Three Knowledge
Rookie
No matter what the year, when I saw Kanye and 50 Cent the list lost all credibility
The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979 (Complex)
- Thread starter MINT
- Start date
Some of y'all are actin like y'all don't know what best rapper means......it don't mean the best lyricist,but the rapper people wanna hear from the most that year and people like they style of rap,they very quotable that year....say what u want but that wuz 50 EVERYWHERE before grodt dropped,and Jeezy and Kanye in they years too
Mike Statik
Pro
Rakim held down the late 80s and early 90s shoulda been there alot more
and G Rap just stays gettin ignored smh
and G Rap just stays gettin ignored smh
OG Talk
Archived
The point is there is an evident time when that wasn't what best rapper meant..Even by Complex's own standards... It changed in the mid/late 90's...
Now its just turned into what you described (popularity contest) before then it was more nuanced and thoughtful...
MouseTeeth
All Star
I thinks it's more of a "who had the best year that year" list more than anything...Eminem was the biggest rapper commercially in 2000, as was jay in 2009...same goes for drake these past 2 yrs and Wayne in 06 
hate to say it but this list is on point
hate to say it but this list is on point
Did it really change or did the talent level just decrease to where it wuz noticeable?Snoop wuznt the best lyricist in his years,but he wuz the rapper everybody wanted to hear
....his talent level wuz just so far past sum of these newere nikkas nobody would take issue wit it,but the newer nikkas they got listed are the rappers people most wanted to hear that year overall....if u speakin on the 80's I don't know but for the majority of the list since hiphops been out of NY hands soley and lyricism stopped bein the most important thing I think the list is accurate...it changed becuz the definition of best rapper really did change in fans minds.
Ineedmoney504
SOHH ICEY...WE EATIN
how can nas have 01 when ether drop in dec., jay had already ran the year, and dropped a classic
Ill never agree,I've heard redman,fuk with Redman but
...and I say that as sumbody who had to go back and listen to redman,so maybe its different seein him as a newcomer and as fresh....but just talent wise Cube says more,has better delivery,better flow I just don't see how u can come to that conclusion at all
It's a good debate. So you can pretty much call it a toss-up, along with Rae. But there's no way Biggie gets '97, and I believe Pac's biggest year was '96 when he was EVERYWHERE (also good argument for '93).
I ain't got two halfa fukks to rub together about that list before 90 and after 99
90 91 CUBE easy
95 96 PAC easy
92 I'll let em have redman for the fame, but on the real it was Treach
Queen was giving Cube a run for top spitter in '91
ManBearPig
half man half bearpig
nobody really done shyt in 1997 so Biggie won by default.
Biggie impacted 1997 more than he did in 1996.
2pac wasnt near Snoop in 1993 at all
ManBearPig
half man half bearpig
you're still living in 2010
everybody has Kendrick Lamar in their playlist now.
Rapmastermind
Superstar
1979: Grandmaster Caz (Right, cold crush brothers smashed early hip hop)
1980: Kurtis Blow (Right, The Breaks made him Hip Hop's 1st solo emcee star)
1981: Kool Moe Dee (How? His debut didn't come out until 1986. My pops use to listen to "Wild, Wild West" when I was a kid but again that was more mid to late 80's. I would say Sugar Hill Gang)
1982: Melle Mel (Right cause "The Message" blew)
1983: Run (Right, RUN DMC ran Hip Hop)
1984: Run (Right, Run DMC was still running Hip Hop)
1985: LL Cool J (Right, LL was a phenomena when he dropped)
1986: KRS-One (Right, but Beastie Boys was there too)
1987: Rakim (Right, Rakim and Eric B smashed the building)
1988: Slick Rick (Right, Adventures was huge but Fresh Prince was there as far as success)
1989: Big Daddy Kane (Right, Kane crush the game when he dropped)
1990: Ice Cube (Right, coming off the NWA success his solo career was huge)
1991: Q-Tip (Right Tribe started to blow, but Cube was still hot. Guru was dope, Scarface was dope as well as Trech from Naughty was blowing up. But If I had to be honest, MC Hammer ran 1991 with an iron fist, he was the biggest rapper in the game)
1992: Redman (I'd say Dr. Dre, I love Redman but he wasn't bigger than Dre.)
1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg (Right, nothing was bigger than Doggystyle)
1994: Nas (Biggie was Bigger than NaS in 94 but I'm fine with him winning)
1995: Notorious B.I.G. (Correct, "RTD" sold most of it's albums in 95, Plus he won 2 Billboard awards and Junior Mafia singles blew in 95)
1996: 2pac (All Eyes on Me + Makaveli + Death a close 2nd place goes to the Fugees)
1997: Notorious B.I.G. (Right, Life After Death + Hypnotize + Mo Money, Mo Problems + Sky's the Limit + Benji's + Been around the world + Victory + I'll Be Missing You - the song was about him + death)
1998: DMX (Right, It's Dark, Flesh, Belly Soundtrack, Collabos, Belly Movie, Lauryn Hill is close 2nd)
1999: Jay-Z (Hard Knock Life, Hard Knock Life Tour, Collabos, Vol 3: In My Life Times)
2000: Eminem (Nelly is right there but I'd give it to Em cause SSLP blew as well as him being on 2001 and MMLP)
2001: Jay-Z (Right, Blueprint was big, collabos. STILLmatic was there but didn't drop until th end of the year)
2002: Eminem (Right, Eminem Show, 8 Mile Soundtrack, 8 Mile Movie)
2003: 50 Cent (Right, Get Rich, In Da Club, G-unit album)
2004: T.I. (WRONG, T.I. just got his 1st success but he wasn't the biggest rapper. I'd say Outkast cause of "SB/TLB" blew in 04 then #2 would be KanYe West)
2005: Young Jeezy (Wrong, 50 Cent and KanYe was bigger in 2005 than Jezzy)
2006: Lil Wayne (Wrong, "The Carter II" was not bigger than "Kingdom Come", shoot Biggie's "Duets" was bigger than Wayne at that time. I'd give it to Jay Z this year)
2007: Kanye West (Right, Graduation was the biggest album that year)
2008: Lil Wayne (Right, Carter III blew that year)
2009: Jay-Z (It's between Jay and Eminem but I'd give it to Jay)
2010: Kanye West (Wrong, Eminem Recovery was the biggest album by far)
2011: Drake (I'd give it to the young lion cause his debut blew, 2nd album dropped and the features)
2012: Drake (Sorry I have to be honest, Nicki had a bigger year than Drake in 2012 as much as it pains me to admit. But Wayne was probably bigger than both since Carter IV outsold both of them in 2012)
2013: Kendrick Lamar (Debatable, the jury still out on this year but his album is selling big)
The list fell apart after 00, they were close though. Anyone saying Biggie didn't run 97 wasn't there. Puffy nor Ma$e would not have been successful without "Life After Death" blowing up. "I'll Be Missing You" was the biggest song of the year cause it was about Biggie and his death. Biggie was on all the big features accept "Can't nobody hold me down" but he was in the intro of the video. Pac was in jail in 95 that's why Biggie was bigger than him that year.
1980: Kurtis Blow (Right, The Breaks made him Hip Hop's 1st solo emcee star)
1981: Kool Moe Dee (How? His debut didn't come out until 1986. My pops use to listen to "Wild, Wild West" when I was a kid but again that was more mid to late 80's. I would say Sugar Hill Gang)
1982: Melle Mel (Right cause "The Message" blew)
1983: Run (Right, RUN DMC ran Hip Hop)
1984: Run (Right, Run DMC was still running Hip Hop)
1985: LL Cool J (Right, LL was a phenomena when he dropped)
1986: KRS-One (Right, but Beastie Boys was there too)
1987: Rakim (Right, Rakim and Eric B smashed the building)
1988: Slick Rick (Right, Adventures was huge but Fresh Prince was there as far as success)
1989: Big Daddy Kane (Right, Kane crush the game when he dropped)
1990: Ice Cube (Right, coming off the NWA success his solo career was huge)
1991: Q-Tip (Right Tribe started to blow, but Cube was still hot. Guru was dope, Scarface was dope as well as Trech from Naughty was blowing up. But If I had to be honest, MC Hammer ran 1991 with an iron fist, he was the biggest rapper in the game)
1992: Redman (I'd say Dr. Dre, I love Redman but he wasn't bigger than Dre.)
1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg (Right, nothing was bigger than Doggystyle)
1994: Nas (Biggie was Bigger than NaS in 94 but I'm fine with him winning)
1995: Notorious B.I.G. (Correct, "RTD" sold most of it's albums in 95, Plus he won 2 Billboard awards and Junior Mafia singles blew in 95)
1996: 2pac (All Eyes on Me + Makaveli + Death a close 2nd place goes to the Fugees)
1997: Notorious B.I.G. (Right, Life After Death + Hypnotize + Mo Money, Mo Problems + Sky's the Limit + Benji's + Been around the world + Victory + I'll Be Missing You - the song was about him + death)
1998: DMX (Right, It's Dark, Flesh, Belly Soundtrack, Collabos, Belly Movie, Lauryn Hill is close 2nd)
1999: Jay-Z (Hard Knock Life, Hard Knock Life Tour, Collabos, Vol 3: In My Life Times)
2000: Eminem (Nelly is right there but I'd give it to Em cause SSLP blew as well as him being on 2001 and MMLP)
2001: Jay-Z (Right, Blueprint was big, collabos. STILLmatic was there but didn't drop until th end of the year)
2002: Eminem (Right, Eminem Show, 8 Mile Soundtrack, 8 Mile Movie)
2003: 50 Cent (Right, Get Rich, In Da Club, G-unit album)
2004: T.I. (WRONG, T.I. just got his 1st success but he wasn't the biggest rapper. I'd say Outkast cause of "SB/TLB" blew in 04 then #2 would be KanYe West)
2005: Young Jeezy (Wrong, 50 Cent and KanYe was bigger in 2005 than Jezzy)
2006: Lil Wayne (Wrong, "The Carter II" was not bigger than "Kingdom Come", shoot Biggie's "Duets" was bigger than Wayne at that time. I'd give it to Jay Z this year)
2007: Kanye West (Right, Graduation was the biggest album that year)
2008: Lil Wayne (Right, Carter III blew that year)
2009: Jay-Z (It's between Jay and Eminem but I'd give it to Jay)
2010: Kanye West (Wrong, Eminem Recovery was the biggest album by far)
2011: Drake (I'd give it to the young lion cause his debut blew, 2nd album dropped and the features)
2012: Drake (Sorry I have to be honest, Nicki had a bigger year than Drake in 2012 as much as it pains me to admit. But Wayne was probably bigger than both since Carter IV outsold both of them in 2012)
2013: Kendrick Lamar (Debatable, the jury still out on this year but his album is selling big)
The list fell apart after 00, they were close though. Anyone saying Biggie didn't run 97 wasn't there. Puffy nor Ma$e would not have been successful without "Life After Death" blowing up. "I'll Be Missing You" was the biggest song of the year cause it was about Biggie and his death. Biggie was on all the big features accept "Can't nobody hold me down" but he was in the intro of the video. Pac was in jail in 95 that's why Biggie was bigger than him that year.