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Too dependent on a wide range of tastes and prefs to abbreviate it to those high rankings. I like how you provided both arguments though—as someone who thinks Kendrick is good but a bit overhyped (as the current state of hip hop is eh) I was nodding at your first paragraph. I think there's too many, generally speaking underground, heads that didn't get enough recognition. But without a doubt he deserves a fair amount imo. I'd say that he doesn't deserve to be even in top 10 or 15—but I can absolutely respect anyone who'd put him up there. He's obviously made a statement in the rap scene, if people want to do better they need to step up. Biggie was a somewhat pioneer in certain respects so he didn't need much more than he put out to get as much as he did. As for Tupac, my own personal preference is outside his music but he's another person I can understand being up there.

I'm doing a project on the evolution of hip hop right now, I just got to the Bad Boy Ent. vs Death Row Rec. beef—I'm excited to see how that pans out. Historically speaking though, aside from tastes/prefs, I think that Rakim dude should be talked about more since he somewhat single handedly pioneered the current state of rapping. I believe he popularized the saying multiple relating concepts in one concise creative line type shit and was the first to really utilize it. Took the solo artist a big leap toward conscious rhyming. Dr. Dre as a figure in Hip Hop as been all around the globe. He was producing when it was funky, then went straight to gangster rap with NWA, then practically shot hip hop into mainstream with The Chronic solo album and co-started a major label that contributed to the Tupac/Biggie limelight. That deserves something too.

But yea Kendrick, he's cool I like him. Top 20 probably.

[S A L T]

Too dependent on a wide range of tastes and prefs to abbreviate it to those high rankings. I like how you provided both arguments though—as someone who thinks Kendrick is good but a bit overhyped (as the current state of hip hop is eh) I was nodding at your first paragraph. I think there's too many, generally speaking underground, heads that didn't get enough recognition. But without a doubt he deserves a fair amount imo. I'd say that he doesn't deserve to be even in top 10 or 15—but I can absolutely respect anyone who'd put him up there. He's obviously made a statement in the rap scene, if people want to do better they need to step up. Biggie was a somewhat pioneer in certain respects so he didn't need much more than he put out to get as much as he did. As for Tupac, my own personal preference is outside his music but he's another person I can understand being up there.

I'm doing a project on the evolution of hip hop right now, I just got to the Bad Boy Ent. vs Death Row Rec. beef—I'm excited to see how that pans out. Historically speaking though, aside from tastes/prefs, I think that Rakim dude should be talked about more since he somewhat single handedly pioneered the current state of rapping. I believe he popularized the saying multiple relating concepts in one concise creative line type shit and was the first to really utilize it. Took the solo artist a big leap toward conscious rhyming. Dr. Dre as a figure in Hip Hop as been all around the globe. He was producing when it was funky, then went straight to gangster rap with NWA, then practically shot hip hop into mainstream with The Chronic solo album and co-started a major label that contributed to the Tupac/Biggie limelight. That deserves something too.

But yea Kendrick, he's cool I like him. Top 20 probably.