VH1 recently aired a show called "5 Greatest Emcees" where they ranked five emcees MOST hip hop heads are familiar with.

I feel this way; whenever you talk about the cream of the crop and this elite group, you can't go wrong arguing for any of them.

VH1 appears to have taken into account flow, lyrics, delivery, impact, and longevity (album sales, radio play) when compiling this list.

So, with that said, here are their Greatest 5 Emcees of all time, in order.

5. Nas
4. Rakim
3. Biggie Smalls
2. Tupac
1. Jay Z



I'll break down my opinion of these emcees like Trip did with the greatest Albums of all time:


Nas: Nas is a superior lyricist to me. But, I tend to agree with Jay Z in that, "it doesn't mean he's bright because you don't understand the bullshit he writes." I love Nas' rhyme schemes and flow. He was influenced by Rakim, so it's no wonder people celebrate him for his poignant lyrics. I think Nas definitely deserves to be on this list.


Rakim: I listened to Rakim's greatest hits. I like his style and think he's left an indelible mark in the game. I don't, however, see him as the greatest rapper of all time because he lacked versalitity. Most of the rappers on this list managed to have cross-over appeal. Rakim was pure hip hop, and nothing is wrong with that. I tend to feel he's a tad overrated because so many people simply copied his style and tend to put him on a pedestal. But, ironically, it's that adoration that makes him deserve to be on this list, IMO.

Biggie Smalls: What can I say? Many people, including myself, would argue that Biggie is the greatest rapper of all time, period. But, based on VH1s criteria for ranking, I understand this lofty third spot. Biggie Smalls had a dope flow, dope delivery/voice, and sick metas and wordplay. Tupac charged that he "gave biggie his style" but I'd say that was Pac being salty. Biggie acknowledged that Pac schooled him in the game of how to be more radio friendly. But, in no way did Pac craft Biggie's flow and delivery. Biggie is the rapper who inspired me to rap and deserves to be on this list, easily.


Tupac: Here's someone I had to grow to love. Pac has a polarizing effect that's a hallmark of someone special, IMO. Pac was more of a poet than Biggie, and seemed to be able to move people more emotionally. However, TUpac was not the best rapper skill wise on the mic. I'd give that edge to Biggie who had more command over the mic than Pac. Some would argue that Pac brought more emotion to his songs. However, he did not flip styles like some of the other people on this list. Pac's lyrics mean alot to a lot of people and deserves to be on this list, period.



Jay Z: Jay was picked as the greatest emcee of all time for his longevity and consistency on the mic over the years. He is currently my favorite emcee, which is no surprise because my favorite rapper of all time is Biggie. Everyone knows Jay benchmarks Biggie. Jay has achieved what I think every rapper wants to achieve, and that's street cred and radio success simultaneously. Jay Z's rapping skills are unquestionable. I honestly would have put Biggie and Pac first and second. But, Jay deserves to be on this list as well.

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