Big 3 is a phrase coined during the 90s with 2Pac, Biggie & Nas & been a thing that gets named every 5 years. Lil Wayne, Kanye West & 50 Cent is another example.

• "Our Big 3" as in those that were HS class of 2012 to 2017 (im class of 2014, 25 years old) & of the 2010s - Drake, Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole.

Drake: Comeback Season - 2008, So Far Gone - 2009, Thank Me Later - 2010

J. Cole: The Warm Up - 2009, Friday Night Lights - 2010, Sideline Story - 2011

Kendrick Lamar: Overly Dedicated - 2010, Section 80 - 2011, Good Kid Maad City - 2012

🚨 All popped off a year after one another, & on average are still the 3 biggest selling rappers in the world since their official debut. They also have some of the longest lasting relevant careers in the genre period.

With Mr. Morale here in the year 2022, ten years after GKMC back in 2012, its offical they are all legit vets now. Ten plus years in the mainstream game.

Do you feel old? Did you expect them to go as far as they have? Who do you prefer out of the 3? When did you first hear them and/or become a fan? When do you think they will finally settle or get overtaken? What are you looking forward to in their late careers?

2010s is top 2 rap era/decade btw, with one of the best Big 3s as well 👏👏

Edit:

Forgot to answer my own questions lol:

• I dont feel old but it is wild when you lay it all out.

• No not really, i expected them to go far but not like this. I dont think anyone foresaw them being as big as they literally are & still reigning on tippy top.

• I prefer Kendrick the most. Kendrick > Drake > Cole, but i do like all 3.

• First heard Kendrick with KLEP thru Youtube, its what got me into underground Rap. Heard Drake with So Far Gone from my older friends, & heard Cole actually the latest, with Sideline Story thru the singles. I became a fan of Kendricks with overly Dedicated, Drake with Take Care & Cole with Born Sinner.

• Idk, I thot by now we would have real contenders. But basically the next gen main leaders dying plus covid stopped that. So idk when they will slow down, or get overtaken. Drake then Kendrick then Cole have been the top sellers for a decade now, including compared to older rappers, peers & the newer gen.

• I hope I see more collaboration between them in the near future. I hope with Kendrick now off of Top & creating PGLang, he can do more with Cole (maybe the collab album since they said the label web is what put it on the back burner) or at the very least just collab tracks, & I hope Drake makes a project that I personally enjoy again (More Life & a good chunk of Scop is the last), & I hope he collabs with Cole again n fuly squashes whatever happened between him & Kendrick since all 3 have nothing to prove anymore & are entering victory lap years.

We'll see, but Im glad I grew up in my teen years to witness it all & be at the very center of the cultural zeitgeist. Truly lightning in the bottle right time right place type s***

thread is about to look like

Wake up baby, another top 3 thread

I think the artist of the 2020s big 3 we dont know for now

Kendrick Lamar is the greatest rapper of all time

Big 3 is something you guys made up on this site last year

i'm taking away u niggas art supplies

just a preface for all the incomming slander

I feel old as s***

Dont know if this applies to me cause i grad 2019 but they still the big 3 for me f***it. But yea ion feel old and i didnt really see them going this far tbh but, like, who did really? I remember listening to drake and thinking damn this nigga hard probably didnt see the superstar potential until that play ball song. Always knew kendrick would be great. Jcole ehhhh but defo grew on me and could see the talent.

But i see them having another 3-5 year run at the top tbh was originally gonna say 10 but Yeat going boinkers and yea they really are getting old asf😭. Looking forward to seeing them on tour at least once and just holding on to as much content that they put out cause these niggas lowkey raised me (love u momma) .

Lmfaoooooo

Damn if young thug didnt get locked up…

big 3 term needs to be retired atp.

top 1 drake, only one in that tier
the next group consist of ye, cole. kdot, future, niggas that have been putting up numbers for nearly or more than a decade

yall been d***riding kdot for too long while downplaying futures impact and sales in the game.

What’s the first era out of your top 2 and don’t disrespect the 90’s @op

It only existed from 2012-2018 lol idk why mfs still pushing it

Another stan war thread

Alas,
Another Stan war is brewing

now they are looking at average sales since their debut

but yes the new gen is horrible and Drake, Cole, Future, Kanye (and maybe kendrick, he has been ghost for 5 years and we dont know what he will do next so he cant be included) are still carrying the game

You been d***riding the hardest itt tho

It always be the biggest d***riders that pretend they’re being objective.

2000-2003 em , jay , outkast
2003-2007 em, ye , 50
2007 - 2011 ye , wayne , jay
2011-2015 ye , drake , wayne
2015-2018 ye , drake , kdot
2018-2022 ye , drake , cole
2022 - ye , drake , kdot

Notice how kanye been in the top 3 since he came up?