The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979 (Complex)

[Sugar]

No way Kanye was better than Wayne in 07. Wayne had 06-08 on lock.

 

[Consigliere]

Complex giving you the extended science for why Jay is their favorite rapper.

Bloggers got lists to justify lists.

 

[Ronald]

and the year he droppeed the album that elevated him to super mega star status

It was a terrible album tho, how was he the best

Ross was better and so was Drake

Mos and Rae dropped better albums but I guess it wouldn't look right having them up there

 

[Tom]

Nas had 2001

 

[menaceiisociety]

2001 was when nas dropped stillmatic and went crazy before that with all the beef shyt, that year should be his

 

[ManBearPig]

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: Ice Cube
1992: Redman
1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg
1994: Nas
1995: 2pac
1996: 2Pac
1997: The Notorious B.I.G.
1998: DMX
1999: Jay-Z
2000: Eminem
2001: Jay-Z
2002: Eminem
2003: 50 Cent
2004: Kanye West
2005: Kanye West
2006: T.I.
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil Wayne
2009: Raekwon
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Kendrick Lamar
2013: Kendrick Lamar

at least to me

 

[ManBearPig]

2009 was a very odd year

Eminem and Jay-Z both sold the most but i at least didn't see them as the "TOP DAWGS" of that year. Maybe its because that Raekwon shyt was much better

Raekwon or Kid Cudi should be the best rapper of 2009

 

[nieman]

No G Rap, and Wu not represented. I'll give Biggie for 95.

Cube - 92, Pac - 93, Meth - 94, Nas 96, 97 was an off year, I'll say Jada, Pun - 98, DMX - 99, Maybe 2000 to Jigga, maybe Scarface in '91.

Correction - Queen Latifah was '91

 

[Cole Cash]

2009 was a very odd year

Eminem and Jay-Z both sold the most but i at least didn't see them as the "TOP DAWGS" of that year. Maybe its because that Raekwon shyt was much better

Raekwon or Kid Cudi should be the best rapper of 2009

what was odd about 2009 for me is that it really marked the changing of the gaurd from the era of g-unit, dipset, etc, it was over by that point and what you see now is whats in. most remnant from the older 90s era was basically finished. if you look at 2007 with the wu comeback album, the ghostface album, styles p etc, alot of the older gaurd were still on regular release scheduales, but 2009 was the start of what and who we see now.

 

[ManBearPig]

No G Rap, and Wu not represented. I'll give Biggie for 95.

Cube - 92, Pac - 93, Meth - 94, Nas 96, 97 was an off year, I'll say Jada, Pun - 98, DMX - 99, Maybe 2000 to Jigga, maybe Scarface in '91.

Biggie didn't even release an album in 1995.

he had hits but does that match 2pac's "Me Against the World" album and California LOve?

no

 

[ManBearPig]

what was odd about 2009 for me is that it really marked the changing of the gaurd from the era of g-unit, dipset, etc, it was over by that point and what you see now is whats in. most remnant from the older 90s era was basically finished. if you look at 2007 with the wu comeback album, the ghostface album, styles p etc, alot of the older gaurd were still on regular release scheduales, but 2009 was the start of what and who we see now.

i know exacly what u are saying.

i dont remember when shyt was changing quickly in any other 2009 "tight jeans, singing albums, WAVE of new artists, more singing rap albums"

I could have sworn people were still rocking baggy pants in 2008 and it was like WTF

 

[28 Gramz]

2009 was the year Wayne and Kanye's influence on the rap game fukked shyt up for the worse. The Carter 3 and 808's did alot more harm than good.

 

[Yecht]

2013: Kendrick Lamar

It's barely fukking April and this nukkas buzz already dead

 

[nieman]

Biggie didn't even release an album in 1995.

he had hits but does that match 2pac's "Me Against the World" album and California LOve?

no

I didn't go to Complex, so I don't know their criteria. But you also forget that no one was dropping albums back-to-back years then. Biggie's impact was felt more in '95 than in '94, as his album gained popularity. And Pac was booked damn near the whole '95. In '97 Biggie got outshined by Diddy. I'd put P ahead of Pac in '95.

 

[RenAi!]

to @drake555 for typing that list out.

Kendrick should've gotten 2011, though. It's an understatement to say that he murdered-MURDERED every guest appearance throughout that whole year only to wrap it up with Section.80

No hate on Drake, but we can rate their guest appearances and personal lp's side by side that year...