My favorite is Common. He was so dope lyrically on those first two albums

The wordplay on those albums are crazy. He actually started really getting conscious tho on One Day It Will All Make Sense and on. Electric Circus was a disappointment and he pretty much fell off a lot musically after Be, but he had a good run and is still active. He probably was at his peak career wise with Like Water...His features and non album cuts were all ways ill too
Common had a knack for using simple ass metaphors and still having that shyt come off tight. He was lyrical without being complex. This one of my favorite Common songs. This nikka says, 'you fake like a smile/ like a hug I'm tight'

All his metaphors are like that, but they me dope tho.