BET'S BEST RAPPER OF 21ST CENTURY

Written By: Lamont Mann
10-29-2010


BET'S BEST RAPPER OF 21ST CENTURY

So the long awaited Best Rapper list debuted.  I think this list is so bogus.  According to Broadway World , BET polled 30,000 people about their favorite rap artist.  BET assembled an elite "Hip Hop Supreme Court" of some of the hottest producers, hip hop deejays, and the industry's biggest influencers to narrow down the list and rank the top 10 coveted positions. Hosted by "Chief Justice" Big Tigger; Jermaine Dupri (producer), Diamond Kuts (DJ - Power 99, Philadelphia), Greg Street (DJ - V103, Atlanta), Tony Neal (Core DJs), Timbuck2 (DJ - 107.5, WGCI, Chicago), Boi 1da (Producer), Chloe Hilliard (Editor, VIBE), Chuck Creekmur (CEO, Allhiphop.com); DJ Vlad (CEO, VladTV.com) make up the distinguished "Hip Hop Supreme Court" judges.

This list is silly.  It's not only silly from the standpoint of whom didn't crack the top but the order of the top.


To be eligible for the top 10 rappers of the 21st century, the rapper must be a solo artist who released his or her first solo album in 1999 or later.


10. RICK ROSS
 


I believe Rick Ross making the list @ 10 is fair, and I have no complaints for it.  This is to be notated that this is the first Southern Rapper

9. Jada Kiss


Kiss is one of my favorite emcees but pound for pound, I am not sure if he had enough mainstream hits that warrants him for this list.  He is an Eastcoast brawler, I love his style but if you are taking his career alone outside of Dblock and The LOX then I am not sure how makes the list.  His solos are fiyah but it's not like they were getting mad rotation in the South.  So Kiss is the first person I want removed from the list.

8. Young Jeezy

Another Southern rapper.  I find it strange that the Snow Man is 8 and Ross is 10 when their content is damn near identical, COCAINE.  8 is a good slot for Jeezy I have no problem with that.

7. Drake

Now I am honestly questioning the demographics of the 30,000 polled. Are you kidding me?  We are talking about essentially the last 11 years of Hip Hop and he was voted in as one of the Best Rappers.  This dude do not belong on this list.  He gotta get at least two more albums under his belt.  It was a point in my life in 1987, 1988, 1989 when I thought MC Hammer was one of the best rappers and if I would have been asked then I would have said Hammer.  His style is basic to me and he appeals to kids.  I have the "I don't listen to music my kids listen to" rule.  All in all, I ain't feeling this cat

6. Ludacris

This is a perfect placement.  I totally agree with it and he is the third southern rapper.  During the show they said Luda could have easily been higher on the list but he never went social in his albums.  I can't knock Luda for keeping it tight and fun but real.

5. T.I.

Another Southerner, life is wonderful I think he is also slotted right.  TI is a beast, as soon as you think you nailed all of hits about 3 more come into play.

4. 50 Cent

What can I say, one of Queens finest but in the last 5 or 6 years this guy has been nothing but a marketing sensation.  Battle Rapper he is but his flow is nothing impressive to me.  Back in the days when he was hungry I would have literally put him at number one but now he's been reduced to FULL FORCE R&B Group (big swoll dudes that sing and dance).  East Coast

3. Kanye West

I am going to say this as simple as I can, if this is the list I have to roll with then Kanye is number one or two.  My boy Dave had to school me on Kanye because I thought he was too damn happy but the dude got skills and 3 is a rap job and he is Mid West.

2. Lil Wayne

Lil Wayne could have been in any slot of this list and it wouldn't have been wrong but personally I believe he should be in the top 3.  I like Lil Wayne but it's something bout dude that appeals to that whole "bumble gum rap" era.  There are some questions about Wayne even being included in this list because dude was out before 1999, sure he was a lil kid but he was out there

1. Eminem



If number one was not Kanye, Eminem is acceptable.  I don't have a prob with this.  When Slim Shady first dropped, I thought he was a happy rapper but his second album he grew on me.  Eminem just seems like a cat that don't give a damn, I'm going raw and full throttle.  I like Eminem and I love his delivery.

WRAP IT UP

The two people that need to be replaced on this list, Drake and Jada Kiss.  They should be replaced with Chamillionaire, Game and or Fabolous. 

I wish BET would release the demographics of the 30K polled because I have a sneaky thought, most of these people were young without an affinity for HIP HOP.  There is no way in hell Drake should have even been considered for this list.

What else that makes this analysis brilliant but yet FLAWED is the timeline of freshman album.  I think the more appropriate rule would have been the most albums dropped in the last decade.  This list seem'd comical at best when Jay Z, NAS, Busta Rhymes, Scarface,  and Snoop were not included. 

 At the end of the day, I understand what BET was trying to accomplish by enforcing strict dates but I just didn't like the elimination process of 1999 because I could have included Missy Elliot.

Real talk, this is one of the best programs I have seen on BET in a LONG TIME.  It was a thought provoking show, I simply didn't like the criterion.

OUT