Top 5 Rappers by Region: East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and the Dirty South

DragonfromTO · Feb 21, 2018

Edonidd said:
Schoolboy Q being ranked above Kendrick Lamar was one of the few things I did agree with him on, although I think both are ahead of The Game. And I hated his East Coast list with a capital Hate. I'd have Jay-Z over everyone on his list, and LL Cool J, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Rza, ODB, DMX, and maybe even 50 or Busta over everyone but BIG.

While he is a fine and influential producer and DJ I'm not sure that I rate Rza as highly as you do as an MC. Although I do think he is somewhat underrated (I think popular opinion is that he's pretty mediocre).

You mentioned 4 Wu Tang MCs but let me ask your opinion on a 5th one. Inspectah Deck? I'm not saying he's top 5, I'm just curious what you think of him.

Taddy Mason · Feb 21, 2018

Omar 382 said:
Some notes....

Toughest spots for me were Game over Q, Ice Cube over 2Pac (not that I'm a huge Pac fan), Tech N9ne over Kanye West (if we included work as a producer, I might put him on there), and Luda over Rick Ross and Scarface (I recognize that Scarface is the better and far more accomplished rapper, but I feel like I don't know his discography well enough to put him over Luda, who I've listened to since I was 12).

Deepest region in terms of talent is the south. But overall, I like east coast hip-hop the best. Anything made in NY from 1995-2005 is fire. Today, I'll take the west coast though.

I figured the toughest spot for you would have been leaving @Omar 382 off the list.

Lions=TeHsUcKs · Feb 22, 2018

Edonidd said:
Schoolboy Q being ranked above Kendrick Lamar was one of the few things I did agree with him on, although I think both are ahead of The Game. And I hated his East Coast list with a capital Hate. I'd have Jay-Z over everyone on his list, and LL Cool J, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Rza, ODB, DMX, and maybe even 50 or Busta over everyone but BIG.

You overrate the Wu-Tang clan. The best MCs were probably GZA and Raekwon. GZA was the only true lyricist of the group though. Jay-Z is trash as a pure rapper. Great producer and visionary, mediocre rapper. Put Rakim, Pharaoh Monch or even Mos Def on that east coast list though. GURU deserves a mention as well.

Lions=TeHsUcKs · Feb 22, 2018

DragonfromTO said:
While he is a fine and influential producer and DJ I'm not sure that I rate Rza as highly as you do as an MC. Although I do think he is somewhat underrated (I think popular opinion is that he's pretty mediocre).

You mentioned 4 Wu Tang MCs but let me ask your opinion on a 5th one. Inspectah Deck? I'm not saying he's top 5, I'm just curious what you think of him.

Inspectah Deck is dope, definitely the second best rapper in the group after GZA, too bad his solo albums were trash though.

navamind · Feb 22, 2018

east coast:
1. Aesop Rock
2-5. who cares

midwest:
1. Eyedea
2-5. who cares

broncosmitty · Feb 22, 2018

yoga≈surfing said:
This is the MUSIC forum, dickface.

GTFO!!!

You're acting like a Republican.

Knock it off.

Edonidd · Feb 22, 2018

DragonfromTO said:
While he is a fine and influential producer and DJ I'm not sure that I rate Rza as highly as you do as an MC. Although I do think he is somewhat underrated (I think popular opinion is that he's pretty mediocre).

You mentioned 4 Wu Tang MCs but let me ask your opinion on a 5th one. Inspectah Deck? I'm not saying he's top 5, I'm just curious what you think of him.

Hard to say really. He's a guy who killed everything he ever did, but just didn't do all that much. There's no great solo releases like Ghost, he didn't have the it factor of Meth, or ODB, he can't fall back on producing and writing or anything. If you ignore that one verse in triumph, he's probably near the bottom of Wu Tang guys with Masts Killa or Cappadonna that many people have never even heard of. But that Triumph first verse may be top 5 verses of any song in all of hip hop history so you know he' both the talent.

Tai Chi≈Surfing · Feb 22, 2018

broncosmitty said:
You're acting like a Republican.

Knock it off.

Ha!

Why would you say that??
They rarely speak the truth.

:lol:

But what about post #23?

Is that acting more like an independent?, or perhaps a Democrat?

DragonfromTO · Feb 22, 2018

Edonidd said:
Hard to say really. He's a guy who killed everything he ever did, but just didn't do all that much. There's no great solo releases like Ghost, he didn't have the it factor of Meth, or ODB, he can't fall back on producing and writing or anything. If you ignore that one verse in triumph, he's probably near the bottom of Wu Tang guys with Masts Killa or Cappadonna that many people have never even heard of. But that Triumph first verse may be top 5 verses of any song in all of hip hop history so you know he' both the talent.

I take it you don't fuck with Czarface then? His work on those 3 albums has been absolutely incredible

Edonidd · Feb 22, 2018

DragonfromTO said:
I take it you don't fuck with Czarface then? His work on those 3 albums has been absolutely incredible

I'm old and way out of the scene. Like I said in another thread, it's probably been 20 years since I listened to any whole albums. I listen to the popular singles now and anything my spotify or whichever service I'm listening to that month suggests for me. I'm not even sure I've heard a Czarface track yet, and had to look it up to see if you meant the rapper Scarface, who I guess some could have near the top 5 east coast rappers.

broncosmitty · Feb 22, 2018

yoga≈surfing said:
Ha!

Why would you say that??
They rarely speak the truth.

But what about post #23?

Is that acting more like an independent?, or perhaps a Democrat?

I wanted your undivided attention.

On your post 23, what's the difference to you between hip hop and rap?

I guess I always think rap is hip hop. But hip hop isn't necessarily rap. Idk.

Tai Chi≈Surfing · Feb 22, 2018

broncosmitty said:
I wanted your undivided attention.

On your post 23, what's the difference to you between hip hop and rap?

I guess I always think rap is hip hop. But hip hop isn't necessarily rap. Idk.

Hip-hop is the root (a genre).....rap is an offshoot. (it's sub genre).
Hip hop originated in NYC african american communities in the 70's that focused mainly on a new cultural urban direction of music, art, design, fashion, lifestyle & the lingo. Kind of similar in a way to how jazz & blues sprung up out of the south almost a century ago.

broncosmitty · Feb 22, 2018

yoga≈surfing said:
Hip-hop is the root.....rap is an offshoot.
Hip hop originated in NYC african american communities in the 70's that focused mainly on a new cultural urban direction of music, art, design, fashion, lifestyle & the lingo. Kind of similar in a way to how jazz & blues sprung up out of the south almost a century ago.

I said a hip hop, hippie to the hippie...

Guess I thought rap made its first appearance in the 60's. But I get what you're saying with Jazz Culture and Hip Hop culture giving rise to things aside from music.

Tai Chi≈Surfing · Feb 22, 2018

broncosmitty said:
Guess I thought rap made its first appearance in the 60's.

You referring to Bob Dylan here?

batchaps4me · Feb 22, 2018

When no music is available then rap is acceptable. I want to be the best rapper in Vermont.

Omar 382 · Feb 22, 2018

DragonfromTO said:
I haven't gone through the whole thread yet so I apologize if someone has already asked, but I would love to hear the argument for this.

I just feel like a top 5 that doesn't include Scarface, Kevin Gates (it would be way too soon for him, but he is great IMO), Big Boi, Rick Ross, and J. Cole is a deep list. I wanted to include Ludacris on my top 5, but it was hard leaving Rick Ross and Scarface off (I know Rick Ross has some issues in the streets with credibility, I'm talking about him strictly as an MC).

You could probably do the same thing for each region with a 10 rapper deep list, it just stood out a lot to me when I made the list.

Omar 382 · Feb 22, 2018

DragonfromTO said:
Royce not on your board in the midwest?

Meh, he's good, but no way am I putting him over those 5 guys. I'd put Krayzie Bone and a gang of guys over him if I extended the list.

Royce is alright, but his hooks suck to me, and his verses aren't nearly good enough to overcome it most of the time.

On a side note, is "Boom" the only song he's had with commercial success (outside of what he did with Bad Meets Evil)?

Omar 382 · Feb 22, 2018

Edonidd said:
Nas sucks. Illmatic was overrated.

It Was Written is arguably the greatest hip-hop album ever released. It's my personal favorite. Illmatic would be in my top 10 hip-hop albums; but nothing will surpass Nas' mafioso raps over Trackmasters, Premier, and Dre beats.

Omar 382 · Feb 22, 2018

Edonidd said:
I agree. I don't mean it to be a shot at him or anything. But anyone that saw Jordan play knows hes the best. 2pacs i n that same zone for me.

DragonfromTO said:
While I get the general point that you are making here I don't think that Omar's "blind spot" (that's in quotes because I'm not sure that's the right term here and it kinda sounds mean) is that big/bad relatively speaking. There's obviously no substitute for having been there but Omar generally seems like he gets it, even when we disagree.

It's one love, fellas. I didn't take any offense to Edonidd's comment- I do have a blind spot from 1975-1990. And I also have a pretty big blind spot from 2014-present, though I've been getting more reacclimated with the current scene....

Omar 382 · Feb 22, 2018

My 5 favorite lyrics off "It Was Written" ranked in order

5. Street Dreams
My man put me up for the share, one-fourth of a square
Headed for Delaware, with one change of gear
Nothin on my mind but the dime sack we blazed
with the glaze in my eye, that we find when we crave

4. The Message
But uh; a thug changes, and love changes
and best friends become strangers, word up

3. Take It In Blood
Wise men build and destroy
While the real McCoy dopefiend, named Detroit is still dealin boy
Coke suppliers actin biased
Cause rumors say that niggas wear wires and we liars
But every night the gat's fired, and every day a rat's hired

2. Liva Nig/ga Rap (actually a Havoc verse, with a Prodigy interlude, but I had to include it)
We got it locked beyond measure, the click's under pressure
Extort you for your treasure smack you with the undresser
Represent your click, go ahead, get that ass whipped
(Floatin in the river with your body wrapped in plastic)
Wannabe thug, get smacked for back talkin
QB represent fuck that, it can happen

1. The Message
Yo let me let y'all niggas know one thing
There's one life, one love, so there can only be one king

[that line from "The Message"^ is my favorite line in all of hip-hop)

Top 5 Rappers by Region: East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and the Dirty South

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