There's a few categories that determine a rapper as the GOAT, that take every standard of every era into account:
Every era has its own standards for a GOAT. It's why the established consensus for the longest was Big/Jay/Em/Pac/Nas cause the standard was lyrics that hit the hardest + presence
Or why Drake is considered by a lot to be the GOAT for this gen - he appeals to this gen's standard of great songmaking and would be top 3 all time for that criteria (but wouldn't be top five all time for any of the other criteria I named)
So that brings me to Jay. I wouldn't say Jay is the #1 best all time in any of the above criteria (besides longevity, which is the only reason he's #1 instead of Big tbh). But he's the only one so consistently high across all the criteria that he's the all time GOAT by default
All that typing for just 7 replies thats gotta hurt fam
Edit: youre welcome for the bump you w****
been knew
Some niggas live they whole life without playing a Hov album front to back
What a pathetic existence