Even Jay Z mentions KRS as one of the greats..
Let's see what other knowledgeable heads say, how about let's say Scarface, again Jay's man too, done numerous work together...
"RAKIM
Scarface: The way that Rakim put words together is like no other.
AllHipHop.com: For the younger generation who may be unfamiliar with Rakim; which track do they really need to listen to? Do you remember what made you first gravitate towards him?
Scarface: Listen to [Eric B. & Rakims] Follow The Leader. The main said, A furified freestyle, lyrics of fury/ my third eye makes me shine like jewelry [chuckles] goddam! N****s talk about chains; the man said his third eye makes him shine like jewelry!
KRS-ONE
AllHipHop.com: What about KRS makes him stand out amongst others?
Scarface: Criminal Minded. To me KRS-ONE had that pauseit picks back uphe had a swagger from that Criminal Minded album. You know, that was really our star.
KOOL G RAP
AllHipHop.com: What about Kool G Rap earned your respect?
Scarface: He had a song called Truly Yoursand thats really the best girl diss that I ever heard.
AllHipHop.com: [laughs]
Scarface: He dissed somebody and I was like, damn. [starts emceeing] This I dedicate to the girl I hate [mimics the DJ Polo beat, uh uh uh uh uh uh] This I dedicate to the girl I hate Man, that is a fantastic come line
AllHipHop.com: You think its been timeless?
Scarface: Its timeless. Yes, Truly Yours
ICE CUBE
AllHipHop.com: What made you become an Ice Cube fan?
Scarface: [starts reciting a verse from Cubes A Bird in the Hand] Fresh out of school I was a high school grad/ had to get a job because I was a high school dad / but there was no SC for this youngster/ I didnt have no money /so I had to punch the clock That boy Cube is cold; that boy Ice Cube is sick!
AllHipHop.com: Which MC is your last pick?
Scarface: I really have to think about that last one. S***, of all time, you got to say LL Cool J, dawg.
AllHipHop.com: LL?
LL COOL J
Scarface: Yep! Top five of all time, you got to put LL in that top five of all time.
AllHipHop.com: Now, if there were a top 6:
NAS
Scarface: Nas. I think Nas is a bad motherf***er. "
Let's see what a Raekwon would say..
"I take real emcees serious, so I will definitely say, one is Rakim. Rakim is our Marvin Gaye of Hip-Hop.
Then you have Slick Rick. Just their albums that came out almost 20 years ago is still busting a lot of n*ggas a** today lyrically. I wouldn't even consider myself in the "Top Five" yet. I haven't put in any work yet. Them two... I like [Notorious] B.I.G. Definitely one that definitely had a lot of talent, he had that good voice.
Big Daddy Kane was crazy back then. His s**twas on fire. He has come with all different types of styles and flows. 'Cause see that's what I look at too. I don't look at a n***a just being able to rhyme and talk tough all day. I'm talking about literature on wax. s**tthat will be like "what he say?" Spitting that sh*t right back. I look at all that. One thing to me about being a real emcee is that you have to fit that role as being one of those n***as. All n***as are made to have their own style and charisma. B.I.G. had his own style, his own charisma. He was able to do R&B s**t, kill it and still come back to do the real s**t.
Always presenting his lyrics, always knowing how to write stories and dip in different things. So I look at all that. Rakim, Slick, B.I.G., Kane...
I got one for more... KRS-One. Lyrically, l said those names right there. That's why I picked them."
How about west coast?
Spice 1: Tupac, MC Ren, Ice Cube, KRS-One and Rakim
AllHipHop.com: Can you list your “Top 5 Rappers Dead or Alive?”
Ice T: Here are my Top 5 rappers, in no particular order. There’s Rakim, of course, who is strictly about the flow, taking me in to a whole different dimension. Chuck D made us all put our fists in the air and said that we have to fight the power. Ice Cube, just because he’s f*cking Ice Cube. That n*gga’s a beast. When he said, “Straight Outta Compton,” to me that’s the hardest record in the history of Hip-Hop. Then there’s KRS-One. If you have never seen KRS perform live in concert, there is nothing more Hip-Hop than him. Then, I’ll toss it up between Jay-Z and Nas as one person.
Chip Fu:
1. Eminem
2. Biggie
3. KRS-ONE
4. Slick Rick
5. Redman
DJ Premier:
Again someone who's worked with both and an undeniable Hip Hop head.
- Melle Mel
- Rakim
- Big Daddy Kane
- KRS-One
- Chuck D
Lord Jazz (Lords of the Underground):
1. Rakim
2. KRS-ONE
3. Nas
4. Biggie
5. Kool G Rap
Lord Finesse:
(this line-up is in no particular order)
Kool G Rap
Big Daddy Kane
Rakim
KRS One
Notorious BIG
Kool Moe Dee
Big Pun
Nas
Big L
LL Cool Jay
Jay Z
Buckwild(DITC):
1Rakim
2Chuck D/Ice Cube
3 Big DaddyKkane
4 KRS-One
5 Slick Rick
Most Important to the foundation:
- @planetaryAOTP
- Q-Unique (Arsonists/Rock Steady Crew)
“I couldn’t do just five so I had to break it down my way.”
Crack Era
- Melle Mel
- Grandmaster Caz
- Kool Moe Dee
- Whipper Whip
- G.L.O.B.E.
90′s
- Rakim
- KRS
- Big Daddy Kane
- Kool G Rap
- Super Lover Cee
Groups
- Big Pun
- Big L
- Nas
- B.I.G.
- Ice Cube
Gem Crates (producer, Works of Mart):
- Tribe Called Quest
- Wu Tang
- Public Enemy
- Cypress Hill
- N.W.A
- Rakim
- Kool G Rap
- Big Daddy Kane
- KRS-One
- LL Cool J
AllHopHop.com: Can you name your Top 5 Dead or Alive rappers?
Billy Danz: Oh yeah.
Lil Fame: I can try.
Billy Danz: In no order. Scarface. Rakim. [Kool] G Rap. KRS-One and Lil Fame. [Slaps table and the room erupts into laughter]
Kool Moe Dee's list..
20.RedMan
19.MC Lyte
18.Ice Cube
17.Method Man
16.Treach
15.Jay-Z
14.Kool G Rap
13.Tupac
12.Queen Latifa
11.Nas
10.Lauryn Hill
9.B.I.G.
8.Chuck D
7.LL Cool J
6.GrandMaster Caz
5.Kool Mo Dee
4.Big Daddy Kane
3.KRS-One
2.Rakim
1.Melle Mel
Let's see what MEMPHIS BLEAK says LMAO....
AllHipHop.com: Who would up say are the top 5 emcees, Dead or Alive - for Memphis Bleek?
Kool G Rap
“He was the first rapper that showed me some guns in a video and how to tie a n***a up. He was spittin’ the real. He was the M.O.P. before M.O.P.”
KRS-One
“KRS-One was the lyricist of lyricism back in the day. He was the first person to ever destroy somebody and build his career off of destroying him. He was the first 50 Cent. (laughs) Let’s clear that up!”
Rakim
"Rakim was before his time. You can put on a Rakim album and it sound like it was recorded last month. He was spittin’ harder than rappers spit now. [He was] way before his time."
B.I.G.
"When you get to the new school, you gotta put B.I.G. up there. B.I.G. made it cool for fat dudes to get fly and steal our chicks. And he was just funny. B.I. brought the comedy to rap. He made it fun again."
Tupac
“My last Top 5 pick is Tupac because Pac was real. Pac was a revolutionist. People look at Pac for the thug. But you gotta look at all the other songs, ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby’ ‘To My Unborn Child,’ ‘Dear Mama.’ Pac was the truth man. He wasn’t about lyricism. He was about getting the message to you and making sure you understood that he was dead serious about it and I loved that about him."
Black Thought (In No Order):
Kool G Rap
KRS-One
Chuck D
Rakim
Big Daddy Kane
Chuck D
KRS,Rakim,JAYZ.MelleMel,IceCube,LLCoolJ,Tupac,Eminem,bigDaddyKane
Mary J. Blige
"I would start from the beginning with KRS-One, then I would go to Rakim. The reason why I put KRS-One at the top of my list is because he taught us something: Right now, no one wants to remove themselves enough to help the new generation. Songs like 'You Must Learn' and 'Self Destruction' helped us to think just a little more positively. He educated us and he loved us and he removed his selfishness enough to help us, and that's why he and Rakim are at the top of my list. I would then go to LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Black Moon, Biggie, Pac, Meth [Method Man], Jay-Z, Nas."
So are theses the "nerd ass names"?