Is Em still the only passable lyricist in the mainstream?

[Elision]

It's a genuine question. I avoid radio like ebola and I don't watch TV at all, so I have very little intake of mainstream anything outside of maybe people mocking it on youtube and such.

But last time I checked Em was still the only guy pulling any universal weight lyrically, whilst remaining in the mainstream. Is it still that way? I often hope for there to be more artists in that position, and when I hear somebodies name start being brought up a lot, I go to check them out and 10/10 times they're wack. Like Mac Miller and shit. It's definitely improvement, no question there, and it's great to see par being raised in any artform, but is there anybody notable yet?


edit: and i don't mean people who have been underground for years now and suddenly MTV has started working with them (ie: crooked i, tech kendrick etc.)

edit 2: would yelawolf count?

[Mahmoud48]

NAS?

[Elision]

Where the fuck has nas been?

[Solace]

Working on promoting his next album^

[AbramIsaac]

Close to it.

I suppose it depends on how you define mainstream though. Like you said, Yelawolf might count, but even he's on the lower end of mainstream. There's no one as well known and successful as Eminem that's still active and performing at that skill level anymore, at least as far as I know. The mainstream rap field is a joke.

Waka Flocka, Wiz, Mac Miller, Tyga, Lil Wayne, Drake...I mean, am I right? Say what you want, but none of these guys are lyrical in a way that compares to even some of Eminem's weakest work. These are most of the more well known guys in the mainstream now, right? Throw in Rick Ross for kicks. None of them do it like that.

Obviously, if you dig a little deeper, you can find some talent, but it's not really true to the original question.

[12characters]

Nas, Ye, and Pusha are all coming lyrically correct. Maybe not all the time, but they have their moments.

Royce is getting radio play too... although it's not his most lyrical stuff tbh.

[Almostlity]

>Mainstream
>Hopsin


pick one.

[Mahmoud48]

Hopsin pherhaps, or do you count him for the first edit ?

Hopsin is not mainstream. Will be someday, but not yet.

lol never

[Sam.]

Eminem is the only rapper that is still dedicated to art of rap, tbh. At least from the bunch of rappers that I listen to. Not many rappers make songs that have 3 verses and a proper hook. Mind you, his each verse has good longer bars, not smaller one's filled with random gibberish.

Other rappers that are actually trying to do this are: Nas, Jay-Z(Fell off, sorta)..just to name a few.

[Fury]

Does Fabolous's punchlines count?

[EminemBase]

No, Kanye for sure as well.

"Hey teacher teacher, tell me how do you respond to students?
And refresh the page, and restart the energy
Respark the soul, and rebuild the energy?"

Aside from some of his awesome punchlines lately... Kanye has been writing worthwhile lyrics since day one. He's improved and improved and keeps getting better, and tighter with his flows, and he wasn't as sharp or as socially conscious as he can be now but, Kanye deserves a nod for sure.

That example I gave is an example of Kanye looking outside of himself more. On Twisted Fantasy he managed a decent blend of social and personal lyrics, and wit. And, his passion alone makes up whatever he may ever lack in structure or rhyming (although he's pretty good in all departments).

Nas too of course but, he's pretty boring. His work on Distant Relatives was very good though.

Oh, and B.o.B. As much as B.o.B has in my eyes sold himself short on content and music with both of his first two albums so far (and not really delivered on his potential), he's still a very good lyricist. His lyricism on "Bombs Away", "So Hard to Breathe" and a number of songs on Strange Clouds (and of course the first album, and his mixtapes) all show what he's capable of.

[Robbie G]

J. Cole?

[xnoxiousx]

Nas, Ye, and Pusha are all coming lyrically correct. Maybe not all the time, but they have their moments.

Royce is getting radio play too... although it's not his most lyrical stuff tbh.

Nas is not really main steam. I think main stream none of my friends would know who nas is honestly but they know kayne, lil wayne, em, nicki and main stream rappers.

[12characters]

Nas, Ye, and Pusha are all coming lyrically correct. Maybe not all the time, but they have their moments.

Royce is getting radio play too... although it's not his most lyrical stuff tbh.

Nas is not really main steam. I think main stream none of my friends would know who nas is honestly but they know kayne, lil wayne, em, nicki and main stream rappers.

Yeah but you're Canadian

lol I'm just kidding, don't sue

[xnoxiousx]

Nas, Ye, and Pusha are all coming lyrically correct. Maybe not all the time, but they have their moments.

Royce is getting radio play too... although it's not his most lyrical stuff tbh.

Nas is not really main steam. I think main stream none of my friends would know who nas is honestly but they know kayne, lil wayne, em, nicki and main stream rappers.

Yeah but you're Canadian

lol I'm just kidding, don't sue

How is that relevant if nas was main stream he would be known around the world.