JAY-Z is named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard.
To Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop, Billboard and Vibe have listed the 50 greatest rappers of all time. The criteria for choosing the artists in the list include the body of work/achievements (charted singles/albums, gold/platinum certifications), cultural impact/influence (how the artist’s work fostered the genre’s evolution), longevity (years at the mic), lyrics (storytelling skills) and flow (vocal prowess).
The list is topped by JAY-Z, who’s named the number 1 greatest rapper of all time. The second on the list is Kendrick Lamar, who just won the Grammy award for best rap album for his latest effort “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”, and took his tally to third most as a rapper. The number three and four on the list are Nas and Tupac respectively.
Eminem, who is considered to be the best rapper ever by many, was named number fifth on the list, followed by The Notorious B.I.G. in sixth spot. Lil Wayne and Drake also made it to the top 10 as they hold the number 7 and 8th spot. The legendary Snoop Dogg is named in the number 9 spot, while Nicki Minaj is the only female emcee in the top 10.
Some other notable names in the top 50 are Kanye West on the 11th, Andre 3000 on the 12th, LL Cool J on the 14th, J. Cole on the 15th, 50 Cent on the 17th, Missy Elliott on the 19th, Busta Rhymes on 33rd, Future on 35th, Dr. Dre on 40th, Jadakiss on 46th, and Rick Ross on 50th.
In determining the ranking, Billboard took into account several important criteria. These included the artist’s body of work and accomplishments, such as their charted singles and albums and their gold and platinum certifications. Additionally, the team considered the cultural impact and influence of the artist’s work and how it helped to shape and evolve the genre. Other factors taken into consideration included the artist’s longevity in the music industry, their storytelling skills and lyrics, and their vocal ability and flow.
Check out the full list here.
Billboard has ranked the top 10 Rappers of all time:
1. Jay-Z
2. Kendrick Lamar
3. Nas
4. Tupac
5. Eminem
6. The Notorious B.I.G.
7. Lil Wayne
8. Drake
9. Snoop Dogg
10. Nicki Minaj— DailyRapFacts (@DailyRapFacts) February 9, 2023
“Man, who the hell is before me? Was the list including ALL hip-hop, like before and after as well?,” said Lil Wayne about the list. “I can deal with that… I will tell you that I am a muthaf**kin’ one. Everybody whose names you named, they also know I’m number one. Go ask ’em. They know what it is.”
“This is creativity. No one gets behind a mic, approaches a song and says ‘I’m making a song so it can be better than this one,’” he added. “If we all approached it that way, yeah it’d be a competition. This is creativity. Any individual who creates, this is their individuality. They’re putting their growth and creativity out there for you to enjoy. But we also know this is what the world does, so we have no problem with it.”
