The Best Rapper For Every Year Since 1979 [Complex]

Gyangsta 4 Life · Post by **Gyangsta 4 Life** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 9:54 pm

You can start in '79 (or whenever sugar hill gang came out) OR just as far back as you can have an honest opinion about.

Example:

1994: Biggie
1995: Tupac
1996: Nas
1997: Puff or maybe RZA?
1998: Jay-Z

etc.

Versive · Post by **Versive** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:08 pm

Cool thread idea. Very hard to complete though.

Gyangsta 4 Life · Post by **Gyangsta 4 Life** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:33 pm

1999: Common? He did win that HHI list.
2000: Eminem
2001: Jigga
2002: Jigga
2003: 50 Cent

etc.

blastmaster · Post by **blastmaster** » Mon Jan 20, 2014 11:45 pm

Wayne's 06/07 run is my favorite by any rapper in the 00s.

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:47 am

http://www.complex.com/music/2013/03/th ... ince-1979/

PEACE

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:51 am

1991 - AMG
1992 - spice 1
1993 - eric sermon

Escobar305 · Post by **Escobar305** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 3:32 am

2006 - pusha t
now - king kendrick lamar

step one · Post by **step one** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:27 am

85 - MC Shan?
86 - LL Cool J
87 - Rakim
88 - Chuck D/Public Enemy
89 - Big Daddy Kane
90 - LL Cool J
91 - Ice Cube
92 - Pete Rock
93 - Snoop
94 - Nas
95 - Biggie/RZA
96 - 2Pac
97 - Puffy
98 - DMX
99 - Jay Z
2000 - Eminem
2001 - Jay Z
2002 - Cam'ron
2003 -50 Cent
2004 - Kanye?
2005 - TI ?

Dusty Fingers · Post by **Dusty Fingers** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:29 am

2014 - Spit Gemz

DLG · Post by **DLG** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 9:46 am

clearly

Blockhead · Post by **Blockhead** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:31 am

step one · Post by **step one** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:59 am

2006 ?

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:06 am

I'll play

Not doing shit before '85 cuz I don't remember shit.

85 - LL Cool J
86 - LL Cool J
87 - Rakim
88 - Slick Rick
89 - Big Daddy Kane
90 - Ice Cube
91 - Ice Cube
92 - Redman
93 - Snoop
94 - Nas
95 - Biggie
96 - 2Pac
97 - Biggie
98 - Andre 3000
99 - Jay Z
2000 - Eminem/Ghostface Killah
2001 - Jay Z
2002 - Cam'Ron/Em
2003 - 50 Cent
2004 - T.I.
2005 - Young Jeezy
2006 - Lil Wayne/Pusha T
2007 - Kanye West
2008 - Lil Wayne
2009 - Drake
2010 - Rick Ross
2011 - Drake
2012 - Roc Marciano
2013 - Kendrick Lamar

step one · Post by **step one** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:25 am

98 - Andre 3000

He might have made better music but no way was he a bigger deal than Jay Z or DMX in '98

YouTube · Post by **Philaflava** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:29 am

step one wrote:
98 - Andre 3000
He might have made better music but no way was he a bigger deal than Jay Z or DMX in '98

To me, Aquemini shitted on anything either of those did in '98. Vol. 2 had hits but Aquemini changed the whole game. Plus Dre was extremely sharp on that album. To me, he was the best.

Roy Johnson · Post by **Roy Johnson** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:34 pm

MCs
83 - Run
84 - Run
85 - LL Cool J
86 - Run
87 - Rakim
88 - Chuck D
89 - Krs-One
90 - Chuck D
91 - Posdnuos
92 - Krs-One
93 - Krs-One
94 - Pharoahe Monch
95 - The Genius
96 - Posdnuos
97 - Pharoahe Monch
98 - Aceyalone
99 - Quasimoto

Producers
83 - Larry Smith
84 - Larry Smith
85 - Rick Rubin
86 - Marley Marl
87 - Marley Marl
88 - Dr. Dre
89 - Prince Paul
90 - The Bomb Squad
91 - DJ Premier
92 - DJ Premier
93 - The RZA
94 - DJ Premier
95 - The RZA
96 - DJ Premier
97 - The RZA
98 - DJ Premier
99 - Madlib

step one · Post by **step one** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:37 pm

fair enough, and obviously Outkast >>DMX, but I took 'MVP' to mean someone who had the whole game locked down and was pretty much inescapable.
DMX was everywhere in '98 - mixtapes, features, selling a shit load. Headed up that 'changing of the guard' phase of the shift from the shiney suit era to dudes like Nore, Pun, Ruff Ryders, Sigel, Cam etc

Career Over Like Mike(NJJ) · Tue Jan 21, 2014 1:23 pm

Spoonie Gee for 1980 offa the strength of the Love Rap/New Rap Language single being a real game-changer:

the genesis of smooth Harlem rap/a more conversational flow which would be a big influence on Slick Rick and Rakim with Love Rap, and New Rap Language being the germ which spawned T La Rock/LL Cool J/Ultramagnetic MC's.

Req · Post by **Req** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 2:25 pm

2001: Jay-Z

you don't get the MVP for losing the finals.

axel foley · Post by **axel foley** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 5:57 pm

Req wrote:2001: Jay-Z

you don't get the MVP for losing the finals.

TheTed · Post by **TheTed** » Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:35 pm

http://www.complex.com/music/the-best-r ... ince-1979/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Best part of the list is the shout out to Rammellzee

Mindbender Futurama · Tue Jan 06, 2015 10:24 pm

List is incomplete without Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, and DYLAN

Yohan · Post by **Yohan** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 6:22 am

Suprisingly good list with some good shoutouts. Don't necessarily agree with some of the latter choices and the obvious East Coast bias is obvious, but overall a good list. Haven't gone through all writeups yet but up to the late '80s it's pretty on point.

Jedisdope · Post by **Jedisdope** » Wed Jan 07, 2015 11:50 am

i love slick rick. prob in my personal top 5. but objectively i wouldn't name him over kane in 88.

CarlosDelgothoes · Post by **CarlosDelgothoes** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 8:56 pm

Drake listed three times so = GOAT

shouldve been listed for 2009 as well tbh

http://ca.complex.com/music/2016/01/the ... since-1979" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1979: Grandmaster Caz
1980: Kurtis Blow
1981: Kool Moe Dee
1982: Melle Mel
1983: Run
1984: Run
1985: LL Cool J
1986: KRS-One
1987: Rakim
1988: Slick Rick
1989: Big Daddy Kane
1990: Ice Cube
1991: Q-Tip
1992: Redman
1993: Snoop Dogg
1994: Nas
1995: The Notorious B.I.G.
1996: 2Pac
1997: The Notorious B.I.G.
1998: DMX
1999: Jay Z
2000: Eminem
2001: Jay Z
2002: Eminem
2003: 50 Cent
2004: T.I.
2005: Jeezy
2006: Lil' Wayne
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil' Wayne
2009: Jay Z
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Drake
2013: Kendrick Lamar
2014: Nicki Minaj
2015: Drake

EMCEE DARTH MALEK · Post by **EMCEE DARTH MALEK** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:26 pm

gonna take 2016 too once views drops

Escobar305 · Post by **Escobar305** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 9:34 pm

Well Actually, Future Was the Best Rapper Alive in 2015
http://www.complex.com/music/2016/01/fu ... than-drake" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Gyangsta 4 Life · Post by **Gyangsta 4 Life** » Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:11 pm

Jay-z the Best Rapper of 2009?

That's how terrible the late 2000s were for rap.

'09 might've been Renzel's year actually.

Kid That's Lifeless · Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:50 pm

Off top corrections:

04: Cam
09: Raekwon
10: Currensy
12: Kendrick
14: Thugga

battlecatmeowstab212 · Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:20 am

2002 should be Nelly

The Best Rapper For Every Year Since 1979 [Complex]

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Re: Who was the MVP of HipHop each year from inception?

Re: Who was the MVP of HipHop each year from inception?

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The Best Rapper For Every Year Since 1979 [Complex]

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