TOP 5 DEAD OR ALIVE: HIP-HOP RAPPER EDITION

Who do you think is the top 5 rapper dead or alive? 2pac? Biggie? Jay-Z, or even Lil Wayne? Below is my top 5 solo rappers dead or alive. In my opinion these are the greatest rappers of all time in order from the best to the 5th best. I challenge you to come up with a better top 5 rappers than what I have here. Scroll down the page and take the poll and vote who is your top rapper of all time and every Friday I will update this hub with the top 5 list voted by all the poll takers. I will list my top 5 and explain why I think each one is great. Don't forget to vote and check back daily to see who is in the lead.

#1. Tupac

Clearly 2Pac is the best rapper to have ever graced the mic. He has been the most dominant force in hip-hop since he stepped on the scene with Digital Underground. From his first album 2Pacalyse Now to what seems like the immediately release of the movie Juice which became a instant cult classic. Even 5 shots couldn't stop him from releasing the classics "Me Against the World" and "All Eyes on Me". He was later shot to death after leaving a Mike Tyson fight in Las Vegas in 1996 but even all that darkness couldn't block his shine. Even in death he continued to sell more albums and rake in more money to his estate than most of the rappers still alive for years to come. He continually makes Forbes list of Top 10 list of Dead Celebrities.  He has written books, has numerous album releases, a number of films, and in his death there are even university classes taught about him.  The collective of all his accomplishments amidst the drama and even in the afterlife is why he has to be the greatest of all time.

#2. Notorious B.I.G.

My brother put me on to the Notorious B.I.G. back before "Ready to Die" was released. He was coming from New York on his way to Pensacola, Florida. He told me he had just heard a tape of some guy named Biggie Smalls and how raw he was. He said this kid is way better than 2pac and he's going to be the next big thing in rap. I was like "Nobody will every be better than Pac!" Little did I know I would soon come to see this guy in Unsigned Hype section of my favorite magazine. That connection made me curious so I went looking for music from him. The first thing I heard was "Juicy". At that point I was sold. His delivery was smooth, his word play was unmatched. Then when I learned he was cool with 2pac it solidified him as my second favorite. But tragically he was cut short before the release of his second album Life After Death. His record label Badboy went on to release a few more albums after his death but none to me had the impact of his first two. And its for me that reason, that his rap carrier and was so short, that we never got to see him venture much outside of the world of rap why he is my second favorite rapper ever.

#3. Jay-Z

My first introduction to Jay-Z was when I heard "Can't Knock the Hustle".  I remembered thinking that he was really on to something and that if for some reason 2pac and Big was not were not around he could really go places.  Sadly shortly there after both of them were no longer alive.  With his major competion at in a position of no return he swiftly rose the ranks in hip-hop.  His label Roc-A-Fella Records went on to sell many millions of albums including my favorite "The Blueprint."  Before that album came out I didn't care too much for him as a rapper because his delivery was too fast back then.  When he released The Blueprint it seemed that he had found his comfort zone in rap where everything seemed to flow naturally.  Another thing that drew me to him was the rap musical movie he starred in called "Streets is Watching".  It showed his diversity and foreshadowed what was to come as far as his many career moves. He went on to form one of the most popular clohing lines of today Rocawear, signed a huge $150 million deal with Live Nation and he married Beyonce among many other accomplishments.  But I had to put him 3rd because I feel like if 2Pac and Biggie were alive right now 3rd is where he would rank any way.

#4. Nas

When "If I Ruled the World" was hot on the radio is when I first started to like Nas as a rapper.  That song was an instant classic and featured Lauren Hill of the Fugees or Refugees.  I put Nas 4th on my list because even though I think he won the rap battle between he and Jay-z with one song, Ether, his delivery is a little clumbsy at times.  His content was superb how he mixed the streets with book knowledge to craft many classic albums and alot of hot singles.  But when it came to the business side of things he never really seemed to branch out too far from the music.  When compared to alot of other rappers his volume of work and quality of music he has released has earned him the #4 spot on my list.  Had his beef with Jay-z derailed Jay's career and not just left him slightly bruised then Nas would easily be #3 on my list.

#5.  T.I.

From the moment I first heard him on Bone Crusher's "Never Scared" and the "24's" I knew this was a superstar in the making.  I have this uncanny ability to do what I call A&Ring a artist from the moment I first hear them.  The main job of an A&R is to scout new talent.  I have been pretty good at guessing who will be the next big star and mostly I have been right.  I think im in the wrong business.  I knew right away T.I. would be very successful because I could see the business mentality in his style and music if that's believable.  He survived a beef and trashed the career of the rapper Lil Flip, suffered public a pulbic loss of his best friend and bodyguard Big Phil, and served jail time.  All the while making 6 classic albums and numerous successful single, starring in ATL and American Gangster, and executive producing a number of projects.  Currently he sits in jail for buying illegal guns but im sure when he is released it will be business as usual.  And if he keeps delivering classics like the previous 6 he will certainly rise in my ranks upwards from #5.