Revisiting Complex's "Best Rapper Alive" List - How Can We Make it More Accurate?

[Inspect Her Deck]

Basically, for those of you who may be unaware of what I'm referring to, Complex released a Best Rapper Alive ("yup" - WEEZY) since 1979 list. What was meant to be the best rapper alive turned into much of a popularity contest (see: Eminem in 2000 or Jay-Z in 2009).

The question is: how does one determine who was the best rapper alive in any given year? Is it the artist of the best album release of that year? Is it the guy with the best and most frequent output in that year? Including singles, guest appearances and so on? Is it simply the most skilled rapper? Is it who sold the most? Is it a mix of the above mentioned factors?

For me personally, the album is probably the best important thing, but obviously if you have those extra factors to push you over the edge in a tight race e.g. singles or more appearances or you won some awards or something, that will always help.

Obviously "popularity" is important to an extent. You can't win for any of these years being totally anonymous.

I think the best thing to do is leave it up to The Coli to decide. What we'll do is make some suggestions in this thread regarding CONTENDERS (about 5 per year in each suggestion post) and then I will run with those suggestions and make individual threads for each year, and the one for the most votes will win the 'MVP' of that year so-to-speak.

For those who ain't seen it, here's the link to the Complex thread: The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979

Here's the list:
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

What we could also potentially do is have a weighting system so that people who win the MVPs in the more competitive years (i.e. 1994 is tougher to win than 2011) are given more credit. If y'all have any ideas regarding a system to run with, make it known in this thread.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

@mobbinfms @Deltron @BmoreGorilla @MidnightMercenary

my trusty cabinet of ideas

also gonna tag #tpc

-------------------------

btw fellas, I will be doing a coliclassic thread later this evening (Cypress Hill as per Deltron's request)

 

[OHSNAP!]

This competition thing here is really getting out of hands

This ain't NFL, NBA or WWE

DMX, Lauryn Hill, Master P and Jay-Z sold bazillion records and made tons of money in 98, you think they cared about being nr.1?

Nas, Meth, Biggie and Pac had ridiculous talent and showcased it in 94-96, who cares how you rank them? Appreciate their talent and their work!

All these retarded rankings and categorizing and overanalyzing and general "when nerds go too far"-BS need to slow down

Stupid idiots

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

This competition thing here is really getting out of hands

This ain't NFL, NBA or WWE

DMX, Lauryn Hill, Master P and Jay-Z sold bazillion records and made tons of money in 98, you think they cared about being nr.1?

Nas, Meth, Biggie and Pac had ridiculous talent and showcased it in 94-96, who cares how you rank them? Appreciate their talent and their work!

Stupid idiots

Over here at The Coli, we love to list, rank and argue things. You don't have to participate bro but calm down lol....

 

[TheSickness]

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

 

[Illuminatos]

Nicki Minaj in 2014 huh?

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

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

Competition REALLY fell off hard over the last decade or so lol, that's why a multiplier would be good to reward those who won the 'MVP' in the tougher years like the mid-90s

if you want breh, you can start making top 5 recommendations as contenders for each year

but we probably gonna start from 1985 not 1979....I doubt many people know much before 85 and classic albums weren't a thing until maybe 1984

 

[mobbinfms]

This competition thing here is really getting out of hands

This ain't NFL, NBA or WWE

DMX, Lauryn Hill, Master P and Jay-Z sold bazillion records and made tons of money in 98, you think they cared about being nr.1?

Nas, Meth, Biggie and Pac had ridiculous talent and showcased it in 94-96, who cares how you rank them? Appreciate their talent and their work!

All these retarded rankings and categorizing and overanalyzing and general "when nerds go too far"-BS need to slow down

Stupid idiots

This is easily a top 5 post in this thread

 

[mobbinfms]

@Inspect Her Deck great thread breh

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

@Inspect Her Deck great thread breh

thanks man

you got any ideas going around

what I'm gonna do is I think make the years 1985-2015

then gonna come up with 5 contenders per year of my own. The reason I've chosen 5 because once we have come up with an accepted 5 per year and they make the poll threads, each of the 5 will get rewarded. the winner of the poll gets 10 pts for example, 2nd place 5 pts and so on...that means when it comes down to the end of it all, people consistently finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th in any given year (as I imagine would happen to the likes of Common, Prodigy or a random Wu member) will still get credited for their efforts.

as for the weighting system. the base number for the least competitive years is 1.0.

if I incorporate a multiplier e.g. for 1995 make it 1.8, then the MVP (and remainder of the top 5) of that year would get 10 x 1.8 pts

 

[MidnightMercenary]

There's a number of different factors but the most important ones to me would be discography of that year, lyrical skills and popularity.

For example in the year 1996, Complex chose 2Pac. There were some rappers who arguably rapped better than him that year and artists that released better albums (Jay-Z, OutKast), but then that's where popularity comes in. 2Pac dominated 1996, releasing 2 classic albums, along with mainstream appeal, lyrical skills so pretty much he was the full package. So that's why I agree with that.

But I might have to make my own version of this and contenders for hip-hop's strongest years.

Great thread

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

I've got excel spreadsheets open so I can count up all your top 5 suggestions for each year and after a given period I'll begin the thread for the first year with the 5 most frequently chosen artists

if you don't wanna come up with all the years right now, at least let's start with 1985

to give y'all an idea, here are my 5 for that year in NPO: LL Cool J, Run, DMC, Too $hort, Schoolly D

 

[MidnightMercenary]

I've got excel spreadsheets open so I can count up all your top 5 suggestions for each year and after a given period I'll begin the thread for the first year with the 5 most frequently chosen artists

if you don't wanna come up with all the years right now, at least let's start with 1985

to give y'all an idea, here are my 5 for that year in NPO: LL Cool J, Run, DMC, Too $hort, Schoolly D

Same list as you. Not too familiar with Too $hort or Schoolly D but Schoolly did have PSK so he's worthy of a mention.

 

[Inspect Her Deck]

Same list as you. Not too familiar with Too $hort or Schoolly D but Schoolly did have PSK so he's worthy of a mention.

This is probably the most difficult year for me to know what's really happening

next year will be tough as well but then from 1987 onwards it should be alright

 

[mobbinfms]

I think you can just jump straight to the thread for each year. I would start with 2015 and go back though. Threads are gonna go triple plutonium if you start with 1985.
You should have some rules about who qualifies for each year though.
I think you have to have an album out. Otherwise I'm just gonna vote :pdahell:every year
Albums released October to December of a year might also qualify for the next year.
The Chronic dropped in December of 92 for example, but Deep Cover and Nuthing But a G Thang dropped way earlier that year. fukk with Dre Day may have also been out.