Billboard Names Top 10 Greatest Rappers Of All Time
Billboard and Vibe are rolling out the list of Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time as hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
The magazine has finally revealed the final top 10 Greatest Rappers of All Time list. The editorial staff determined the rankings based on the following criteria:
• Body of work/achievements (charted singles/albums, gold/platinum certifications)
• Cultural impact/influence (how the artist’s work fostered the genre’s evolution)
• Longevity (years at the mic), lyrics (storytelling skills)
• Flow (vocal prowess)
While the list includes female MCs like Lil’ Kim (No. 31), Lauryn Hill (No. 30), and Missy Elliott (No. 19), Nicki Minaj is the only woman in the top 10.
Reacting to the top 10 list, Billboard stated that Nicki Minaj has “undeniably blazed the trail for the next generation of female MCs, while at the same time, building a legacy whose impact is hardly limited to the hip-hop world,”
At 36, Drake is the youngest rapper in the top 50 at No. 8. As one of the “most gifted and accomplished artists to ever touch down in music,” he remains a certified hitmaker whose “Midas touch” has earned him nearly 300 entries on the Billboard Hot 100.
Lil Wayne takes his rightful throne at No.7, followed by a pair of late legends, The Notorious B.I.G. (No. 6) and Tupac Shakur (No. 4).
With 15 Grammys and 10 No. 1 albums, Eminem earned a top 5 spot. His “unprecedented commercial success” and “peerless technical skills” lands him in the “upper echelon of GOAT rappers.”
Nas closes in on the top 3, followed by Kendrick Lamar at No. 2. Lamar’s “lyrical prowess, classic albums, and envelope-pushing evolution” have afforded him a reputation as the “best rapper of his generation.”
Beyond every reasonable doubt When it comes to “longevity, the breadth of his accomplishments, and what he’s meant to hip-hop, JAY-Z remains the true GOAT. He is ranked the No. 1 Greatest Rappers of All time
See the top 10 below and the full list here.
1. JAY-Z
2. Kendrick Lamar
3. Nas
4. Tupac Shakur
5. Eminem
6. The Notorious B.I.G.
7. Lil Wayne
8. Drake
9. Snoop Dogg
10. Nicki Minaj