who is the most "balanced" M.C of all-time?

[keon]

and when i say balanced i mean a MC that was/is able to give you a little bit of everything, or at least the main 4 things, which is(imo):street shyt,consciousness,respectable lyricisim, and mainstream appeal.

...and the only rapper that comes to mind is TUPAC.

but i think the reason why pac was able to be that type of mc is because he was also well traveled and lived/grew up on both the east & west coast

 

[the rhyme king]

great pick i was just about to say that he can make joints like brenda's got a baby then make a song like cali love then make diss records like bomb first and hit em up
and he was lyrical at the same time there was nothing he could not do

 

[Sugar]

inb4nas

 

[Non Sequitur]

I think Bun B is up there.

 

[Pool_Shark]

 

[I.AM.PIFF]

Nas, Pac & Jay.

 

[CRS]

Meth

 

[Sugar]

Meth

 

[King Biko]

T.I. on trap muzik

 

[Black White Sox Hat]

LL

 

[Canada Goose]

Pac...

Nas too ever since he dropped Summer on Smash and The Don, before that his club/party songs sucked.

Jay as well, I hope on his next album he has a last real nikka alive/Holla at me type track where he discusses his relationship with LL, Dame, Cam etc.


And Biggie, he did this on the Life After Death album alone

To be Life After Death is the most balanced Hip Hop album ever IMO.

 

[Never Broke Again]

basically the 4 universal GOAT candidates

jay/nas/pac/big

 

[nineteeneightysix]

Nas, Pac & Jay.

Where are Jay's religious and political songs...?

Pac and Nas are possibly the only rappers that were successful at being multi-faceted...

I would put Biggie, but LAD was pretty much standard hip hop, guns, women and drugs...

He didn't really go in deep with LAD...

 

[Po pimp]

It's obviously Pac. He didn't sound forced when rapping on a variety of subjects like other rappers.

 

[keon]

^^ EXACTLY

Nas tried the mainstream thing with songs like "you owe me" & "oochie wally" & "hate me now" etc, but..i really don't see it in him, and it doesn't really fit him.."if i ruled the world" was somewhat mainstream, but we all know why(lauryn hill)

and jay isn't a conscious m.c..even when he tries, it seems kinda forced and unauthentic..like when he made all those "heartfelt" type tracks with beans(about his pops or whatever)..i didn't wanna hear that shyt from jay,lol..

same with B.I.G..he definetly wasn't a conscious type of m.c..at all.