You know you're having a special year when you not only spit the last verse on the premier posse cut but Kanye is the one who throws up the alley. 1 singles, "Nice for What" and "God's Plan, " he seemed well on his way to a career year. Whatever his words lacked in humility they made up for in maturity. During an interview about being named the Best Rapper Alive, Lil Baby told Complex he thinks Lil Wayne is the best rapper of all time. Kanye's production serves as the organ player to Push's coke-fueled sermons.
The untimely loss of someone so young, with so much heft in the language of hip-hop, was like a call to reflection. On the album, T. proclaimed himself "King of the South, " a title that sparked controversy. At the beginning of June 2002 came 50 Cent Is the Future; the title was prophetic, and buzz built quickly. He obviously had things he needed to say—about his country, about music, about aging, about friends, present and lost—and his lyrics sounded more deliberate and calculated than they had in years. Lloyd Banks and Young Buck were able to ride his coattails to strong sales, and Game was first introduced with singles "Westside Story" and, in particular, "How We Do, " one of the strongest singles in 50's catalog. There was no need to after a year of such vast lyrical accomplishments. Instead, he consistently and efficiently delivered high-level bars on every single track he showed up on as a guest feature—all 15 of them. You've got to admire the kid's spirit as he runs from the subway cops to avoid a summons and purchases fresh batteries when his tape will no longer rewind. While K. Dot and Jay circled rap's best album, Cardi B loudly dominated 2017. Filled with local pride, Shan asserted that the Bridge played a vital role in the birth and evolution of hip-hop—and he had a point, since it was home to Marley Marl and the mighty Juice Crew. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. " 2 Chainz is still riding high off the success of his debut album and newfound fame—the question remains if he can maintain his momentum. Hov also proved that he'd retained his nimble technical abilities; love it or hate it, he was still the most envied rapper in hip-hop. Each of his first seven full-length projects existed in their own worlds, as Tyler sharpened his skillset with each release.
Going into the new year, J. Cole embarked on a three-pronged global tour as headliner with Big Sean, Jeremih, and YG in tow. If Drake was phased, we never saw it. People tend to get caught up in the fact that Em named Redman (Reggie) ahead of Jay and Biggie in his infamous list, but really the most crucial detail is that Em lists himself last. And on the eight-minute centerpiece of the album, "Wilshire, " he weaves together a confessional, stream-of-consciousness story about a failed romance. 2016: Chance the Rapper. Instead, Kendrick peered entirely inward; Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers is focused on what Dot learned about himself over the last four years (or 1, 459 days) rather than the world around him. And yes, it is still Jay before 'Ye because even as Yeezy handled much of the Watch the Throne aesthetics and delivered some great verses, Kanye stepped aside as Jay bodied tracks like "Love You So, " "Welcome to the Jungle, " and "Who Gone Stop Me? " That summer, he contributed "Jigga My Nigga" to Ruff Ryders compilation Ryde or Die Vol. Instead all he released was therapeutic id. Great art, we're told, is rarely made by the good guys, the happy or the content. It also launched the careers of his entire crew, was Grammy-nominated, and became a full-on pop culture phenomenon. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Jay-Z, Cardi B, Future.
1996 is a case study for every aspect of why 2Pac is so celebrated. CREDENTIALS: "South Bronx". CREDENTIALS: Best Rap Album Grammy nomination for DAYTONA, Complex's Best Album of 2018, "The Story of Adidon". Riding the lesson of Snoop's ascent that how you say things can trump what you're saying, Method Man, Wu-Tang's first breakout star, employed melody to an equally addictive result. Finally, after years of baiting rap's biggest star, Pusha-T battled Drake and won. There is also a lot of talk about "selling out" and a tension between mainstream pop culture and hip-hop that now feels anachronistic but was obviously a very real concern at the time. T Ski Valley got his start DJing with the Erotic Brothers Disco and eventually became an MC; his classic 1981 single "Catch the Beat" can still rock any party. Even his soul-sampling "Go Crazy" broke through on the East Coast; the rapper managed to summon Jay Z and Fat Joe for verses on the remix. "Nigga What, Nigga Who" saw Hov flowing faster than usual, without ever missing a step or compromising his depth. Part of that was a result of his business moves. The boundaries of the genre were pushed to their logical breaking point.
The notion of including Travis Scott on a Best Rapper Alive list caused so much debate in the Complex office that we had to call an emergency meeting. The Off-Season proved, once again, that Jermaine Cole is one of the best rappers alive. "Malik, I would treat you like little brother, that would give you fits/Sometimes overbearing though I thought it was for your benefit, " he raps, nearly out of breath but still enunciating. Kanye West's career had been building toward this moment all along. Every time she rocked the mic, the feisty Bronx MC outshone her male counterparts. Much like rap itself, it's an evolving process. Meanwhile, as Run-DMC proclaimed the cash money gospel, another Rush Management client, BK's own Jimmy Spicer rapped about the power of "Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)" and scored the biggest hit of his career, as well as one of the year's freshest records. Biggie was the most unavoidable voice in hip-hop that year, and for good reason. Put it like this: The release of the 12-inch single "It's Like That" / "Sucker MCs" on Profile Records completely changed the game. As history tells it, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana saved rock from the death grips of hair metal in the early '90s. With confidence came comfort, and with comfort Wayne's personality shined through as he talked more about his love of SportsCenter, motorcycles, and all things New Orleans. But the labels missed out on what made those songs resonate.
After Tha Carter II, Weezy started his absolutely ridiculous run, highlighted by Dedication 2 and his joint album with Birdman, Like Father, Like Son, both of which featured some of the best rapping of his soon-to-be illustrious career. First, he assumed his new role as the year's go-to rapper for guest features ("Cash Shit, " "Under the Sun, " "Stop Snitchin, " "Hot Shower"). With Nas and Mobb Deep dispatched in a few quick verses on "The Takeover, " hip-hop was his. Still, when Ready to Die dropped, despite its unimpeachable quality and ability to connect far beyond Illmatic's Tri-state acclaim, it did not catapult Big, lyrically, to the front of the pack. And on the aforementioned "INTRO, " he pushed himself beyond his usual formula, both stylistically and thematically. Please check the box below to regain access to.
As a lyricist Red built on the lineage of Slick Rick's narrative styles and the split personality concept introduced on "Mona Lisa, " combined with the multi-syllabic word flipping of Kool G Rap. Many jaws (including my own) dropped to the floor when we heard Drake's vitriol. With their black Lee jeans and matching jackets, unlaced adidas sneakers, and zero-fucks-given body language, Run-DMC looked as if they had just rolled off Linden Boulevard. In more ways than one, 2018 was a disappointing year for Drake. His tapes reinvented pop music for a street audience. We only say that because otherwise Weezy killed it in '07, releasing about 100 songs. There are few acts able to retain that level of success this deep into a career, but for Jay, even in the twilight era, consistency has been his trademark. But it did position him to jockey for the top spot the following year. For years, we've known J. Cole could rap with the best artists on the planet, but in 2018 he finally shed some lingering stigmas that were holding him back. He's trying to evoke exactly what his particular brand of happiness—one colored by empathy and nostalgia as much as pure moment-to-moment joy—feels like musically. Jumping on songs with everyone from 6lack to Anderson, Cole made it clear that he can excel far outside the context of his own carefully constructed, self-produced albums. Columbia was wary before the shooting; songs like "Ghetto Qu'ran, " which controversially detailed the history of Queens gangsters ("Don't be surprised/How freely I throw out names of guys who dealt with pies") and "How to Rob, " a song-length threat to jack every rapper in the game, had already stirred up controversy. In 2018, one thing became clear: We can never count Drake out.