(Complex Magazine) The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979

[BigBucs]

Some of this is :yao: worthy, others are debatable. Discuss.

1979: Grandmaster Caz
1980: Kurtis Blow
1981: Kool Moe Dee
1982: Melle Mel
1983: Run
1984: Run
1985: LL Cool J
1986: KRS-One
1987: Rakim
1988: Slick Rick
1989: Big Daddy Kane
1990: Ice Cube
1991: Q-Tip
1992: Redman
1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg
1994: Nas
1995: The Notorious B.I.G.
1996: 2Pac
1997: The Notorious B.I.G.
1998: DMX
1999: Jay-Z
2000: Eminem
2001: Jay-Z
2002: Eminem
2003: 50 Cent
2004: T.I.
2005: Young Jeezy
2006: Lil Wayne
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil Wayne
2009: Jay-Z
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Drake
2013: Kendrick Lamar

http://www.complex.com/music/2013/03/the-best-rapper-alive-every-year-since-1979/1979

 

[Pitty]

2003 and 2005 should also be Kanye West.

 

[MvP]

That list is pretty spot on in terms of who was the hottest in each given year.

 

[1ke]

Hmmm, off the top of my head. Disagree with 81, 86, 92, Big twice, and stopped paying attention after T.I.

81 Kool Mo Dee wasn't very good early on. Not until his beef with LL was he good or even relevant.

86 Nothing wrong with KRS, but in 86 alone, Raising Hell, Licensed to Ill, Planet Rock, Born to Mack, all had albums. Not to mention Just Ice, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, and Whodini all came out with albums. Of that list many were in their prime, (Whodini Afrikka Run, and Short was changing rap and holding down Oakland) So KRS just doesn't seem right.

92 Hmmm. Let's see. Nobody is a bigger fan of Mr Noble than me. But calling him the best/hottest seems a stretch. My order would be Redman, Brand Nubian, Gangstarr, Pete Rock and CL, and Dr Dre.

Not trying to hate on Big, just dont think he deserves to be on here twice. If anyone Pac should be on there twice. Since Me Against the World was released in 95. And for 94, Outlast and Scarface had their albums come out. My Diary and Southernplayaistic can compete with anything from that year IMO.

The lack of west coast artist, MC Eiht, DJ Quick, Too Short, Spice, SCC, Snoop, Dre, Easy E and a young E-40 in between 93-99 is a bit disappointing too. And all I know about rap stops at about 2004, when I stopped paying attention to it.

Not a bad effort though.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD

 

[Woy]

2003 and 2005 should also be Kanye West.

2005, yes. 2003 was definitely 50's year though.

 

[Pitty]

2005, yes. 2003 was definitely 50's year though.

Eh, I would be willing at worst to say it was Eminem or Dre's year. They made him.

 

[JimLeavy59]

Kendrick should be 2011, Section.80 was the best album that year. But list or titles like this have nothing to do with quality.

 

[BigBucs]

That list is pretty spot on in terms of who was the hottest in each given year.

Agreed, if we are talking who was the hottest then most of it is spot on but who is the best? GTFOH. People need to learn to differentiate the two.

 

[red33]

problem i got with this is tht wtf is complex magazine? Isnt tht sht for urban white dudes who want to dress hip and stylish? WTF do they know about rap? Arent their realy rap magazines with real MFers who know their sht?

Complex is a low budget GQ and who the fuck goes to GQ for any rap advice?

 

[dell71]

Agreed, if we are talking who was the hottest then most of it is spot on but who is the best? GTFOH. People need to learn to differentiate the two.

This.

 

[Saluki]

Its been years since the best rapper and hottest rapper were the same person

 

[Senser81]

81 Kool Mo Dee wasn't very good early on. Not until his beef with LL was he good or even relevant.

This

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

If this was an old schoolyard gang fight the 80s would be bloods...the 90s would be crips....everyone past 2003 would be some pink bandana wearing pansies.

 

[ram29jackson]

rapping= what illiterate people do when they cant do anything else. Its the crassest dumbest wannabe art form ever.

EXCEPT for the Beastie Boys and this

 

[NAHSTE]

*ctrl+F*
*"Andre 3000"*

...

list is invalid

 

[ram29jackson]

dont tell me he didnt listen to Beastie Boys growing up

the other guy still does the typical ghetto redundant crap to a degree, but outkast is funny and smart

 

[BigBucs]

rapping= what illiterate people do when they cant do anything else. Its the crassest dumbest wannabe art form ever.

You are entitled to your own opinion but you couldnt come up with the concepts + lyrics that the actual skillful artist do. What you see on TV and hear on the radio is nothing but ignorant shit thats being pushed by the labels, it certainly isnt an accurate representation of the artform despite it being at the forefront. I can see why those that are out of the loop would look at it from your point of view.

No ignorant or illiterate indivisual can craft concepts and lyrics the way K-Rino does.

​

 

[ram29jackson]

You are entitled to your own opinion but you couldnt come up with the concepts + lyrics that the actual skillful artist do. What you see on TV and hear on the radio is nothing but ignorant shit thats being pushed by the labels, it certainly isnt an accurate representation of the artform despite it being at the forefront. I can see why those that are out of the loop would look at it from your point of view.

No ignorant or illiterate indivisual can craft concepts and lyrics the way K-Rino does.

thats great and all but I want my music to sound like music, not like Books on CD :dance3:

 

[BigBucs]

So you rant about illiterate people taking part in an ignorant artform but I post a few songs of substance and you dont care to listen to music like that :buck:

 

[Houston]

*ctrl+F*
*"Andre 3000"*

...

list is invalid

As usual ramjackson has to come in and drop some knowledge.

dont tell me he didnt listen to Beastie Boys growing up

the other guy still does the typical ghetto redundant crap to a degree, but outkast is funny and smart