The Top Ten Rap Artists of All Time

Every hip-hop fan has their own list of the best rappers ever, and their own criteria for judging rap artists. Me, I consider longevity, lyrics, influence on other artists, impact on the culture, and number of classic/albums when judging the top rap artists.

In no particular order, here are my top ten rap artists of all time:

1. Rakim - A rapper's rapper if there ever was one, Rakim popularized the multisyllabic flow that dominated East Coast hip-hop for years. As a solo artist, he's only released two albums, but as a part of the classic duo Eric B. & Rakim, the four albums they released paved the way for Nas, Jay-Z, B.I.G., Eminem, and countless others. As evidenced by his verse on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2and other recent freestyles, he's still, line for line, one of the best rappers ever. Buy Rakim albums here.

2. Nas - One of the most influential and inspiring emcees, his debut Illmatic set the standard for East Coast rap for years, influencing everyone from B.I.G. to Jay-Z to Eminem. His "comeback" album Stillmatic was a classic too and follow up albums and compilations, like The Lost Tapes, God's Son, and his recent work like Hip-Hop is Dead and Untitled are close runners up. And he's one of the best lyricists bar for bar. Check early work like Raekwon's Verbal Intercourse or more recent tracks like A Message to the Feds, Sincerely We the People off the underrated Street's Disciple. One of the top ten rap artists, if not top five. Buy Nas albums here.

3. Jay-Z - The man has one of the most impressive track records within a short period of time. Between 1996 and 2003, the man ruled the airwaves with hit album after hit album. He's released a total of ten studio albums, as well as collaborative albums and compilations; now he's supposedly working on number 11. At least three of these are certified classics: Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album. A few others, like Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life, are close. Classic singles are numerous: Hard Knock Life, Big Pimpin', U Don't Know, Dead Presidents, and Can I Live just to name a few. And every young rapper wants to be like him or better than him from Lil Wayne to The Game. Another rapper who is probably top five, as well as one of the top ten rap artists of all time. Buy Jay-Z albums here.

4. Tupac Shakur - One word: legendary. His impact on the culture may be unparalleled. He's got quite a bit of classic material-songs like Dear Mama and Keep Ya Head Up, which are rightfully revered, as well as albums like Me Against the World, and All Eyez on Me, which are studied and outright copied by emcee after emcee. The amount of material he released during his lifetime was jaw-dropping, and increased the work ethic of future rappers; emcees regularly talk about working like 'Pac. Petey Pablo, Ja Rule, and others have appropriated swaths of his image and lyrics. He may not be one of the top ten lyricists, but he is definitely one of the top ten rappers. Buy Tupac Shakur albums here.

5. The Notorious B.I.G. - In two albums, Christopher Wallace transformed mid-nineties hip-hop. The wordplay and effortless charm made him a superstar. His records, combining gritty street content and radio-friendly hooks, created a template that so many rappers have tried to follow since. B.I.G.'s influence on Jay-Z is obvious and well-documented, but his acolytes are far more numerous. His lines have been freely sampled by the likes of Jay-Z, Nelly, Ludacris, Nas, The Game, and scores of others, making up for the paucity of his output. Buy The Notorious B.I.G. albums here.

6. Scarface - It's not a token inclusion; few Southern rappers match the track records of some of the other emcees on this list. The man has released twelve solo albums since his time with The Geto Boys and influenced every Southern rapper from Master P to Young Jeezy. He's a lyricist par excellence, able to hold his own and then some on tracks with the likes of Ice Cube, Jay-Z, Nas, Tupac , and LL Cool J. He's one of the best rappers ever, and, with all due respect to Andre 3000, Bun B, Ludacris, T.I., and Lil Wayne, perhaps the best rapper from the South. Buy Scarface albums here.

7. LL Cool J - The man has had a career over spanning two decades. Thirteen albums, double more than most rappers. And he was perhaps hip-hop's first true crossover star, moving into movies, clothing, and other ventures in the early nineties before anyone had ever heard of a Jay-Z, 50 Cent or Diddy. From Radio in 1985 to Exit 13 in 2008, LL Cool J gave many a rapper their first glimpse of mainstream success and opened doors for almost every rapper that's gotten a record deal since. Buy LL Cool J albums here.

8. Ice Cube - The emcee who inspired practically every political rapper since he first stepped into a recording studio, O'Shea Jackson merged agitprop and graphic accounts of life in South Central LA in the nineties to create classic albums like AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted and Death Certificate. Couple that with his work as a part of NWA, and his recent solo forays Laugh Now, Cry Later, and Raw Footage, and you've got one of the best rappers ever. Buy Ice Cube albums here.

9. Eminem - Bar for bar, Marshall Mathers is one of the best rapper ever to pick up a microphone. You can dislike what he says, but how he says it, is nothing short of spectacular. From his use of metaphor to his rapping in pig latin, the guy makes everyone step his game up. Five albums in, he's on the short end of album side, but the amount of attention he puts into most verses is a cut above most rappers; his latest album Relapse is proof of that. And yes, he's white. He's opened doors for white rappers, which is definitely a significant impact on hip-hop culture, whether you ultimately view that as a good thing or a bad thing. But he's also opened up doors for rappers like 50 Cent and G-Unit as well as D12, Trick Trick, and other Detroit acts. Buy Eminem albums here.

10. KRS-One - One of the most outspoken and opinionated rappers, KRS-One has released thirteen solo albums as a solo artist; and six others as a part of Boogie Down productions. And he's still performing, still freestyling, and still making records; he may never make the kind of record that gets on MTV, but he'll keep making the kind of thought-provoking records for which he's always been known. Few rappers can touch his freestyling or battling skills, or present as compelling a live performance. He's one of the best rappers ever. Buy KRS-One albums here.

Honorable Mentions

• Andre 3000

• Kool G. Rap

• Big Daddy Kane

• Snoop Dogg

• Busta Rhymes

• Redman

• Lauryn Hill

• Common

• Lil Wayne

• Ghostface Killah

• Ice-T

• Buckshot

• Big Punisher

• Kool Keith