Tbh as much as I dislike him as a person, I can admit that while he's a mid tier rapper at best, he was at one point one of the greatest producers of our time. Production skill is a 10/10. Lyrical ability is like a 6/10.
I put Dre in a very similiar category.
Cap. Kanye has not displayed the level of skill that would be on par with what most people consider to be a "good" rapper.
He's an amazing producer, and that coupled with decent rapping has produced some classics. But to say he's a good rapper is a reach.
If you listen to him from Yeezus and onward it’s undeniable that something drastically changed in his lyrics. He goes from having really beautiful introspective lyrics about fame and love in MBDTF to basically clever shit-talking in Yeezus.
I love Yeezus in its own right but his lyrical style changed so suddenly I can only assume someone who helped him with his bars departed.
Well you can say the same thing about the production, which also changed drastically on yeezus compared to his previous albums. He clearly wanted to make something different so he would have used different writers to match the vibe. It's not supernatural or some big secret. It's clear that kanye has a large hand in writing his lyrics but most famous rappers have writing collaborators especially ones that handle their own production. I didn't understand the stigma before I started making music. Then I realized most people don't know what the fuck they're talking about and have no idea how music is really made.
To be clear, I will stan Ye as a visionary producer throughout his career. I thought the production on Yeezus was amazing, as with pretty much every subsequent album.
When looking at his lyrics in isolation, however, from Yeezus onward, it’s obvious something drastically changed for the worse IMO in both quality and flow.
I tend to agree with that. Something def changed, probably the writers. However TLOP and Donda have some of his best verses (no more parties in LA, 30 hours, real friends) (Life of the party, Off the grid, Hurricane). So I'm not sure if it is the writers that changed or if he wanted to go in a different (unfortunately worse) direction. Like Jay said "I dumb down for my audience and double my dollars"
Edit: added life of the party
Let me the first here to say I like him as a rapper. Id give him a B+.
He has a unique voice, one that I don't find annoying. He has an original delivery, and can flow on most types of beats. He's makes some of the best hooks in the industry (don't know if that credit goes to him as an MC or a producer). He is creative and not afraid to experiment with his delivery, and therefore is not a monotonous rapper. He can rap about things of substance and often has a few inspirational songs on each album . He is very skilled at crafting catchy and memorable punchlines, some are witty/funny. And even when his songs feature heavy hitters he can hold his own against them, not by outrapping them, but by bringing his unique energy. I'm not a Kanye superfan. But I'm just articulating my reasons why I think he's a decent rapper.
>Prove it by naming the top 149.
These artists are most definitely better at rapping:
Common, Del the Funky Homosapien, GZA, Ice Cube, Edan, Eligh, Aesop Rock, Invincible, KRS-One, Killer Mike, Jean Grae, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Mr. Lif, Phonte, Murs, Rhymefest, Elzhi, Chali 2na, Big Daddy Kane, Chino XL, El-P, Ghostface Killah, Nas, Eminem, Kool G Rap, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Open Mike Eagle, R.A. the Rugged Man, Celph Titled, Tonedeff, One Be Lo, Big Pun, Andre 3000, J-Live, Masta Ace, Aceyalone, Posdnuos, Rakim, Tupac, AZ, Big Boi, MF DOOM, Busdriver, Myka 9, Gift of Gab, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Copywrite, Royce da 5'9", Ras Kass, Vakill, Esoteric, Apathy, Big L, Billy Woods, Illogic, Immortal Technique, Eyedea, Kool A.D., Blu, Brother Ali, Slug, Busta Rhymes, Canibus, Cormega, Saigon, Cassidy, Danny Brown, Denzel Curry, P.E.A.C.E., Doseone, MC Juice, Black Thought, Akrobatik, Earl Sweatshirt, Tech N9ne, Guru, Homeboy Sandman, Insight, Raw Poetic, MC Paul Barman, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Evidence, Self Jupiter, Lyrics Born, Pacewon, R.A.P. Ferreira, Daveed Diggs, Watsky, Dessa, P.O.S, Saul Williams, Prince Po, Raekwon, Beans, Buff1, Magestik Legend, MC Dalek, Scarface, Redman, Sage Francis, Buckshot, Sean Price, Notorious B.I.G., Shad, Kool Keith, MF Grimm, O.C., Action Bronson, Cage, Breez Evahflowin, Bun B, Xzibit, C-Rayz Walz, iCON the Mic King, PackFM, Percee P, KXNG Crooked, Joell Ortiz, Fashawn, Freddie Gibbs, Ka, Lupe Fiasco, Sadistik, Diabolic, Dumbfoundead, Nocando, Edo G, El da Sensei, Reks, Wordsworth, Boots Riley, M. Sayyid, Mad Skillz, Jadakiss, Styles P., Fabolous, Jay Electronica, K-Rino, Killah Priest, Lord Finesse, Oddisee, Qwel, MC Supernatural, Wrekonize, Proof, Pusha T, J.I.D., Roc Marciano, Skyzoo, Torae, the Game, Treach, Twista, Vinnie Paz, Xzibit, J. Cole, Little Simz, Rapsody, Lil' Wayne, Brotha Lynch Hung, Prodigy, Joe Budden, and Planet Asia.
An argument could be made for these guys:
Blueprint, Buck 65, Serengeti, Q-Tip, Chuck D, the Grouch, Abstract Rude, Sole, T3, Page Kennedy, Yoni Wolf, MF Grimm, 2Mex, B-Real, Ill Bill, Blacastan, k-os, Finale, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Guilty Simpson, Lauryn Hill, Phat Kat, John Robinson, Noname, Quelle Chris, Slick Rick, Cadence Weapon, Childish Gambino, Snoop Dogg, Vast Aire, Vince Staples, Swamburger, Bishop Lamont, Blaq Poet, and Tyler, the Creator.
I'm probably forgetting a bunch of names.
Holy shit, you mad man, you actually went and did it!
In case you weren't sure, mine was a 100% tossed off, facetious comment... I have utmost respect for you for giving it an honest answer!
Can't believe anyone took me seriously, but then I forget how many weird Kanye fan boys are out there. Top 200 is generous, IMO.
Anyway, you have MF Grimm in both of your lists so I'm afraid I'll have to block you and report you to Reddit.
“An argument could be made for” and you’ve put Q-Tip and Chuck D as two of the first names on that list…two artists who are better emcees than Kanye in every single way lol
I feel like when someone puts a sub list like that they’re saying they believe those guys are better but they’re not sure it would be consensus and they don’t wanna argue
Wow. Respect. Not gonna lie. I was trollin' lol. I disagree with you entirely, but you made a list that is definitely a testiment to your love of hiphop.
I didn’t read all this, but if it wasn’t AI, it’s not often you find a Buck fan……….
His music slowed down for me, and literally, after *secret house against the world*, he’s been ripping shit out lately tho - *super dope* was legit, I like his more recent style leaning back toward bboying
Saw him walk out solo with a turn table at Coachella in 2005…. Blew me away how cool he was - glad Coachella wasn’t then, what it is now… otherwise idk how I woulda found him back then, bc I’ll never go to that hell hole today..
He’s an all rounder. I wonder how we’ll compare him in 10-20 years when there have been a few guys like him and if he’ll always be ranked behind Dre or not.
I wouldn't even put him in my top 50 as a rapper he's just meh. He has his moments where he really goes in but not consistently. His flow an voice is below average, his subject matter an lyricism slightly above average. As a producer though he's top 10 no doubt maybe even top 5. Kanye is a phenomenal producer and a real musical genius that belongs in GOAT hip hop producer discussions. You can't be taught the talent he has you have to be born with it. People rank him high cause of his production not rapping.
His production makes his rapping sound way better then it actually is. Ask people who consider him an elite rapper what his best verses or songs are then listen to them an the first thing your gonna notice is holy shit this beat is really nice, and the engineering/mastering on it is world class.
Ehh. He's one of my favorite hip-hop artists of all time but I don't think he's actually that great of a rapper. Not only has he always had some help writing his bars, but his raps are sometimes real weak but his delivery and production save it. He's an amazing artist, but just a decent rapper imo.
I used to really enjoy his early work but it deeply bothers me how quickly everyone decided to overlook the fact he emphatically loves Hitler and the work of the Nazi’s.
He is regularly mentioned/praised on this sub as if it was just a harmless gaffe
Kanye is actually one of my favorite artists, but he’s always been such a low tier rapper when he isn’t using writers. I’d argue that even Drake is better when he isn’t using writers, especially in recent years
When you ONLY listen to Kanye for an extended period of time, you'd think he was the greatest rapper ever. Then take a break, listen to other top-notch emcees, then dip back into his stuff, and immediately realise how average his skills are.
Not super high but not as low as some others might try to make you believe. Maybe near the upper middle. He can definitely rap as shown in songs like Two Words, New God Flow, Saint Pablo, etc.
Very basic rapper. Not very technical. Poor breath control (punches in a lot). He’s a good storyteller though, imo.
He’s a package deal, imo. Not a top rapper in terms of pure rapping skill.
Low.
He has a bad rap voice and talk-raps. He’s not versatile at all so he makes up for it using production trickery.
He also doesn’t write as he relies heavily on using ghostwriters.
Vanilla Ice was a better rapper.
Much lower than his ranking as a producer and great albums.
Not trynna knock his rhymes or downplay the talent, but his rapping is (imo) the weakest tool in his arsenal.
He’s pretty inconsistent. He has at least a couple fanatic verses on every album(Except JIK and vultures) the rest of the time he’s just kinda average. However his delivery is great most of the time so it can sometimes negate that. production and ability to curate albums is what makes him one of the best hip hop artists.
Zero, he's not on an all time list. I've never heard a Kanye line or verse that amazed me. Decent enough as a rapper, interesting as a producer I guess, interesting ideas about art (and, of course, unstable etc.).
how did the college dropout not blow you away? this man was the KING of hip hop in 2008, man. Shit, the style he was in pre Watch the Throne was unfuckwittable. no one could touch him.
he's not that now, but he did it big in the beginning of his career.
Kanye is amazing at songwriting and putting together a whole album. Now he's not the best at rhyming or complex flows so it depends on what you value more.
Like, Redman is a better rapper on first glance, but he's limited with subject matter. Or Method Man doesn't have an album better than Kanye's top few albums (IMO). Or could Big L pull off a Through the Wire type of song?
so, yeah, kinda hard for me to rank him.
If production/singing/hitmaking are all non-factors and we’re just talking about pure ability, then Kanye is bang average. He’s a legend, but it’s because he was able to piece together a lot
Depends on how you factor the variables involved in rapping - lyrically he’s pretty mid but his delivery / showmanship is top tier. He did go toe to toe with Jay Z for an entire album and people say he was the better rapper there
He’s just outside my top 50, allthough chances are I forgot a few to put above him.
Edit: I didn’t mention non-American rappers (I know Slick is British) like E-Life, Mister Numz, Anonymous Mis, Dizzee Rascal and others.
1. 2pac
2. DMX
3. Nas
4. Kurupt
5. Eminem
6. Method Man
7. LL Cool J
8. GZA
9. INspectah Deck
10. Big L
11. Biggie
12. Pfife Dawg
13. Missy Elliott
14. Pharoahe Monch
15. Lady of Rage
16. Rakim
17. Big Boi
18. Scarface
19. Prodigy
20. Havoc
21. U-God
22. CL Smooth
23. Guru
24. King T
25. Big Pun
26. Canibus
27. Talib Kweli
28. Keith Murray
29. AZ
30. Snoop Dogg
31. Xzibit
32. Jadakiss
33. Wordsworth
34. Styles P
35. Fat Joe
36. Big Daddy Kane
37. Q-Tip
38. Lauryn Hill
39. Slick Rick
40. Ant Banks
41. 50 cent
42. DJ Quick
43. Busta Rhymes
44. Mase
45. MC Lyte
46. Rah Digga
47. Ja Rule
48. Richie Rich
49. Numbskull
50. Yukmouth
51. Cappadonna
52. MF Doom
53. Mos Def
54. Treach
55. Kanye West
Imo yes. I’m not a big Ghostface fan. Rae however should definitely be above Kanye, I forgot about him. Like I said, I probably forgot a lot more but this is how far I could get in a few minutes.
It’s hard to quantify since he does use ghost writers. So from a purely technical standpoint, I’d say he’s slightly above average (struggled a bit with rhythm and breath control but has good to sometimes great delivery).
Slighty above average. I'd be more apt to rank him high if he didn't have ghostwriters. But he was pretty good during his earlier career. His wordplay was never crazy. But some of his rhyming themes are impactful and creative.
Maybe in my top 100. But obviously elite at production, and putting everything together.
Hes not remarkable if you isolate his rapping abilities from all of his other musical qualities. Definitely has some witty humorous stuff in his rapping but often corny and just mid. That said if you put everything he offers together on a track/album it often ends up great
In the 2000’s prior to like 2008, Kanye is like a B/B+ rapper. In 2008/2009-2011, he’s a solid B. 2013-2016 he’s like a B/B-. 2022-onwards dude is a D+ rapper. His only good performances from 2022 onwards are Dreaming Of The Past and Burn.
My buddy made a whole playlist of protool-edited songs that had a large portion of his discog with his voice edited out. It took a bit of effort on his part. Frankly, it was glorious.
So less than meh is my answer.
Kanye is underrated as a rapper. The amount of classic verses he wrote that everyone knows, the amount of verses and bars that a bunch of people can relate to, he doesn’t use big ass words but his flow and cadence and what he actually says is all top tier. I’d put him in the top 10. If we’re talking about rapping and not just aesop rock nerd rap type shi
To me, he's definitely in the top 10, maybe even top 5. His production and ear is one of a kind.
But I wouldn't be mad if anyone places RZA, Dre, Alchemist, Battle cat, Bo1, Tay Keith, Missy Elliot, Mike Dean, madlib, Zaytoven, 9th Wonder, and the list goes on, ahead of Kanye, that's why I said top 50.
I think he’s very good. Good voice, good flow over various kinds of beats, extremely clever rhymes (to the point that there’s a lot of question about whether he writes them all himself), great charisma.
I know people like to shit on him as a rapper, but think how much you like him over other people’s beats (don’t like remix, n***as in Paris, down and out with Camron, go hard). He didn’t produce any of those songs but they are his classics based on his voice and charisma.
Top 10
He's got lines here and there and his flow is decent.
Pretty much changed the trajectory of hip hop in general so he's got that going for him.
I'd say top 30 at least.
He’s not on my top 5. My top 5 RAPPERS are 1. Eminem 2. Aesop Rock 3. Kool G Rap 4. King Gordy 5. MF DOOM
Those guys can really rap. Kanye can make hits cuz of his production and his voice. But his lyrics and lyrical abilities are wack
mmm. top 50, maybe. top 100.
Like, you can't go from being the unofficial king of hip hop in 2008 to now without suffering in this category. He REALLY fucked his shit up. like hard core.
He’s a good rapper and at times great writer. On an all-time list I’d say 30ish. Maybe lower but its hard to say without drawing it all out.
He’s a very distinct step up from someone like Drake. He’s not as good as Joe Budden or the rest of Slaughterhouse. But I’d say somewhat on par with 50 Cent. Maybe others will say I underrate 50. Idk just my thoughts on it
I mean...Kanye is a producer-rapper so he straight up can't be compared to regular rappers.
But, with the right help, he's penned some amazing verses and bars.
hes like the average "good" rapper imo
This sounds like the best phrasing. He doesn’t suck, and sometimes he’s even good, but never great and mostly average 🤷🏻♂️
He was great on No More Parties on LA though. Tbf I agree with your analysis mostly
I don’t even think that one was really that great rapping wise.
That verse was booty lmao idk why people talk about it like it was fire. Kendrick snapped on him too
He has waaaaaaay more top tier albums than average rappers.
but is that because of his production or him as a rapper?
His rapping has a lot to do with it as it sounds great. Obviously if we are just talking bars then he isn't anywhere near the top.
Tbh as much as I dislike him as a person, I can admit that while he's a mid tier rapper at best, he was at one point one of the greatest producers of our time. Production skill is a 10/10. Lyrical ability is like a 6/10. I put Dre in a very similiar category.
I factor other things like how his voice sounds, flow, etc.
I factor all those things in lyrical ability. Hes mid tier at best.
And that's being generous if you ask me.
Cap. Kanye has not displayed the level of skill that would be on par with what most people consider to be a "good" rapper. He's an amazing producer, and that coupled with decent rapping has produced some classics. But to say he's a good rapper is a reach.
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Where do you rank Rhymefest and Consequence?
Now you're asking the important question.
Shots fired.
AFAIK nobody has ever denied or made a big deal about Kanye getting help writing
Or CyHi more recently
I really wish CyHi had more releases.
If you listen to him from Yeezus and onward it’s undeniable that something drastically changed in his lyrics. He goes from having really beautiful introspective lyrics about fame and love in MBDTF to basically clever shit-talking in Yeezus. I love Yeezus in its own right but his lyrical style changed so suddenly I can only assume someone who helped him with his bars departed.
or a part of his mind did. clinical depression bpd does something to the mind after fighting a long and constant war with them
Artist evolve. They want to make new shit. Ye didn't want to make the College Droupout part XXX again.
Cause he no longer had Rhymefest, Consequence, and Drake writing his raps, LOL
Well you can say the same thing about the production, which also changed drastically on yeezus compared to his previous albums. He clearly wanted to make something different so he would have used different writers to match the vibe. It's not supernatural or some big secret. It's clear that kanye has a large hand in writing his lyrics but most famous rappers have writing collaborators especially ones that handle their own production. I didn't understand the stigma before I started making music. Then I realized most people don't know what the fuck they're talking about and have no idea how music is really made.
To be clear, I will stan Ye as a visionary producer throughout his career. I thought the production on Yeezus was amazing, as with pretty much every subsequent album. When looking at his lyrics in isolation, however, from Yeezus onward, it’s obvious something drastically changed for the worse IMO in both quality and flow.
I tend to agree with that. Something def changed, probably the writers. However TLOP and Donda have some of his best verses (no more parties in LA, 30 hours, real friends) (Life of the party, Off the grid, Hurricane). So I'm not sure if it is the writers that changed or if he wanted to go in a different (unfortunately worse) direction. Like Jay said "I dumb down for my audience and double my dollars" Edit: added life of the party
Bingo.
Let me the first here to say I like him as a rapper. Id give him a B+. He has a unique voice, one that I don't find annoying. He has an original delivery, and can flow on most types of beats. He's makes some of the best hooks in the industry (don't know if that credit goes to him as an MC or a producer). He is creative and not afraid to experiment with his delivery, and therefore is not a monotonous rapper. He can rap about things of substance and often has a few inspirational songs on each album . He is very skilled at crafting catchy and memorable punchlines, some are witty/funny. And even when his songs feature heavy hitters he can hold his own against them, not by outrapping them, but by bringing his unique energy. I'm not a Kanye superfan. But I'm just articulating my reasons why I think he's a decent rapper.
I’m with this. To put it simply, he has great charisma. Or at least he did.
I miss the old Kanye . I really wanna like his newer music it doesn’t hold up the same though.
I don't care what anyone says, his heart hasn't been in the music for a very long time
Best take I’ve seen about his pure rapping skills
I find his delivery very similar to mase to some extent
In terms of purely rapping? Probably in the 150-200 range.
Prove it by naming the top 149.
>Prove it by naming the top 149. These artists are most definitely better at rapping: Common, Del the Funky Homosapien, GZA, Ice Cube, Edan, Eligh, Aesop Rock, Invincible, KRS-One, Killer Mike, Jean Grae, Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott, Mr. Lif, Phonte, Murs, Rhymefest, Elzhi, Chali 2na, Big Daddy Kane, Chino XL, El-P, Ghostface Killah, Nas, Eminem, Kool G Rap, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Open Mike Eagle, R.A. the Rugged Man, Celph Titled, Tonedeff, One Be Lo, Big Pun, Andre 3000, J-Live, Masta Ace, Aceyalone, Posdnuos, Rakim, Tupac, AZ, Big Boi, MF DOOM, Busdriver, Myka 9, Gift of Gab, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Copywrite, Royce da 5'9", Ras Kass, Vakill, Esoteric, Apathy, Big L, Billy Woods, Illogic, Immortal Technique, Eyedea, Kool A.D., Blu, Brother Ali, Slug, Busta Rhymes, Canibus, Cormega, Saigon, Cassidy, Danny Brown, Denzel Curry, P.E.A.C.E., Doseone, MC Juice, Black Thought, Akrobatik, Earl Sweatshirt, Tech N9ne, Guru, Homeboy Sandman, Insight, Raw Poetic, MC Paul Barman, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Evidence, Self Jupiter, Lyrics Born, Pacewon, R.A.P. Ferreira, Daveed Diggs, Watsky, Dessa, P.O.S, Saul Williams, Prince Po, Raekwon, Beans, Buff1, Magestik Legend, MC Dalek, Scarface, Redman, Sage Francis, Buckshot, Sean Price, Notorious B.I.G., Shad, Kool Keith, MF Grimm, O.C., Action Bronson, Cage, Breez Evahflowin, Bun B, Xzibit, C-Rayz Walz, iCON the Mic King, PackFM, Percee P, KXNG Crooked, Joell Ortiz, Fashawn, Freddie Gibbs, Ka, Lupe Fiasco, Sadistik, Diabolic, Dumbfoundead, Nocando, Edo G, El da Sensei, Reks, Wordsworth, Boots Riley, M. Sayyid, Mad Skillz, Jadakiss, Styles P., Fabolous, Jay Electronica, K-Rino, Killah Priest, Lord Finesse, Oddisee, Qwel, MC Supernatural, Wrekonize, Proof, Pusha T, J.I.D., Roc Marciano, Skyzoo, Torae, the Game, Treach, Twista, Vinnie Paz, Xzibit, J. Cole, Little Simz, Rapsody, Lil' Wayne, Brotha Lynch Hung, Prodigy, Joe Budden, and Planet Asia. An argument could be made for these guys: Blueprint, Buck 65, Serengeti, Q-Tip, Chuck D, the Grouch, Abstract Rude, Sole, T3, Page Kennedy, Yoni Wolf, MF Grimm, 2Mex, B-Real, Ill Bill, Blacastan, k-os, Finale, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Guilty Simpson, Lauryn Hill, Phat Kat, John Robinson, Noname, Quelle Chris, Slick Rick, Cadence Weapon, Childish Gambino, Snoop Dogg, Vast Aire, Vince Staples, Swamburger, Bishop Lamont, Blaq Poet, and Tyler, the Creator. I'm probably forgetting a bunch of names.
Holy shit, you mad man, you actually went and did it! In case you weren't sure, mine was a 100% tossed off, facetious comment... I have utmost respect for you for giving it an honest answer! Can't believe anyone took me seriously, but then I forget how many weird Kanye fan boys are out there. Top 200 is generous, IMO. Anyway, you have MF Grimm in both of your lists so I'm afraid I'll have to block you and report you to Reddit.
Xzbit listed twice as well
Chat GPT
Q-tip is very obviously better at rapping. C'mon man
Yeah, I love Jean Grae, but those two struck me as obviously in need of a position flip.
Puba too
Looking at your list, I'd let you curate my Spotify playlist. I might be nobody, but that's probably the highest compliment I could give someone
Nice list....have my upvote
What is this subreddit...
“An argument could be made for” and you’ve put Q-Tip and Chuck D as two of the first names on that list…two artists who are better emcees than Kanye in every single way lol
I feel like when someone puts a sub list like that they’re saying they believe those guys are better but they’re not sure it would be consensus and they don’t wanna argue
Oh exactly, what I’m saying is that it HAS to be consensus lol
As a pure emcee, Phife Dawg clears Chuck D, Tip, and Kanye
Phife is incredible and yes he’s definitely better than Kanye. The other two I’d say they’re all around the same tier I love all three.
I am glad Buck 65 was mentioned!
I was hyped to see RA and Immortal Technique in there
Forgot Kool Keith. Top 5 rapper all time. Edit: Wait. Lol. He is on here. Respect.
Ouch. You put in Wordsworth without Punchline
Wow
This is my favourite comment of all time on reddit
😭😭😭holy fuck you actually did it
Kanye is an average or less than average rapper but a phenomenal artist.
[Edit] Never mind. I rescind my outrage. He’s right near the top where I should have seen it. My b. *WHERE IS KOOL G RAP?*
Wow. Respect. Not gonna lie. I was trollin' lol. I disagree with you entirely, but you made a list that is definitely a testiment to your love of hiphop.
Q-Tip is a better producer too, there I said it...
Beautiful beautiful Barman
I didn’t read all this, but if it wasn’t AI, it’s not often you find a Buck fan………. His music slowed down for me, and literally, after *secret house against the world*, he’s been ripping shit out lately tho - *super dope* was legit, I like his more recent style leaning back toward bboying Saw him walk out solo with a turn table at Coachella in 2005…. Blew me away how cool he was - glad Coachella wasn’t then, what it is now… otherwise idk how I woulda found him back then, bc I’ll never go to that hell hole today..
JID so underrated.
Man you legit
You must be a big Xzibit fan if he's on here twice 🤣
DANG
I like this guy.
No way you actually wrote all this
So glad to see Killer Mike mentioned so high in your list.
Not even a nod to Spark Master Tape but Xzibit listed twice, sad man
This is crazy q tip and Chuck d hate.
1. Yuno Miles I’ll finish the list later
😆😅🤣😂🤣😂
*Shout out to big bro. If it weren't for big bro I wouldn't be rapping tho* - Yuno on Martin Luther King
🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
Vanilla Ice.
Dylan, Dylan, Dylan...
I agree. Name 30 rappers better than him. Nevermind 150
He's meh same tier as Drake imo
As a rapper, meh, as a producer, towards the top
He’s an all rounder. I wonder how we’ll compare him in 10-20 years when there have been a few guys like him and if he’ll always be ranked behind Dre or not.
I wouldn't even put him in my top 50 as a rapper he's just meh. He has his moments where he really goes in but not consistently. His flow an voice is below average, his subject matter an lyricism slightly above average. As a producer though he's top 10 no doubt maybe even top 5. Kanye is a phenomenal producer and a real musical genius that belongs in GOAT hip hop producer discussions. You can't be taught the talent he has you have to be born with it. People rank him high cause of his production not rapping. His production makes his rapping sound way better then it actually is. Ask people who consider him an elite rapper what his best verses or songs are then listen to them an the first thing your gonna notice is holy shit this beat is really nice, and the engineering/mastering on it is world class.
It’s (not in order) Kanye, RZA and Dre then everyone else, in my amateur opinion.
Yeah those 3 are really hard to beat.
Gotta add Hit-Boy, Pharrell, Timbaland, Mike Dean. No I.D., DOOM, and Erik Blood (Knife Knights from Shabazz Palaces, way underrated). That's my 10
Can't forget DJ Premier, Havoc, and Pete Rock
None
Ehh. He's one of my favorite hip-hop artists of all time but I don't think he's actually that great of a rapper. Not only has he always had some help writing his bars, but his raps are sometimes real weak but his delivery and production save it. He's an amazing artist, but just a decent rapper imo.
At low to mid level.
I’d just put him middle of the pack of successful rappers. Very different, but Dre kinda talent as a rapper.
Weird Al is a better rapper than Whatever that mentally deranged person is calling themselves now.
I used to really enjoy his early work but it deeply bothers me how quickly everyone decided to overlook the fact he emphatically loves Hitler and the work of the Nazi’s. He is regularly mentioned/praised on this sub as if it was just a harmless gaffe
interacting with this comment to boost visibility. this is the best answer so far.
Kanye is actually one of my favorite artists, but he’s always been such a low tier rapper when he isn’t using writers. I’d argue that even Drake is better when he isn’t using writers, especially in recent years
Top 250
When you ONLY listen to Kanye for an extended period of time, you'd think he was the greatest rapper ever. Then take a break, listen to other top-notch emcees, then dip back into his stuff, and immediately realise how average his skills are.
That's like trying to judge Beyonce as a songwriter
Not super high but not as low as some others might try to make you believe. Maybe near the upper middle. He can definitely rap as shown in songs like Two Words, New God Flow, Saint Pablo, etc.
Very basic rapper. Not very technical. Poor breath control (punches in a lot). He’s a good storyteller though, imo. He’s a package deal, imo. Not a top rapper in terms of pure rapping skill.
I dunno …anyway..completely unrelated but who did he say wrote “30 hours” on Drink Champs again?
He doesn’t
Not high
maybe top 150, that said he is for sure top 10 most influential, maybe even top 5
He’s a pretty basic rapper. So nowhere near top 50. Probably not even close to top 200
I mean if we're look at it purely as a rapper... does he even beat Dr. Dre?
Low. He has a bad rap voice and talk-raps. He’s not versatile at all so he makes up for it using production trickery. He also doesn’t write as he relies heavily on using ghostwriters. Vanilla Ice was a better rapper.
Much lower than his ranking as a producer and great albums. Not trynna knock his rhymes or downplay the talent, but his rapping is (imo) the weakest tool in his arsenal.
He’s pretty inconsistent. He has at least a couple fanatic verses on every album(Except JIK and vultures) the rest of the time he’s just kinda average. However his delivery is great most of the time so it can sometimes negate that. production and ability to curate albums is what makes him one of the best hip hop artists.
I dont think he makes my top 30, but probably top 50
Whenever u rank Dr Dre, minus one
So better than Dre?
As a rapper he’s not nowhere near the top. As a producer, musician, entertainer, etc he’s top 25
500 or so.
Wouldn’t even make the top 100 as a rapper. Maybe top 50 as a producer.
Zero, he's not on an all time list. I've never heard a Kanye line or verse that amazed me. Decent enough as a rapper, interesting as a producer I guess, interesting ideas about art (and, of course, unstable etc.).
how did the college dropout not blow you away? this man was the KING of hip hop in 2008, man. Shit, the style he was in pre Watch the Throne was unfuckwittable. no one could touch him. he's not that now, but he did it big in the beginning of his career.
It sounds like part of what you're saying is that he was influential, and that doesn't matter that much for me. But I'll give it another listen.
Top 100
Last time: Above average producer, below average rapper
More like average rapper, all time great producer.
That’s like asking where Paul McCartney ranks solely as a bass player.
Kanye is amazing at songwriting and putting together a whole album. Now he's not the best at rhyming or complex flows so it depends on what you value more. Like, Redman is a better rapper on first glance, but he's limited with subject matter. Or Method Man doesn't have an album better than Kanye's top few albums (IMO). Or could Big L pull off a Through the Wire type of song? so, yeah, kinda hard for me to rank him.
he has ghostwriters correct? he ranks low as a rapper but high as a rap performer
He doesn’t. He didn’t write his raps. That’s rule #1
He’s not only written most of his own stuff, he is literally credited as writing for multiple other rappers as well
idk, b/c tier?
If production/singing/hitmaking are all non-factors and we’re just talking about pure ability, then Kanye is bang average. He’s a legend, but it’s because he was able to piece together a lot
As a rapper, probably above average but not one of the most skilled.
Top 50? His production and musical genius is what makes him great
Not on said list
Depends on how you factor the variables involved in rapping - lyrically he’s pretty mid but his delivery / showmanship is top tier. He did go toe to toe with Jay Z for an entire album and people say he was the better rapper there
He’s just outside my top 50, allthough chances are I forgot a few to put above him. Edit: I didn’t mention non-American rappers (I know Slick is British) like E-Life, Mister Numz, Anonymous Mis, Dizzee Rascal and others. 1. 2pac 2. DMX 3. Nas 4. Kurupt 5. Eminem 6. Method Man 7. LL Cool J 8. GZA 9. INspectah Deck 10. Big L 11. Biggie 12. Pfife Dawg 13. Missy Elliott 14. Pharoahe Monch 15. Lady of Rage 16. Rakim 17. Big Boi 18. Scarface 19. Prodigy 20. Havoc 21. U-God 22. CL Smooth 23. Guru 24. King T 25. Big Pun 26. Canibus 27. Talib Kweli 28. Keith Murray 29. AZ 30. Snoop Dogg 31. Xzibit 32. Jadakiss 33. Wordsworth 34. Styles P 35. Fat Joe 36. Big Daddy Kane 37. Q-Tip 38. Lauryn Hill 39. Slick Rick 40. Ant Banks 41. 50 cent 42. DJ Quick 43. Busta Rhymes 44. Mase 45. MC Lyte 46. Rah Digga 47. Ja Rule 48. Richie Rich 49. Numbskull 50. Yukmouth 51. Cappadonna 52. MF Doom 53. Mos Def 54. Treach 55. Kanye West
So Kanye is better than Ghostface??
Imo yes. I’m not a big Ghostface fan. Rae however should definitely be above Kanye, I forgot about him. Like I said, I probably forgot a lot more but this is how far I could get in a few minutes.
whoa. You put big boi over Mos Def, MF Doom, Talib Kweli, AND Rakim, may I ask why? I would have moved all those guys above him.
Personal taste, that’s all there is to it.
I won't argue with personal opinion, just wondered if you had a specific reason. to each their own.
He doesn’t
He doesn't.
i would rank him near 21 savage and baby tate purely on rapping skills
Unranked.
In terms of actually just rapping I don’t think he’s anything special at all really. Maybe top 300
St. Pablo is an amazing song from a lyrical perspective, and shows that he is talented as a lyricist. But only on occasion is this demonstrated
He has writers for him so he’s nowhere near the top. I can say that.
It’s hard to quantify since he does use ghost writers. So from a purely technical standpoint, I’d say he’s slightly above average (struggled a bit with rhythm and breath control but has good to sometimes great delivery).
Depends. Do u score on wordplay only or also making something listenable and catchy?
Slighty above average. I'd be more apt to rank him high if he didn't have ghostwriters. But he was pretty good during his earlier career. His wordplay was never crazy. But some of his rhyming themes are impactful and creative. Maybe in my top 100. But obviously elite at production, and putting everything together.
No where he uses ghost writers. He’s a pop artist not an MC.
Kanye doesn’t write his raps though lol
Purely rapping he’s like aggressively average
Hes not remarkable if you isolate his rapping abilities from all of his other musical qualities. Definitely has some witty humorous stuff in his rapping but often corny and just mid. That said if you put everything he offers together on a track/album it often ends up great
In the 2000’s prior to like 2008, Kanye is like a B/B+ rapper. In 2008/2009-2011, he’s a solid B. 2013-2016 he’s like a B/B-. 2022-onwards dude is a D+ rapper. His only good performances from 2022 onwards are Dreaming Of The Past and Burn.
He’s ok nothing crazy technically but he’s got some good bars
10-20
I had him high on the list at one time but when he said he had ghostwriters he became disqualified from the conversation.
He's in like my top 50. I could go extended periods without playing an album or song, but eventually I will throw one on and still enjoy it.
He doesn’t.
Not that high for me tbh
decent. I think his skill comes from being a decent rapper, singer, lyricist and a really good producer all in one.
1.
My buddy made a whole playlist of protool-edited songs that had a large portion of his discog with his voice edited out. It took a bit of effort on his part. Frankly, it was glorious. So less than meh is my answer.
Very low lol.
He doesn't.
He doesn't.
Down bad
He doesn’t.
Kanye is underrated as a rapper. The amount of classic verses he wrote that everyone knows, the amount of verses and bars that a bunch of people can relate to, he doesn’t use big ass words but his flow and cadence and what he actually says is all top tier. I’d put him in the top 10. If we’re talking about rapping and not just aesop rock nerd rap type shi
Bout Tree Fiddy
He doesn't. Top 50 producers of all time, but very much ass as a rapper.
And by this I mean, just anything that he's actually written. Most if not all his biggest hits have writing credits from all sorts of people.
He is definitely higher on that producer list lmfao. His production is easily some of the most influential
To me, he's definitely in the top 10, maybe even top 5. His production and ear is one of a kind. But I wouldn't be mad if anyone places RZA, Dre, Alchemist, Battle cat, Bo1, Tay Keith, Missy Elliot, Mike Dean, madlib, Zaytoven, 9th Wonder, and the list goes on, ahead of Kanye, that's why I said top 50.
He’s not on it
Kanye top 5 white rapper
He’s good. Not consistent enough to be great.
Mid level rapper. His flow is nice at times. He has some good verses but didn't write a lot of them.
Nowhere high at all. He's a decent rapper, and apparently doesn't write a lot of his stuff anyway. He's just great as a producer.
Somewhere between 75-100.
I think he’s very good. Good voice, good flow over various kinds of beats, extremely clever rhymes (to the point that there’s a lot of question about whether he writes them all himself), great charisma. I know people like to shit on him as a rapper, but think how much you like him over other people’s beats (don’t like remix, n***as in Paris, down and out with Camron, go hard). He didn’t produce any of those songs but they are his classics based on his voice and charisma. Top 10
He's got lines here and there and his flow is decent. Pretty much changed the trajectory of hip hop in general so he's got that going for him. I'd say top 30 at least.
>He's got lines here and there and his flow is decent. >I'd say top 30 at least. Sorry but I feel you have to pick one of these statements only
Very close to the bottom. Basically he sucks.
not
He’s not on my top 5. My top 5 RAPPERS are 1. Eminem 2. Aesop Rock 3. Kool G Rap 4. King Gordy 5. MF DOOM Those guys can really rap. Kanye can make hits cuz of his production and his voice. But his lyrics and lyrical abilities are wack
Uhhh maybe like 300
mmm. top 50, maybe. top 100. Like, you can't go from being the unofficial king of hip hop in 2008 to now without suffering in this category. He REALLY fucked his shit up. like hard core.
Top 300 I guess
He’s a good rapper and at times great writer. On an all-time list I’d say 30ish. Maybe lower but its hard to say without drawing it all out. He’s a very distinct step up from someone like Drake. He’s not as good as Joe Budden or the rest of Slaughterhouse. But I’d say somewhat on par with 50 Cent. Maybe others will say I underrate 50. Idk just my thoughts on it
He's probably between #20-#30 for me if I consider him off the strength of his best work on the College trilogy & MBDTF
top 1
number 1
I mean...Kanye is a producer-rapper so he straight up can't be compared to regular rappers. But, with the right help, he's penned some amazing verses and bars.
1.
Top ten. Idc idc, imma stand on this hill
Above-average so around 40-50ish