The 20 best rappers of all time according to Billboard

Buzznews

2023-03-04 20:17:10

Crédit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Billboard has come up with its ranking of the greatest rappers in history, leading to many incisive discussions among rap fans. Billboard based its rankings on body of work (singles and albums charted, gold and platinum certifications), impact and cultural influence, longevity, lyrics and flow.

The 20 best rappers of all time according to Billboard

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Billboard has come up with its ranking of the greatest rappers in history, leading to many incisive discussions among rap fans. Billboard based its rankings on body of work (singles and albums charted, gold and platinum certifications), impact and cultural influence, longevity, lyrics and flow.

20. Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy Kane became a star because of his spectacular performances in the late '80s. He is a pioneer of the double-time rap with a very fast flow.

19. Missy Elliot

Missy Elliott is a visionary, plain and simple. She honed her immense talent as a rapper, songwriter and producer as a member of the Swing Mob collective.

18. Ice Cube

Cube wrote brilliant, incisive verses for N.W.A, and has continued to do so as a solo artist, dropping some of the most provocative work in rap.

17. 50 Cent

Fifty was shot nine times and following the attempt on his life, he began a meteoric resurrection by becoming Eminem's protégé and delivering one of rap's signature tracks: In Da Club.

16. Scarface

Scarface talks a lot about mental health within his lyrics, delivering them with complex words, and with great emotional depth.

15, J.Cole

J.Cole is a humble man and his passion is palpable in his rhythm and words. Cole has made a name for himself with hits like The Come Up, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights.

14. LL Cool J

With "I Need a Beat", LL Cool J opened the door to the style called the b-boy, with his legendary energy and aggressive lyricism that is his trademark.

13. Rakim

Rap owes its evolution to Rakim, who was the first to use multisyllabic rhymes, write complex lyrics, and evolve a simple flow into complexity.

12. Andre 3000

3000 has established himself as the star of the OutKast duo with his eccentricity, stunning rhymes and singular flow, which have allowed him to make his mark in the game.

11. Kanye West

In free fall due to serious anti-Semitic comments and serious toxic behavior issues, "Ye" was one of the most talented artists in the hip-hop scene.

10. Nicki Minaj

Minaj is the queen of rap, no less. Because of her character, the fact that she's not afraid to brag, and the power of her lyrics, she quickly rose to the top.

9. Snoop Dogg

Snoop is one of the founding fathers of gangsta rap and it was alongside his trusty sidekick Dr. Dre on the 1992 release "Deep Cover" that he showcased his laid-back flow.

8. Drake

Before he became the record-breaker he is today, Drizzy played Jimmy, who was in a wheelchair, on the popular series Degrassi.

7. Lil Wayne

Wayne handles words like few can, and he does it with great skill, while laying down lyrics that deliver a real message.

6. The Notorious B.I.G.

The Notorious B.I.G. is the ultimate rap phenomenon. He looked casual, but told some very hard stories through his lyrics.

5. Eminem

For many, Slim Shady is the biggest rapper of all time, if not the greatest musical artist in history.

4. Tupac

Tupac is arguably the greatest legend of all time in the world of hip-hop, in part because of the topics he wrote about... and his untimely death.

3. NAS

NAS is an incredible storyteller and creative artist who has dropped no less than 15 full-length albums since 1991!

2. Kendrick Lamar

Lamar has won no less than 16 Grammys since the beginning of his career and is also recognized as one of the greatest of his generation.

1. JAY-Z

Say what you will, but Jay-Z has been at the top of his game for three decades, and his musical, cultural and financial accomplishments are nothing short of staggering.