Best Rap Lyricists

[iFYouSeekAmy]

Yeah the LP is worth the listen. You guys should give it a listen.
http://www.datpiff.com/Jon-Connor-Th...pe.336146.html

[ichitownclowni]

This is all opinionated so none of these "don't belong"

[Buckwheat]

It's all opinionated. So I gave my opinion.

[ColtsSpursTerps]

Awesome, some great names and I listened to some songs from each. I actually never listened to the ATLiens album, but its pretty sick now that I have. I was a stankonia and Southernplayalisticadillacmuzic listener before following other less main-stream heads. Mos Def is ill, pharoh is obviously great and will never be fully recognized for his skill. I used to be a huge Em fan, but when radios pushed his last few albums I felt his lyricism dropped off to accommodate a different crowd (which wasn't me).
My blood gets pumpin when I'm bumpin:
Canibus: Dr. C PhD, Levitibus, 100 Bars, Buckingham Palace, Box Cutta Blade Runna, Channel Zero, Lyrical Fitness (soooo many more..)

Big Pun: Twinz (feat fat Joe), NY Giants, Capital Punishment, Brave in the Heart, Off Wit His Head

Rakim (older Rakim: Follow the Leader (with Eric B), and the 18th Letter --> both were completely coconuts at the time for me): When I'm Flowin, the Saga Begins, Follow the Leader, R.A.K.I.M. (8 mile track),

old Eminem: Just don't give a f*, Infinite, Low Down Dirty, Amitville, Sh** Can Happen

Big L: Fall Back, The Heist (Revisited), Holdin it down

Biggie Smalls (preffered the lyricism over Tupacs story-telling, but great era overall for rap): Juicy, Dead Wrong, Hypnotize

There are some less known rappers I feel are talented as well, but they are mostly seen battle rapping (still their lyrics are bananas): Reign man, murda mook, Reeseman.. there are so many over looked rappers, but these are who I respect lyrically... they all have amazing freestyles as well.

this
my top 4 in order
Canibus, Big Pun, Kool G Rap, Big L

[Buckwheat]

this
my top 4 in order
Canibus, Big Pun, Kool G Rap, Big L

Your sig is hilarious because Canibus's lyrics don't even make sense. "Real" Hip-Hop right there!

Canibus can't put together five lines that make sense and he has little creativity in making a good overall song... comparing to Kanye West, who does lack lyrical ability, but is superior to everyone in creatvity in all forms. Just kind of cute.

[Practitioner]

Your sig is hilarious because Canibus's lyrics don't even make sense. "Real" Hip-Hop right there!

Canibus can't put together five lines that make sense and he has little creativity in making a good overall song... comparing to Kanye West, who does lack lyrical ability, but is superior to everyone in creatvity in all forms. Just kind of cute.

^^no.

nothing about that sounded right. i understand not everyone can handle his voice, but really, little creativity? He created a song called poet laureate infinity --- 1000 bars (atleast that's what's claimed), and it was created so dj's could mix it any way they wanted and the lyrics would still make sense. Has any artist from any genre done anything of that magnitude or that creative?

[Buckwheat]

^^no.

nothing about that sounded right. i understand not everyone can handle his voice, but really, little creativity? He created a song called poet laureate infinity --- 1000 bars (atleast that's what's claimed), and it was created so dj's could mix it any way they wanted and the lyrics would still make sense. Has any artist from any genre done anything of that magnitude or that creative?

You know why it makes sense when remixed in every way? Because it didn't really make sense in the first place.

And Canibus had one good album in his entire career. He has talent and I will never deny that.. but his music is ****ing awful. It's not just his voice. It's the fact that his beats typically suck and he goes nowhere with his songs. He uses a lot of big words, cool. They don't make sense when spliced together.

He has a load of talent. But he does not make well-rounded song and the only time he came close was on No Return. If you want to listen to 1000 bars of mostly nonsense, go ahead. I'll stick with something that I can vibe to and hear something that has an overall appealing sound. Being a good lyricist isn't about just throwing around a large vocab and hoping a few lines can be seen as "metaphors" by over-thinkers. It's about great structure, great story, great word usage in a logical manner to clearly express a point and purpose.

[D1rty D4ve]

I can't believe no one has said Tech N9ne yet! I think Madchild and Prevail of Swollen Members are great as well as Krizz Kaliko. Twiztid I feel are underrated due to their style.

[ZHawk1123]

Nas, Eminem, Rakim, Mos Def, Dre 3K

[Practitioner]

You know why it makes sense when remixed in every way? Because it didn't really make sense in the first place.

And Canibus had one good album in his entire career. He has talent and I will never deny that.. but his music is ****ing awful. It's not just his voice. It's the fact that his beats typically suck and he goes nowhere with his songs. He uses a lot of big words, cool. They don't make sense when spliced together.

He has a load of talent. But he does not make well-rounded song and the only time he came close was on No Return. If you want to listen to 1000 bars of mostly nonsense, go ahead. I'll stick with something that I can vibe to and hear something that has an overall appealing sound. Being a good lyricist isn't about just throwing around a large vocab and hoping a few lines can be seen as "metaphors" by over-thinkers. It's about great structure, great story, great word usage in a logical manner to clearly express a point and purpose.

There are easily 3 great albums - Mic-Club (i believe this is his master-peice), Rip the Jacker, 2000 BC

albums with good stuff but not a beast album: can-i-bus, for whom the beat tolls (still a wicked album), c true hollywood stories, lyrical law

albums that were a little off lyrically: hip hop 4 sale, cloak and dagga, c of tranquillity

overall, ill agree he doesnt have many songs with stories in them , but if you understand his metaphors, his lines quite often make sense. Most rappers into lyrics go more poetic, and less realistic. Big L, tech n9ne and Pac were story tellers; Big Pun, KRS-One, Vinnie Paz develop most songs by rhyming intense without a ton of story. This does not mean their songs do not make sense. How do you define structure?

He touches topics not many rappers are smart enough to relate to. hes an easy target as he doesnt talk about cars, money, women....etc....

Canibus quote appropriate for the situation: "Millions of brain organs get lost when i start talkin" - from the Chaos track on 2000bc

[Ray_R]

Yea canibus is a lyrical beast.

"Those look like tom cruise moms shoes covered in wanton soup.

[Buckwheat]

"Renegade, Schmenegade. You pink like lemonade"

[Ray_R]

"Renegade, Schmenegade. You pink like lemonade"

hmmmmm. Grown man baaaaahhhhzz.
Trill

[hugepatsfan]

I can't believe no one has said Tech N9ne yet! I think Madchild and Prevail of Swollen Members are great as well as Krizz Kaliko. Twiztid I feel are underrated due to their style.

Krizz Kaliko is one of my favorites, but I don't think he belongs anywhere near a top lyricist list. He's really integrating himself into the hip hop community though with some high profile collabos and that's great to see. His last album, Kickin' & Screamin', was one of my favorites of 2012. I wouldn't say he's a top notch lyricist but he's a crazy mother ****er that has some interesting **** to say. "Created a Monster" is one of the deepest songs I've heard in a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ3dnz9wNrw

[hugepatsfan]

Being a good lyricist isn't about just throwing around a large vocab and hoping a few lines can be seen as "metaphors" by over-thinkers. It's about great structure, great story, great word usage in a logical manner to clearly express a point and purpose.