Royce Da 5'9

I think when it comes to best or greatest discussions there has to be a hardcore of say, 15 emcees that can trade places depending on who is making the list, but the core of that list should stay the same.

And the best/greatest is so much more than just the people that you think should be there, it takes into account impact/era/output/longevity etc etc

I tend to stay away from these discussions as there are a lot of bull headed people coming up with shit when they were'nt even alive when rap music began, and that counts for a lot. You say your top 5 and they say 'No, it's...' like they know the correct answer.
I'm a jazz cat these days as much as anything, and for me to sit here and say Coltrane is the best hands down is just silly, as I wasn't around to really see the impact he had on the music and outside of the music.

Anyway, this is why I don't write much about hip hop any more as I can go on for hours, it's how I came up in the 80's.

I think the top 15 lets say must consist of Nas, Rakim, KRS, Ice Cube, Black Thought, Biggie, G Rap, probably LL, Jay Z and 2 Pac as well. But they can move around a lot.
Gun to head if I had to pick 5 it would be Rakim, Nas, Ice Cube, Biggie & KRS ONE, again all based on their impact at the time and the importance of their releases not just in hip hop but in musical culture and culture and society on the whole, as much as mic skills.

However, I prefer to talk about favorites, and my favorite rappers are markedly different.
AG
Black Thought
Ice T
Kool Keith

Also De La Soul as a collective would be about as high as you can get on list also. They were THE perfect combination to me

rest of the top 10 would be Chuck, Ice Cube, Mos Def, Scarface, Biggie, Rakim

probably!

TLDR - this is why I don't talk about hip hop too much, the history of it is too important to me and is way bigger than mine/your/their opinions on who's best

peace

Overall we actually have similar tastes. A lot of NY rappers.. Rakim, Mos Def, Nas.. I would put Talib Kweli up there too but like Royce he has no 'hit' songs. Kinda like A-Z

I don't get why you dissed Lupe being in the top 2 lyricists of all time. Granted its just my opinion but his lyrics are probably the deepest in history.

And when it comes to Royce.. This guy just goes bar after bar after bar.. I just can't put anyone over him personally.. I get there are more famous rappers or whatever.. But Bar Exam 1 and Book of Ryan are just beyond words IMO

This song alone is deeper than most rapper's whole albums..

 
This is an undeniable banger.



I done tried so many times to get my violent temper to comply with my mature side. But the other side is where the 45 is HIDIN and I'm for sure childish..HI..I'm counting 1.....2 (hide and seek...like kids play)

Honestly this guy is too good at rapping. Its almost unfair. And that was just his first bar too. His rhyme scheme is insane..and that's just facts

Also his last verse on that song is some alien shit. And this was like 10 years ago lol
 
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Overall we actually have similar tastes. A lot of NY rappers.. Rakim, Mos Def, Nas.. I would put Talib Kweli up there too but like Royce he has no 'hit' songs. Kinda like A-Z

I don't get why you dissed Lupe being in the top 2 lyricists of all time. Granted its just my opinion but his lyrics are probably the deepest in history.

And when it comes to Royce.. This guy just goes bar after bar after bar.. I just can't put anyone over him personally.. I get there are more famous rappers or whatever.. But Bar Exam 1 and Book of Ryan are just beyond words IMO

This song alone is deeper than most rapper's whole albums..


Wasn't really feeling that Royce song, I guess it's just not my thing. Production, sing song flow, just doesn't do it for me.

I like Talib a lot as well, but the last 15 years or so he has made some very odd choices with regards to the producers he works with, some of his beats have been straight wack, plain and simple.
On his day I believe he could be one of the best out there.

Now J-Live & Lil Sci, if there was an argument for non-commercial, non-successful rappers being up there with the greatest ever, these two guys should be included. Absolute consistencey from both men for well over 20 years, both great producers, writers and rappers, and both guys can truly freestyle there arse off.
Lil Sci in particular is one of the most intelligent rappers ever to have walked the earth.

Give me a couple of Lupe songs that you like, honestly he wouldn't even be in my top 1000. I'm not dissing you or him, he just isn't an important part of hip hop as far as I'm concerned. Never had an impact on me.

But you know, this is all different generations, different eras, different backgrounds. We may never agree but as long as you feel as strongly about the music you love as I do about the music I love, we can discuss and share hip hop for eternity like it should be
 
Wasn't really feeling that Royce song, I guess it's just not my thing. Production, sing song flow, just doesn't do it for me.

I like Talib a lot as well, but the last 15 years or so he has made some very odd choices with regards to the producers he works with, some of his beats have been straight wack, plain and simple.
On his day I believe he could be one of the best out there.

Now J-Live & Lil Sci, if there was an argument for non-commercial, non-successful rappers being up there with the greatest ever, these two guys should be included. Absolute consistencey from both men for well over 20 years, both great producers, writers and rappers, and both guys can truly freestyle there arse off.
Lil Sci in particular is one of the most intelligent rappers ever to have walked the earth.

Give me a couple of Lupe songs that you like, honestly he wouldn't even be in my top 1000. I'm not dissing you or him, he just isn't an important part of hip hop as far as I'm concerned. Never had an impact on me.

But you know, this is all different generations, different eras, different backgrounds. We may never agree but as long as you feel as strongly about the music you love as I do about the music I love, we can discuss and share hip hop for eternity like it should be

Lil Sci is awesome. Royce has bit his lines a lot , but Royce is also a fan who pays homage. Sci is right there in the top 5 conversation.. Very deep. introspective rapper. Could never argue against him.

But as far as Lupe goes.



 
I don't get it. Why isn't Royce at least as famous as Eminem..? Is it because he doesn't make commercial music? Too lyrical?



1A) Royce
1B) Lupe
2) Eminem
3) Nas
4) Black Thought
5)Rakim/Andre/Big L
100) Drake/Jay-z

Unlike 2-5 Royce has never failed on a track. This dude comes with 100% bars every single time and has out-rapped Eminem numerous times. Check out Above the Law, Fast Lane, Welcome 2 Hell.. 75% of the time Royce wins. Only white chicks and old people think Eminem is a better rapper.. Like come on..Really? Eminem is boring as fuck.. I don't know a single person that actually listens to his music more than once.

Be honest..how many times have you listened to Rap God?

Why isn't Royce at least top 5 on every list? This dude has dropped 10,000 more bars than Eminem and Jay-Z have total songs.

Royce's Bar Exam albums actually hold up over time. Go listen to Bar Exam 1 and tell me that shit is whack...Good luck though


Race obviously played a part, but when Em came out, he had far catchier lyrics and punchlines. His voice stood out too.

Before Em was really well known I used to do the blind test with some rap fans I knew and almost everyone black or white would say "yeah, he's pretty good". Then I'd say "he's white by the way" and they'd immediately ask what his name was and want to know more. People forget how badly Vanilla Ice damaged the rep of white rappers and Em being good and white gave him the word of mouth marketing that nobody else could have got at the time. The Dr Dre co-sign sealed the deal.
 
Apart from being white and good at rapping, Eminem adds some humour and straight up surrealism to his lyrics that most rappers just can't match. Royce is a very good rapper, but a song like "Cocaine" isn't "deep" like people here claim - it's basically movie of the week material.

Eminem's early stuff has been played so much it doesn't have the same freshness anymore, but Guilty Conscience etc. was brilliant.
 
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Apart from being white and good at rapping, Eminem adds some humour and straight up surrealism to his lyrics that most rappers just can't match. Royce is a very good rapper, but a song like "Cocaine" isn't "deep" like people here claim - it's straight up movie of the week material.

Eminem's early stuff has been played so much it doesn't have the same freshness anymore, but Guilty Conscience etc. was brilliant.

I actually like Em and feel a little bad for even bringing him up in this thread. But since they came up together and still are a group they have to be compared.

I still think Royce is the better one on the mic. I guess it's just a matter of personal preference.

This shit is just mean to me.

 
I actually like Em and feel a little bad for even bringing him up in this thread. But since they came up together and still are a group they have to be compared.

I still think Royce is the better one on the mic. I guess it's just a matter of personal preference.

This shit is just mean to me.



Royce is way easier on the ear now. Eminem has lost his way and tries to do too much on tracks. Sometimes it works like on Caterpillar with Royce but more often it's awful, like that track with Conway The Machine.
 
He doesn't have any albums as iconic as the Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers LP. And he isn't white.
 
People have been saying this about Royce since Eminem, and the fact is, as much as you wiggers and suburban minorities like him, his music is fucking trash and he lost a rap battle to Mistah Fab. Get over it.

So you've never watched the battle then.
 
Because there are new, talented, rappers in the game.

lil-nas-x-bet-exp-2019-ap-billboard-1548.jpg
 
Overall we actually have similar tastes. A lot of NY rappers.. Rakim, Mos Def, Nas.. I would put Talib Kweli up there too but like Royce he has no 'hit' songs. Kinda like A-Z

I don't get why you dissed Lupe being in the top 2 lyricists of all time. Granted its just my opinion but his lyrics are probably the deepest in history.

And when it comes to Royce.. This guy just goes bar after bar after bar.. I just can't put anyone over him personally.. I get there are more famous rappers or whatever.. But Bar Exam 1 and Book of Ryan are just beyond words IMO

This song alone is deeper than most rapper's whole albums..



I don't even think he's the best rapper from Detroit. I'd put Elzhi above him.
 
Being Lyrical isnt everything, you actually have to make hits
 
Race obviously played a part, but when Em came out, he had far catchier lyrics and punchlines. His voice stood out too.

Before Em was really well known I used to do the blind test with some rap fans I knew and almost everyone black or white would say "yeah, he's pretty good". Then I'd say "he's white by the way" and they'd immediately ask what his name was and want to know more. People forget how badly Vanilla Ice damaged the rep of white rappers and Em being good and white gave him the word of mouth marketing that nobody else could have got at the time. The Dr Dre co-sign sealed the deal.
If you didn't have the Eastern Conference Conference AllSTars III tape your opinion is irrelevant Old Man
 

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