What rappers do you consider S Tier lyricist?

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  • Apr 18
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    1 reply
    Reply

    Lil Wayne

  • Solid list , not popular but right, surprised by your glaring exclusion, thats non-bias right there😂 nice

  • Talib Kweli

  • No Pusha T??????????

  • Andre
    Earl Sweatshirt
    Jay Z especially on 4:44 and AWT

  • nicobarret

    There's so many different avenues that combine to give you what we call a good lyricist, let a lone being hailed as a great rapper by the masses which leans a little more into requiring charisma and voice and image and being somewhat in line with what's popular than the former.

    Mach Hommy is a "so good you can sit googling his references from a single song because he's so above your head half the time", moreso than ANY of those including whoever a "hip hop head" would claim is the best ever including Nas. Those best ever lists and repeated names are mostly based 0n what makes you seem credible because other people will agree.

    But he (Mach) doesn't write song concepts let alone craft a lyrical album nearly as good as GKMC TPAB Kendrick. Other than Mach, I agree with your sentiment and will even further it by saying almost all the underground rappers that come up being known as a lyrical savior that's better than the mainstream are not that good.

    Like Joey Badass was a legend at 17 on 1999 but after that he became straight trash but still will hold the mantra of being a lyrical savior. Griselda too kinda have an image of being some lyrical masterminds? But most their s*** is just relatively slow rap about the same vanities.

    Someone like Wayne has way too many similes and similar schemes that it sometimes comes off annoying hearing him end back-to-back lines with "like ___". That's a flaw in songwriting but we all know he could freestyle circles around anyone dead or alive.

    People try to discredit Drake as not even close to any of those lyrical greats and it's so funny because he's a great songwriter that got better from the cornier similes of his early days. I see people completely forgetting his past.

    Basically I'm trying to say being an S tier lyricist is much more than people who don't make music think it is just album after album of braggadocios similes and the nostalgia factor would make people laugh at you if you said Drake is a better writer than their favorite 90s rapper.

    Earl Sweatshirt is a better poet than almost all of the rappers listed these lists like these but he won't get his shine because people overlook what genius level poetry is. Way more concise and abstract than anything these rap saviors can make.

    "Someone like Wayne has way too many similes and similar schemes that it sometimes comes off annoying hearing him end back-to-back lines with "like ___". That's a flaw in songwriting but we all know he could freestyle circles around anyone dead or alive."

    Wayne has so many songs not doing this to the point where this criticism doesn't make sense.

  • Apr 18
    ·
    5 replies
    Reply
    Dohatma Dandhi

    Black Thought
    Lupe Fiasco
    Mickey Factz
    Loaded Lux
    Daylyt
    Ransom
    King Los
    Kxng Crook
    MF Doom (RIP)
    KA
    Jay Electronica
    Notorious BIG (RIP)
    Andre 3k
    Billy Woods
    Nas
    Ghostface
    Eminem
    Mos Def
    Ab Soul
    Royce Da 59
    Aesop Rock
    Earl Sweatshirt

    Anyone I’m missing?

    There's more to good songwriting than rapping 1st grade spelling bee words over beats that are the "classic" or "boombapish" or "soul sample" sound that's all within a few BPM of eachother.
    Rap purists put themselves in a box by hearing everything OUTSIDE of the poetry being written and conflate that all with being a great lyricist (voice, charisma, a nice oldschoolish beat or something.) and then they solidify that with nostalgia and hearing others say it.

    Like bro Ghostface's entire discography can be summarized as saying you're the best MC with a sharp sword and you really think he can outyric Kendrick Lamar who is putting never before done concepts into music form while still trying to fit that oldhead rappity cloth.

    Being able to switch up to write hits like Jay-Z did and simultaneously do what Nas did with a longer quality run is actually better lyricism to me than Nas.

    Aesop Rock admitted himself he puts together gibberish with no meaning but that's better lyricism. Okay

    Rappity rap heads basically already have it in their mind that anything that has hi-hats and 808s or maybe slower with a singer or maybe hard in the club can't be a genius written song that makes everyone understand the references and scream out lines and feel better by relating.

    Aka S-Tier lyricism is so good that it can become memetic information engrained in a generation that wasn't even alive when the song dropped.

    Even Drake at his best can write better than most on this list yes I said it.

    Rap heads would probably think Ghostface is a better at crafting lyrics than the Beatles or something just because he fits all those words in and sure it makes you feel cool listening to him rewording braggadocio s*** his whole career. His writing is actually kinda bad in the grand scheme of things and I actually like him. He might have a song where he's just all over the place with no lines that link to others or form a concise idea, no switching up rhyme schemes, and so on. He's not even the best lyricist in Wu-Tang

    But respect you for putting Earl in because he's kind of my main example of an actual artists that spits poetry on a beat as opposed to a lot of them niggas people claim are lyricists that would sound lame at an open-mic with no instrumental against actual wordsmiths

    Good lyricism is like Shakespeare being an actual genius that did a unique thing vs. his contemporaries.

    There were goat lyricists BEFORE rap that made a song concept that a 1-dimensional "lyrical" rapper would never come up with. Even something like Strawberry Fields Forever. This is the type of writing that oldschoolish rap purists will always overlook especially if it sounds like a popular modern hit or has 808s and hihats. You don't have to fit a "put 20 words in each bar and I rap faster than all these melodic rappers so I'm hailed as a rap savior the nostalgia heads will put on a pedestal but never admit someone like Drake is S-Tier as well just because he can write different types of lyrics on different BPMs that I could never do" formula.. Logic and Joyner Lucas did and they f***ing suck but were applauded as lyricists. Even Mos Def who you have on this list tried to discredit all of Drake's career for not sticking to a mold of what I grew up on.

    In other words there is more to being a good lyricist than fitting a certain oldschool sound.

    I even see people really list those hip hip hoppity 80s rappers as better lyricisms than a whole generation of people that literally EXPANDED on what was impossible to do back then. I respect them but come on

    Kendrick Lamar and Mach Hommy are better lyricists than everyone on this list except maybe 2 but you'll see them or anyone after a certain point left off of those top 10 lists. Until we die you'll be hearing about how Nas will always be the best ever or something.

    There will be a Shakespeare in music that will knock all these guys out the park when history looks back 100 years from now watch. Actually Kanye kinda already did that but I'm not saying he's an S-tier lyricists but he definitely has harder hitting lines and choruses people feel even if it's talk-rap like some of the quotables on Yeezus

  • Apr 18
    ·
    edited
    Reply

    Artists like Nas and other rappers oldheads neck are actually quite limited in that they hold onto the rappity rap about cliche s*** thing so bad unable to expand to hits in the 2000s when it actually should've been easier for them to write anything outside a washed style and comfortable BPM like Jay did

    and then try to s*** on someone versatile like Wayne during that whole hip hop is dead era and same with Drake now and people acting like he never had bars (cough cough Mos Def)

    just because he can sing do trap do slow melodic rap and still have a soul sample song with bars on every album because even HE knows he has to appease dumb people who think repeating "I'm the best rapper alive" in 100 different ways takes more talent than being able to be in a studio with anyone in history of the human race and be able to contribute something in different genres whether it's a singing voice or writing a hit love song for a female.

    Then a better lyricist like Kendrick comes along and still blows those old heads out the water by writing about concepts for 3 albums straight that a bunch of S-Tier lyricists couldn't think of being creative to do for the past 20 years.

    Think about it. it was literally easier to rap some variation of "I used to slang shoutout my city and I have the best pen" in rap's novelty than it is for Kendrick to write way more "out the box" song concepts and voices and song structures with beats way harder than the boombap s*** that someone can produce in 10mins but they do the same thing with producers and claim DJ Premier is the best LOL

    Kendrick wrote as good as Nas's most creative concept I Gave You Power for 3 ALBUMS STRAIGHT and tied the lines references and story together beyond just the boundaries of each individual song,
    That's not good enough songwriting? And he can still go and flow on songs with Atlanta trap artists and write a pop #1's for movies which no one on this list can do so they hide behind the "real hip-hop" facade

    for you guys to stop sucking these nostalgia rappers just because you heard your daddy or some guy on the internet repeat that XYZ rapper was the best back in the day so now that rapper's name on every top 10 list to seem credible LOL I laugh so much when my generation puts Pac number 1

  • Dohatma Dandhi

    Black Thought
    Lupe Fiasco
    Mickey Factz
    Loaded Lux
    Daylyt
    Ransom
    King Los
    Kxng Crook
    MF Doom (RIP)
    KA
    Jay Electronica
    Notorious BIG (RIP)
    Andre 3k
    Billy Woods
    Nas
    Ghostface
    Eminem
    Mos Def
    Ab Soul
    Royce Da 59
    Aesop Rock
    Earl Sweatshirt

    Anyone I’m missing?

    Styles P
    Jadakiss
    Beanie Sigel

  • Apr 18
    ·
    edited
    Reply

    Drake's diss was actually an example of great writing on a trap beat which by default rap purists will never acknowledge as talent if it's not on a boombappy oldschool beat and even if it was they'll still randomly say he's not of their cloth

    I say it's good writing because every line hit, had references playing off their lines, and he even added those CHORUSSY/memetic sing-teasing parts that people will sing out like bro there's more to songwriting than getting a washed beat and bragging about the same things your peers say in a monotone voice for a 50-minute album. Even Kendrick and Cole can't do that song that flawlessly

    but everyone finds something to discredit the next man the same way people leave Kendrick Drake Ye off these best artist lists with a straight face then added Rakim who is a legend of course but quite literally was unable to do things that rappers were doing 5 years after him

    Just remember Shakespeare's legacy outlived all his richer and better accepted peers by hundreds of years (because he came from poverty and people were like there's no way this guy is that good he definitely has a ghostwriter. Who does that sound like?

  • Masta Ace
    Jadakiss
    Eyedea

  • If you're gonna have Crooked I you might as well just throw anyone on there. Vakill, Percee P, Chino XL, Elzhi, Copywrite

  • nicobarret

    There's more to good songwriting than rapping 1st grade spelling bee words over beats that are the "classic" or "boombapish" or "soul sample" sound that's all within a few BPM of eachother.
    Rap purists put themselves in a box by hearing everything OUTSIDE of the poetry being written and conflate that all with being a great lyricist (voice, charisma, a nice oldschoolish beat or something.) and then they solidify that with nostalgia and hearing others say it.

    Like bro Ghostface's entire discography can be summarized as saying you're the best MC with a sharp sword and you really think he can outyric Kendrick Lamar who is putting never before done concepts into music form while still trying to fit that oldhead rappity cloth.

    Being able to switch up to write hits like Jay-Z did and simultaneously do what Nas did with a longer quality run is actually better lyricism to me than Nas.

    Aesop Rock admitted himself he puts together gibberish with no meaning but that's better lyricism. Okay

    Rappity rap heads basically already have it in their mind that anything that has hi-hats and 808s or maybe slower with a singer or maybe hard in the club can't be a genius written song that makes everyone understand the references and scream out lines and feel better by relating.

    Aka S-Tier lyricism is so good that it can become memetic information engrained in a generation that wasn't even alive when the song dropped.

    Even Drake at his best can write better than most on this list yes I said it.

    Rap heads would probably think Ghostface is a better at crafting lyrics than the Beatles or something just because he fits all those words in and sure it makes you feel cool listening to him rewording braggadocio s*** his whole career. His writing is actually kinda bad in the grand scheme of things and I actually like him. He might have a song where he's just all over the place with no lines that link to others or form a concise idea, no switching up rhyme schemes, and so on. He's not even the best lyricist in Wu-Tang

    But respect you for putting Earl in because he's kind of my main example of an actual artists that spits poetry on a beat as opposed to a lot of them niggas people claim are lyricists that would sound lame at an open-mic with no instrumental against actual wordsmiths

    Good lyricism is like Shakespeare being an actual genius that did a unique thing vs. his contemporaries.

    There were goat lyricists BEFORE rap that made a song concept that a 1-dimensional "lyrical" rapper would never come up with. Even something like Strawberry Fields Forever. This is the type of writing that oldschoolish rap purists will always overlook especially if it sounds like a popular modern hit or has 808s and hihats. You don't have to fit a "put 20 words in each bar and I rap faster than all these melodic rappers so I'm hailed as a rap savior the nostalgia heads will put on a pedestal but never admit someone like Drake is S-Tier as well just because he can write different types of lyrics on different BPMs that I could never do" formula.. Logic and Joyner Lucas did and they f***ing suck but were applauded as lyricists. Even Mos Def who you have on this list tried to discredit all of Drake's career for not sticking to a mold of what I grew up on.

    In other words there is more to being a good lyricist than fitting a certain oldschool sound.

    I even see people really list those hip hip hoppity 80s rappers as better lyricisms than a whole generation of people that literally EXPANDED on what was impossible to do back then. I respect them but come on

    Kendrick Lamar and Mach Hommy are better lyricists than everyone on this list except maybe 2 but you'll see them or anyone after a certain point left off of those top 10 lists. Until we die you'll be hearing about how Nas will always be the best ever or something.

    There will be a Shakespeare in music that will knock all these guys out the park when history looks back 100 years from now watch. Actually Kanye kinda already did that but I'm not saying he's an S-tier lyricists but he definitely has harder hitting lines and choruses people feel even if it's talk-rap like some of the quotables on Yeezus

    Long ass post but very accurate

    I used to be very obsessed with rhyming words but as I’ve gotten older I kinda realized it’s the least impressive thing lyrically. Being able to write a story or some kind of clever entendre completely eclipse rhyming a bunch of words in terms of creativity and skill

    What’s your opinion on Pusha T? He’s someone that pretty much raps about the same s*** but still manages to come with crazy entendres and is amazing at connecting lines together. Like how almost every bar on Numbers On The Boards connects together

  • Mafia Boss

    Lil Wayne

  • Ezio

    Mos Def
    Andre

    Both deserve a spot their early and group discography is insane

    oh no question lol

  • nicobarret

    There's more to good songwriting than rapping 1st grade spelling bee words over beats that are the "classic" or "boombapish" or "soul sample" sound that's all within a few BPM of eachother.
    Rap purists put themselves in a box by hearing everything OUTSIDE of the poetry being written and conflate that all with being a great lyricist (voice, charisma, a nice oldschoolish beat or something.) and then they solidify that with nostalgia and hearing others say it.

    Like bro Ghostface's entire discography can be summarized as saying you're the best MC with a sharp sword and you really think he can outyric Kendrick Lamar who is putting never before done concepts into music form while still trying to fit that oldhead rappity cloth.

    Being able to switch up to write hits like Jay-Z did and simultaneously do what Nas did with a longer quality run is actually better lyricism to me than Nas.

    Aesop Rock admitted himself he puts together gibberish with no meaning but that's better lyricism. Okay

    Rappity rap heads basically already have it in their mind that anything that has hi-hats and 808s or maybe slower with a singer or maybe hard in the club can't be a genius written song that makes everyone understand the references and scream out lines and feel better by relating.

    Aka S-Tier lyricism is so good that it can become memetic information engrained in a generation that wasn't even alive when the song dropped.

    Even Drake at his best can write better than most on this list yes I said it.

    Rap heads would probably think Ghostface is a better at crafting lyrics than the Beatles or something just because he fits all those words in and sure it makes you feel cool listening to him rewording braggadocio s*** his whole career. His writing is actually kinda bad in the grand scheme of things and I actually like him. He might have a song where he's just all over the place with no lines that link to others or form a concise idea, no switching up rhyme schemes, and so on. He's not even the best lyricist in Wu-Tang

    But respect you for putting Earl in because he's kind of my main example of an actual artists that spits poetry on a beat as opposed to a lot of them niggas people claim are lyricists that would sound lame at an open-mic with no instrumental against actual wordsmiths

    Good lyricism is like Shakespeare being an actual genius that did a unique thing vs. his contemporaries.

    There were goat lyricists BEFORE rap that made a song concept that a 1-dimensional "lyrical" rapper would never come up with. Even something like Strawberry Fields Forever. This is the type of writing that oldschoolish rap purists will always overlook especially if it sounds like a popular modern hit or has 808s and hihats. You don't have to fit a "put 20 words in each bar and I rap faster than all these melodic rappers so I'm hailed as a rap savior the nostalgia heads will put on a pedestal but never admit someone like Drake is S-Tier as well just because he can write different types of lyrics on different BPMs that I could never do" formula.. Logic and Joyner Lucas did and they f***ing suck but were applauded as lyricists. Even Mos Def who you have on this list tried to discredit all of Drake's career for not sticking to a mold of what I grew up on.

    In other words there is more to being a good lyricist than fitting a certain oldschool sound.

    I even see people really list those hip hip hoppity 80s rappers as better lyricisms than a whole generation of people that literally EXPANDED on what was impossible to do back then. I respect them but come on

    Kendrick Lamar and Mach Hommy are better lyricists than everyone on this list except maybe 2 but you'll see them or anyone after a certain point left off of those top 10 lists. Until we die you'll be hearing about how Nas will always be the best ever or something.

    There will be a Shakespeare in music that will knock all these guys out the park when history looks back 100 years from now watch. Actually Kanye kinda already did that but I'm not saying he's an S-tier lyricists but he definitely has harder hitting lines and choruses people feel even if it's talk-rap like some of the quotables on Yeezus

    always love a high effort post

    hot takes but ur also kind of spitting

  • nicobarret

    There's more to good songwriting than rapping 1st grade spelling bee words over beats that are the "classic" or "boombapish" or "soul sample" sound that's all within a few BPM of eachother.
    Rap purists put themselves in a box by hearing everything OUTSIDE of the poetry being written and conflate that all with being a great lyricist (voice, charisma, a nice oldschoolish beat or something.) and then they solidify that with nostalgia and hearing others say it.

    Like bro Ghostface's entire discography can be summarized as saying you're the best MC with a sharp sword and you really think he can outyric Kendrick Lamar who is putting never before done concepts into music form while still trying to fit that oldhead rappity cloth.

    Being able to switch up to write hits like Jay-Z did and simultaneously do what Nas did with a longer quality run is actually better lyricism to me than Nas.

    Aesop Rock admitted himself he puts together gibberish with no meaning but that's better lyricism. Okay

    Rappity rap heads basically already have it in their mind that anything that has hi-hats and 808s or maybe slower with a singer or maybe hard in the club can't be a genius written song that makes everyone understand the references and scream out lines and feel better by relating.

    Aka S-Tier lyricism is so good that it can become memetic information engrained in a generation that wasn't even alive when the song dropped.

    Even Drake at his best can write better than most on this list yes I said it.

    Rap heads would probably think Ghostface is a better at crafting lyrics than the Beatles or something just because he fits all those words in and sure it makes you feel cool listening to him rewording braggadocio s*** his whole career. His writing is actually kinda bad in the grand scheme of things and I actually like him. He might have a song where he's just all over the place with no lines that link to others or form a concise idea, no switching up rhyme schemes, and so on. He's not even the best lyricist in Wu-Tang

    But respect you for putting Earl in because he's kind of my main example of an actual artists that spits poetry on a beat as opposed to a lot of them niggas people claim are lyricists that would sound lame at an open-mic with no instrumental against actual wordsmiths

    Good lyricism is like Shakespeare being an actual genius that did a unique thing vs. his contemporaries.

    There were goat lyricists BEFORE rap that made a song concept that a 1-dimensional "lyrical" rapper would never come up with. Even something like Strawberry Fields Forever. This is the type of writing that oldschoolish rap purists will always overlook especially if it sounds like a popular modern hit or has 808s and hihats. You don't have to fit a "put 20 words in each bar and I rap faster than all these melodic rappers so I'm hailed as a rap savior the nostalgia heads will put on a pedestal but never admit someone like Drake is S-Tier as well just because he can write different types of lyrics on different BPMs that I could never do" formula.. Logic and Joyner Lucas did and they f***ing suck but were applauded as lyricists. Even Mos Def who you have on this list tried to discredit all of Drake's career for not sticking to a mold of what I grew up on.

    In other words there is more to being a good lyricist than fitting a certain oldschool sound.

    I even see people really list those hip hip hoppity 80s rappers as better lyricisms than a whole generation of people that literally EXPANDED on what was impossible to do back then. I respect them but come on

    Kendrick Lamar and Mach Hommy are better lyricists than everyone on this list except maybe 2 but you'll see them or anyone after a certain point left off of those top 10 lists. Until we die you'll be hearing about how Nas will always be the best ever or something.

    There will be a Shakespeare in music that will knock all these guys out the park when history looks back 100 years from now watch. Actually Kanye kinda already did that but I'm not saying he's an S-tier lyricists but he definitely has harder hitting lines and choruses people feel even if it's talk-rap like some of the quotables on Yeezus

    really hope you didn’t type all of this out because you secretly think Future or Thug are god tier writers

  • Billy Woods as S tier is a little crazy to me because it’s like what the f*** does he be talking about lol

    if you’re gonna put him up there you might as well throw Ride on there too

  • BRUNTZ 🖤
    Apr 28
    Reply

    lupe

  • I understand no Kendrick, but no Mach??? He’s got just as many classic songs/verses as jay electronica. Not only S tier lyricist but the total package when it comes to straight hip hop

  • Apr 28
    ·
    edited
    Reply
    nicobarret

    There's more to good songwriting than rapping 1st grade spelling bee words over beats that are the "classic" or "boombapish" or "soul sample" sound that's all within a few BPM of eachother.
    Rap purists put themselves in a box by hearing everything OUTSIDE of the poetry being written and conflate that all with being a great lyricist (voice, charisma, a nice oldschoolish beat or something.) and then they solidify that with nostalgia and hearing others say it.

    Like bro Ghostface's entire discography can be summarized as saying you're the best MC with a sharp sword and you really think he can outyric Kendrick Lamar who is putting never before done concepts into music form while still trying to fit that oldhead rappity cloth.

    Being able to switch up to write hits like Jay-Z did and simultaneously do what Nas did with a longer quality run is actually better lyricism to me than Nas.

    Aesop Rock admitted himself he puts together gibberish with no meaning but that's better lyricism. Okay

    Rappity rap heads basically already have it in their mind that anything that has hi-hats and 808s or maybe slower with a singer or maybe hard in the club can't be a genius written song that makes everyone understand the references and scream out lines and feel better by relating.

    Aka S-Tier lyricism is so good that it can become memetic information engrained in a generation that wasn't even alive when the song dropped.

    Even Drake at his best can write better than most on this list yes I said it.

    Rap heads would probably think Ghostface is a better at crafting lyrics than the Beatles or something just because he fits all those words in and sure it makes you feel cool listening to him rewording braggadocio s*** his whole career. His writing is actually kinda bad in the grand scheme of things and I actually like him. He might have a song where he's just all over the place with no lines that link to others or form a concise idea, no switching up rhyme schemes, and so on. He's not even the best lyricist in Wu-Tang

    But respect you for putting Earl in because he's kind of my main example of an actual artists that spits poetry on a beat as opposed to a lot of them niggas people claim are lyricists that would sound lame at an open-mic with no instrumental against actual wordsmiths

    Good lyricism is like Shakespeare being an actual genius that did a unique thing vs. his contemporaries.

    There were goat lyricists BEFORE rap that made a song concept that a 1-dimensional "lyrical" rapper would never come up with. Even something like Strawberry Fields Forever. This is the type of writing that oldschoolish rap purists will always overlook especially if it sounds like a popular modern hit or has 808s and hihats. You don't have to fit a "put 20 words in each bar and I rap faster than all these melodic rappers so I'm hailed as a rap savior the nostalgia heads will put on a pedestal but never admit someone like Drake is S-Tier as well just because he can write different types of lyrics on different BPMs that I could never do" formula.. Logic and Joyner Lucas did and they f***ing suck but were applauded as lyricists. Even Mos Def who you have on this list tried to discredit all of Drake's career for not sticking to a mold of what I grew up on.

    In other words there is more to being a good lyricist than fitting a certain oldschool sound.

    I even see people really list those hip hip hoppity 80s rappers as better lyricisms than a whole generation of people that literally EXPANDED on what was impossible to do back then. I respect them but come on

    Kendrick Lamar and Mach Hommy are better lyricists than everyone on this list except maybe 2 but you'll see them or anyone after a certain point left off of those top 10 lists. Until we die you'll be hearing about how Nas will always be the best ever or something.

    There will be a Shakespeare in music that will knock all these guys out the park when history looks back 100 years from now watch. Actually Kanye kinda already did that but I'm not saying he's an S-tier lyricists but he definitely has harder hitting lines and choruses people feel even if it's talk-rap like some of the quotables on Yeezus

    I agree with what you’re trying to say but then you used Ghostface as the example in the worst way possible. I don’t believe you’ve really listened to his disco to conclude it can be reduced to him saying, “he’s the best MC with a sharp sword.”

    Genuinely makes no sense. Am I tripping?? That take is one of the wildest I’ve seen on KTT.

    I do think some of the names listed do fit some of what you’re saying.

  • inspectah deck
    prodigy
    big pun
    Rakim

  • Apr 28
    Reply

    Logic
    Hospin
    Drake

  • nicobarret

    There's more to good songwriting than rapping 1st grade spelling bee words over beats that are the "classic" or "boombapish" or "soul sample" sound that's all within a few BPM of eachother.
    Rap purists put themselves in a box by hearing everything OUTSIDE of the poetry being written and conflate that all with being a great lyricist (voice, charisma, a nice oldschoolish beat or something.) and then they solidify that with nostalgia and hearing others say it.

    Like bro Ghostface's entire discography can be summarized as saying you're the best MC with a sharp sword and you really think he can outyric Kendrick Lamar who is putting never before done concepts into music form while still trying to fit that oldhead rappity cloth.

    Being able to switch up to write hits like Jay-Z did and simultaneously do what Nas did with a longer quality run is actually better lyricism to me than Nas.

    Aesop Rock admitted himself he puts together gibberish with no meaning but that's better lyricism. Okay

    Rappity rap heads basically already have it in their mind that anything that has hi-hats and 808s or maybe slower with a singer or maybe hard in the club can't be a genius written song that makes everyone understand the references and scream out lines and feel better by relating.

    Aka S-Tier lyricism is so good that it can become memetic information engrained in a generation that wasn't even alive when the song dropped.

    Even Drake at his best can write better than most on this list yes I said it.

    Rap heads would probably think Ghostface is a better at crafting lyrics than the Beatles or something just because he fits all those words in and sure it makes you feel cool listening to him rewording braggadocio s*** his whole career. His writing is actually kinda bad in the grand scheme of things and I actually like him. He might have a song where he's just all over the place with no lines that link to others or form a concise idea, no switching up rhyme schemes, and so on. He's not even the best lyricist in Wu-Tang

    But respect you for putting Earl in because he's kind of my main example of an actual artists that spits poetry on a beat as opposed to a lot of them niggas people claim are lyricists that would sound lame at an open-mic with no instrumental against actual wordsmiths

    Good lyricism is like Shakespeare being an actual genius that did a unique thing vs. his contemporaries.

    There were goat lyricists BEFORE rap that made a song concept that a 1-dimensional "lyrical" rapper would never come up with. Even something like Strawberry Fields Forever. This is the type of writing that oldschoolish rap purists will always overlook especially if it sounds like a popular modern hit or has 808s and hihats. You don't have to fit a "put 20 words in each bar and I rap faster than all these melodic rappers so I'm hailed as a rap savior the nostalgia heads will put on a pedestal but never admit someone like Drake is S-Tier as well just because he can write different types of lyrics on different BPMs that I could never do" formula.. Logic and Joyner Lucas did and they f***ing suck but were applauded as lyricists. Even Mos Def who you have on this list tried to discredit all of Drake's career for not sticking to a mold of what I grew up on.

    In other words there is more to being a good lyricist than fitting a certain oldschool sound.

    I even see people really list those hip hip hoppity 80s rappers as better lyricisms than a whole generation of people that literally EXPANDED on what was impossible to do back then. I respect them but come on

    Kendrick Lamar and Mach Hommy are better lyricists than everyone on this list except maybe 2 but you'll see them or anyone after a certain point left off of those top 10 lists. Until we die you'll be hearing about how Nas will always be the best ever or something.

    There will be a Shakespeare in music that will knock all these guys out the park when history looks back 100 years from now watch. Actually Kanye kinda already did that but I'm not saying he's an S-tier lyricists but he definitely has harder hitting lines and choruses people feel even if it's talk-rap like some of the quotables on Yeezus

    Both of those things can be true, that doesn’t stop these rappers from being the best at what they do, your just saying you prefer density over maximalism. Ghostface is the master of absurd humor/imagery , and Aesop knows more words then anybody.

  • goretex 💁🏽‍♂️
    Apr 28
    Reply

    niggas got loaded lux and mickey factz but no drake

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