MY top 5 MC's of all time...

[kilakali]

1. Rakim

2. KRS-ONE (surprised only 2 people mentioned him)

3. Redman (king of metaphors) Check out Headbanger He upstaged everyone on that song.

4. Ice Cube ( best from the west)

5. Big Pun (although his style is a mix of Kool G Rap and Rakim I have to place him 5th because of his lyrics on the mix tapes)

Other notables: Chubb Rock, Busta Rhymes (Leaders of the New and his old solo stuff not to mention his dress styles and innovative hip-hop videos)

I never liked Tupac he was too much of a follower and not a leader. I like Biggie but i felt he never reached his full potential same for big pun. I gave Pun the slight edge due to the fact I like his style of delivery.

Im going to add my top 5 hip hop groups.

1. Run Dmc

2. Public Enemy

3. A Tribe Called Quest

4. Wu Tang Clan

5. EPMD

NWA on the heels of EPMD

[bigdicki]

1. Rakim

2. KRS-ONE (surprised only 2 people mentioned him)

3. Redman (king of metaphors) Check out Headbanger He upstaged everyone on that song.

4. Ice Cube ( best from the west)

5. Big Pun (although his style is a mix of Kool G Rap and Rakim I have to place him 5th because of his lyrics on the mix tapes)

Other notables: Chubb Rock, Busta Rhymes (Leaders of the New and his old solo stuff not to mention his dress styles and innovative hip-hop videos)

I never liked Tupac he was too much of a follower and not a leader. I like Biggie but i felt he never reached his full potential same for big pun. I gave Pun the slight edge due to the fact I like his style of delivery.

Im going to add my top 5 hip hop groups.

1. Run Dmc

2. Public Enemy

3. A Tribe Called Quest

4. Wu Tang Clan

5. EPMD

NWA on the heels of EPMD

KRS One is definitely top 10 but did you listen to any of his music after "Edutainment"? He fell off big time. Redman is an interesting pick. He definitely can flow and has a body of work if you include guest appearances and mixtapes. He gets an honorable mention from me. Then, your list, to me goes a little sideways. Ice Cube, after Death Certificate, is about as good as me on the mike... and I ain't good. Big Pun was good, but way too little to judge him by sadly. Then you put Chubb Rock in the mix? CHUBB ROCK??!!! (throws down the mike in silence and walks away...)

[bigdicki]

I don't know i thinks it's got to do with his flo... not the type of flo I'm use to
hearing especially when listening to Rakim, Kool G Rap and Biggie... kinda like it took me a long time to get use to the flo of Ghost face Killa, now I like him..

What current heavyweights? There are none (IMHO)
Right now if I were to pic some guys who may be able to hang it's
Eminem and Kanye West and that's stretchin'!....yo know what I'll also
throw in Jay-Z for argument sake..anyone going to the rock tha bellz concert?

The flow... exactly. Jay-Z's flow and his flow diversity is one of his top attributes joe! Most MCs flow one way almost all the time. Remember how excited everyone got when BIG showcased that speed flow on Notorious Thugs? Jay-Z showcases 2 or 3 styles PER ALBUM. Plus his battle skills and metaphor are on point. His two big problems: a little inconsistent and he doesnt have enough subject diversity.

I think you are stretching it with Kanye... he is slightly above average at best. Eminem is not even in the same solar system. I remember being witness to a freestyle battle between him and a popular ghostwriter and underground MC in Chicago that was on the come up back in the day before Em blew up.... Em roasted him. Every time he guest stars on a song... he kills it. Most of his stuff is fire too. Put aside that he's white and a little crazy and you will see dude is one of the greatest joe.

[kilakali]

KRS One is definitely top 10 but did you listen to any of his music after "Edutainment"? He fell off big time. Redman is an interesting pick. He definitely can flow and has a body of work if you include guest appearances and mixtapes. He gets an honorable mention from me. Then, your list, to me goes a little sideways. Ice Cube, after Death Certificate, is about as good as me on the mike... and I ain't good. Big Pun was good, but way too little to judge him by sadly. Then you put Chubb Rock in the mix? CHUBB ROCK??!!! (throws down the mike in silence and walks away...)

Yes on Krs One I actually stop listening to him after " I Got Next"...I still blast "Step Into a World".

Ice Cube lost steam with "War & Peace", but "Lethal Injection" and " The Predator" were still strong albums in my book.

Chubb Rock is a mention as my tatse leans towards metaphorical MC's. Now im not going by his commercial songs. I dont know if you ever heard him freestyle but Chubbs can rock the mic.

[thepiedpiper]

You sir are obviously a Hip-Hop Head from way back. You must admit that Mos-Def and BlackThought were/are dope due to their overall appeal (i.e. consciousness and creativity) and not just pure ability to light up a motherfuckin' mike. Lord Finesse, Talib and Large Professor... dog I love you for putting them on your list but not Top5... or Top 10. Why? Body of work joe. One who, given the body of work limitation that isn't a factor for you, that you should have included is Big L... he put out some of the hottest shit on tape. Had he had beats and had an asshole not ended his life... DEFINITELY top 10 and maybe top 5.

Lord Finesse for me is there in my top 5/6 but yeah your right I completely forgot about Big L. I will add though for me it was all about his freestyles and to this day his 98 freestlye on stretch armstrong and bobbito's show is the greatest (Off the top of the Dome) freestyle I have ever heard.

I am a old head when it comes to Hip Hop thsts for sure but there was so much blowing up back then that it is so hard to pin down who was and is the best MC. I mean take LL for example his freestyles where the shit back in the day and he could challenge for greatest of all time but his body of work is not up to a standard level of quality. He has made some bad records over the years. Although I havent based my decision on quanity of work I have looked at the overall quality of the work this is why i havent mention Snoop or Tupac as IMO I dont believe all their albums are up to sctrach.

I reply to Babyjesus about modern day heavyweights. You are right, I was toying with writing 'underground heavyweights' but I'm not sure all those that I would list are underground in the strictest sense of the word. I'll put them into a top 5 in no order.

1. Ra The Rugged Man
2. Black Thought
3. J - Live
4. Cassidy (albums = poor, freestyles + mixtapes = the shit)
5. Em (not exactly modern day but he still churns out respectable shit unlike Jay-Z for example who since blueprint 2/black album has released some BS IMO)

Also ill suggest my top groups again in no order

1. A Tribe Called Quest
2. Outkast
3. Slum Village/J88
4. Public Enemy
5. Wu Tang

Speaking of groups (well kind of) what happened to people making posse cuts? There where some real bangers back in the day. This being the first track to comes to mind when i think of posse cuts.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iztp036z54"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iztp036z54[/ame]

[bigdicki]

Yes on Krs One I actually stop listening to him after " I Got Next"...I still blast "Step Into a World".

Ice Cube lost steam with "War & Peace", but "Lethal Injection" and " The Predator" were still strong albums in my book.

Chubb Rock is a mention as my tatse leans towards metaphorical MC's. Now im not going by his commercial songs. I dont know if you ever heard him freestyle but Chubbs can rock the mic.

I've heard the Chubbster (hard to say that without giggling) freestyle. There is actually a fairly "famous" one where freestyled on Hot 97 one night. Still, he ain't Top 20 for goodness sakes.

I'll have to relisten to Predator... I was a HUGE Cube fan back in the day and I have all his albums (well, I tossed War and Peace).

[nycguy]

Damn! I shoulda came here a few days ago i see. Well...
As you did say MC's of all time! and not sub-catagories like, lyricist, storyteller, Conscious matter, spiritual etc... imma just list the top 5 Masters of Ceremony in hiphop culture

1. LL Cool J - Really no need to explain, Hip Hop supported him for 20yrs nuff said.

2. Jay Z - hit or miss? really??? please listen to the entire albums, not just the radio stuff. and the freestyles are ridiculously, as Cool Moe Dee use to say, on topic. And 11 #1 albums aint luck people, we! buy that.

3. Eminem - one of the best to ever do it

4. Biggie - of course

5. Snoop Dogg - Embodies an entire coast like no other.

Of course there are certain specialists in hip hop that are top 5 in what they do, but overall this is what it is.
gotta mention Kool G Rap - even after he was re-packaged as Nas

[babyjesus]

[QUOTE=kilakali;19489]1. Rakim

2. KRS-ONE (surprised only 2 people mentioned him)

3. Redman (king of metaphors) Check out Headbanger He upstaged everyone on that song.

4. Ice Cube ( best from the west)

5. Big Pun (although his style is a mix of Kool G Rap and Rakim I have to place him 5th because of his lyrics on the mix tapes)

Other notables: Chubb Rock, Busta Rhymes (Leaders of the New and his old solo stuff not to mention his dress styles and innovative hip-hop videos)

I never liked Tupac he was too much of a follower and not a leader. I like Biggie but i felt he never reached his full potential same for big pun. I gave Pun the slight edge due to the fact I like his style of delivery.

Im going to add my top 5 hip hop groups.

1. Run Dmc

2. Public Enemy

3. A Tribe Called Quest

4. Wu Tang Clan

5. EPMD

NWA on the heels of EPMD[/QUOTE

damn see what happens when you don't check in everyday you fall behind.LOL I'll try to reply to everyone..kila I agree after krs one's second album he fell off. I heard he's doing christian rap now or something WTF?
kila you've got good candidates but pun is not even in my top 20.
why do you think tupac was a follower (best rapper turned actor i might add)

[babyjesus]

The flow... exactly. Jay-Z's flow and his flow diversity is one of his top attributes joe! Most MCs flow one way almost all the time. Remember how excited everyone got when BIG showcased that speed flow on Notorious Thugs? Jay-Z showcases 2 or 3 styles PER ALBUM. Plus his battle skills and metaphor are on point. His two big problems: a little inconsistent and he doesnt have enough subject diversity.

I think you are stretching it with Kanye... he is slightly above average at best. Eminem is not even in the same solar system. I remember being witness to a freestyle battle between him and a popular ghostwriter and underground MC in Chicago that was on the come up back in the day before Em blew up.... Em roasted him. Every time he guest stars on a song... he kills it. Most of his stuff is fire too. Put aside that he's white and a little crazy and you will see dude is one of the greatest joe.

....That's what i'm saying you really got to stretch to find anyone who has a taste of old school hip hop!

[babyjesus]

Im going to add my top 5 hip hop groups.

1. Run Dmc

2. Public Enemy

3. A Tribe Called Quest

4. Wu Tang Clan

5. EPMD

NWA on the heels of EPMD

Hmmmn.. I have to go with you on your 1 and two just for history reasons...I would then put Eric B and Rakim 3rd...put tribe 4th and then put Gangstar 5th Guru and Dj. Premiere were the ultimate Duo.. each giving a 100% to the group..
then I would put EPMD and WU...