Most lovers of rap music always wanted to know who the Greatest Rappers of All Time are, and here e go again. Billboard comes out and names Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj the best male and female rappers of all time.
Billboard, an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation (a magazine that provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music industry) released its new list ranking the best rappers of all time on Wednesday (February 8th, 2023).
Billboard released its Top 50 Greatest Rappers Of All Times (GOAT) on Wednesday in honour of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary.
According to the publication, “The genre dates back to 1973, when DJ Kool Herc first set up his two turntables to rock a Bronx party.”
Rapper Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter, was named the best male rapper, while Onika Tanya Maraj, professionally known as Nicki Minaj, was ranked number 10, making her the best female rapper of all time.
Billboard claimed that Nicki, 40, who hails from South Jamaica, has earned her crown as the modern-day Queen of Rap with her fierce, braggadocious spirit.
The publication wrote: ‘She’s 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.
‘Nicki is one of only a dozen artists to have more than 100 Billboard Hot 100 entries, and earned the MTV Video Vanguard Award in 2022 for her provocative music video.
Kendrick Lamar, the late Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Drake, The Notorious B.I.G., and Nas were among the other rappers on the list.
According to Billborad, “In determining these rankings, the Billboard and Vibe editorial teams opted first to limit the rap arena to North America. So for example, as estimable as his career is, British rapper Slick Rick isn’t on this list. We also opted not to include the significant contributions of reggaetón and dancehall MCs on this list, just to keep our pool of nominees a little more focused.
“From there, the teams took into account the following criteria, not in any particular order: 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) and flow (vocal prowess).”
Billboard’s Top 10 Greatest Rappers of All Time
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
Billboard Top 50 Greatest Rappers Of All Time
- JAY-Z
- Kendrick Lamar
- Nas
- Tupac Shakur
- Eminem
- The Notorious B.I.G.
- Lil Wayne
- Drake
- Snoop Dogg
- Nicki Minaj
- Kanye West (Ye)
- André 3000
- Rakim
- LL Cool J
- J. Cole
- Scarface
- 50 Cent
- Ice Cube
- Missy Elliott
- Big Daddy Kane
- DMX
- Ghostface Killah
- Kurtis Blow
- KRS-One
- Method Man
- Big Pun
- Q-Tip
- Black Thought
- Pusha T
- Lauryn Hill
- Lil Kim
- T.I.
- Busta Rhymes
- Chuck D (Public Enemy)
- Future
- Yasin Bey (formerly Mos Def)
- Common
- Gucci Mane
- Ludacris
- Dr. Dre
- E-40
- Redman
- Bun B
- Queen Latifah
- Ice-T
- Jadakiss
- MC Lyte
- Melle Mel
- Rev. Run (Run-DMC)
- Rick Ross
To see the complete list of best 50 greatest rappers of all time, a list starting with Jay-Z and ending with Rick Ross for more detailed information, Click Here.
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