Best lyricist of all time? (Rap/Hip Hop only!)

Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, IMO. his breath control, punch lines, and over all flow were second to none. he was also funny as hell. a shame he died so young due to obesity. he was the first latin rapper to achieve platinum status. and arguabely, the greatest hispanic rapper of all time. (IMO, the greatest rapper regardless of race.)



Big Pun - R.I.P.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA7DvbWy7bs

Nas. The way he puts his words together and conveys them, he's like a god.

I also think Slick Rick is up there and underappreciated for his true skills, especially of his time.

Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, IMO. his breath control, punch lines, and over all flow were second to none. positivebalance

[QUOTE="positivebalance"]

Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, IMO. his breath control, punch lines, and over all flow were second to none. D_Battery

[QUOTE="positivebalance"]

Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, IMO. his breath control, punch lines, and over all flow were second to none. D_Battery

[QUOTE="D_Battery"]

[QUOTE="positivebalance"]

Probably the greatest lyricist of all time, IMO. his breath control, punch lines, and over all flow were second to none. R0cky_Racc00n

I consider Eminem to be one of the greatest lyricists of this generation. Never have I listened to an artist that can bring out so many different emotions and personalities in his songs. He can go from murderously hateful, to hysterically funny, to tearful depression.

[QUOTE="R0cky_Racc00n"]

[QUOTE="D_Battery"] Wait, are these two completely independent statements? If not, I don't see how the second sentence relates to the first.

positivebalance

[QUOTE="positivebalance"]

[QUOTE="R0cky_Racc00n"] Flow and breath control are unrelated to being a lyricist. If we were to grade him on being a good emcee those would count, but simply lyrics is different.

R0cky_Racc00n

I gotta go with Nas.

Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi and biggien00bkid

Biggie's a good choice.

Even though I think some people hate on Wayne too much, some of the things he says are really, really stupid. I don't really understand why so many people think he's a great lyricist.

What about Kid Cudi's lyrics are good? I think Kid Cudi's alright, but I definitely don't listen to him for his lyricism.

Saul Williams, and Aesop rock.

Pimp C (RIP) from UGK, this is one of his best songs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjIRJRROHVs

[QUOTE="R0cky_Racc00n"]

[QUOTE="positivebalance"]

it contributes. most definitely. pac would take huge ass breathes between verses and it killed his flow and over all delivery. Pun could spit an entire verse with one breath.

positivebalance

Too many to name.

NaS:
"A modern shakespere, re-incarnated, brains are elevated/
I'm being R Rated/"

GURU:
"Im like an avalanche of knowlege falling down on fools"


Royce Da 5'9:
"Top of the world, all thats around you is beneath me/
Me learning from your mistakes is the only way you can teach me/"


Joe Budden:
"I feel like life was all written understand my math/
Got on my knees told God I had a plan an he laughed/
Hours pass no sleep, cowards get a slow leak/
Ain't showered in 2 weeks, a powerless control freak/"


Bun B:
"What means the world to me, well to me man the world is mean/
Cause a mean world is the only world a mean man like me has ever seen/"


Raekwon:
"But listen to the Wu son, and maintain it's all real/
A starving individual kills/"

Kool G. Rap
"I stepped right under the street light my gun shined bright/
Send him to meet christ an let the slugs slice in front of him twice/
Let one splice his f***in wigprice ain't tryin to be nice/
I want him on ice, no back home to his son and wife/"


Jay-Z
"I talk jewels and spit diamonds, all cherried like a hymen/
When I'm rhymin with remarkable timing/
Caviar and silk dreams, my poisonous linens/
Spittin venom up in the minds of young women/"

K-Rino:
"I take the bad with the good cause they feed each other/
I might be trippin, but its kinda like they need each other/
Cause without the good the bad might not be seen as such/
And without the bad the good might not mean as much/"

Lil Wayne:
"Get on my level, you can't get on my level/
You gon need a spaceshuttle or a ladder thats forever/"

And of course, 2pac

"I hear the doctor standing over me screaming I can make it/
Got a body full of bullet holes laying here naked/
Still I can't breath somethings evil in my IV/
Cause every time I breath I think they killing me/
Im having nightmares, homocidal fantasies/
I wake up strangling dangling my bedsheets/
Call on a nurse cause it hurts to remisce/
How did it come to this, why didn't they miss/
Somebody help me, tell me where to go from here/
Cause even thugs cry, but do the lord cares?/
Trying to remember but it hurts/
I'm walking thru the cemetary talking to the dirt/"


Also a VERY underrated Lyricist

Z-ro:
They said the pain was going to get greater/
But its gotten to the point where I can't think/
About anything but putting a razor to my wrist till I faint/
What did I do wrong, why do everyone wanna see a n**** fall/
Mommas dead an daddy can't be found, when Im stressed who can I call/
I shed alot of tears, drank alot of beers/
when I reminisce on those early years/
And I'd see little boys and girls living the life I wanted to live/

[QUOTE="R0cky_Racc00n"]

[QUOTE="D_Battery"] Wait, are these two completely independent statements? If not, I don't see how the second sentence relates to the first.

positivebalance

Not the best but its creative :lol: Chamillionair

This weapon that stay attached to me, is grazin your anatomy
This gray one'll make you call a doctor, call up Grey's Anatomy :shock:
I be pushin cars out the garage like it's a factory
Service with a smile, serve a hatin rapper happily :shock:
Never miss a penny, you can't count your dough exact as me
Push come to shove, I'm pickin up money just like a vacuum G
Always makin dough, got a bunch of Keeblers after me:lol:
Pro at bein active like what Puffy use for ac-a-ne:lol:
If you rep that Texas, I know that ya feel me
Want to pop, lock and dance, then put on that get silly
Want to dance until you're sweaty, put on that P. Diddy
Tryin to take the mixtape market (put on), that Chamilli

BTW The realist song ever made for any genre IMO is Papa'z song by 2pac.
Its not made for everyone, but if you grew up your life with your father missing.
2Pac baisically tells your life story, emotions, and even personal conversations you may have had with your father on the phone.
It's crazy cause the first time I heared it I swore he was talking to only me, than I let my friends hear it an some of them can't sing along without getting teary eyed, cause it brings back vivid and even tramatic memories.

It's amazing how one song by one man can express the pain that a fatherless child endures that transends race, and generational lines.

Thats art.

Blu, Kanye, Jay-z, Biggie, Lupe Fiasco, Fashawn, J.Cole, wale

Ok i have more then one BUT I CANT PICK JUST ONE :cry:

oops forgot Eminem, and 2pac LOL

I like Kweli and Mos def also

Rakim is EASILY up there when it comes to lyrics. He pretty much invented the complex lyrical style back in the 80's, and still drops crazy parts even now. His parts often make, or at least greatly add to, every song he is featured on. Honorable mentions besides the obvious may be Canibus, Mos Def, and Kurupt in his early career.

Rakim is EASILY up there when it comes to lyrics. He pretty much invented the complex lyrical style back in the 80's, and still drops crazy parts even now. His parts often make, or at least greatly add to, every song he is featured on. Honorable mentions besides the obvious may be Canibus, Mos Def, and Kurupt in his early career.

Miyomatic

I gotta go with Nas.

SaintBlaze

Too many to name.

NaS:
"A modern shakespere, re-incarnated, brains are elevated/
I'm being R Rated/"

GURU:
"Im like an avalanche of knowlege falling down on fools"


Royce Da 5'9:
"Top of the world, all thats around you is beneath me/
Me learning from your mistakes is the only way you can teach me/"


Joe Budden:
"I feel like life was all written understand my math/
Got on my knees told God I had a plan an he laughed/
Hours pass no sleep, cowards get a slow leak/
Ain't showered in 2 weeks, a powerless control freak/"


Bun B:
"What means the world to me, well to me man the world is mean/
Cause a mean world is the only world a mean man like me has ever seen/"


Raekwon:
"But listen to the Wu son, and maintain it's all real/
A starving individual kills/"

Kool G. Rap
"I stepped right under the street light my gun shined bright/
Send him to meet christ an let the slugs slice in front of him twice/
Let one splice his f***in wigprice ain't tryin to be nice/
I want him on ice, no back home to his son and wife/"


Jay-Z
"I talk jewels and spit diamonds, all cherried like a hymen/
When I'm rhymin with remarkable timing/
Caviar and silk dreams, my poisonous linens/
Spittin venom up in the minds of young women/"

K-Rino:
"I take the bad with the good cause they feed each other/
I might be trippin, but its kinda like they need each other/
Cause without the good the bad might not be seen as such/
And without the bad the good might not mean as much/"

Lil Wayne:
"Get on my level, you can't get on my level/
You gon need a spaceshuttle or a ladder thats forever/"

And of course, 2pac

"I hear the doctor standing over me screaming I can make it/
Got a body full of bullet holes laying here naked/
Still I can't breath somethings evil in my IV/
Cause every time I breath I think they killing me/
Im having nightmares, homocidal fantasies/
I wake up strangling dangling my bedsheets/
Call on a nurse cause it hurts to remisce/
How did it come to this, why didn't they miss/
Somebody help me, tell me where to go from here/
Cause even thugs cry, but do the lord cares?/
Trying to remember but it hurts/
I'm walking thru the cemetary talking to the dirt/"


Also a VERY underrated Lyricist

Z-ro:
They said the pain was going to get greater/
But its gotten to the point where I can't think/
About anything but putting a razor to my wrist till I faint/
What did I do wrong, why do everyone wanna see a n**** fall/
Mommas dead an daddy can't be found, when Im stressed who can I call/
I shed alot of tears, drank alot of beers/
when I reminisce on those early years/
And I'd see little boys and girls living the life I wanted to live/

Pariahdox

Rakim is EASILY up there when it comes to lyrics. He pretty much invented the complex lyrical style back in the 80's, and still drops crazy parts even now. His parts often make, or at least greatly add to, every song he is featured on. Honorable mentions besides the obvious may be Canibus, Mos Def, and Kurupt in his early career.

Miyomatic

I can't decide--but it's definitely between Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, and Nas. It just doesn't get any better then those 3 IMO(Drizzy Drake maybe? :P).

This thread needs more Immortal Technique and Army of the Pharohs.

IT - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u3JSEqNtlg (Language)

AOTP - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cASLfP6mkC0

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v43-OvtUbfc&feature=related

Fred Durst, yo

But in all seriousness, Beck

Ice Cube
Big L
Biggy Smalls.

those are me 3 favourite

Biggie is definitely one of the greatest lyricists of all time.

Kick in the Door:

"This goes out for those that choose to use

Disrespectful views on the King of NY
**** that, why try, throw bleach in your eye
Now ya Braille in it, stash that light ****, or scalin it
Conscience of ya nonsense in eighty-eight
Sold more powder than Johnson and Johnson
Tote steel like Bronson, vigilante
You wanna get on son, you need to ask me
Ain't no other king in this rap thing
They siblings, nothing but my chil'ren
One shot, they disappearin
Its ill when, MC's used to be on cruddy ****
Took home, Ready to Die, listened, studied ****
Now they on some money ****, successful out the blue
They light weight, fragilly, my nine milly
make the white shake, thats why my money never funny
And you still recoupin, stupid"

Juicy:

"Girls used to diss me

Now they write letters 'cause they miss me
I never thought it could happen, this rappin' stuff
I was too used to packin' gats and stuff
Now honies play me close like butter played toast
From the Mississippi down to the east coast
Condos in Queens, indo for weeks
Sold out seats to hear Biggie Smalls speak
Livin' life without fear
Puttin' 5 karats in my baby girl's ears
Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool
Considered a fool 'cause I dropped out of high school
Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood
And it's still all good"

Machine Gun Funk:

"Fifty shot clip if a ***** wan' test

The rocket launcher, Biggie stomped ya
High as a mother****** helicopter
That's why I pack a nina, **** a misdeameanor
Beatin mother******* like Ike beat Tina
(What's Love, Got to Do)
when I'm rippin all through your whole crew
Strapped like bamboo, but I don't sling guns
I got bags of funk, and it's sellin by the tons
***** wanna know, how I live the mack life
Making money smoking mics like crack pipes
It's type simple and plain to maintain
I add a little funk to the brain
The funk baby"

Weird Al.