The Top 4 Hip-Hop/Rap Artists of All Time – 1: Tupac

1: Tupac

Born Tupac Amaru Shakur on June 16, 1971 the number 1 hip-hop/rap artist of all time was commonly referred by his stage names 2Pac (Pac) and Makaveli. “Pac” began his career as a backup dancer for the alternative hip-hop group Digital Underground, where he eventually branched off into a solo artist. Pac has sold in excess of 75 million albums worldwide as per recorded in 2010, thus making him one of the best-selling music artist in any genre in the world. MTV ranked him at number two on their list of ‘The Greatest MC’s of All Time’ and Rolling Stone listed him as the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.

Pac was mostly remembered for the breathtaking and ever-present relevance in his music which focused on the themes of violence, hardship, racism and other social problems that still exist until today. During the end of Pac’s life, he become an ‘ambassador’ of sorts in the highly publicised East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry, constantly being a key participant in conflicts with other big names, most notably the previously mentioned, ‘The Notorious B.I.G‘ and his label, ‘Bad Boy Records.’ Unfortunately, Pac’s involvement in such affairs led him to be a victim of many murder attempts and some may say, even his eventual death. On September 7, 1996, Pac was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He met his untimely death six days later and was heavily mourned due to his innumerable fan base.

‘All Eyez on Me‘ was Tupac’s fourth studio album, which came out just four months after he was released on bail for sexual assault and barely a year after he was shot. This album is very commonly recognised as one of the crowning and defining moments of 1990’s rap music. Also to note, this album marked Tupac’s newly formed allegiance with the West Coast’s powerhouse rap dynasty, Death Row Records. This album also made history as the first double-full-length hip-hop solo studio album released for mass consumption.

REVIEW: All Eyez on Me

The notion of a classic album is the most overused word in the hip-hop culture but the use of such a title for this album would not look out of place for the majority. As complex as Tupac was prior to his jail sentence and first shooting, the drama of events that followed pushed Tupac to new heights and doubled the complexities of himself as an individual. This effect was bound to affect his music and it is this very contradictory nature that made his music so attractive. One minute he would be the thug, the the other minute he would be vulnerable, the next he would display his paranoia and snap back to his attitude of not caring about anything.

He previously wrote some of the most woman-adoring songs in rap in, “Keep Your Head Up” and “Dear Mama“, followed up by constantly throwing down rhymes about ho’s and b*tches. However, this was not the case in this album. Tupac emerged hardened and hungry with this album. With all surrounding controversy, it seemed this colossal artist wanted to release a monumental epic where the sheer scope of the project makes it an achievement itself. But importantly, the ablum is an unabashed embrace of the ‘gangsta’ lifestyle, which is backed off with the sober self-recognition in “Me Against the World“.

The production on the album is easily the best of all Tupac’s albums. The brilliance provided by Dr. Dre in a rap classic, “California Love” and the anthemic duet with Snoop Dogg in “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” are two songs that any rap listener, and perhaps extended to music listeners in general, would have heard or know the scale of importance on these songs. Other notable songs include “Ambitionz Az a Ridah“, “Only God Can Judge Me“, “How Do U Want It“, “I Ain’t Mad Atcha” and “Picture Me Rollin’“.

To conclude, it was this volatile and compelling personality that cement 2Pac as a rap icon and the reason why he is seen as the number 1 artist in the hip-hop/rap of all time. Erratic as this album may be, it is the driving feature that provides the assurance of this album as a must-have, must-listen and must-be-favourited-as-number-1. Tupac may not have had the lyrical flow and prowess of other notable artists as The Notorious B.I.G or Nas, but it was the raw passion, emotion and straight thuggery that Tupac brought to the stage which sets him apart. Also, the contents of his songs are that of a transcending in the nature of time and the issues that are presented are still relevant to that of today’s.

ALBUM RATING: 5/5

The Top 4 Hip-Hop/Rap Artists of All Time – 2: THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G

2: The Notorious B.I.G

Born Christopher George Latore Wallace on May 21, 1972, best known as The Notorious B.I.G, also commonly referred to as Biggie Smalls, Biggie, Big, Big Poppa and Frank White. “Biggie” was raised in the streets of Brooklyn, New York City, like many influential and memorable rap game changers in the era. Biggie’s debut album release of “Ready to Die” (1994) propelled him into transforming into a central figure in the East Coast hip hop scene, resulting in an increase of New York’s recognition in the predominantly West Coast dominated genre. The successive year, Biggie, along with his entrusted childhood circle of friends, reached chart success as a group in the form of, ‘Junior M.A.F.I.A‘. During the recording of Biggie’s second album, he was the forerunner in the East Coast/West Coast feud, mostly led charge by himself and Tupac Shakur.

On March 9, 1997, Biggie was assassinated by an unknown shooter in a drive-by in Los Angeles. His next album, “Life After Death” was released posthumously only 16 days after his death, later rising to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and being certified ‘Diamond’ in 2000, becoming one of few hip hop albums to receive this high praise. This larger than life figure was noted for his ‘”loose, easy flow”, dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his passing, two further albums have been released, amounting to an amount of 17 million units in the U.S in certified sales.

Biggie did not set out to become a musician in any form. He always excelled  in school but once the drug market got a hold of him, he found it hard to resist. Upon being arrested and sentenced to nine months in jail, he turned to music. Once released, he created his own cover with no intention of being signed but it received amazing reception and that changed things forever..

‘Ready to Die‘ was released in 1994, reaching to the height of No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart and eventually certified four times Platinum. At the time, West Coast hip hop was the prominent force in music lead by none other than close friend turned arch enemy, Tupac Shakur. This album, according to Rolling Stones, “single-handedly shifted the focus back to East Coast rap.”

REVIEW: Ready to Die

West Coast hip hop is buzzing out of the speakers of all. Death Row Records, led by Dr. Dre’s unique brand of g-funk, is a leading force in the industry. The East Coast are reclining in their chairs and seeing their dominance of the rap game fade. Enter The Notorious B.I.G. This was the climate Biggie faced upon entry and unleashing of his ‘Ready to Die‘ album. This album is Biggie’s defining art, filled with painful recollections as oppose to fond memories. It was the album that brought the East Coast back into the thoughts of everyone and redefined the mid-90’s sound to which many of us grew up to. Still, only one description is fitting – classic.

Using well-placed changes in tonality and vocal inflections, Biggie manifests stellar works of art in songs like “Gimme the Loot“, a schizophrenic gesture and admiration to armed robbery. By reflecting the thought process of two identities looking to prosper the ski-mask way on this ultimate stick-up anthem, he exudes creativity and a knack for dramatic storytelling. It is this talent that remains constant throughout the album, in that it is usually standard for emcees to talk about violence, but Biggie took it to a whole new level. The seamless transition between moods and characters take the listener on a journey where they believe they are sitting down with a friend that recalls a story about past exploits, a skill that the majority of artists lack.

Biggie begins by delivering chilling lyrics in which he wishes for death in “Everyday Struggle” and then poetically moves onto further into that desire in “Suicidal Thoughts“. Despite his persistent depression, this remarkable artist brushes off the dirt on his shoulder and reveals a softer and vulnerable side. The celebratory “Juicy” remains as one of Biggie’s most notable, greatest and most-revealing songs. Part-autobigoraphy, part-decleration of success, it rekindles the kind hearted and innocent nature most people experience in life. These feelings can be summed-up with great ease in his following lyrics, “Birthdays was the worst days/Now we sip champagne when we thirsty/Uh, damn right I like the life I live/’Cause I went from negative to positive and it’s all… (It’s all good).”

To conclude, the tracks “Juicy” and lady-enticing, panty-dropper “Big Poppa” help humanise the gun-toting-crazy artist. It is this, despite the album displaying Biggie’s deeply-rooted uncaring attitude towards life and violence, that takes away from the Bad Boy image. This is the reason that innumerable emcees have tried in vain to reignite the ability of The Notorious B.I.G in simultaneously holding the respect of peers whilst swaying over the general public too. Most of all, this is the reason why this redeeming quality cements ‘Ready to Die’ in the category of must-have for any music enthusiast as the album was part of a major shift in power and change in direction in the genre of rap and hip hop. This album is easily a classic and in my opinion, on-par, if not better, than Nas’ “Illmatic”.

ALBUM RATING: 5/5

The Top 4 Hip-Hop/Rap Artists of All Time – 3: 50 CENT

3: 50 Cent

Born Curtis James Jackson III on July 6, 1975, but more commonly referred by his rap persona, “50 Cent”. The beginnings of 50 Cent can be traced back to 1996, where, aged 21 and grown up in the streets of Queens, New York, he began rapping in a friend’s basement. His early career was not much of note and he failed to achieve much recognition. It wasn’t until 2000 where he gained was recognised as an artist and commanded the attraction of some larger artists towards his name. He was the victim of a drive by shooting, suffering 9 shots throughout his body. It was after this shooting where Jackson started to believe that had a set purpose in life due to his survival in the shooting. Enter 50 Cent..

His name comes from ’50 Cent’ being a metaphor for change. A change from his drug dealing, gun hustling, havoc causing teenager into the rapper, entrepreneur, investor, and actor he is now. After releasing the album Guess Who’s Back in 2002, Eminem stumbled upon 50 Cent and signed him to Interscope Records. With help of big players in the rap game, Eminem and Dr. Dre, who produced his first major commercial successes, 50 Cent rose to the highest echelons of rap. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo. Billboard magazine has ranked him as the number one rap artist of the 2000s and his album “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” as the 12th best album of the 2000s.

In 2003, 50 Cent released “Get Rich or Die Tryin'”, an album that would be cement his name as the king of hardcore hip-hop/rap. It was the combination of big-name backers, such as Dr.Dre and Eminem, undeniable skills, radio-ready tracks and 50 Cent’s marketable thug persona that made this album a smash hit. 50 Cent and his cadre of producers didn’t reinvent gangsta rap, but they did succeed in exploiting both its brawniness and its imperturbable cool, not to mention its cliches. The album also gave birth to one of this century’s most recognisable tunes, “In Da Club”. This lead track lead to breaking the Billboard record as the most listened-to song in radio history within a week. His following albums, “The Massacre” (2005), “Curtis” (2007) and “Before I self Destruct” (2000) did relatively well but none are on par to his commercial debut of “Get Rich or Die Tryin'”. 50 Cent is currently in production of his new album which is set to be released early this year by the title of “Street King Immortal”.

Despite all his albums being of high quality, it was the alternately club-ready and spaced-out tracks out of dark synth grooves, buzzy keyboards and a persistently funky bounce of “Get Rich or Die Tryin'” that really distinguished the album in the modern era of rap.

REVIEW: Get Rich or Die Tryin

With every gangsta rapper in the game at the time claiming to be the ‘realest’ and most ‘street’, 50 Cent didn’t nee to convince people that he is as real as they come. After being filled with 9 bullets (including one in the face), he took it in and used it as a catalyst that earned him the respect he deserves. Combine his credibility with his witty rhymes; laid back flow; top-notch production and association with Hip Hop’s biggest stars and you’ve got platinum plaques waiting around the corner.

While Dr. Dre gets everyone jumping to the megasmash club hit, “In Da Club,” he gets a little darker on the Ja-Rule diss “Back Down.” With the minimalistic approach using just a little bit more than a horn and baseline, 50 Cent rides Dre’s click-clacks and gunshots on the ‘gangsta’ heavy “Heat.” Eminem continues to shine on his production value, producing 50 Cent the album’s best beats (and some breath-taking cameo rhymes) on “Patiently Waiting” and “Don’t Push Me.”

To no surprise, 50 Cent is as ‘thug’ as they come. Despite this, he manages to squeeze a few gems in as well. From the outstanding “Many Men,” he gets reflective when he considers his purpose in life. Songs like the aforementioned “Many Men,” along with others like “What Up Gangsta” and “Blood Hound” are all immaculately sculpted to 50 Cent’s style. There are occasions where 50 Cent ventures outside his comfort zone (“21 Questions”).

Many don’t appreciate 50 Cent’s marble-mouthed delivery and it can get particular tiresome on the hooks. That aside, much attention is given to song structure and even though not everything clicks, nothing sounds thrown together as filler material. While 50 Cent lacks the lyrical prowess and presence of a Jay-Z or Nas, he has wedged himself into New York’s upper class by keeping it in the gutter.

To conclude, whilst the inclusion of 50 Cent in such a exclusively privileged list, his work, especially Get Rich or Die Tryin’ is definitely an unbelievable album that is a cornerstone in modern day rap and hip hop. The album symbolises the evolution of the rap genre into the cliche’d rap music that is heard on the radio now. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ demonstrates the perfect balance of the hardcore oldschool gangsta rap with the overly ridiculous new school rap touting guns and women. Thus, striking a chord in the hearts of “Many Men”.

ALBUM RATING: 4/5

The Top 4 Hip-Hop/Rap Artists of All Time – 4: NAS

4: NAS

Born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones on September 14, 1973, but more commonly referred to his rap name, “Nas”. The beginnings of Nas can be traced back to the young age of 9, where he began writing rhymes due to the influence of his neighbour Willy “Ill Will” Graham. Upon the divorce of his parents when he was 12, he dropped out of school in eighth grade and decided for a life on the streets of Queensbridge. At the same time, he also maintained in educating himself, frequently reading books on the cultures of other countries. It was this experience on the streets of Queensbridge mixed with his yearning for knowledge that helped him in personalising his rhymes and creating his own unique style.

Many place him as the number 1 artist of rap/hip hop due to his consistent release of high quality music. His first album, “Illmatic” is also at the top of many people’s list for the greatest rap album ever, and top 25 in music history.

In 1994, he released an album that would be forever remembered by millions. ”Illmatic” climbed to no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 200 and despite the ‘low’ ranking, it was an album for the history books due to the reception it received from others down the line. It was the sublime lyricism combined with the fact the album was delivered into the heat of the raging East-West rap conflict that quickly cemented Nas’ reputation as a premium name in the rap game. The album gave birth to many hit songs, including, “The World Is Yours”, “It Ain’t Hard to Tell”, and “One Love”. To this day, many still rate the album as the greatest hip hop album of all time and the best hip-hop record ever made.

The following of his albums (“It Was Written”, “I Am..”, “Nastradamus”, “Stillmatic”, God’s Son”, “Street’s Disciple” and “Hip Hop is Dead”) did relatively well but none rose to the acclaim that his first album, Illmatic reached. Despite all his albums being of high quality and meaningful content, it was the raw emotion mixed with the lyrical genius of Illmatic that really set the album in the history of music.

REVIEW: ILLMATIC

If you have ever wondered what life is like in the neighbourhood of Queens, New York, stop. Nas has created that image for you through “Illmatic“, he’s most renowned album. Through the tone set by Nas through his rhymes and instrumentals the album does well to depict the dark and murky setting of this gangster area. The song, “N.Y. State of Mind”, doesn’t start with a exclamation, rather it starts with a slow stroll throughout the hellish streets of Queens, New York. Whilst the piano plays in the background, Nas begins spitting out his rhymes about his upbringing and gang life in the streets. The minimalistic use of piano places heavy reliance on Nas’ dark poetry and this is what sets this track as a hip-hop classic and a large reason why Nas will always get a mention in anyone’s top 5 in hip-hop/rap artists of all time. The other songs in the album follow the same dark and oppressed tone that clearly depicts how Nas grew up and how he views his childhood city. With Nas’ father being a famous jazz musician, the jazz influence is very evident throughout the album serving as a backdrop to the slick lines that Nas brings to the mic.

To conclude, Illmatic is a legendary album that deserves every right it currently has to be regarded as the greatest rap album ever. The album serves as a reminder to the new generation of what ‘real’ music really was and a classic that gets many of the younger generations into the old school style of music.

ALBUM RATING: 5/5