The Best Rapper Alive, Every Year Since 1979 (Complex)

[King Lance]

The Best Rappers Alive Since 1979 COMPLETE LIST

1979: Grandmaster Caz
1980: Kurtis Blow
1981: Kool Moe Dee
1982: Melle Mel
1983: Run
1984: Run
1985: LL Cool J
1986: KRS-One
1987: Rakim
1988: Slick Rick
1989: Big Daddy Kane
1990: Ice Cube
1991: Q-Tip
1992: Redman
1993: Snoop Doggy Dogg
1994: Nas
1995: The Notorious B.I.G.
1996: 2Pac
1997: The Notorious B.I.G.
1998: DMX
1999: Jay-Z
2000: Eminem
2001: Jay-Z
2002: Eminem
2003: 50 Cent
2004: T.I.
2005: Young Jeezy
2006: Lil Wayne
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil Wayne
2009: Jay-Z
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Drake
2013: Kendrick Lamar

Eminem > 2000 & 2002

http://www.complex.com/music/2013/03/th ... year-since…

[Trimss]

Disagree about 2010 and i'll explain why later.

[King Lance]

yeah if we could erase 2005-2012 it would've been a great list.

They put Drake in 2012 because because Take Care came out in late 2011 (and they put Kdot in 2013 for the same reason)
They did the same thing with Biggie in 1995.

I guess they'll put Eminem Or Kanye (or someone else) in 2014 coz their albums will be released in the second half of the year.

[Blu]

I have a problem with Drake being the BRA for 2012.

[Trimss]

Then Kanye should have won 2011 for MBDTF and Eminem 2010 for Recovery. They don't make sense.

[King Lance]

yeah if we could erase 2005-2012 it would've been a great list.

They put Drake in 2012 because because Take Care came out in late 2011 (and they put Kdot in 2013 for the same reason)
They did the same thing with Biggie in 1995.

I guess they'll put Eminem Or Kanye (or someone else) in 2014

Lol i don't care. Drake doesn't belong on this list and neither does lil wayne nor does young jeezy. kanye is kinda understandable.

Some people think that the best rappers also have to move the crowds and this is exactly what they did (not sure about young jeezy though)

Lil Wayne deserved to be on the list imo

Then Kanye should have won 2011 for MBDTF and Eminem 2010 for Recovery. They don't make sense.

I agree.
Drake should not have won 2012 and 2013 should be empty

[EmTV]

2006: Lil Wayne
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil Wayne
2009: Jay-Z
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Drake

LOL

[Blu]

2006: Lil Wayne
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil Wayne
2009: Jay-Z
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Drake

LOL

Who else was doing it better than those guys? Undoubtedly in their primes.

[Blu]

Who would you have put instead of those rappers?

[PAINKILLƎR]

2006: The Roots
2007: Lupe Fiasco
2008: Atmosphere(Slug)/Nas/maybe Kanye
2009: Mos Def/Eminem (let's not forget his guest verses and freestyles)/Kid Cudi
2010: The Roots/Eminem/B.o.B/Big Boi
2011: Talib Kweli/Atmosphere(Slug)/Tech N9ne/The Roots/Common
2012: Nas/Saigon

There are even lesser known rappers that I haven't mentioned for the sake of the argument.

Yesssss.

[Rattle1]

2011: Drake
2012: Drake
2013: Kendrick Lamar

LOL they should have put Kendrick in 2012 instead of Drake even if Kendrick's album didn't drop until October and they should have put Game in 2005 instead of Young Jeezy.

Nice list nonetheless.

[sbolli1]

2006: The Roots
2007: Lupe Fiasco
2008: Atmosphere(Slug)/Nas/maybe Kanye
2009: Mos Def/Eminem (let's not forget his guest verses and freestyles)/Kid Cudi
2010: The Roots/Eminem/B.o.B/Big Boi
2011: Talib Kweli/Atmosphere(Slug)/Tech N9ne/The Roots/Common
2012: Nas/Saigon

There are even lesser known rappers that I haven't mentioned for the sake of the argument.

And once again, Blu gets pwned.

[Trimss]

I don't think Blu got pwned.. He didn't really ask it in a provocative way, did he?

I wouldn't put Atmosphere or Saigon on these lists though. Well, I would.. But magazines/blogs/etc.. wouldn't because they're not popular enough.

2006: The Roots/Game
2007: Kanye West/Lupe Fiasco/Jay-Z (HOW THE HELL is American Gangster so overlooked? One of his best project.)
2008: Meh. I don't know enough about that year to say anything. I'm not mad against them for giving it to Weezy.
2009: Jay-Z/Eminem (even though Relapse wasn't critically acclaimed, it sold a lot, he had some great features and overall it was a big year for him)/Raekwon
2010: Eminem/Kanye West (even though Eminem won that grammy, sold more, was everywhere to put it simply, Kanye West still won 2011's grammy award, and was everywhere so he deserves to be on the list that's why I'm putting him on 2011)
2011: Kanye West
2012: Kendrick Lamar, DEFINITELY. As a second choice, Nas.

This is how COMPLEX should have done it. Like, if I'm taking popularity and shit into account, this is how it should have been.

[Rattle1]

I don't think Blu got pwned.. He didn't really ask it in a provocative way, did he?

I wouldn't put Atmosphere or Saigon on these lists though. Well, I would.. But magazines/blogs/etc.. wouldn't because they're not popular enough.

2006: The Roots/Game
2007: Kanye West/Lupe Fiasco/Jay-Z (HOW THE HELL is American Gangster so overlooked? One of his best project.)
2008: Meh. I don't know enough about that year to say anything. I'm not mad against them for giving it to Weezy.
2009: Jay-Z/Eminem (even though Relapse wasn't critically acclaimed, it sold a lot, he had some great features and overall it was a big year for him)/Raekwon
2010: Eminem/Kanye West (even though Eminem won that grammy, sold more, was everywhere to put it simply, Kanye West still won 2011's grammy award, and was everywhere so he deserves to be on the list that's why I'm putting him on 2011)
2011: Kanye West
2012: Kendrick Lamar, DEFINITELY. As a second choice, Nas.

This is how COMPLEX should have done it. Like, if I'm taking popularity and shit into account, this is how it should have been.

Very good list

[tadpole25]

2005: Young Jeezy
2006: Lil Wayne
2007: Kanye West
2008: Lil Wayne
2009: Jay-Z
2010: Kanye West
2011: Drake
2012: Drake

LOL