My Top Ten Emcees: #10 to #4

We all have this list. Anyone who likes hip-hop or has been exposed in some extent to this genre of music/lifestyle has heard the argument more than a few times.

"Ay man. Who do you think is the greatest rapper of all time?"
"Aw, man, you know its 'Pac!"
"Whatever n*gga, Biggie is the greatest, point-blank, period. 'Pac is weak, son."
"You don't know what you talkin' bout, fool! You on some ol' ignorant..."

Et cetera. I've witnessed a few of these arguments. What I just dictated, now that I think about it, is dangerously close to an actual quotation.

While this argument is an eternal one, I begun to search for my own Emcee list. I personally like Biggie better than Tupac, but that's just a matter of preference. In that spirit, I've put together this list of lyricists that are my personal faves.

When I say "emcees" or "lyricists", I don't mean rappers. I don't mean entertainers. I don't mean those dudes who pop up for a few minutes, drop a few quirky lines to make you laugh, and then drop off the lyrical spectrum. I'm talking about those artists who, when they speak, you listen. You feel it. Whether it be their wordplay or those lyrics that don't smack you in the forehead until the song is over. That real ish.

So yeah. This be my list-izzle. With a brief blurb why.

10. Ludacris - We all know Luda's that dude who started EVERYBODY moving with "Move!" He's always been a fun listen, but in my opinion, he's incredibly talented and shamefully underrated. Everyone knows who he is, but I think that he's kinda blocked from being really appreciated in some hip-hop circles. He's seen as a funny rapper, quick with the punchlines and whatnot, but I feel that that's only part of his appeal. I think that people see his "sticky-icky-icky" side, but aren't paying attention to his Chris Bridges persona, who is actually a very talented emcee. Now, that's not to say that he's groundbreaking, or one of hip-hop's more socio-political voices...but I feel if you get him pissed off about something enough, you'll feel his fire.

My quotable? There's actually a few. His intro track from Red Light District had a few gems in there for me, like " So if you see me in your town and I appear to be moody/It's cause I'm thinkin 'bout plans that's bigger than Serena booty".

Maybe I just thought that was funny.

Well, how about this verse from the track he did with Mos Def called Jump Off:

Tables fulla hi-hat with a dash of drums
Sprinkle in a little keyboard and a pint of rum
With just a pinch of purple haze and a gallon of bass
Mix snares with rock 'n' roll and throw it all in ya face
Pre-heat the studio to about a hundred degress
Ludacris, Mos Def and your best emcees
You'll get BURNT just for thinkin' you can step to me
And thats the end of my little ghetto re-ci-pee
My des-tinies are rhythm, hit 'em up with the rhythm
Hit 'em, click 'em, then HA, HA-HA strip 'em
Jump the f*ck (back), no gun can pump (that)
I punch the engi-(neer) and slap the whole (track)
Then pop all the speakers and stip the wires
Blow smoke from the MPs and amplifiers
Here to spit truth for the LIAR, LIARS
I'm the hottest emcee, y'all a FIRE-FIRED

So yeah. That's that for number 10.

9. Common - Common remain to be one of the poster kids for conscious hip-hop today. Seriously, this brother demands respect when he spits on the mic, and he deserves it. I wasn't aware of him when he first came on the scene with "Can I Borrow A Dollar?". Like most people, when he came out with "Be", I took notice. I remember before that, he did some commercial for something...it was either Target or AIDS. And before that, I remember seeing him in "Brown Sugar", (which remains one of my favorite movies EVAR) and it wasn't even a major role. It was more like a cameo.

Either way, Com silenced the doubters with "The Corner". I was made a fan at that point. With lines like these, his talent is made clear: Got cousins with flows, hope they open some doors/So we can cop clothes and roll in a Rolls/Now I roll in a Olds, with windows that don't roll/Down the roads where cars get broken and stole..
The thing with Common is, he flaunts his lyrical prowess while entangling real life ish in there. He doesn't spit just for the sake of talking into the microphone. He spits, and then leaves the mic smoldering with something that is oft found missing on the radio today called REALITY. Now, I don't agree with everything he says, but...I respect him, because while he's sounding off, he doesn't waste time talking nonsense. While he's on, you know he's got something to say.

8. Busta Rhymes - WOO-HAH! You already know. This man has a mouth on him. Meaning his flow is sick. Meaning that he can take almost any beat and make it "Dangerous". I just like this dude. He is named Busta Rhymes for a reason, and he doesn't mind reminding you about that fact.

Once again, I say that I don't necessarily agree with every thing he says...but he is fun to listen to sometimes. Here's just a little tidbit from his classic "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See":

Hit you with no delayin so what you sayin yo?
Silly with my nine milli, what the deally yo?
When I be on the mic yes I do my duty yo
Wild up in the club like we wild in the stud-io
You don't wanna VIOLATE nigga really and truly yo
My main thug nigga named Julio he moody yo
Type of nigga that'll slap you with the tool-io
B*tch nigga scared to death, act fruity yo
F*ck that! Look at shorty, she a little cutie yo
The way she shake it make me wanna get all in the booty yo
Top miss, just hit the bangin b*tch*s in videos (huh?)
Whylin with my freak like we up in the freak shows (damn)
Hit you with the sh*t make you feel it all in your toes (yeah)
Hot sh*t got all you niggaz in wet clothes (take it off)
Stylin my metaphors when I formulate my flows (uh)
If you don't know you f*ck*n with lyrical player pros...

7. Eminem – This bama seriously doesn’t care. But in a good way. I remember when I saw his music video, “My Name Is…”. I thought he was a joke. I thought that he was just playing around, not really being serious about this rap thing. But then, I started to listen to him more, and I realized that he doesn’t care about trying to impress anyone, while at the same time, exceeding any expectations you have from a white emcee.

Yes, I put his race out there. Not that I think it has any heavy weight regarding his success, but I think that he let everyone know two things: 1) I may be white, but I don’t care what you have to say about me. Recognize my skill before you talk about me. And 2) I’m not going to tip-toe around any topics. I's here to say what I want, how I want, when I want, and if you feel me, fine. If not, screw off.

6. Mos Def - The mighty Mos is most definitely one of my favorite emcees, for almost all of the same reasons as Common or Black Thought. Mos is that dude that you just chill with, and spit a random cipher about anything from barbecue sauce to basketball. When I first saw this video (posted below), I just smiled, because...it just looked like he was having fun. No guns, no drugs, no negativity. Just fun.

And he’s real, real enough to start singing on the track. I’m speaking, of course, about his eternal “Umi Says”. I get the feeling that he didn’t necessarily do a heck of a lot of preparation, or take singing lesson. No diss, because it worked for him. How many emcees can actually start to sing on a track, and still hit hard? I don’t know, but I do know that the list is fairly small. Another thing that I like about Mos Def is his style, his swagger, which is constantly changing, but constantly present.

5. Lauryn Hill – Oh yes. L-Boogie. If not for her, I don’t think that my appreciation for hip-hop would be the way it is now. If there is anyone out there who dismisses her talent, tell them to meet me out back, next to the parking lot. I’ll be the one slapping fools for talking out their necks. Ms. Hill has really set a new standard for up-and-coming artists. I respect her, and I pray that wherever she is, she finds peace. As a consumer, I just want her to put out an album and show these lame artists what art really is. However, I respect her. If she needs to stay out of the spotlight, by all means, do you. Take care of your business…but when/if you come back, we’ll be listening.

4. Black Thought of The Roots – The official MC of the Legendary Roots Crew. The “Dalai Lama of the mic, the Prime Minister Thought”. I like him because just as his name suggests, you really have to listen to catch how nice the cat is. Earlier in the game, it was fun to listen to him, but I’ve noticed that his style has gotten more serious, and with that, his lyrics carry more weight. Back with The Roots’ first album, “Organix”, his flow, accompanied with the sound of the Roots’ band was something to make your head nod, simply put. Now, altogether, I find that while I’m nodding my head, I’m leaning forward to catch all of what he’s really saying. I’ve even had to look up the lyrics on more than one occasion, just to make sure he said what I think he said. I find that to really appreciate him, you’ve got to sit still and take it all in. Unless of course, he’s just having fun. Then, you can just sit back and wish you could flaunt like him.

Wanna see the final three? Stay tuned, I might post them up soon.