Top 10 Favorite Emcees

09.07.05

THE HIP HOP LISTS

Yes, it is often asked of me: "Seamus, who are your favorite emcees?" So here they are, in no particular order. I have also included a few other lists.

TOP TEN EMCEES:

1) Rakim
His rhyme patterns were far ahead of their time, and remain basically unrivalled.

2) 2pac
Magnetic. Both eloquent and barbaric. A thug and a poet.

3) André 3000 (Outkast)
A psychedelic gentleman who has proven himself as an emcee, songwriter, producer, and vocalist. Unrivalled in terms of his rejection of conformity in hip hop. Versatile. A genre-bending innovator and a true artist.

4) Guru (Gangstarr)
Unlike most rappers, the Guru is wise. His lyrics are deep and "there's always a message involved."

5) Dj Quik
I know he's a producer, but I dig his rhymes too. Quik is just fresh.

6) Cee-Lo Green
Cee-Lo is another of those rare innovators in modern hip hop. I blazed with him once. He was a cool dude.

7) Ice Cube
Before he started starring in crappy movies, Cube made some pretty great records. Like Dr. Dre, he made sure to keep the funk alive in his work.

8) Del
Del is different than most emcees... he is quite an odd dude. In my opinion, he is the best emcee to come out of the Bay in a while. Despite his non-gangster underground sound, he is actually Ice Cube's cousin.

9) Kurupt
Kurupt in his prime was dope as hell.

10) Osirus
What can I say? I relate to the guy.

Eminem and Nas used to be on this list, but they were recently retired from it due to them falling off. Jay-Z is OVERRATED. Yeah, I said it. Also, though his albums are mediocre, Busta Rhymes is one of the illest live emcees I've ever seen.

TOP FIVE HIP HOP PRODUCERS:

1) Dr. Dre
2) DJ Quik
3) DJ Premier
4) Timbaland
5) ...

These are a bit predictable, aren't they?

TOP SEVEN HIP HOP ALBUMS:

1) Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle

2) Outkast: Aquemini

3) Gangstarr: Moment of Truth

4) DJ Quik: Rhythm-a-lism

4) Rawkus Presents Soundbombing II

6) 2pac: All Eyez on Me

7) DELTRON 3030

I'm sure some of you may not agree with all of these choices, but you are forgetting one thing: my opinion is fact!