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The Great Debate
RnB/Hip Hop | Wednesday 18th December 2013 | Natasha
When an up-and-coming artist drops a mixtape, the comparisons ignite and listeners get ready to throw themselves into a conscious whirlwind of hope and critique. Potentially witnessing the prototype of the greatest – the pressure is maximised and artists take centre position to thousands that are ready to decode and evaluate. With every innovative and thought-provoking verse comes a want to explore. And every clever business move made by hip-hop moguls is observed and studied by dream chasers alike. Like a ‘bap’ after a ‘boom’ when a new album is released it is followed, instantaneously by, The Great Debate.
Is it possible to be, or become ‘the best rapper’ or is it a beautiful myth desired and claimed by many, but never actually had by any? There is this tug of war dispute that lies at the heart of all hip-hop movements and the rope thins to its last fray when we discuss the best rapper. Now, it is not the answer of ‘the great debate’ that I wish to neither define nor justify, because with every individual comes a subjective stance and, along with it, valid opinions – or facts – that frame that choice. The question alone has been replayed and repeated more times than your most loved hip-hop album.
What I would like to discuss is the, sometimes, multi-layered path and journey it takes to get to such an honourable answer. In order for an artist to hold that position and define themselves with the title of ‘the best rapper’ there are certain contributions and factors that have to be acknowledged, and it’s those avenues that I want to explore.
THE ICONS: There are two nominees that will forever live in the mouths and hearts of hip-hop heads when we discuss the world’s best rapper: The Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac. It would be criminally unjust not to mention these two names in the great debate. I defy you to listen to a radio show discussing the best rapper, or scroll through comments on YouTube without seeing or hearing Pac or B.I.G’s name – and I believe this will forever be the case.
The East Coast – West Coast divide and the stolen lives will always be one of the most talked about and influential discussions within hip-hop. The Notorious B.I.G was a lyrical genius that spat out metaphors and played with words like they were toys. 2Pac, seen as a born leader, rapped from a mind that was revolutionary. For some these two rappers are untouchable and their artistic level, well to some, simply unattainable.
THE OG’S: If they never made a record again their legacy would play out loud and live for them. Their longevity within the genre of hip-hop speaks for itself, shaping hip-hop at the earlier stages and then reaching out into realms that go beyond hip-hop music, but gives life back to the culture all together. These types of rappers are usually your favourite rappers favourite rapper. Artists like: Jay Z, Dr. Dre, KRS One, Snoop Dogg, Big L, Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. Then you also have to consider hip-hop pioneers like P. Diddy – the entrepreneurs of the game. The rappers that have cleverly mastered moves that have led them to achieve the ultimate, the American dream.
For some, the OG’s will always tower over anyone that comes after them because they have shown and proved for too many years to allow their status to be stripped by an artist that has released one album and dabbled in the industry. The words of Nasir Jones spring to mind, ‘oh you went platinum? That’s nice; now let me see you do the same thing twice.’
THE LYRICAL GENIUS: Their content sends shivers down your spine and every letter they pronounce resonates with you and manifests into something untouchable. Their thoughts are injected to you and, on deeper levels; you’re transported to a world you’ve never visited. These people tell stories that move you, inspire you and make you feel a mix of emotions in under three minutes.
Nas has, rightly, been crowned the ‘lyrical king’ time and time again, but then there’s ground-breaking content from artists like Andre 3000, Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill and Lupe Fiasco to consider. Even at this point you’ll think of several cross-overs – artists that could be categorised in all of these fields – and that’s what makes this debate so powerfully complex.
When you hear of the lyrically accredited artists, the term ‘real hip-hop’ normally follows. Hip-hop, for many, is about telling stories in a gripping yet creative way and being able to do so with a mind-blowing flow while a contagious beat performs alongside it. When all of this is combined, an organic art form takes us back to the roots of the genre and, for some, that’s the definition of hip-hop.
ON THE BRINK OF GREATNESS: Then we have the newer rappers that have shaken up hip-hop once more. These artists are rapping just as hard and flowing just as smoothly as the icons, OG’s and lyrical geniuses. There is no denying Kendrick Lamar has owned 2013. Lamar makes no attempt to disguise he’s going for the top spot. He also openly shows no fear in the presence of the rappers that have done the distance and played the game a long time before him. Lamar, also known as, ‘King Kendrick’ is an example of one of the newer rappers that have all the elements and factors that make the recipe for the ‘best’.
Then there are artists like Drake, whose continuous and impressive album sales are testimony to his success and running for the title. J. Cole and his journey so far demonstrates determination and work ethic at an incredible level. Not only does he lyrically shine he produces almost all of his work – a multi-talented artist that puts all of himself into his work, and does so with a great deal of passion, something that should never be overlooked.
The difficult thing here is not to list some of the greatest rappers – that’s been done a thousand times. The difficulty lies in choosing one. Which point means more to you, the lyrical content, the longevity, or do album sales speak for themselves?
For a younger generation the newest rappers are the chance to share a journey that they haven’t had the chance to live through with those that came before them. Many fans will have been supporting since the first mixtape dropped and have a solid understanding with the artist and their work. They would have watched them go from recording in their bedroom to selling out concerts worldwide and, as a result, feel an indescribable sense of loyalty to them.
We can’t discuss the best without understanding our own journey through hip-hop. Maybe you can relate more to Reasonable Doubt than you ever could to Nothing Was the Same. Perhaps Illmatic spoke to you in a way no other rapper has managed to come close to, or maybe you get inspired by the mind state and intellect of an artist like Common.
Can there ever be just one? Unless someone takes the needle of the vinyl this record will keep playing, it’s an inevitable debate that only signifies the love and passion within hip-hop. Taking a step back, however, I think it’s this great debate that partners so perfectly with the genre. Hip-hop has always been carried by battles fuelled by the competition and kept alive with the desire to be ‘the best rapper’. No other genre does this, or has ever attained this level of debate and excitement, quite like hip-hop. It’s when the great debate stops that we all need to worry. Long live hip-hop.
Natasha Artwell
@NatashaArtwell
