New York is considered the birthplace of rap (Wikipedia Capture).
A difficult choice.
We don’t find out, Americans like rankings of all kinds. Regularly, in the shows, the artists are questioned about their top 3, Top 5 etc… There are the top of the best trap rappers, that of the punchliners or even that of the “Drug rappers”. But, as we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop in this year 2023, Billboard has also released ambitious tops, those of the best groups or the best rappers. Complex didn’t get that far but still, US magazine made a list of the 50 best rappers from New York. When we know that this city is spoken of as the Mecca of hip-hop, there is no doubt that the establishment of this top must have led to long evenings of feverish debates in the editorial office…
Moreover, we can read in the introduction to this classification the following words:
In the ever-changing landscape of hip-hop, few places have played a more central role than New York […] From Big L, whose gravelly rhymes echoed through the streets of Harlem, to the meteoric rise of Pop Smoke who electrified Brooklyn’s Drill scene, the New York rap scene boasts a diverse range of voices that have played a defining role in the evolution and domination of the genre over the decades. Others, like Nicki Minaj, have broken gender norms and redefined female empowerment, while Jay-Z, a self-taught artist who rose from Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects to become a global mogul, has forever cemented his name in the history books.
The editorial team then established the criteria that it took into account to establish its ranking:
Skill, lyrical ability and impact on genre and culture in New York and beyond were key factors in determining who was selected. There are a few names on this list who may not be from New York, but their formative years were spent in the city, and their music certainly channels the essence of New York culture and sound.
We reveal the top 10 here but the entire ranking is available on the Complex website.
10 – KRS-One
9 – Busta Rhymes
8 – DMX
7 – Nicki Minaj
6 – 50 Cent
5 – LL Cool J
4 – Rakim
3 – Nas
2 – Notorious B.I.G
1 – Jay-Z
2023-10-18 09:54:00
#Complex #ranks #rappers #York
