Several rap artiste has come and gone and many still gracing the music industry. Rappers are known for their distinctive lines, rhyme skills, and poetic lyrics sung in fast or slow pace which often raise the hairs on your skin making us to wonder Who is the King of Rap of all Time? that is why we have decided to come up with the list of the Best Rappers of all Time who have done very well and are loved by fans doesn’t matter whether they are dead or alive. Follow us as we unveil these rap stars to you.
TOP 15 BEST RAPPERS OF ALL TIME
To come up with a definitive list will be tasking but however looking at fans ranking of the Best Rappers of all Time Rolling Stone, we have come up with a definitive list of rappers deemed the best ever to have graced the music industry. Take a look below.
- Eminem
- Tupac
- The Notorious B.I.G
- Nas
- Kendrick Lamar
- Dre
- Snoop Dog
- Jay-Z
- Ice Cube
- Kanye West
- 50 Cent
- Andre 3000
- Eazy-E
- Rakim
- Cole
These are the rappers voted by fans from around the world from Ranker page has given us a clue on Who is the King of Rap of all. Below is brief information about these rap legends.
- #1. Eminem
Eminem full name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, film producer, and actor. Eminem is not just one of the best rapper ever but among the greatest earning him the first spot on our list of Best Rappers of all time. His song is characterized with lines on life events such as about rape, murder and drug abuse delivered in a tongue-twisting, fast pace thought-provoking way. No wonder he is named the “King of Hip-Hop by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of Best Rappers of all Time Rolling Stone.
- #2. Tupac
Tupac Amaru Shakur known popularly as 2pac, or Makaveli is an American rap artist, songwriter and actor ranked as the Best Rapper of All Time by many loyal fans. His song mostly springs up from his childhood experience and happenings in the society make his song unique and loved by many. His albums sold over 75 million copies worldwide including double-disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits. Ranked among the greatest rappers ever by Best Rappers of all Time Rolling Stone occupying the 86th position on their list of 100 Greatest Artists of all Time.
- #3. The Notorious B.I.G
Christopher George Latore Wallace, popularly known by stage name Notorious B.I.G is another legendary bonafide rapper to be enlisted as one of the Best Rappers of all Time Rolling Stone. Like Tupac, he is also late but his legacy in the rap world cannot be forgotten. Notorious B.I.G ability of storytelling rhymes hewed directly from his experiences in the Brooklyn streets as crammed in his classic album “Ready to Die” in 1994 was unmatched. Subsequent albums with Junior M.A.F.I.A released in 1995 was a hit. Sadly, Notorious B.I.G died six days earlier before the release of the sophomore double-disc album “Life After Death”. His ability to put the East Coast hip hop on the scene in a period when the West Coast dominate Hip hop cannot be forgotten and as such he is a legend in the rap world.
- #4. Nas
The half Nigerian, Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones who goes by the stage name Nas is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. He is the son of a Jazz musician from Nigeria, Olu Dara. So far, Nas has eight platinum albums to his name which has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Nas also spread his tentacles to entrepreneur field through his own record label, retail sneaker store (owner of Fila Sneaker Store), and magazine publishing (Associate Publisher of mass Appeal Magazine). Before the release of his debut album “Seminal Illmatic” in 1994, he has begun to enjoy early hype as fans and critics calling him the second coming.
- #5. Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth often called by stage name Kendrick Lamar, is an American rapper who is currently signed under the signed to Carson-based independent record label, Top Dawg Entertainment. Lamar is one of the skilful and successful rap artists of the new school century. This is not surprising considering the Lamar’s From triple and quadruple-time rhythms, his layered adlibs, as well as his multiple-personality voices, he is undoubtedly the greatest rapper to surface in the 21st century. His last three albums Section.80, Good Kid Madd City and To Pimp a Butterfly is rated among the best topical rap songs of all time.
- #6. Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre is the stage name of American record producer, rapper and entrepreneur, Andre Romelle Young. As an entrepreneur, Dr. Dre is the owner of He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics. Several rappers are connected to Dr. Dre, the likes of Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Xzibit, 50 Cent, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar. He is famous for popularizing the West Coast g-Funk rap style known for its synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats.
- #7. Snoop Dog
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, is the real name of the man popularly called Snoop Dogg, an American rap artist, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor whose music career began in 1992. He is a protégé of Dr. Dre and he is one of the rappers that popularize gangsta rap in the 1990s and also at the epitome of West Coast hip-hop culture.
- #8. Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter, popularly known by his stage name as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, songwriter, producer, record executive and entrepreneur. Jay-Z is a blend of both old school hip-hop and the 21st century and is dubbed as one of the most financially successful hip-hop artist of all time. Jay-Z has learnt to flow and adapt as the rap trend changes with remarkable discography and incredible rhymes delivered in several classics that continuously get fans worldwide on their feet.
- #9. Ice Cube
Taking us further is the old school new school rapper O’Shea Jackson popularly known as Ice Cube. He is an American rapper, actor, producer, director and writer. He rose to stardom in 1984 1984 been a member of the hip hop group C.I.A and afterwards he joined N.W.A. in 1987, a group he alongside Dr. Dre and Eazy E formed. He later left the group to build a solo career. Ice Cube is known as a proficient lyricist and a core gangster rapper.
- #10. Kanye West
The American rapper, Kanye Omari West is popularly known by stage name Kanye West is among the Best Rapper of all Time. The rapper is also a songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. Starting out as a producer of Roc-A-Fella Records; he features popular music stars like Jay-Z’s, Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson in several of his hit singles. He is a dynamic singer who also broadened his influences in genres such as R&B, rip hop, arena rock, house, and folk among others.
- #11. 50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III popularly known as 50 Cent is a popular American rapper and a TV personality. He is a protégé of Eminem who is known for his hardcore rap. He was a victim of a gunshot in 2000 when he was shot nine (9) times by unknown gunmen. Started out by selling the drug at a tender age but left drug selling and pursued a career in music.
- #12. Andre 3000
André Lauren Benjamin who goes by the stage name André 3000, is a multitalented American entertainer been a rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor. Andre 3000 is part of hip hop duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi. His contribution to the group success was impeccable been the major backbone of the group’s unsullied five albums which is considered to be unmatched by any other hip-hop act in terms of quality, success and innovation. Like Lamar, Andre 3000 is unarguably one of the top-notch rappers in this millennium.
- #13. Eazy-E
Eazy-E is an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. which he formed alongside Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. Dropped out of high school at grade ten and began to sell drugs to provide for himself. However, he got out of the drug dealing business and invested in music. He was prominent in gangsta rap earning him the title “Godfather of Gangsta Rap”. Also, his work in N.W.A cannot be forgotten.
- #14. Rakim
William Michael Griffin, Jr., known popularly as Rakim is seen as the dividing line between old-school rap and new school rap. Regarded by many as widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled MCs ever. With debut albums such as “Eric B” released in 1987, made this rapper unmatchable as the album is crammed with outstanding mic techniques, complex internal rhyme schemes and his soft-spoken delivery of the lyrics. His smoky tightrope lyrics characterized by criminal, intellectual, everyman, and god, paved way for rappers like Nas and Kendrick Lamar who oft rap the same way.
- #15. J. Cole
Last on our list is J. Cole another rapper who has engraved his name among the Best Rappers of all Time. The rapper, songwriter and producer came to limelight in 2007 following the release of his debut mixtape “The Come Up”. Shortly afterwards he worked with Jay-Z and signed to his record label in 2009. J. Cole’s release of his other mixtapes “The Warm Up” and “The Warm Up” which are also among his notable work.
Conclusion on the Top 15 Best Rappers of all Time
Those are the top 15 Best Rappers who you can listen to over and over without getting bored and some of them definitely take back to the root, the days when hip hop began. You can also add the rap artist you think should be there but for us, these are the best of them all
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