MTV Hottest MC's In The Game 2013

[RajWatts]

#9 : Future

Considering where Future was at the start of his career, the meteoric rise that he's experienced over the past year is more than enough reason for the Astronaut Kid to keep his head in the clouds and the #9 spot on MTV News' "Hottest MCs in the Game VIII" list.

What began as a strictly underground run began to take off in 2011 with Future's "Tony Montana" single and its Drake-assisted remix. During 2012, however, Future sky-rocketed to new heights with high-powered pop hooks, while still keeping his hold on the streets. His mix of melodic arrangements and raspy rap bars were a sure-shot formula for some of the year's biggest hits.

"You can go to any club, you'll hear not only one Future song, you'll hear probably six in a row," argued MTV Hip-Hop Brain Trust veteran Steven Roberts. "I think he is the Hottest MC."

Whether it was the gold-selling, chart-topping syrupy ballad "Turn on the Lights," the T.I.-backed "Magic" or the infectious "Same Damn Time," Future seemed to have club staples on lock. But it was his guest spots on songs like Rihanna's "Loveeeeeee Song" and Lil Wayne's "Love Me" that helped create a sense that the Atlanta rapper/songwriter was omnipresent. "Love Me" is a top 10 Billboard hit, and if the Rihanna record ever gets released as a single, it has the potential to do the same.

Chart placement aside, there were the intangibles: Not only has Future been a sought-after hook man, working his magic with Ace Hood ("Bugatti"), DJ Drama ("We in This bytch") and Rick Ross ("Ring Ring"), he also performed at the 2012 NFL NFC Championship game in January — a true testament to his popularity.

Still, the planets weren't exactly in alignment for the Astronaut Kid with regard to one bit of "Hottest MCs" criteria. In April, Future dropped his debut album, Pluto, but only about 41,000 folks showed up to the register in its first week of release. The LP's November re-release, Pluto 3D, didn't fare much better, pushing about 11,000 units in its premiere weekend.

"That opening week's album sales are also a reflection of the fact that he's making great singles, that you're not going to him for a complete collection of work," said Rebecca Thomas, MTV News' Managing Editor.

Future's sales patterns only tell one part of the story, however. Not only does he have a chokehold on rap, but his collaborations with Kelly Rowland and an upcoming one with Jennifer Lopez will only open him up to a bigger audience by the time he drops his sophomore LP, Future Hendrix.

 

[Bean]

this thread gon be good.

 

[prophecypro]

Nas should most certainly make the top 5 of this list, Kendrick should be number 1, Future has no business on any top ten list with one hit single, a horribly flopped album, and a bunch of singles where he needed Lil Wayne, Drake, and Rhianna to make any noise.

Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne will of course be on here somewhere, NOTHING surprising...

Kinda feel like they're moving the goalposts on this. They didnt have a hottest MC list this time last year (I think the last one was in 2011 or at least the list that was brought up here from around 3/4th qtr 2011). Had their been one last year you can say Nas gets in, but Im sure they're gonna make the argument that because Nas hasnt had any radio singles and Life is Good came out in the summer they wont include him.
The counter to that is they put Raekwon in 2009/2010 for OBFCL 2 and that had no radio singles or was bumping in the streets others. Neither was the time they put Andre 3000 on the list 2 years in a row for literally 2 remix songs

If they're looking back at the past 12 months, he should get in but if they are looking at literally now, probably not.
But we're gonna have a hilarious list where we are supposed to be believe Meek Mill, French Montana and them are hotter

 

[Ziggiy]

Kinda feel like they're moving the goalposts on this. They didnt have a hottest MC list this time last year (I think the last one was in 2011 or at least the list that was brought up here from around 3/4th qtr 2011). Had their been one last year you can say Nas gets in, but Im sure they're gonna make the argument that because Nas hasnt had any radio singles and Life is Good came out in the summer they wont include him.
The counter to that is they put Raekwon in 2009/2010 for OBFCL 2 and that had no radio singles or was bumping in the streets others. Neither was the time they put Andre 3000 on the list 2 years in a row for literally 2 remix songs

If they're looking back at the past 12 months, he should get in but if they are looking at literally now, probably not.
But we're gonna have a hilarious list where we are supposed to be believe Meek Mill, French Montana and them are hotter

I always the lists were based upon who was hot within the last year. I thought theyntookmthe entire year into account which means even though LIG debuted in Summer, it should still count as that album has been one of his most universally acclaimed albums in years, sold a decent amount (more than Future) and garner him 4 Grammy noms. If that ain't a hot year then I don't know what is...


Your right about Andre 3K and Raekwon. Raekwon deserved to be on the list in 2010 because OBFL2 really outdid all expectations and was a great album but if you use that criteria then Nas would be a lock for this year. I love Andre 3000, but both times he was included I felt was pandering for some type of authenticity like " Hey we included a REAL MC in the midst see??!!??" Andre hasn't had a single or album out in YEARS, he doesn't tour, he doesn't do shows, he randomly pops up in a movie here and there, he drops 2 remixes and he's "Hot"?

I don't mind Drake, Jay- Z, Or Kanye headlining the list every year as their virtually THE HOTTEST rappers EVERY year so that makes sense, but Hov hasn't done shyt musically this year so he CAN'T make it and Kanye dropped one of the more disappointing albums of the last year with Cruel Summer but he had a smash with Mercy and Birthday Song so

 

[Ukbrotha]

How do people still care about these lists?

 

[Big Blue]

How do people still care about these lists?

It's just fodder for debate. Nothing more.

 

[JerseyBoy23]

#8 : ASAP Rocky

From the Rick Owens leathers to the Balenciaga finery, there's no denying A$AP Rocky is a certified fashion killa (you can check his influence in other rapper's closets). But the Harlem upstart spits more than designer labels from that gold-plated mouth. He followed his lean-drenched mixtape, Live.Love.A$AP, with a chart-topping debut that shows off his versatility and a penchant for crossing state lines when it comes to flow.

And while that helped Rocky to earn the title of #8 Hottest MC in the Game, Pretty Flacko's buzz and his grasp on the intangibles also put him in contention for our list. RapFix Blog Editor Nadeksa Alexis laughed, "I don't even know if we're still using the word 'swag,' but that's all him, and everyone sees that."

As further proof, she pointed to a surprising cameo in last year's "National Anthem" clip. "He was in Lana Del Rey's video as JFK. What black dude is in a video playing JFK?," she asked rhetorically. "He has something outside of hip-hop that everyone can see, and everyone wants a little bit of it."

Rihanna definitely wanted a little bit of it, literally and figuratively. "[A$AP] opened the VMAs with Rihanna — and grabbed her butt!" MTV News Senior Hip-Hop Writer Rob Markman reminded the roundtable. "Fashion icon, on tour with RiRi, this dude gets it in the studio and then knows how to work the angles outside of the studio with all his fashion influences and stuff like that. I think Rocky has done a tremendous job of penetrating the culture from different angles."

Named for rap legend Rakim, the 24-year-old's face was plastered on seemingly every print rag in the last year, from rap mainstays like XXL to high-fashion French rags like Jalouse. And when he wasn't shooting videos in the streets of Paris, he was logging studio time with in-demand acts like Skrillex and Florence Welch. Still, these facts left some members of MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust uneasy.

"Everyone's talking about everything else but the rhymes and the bars: his fashion, and he did a song with Skrillex ... where's the heat, where's the bars?" asked a frustrated Renaud Jean-Baptiste, story producer for MTV2's "The Week in Jams." "This kid's biggest record? He has the weakest verse," he argued of "F---in' Problems," the #2 charting sophomore single off Rocky's Long.Live.A$AP.

MTV story producer Steven Roberts chimed in to "reluctantly agree with" Jean-Baptiste, saying, "If you do listen to that album, other people outshine him," citing "Problems" and "1 Train" as examples. This opposition ultimately set the stage for the previously eighth-ranked Big Sean to take the #7 spot, with Rocky holding strong at #8 , ahead of Meek Mill (10) and Future (9).

 

[labelplant]

so big sean is number 7

 

[JerseyBoy23]

#7 : Kanye West

Kanye West has proven time and time again that as a soloist, he can single-handedly shift rap's sonic focus, but over the past year Yeezy made sure that there wasn't anybody messin' with his clique. So even during a period when he put out G.O.O.D. Music's Cruel Summer compilation, 'Ye was enough of a force to land him at #7 on the "Hottest MCs in the Game VIII," MTV's hip-hop power ranking.

In 2012, Yeezy hit the stage to embark on the European leg of his Watch the Throne Tour with partner Jay-Z. He also showed off his in-studio expertise with tracks like G.O.O.D's double-platinum, #1 rap hit "Mercy," the venomous "Cold" and the top-five hit "Clique," proving he could deliver on our criteria for sales.

But West was also unstoppable when it came to impact. He extended his hand to upstart Chicago rookie rapper Chief Keef when he remixed his breakout single "I Don't Like." He did the same for 2 Chainz, appearing on the Atlanta rapper's "Birthday Song" and somehow managed to find time to jump on a remix of Rihanna's "Diamonds," "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" references included.

Not everyone on our roundtable agreed about 'Ye's ranking, though. After each member of MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust submitted their own individual lists and the votes were tallied, West had originally landed at #6. But after they sat down for a loud and boisterous debate, Yeezy was bumped down to #7 in favor of his protégé Big Sean.

Much of the argument centered around which of the G.O.O.D. Music spitters shined brightest on the label's all-star album. "Cruel Summer was a G.O.O.D. Music compilation, but guess what? Kanye was on eight out of 12 songs. Kanye owned that album," barked MTV News Senior Hip-Hop Writer Rob Markman.

Others, like RapFix Blog Editor Nadeska Alexis, disagreed. "Cruel Summer was good, but [Kanye] was not the star of that album," she volleyed back. "He's been making great headlines for RapFix, great numbers, but none of them had to do with the music necessarily, besides those big singles. [And] I don't think he was the star of those singles."

Still, while the Kanye versus Big Sean argument was definitely debatable, Yeezy's buzz and impact were not. In addition to three Grammy wins, Kanye's place in pop culture was undeniable, as when he made headlines by announcing in concert that he and girlfriend Kim Karadashian are expecting their first child. With that and rumors that he's back in the studio, West's 2013 is already shaping up to be pretty remarkable.

"As much as Sean was definitely one of the stars of the Cruel Summer album ... I still feel like you've gotta give Kanye credit for being the person who put that together, who has the vision," closed MTV News Managing Editor Rebecca Thomas.

 

[Artfull Dodger]

so big sean is number 7

10. Meek Mill
9. Future
8. A$AP Rocky
7. Kanye West
6. Big Sean

 

[JerseyBoy23]

#6 : Big Sean

In one of the most heated and divisive debates at this year's roundtable, Big Sean leapfrogged over both A$AP Rocky and Kanye West to take the title of #6 "Hottest MC in the Game.

When the members of MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust sat down to discuss the year's rankings, the Detroit rapper initially had the #8 spot. But no one could've predicted how much he would progress on the list. Indeed, the same could be said for Sean's influence and impact on hip-hop over the past year.

Already known for his catchy ad-libs, Big Sean really established himself as a cultural fixture in 2012, beginning with his verse and hook on G.O.O.D. Music's Grammy-nominated single "Mercy," which made the word "swerve" a fixation in the process. A few months later, he surprised fans when he appeared alongside — and held his own — the Throne on "Clique."

"He's been able to rap against Kanye and Jay-Z and actually stand out on those records, so he was able to stay on our minds," said Sheila Grullon. MTV's Music Programming Manager also initially conceding that Sean was in a good position at #8.

MTV News Managing Editor Rebecca Thomas wasn't convinced, though, that #8 was sufficient: "So much of what makes 'Mercy' great is Big Sean. For somebody to not have an album out and have the impact that Sean has had, he may need to be up even higher."

From there, the debate raged on as MTV News' Senior Hip-Hop Writer, Rob Markman, argued that it was Kanye West who should ultimately be credited with the Cruel Summer singles. Markman went on to add that A$AP Rocky should not be bumped since he dropped a #1 album, while Sean had no officially released body of work.

Counterarguments pointed to Big Sean's star-studded Detroit mixtape, with some members of the Brain Trust saying it was so well-crafted that it could well been a studio release. RapFix Blog Editor Nadeska Alexis added that Sean's crossover appeal was undeniable in the past year, noting that he performed with pop star Justin Bieber on multiple daytime and primetime stages, including the "Today" show.

Renaud Jean-Baptiste, story producer for MTV 2's "The Week in Jams," agreed that the 24-year-old's progress was impressive even to a former naysayer. "He's grown, he's gotten better; he's gotten more mature and I see kids actually modeling themselves after him," he said, pointing to Sean's style influence, before going on to point to another crucial criterion to be a Hottest MC. "His impact is being felt."

 

[prophecypro]

@ them begrudingly putting Big Seaon higher and higher on the list


With all due respect and congrats to my breh NigerianDonDada, ASAP and Kanye are surely bigger and hotter names than Sean? He may have had the most memorabl verse on Clique and Detroit mixtape made some noise but still..

 

[JerseyBoy23]

@ them begrudingly putting Big Seaon higher and higher on the list


With all due respect and congrats to my breh NigerianDonDada, ASAP and Kanye are surely bigger and hotter names than Sean? He may have had the most memorabl verse on Clique and Detroit mixtape made some noise but still..

Yeah I don't get it either. Rocky actually dropped an album and a mixtape. Sean's cool but he was only on Mercy and Clique. Meanwhile they totally ignored Theraflu and New God Flow when they were talking about Kanye in the clip.

 

[Big Blue]

I don't see how Rocky isn't hotter the Big Sean ATM. He had a Top 10 single and dropped a #1 album. So what if he got outshined on 1Train? That's not the criteria being discussed.

 

[JerseyBoy23]

I just realized that there's only five spots left and Jay, Wayne, Drake, Nicki, Ross, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick are still left. I'm guessing Jay and Wayne won't make it, or they might Nicki for making a half rap half pop album.