30) Rick Ross (7.7)
Essential Album: Teflon Don
Starting off the list is Ricky Rossay. Ross has great delivery and a lot of good albums. He scores really high in the versatility category. Ross’s pen game has definitely gotten better from when he debuted in 2006 with Port of Miami. Ross’s biggest flaws were his storytelling and impact. Otherwise solid MC.
29) Young Jeezy (7.8)
Essential Album: The Recession
Another dirty south MC. Jeezy is one of my favorite rappers. He has a lot of good albums with no real duds. He does have the best ad libs in the game. His collaboration and versatility are high. He really brings the heat on his features. Storytelling and Impact weren’t that high but hey; hes tied with the next rapper.
28) Nicki Minaj (7.8)
EA: The Pinkprint
Arguably the most dominant female rapper of all time. Nicki really shines when features on others tracks. She usually steals the show like on Kanye West’s “Monster” song. She’s also really versatile; able to sing also and make most types of tracks.
27) Tyler, the Creator (7.9)
EA: Flower Boy
Ironically ten years ago if you had told me this guy would of made my list I would have laughed at you. Tyler is a really creative rapper no pun intended. He also has a very strong discography. The run from Cherry Bomb to Call me If You Get Lost is very impressive. He’s an average storyteller sure but he’s versatile.
26) Drake (7.9)
EA: Nothing Was the Same
You knew Drake would make this list somewhere. He’s one of the highest selling rappers all time and it’s not hard to see why. Drizzy would have been higher but he’s got a few average albums in his discography I just couldn’t ignore. No I’m not talking about Views lol. Drake has a good flow but compared to other rappers on this list its not really anything special. He’s very versatile song wise able to sing very well and give us classics like Hotline Bling. I feel he’s been an impactful MC also.
25) Logic (7.9)
EA: Everybody
You may be shocked to see the Maryland MC on my list but honestly if you’ve been following my blog you shouldn’t be. Logic has the best flow of anyone on the list (So far). He has a lot of good to great albums too. No Pressure and Under Pressure alone are good. Everybody tho I think is his best work. What hurts Logic ranking is his lack of impact of the game.
24) 50 Cent (8)
EA: Get Rich or Die Tryin
Fifty Cent is one of the best-selling rappers. He has good flow and is a very versatile and impactful rapper. Sure Get Rich or Die Tryin is a classic but after that things aren’t so stellar. That’s why he didn’t score so high album wise. I do really like The Massacre tho. 50 also does well collaboration wise too.
23) Ludacris (8)
EA: Word of Mouf
Luda was originally my favorite rapper when I fell in love with the genre. He gets the slight nod over 50. He’s really well rounded too. Luda does great on other people songs too. I feel Word of Mouf is his best album, but Chicken & Beer isn’t far behind. He really is one of the south’s best rappers.
22) Kid Cudi (8.1)
EA: Man on the Moon
Kid Cudder is one of the more creative rappers on this list. I picked MotM 1 for his most essential album but honestly Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin’ is just as good. His discography is good but who forget the abysmal Speedin Bullet 2 Heaven. Cudi is a good singer too. I had to knock some points for storytelling also but overall he’s tied with the next 2 rappers.
21) Lil Wayne (8.1)
EA: Tha Carter 3
Ah the leader of Young Money, Lil Weezy. Wayne is a great rapper so It may be surprising to see him this far back. His flow is great. He’s one of the best rappers collaboration wise. He’s versatile and impactful too; having influenced a lot of 2010s rappers. But that album score…..hes got some heat with his Carter series…but there’s just too many duds.
20) Missy Elliot (8.1)
EA: Miss E…So Addictive
I have a confession; Missy is my favorite female rapper. So while I know Nicki ran the game longer etc….shes not better than Missy to me. Missy has more high quality albums. Her music for the time was really creative also. However neither female rapper is a good storyteller. I went with Missy over the 2 rappers she tied with but honestly it could have been different.
19) Jadakiss (8.2)
EA: Kiss of Death
Has Jada ever really spit a wack verse…maybe not. But he’s good enough to crack the top 20. He’s got great delivery and a great discography. Jada also has a good flow. I felt he usually kills it on other people tracks but hes not the most influential MC to me.
18) J.Cole (8.2)
EA: 2014 Forest Hills Drive
J. Cole is another rapper who if you had told me 10 years ago I would like so much I would have laughed at you. He has a lot of really good albums. Check the 3 album run of Born Sinner, 2014FHD, and 4 Your Eyez Only. He’s a great storyteller too. Cole is just a really well rounded rapper.
17) DMX (8.3)
EA: It’s Dark and Hell is Hot
X really was a great rapper. His delivery Is always ear catching. I feel he was a very impactful MC. He was also very versatile. My favorite album from him is actually Grand Champ cause that’s the one I grew up with. He’s tied with the next rapper but his albums aren’t quite as good as the next rappers.
16) T.I. (8.3)
EA: Paper Trail
The king of the south is a very well rounded rapper. He’s got some seriously good albums under his belt like King and Paper Trail. Not every album is a winner like his most recent album (The L.I.B.R.A.) and the very abysmal No Mercy. Overall tho I would TIP over Ludacris although yeah it is kinda close..
15) Talib Kweli (8.5)
EA: Quality
We’re in the 2nd half of the list, the rappers are getting really elite now. Talib is an extremely conscious MC. In fact if there was a picture of a conscious MC it would be him or Common there. More on Common later tho. Talib has great flow, creativity, and storytelling. Talib also has great albums even if I wouldn’t consider any of the solo ones masterpieces.
14) Lupe Fiasco (8.5)
EA: Tetsuo & Youth
It may shock you that Lupe is this high but honestly, he was one of the only rappers that scored perfectly in flow. While not the most versatile rapper, he is a great storyteller. His discography Is pretty damn good too. Food & Liquor and The Cool were back to back after all. He tied with Kweli but I had to give him the nod. I just feel he’s a more talented lyricist.
13) Snoop Dogg (8.6)
EA: Doggystyle
You knew Snoop would be here. Even I was a little surprised that he was in the top half of the list tho. Snoop Is a well rounded and very versatile MC. His collaboration score was also high. He’s tied with the next 2 rappers but what holds him back for me is his album score. At this point the longevity hurts Snoop and doesn’t help him. He’s got some real gems like Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Boss, but then theres too many average albums there too.
12) Common (8.6)
EA: Black America Again
You may not agree with my choice for Common’s essential album but that’s the highest rated one I’ve heard. Common is a very creative rapper. His discography isn’t flawless but its got lots of gems like Be, Finding Forever, and Nobody’s Smiling. I don’t feel Common is the most impactful MC but otherwise he’s pretty well rounded.
11) The Game (8.6)
EA: The Documentary 2.5
You may be shocked Game is just outside of the top 10. You might also be shocked that Documentary isn’t the essential album pick. Yeah well Game is that dude and imo The Documentary 2.5 is his magnum opus. Game is really versatile and he has one of the best discographies of any rapper on this list. That’s kinda what got him the nod over Common and Snoop. And yeah as you can see he’s WAY better than 50 Cent.
10) Raekwon (8.7)
Essential Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
We’re into the top 10. From here the rapper’s usually don’t have many glaring weaknesses at all. Rae is my favorite member of the Wu Tang Clan. Rae’s Flow, Creativity, Storytelling, and Impact are all high. He has a pretty damn good discography even if not all the albums are stellar. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx I and II are just such gems. However Immobilarity is kinda of average.
9) Ghostface Killah (8.9)
EA: Supreme Clientele
Ah Ghostface Killah is definitely the best member of the Wu Tang Clan…even if it’s not by a big margin. I felt Ghost was better than Raekwon in terms of his collaborations. He also has more albums and they’re mostly all pretty good. It’s a 3 way tie with the next 2 rappers. Ghostface cracks the top 10 which doesn’t really surprise me as he is a really potent lyricist.
8) Ice Cube (8.9)
EA: Death Certificate
Cube is one rapper that I didn’t realize was so great till about 2010. Cube is one of the best West Coast rappers of all time…although he’s (spoiler alert) not the best. He’s a terrific storyteller. Also peep the three album run of Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, Death Certificate, and The Predator. That’s 2 masterpieces and one classic right off the bat. There are a couple duds in the discography…that’s why he didn’t get a perfect score in albums.
7) Kanye West (8.9)
EA: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Yeah, so Kanye is my favorite rapper ever so he was bound to be in the top 10. Lets get the negative out of the way…. Kanye isn’t a great storyteller. He’s not terrible but his score was pretty low there. Now for the reason he’s this high. Perfect Creativity score. Perfect album score. In fact I don’t think any other rapper’s discography is packing this much heat. He came out the gate with an incredible 3 album run of College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation….and those aren’t even his best albums. Did I mention the versatility. Yeah he gets the nod over Cube and Ghost.
6) Kendrick Lamar (9)
EA: Good Kid Maad City
With a razor thin margin almost in the top 5 is Kenny Kdot. I knew Kendrick would be in the top 10. No he’s not really the most versatile rapper….no he doenst have the best flow. Or the most creative music out of his peers. But man is he is well rounded tho. Also he is an amazing storyteller also. His album score, like Kanye’s was also perfect. I mean Good Kid Maad City and To Pimp a Buttefly are classics. He’s got DAMN and Mr Morale too in there.
5) 2Pac (9)
EA: Me Against The World
As I was rating rappers I kinda expected Pac to be in the top 3. But hey here we are. For Pac’s album score I did take into account the posthumous albums as some are pretty good and some are not. 2pac was one of the most impactful and versatile rappers the genre has ever seen. His music was also really creative. I feel he was almost a perfect storyteller too. With really only one rapper being better in that regard. Pac’s 3 album run of MATW,AEOM, The Don KIlluminati:7 Day Theory was a total homerun. I was kind of surprised that Kendrick tied him tho….but hey I had to give Pac the nod.
4) Eminem (9.3)
EA: The Marshall Mathers LP
I scored Em very early on for this list and I was wondering was any rapper going to tie or surpass him. The answer was yes and yes. With a Flow only matched by Lupe. Eminem scores high in every category. You might say well what about his discography? Well I actually like Revival so yeah with so much heat like MMLP, MMLP2, Slimshady LP, Recovery,and Eminem Show you know he’s got a good discography. Yeah Encore was pretty average tho. No he’s not as versatile as Kanye but he kills pretty much any track collaboration he does.
3) Nas (9.3)
EA: Illmatic
If theres a longevity GOAT, Nas is at the top of that list. Nasty Nas is the best storyteller the genre has ever seen. A terrific flow too. You may be wondering what keeps Nas out of the top 2 spots. Well he isn’t the most versatile and when im looking at the best rappers to ever do it that counts. Album wise yeah Nastradamus sucked but that was about it tho. The recent albums with Hit-Boy have really helped his case too. I had to give Nas this spot over Eminem; it was close tho.
2) The Notorious B.I.G. (9.4)
EA: Ready to Die
Wow yeah Biggie beat out Nas. It was close too. Biggie had no real weaknesses. His album score was perfect which goes a long way. I mean I only counted RtD and Life after Death for Biggie. That only seemed fair. Biggie has such a terrific flow and great delivery. I feel Biggie was an incredibly impactful rapper too. Did I mention the great storytelling also. Even as great as he was there’s one rapper that I consider a little better.
1) Jay-Z (9.6)
EA: The Blueprint
We’ve finally come to HOVA who is the most complete rapper we’ve ever seen. Jay’s Flow is razor sharp; albeit not the best in the list however. Jay has perfect scores when it comes to Impact, Collaboration, and Versatility. And that discography. Man its fire. You’ve got Blueprint one which is a masterpiece. Black Album is basically just as good. And who could forget Reasonable doubt and 4:44. All in all Jay is the best rapper which is a change of opinion cause I had 2pac over Jay in the Best Rapper ever tournament in 2017. Peep that if you want.