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Hip hop heads: Best lyricist of all time?

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Dirtyyy
Posts: 206 - Karma: 55
Personally I think Guru from Gang Starr is/was (R.I.P) one of the best. Judging on content and flow. How bout you?

Sep 8 2011 10:21PM
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Obie.
Posts: 1741 - Karma: 3,646
I gonna go ahead and say slug, the stories he tells through metaphors and personal experiences is incredible, him and Ant remain my favorite artists to this day. But there is alot of good flow out there.
Sep 8 2011 10:25PM
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Afeld
Posts: 3516 - Karma: 85
Guru is definitely up there

Gift of Gab is awesome
Aesop Rock


That's I can think of right now
Sep 8 2011 10:26PM
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KillaSteeze
Posts: 3329 - Karma: 351
i foundd biggie was always killing it. any wutang too, like RZA or GZA
Sep 8 2011 10:27PM
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Ben.
Posts: 21463 - Karma: 683
Agreed. Guru is hands down my favorite rapper of all time. Perfect delivery, good content. And of course with Gangstarr premiere crushed it on the beat front. Moment of Truth is in my mind one of the top 3 rap albums of all time.
Sep 8 2011 10:30PM
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UFOsarereal
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 1,132
I have to say... I couldn't disagree more with the first two posts in this thread.

here are some names I would start with:

Big L
'Pac
Andre 3000
Jigga (he's faded recently, but listen close to his older stuff... damn.)
OC (for 'Time's Up' alone -- shit beats any other hip-hop track hands down)
Sep 8 2011 10:33PM
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NotoriousT.S.E
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 439
Guru and Nas are the best.
Sep 8 2011 10:34PM
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Style+eeze
Posts: 6901 - Karma: 551
Big L and Nas
Sep 8 2011 10:35PM
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Rumi.
Posts: 1231 - Karma: 556
big L= best flow
immortal technique/ gza=best lyrics
the wu- tang clan= overall personal favorite

Sep 8 2011 10:37PM
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ORDEAL
Posts: 6386 - Karma: 75
Raekwon gza nas lupe to start
Sep 8 2011 10:39PM
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Milksteak
Posts: 9948 - Karma: 833
Lil john
Lil Wayne
Drake
Sep 8 2011 10:39PM
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Will.T
Posts: 3453 - Karma: 1,281
i lost.

and I would say Biggie for the lyrics but Wu-Tang for overall and personnal preference !
Sep 8 2011 10:43PM
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saranac_tortex
Posts: 518 - Karma: 14
Blu (listen to below the heavens and try and dispute me)
Nas
MF DOOM
Guru
2pac

I would say those are the top 5. No clear cut winner for me
Sep 8 2011 10:48PM
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koober
Posts: 111 - Karma: 9
oh stop it. biggies vocabulary in a nutshell: box, floor, dog. he just has flow, rhythm, and knows how to deliver his simple lyrics. thats why he blew up. he nailed a style and delivery no one had heard before.

as for the RZA, i just hate his fucking voice.



imo his voice completely ruins this masterpiece. gotta give him credit for his production work though.
gza is, of course, a genius.


best lyricist? nas. for sure.
i mean he obviously puts effort and knowledge into his writing, plus he is a flow machine. even if he spoke fucking latin or some shit i'd still listen to him just to feel his flow.

check his verse at 2:43. legit drops lyrics off and on like a light switch (hehe!)
Sep 8 2011 10:48PM
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Rumi.
Posts: 1231 - Karma: 556
what you did there, i see it.
Sep 8 2011 10:50PM
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binturong-qwerty
Posts: 1506 - Karma: 146
mos Def
Slug
Aesop Rock
Eydea
Immortal technique
Sep 8 2011 10:51PM
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holy.shep
Posts: 413 - Karma: 24
trololololololololololololololololol
Sep 8 2011 10:53PM
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KillaSteeze
Posts: 3329 - Karma: 351
Do never diss the Wu-Tang Clan ever again.
Sep 8 2011 10:55PM
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AOTEAROA
Posts: 2216 - Karma: 15
I like Slug and Vinnie Paz for delivery. They always draw me into their songs, and they consume me. Thats the type of song I like.
Sep 8 2011 10:58PM
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Dirtyyy
Posts: 206 - Karma: 55
Glad you mentioned Blu, he's most definitely ill
Sep 8 2011 10:59PM
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jabroni.
Posts: 662 - Karma: 235
what about lil wayne guys?
Click for larger image

for real though aesop rock or guru
Sep 8 2011 11:02PM
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whoa-dere
Posts: 10596 - Karma: 7,103
YEAJEAYEAYAJEA
Sep 8 2011 11:03PM
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saranac_tortex
Posts: 518 - Karma: 14
Really? I'd say RZA is my favorite Wu Tang maybe tied with GZA. I think he had the best verse in the 4th Chamber. He's just a genius production wise and his lyrics are mad good
Sep 8 2011 11:04PM
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Aclique_Clothing
Posts: 1807 - Karma: 19
eminem. hands down.
Sep 8 2011 11:04PM
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jabroni.
Posts: 662 - Karma: 235
ha^
Sep 8 2011 11:06PM
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Mister.F
Posts: 1206 - Karma: 169
Classified...not real popular and also from Halifax, Nova Scotia but SERIOUSLY check this guy out. So dope!
Sep 8 2011 11:13PM
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saranac_tortex
Posts: 518 - Karma: 14
mad good flow and delivery, but no way is he the best lyricist
Sep 8 2011 11:17PM
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Mister.F
Posts: 1206 - Karma: 169
aight aight ill give you that...Gangstarr takes it for me then
Sep 8 2011 11:23PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 120,000
BASED GOD
Sep 8 2011 11:24PM
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JsThibz
Posts: 275 - Karma: 17
Biggie and Pac
Sep 8 2011 11:33PM
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iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
Big L. B.I.G NAS Guru Wu-Tang Tupac, pretty much sums it up.

Listen as Gza drops the name of every NFL team in one song.
Sep 8 2011 11:37PM
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Inline.
Posts: 4424 - Karma: 432
I don't really have a specific favorite lyricist, but Macklemore is probably the realest rapper out.
Sep 8 2011 11:47PM
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white+wolf
Posts: 874 - Karma: 492

nas

az close second

gza up there as well

Sep 8 2011 11:51PM
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applejuice.
Posts: 5506 - Karma: 1,512
krs one
aesop rock

lyricist(s) = souls of mischief.
Sep 8 2011 11:52PM
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hokkanee
Posts: 1800 - Karma: 435
as far as lyrics go Nas guru and honestly common market. Listen to the dude's flow. He's like a professor of lyricism or something. Sooo many big words
Sep 8 2011 11:55PM
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white+wolf
Posts: 874 - Karma: 492
Sep 8 2011 11:58PM
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will_powder
Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445
Biggie and crew have had their day, everyone needs to listen to today's master of flow and quirky lyrics, SHAD.



Sep 9 2011 12:00AM
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davecarp
Posts: 21 - Karma: 10
For pure content, I'd say Lupe for sure. I mean his latest album is so bad but the words on his first two albums are so good and he is just smart. Uses mean words, metaphors and rhymes.
Sep 9 2011 12:00AM
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anangrytomato
Posts: 130 - Karma: 13


very yes.

there is no 'best' lyricist of all time. but there are those that are better than others.
Sep 9 2011 12:01AM
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Mister.F
Posts: 1206 - Karma: 169
common markets dope
Sep 9 2011 12:01AM
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JIBpsy^^
Posts: 2851 - Karma: 36
Slug for sure for newer stuff

GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA GZA

THE GENIUS
Sep 9 2011 12:04AM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
i'm going to throw in some non hip hop names, but i think you guys will respect my choices...

in no particular order

Big L
Tupac
Snoop back in the day
rakim
Mos Def
Nas
GZA
Brother Ali

and some non hip hop, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Eddie Vedder
Sep 9 2011 12:05AM
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saranac_tortex
Posts: 518 - Karma: 14
Yea this is my favorite song by Blu


Sep 9 2011 12:06AM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
Nas is definitely up there for me, along with Deltron 3030, Del the funky homosapien, and CYNE. Check CYNE out if you havent heres a sample...





Sep 9 2011 12:21AM
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FLBP
Posts: 1794 - Karma: 310
Tom Pepe from Knowmads
Sep 9 2011 12:26AM
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artfullydodged
Posts: 8358 - Karma: 1,674
"I got one lyric,
pointed at your head to start,
another lyric,
is pointed at your weak ass heart.
Now if I pull the trigger,
on these fully loaded lines
Your gonna WISH I'd pulled a black nine"

GURU

Sep 9 2011 12:27AM
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Culla
Posts: 323 - Karma: 57
If you just want lyricism and your not worried about 'hood' content, the i'd say MF Doom.



This whole album is more like poetry than rap. I hear something new every time I listen.

Well, this or Mac 'Meezy' Miller of course. He's my homeslice.
Sep 9 2011 12:27AM
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TannerBalls
Posts: 3197 - Karma: 1,310
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHYWrYLv7R8
Sep 9 2011 12:28AM
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p-fo
Posts: 9372 - Karma: 6,155
The Cunninlynguists.
Sep 9 2011 12:29AM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
I gotta say
GZA
all the other guys from wu tang
Immortal technique
redman
the guys from cunninlynguists
Sep 9 2011 12:30AM
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FLBP
Posts: 1794 - Karma: 310
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y9MpwzM13MI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sep 9 2011 12:36AM
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