Its a hard question. You got em cees like Madvillain, J-Live, Vakill, Aesop Rock, Slug and etc. who are in the shadows due to the commercial influence.

If we talk mainstream (mainstream doesn't mean commercial, there are good artists within the mainstream as well).. I would say Jay-Z or Black Thought. If we talk best out right now... i wouldn't be able to answer it. However, I do know that it wouldnt be Jay-Z or Nas. It would probably end up in underground.

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dfunk