themajestic773
04-25-2011, 02:44 PM
So last year, BET did a special where they had icons in the music industry determine the top 10 rappers of the 21st century. They had certain parameters set in place to determine who can and cannot be included such as, Internet Buzz, Album Sales, Lyricism, How much money generated, rise to prominence during the new millenium, and their debut album had to come out in 1999 or later. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the list, so thats why I've decided to create my own based on the same prerequisites...feel free to leave feedback. So anyways, here's my list:
1.) Eminem - With over 72.6 million albums sold in the U.S. alone, this is obviously a no-brainer. He's also the class of this list when it comes to lyricism. During 2010, his music generated more than 94 million streams, more than any other music artist.
2.) Kanye West - Not only is he arguably the best producer in the game, there's no denying Kanye's mic skills. Besides the fact that his debut album, College Dropout sold over 4 million copys, every LP that Kanye has dropped has been critically acclaimed. I consider this another
no-brainer.
3.) Ludacris - Now some people may be a lil disappointed that Lil Wayne isn't in the top 3, but I'll explain why shortly. There's no denying Ludacris' longevity, he's been puttin it down at a high level since 2000. Lyrically, I believe this is exactly where he should be on this list.
4.) Lil Wayne - Finally lol! But seriously, I've been a fan of Wayne since 1998, however, not lately. He started rising to prominence in 2004 as the only remaining "hotboy" of CashMoney. While I believe he has slightly declined as a lyricist, he still remains a strong candidate in this slot because of his hunger to be the best and also his phoenomenal internet and mixtape buzz.
5.) T.I - Not really sure what to say about T.I., other than the fact that similar to Luda, he's been doin it at a high level since 2001. But over the years, however, I do believe he improved lyrically.
6.) Young Jeezy - This is probably the first MC on the list that I don't particularly care for at all. But since he took the industry by storm in 2005, there's no denying this MC's mixtape and internet buzz.
7.) Fabolous - With over 3 million albums sold, Fabolous is another MC who's been puttin it down for a long time now. Since 2001, Fab has been known as one of the hottest MC's in the game(one of my personal favorites). Despite his first two albums, which both went platinum, Fab hasn't generated enough sales to be higher on this list(although lyrically, he deserves to be).
8.) 50 Cent - With his debut album, "Get Rich or Die Tryin" of 2003 selling over 15 million albums to date, and also entertaining the world with his controversial beefs with a number of notable artists, 50 has definitely left his mark on the game. But since his focus has shifted toward acting(doesn't really do that well, lol!) over the last couple years, he hasn't really been relevant as of late.
9.) Rick Ross - Another artist who I don't really care for. But since his debut in 2006, the "Teflon Don" has been doin his thing with 3 decent albums and a bunch of features under his belt.
10.) The Game - With the exception of Fabolous, lyrically, The Game is probably the best of 6 -10. With "The Documentary" debuting in 2005, and selling over 5 million copies, The Game established himself as a force in the music industry. But after such a strong start, in my opinion, I believe he has set himself back with two subpar albums and numerous feuds with other artists primarily because of his habit of subliminally calling out other artists in his songs.
So thats my list, feel free to leave feedback!
1.) Eminem - With over 72.6 million albums sold in the U.S. alone, this is obviously a no-brainer. He's also the class of this list when it comes to lyricism. During 2010, his music generated more than 94 million streams, more than any other music artist.
2.) Kanye West - Not only is he arguably the best producer in the game, there's no denying Kanye's mic skills. Besides the fact that his debut album, College Dropout sold over 4 million copys, every LP that Kanye has dropped has been critically acclaimed. I consider this another
no-brainer.
3.) Ludacris - Now some people may be a lil disappointed that Lil Wayne isn't in the top 3, but I'll explain why shortly. There's no denying Ludacris' longevity, he's been puttin it down at a high level since 2000. Lyrically, I believe this is exactly where he should be on this list.
4.) Lil Wayne - Finally lol! But seriously, I've been a fan of Wayne since 1998, however, not lately. He started rising to prominence in 2004 as the only remaining "hotboy" of CashMoney. While I believe he has slightly declined as a lyricist, he still remains a strong candidate in this slot because of his hunger to be the best and also his phoenomenal internet and mixtape buzz.
5.) T.I - Not really sure what to say about T.I., other than the fact that similar to Luda, he's been doin it at a high level since 2001. But over the years, however, I do believe he improved lyrically.
6.) Young Jeezy - This is probably the first MC on the list that I don't particularly care for at all. But since he took the industry by storm in 2005, there's no denying this MC's mixtape and internet buzz.
7.) Fabolous - With over 3 million albums sold, Fabolous is another MC who's been puttin it down for a long time now. Since 2001, Fab has been known as one of the hottest MC's in the game(one of my personal favorites). Despite his first two albums, which both went platinum, Fab hasn't generated enough sales to be higher on this list(although lyrically, he deserves to be).
8.) 50 Cent - With his debut album, "Get Rich or Die Tryin" of 2003 selling over 15 million albums to date, and also entertaining the world with his controversial beefs with a number of notable artists, 50 has definitely left his mark on the game. But since his focus has shifted toward acting(doesn't really do that well, lol!) over the last couple years, he hasn't really been relevant as of late.
9.) Rick Ross - Another artist who I don't really care for. But since his debut in 2006, the "Teflon Don" has been doin his thing with 3 decent albums and a bunch of features under his belt.
10.) The Game - With the exception of Fabolous, lyrically, The Game is probably the best of 6 -10. With "The Documentary" debuting in 2005, and selling over 5 million copies, The Game established himself as a force in the music industry. But after such a strong start, in my opinion, I believe he has set himself back with two subpar albums and numerous feuds with other artists primarily because of his habit of subliminally calling out other artists in his songs.
So thats my list, feel free to leave feedback!