And I didn't write this but agree totally...
One of the most controversial debates that always been forever sprouted heatedly time after time is who's the greatest emcee? I came to this conclusion, albeit unbiased, that the man who's government name is Nasir Jones, had not only was given expectations, but lived up to those expectations as being the greatest rapper to ever held the mic...Now don't get this confused, most elitist want to look at technical skill, and any hater would find the most unnecessary excuse or reason to say why he couldn't be...I look at it like this:RAKIM- The most renowned emcee, he set the standard of what emceeing is 20 years ago to this day. Most people would consider for that very reason alone, and how he was at his peak ('86-'91), he should be the greatest to ever do it.JAY-Z- Jay-z is the most commercially successful, and I’m speaking both figuratively as well as the obvious being literally rapper to ever do it. 2nd being Eminem when it comes to achieving so much success all due to the fact you can rhyme good. The stages he set for himself, along with the so-called retirement and so-called comeback, and how he is still celebrated in most cases, will give him a rightful claim as the greatest to ever.2PAC- Quite possibly the most influential man in hip-hop history. Also he's the most celebrated; being that his albums sold more DEAD while alive, making him the highest selling rap artist ever. The man, the myth, or whatever you want to look at it, symbolizes him as the greatestBIGGIE- The most beloved rapper. It’s very arguable to suggest that had Biggie lived, jay-z's success would have been limited. Jay-z himself openly admitted on wax several times that his intentions was to fill Biggie's shoes, before that he was merely Biggie's sidekick. Biggie had every potential in being the greatest to ever did it, but unfortunately cut short.KRS-ONE- probably the most multi-facet of all emcees, and pretty much set up the blueprint of so many styles and character of what or how emcees should be. A lot of emcee's styles were born through this man whether they know it or not, even right down to dancehall lyricism, gangsterism, political rap, battle emcee...you name it, he was basically the pioneer of it all, which justifies his legitimacy as being the greatest...And there's several others you personally want to consider, but why Nas?It initially took someone like KRS-ONE to really start thinking about it. I mean this is KRS-ONE, one of the most arrogant, egotistical man in hip-hop, doing a TRIBUTE to another rapper that has not YET reached his final edge in rap. Why? Why would someone like KRS-ONE would even reach out to Nas with so much gratitude?I came to full swing of this conclusion a couple of days ago with the coastal, generational "where are they now" remixes, where Nas manages to do what no one thought was capable to pull off...which is to bring back some of the most forgotten old school rappers back for one more hoorah...in the name of hip-hopBut that wasn't the SOLE reason why I consider him the greatest...it's the reflection of his entire career. It’s like now what else does he have to prove to show his greatness, when he pretty much done and achieve it all?It all starts with ILLMATICWhat was crazy about this album was that the critics KNEW well ahead of time that that album would be something of historic proportions. I can honestly say it was the most hyped up album WITHOUT controversy being the driving force ever in hip-hop, all because of two posse cuts and one song off of the zebra head soundtrack. all this hype behind a young TEENAGERif you REALLY stop to think about it, the majority of the rhymes from that album was written between 91-93 when Nas was only between the ages of 17 and 19 years of age...in fact, the verse from "verbal intercourse" was written around that time as well (go check the pre-Illmatic demo), and THAT was considered Nas' greatest verse ever.Illmatic was TOO great, it was TOO perfect which haunts him to this day; the crazy fact is he feels that if he raps "beyond the margin" again he will distance himself with his core audience. Right now he's in the perfect marriage. I mean, I cannot name a rapper, past or present in where he have that complete freedom of expression for an emcee WITHOUT worry of being characterized to one element....Nas is NOT a backpacker, but the backpackers can relate...Nas is NOT a gangster rapper, but the street niggaz can relate, he's not political, he's not POP, he's not none of those things, BUT he possesses everything for everybody. I look at Nas like I would look at what tiger woods have become today....when wood was just a teen, people ALWAYS had expectations of him possibly being the greatest to do it...and this was BEFORE he went pro! Same similarities...even woods his a hardening slump, mainly due to the illness of his father, just like Nas was going thru with his mother during the late 90's..which pushed him into an identity crisis...but it's NOT how they fell off, but how they CAMEBACK...and both of them came back with force, something that even RAKIM never could achieve or Big Daddy Kane or any of the fallen off rappers with the exception of LL...then there's the greatest and still most talked about battle of all-time, in which Nas gave us a new slang with the word "ether"...a battle that a lot of people would look at it as Ali vs. Foreman...AKA the "rumble in the jungle" and like Foreman, Jay-z being the heavily favorite and Nas, like Ali, being washed up and played out...and like Muhammad Ali, who people consider him "the greatest", the reason being the things and circumstances that were set up for him to conquer...it was like it was destined for Nas to battle Jay-z...and come thru greater than he did when he 1st started...it was destined for him to debut the way he did...putting out one of the greatest ALBUMS of any genre from our generation...it was destined, regardless of how you feel about the source, past or present, to be the ONLY rapper to be given 5 mics twice, and to have the most hip-hop quotables .. it was destined for him to spark so much controversy over his SOLE opinion in his reasoning as to why "hip-hop is dead"...and it was destined for him to do everything, today, not because of sales...he himself admits he don't care about sales anymore..but for the love of the cultureNas have a catalog of lyrics within his 16 years in the rap game that are one of the most amazing forms of literature in rap ever. 16 YEARS WORTH..starting with the 1st one from main source's "live at the BBQ"..whether it be storytelling, or merely something form his "book of rhymes"...nas pretty much touched every angle that needs to be reached in rap music...and he is still going on strong
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