Who is the greatest rapper who was never the biggest rapper in his own city/state?

[TripleAgent]

Royce Da 5’9 was never that #1 guy here
And Eminem’s run in Detroit was quick as hell…it’s going to sound weird as hell to outsiders but there was a point in time where he was the biggest rapper in the world but in Detroit it was all Blade.

I would argue Royce was the year he got the Grammy nomination, unless you count him being in Eminem's shadow, in which case, he's been #1 in Michigan since 1999. Depends on the criteria. I think it's difficult to argue Eminem period. People may not listen to him in Detroit like that, but he's been the face of Detroit rap to the world for 20 years, good or bad. Blade I would have no knowledge of if it weren't for the Coli, or Royce talking about him.

 

[Jean Jacket]

Imma get heat and he's my top 5...

But Kendrick.

 

[TripleAgent]

Imma get heat and he's my top 5...

But Kendrick.

How has he not been the biggest rapper in Cali in his run? Who else was there?

 

[blackslash]

Cube was biggest rapper in Cali 2 or 3 times easy.
Nas was for NY at least once (Stillmatic). He dethroned Jay and ran it until 50 in 2003.
Common ran Illinois in the Like Water For Chocolate era and arguably Be

Bruh how old are you

What kinda revisionist history is this

 

[Stick Up Kid]

Lupe Fiasco (Chicago)
Spice 1 (Oakland)
MC Eiht (Compton)
Prodigy (Queens)
Loaded Lux (Harlem)

Technically Spice 1 is from Hayward

 

[Jean Jacket]

How has he not been the biggest rapper in Cali in his run? Who else was there?

Nipsey. YG. Seemed to have more of a local buzz.

 

[FukkaPaidEmail]

I would argue Royce was the year he got the Grammy nomination, unless you count him being in Eminem's shadow, in which case, he's been #1 in Michigan since 1999. Depends on the criteria. I think it's difficult to argue Eminem period. People may not listen to him in Detroit like that, but he's been the face of Detroit rap to the world for 20 years, good or bad. Blade I would have no knowledge of if it weren't for the Coli, or Royce talking about him.

Oh if you’re talking about nationwide then yeah easily EM..I was thought it was about ppl inside the city

 

[Stick Up Kid]

Nipsey. YG. Seemed to have more of a local buzz.

Kendrick literally sold out Staples Center 3 nights in a row his last tour.

 

[Jean Jacket]

Kendrick literally sold out Staples Center 3 nights in a row his last tour.

His tour is dope.

 

[ReturnOfJudah]

Max menelli

 

[KillKenny]

Guru

 

[luckyse7enz]

Royce or Elzhi could probably make a case.

 

[FreshAIG]

Guru

Who was bigger in Boston than Guru?

 

[jshani]

Debonaire (Florida)

Debonaire? Home Team/Poison Clan?

Haven't heard that name in years

 

[JustCKing]

Nas dethrowning Jay cause Ether beat a freestyle by 10%.

Dude was still doing ballrooms when Jay was selling out arenas in seconds. Gods son did like 100-150k, a steep reduction from Stillmatic when Jay was doing 5-600k fw. And according to comedians on here, Jay is only hot in NY. Gotta choose.

Also when was Cube hottest in Cali other than possibly 1990.

God's Son only had like four days of sales first week because it dropped a few days ahead of schedule. It dropped on a Friday instead of a Tuesday.

Jay Z may have done 500K+ first week with BP2. That album went 3X Platinum. As a double disc, it actually scanned 1.5 million which is around the same as what Nas sold with God's Son overall.