The 411 Music Top Five 08.24.10: Top 5 Current Rappers

Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 08.24.2010

From Kanye West to Big Boi, Eminem to the Wu-Tang Clan, Lupe Fiasco to Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah to Jay-Z, the 411Music staffers discuss their top 5 favorite current rappers. Hit the link, read the lists, and leave your own!

David Hayter

Now as I said last week that I'm defining "current" as an artist who has released a good quality album in the last three years (or is due to return this calendar year). So this is all about form and not about legacy.

5. Q-Tip.

2008's The Renaissance saw the surprising return of a long forgotten name in the hip hop game. Sure Q-Tip had stayed busy, but no one expected him to come back sounding so tight and so remarkably fresh. Q-Tip created an album that seemed to bring together some of the best aspects of hip hop's past with contemporary sounds and slick production. Central to the album's success was Q-Tip's metronomic flow. I've always been a fan of rappers who's voice becomes a source of rhythm and instrumentation, and at his best Q-Tip's vocals are hypnotic and propulsive. He followed up his return to form with some expansive experimentation into jazz fusion. The Abstract was hardly raps answer to Starsailor but it did show that this dog wasn't too old to learn new tricks. Q-Tip currently finds him self in a rich vain of form, let's just hope it doesn't take him nine years to release his next LP this time.

 

4. Kanye West.

2008's 808s & Heartbreaks wasn't to everyone's tastes but I for one applauded Kanye for his sonic expansion. Sure, I'm no lover of Auto-tune, but it was great to see Kanye drop the bravado and open up emotionally once more. As much as I enjoyed 2007's Graduation it felt emotionally lightweight, whereas 808s... showed genuine fragility from one of hip hop's big hitters (and after all how often to you get to say fragility and hip hop in the same sentence?). Those hoping that Kanye would get back to "Flashing Lights" and away from "Say You Will" should have been pleased by "Power" and "See Me Now". The former in particular highlighted Kanye's brilliance; how many other rappers would sample King Crimson, let alone the brilliant "21st Century Schzoid Man". The message was clear, he may be a populist hit maker but he hasn't lost his art house chops. Maybe the clue was in the album art work all along, Kanye may just be the ultimate Pop Art rapper (but don't quote me on that).

 

3. Mos Def.

This is all about form so Mos Def leapfrogs Kanye into third place thanks to the surprisingly excellent The Ecstatic. Sure 2009's return to form may have been overlong but it never lacked focus. Mos Def may now be regarded as actor first and a rapper second, but my god he's one hell of a part time rapper. His flow is magnetic on this record, his lyrics are hooked to the beat, he never seems to stop, Mos Def presents a non-stop lyrical assault. Of course being Mos Def he has his own deliciously unique flavour whether it's the chilled Middle Eastern vibes of "Auditorium" or pounding dance floor stomp of "Quiet Dog"; Mos Def always sounds defiantly unique. It's the aforementioned "Auditorium" that really steals the show, as Mos Def and the master of the sing rap narrative Slick Rick exchange verses, perfectly marrying two contradictory styles over a single beat.

 

2. Raekwon.

When in 2009Raewkon announced the follow up to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx anticipation reached fever pitch. No one knew what to expect, surely there was no way the follow up could match the original, was this just a cheap cash in to get a few more dollars out of Raekwon's most beloved album, or had Raekwon finally created a worthy successor to his original masterpiece? Well thankfully last year we all found out that Raekwon wasn't playing around as he served up an absolute master class in classic hip hop. While ...Part II undoubtedly had a classic flavour it never felt like retrospection as Raekwon's assault was so tight and so aggressive. He sounded hungry, relevant and vital. In one fell swoop he reclaimed his place among rap's elite. After all, no one has been making all encompassing cinematic epics, because, frankly, no one else can.

 

1. Big Boi.

This was an absolute no brainer. No one is as hot right now as Big Boi. Sure Eminem may be conquering the sales chart but Big Boi is garnering critical acclaim and legitimate respect for one of the most daring and brilliant albums of the year so far; Sir Lucious Left Foot...The Son Of Dusty Chico. What makes Big Boi's success more remarkable was his epic fall out with Vibe records. They said this record wasn't commercial enough, they told him to go back and make records like Lil'Wayne's "Lollipop". Big Boi battled hard and eventually managed to secure a release from his contract and the eventual release of Sir Lucious. In the fall out from this titanic struggle of artistic integrity against profit margins came Vibe's ban of Andre 3000 (their artist) would not appear on the Big Boi's record. This blows my mind, could you imagine just how incredible this record could have been with 3000's tracks? Well it ultimately matters little because Big Boi proved with this one release that he is and was an equal partner in Outkast; a mad cap creative genius every bit as eccentric and imaginative as his long time partner. If Big Boi hadn't done enough in 2010, we still have a new Outkast record due for release in the year's final quarter. I simply can't wait, but until then, I'm happy to vibe to the brilliant "Daddy Fat Sax" and "Shutterbug".  

 

Read more from David...

Michael James

Before I begin, here's my caveat:  These are my Top 5 Rappers right now.  If you're not alive, you're not on the list.  If you're singing instead of rapping, you're not a candidate for the list (word to Kanye and Andre 3000).  Also, you need to have some longevity—I can't be embarrassed by this list when it comes out of the 411 time capsule in a decade.

Honorable Mentions:

Killer Mike, Joe Budden, Eminem, Black Thought, Common

5. Lupe Fiasco.

I was a late convert to Lupe Fiasco, as I didn't get the hype after Food & Liquor.  When The Cool came out though, it was on-- tracks like the African child soldier tale "Little Weapon" were as visionary and thematic as anything the game had heard in a while.  He would definitely have a higher ranking if his Lasers album was closer to being a reality than a rumor.  Either way, its probably one of my top 5 most anticipated hip-hop releases, right up there with an Andre 3000 rap album.

 

4. Slug (from Atmosphere, Felt).

Atmosphere, the group made up of Minneapolis's own Slug and producer Ant, may be one of hip-hop's best combinations of prolific releases and longevity, having released 5 full length albums and a handful of EPs since the turn of the century.  Even in a relative quiet 2009, Slug plied his trade on an Atmosphere EP, Leak at Will, and on the third album from Felt, his side project with Murs.  Slug may be an unorthodox pick for a list of Top 5 MCs, but simply put, dude is a dope lyricist.  His songs are packed with vivid characters and he has a knack for telling vivid stories from a variety of perspectives.

 

3. Brother Ali.

Another member of the Minneapolis label Rhymesayers stable (along with Slug), Brother Ali is a ferocious beast on the mic.  While he raps with an unbridled aggression, Ali is more than a run-of-the-mill battle rapper.  Like Slug, Ali comes at hip-hop from a different angle, most likely the result of coming of age in the Midwest rather than a Northeast or West Coast urban environment.  His 2009 album, Us, was one of my Top 20 albums of the year despite not being his strongest effort.

 

2. Jay-Z.

Call me a front runner, a philistine, a Stan, whatever you'd like.  Jay-Z has spent more than a decade as one of the most consistently dominant forces in the music industry.  The lukewarm reception to Blueprint 3 in some quarters is the result of nothing more than a set of insurmountable executions.  If Jigga didn't cure cancer, rebuild Wall Street, and bring back the Messiah, the album was going to be viewed as a disappointment.  Jay can move deftly from crafting exquisite pop songs like "Empire State of Mind" to recapturing his gangster cred on the American Gangster soundtrack.  There is no other MC who can so effortlessly satisfy both the mainstream and the streets.

 

1. Ghostface Killah.

Ghostface's phenomenal track record is the only thing that kept Jay-Z from my number one spot.  While Jay has a couple mulligans in his discography(Kingdom Come; Best of Both Worlds II), Ghostface Killah has only varied between different levels of excellence in his eight solo album career.  There honestly is nothing he can't do as an MC- in the last six months alone he released Ghost Dini Wizard of Poetry, an entire album of R&B inspired tracks and collaborated with fellow Wu-Tang MCs Raekwon and Method Man on a straight street album, Wu Massacre.  No matter what the topic, Ghostface combines storytelling, humor and Wu-Tang's trademark obtuse, dense verses into a gumbo of hip-hop goodness. 

 

Read more from Michael...

Patrick Robinson

So "current" hip-hop acts to me essentially means anybody who has put out an album in the last few years (so from 2007 onwards) and yes, it had to be a GOOD album that I HAVE LISTENED TO so that essentially rules out KRS-One, Rakim, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane etc. and the list goes on. So for anybody wondering why Artist XYZ hasn't been included, chances are I haven't listened to their latest album.

Honorable Mentions:

Jay-Z, Little Brother and Kanye West.

5. Slaughterhouse.

I'm cheating twice on this list by the way and this is the first cheat entry. Why? Because naming Slaughterhouse as a group includes their solo albums (in my mind) as an added bonus on top of their already impressive self-titled debut album. You could make an argument for each individual member appearing on a list like this but it's much easier to just name the group as a whole. What made their release even more impressive to me was that it gave each member a chance to shine; there was no one major standout throughout the entire album overshadowing everyone and it was an excellent way to introduce those who might only know of Budden and Royce to Crooked I and Joell Ortiz. Not to mention there was not a trace of ringtone garbage to be found on their album.

4. Common.

Common really could be higher on this list except Be is too far removed from 'current' and Universal Mind Control was good, but not Be levels of good. For that matter neither was Finding Forever but much like a modern day Classic can, Common fans are often going to use Be as the benchmark album to judge future releases on. Even though he's taking time away from hip-hop to act in movies and do other things (like appearing on a Jonas Brothers song…yeah I had no idea either), unlike other artists who have heard the call of Hollywood, Common has never forgotten that he was a rapper first and foremost and continues to work on projects such as the rumored The Believer which should feature production from No I.D., Kanye West and more. Just keep the Jonas Brothers away from the album.

3. Ice Cube.

Despite being in the hip-hop game for over 25 years now, Ice Cube has still not lost his instinct when it comes to lyrics and delivery. The man can still make a song and even though it won't possess the same kind of venom he had when he was penning "Straight Outta Compton", it makes sense in a way that he doesn't as he isn't in the same position in life now as he was back then, which is what makes him one of my favorite artists – he raps about what he knows. With Raw Footage being the album that we originally wanted back in 2006, I know a lot of people are eager in hearing what Cube has to offer on his upcoming album, I Am The West which is set to be released in September (although knowing hip-hop, this will probably change a few times before it's released). I just wish Dr. Dre would come out of whatever studio Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston cornered him in to PRODUCE FOR SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY DESERVES IT.

2. Eminem.

There's no denying that Eminem has had an intense 18 months or so since Relapse was first announced until now after the release of Recovery. In writing this bit, I have been thinking that even though Relapse was a little uneven at times, perhaps it was a necessary release for him in order to pave the way for Recovery. Call it testing the waters or comeback rust, but Relapse is definitely not an album that TRULY showcases Eminem's abilities. It's a very good album, don't get me wrong, but it's not quite up to the same standards as some of his earlier releases were. Recovery on the other hand, is the album we knew he was capable of and has thrust him back into the spotlight of the hip-hop scene once more, this time with a distinct lack of Dr. Dre too!

1. Wu-Tang Clan.

Yeah this is cheating too but if I didn't include them as a collective, most of my Top 5 would be GZA, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Method Man and that wouldn't be a very diverse entry. Longtime readers will know my love for the Wu-Tang Clan along with the frustration of watching the group implode then repair itself and the uneven nature of 8 Diagrams. Still, when it comes to excellent music, there aren't many releases in the last few years that can stand up against Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, The Big Doe Rehab, Wizard Of Poetry, Protools, Digi Snacks, Blackout! 2 and to a lesser extent, Wu-Tang Chamber Music and Wu-Massacre. So yeah, for the sake of diversity, the Clan gets the top spot from me.

Read more from Patrick...

The Final Word
	As always, the last thoughts come from you, the reader. We're merely unpaid monkeys with typewriters and Wikipedia. Here's what you need to do: List your Top Five for this week's topic on the comment section using the following format: 5. Artist: Why you chose it 4. Artist: Why you chose it 3. Artist: Why you chose it 2. Artist: Why you chose it 1. Artist: Why you chose it