what would a top 5 list in 1994 look like?

[Lord Mecca]

People see top 5 and flood in the thread mad Pac wasn't mentioned. This is 1994. 199-goddamn-4 y'all... Pac ain't on the list, Snoop was still too new to be on the list. People would be arguing Snoop in there based on his potential and and how nice he was but he wasn't lyrically amazing. Snoop was nice as hell though and in 1994 he was probably my favorite emcee.

Rakim
Big Daddy Kane
KRS One
LL Cool J
Slick Rick

I can see being a popular list at that time.

 

[smokeurobinson]

Pac wasn't lyrical? Ok I know theres no point continuing this now.

You are speaking from a 2018 mentality...Not a 1994 mentality. I can pick a bunch of people way more lyrical then Pac from 1994. 1994 Jeru The Damaja could rap circles around 1994 Pac and Jeru aint on that list either.

 

[BmoreGorilla]

People see top 5 and flood in the thread mad Pac wasn't mentioned. This is 1994. 199-goddamn-4 y'all... Pac ain't on the list, Snoop was still too new to be on the list. People would be arguing Snoop in there based on his potential and and how nice he was but he wasn't lyrically amazing. Snoop was nice as hell though and in 1994 he was probably my favorite emcee.

Rakim
Big Daddy Kane
KRS One
LL Cool J
Slick Rick

I can see being a popular list at that time.

I laughed when I saw Nas and Big. Who has ever released a debut and been ranked in the same year?

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

I think OP means what people considered top 5 GOATs of all time during that time. Snoop and pac were still roughly new in 1994

 

[smokeurobinson]

People see top 5 and flood in the thread mad Pac wasn't mentioned. This is 1994. 199-goddamn-4 y'all... Pac ain't on the list, Snoop was still too new to be on the list. People would be arguing Snoop in there based on his potential and and how nice he was but he wasn't lyrically amazing. Snoop was nice as hell though and in 1994 he was probably my favorite emcee.

Rakim
Big Daddy Kane
KRS One
LL Cool J
Slick Rick

I can see being a popular list at that time.

Exactly....I flipped it on em. Dudes came in here with a 2018 mentality....They arent speaking from the perspective of someone in 1994.

 

[Goodbye World]

I feel you but Jay's first album was RD. Pac was more known for controversy than anything else up until Me Against the World. His first two albums were average

I agree but Jay was like 26 when he brought Reasonable Doubt out. If he had the buzz to get an album released in 88 that would have been average too. It's not Pacs fault he blew up younger than Jay.

 

[Goodbye World]

You are speaking from a 2018 mentality...Not a 1994 mentality. I can pick a bunch of people way more lyrical then Pac from 1994. 1994 Jeru The Damaja could rap circles around 1994 Pac and Jeru aint on that list either.

When did I say Pac would be on the list? What the fukk does Jeru have to do with Pac being lyrical? If you're 6"5 you're tall, someone else being 6"7 doesn't change that

 

[BmoreGorilla]

I agree but Jay was like 26 when he brought Reasonable Doubt out. If he had the buzz to get an album released in 88 that would have been average too. It's not Pacs fault he blew up younger than Jay.

Age isn't really an excuse tho considering most rappers debuted young especially in those days. A lot of them were still teens. Pac had a relatively long career at the end of the day but he benefited from getting better over time

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

If you are arguing who’s the GOAT back then, I would assume the arguments would be made for 80s rappers as they had the most longevity/impact/classics up untill that point. No rapper who debuted in 1991-1992 is going to be considered the GOAT only 2-3 years later in 1994. That’s like putting Kendrick in the top 5. Nas was sort of a rare case of people being amazed by this skills/ the acclaim of illmatic but it took a couple of albums to really certify his status. He didn’t immediately get thrown on the GOAT list either

 

[Goodbye World]

Age isn't really an excuse tho considering most rappers debuted young especially in those days. A lot of them were still teens. Pac had a relatively long career at the end of the day but he benefited from getting better over time

I think it is when comparing Pac and Jay considering Jay started to find his sound a year after Pac would've died. Jay had been rapping a long time so to act like he just came out the gate with a classic is a bit mialeading.

 

[Goodbye World]

I think OP means what people considered top 5 GOATs of all time during that time. Snoop and pac were still roughly new in 1994

Op has trouble communicating cuz he never made that clear at all. I thought this was just about who the top 5 hottest at the time was.

 

[Goodbye World]

If you are arguing who’s the GOAT back then, I would assume the arguments would be made for 80s rappers as they had the most longevity/impact/classics up untill that point. No rapper who debuted in 1991-1992 is going to be considered the GOAT only 2-3 years later in 1994. That’s like putting Kendrick in the top 5. Nas was sort of a rare case of people being amazed by this skills/ the acclaim of illmatic but it took a couple of albums to really certify his status. He didn’t immediately get thrown on the GOAT list either

Like that doesn't happen now .

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

Op has trouble communicating cuz he never made that clear at all. I thought this was just about who the top 5 hottest at the time was.

Yea I was confused myself at first cause I was like where’s snoop and pac on that list? I thought this was the hottest at the time too untill I reread it and it hit me that Rakim is #1.

 

[Jordan>>LeFrozen]

Like that doesn't happen now .

That’s not universal opinion though. I think Rakim and other rappers from his time were universally seen as the GOAT in the 1994 but I was still a kid then so somebody a little older going to have to answer

 

[Jinx`]

No one would have Pac, Nas or Big above MC Lyte in 1994.


Lyte was too much of a contender and had way more hits. Ruff Neck ushered in the females desires for wanting a thug. Just like that the females wanted a thug and Lyte helped change the course with 1 song.


Thank you for proving my point.

Lyte wasn't even the best female MC in 94...

And not as a Left Eye fan am I saying this ...Rage had her...Brat had her.. Lyte obviously didn't even write her shyt

It's not about that Pac/Nas/Big I was making a point cuz.. These dudes had classic albums by 94 and you put Lyte and Latifah of all people above them

Maybe 93 into 94 OK. But after they all got their exposure?

BUT if that's what yall were thinking that Latifah and Lyte were top 10 MCs it's good


Edit: Let me clarify cuz Ima catch heat..

I'm not trying to say Pac/Nas/Big gotta be that high up there... But if you're going to call out Tupac specifically there shouldn't be names like "Lyte" or especially "Latifah" in that list imo because I never thought Lyte wrote her shyt or was that exceptional to be a top 5 MC ever. And Latifah had even less going for her

They had influence true but not the whole package like many others at that time