppers decided to follow. But we gotta ask the question…what is the criteria for the “best rapper”? Emcees have so many elements to their game that it’s very hard to narrow it down. Here is my list of qualities that should be taken into consideration and a list of possible candidates.

Qualities:

Lyricism – It all starts off with lyrics. If you can’t bring it as a rapper with your lyrics, why are you even wasting our time proclaiming your elite status? In order to be on contention for this award, you have to bring it lyrically every chance you get. Sometimes for rappers, it’s hard to stay focused because they do this so much, but you have to KNOW that this rapper is lyrically insane.

Flow – Flow sets the tone for how good the rap actually sounds. You could have the sweetest lyrics ever and the flow could be wack as hell. That kills the effect your lyrics could potentially have. Why even mess it up? Rappers who ride the beat perfectly and not only have good flow, but VERSATILE flows should make contention of being best rapper alive.

Wordplay – Metaphors, punchlines, and the whole sha-bang. As an elite rapper, you need these skills to be able to convey complex ideas without flat out saying them. Simply flat out saying them is no fun, we want creativity. Bring those sick lines and wordplay creativity into your lyrics to show us what you really got.

Swagger – no homo. This isn’t about judging peoples swagger, but maybe this isn’t the proper word. More like charisma. Rappers NEED to have charisma and confidence in themselves when they rap to even sound good. If they are unsure about themselves, the audience is not any “surer” about the rapper. Confidence is king, just like in sports. If rap is a competitive sport, swagger is a must.

Storytelling – We as an audience need to be visually appeased with slick wordplay but also storytelling. If the rapper can tell a great and cohesive story, then we can start talking “best rapper alive.”

Here is my list of contenders for Best Rapper Alive (subject to change in the future). I’ll give my arguments also…

Jay-Z – the originator of the phrase, so let’s make it simple. Jay is the man and has been for some time. His lyrics are great, even though he’s been somewhat lacking in recent years, his American Gangster LP really proved Hov is still the best. As long as Jay-Z is alive, it’s hard to find a rapper better than him. He still has the most versatile flows in the game along with that New York swagger that everyone loves to imitate. Jay isn’t as well known for his story telling, but if given the opportunity will tell you a very vivid story (Meet the Parents).

Lil Wayne – Ok I’m gonna catch a lot of hate for this one. Lil Wayne is a great rapper, even if you don’t happen to agree hear me out. He shows glimpses of greatness and at the same time shows glimpses of wackness. I blame it on the fact that he has too much material out, but that’s the price to pay for getting attention constantly. Weezy has the lyricism down to an art, great mutlis and wordplay that rivals Jay-Z. Currently, Weezy is the most boastful on the mic and proclaims “Best Rapper Alive” freely, even moreso than Jay. Lil Wayne was birthed from Jay, but has the student outshined the master?

Common – This dude is pure hip hop. His style, his lyrics, his metaphors that go over your head most of the time just create an amazing artist. Common makes amazing music that rivals Jay-Z in terms of content and even outdoes Jay in creativity. There really isn’t much bad to say about Common. His flow is smooth, and hes confident in what he does. He doesn’t have that dipset style swagger of Lil Wayne, but we know Common has that confidence to outshine others on this list.
Andre 3000 – Another guy who has a great flow, reminds me a lot of Lil Wayne but less gangsta. Andre has great metaphors and wordplay as well, and he always keeps it real on the mic in rhyming or storytelling. His swagger is completely different than most rappers and he stands out on any song he’s on. He doesn’t make this bold claim, but humility doesn’t downgrade him from being a possible best.

Eminem – This is up for debate seeing that Eminem has put out trash for the past few years. Since he basically took over the rap game around the time he signed 50 Cent and murked Ja Rule, Eminem has been going downhill but we all know he has the potential to destroy practically any MC. With his new album coming out, we have to make that judgment later.

Nas – Nas is a legend, who evolved his style from the great Rakim. Nas has a track record of being an amazing lyricist with great content, metaphors, and creativity. His swagger is high as well, but he sometimes is known to take losses when he gets unfocused on his song material. He can put out questionable stuff, but makes it up in the classics he writes as well. Flow is questionable at times and isn’t as versatile as Wayne or Jigga, but then again most people aren’t. Nas is no doubt in contention for best rapper alive.

Being the best rapper alive is a big deal especially in the very competitive rap game these days. Pride is everything; status is more than just an idea, and power means money. You may agree or disagree with my list but I tried to put out the most valid points. If you got any feedback, let me know what you think.