Sunday, May 07, 2006

MC Means Move The Crowd II

We are embarking upon hollowed ground so be prepared for goosebumps. To be considered a top ten M.C. one has to do more than excel at one or two particular areas. One must be able to mesh trendsetting, talent, consciousness and popularity together to form a stew that is worthy enough to please the collective tastebuds of the genre itself.



10) Common (Rashid Lynn) who used to have sense but, now he has soul thanks to Kanye. Some of you may be surprised to see Common this high up on the list but allow this humble hip-hop historian to explain exactly why he is rated so high.

Like Rakim he has longevity, first solo album dropped in 1992 (Can I Borrow A Dollar). Like LL he has shown the ability to reinvent himself, listen to his first album he was rapping like Das Efx. Like Nas he is able to fuse consciousness with mass appeal, just listen to Be. Like Jay-Z he has had more than one classic disk, One Day It'll All Make Sense, Like Water For Chocolate and Be. Like Andre 3000 he is not afraid to experiment and challenge his creative imagination, go cop his album Electric Circus for the proof. Finally, like Mos Def he gives our women their due. Just listen to Faithful. Put those components together and then add in the fact that he is a poet, lyricist and a storyteller and one has a top ten MC.

The only weakness one can find in Common is the fact that he is so humble. That is crazy that humbleness can be a weakness but it is. His humbleness sometimes stops his creativity because he does not say some things that could get the attention of more fans.

I am not going to front. Common is my second favorite MC (My favorite comes later on the list) of all-time. Common is so much more than just a mere rapper. He is my generation of hip-hop. He is a backpacker meaning he is educated. He is a vegan meaning he cares about his temple. He is spiritual and recognizes that there is more than one path to the pearly gates. Finally, he is mainstream yet remains positive. That is so hard to do in today's rap industry. Most fans do not want to hear about how to beat the struggle. They want to hear about how to beat someone's head in ala Lil Scrappy.

Prediction: Next three albums Common will crack my top ten.

One word that best describes Common: Maturity

Somedays I take the L to gel with the real world
Got on at 87th, stopped by this little girl
She recited raps, I forgot where they was from
In 'em, she was saying how she made brothers cum
I start thinking, how many souls hip-hop has affected
How many dead folks this art resurrected
How many nations this culture connected
Who am I to judge one's perspective?
Though some of that shit y'all pop true it, I ain't relating
If I don't like it, I don't like it, that don't mean that I'm hating
I just want to innovate and stimulate minds
Travel the world and penetrate the times
Escape through rhythms in search of peace and wisdom
Raps are smoke signals letting the streets know I'm with 'em
For now I appreciate this moment in time
Ball players and actors be knowing my rhymes, it's like






9) Scarface (Brad Jordan) is the epitome of Southern Rap. Not only is he a pioneer but, he is also literally from my own backyard. Of all the rappers on this list I can say that I know the most about Face.

Ever heard of an "east coast bias." in rap music? In case one has not, here is an explanation. It is the propensity of people to show a preference towards rappers from the East coast. This bias typically results in rappers from other regions recieving less radio/television airplay and acclaim. Henceforth, less popularity and less profits. This is basically what happened to rappers from the South. That was until an unknown rapper that went by the moniker Akshen dropped. In the late 1980's Scarface joined Willie D and Bushwick Bill to form the Ghetto Boys. Eventually, he began recording as a solo artist and in 1991 dropped the first of four classic albums.

However, Scarface's impact is primarily felt in one area. That area is his ability to pioneer. There has been a sweeping trend throughout the southern the rap game. That trend is for artists to drop records on independent record labels. That trend began with Rap-A-Lot Records, Houston, in the late 80's. The label's primary act was Scarface. Frustrated with the inability of southern rappers to recieve notariety. The label decided to push Scarface and the Ghetto Boys locally by targeting regional fans. All of this was done with no major radio airplay or video subscribership. The ending result was the discovery of "street profits" (A term coined by underground Houston artists to describe the act of accumulating more money from underground record sales due to lack of major label expense costs). Eventually, this led to a cult following that reached the East and West Coasts respectively. Scarface kicked in the door and showed the aformentioned coasts that there was substance to rappers from the South. This same substance has shown through in Face's lyrics of quasi-religious and political consciousness paving the way for groups like Goodie Mob.

One word that best describes Scarface: Credibility
I hear you breathin' but your heart no longer sounds strong
But you kinda scared to die and so you hold on
And you keep on blacking out cause your pulse is low
Stop trying to fight the reaper just relax and let it go
Because there's no way you can fight it though you'll still try
And you can try to fight it but you'll still die
Now your spirit leaves your body and your mind clears
Then rigormortis starts to set, now you outta here
You start your journey into outer space
You see yourself in the light but you're still feeling outta place
So you standing in the tunnel of eternal light
And you see the ones you never learn to love in life
Make the choice let it go but you can back it up
If you ain't at peace with God you need to patch it up
But if you ready close your eyes and we can set it free
There lies a man not scared to die, may he rest in peace


8) KRS One (Lawrence Krisna Parker) aka "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone" should change his name to KUS One for Knowledge Unlimited Seeking One. I am a huge fan of KRS One the man. In fact I am more of a fan of him than I am of his actual music. His influence on a concious level has become legendary. I remember being 9 years old and hearing the single "Self Destruction." The song parralleled the downward spiral of hip-hop with the community itself. I could not fully comprehend the song at that time but, I get it now.

Lawrence has rapped about everything from September 11th to freeing innocent black panther Mumia Abu-Jamal. Perhaps his greatest credibility lies in his ability as a retired fierce battle. Ask MC Shan or pop-chart rapper Nelly about that. I remember watching an old underground hip-hop DVD and seeing him freestyle. The wordplay he used was on another level. He has been labeled by a lot of right-winged conservatives as being an anarchist. However, most of these people would label most political rappers as being such.

KRS One will perhaps be most remembered for the stop the violence movement and is credited by many for making political consciousness popular within hip-hop.

One word that best describes KRS One: Knowledge

Need I say the C.I.A. be Criminals In Action
Cocaine crack unpackin, high surveillance trackin
Prominant blacks and whites givin orders for mass slaughters
I want all my daughters to be like Maxine Waters
When they flooded the streets with crack cocaine
I was like Noah, now they lower cause the whole cold war is over
Communism fell to the dollars you were grabbin it
All the assault and batterin in the name of intelligence gatherin?
Now it's karma you battlin, a losin fight
I chose the mic to recite ignite light in the night, aight?
We should beat em, President Clinton should delete'em
it's not hard, the C.I.A. simply has no more job
Oh my Goddess, mother, you can fix this
We rock over mixes not six six sixes
Yo this is, the message, to all that can hear it
If you got secret information now's the time to share it
Call your Congresswoman, your senator, your mayor
It's time for all the scholars to unite with all the players
Rearrangin, see times are definitely changin G
They used to tap the phone, now they tappin while you pagin me
It's crazy B, yet it's plain to see, who the enemy
Who's left the NRA? The ATF, the AMA?
Okay okay, it's all irrelevant, cause in the new millenium
there'll be no Central Intelligence


7) Ice-Cube (O'Shea Jackson) is the blueprint for channeling the rap game. No disrespect to Russell, Diddy or Jigga but, Cube has shown that there is more money in film than in music. However, before his nine figure exploits as a film producer he was the "nigga you love to hate."

Has there ever been a time where you simply wanted to tell a white person that was being blatently racist to shut the f*ck up. No? Well keep living then. If you have then Ice-Cube represented that part of you that had the courage to do it. That hits home with me because I have spoke my mind to a few caucasians in my lifetime. He was the pro-blackness of Public Enemy, the frustration of NWA and the anger of Tupac all rolled into an artist with a voice that attacked the instrumental. Cube has dropped nine solo albums (four classics) and has been apart of groups (NWA & Westside Connection) that have dropped two classics respectively. Do the math and that equals six classics. That is impressive.

Cube primary legacy as a rapper is probably his ability to channel contraversial social and political issues into record sales. He has dedicated songs to everything from gang life to homosexuality to black people that hurt thier own community to the East Coast bias in hip-hop radio.

One word that best describes Ice-Cube: Aggression
Fuck the police comin straight from the underground
A young nigga got it bad cause I'm brown
And not the other color so police think
they have the authority to kill a minority
Fuck that shit, cause I ain't the one
for a punk motherfucker with a badge and a gun
to be beatin on, and thrown in jail
We can go toe to toe in the middle of a cell
Fuckin with me cause I'm a teenager
with a little bit of gold and a pager
Searchin my car, lookin for the product
Thinkin every nigga is sellin narcotics
You'd rather see, me in the pen
than me and Lorenzo rollin in a Benz-o
Beat a police out of shape
and when I'm finished, bring the yellow tape
To tape off the scene of the slaughter
Still gettin swoll off bread and water
I don't know if they fags or what
Search a nigga down, and grabbin his nuts
And on the other hand, without a gun they can't get none
But don't let it be a black and a white one
Cause they'll slam ya down to the street top
Black police showin out for the white cop
Ice Cube will swarm
on ANY motherfucker in a blue uniform
Just cause I'm from, the CPT
Ounk police are afraid of me!
HUH, a young nigga on the warpath
And when I'm finished, it's gonna be a bloodbath
of cops, dyin in L.A.
Yo Dre, I got somethin to say



6) Nas (Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones) is like the Afro centric Asian...half man half amazing. Nas is quite possibly the illest mainstream lyricist in the business. There is only a handful of rappers that I can honestly say has a line that I can quote to summarize almost any situation of life. Nas is one of those rappers. Once again I love storytellers. Nas is one of those rappers. I love creative lyricism. Nas is one of those rappers. I love consciousness. Nas is one of those rappers. I love rappers that deem the art form to be more important than financial gain. In 2001 went back to being that rapper.

Most are probably be wondering how Nasir did not crack the top 5. Well it is the aforementioned trait about financial gain that has halted him from a higher spot. Remember when Nas converted to the Diddy school of thought for a couple albums (I Am and Nastradumus). It is obvious he did it for financial gain. However, with Stillmatic he took it back to his conscious style that garnered him his core of fans. Much like the previously mentioned Common I fully expect Nas to move up on this list in his forthcoming albums.

Nas is probably the most peculiar MC on this list. He has been known to spit Christian, Rastafarian and Islam rooted lyrics. He speaks about the street yet does it with the intellect of a scholar. He keeps his personal life very secretive and often comes across as a very laid back guy who speaks highly of women and raps about complex themes like the perspective of if a gun had feelings. He even has his lyrics analyzed in certain Ivy League literature programs.

One word that best describes Nas: Evolution

Listen up gangstas and honeys with ya hair done
Pull up a chair hon' and put it in the air son
Dog, whatever they call you, god, just listen
I spit a story backwards, it starts at the ending
The bullet goes back in the gun
The bullet hole's closin this chest of a nigga
Now he back to square one
Screamin, "Shoot don't please"
I put my fifth back on my hip
It's like a VCR rewindin a hit
He put his hands back on his bitch
My caravan doors open up
I jumped back in the van and closed it shut
Goin reverse, slowly prepared
My nigga Jungle utters out somethin crazy like, "Go he there"
Sittin in back of this chair, we hittin the roach
The smoke goes back in the blunt, the blunt gets bigger in growth
Jungle unrolls it, put his weed back in the jar
The blunt turns back into a cigar
We listen to Stevie, it sounded like heavy metal fans
Spinnin records backwards of AC/DC
I give my niggas dap, jump out the van back first
Back upstairs, took off the black shirt
I'm in the crib with the phone to my ear
Listen up so y'all can figure out the poem real clear
The voice on the phone was like, "Outside right we"
So with my mouth wide, holdin my heat
Bullets I had plenty to squeeze, plenty for ya
'Cause Jungle said, "Block your on enemies the"
Hung up the phone, then the phone rang
I'm laid in the bed thinkin 'bout this pretty young thing
Who left, she came back, her clothes just fell to the rug
She fell to my bed and gave me a hug
I told her, "No hell"
She talkin 'bout, "Me kiss"
Bobbed her head then spit the nut back in my dick
Started suckin with no hands, a whole lotta spit
Then got up and put her bra back on her tits
Got fully dressed and told me, "Stressed really I'm"
Picked up her Gucci bag and left her nigga behind
Walkin through the door, she rang the bell twice
I vomited Vodka back in my glass with juice and ice
The clock went back from three, to two, to one
And that's about the time the story begun
That's when I first heard the voicemail on the cell
It said, "Son we found that nigga we gotta kill

posted by Words.worth @ 5:13 PM

7 Comments:

At 5/08/2006 10:55 AM, Blogger icecoldbrother said...

I'll wait on the Top 5 but Ice Cube in the Top 10....that's interesting

 
At 5/08/2006 11:21 AM, Blogger Sonnyredd said...

Gonna keep us in suspense, huh, Frat?

Can't say as I'd vigorously argue with any selection on the list, and as you already know, we have some overlap, but i gotta see that top 5!

 
At 5/08/2006 12:37 PM, Blogger Words.worth said...

Ice,

I knew someone would question Cube's presence in the top 10 so I already had formulated a defense for it.

There are hosts of other MC's that could destroy Cube lyrically but, on a personal level Ice-Cube represents something significant to me. He represents a mentality of "the authority is not always right so sometimes I am justified in bucking the system."

He along with a number of gangsta rappers brought that mentality to the game. Considering I grew up in one of the most crooked/racist states in the country (Texas). I can totally relate to what Cube often rapped about. He debunked commercialism and decided to rap about the issues that was effecting his community. In doing so his greatest downfall was also his greatest weakness. He was too "in your face" and not slick enough with his approach. Often it made him appear to simply be angry when it was actually what was needed. He helped people wake up to what was going on with a lot of these police. That is a big deal for me.

 
At 5/08/2006 12:39 PM, Blogger Words.worth said...

Nupe,

lol...You know I gotta build the drama to keep folks reading my blog.

 
At 5/09/2006 4:32 PM, Blogger Sonnyredd said...

'Cube lyrically deserves to be in the top 10, no question. He and Ren wrote the entire Str8 outta Compton, Plus Easy Duz It, plus Amerikkka's Most Wanted, plus his next two albums, AND he dub Cee and Mac 10's wesside connect...There are many artists who would kill for that track record -- in ANY genre.

(By way of Cosign...)

 
At 5/11/2006 3:20 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have yet to see Tupac on this list. I hope this is not another tupac is the greatest off all-time bit.

 
At 5/11/2006 6:40 PM, Blogger Words.worth said...

Anonymity gets generic responses. Maybe it is...Maybe it is not.

 

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