My name's Jake Bourey, and I've dedicated a significant portion of my life to music and deciphering the science behind its beauty. As you can guess from my blog's title, I'm especially passionate about hip-hop. I post and review the best songs hip-hop has to offer, old and new. Most are in the “underground” genre, considering that’s where the vast majority of hip-hop's true art resides these days.
Over the past 10 years, there’s been numerous articles written about who the greatest rapper is. Lots of “the 50 greatest MC’s” lists. All of them written by writers, who are usually bitter, failed musicians, or clueless onlookers.
I figured I’d hit up some of my homies in the entertainment industry and see what THEY thought. Actually ask people who know and understand the art of rhyme. Some were surprising. Some funny. All of them were real. Thanks to all of my fam who took a few minutes out of their busy schedule to let me know how they felt. Some people couldn’t narrow it down to just 5, and I don’t blame them. So here we go, a look into the mind of some of the industry’s best… Top 5 MC’s dead or alive.
Kool G Rap:
1. Rakim
2. Eminem
3. Nas
4. Big Daddy Kane
5. KRS-ONE
(Vinnie Paz: Kool G, being the humble legend that he is, left himself off the list. It’s my opinion, that he’s the greatest rapper to ever pick up a microphone.)
Sean Price:
1. Thelonius Monk
2. Curtis Mayfield
3. David Ruffin
4. Barry White
5. Roy Ayers
Action Bronson:
1. Kool G Rap
2. All of Wu-Tang
3. Pimp C
4. Nas/AZ
5. Cormega
Luckyiam (Living Legends):
1. 2Pac
2. Kool G Rap
3. Big Pun
4. Jay-Z
5. Eminem
9th Prince (Killarmy):
1. Kool G Rap
2. Rakim
3. Nas
4. 9th Prince
5. Slick Rick
ILL BILL:
1. Kool G Rap
2. Rakim
3. KRS-ONE
4. B-Real
5. Jay-Z
6. Nas
7. Raekwon
8. Prodigy
9. Ghostface
10. 50 Cent
Lord Jazz (Lords of the Underground):
1. Rakim
2. KRS-ONE
3. Nas
4. Biggie
5. Kool G Rap
DJ Eclipse (Uncle Howie/Rock Steady):
1. Kool G Rap
2. Nas
3. Rakim
4. Big Daddy Kane
5. Jay-Z
(Source)
Aesop Rock - Cycles To Gehenna (Zavala Remix)
Cycles To Ghenna is one of my favorite songs off of Aesop Rock’s album Skelethon, which is definitely not his best album, but it was still one of the better hip-hop albums of 2012. This remix takes the song to a different level though. Like all of his music, this album takes quite a few listens before you fully appreciate its complete spectrum of emotions and metaphor laced story telling. Similarly, you cannot read a very deep and complex poem and immediately comprehend its profound beauty 100%. The magic behind Aesop Rock’s music is you can listen to it on repeat for hours (as I have), and still constantly have those moments of “Oh shit, I get that verse now…fucking sick”. This album is no different. Aesop Rock is hands down the best hip-hop lyricist of all time.
“Here is how a great escape goes when you can’t take your dead friends names out your phone.”
—————————————————————————
My Song Rating: 9.0 out of 10
Jay-Z becomes emotionally shaken due how much he loves the beat Kanye just made.
“Oh my god…ohhhh!” (close to tears)
If you can make hip-hop all your life and still have such a deep-seeded appreciation for the art, that’s true fuckin’ passion right there.
“You’ll catch bigger fish in the sea if you manage not to drown in it. It’s sad, but proud or not, most your standards go down a notch, when loneliness drinks at the bar you set too high.”
- Tonedeff
I also saw a study about how tops, blouses, and t-shirts significantly add to the discomfort already caused by bras, so those must be removed as well…for your own good of course. I’m totally unbiased here, really.
(Source)
Have you listened to Big K.R.I.T.’s new mixtape yet? or Kid Cudi’s new album which leaked?
“Most my life on 51st. Went to school on 52nd. Used to fight on 49th. Grandma said be home by night, but her old ass sixty something, so three hours late aiight. Still I love her, R.I.P., when she died, I took her place, and became a fucking G.”
“Guess who’s the new bad character in town?
Causin’ mischief in your city, turn that shit around.”
12th April 2013
Notes: 70
