My top 5 picks for best hip hop artist dead or alive are, in no particular order, Pac, Biggie, Eminem, Andre 3000 and Jay Z. Biggie, Eminem and Andre because each created their own rapping technique. Each has his own "way" of rapping. Something I find to be of essence when deciding who's the best to ever do it. Each of them literally had his own sound. Not just from a lyrical perspective, but also from a technical perspective. Their rhyme schemes are original in every way and uniquely their own. Pac, simply because he is the epitome of what a rapper is or should be. Pac was able to combine the best lyrics, with the best beats, with the best character, with a great voice. Setting the standards to what a rapper is. Jay because he is lyrically and vocally balanced. Truly the people's rapper. Not too complex, not too simple, not too underground, not too commercial, not too loud, not too soft. His appeal is that he could be any, all or none of these.
This is my top 5, 3 for creating their own school of rapping, 1 for representing the ideal and 1 for representing the appeal.
Now if we could go up to 10, then definitely Snoop, Kendrik, Wayne, MF Doom and Methodman. I know that Nas should be their instead of Methodman, from a holistic perspective, but I personally don't listen to Nas, so he's not on mine.
In terms of producers, my top 5 would be Rick Ruben, Kanye, Dre, Pharell and Timbaland.
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