The Sound Committee-The sound committee is a forum headed by the illpoets.com family. The Sound Committee will basically approach a different music- related topic each month. After you read the topic for the month, I'm sure you'll want to tag "The Writer's Block" to express your opinion, which is actually hat we want. Check out this month's topic, and enjoy!! This Month's Topic- The 15 Greatest Lyricists
of All Time
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Listed below are the exact guidelines this month's Sound Committee received
(You'll notice that some of our committee members punked out on some of the guidelines):
1. I need you to submit your top fifteen
lyricists
2. In doing so, you must take into consideration the range of topics,
vocabulary, enunciation, delivery, style(s), and most importantly
for this months topic...ingenuity.
3. These emcees do not have to be mainstream (duh!), but I sincerely
want those in the mainstream deserving of props to get them.
4. Furthermore, I want you to arrange your emcees from the best
to the greatest. In other words, 15 the lower end of the spectrum,
and one being the highest.
5. For each artist, include briefly why you selected them
6. If your mind can only muster ten artist then cool, but please
do fifteen, ya'll.
Here's The Top 15 (In No Particular Order):
1. Lauryn (with 5 votes)
2. Black Thought (with 5 votes)
3. Common (with 3 votes)
4. Mos def (with 5 votes)
5. Rakim (with 4 votes)
6. Talib (with 3 votes)
7. Nas (with 5 votes)
8. KRS One (with 4 votes)
9. Jay- Z (with 3 votes)
10. Scarface (with 3 votes)
11. Andre 3000 (with 5 votes)
12. Slick Rick (with 3 votes)
13. Posdnous (with 3 votes)
14. Ras Kass (with 3 votes)
15. Redman/Eminem (with 3 votes)
If you really want to know who didn't make the cut, you can click on one of the Sound Committee names listed above to see their individual picks.
Gravity's Picks (In No Particular Order)
1. Rakim*
2. Black Thought*
3. Bahamadia*
4. Talib Kweli & Mos def (BlackStar)- With these two I couldn't
decide which one so I combined them together, because they both
possess lyrical gifts
5. Andre3000- AWWWWWWW I can say that there's no other person like
Dre, well maybe Kool Keith but he's twisted! lol
6. Jay Z- He can sell water to a well, for petes sake
7. Nas- Even though I still think that Illmatic is and will always
be his best album, and that Stillmatic is Stalematic, he drops gems
sometimes
8. Emimem- You have to give credit when its due and its due here
9. KRSONE *
10. Lauryn Hill*
11. Asheru*
12. Q-tip- Through it all he still remained the same, even if you
listen to Amplified its still Low End Theory Tip, just with some
vivrant chicks,fur, and sex appeal.
13. Slick Rick- One of the Original Storytellers (i.e., Indian Girl)
14. Xzibit*
15. Mad Skillz- Ghost writer to Most, so he...ô³s making his cake
on the low, but check out his flow on his track Ghostwriter ( I
just want to hear the missing verse that he won...ô³t perform)
*= Shouldn't even have to explain
Still hot, but the list wasn't long enough.
Guru (Gang Starr years)
Notorious B.I.G.
Beenie Sigel
Canibus
Mc Lyte
Posdnuos
Redman
Patrick's Picks
15. Breez Evahflowin'- (NYC -Stronghold Crew) Very
entertaining fellow, comes off the top nicely
14. Priest Da Nomad- As far as I'm concerned, he's the Michael Jordan
of Freestyle - and pretty much in his same position - retired from
the game & moved to the ATL a few years back, but is currently back
in town looking for a mic to melt.
13. Notorious B.I.G.
12. Nas- Don't wanna say toooo much about this one, but I'm only
picking Nas for the lyrical precedent he set with ILLMATIC, which
is quite enough for me. BUT, in the Nas/Jigga battle, I like Jay-Z
better because, face it, the nigga is fuuuun-ny. Nas has absolutely
no sense of humor whatsoever. "Then why'd you even pick Nas, Patrick???"
Shut up.
11. Natural Law- You know how some emcees make you rewind to hear
a line? I swear you could listen to DP rhyme the same rhyme 50 times
& keep missing the jewel until you READ it on paper. And even then,
you'd have to hold it up in front of a mirror & read it backwards...
10. Black Thought- Has anyone but me noticed that Thought never
says ANYTHING of any importance at all whatsoever but STILL comes
off?
09. Isabella Jenkins- Not because I love her like a sister - but
because she can rule the world if she wants to..
08. Mos Def
07. Pharoahe Monch- I love an MC that'll take risks - with cadence,
volume, diction, emotion - this cat's the David Blaine of hip-hop.
06. Kokayi (Opus Akoben)- Just as Dope as number 7 - the only difference
is that I KNOW & LOVE this dude, so he wins by a notch.
05. Redman- This guys a fuckin' idiot - but he does it with such
style. Every single rhyme he's ever written covers basically the
same topic or format: I'm a bad motherfucker,I'll kick your ass,I
represent Jersey,I smoke alota shit,I'll fuck your girl & your moms,
& I've got a real big dick/gun/choose one - but every single verse
comes OFF!!!!
04. Lauryn Hill- On the opposite end of that spectrum, the sista's
energy & voice moves me in ways I can't explain...
03. KRS-One- Have you ever been to one of Kris's shows??? If not...go!!
He is the ultimate crowd controller.
02. Common-
01. Posdonus- The thinking man's MC
Helena A.K.A. Beyond's Picks (In No Particular
Order)
1. KRS1- if there was an intergalactic freestyle
contest and we had to send our best rep¸I'd head his campaign.
2. LL Cool J- Now come on LL, your album should've been One of the
GOAT, but he definitely belongs.
3. Rakim- He'd make polyester fly, if he just busted one rhyme in
it.
4. MC Lyte- Even if she did a mac and cheese commercial we all would
still know her voice.
5. Talib Kweli- Doesn't he just make you feel good?
6. Guru- the international hiphop scientist
7. Slick Rick- I will never be too old to sit at his feet and listen
to him tell a story
8. Ras Kaas- Dr. Ras Kaas, professor of lyrical studies
9. Scarface- if Spike ever needs a voice for God in a movie¸
10. Ceelo- thank you
11. Chuck D- Gots to be a descendant of Nat Turner
12. Tupac- death defying
13. Black Thought- if we all loved words like that
14. Dre (Outkast)- the pictures he paints with words are hieroglyphic
like
15. Lauryn Hill- she and the Queen of Sheba had to be cool in her
past life
La Quis' Picks (In No Particular Order)
1. Common
2. Twista- (not just 'cause they're from CHI-TOWN!)
3. Andre 3000
4. Posdnous
5/6. Mos Def/Talib
7. PRIEST/KOKAYI
8. Lauryn Hill
9. Rakim
10. Black Thought
11. Nas
12. Cee-Lo
13. Bahamadia- why ya'll keep forgetting her?
14. MC-Lyte
15. Heavy D- (I'm Ol' School and ain't gon front like I'm not mad
because I never saw him in concert. Come on, me and my Aunt be jammin
to the Hev-ster. HA HA HA HA)
Jewels' Picks (In No Particular Order)
1. Rakim
2. Black Thought
3. Big L
4. Mos def
5. Kool G Rap
6. Redman
7. Nas
8. KRS One
9. Big Daddy Kane
10. Scarface
11. Andre (from Outkast)
12. Inspecta Deck
13. Jay- Z
14. Eminem
15. Ras Kass
Black Thought
Lee's Picks (Disclaimer: I know that Rakim & KRS are two of the greatest, but people need to hear about the commonly overlooked lyricists)
15. Twista~ Twista?! This guys lyrical
prowess is severely under estimated, hence under appreciated. The
fact that he has to pen twice the amount of material to fit a bar,
like 32 bars compressed into 16 should tell you something. Now maintain
a flow like that for a verse, and factor in that most songs these
days are comprised of three verses. Then take into consideration
he had to do this for an entire Lp, and blazed 85%- 90% of his Lp,
Adrenaline Rush. This was the same man who blessed Puffy's first
album (with Ginuwine), and made heads go out and buy that first
Do or Die Lp, thinking he was a part of the group.
14. Slick Rick~ This was the first profound story teller in my opinion.
Sitting down to a new Slick Rick Lp back in the day was like, "What
this dude gon tell us now, he's always got some wild ass story."
Although he ain't he isn't quite as sharp as he used to be, there
are definitely remnants, which are augmented by his ever present
bravado and braggadocios nature.
13. Ice Cube~ The true force behind the birth of "Gangsta Rap",
O. "Ice Cube" Jackson was the man writing the bulk of the lyrics
for N.W.A. If you ever were to listen to an old N.W.A. cut, them
joints were hella long too. Cube was truly the first emcee to switch
up his style and image damn near every Lp. From the jherri curl
on Amerikkka's Most¸, to the muslim conversion on Death Certificate,
to the War and Peace CD's (yay- yay). Some incarnations have worked
better than others, but looking at all of them together proves Cube
has maintained longevity, even after getting his as burned by the
most infamous dis record, "The Bitch in Yoo" by Common Sense. Cube
made me a believer again when I heard the 1st War and Peace disc
(maybe I should do a review on that one, huh?). Cube is a writer,
and deserves his props damnit.
12. Black Thought~ Truly one of my favorites, this dude will forever
have a spot in my hip hop universe for penning Silent Treatment.
The cadence this cat has when he gets to flowin' is ridiculous.
11. Mos Def~ In the words of Jewels Allah, "Mos made a song about
water dog". Mos proved he's not only a viable lyricist with his
debut Lp, but a poet as well. Remember, he came up with the concept
and hook for Black Star's classic cut, "Respiration". So between
telling stories in his Habitat about Ms. Fat Booty, Mos never forgets
to do the lyrical mathematics¸
10. Ras Kass~ This dude is ill for the simple fact he broke down
the entire history of Europeans in a five minute song on his first
Lp. Then he had the nerve to break down the history and perception
of God on his 2nd Lp. Ras truly says some shit out his mouth that
makes you go, "whoa!" Although he is one of my favorite lyricists,
his material can sometimes be repititious because he always seems
to be caught between being a dope lyricist, and being a dope lyricist
that really wants to blow up. Ras just isn't mainstream material,
so his mainstream shit never does anything.
09. Scarface~ The fact Scarface has
been doing hardcore hip hop for fifteen years, yet still finds a
way to remind you he's human, that he believes in God, that he has
feelings, that he deals with drama like everyone else, never ceases
to amaze me. Sure, he has a lot of "I'll kill you and/or fuck you
up" tracks, but he still has joints like "Smile" and "I could never
understand why, I could never see a man cry¸" Point blank, Scarface
held down the south by himself until Outkast debuted in 1994. (Yeah
the Ghetto Boys were there too, but c'mon ya'll, let's be realistic¸)
08. Lauryn~ I can't remember too many Lp's that I anticipated more
than Lauryn's. the fly part is Lauryn was worth the anticipation.
I hadn't listened to it in awhile, and had truly forgotten how off
the hook her album was. Let's not forget her lyrical shine throughout
the Fugees Lp's, especially Destiny Manifest on The Score. Lauryn
repreented the birth of the female super emcee (Lyte & Latifah
were the blueprint; what's with the "L's"). Honestly,
who has really taken the crown? I mean she's been chillin' since
1998, name a female emcee who has had a hotter Lp since, or before.
07. Eminem~ Hey, he's white! You can't have a white guy so high
in the rankings, let alone in the rankings! So what he's white!!
After hearing Eminem's second Lp, The Marshall Matthers Lp, I though,
"Damn, this dude has the nerve to get better?!" Then I heard him
on Xzibit's third Lp, Restless, and realized he's still getting
better. Then¸I heard him spit on Jay- Z's Lp and thought, "Fuck
it, there's no way anyone can deny this dude is one of the illest."
Eminem is the upper echilon when it comes to clarity in delivery.
Add to the pot the ability to craft diverse deliveries, lyrics,
and the complete lack of regard to anyone's feelings equals a very,
very dangerous emcee.
06. Nas~ Nasty Nas released one of the few perfect classics in hip
hop history. Meaning: yes there are a lot f hip hop classics, but
few are perfect from production to lyrics. Illmatic was perfect,
despite it being delayed for so damn long. We hadn't seen Nasty
Nas in a while, but after hearing Stillmatic, I know he's still
around¸plotting. Nas is a writer any way you cut it, and at times
can blow virtually any emcee out the water with his ingenuity, check
out Rewind on stillmatic for an example. Ya'll know Nas has gone
from Nasty, to Esco, and Esco to Nastradamus. But, the fact remains
that no matter what incarnation o Nas we have heard, the name Nas
has always been a part of the equation. Therefore, you're always
gonna get some nastiness somwhere in the mix.
05. Redman~ This guy was pre- Eminem, and held it down quite well
for the lyrically gifted oddballs. "Let remind you I started all
that wild shit, that row- row shit, that jump ready to fuck shit
up now shit, Brick City, is wher I get down kid." Got a problem
with this ranking or that comment, holla at Reggie Noble. Although,
I should remind you first, that he killed Michael Myers, knocked
out Chuckie, and put Norman Bates on the hoe stroll. In other words,
Red is out his lyrical gord, so he'd probably be too high to care
what you think. Face it, there's not a guest spot that Red hasn't
blazed, and the only time he was hands down out shined, was on The
Lost Boyz track that featured Canibus' debut. Not to mention, Red
has consistently given dope solo albums, four to be exact (Malpractice
was aiight).
04. Common~ First of all, this is the cat that wrote, what in my
opinion, was the most malicious dis record ever (The Bitch in Yoo).
This comin from the man who used to love H.E.R. The same dude who
wrote a song for Assata. I guess his Sixth Sense told him he was
ill enough to never really push a large amount of units, yet still
garner the respect of virtually every true emcee in the game. This
emcee is so dope, he often chooses to rhyme on the off- beat. His
name is Common, but his skills and abilities are anything but. Phenomenal
would be a good word to describe this artist. Hey man...Common ripped
a damn three minute radio spot for Sprite!
03. Andre 3000~ The southern incarnation of Posdnous, yet a completely
separate entity altogether. Andre has the rare ability to make everyone
stop and strain to pick up his every syllable, whether it's a video,
cd, or on the radio. Dre has taught us many things, like "Virgina"
and "continue" actually rhyme if you have a southern dialect (as
evident on Outkast's song, Elevators). We've learned that "Chonky
Fire (spiced with rock n roll) brings rats, mice, and snakes up
out their hole". Even that. "Titties turn to teardrops as fat ass
turns to flab, sore hat was open wounds eventually turn to scabs,
autumn colors see all them leaves musst fall down (Growin Old).
Possom-aloicious-jenkins-andre 3000 (for short) always has the ears,
simply because he's so out there with his shit. But the funny thing
is, we are right there with him. Funny right?
02. Jay- Z~ "You mother fuckas say that I'm foolish/I only talk
about jewels/do you fools listen to music/or do you just skim through
it?" Jigga is nice, face it. Yes, he oes spit a lot of bling bling,
but pardon my language when I say shut the fuck up until you really
listen to Reasonable Doubt. Drew and I both agree that we're tired
of the so- called conscious headz dissin' Jigga 'cause that's the
thing to do. Joints like D'evils, Regrets, Originator, Friend or
Foe, Where Have You Been, Comin' of Age I & II, and Dead Presidents
prove a lot of you simply listen to the bling bling shit. You must
like it. That must be all you want to hear. Or, you must just be
talkin' out your ass to sound so- called "conscious". A fellow ill
poet (LaQuis) noted that Jigga is also ill when it comes to ridin'
a beat. Check out R. Kelly's remix of fiesta for one of many examples.
Aside from the obvious ability to spit constantly clever concoctions,
Sean Carter is the ultimate story teller. Do me favor: go back and
listen to any three Jay- Z Lp's you want, and count how many verses
were stories. Damn near every one will be a story. Jay- Z is in
essence the new and improved Slick Rick, so I wasn't even mad when
he had a track entitled, The Ruler's Back. To write that many stories
and flow every time is phenomenal, not to mention there haven't
been too many emcees that have gotten the rotation Jigga has.
01. Posdnous~ The king of abstraction and multiple meanings ¸ This
guy has repeatedly set the bar for crafting lyrics. There are emcees
that deliver, or spit lyrics better than Pos, but no one really
consistently crafts lyrics like Pos does. But with joints like Potholes,
Millie Pulled a Gun on Santa Claus, Sunshine, Stakes is High, etc,
the subject matter is always diverse and meaningful. Even commercial
tracks have substance, and I've always loved the way Pos would call
anyone out, "You other emcees sound like brother emcees/raised by
the same pop and mother emcees". Pos always reinvented what original
was, you gonna have someone doing a posse cut, Pos is gonna have
somebody rappin' in japenese. Not to mention De La founded the ever
famous skit on an Lp. No one did that before De La¸but I'm going
on an irrelevant tangent. Pos was the first to really spit lyrics
that headz didn't get until he was interviewed. Then cats would
be like, "Oooohhhh". Yeah, that must be why he's Plug One.
