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Greatest Rappers of All Time

The most infamous list any hip hop fan can ever have. Inevitably, people will disagree with you, but some take it very personally and take it as a sign of war if you leave one of their favorite’s off your list. Let me preface this by stating, this is my personal list, and by no means is this an objective or a perfect list. You are free to disagree and come up with your own list. In fact, I welcome friendly debates and I have an open mind so I will never dismiss someone’s list. Making a top ten list is hard enough, but I’m going to narrow it down even further to a top 5 list. As a criteria, this list will be judged based on rapping ability/talent, sales, influence, longevity, and of course my personal preference. Without further ado, let’s jump into the list:

5. Kendrick Lamar

King Kendrick, Kung-fu Kenny, Kendrick Lamar. Regardless of whatever moniker you choose to address him by, you just know he is the best rapper of today’s era. Kendrick’s lyricism, wordplay, tempo, cadence, is on par and even surpasses some of the greatest rappers of all time. He easily one of the most talented artists on this list. The main reason I have him at number 5 is because his career has been relatively short. His first album was released in 2011 which is not too long ago. However, I can see Kendrick moving up to the number 2 or 1 spot by the time his career is over. This man’s talent is truly one of a kind.

4. Tupac

Tupac Shakur just might be the most influential artist on this list. Tupac was way more than a rapper. He was a poet, actor, activist, artist, among many other things. As you probably may already know, Tupac’s life was cut short at the young age of  25 years old in 1996 by a drive by shooting, but nevertheless, his music has inspired some of the biggest rappers and artists who have reached success after him. He has sold over 75 million records worldwide with the majority of his sales coming after his passing, making him one of the only artists to achieve this. Although Tupac was in large part seen as a gangster or a thug due to the violence in his life and in his music, songs like “Dear Mama”, and “Brenda’s Got a Baby” show that he was more than anything the media could portray him to be. It is a shame for such a talented life to be cut so short but this man’s music has touched countless lives all around the world.

3. Jay Z

Coming in at number 3 is Jay Z. I think it’s safe to put Jay Z in any place in the top 3 rappers of all time. His longevity is second to none and his ability to adapt and change his sound during changing times while still being true to himself is remarkable. His lyricism and word play is mind boggling and if you listen to any Jay Z song, I would recommend reading the lyrics out loud. Every time I re-listen one of his songs, I always seem to catch a reference or double or even triple meaning to a single line. Jay Z is also the second best selling rapper of all time which shows just how big of a musical juggernaut he really is.

2. The Notorious B.I.G.

Coming in at number 2 is Christopher Wallace a.k.a. Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G. He is my favorite rapper on this list and for good reason. His lyricism and control of any instrumental he was rapping on really shaped what I look for when I listen a new rapper. He is also the best storyteller in my opinion as well. Biggie is able to paint a picture so vivid that if you close your eyes, you can honestly feel as if you’re actually in the situation he is rapping about. A few rappers come close, but nobody is as good as Biggie when it comes to this. Unfortunately, just like Tupac, his life was cut short by a drive by shooting at the age of 24 years old. Biggie has not sold as many albums as the other on this list (excluding Kendrick Lamar) but I would argue he is just as talented as any artist on this list.

1. Eminem

Love him or hate him, Eminem is one of the biggest musicians EVER. Eminem is the best selling rapper of all time and in fact, he is the best selling artist of this century so far! This alone should put him in contention for being top 5 in anyone’s list. As I’m sure you know, having sold many records doesn’t always equate to talent, but Eminem is just as talented as he is popular. He is not my favorite rapper on this list, but I will never deny greatness when I see it. He is the most well rounded rapper when it comes to the criteria I sent forth earlier. While other artists have certain weaknesses, Eminem simply has none which is why I am crowing him the Greatest Rapper of All Time.

This list was a very grueling one to come up with because I was torn between who to include and who to leave off. It wasn’t easy ranking these rappers as some of them come very close for me. In any case, these are my top 5 rappers of all time and maybe down the road my list can change. As always, thanks for reading.

-houstonhiphophead

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I Miss The Old Kanye

What is going on with Kanye West? This question has surely been asked several thousand times throughout his historic career. However, perhaps now more than ever. Kanye has been one of the most controversial and most talked about celebrities let alone artists of all time. From being outspoken and unafraid of giving his opinions on some of the most sensitive matters, to going on rants for 30 plus minutes during his 1 hour shows, to being so confident that the media and general population labels him as self centered and arrogant. However now, Kanye has entered a new realm that not even I, a die hard fan and follower of his music, would even think he would go.

Kanye with a MAGA hat. Now don’t get me wrong, Kanye, and anyone for that matter, has the right to free speech, freedom of expression, and their opinion should be respected. You don’t have to agree with someone’s opinion but you should always be respectful when disagreeing with them. The reason this is such a shock to me (and most of Kanye’s fans) is because Kanye was very vocal about the government and the lack of opportunities and mass incarcerations when it came to African Americans throughout his career.

Case in Point: In September 2005, The Red Cross televised a telethon where a plethora of celebrities volunteered their time to go on air live and ask for donations of any sort for Hurricane Katrina victims. When it was Kanye’s turn to read from the teleprompter, Kanye did a very Kanye-like thing and went off script. For about a minute straight Kanye talked about the desperation of people in New Orleans and begged and pleaded for any donation possible as people were literally starving and dying. You can tell Kanye was coming from a genuine place from his voice and tone and clips of this can be found of YouTube if you’re interested. Michael Myers, the famous actor/comedian was next to Kanye during this and tried to lessen the awkwardness of the moment by continuing with his script, then Kanye said the most memorable line from the entire telethon: “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” The cameras were not able to cut off Kanye soon enough so this was broadcasted on national TV live. Of course saying George Bush not caring about black people is a very long stretch but this is exactly how many victims of Katrina felt. Kanye was immediately met with backlash from American media, but received the highest praise from the African American and Hip Hop communities.

Fast forward 13 years later and now Kanye is doing this:

Donald Trump has easily been the most controversial president of all time and that is saying a lot considering the presidents we have had in office and all the scandals and controversies associated with past Commander in Chiefs. What is especially shocking is the disapproval of Donald Trump within the African American and Hip Hop community yet one of the most followed and influential Hip Hop artists is sitting down with the president and giving him hugs. Now communication is very important, but supporting a president who has been openly racist, sexist and misogynistic is not the right move even for Kanye. What Kanye said in 2005 about George Bush is what he should be saying daily today about Donald Trump. Trump has shown little to any care for minorities and especially to Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria where 3 months after the hurricane hit, about half of Puerto Rico was still without power.

Musically, Kanye West is a one of a kind talent and a genius. For me, his older works are some of the greatest music ever created. However, as a person, it is getting hard for me to support and defend Kanye. I just wish we had 2005 Kanye back. We need that Kanye now more than ever.

-houstonhiphophead

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The Weeknd Albums: Ranked (From My Least Favorite to Favorite)

Abel Tesfaye also known as The Weeknd is one of the most talented and popular pop artists today. However many people don’t know he started his musical career by bring a new deep, dark, drug inspired style to the R&B genre. The Weeknd made R&B relevant again and introduced a new style which many artists were able to imitate and put their own respective twist on such as Partynextdoor, Bryson Tiller, Khalid, Tory Lanez, among many others. The Weeknd is one of my favorite artists of all time and this list is dedicated to ranking his albums from my least favorite to his best in my opinion.

5. 

Beauty Behind the Madness (2015)

Beauty Behind the Madness was The Weeknd’s transition from dark R&B to lighter pop music. I knew the day would come where he would make the transition to pop, however I was not prepared for this album to be it. This was The Weeknd’s third studio album and he was coming off one of his darkest albums: Kissland. For what it was, Beauty Behind the Madness was a great pop album, but just not my style. While this album is one of his best from a commercial standpoint, I feel like this was catering to a new audience and not the old fans such as myself.

4. 

Starboy (2016)

Don’t let the ranking misguide you, Starboy was an great album. In fact, all the albums on this list are amazing in their own right, so if you haven’t, I would highly recommend checking out this man’s body of work. Starboy was much like Beauty Behind the Madness with the lighter beats and melodic vocals. However I feel it was constructed better than Beauty Behind the Madness and had better songs. This is the album that truly propelled The Weeknd into stardom and completed his transformation into being a pop star.

3. 

My Dear Melancholy, (2018)

“My Dear Melancholy,” is the latest release and definitely one of my favorite. Although it is an EP which is technically not an album, I consider this an album because it gives a snapshot into Abel’s personal life and an emotional time for him: his breakup with fellow pop megastar, Selena Gomez. The intro track “Call Out My Name” sets the tone for it being a painful album and in one way or another, if you have experienced heartbreak in your life before, I guarantee you will be able to relate to at least one song on this album. Honestly, my only criticism was that it was only 6 tracks long. If this project was a full 10 or 15 songs long, I am sure this would be my second favorite album of his.

2.

Kiss Land (2013)

The Weeknd’s Sophomore album release: Kiss Land was almost a direct continuation of his first album. It is the same subject matter, same sound, but different setting. Abel drew inspiration from Tokyo as he made most of the album while living there. Old fans of The Weeknd love and praise this album as it is the last album that was entirely filled with his old sound. Kiss Land is a hit or miss for many people, put for me, this is one of my favorite albums of the last 10 years.

1. 

Trilogy (2012)

Trilogy is a compilation album of The Weeknd’s three mix tapes: House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The three tapes were released within 2011 and Trilogy was his first studio album release. It sports 30 songs which is quite lengthy but the quality of music is unmatched. Trilogy has met critical and commercial success and is one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song is carefully crafted and this album shows just how great of a voice The Weeknd has. It was actually this album which spawned all the Michael Jackson comparisons and from a Michael Jackson fan, the comparisons are not far off.

The Weeknd is the best singer today. His voice is a once in a lifetime voice and if you still somehow have managed to not listen to at least one of his albums, you are doing yourself a disservice. The Weeknd will go down as an all time great.

-houstonhiphophead

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The History and Current State of Hip Hop in Houston

Houston, Texas has always been one of the most influential cities for not only southern rap music, but for rap music as a whole. Houston has often been overlooked (and for a while forgotten) when talking about the the most important cities for rap music but nevertheless, Houston’s sound and culture is undeniably prevalent in music today.

Hip Hop music and Hip Hop culture started somewhere in the 1970′s. The exact date of birth is up for debate, but it is generally accepted that Hip Hop came about in 70′s. Rap music then came out of Hip Hop in the late 70′s or early 80′s with the two most influential cities being New York and Los Angeles. Before long, the music migrated and became very popular in the southern states. Houston’s impact came about in 1990 with the late and iconic Dj Screw and his creation of the ‘screwed and chopped’ style. This style was basically where Screw would slow down the song and reducing the pitch made the song sound more mellow and calmer. Through his constant use, this sound spread like wildfire and before long, many of the biggest rappers in the 90′s used this sound in some form or another. Houston then became the breeding ground for this sound and the best screwed and chopped producers had to be found in Houston. Houston saw even bigger exposure when rap duo UGK became mainstream during the early and mid 2000′s. UGK was a rap group composed of two artists, Bun B and the late Pimp C, and made an impact on the music industry by combining both the screwed and chopped beats with their unique cadences and their rhyme schemes. They also had heavy southern accents and were able to rhyme words together that most other rappers would never dare try. They were able to pull this off due to their annunciation of words. This accent is still prevalent today and can be heard by simply walking around the city of Houston. UGK collaborated with some of the biggest rappers and producers of all time such as Jay Z, Rick Ross, Outkast, and Three 6 Mafia. They quickly became the most popular rap duo of the mid 2000′s and through their exposure, brought light to many other Houston artists such as Slim Thug, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, and Z-ro. Unfortunately, in late 2007 Pimp C was found dead from an apparent drug overdose. This was a significant blow to the hip hop community and for some unknown reason, Houston eventually fell out of the spotlight. Other rappers from Houston were making music, but none managed to reach the success of UGK and this would last for almost an entire decade.

Fast forward to today, Houston is finally back as a major Hip Hop city thanks in large to the abundance of rappers and producers coming out of Houston. Also, many artists who grew up listening to Pimp C and UGK payed homage to these artists by sampling their music and even making songs using the screwed and chopped style. Artists who have regularly payed homage to Houston include Drake, Lil Wayne, Asap Rocky, Beyonce, The Weeknd, Kanye West, Jay Z, and many others. Currently, one of the biggest rappers in the world is Houston’s own Travis Scott. Travis Scott is one of the biggest names in rap music having seen both commercial and critical success. He also incorporates Houston’s old sound into his music while making his own sound and a sound for the new and young generation. By doing this, Travis has opened the doors for many other young up-and-coming artists hailing from Houston such as Sauce Walka, Ugly God, and Don Toliver. They each have their own unique style while retaining some of the old Houstonian style in. Today, Houston is viewed as a very influential city for hip hop music (along with others such as Chicago, Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles) and rightfully so. The impact Houston had on Hip Hop music and culture is undeniable. Without Houston, Hip Hop music would not sound how it sounds today and one may argue many artists would not even exist. It is great to see Houston finally getting some long overdue respect and recognition.

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Tha Carter V Album Review

Tha Carter V is finally here! This long awaited and highly anticipated album was initially supposed to be released years ago. Reports of the album releasing go as far back as of 2013 but Lil Wayne was engaged in a long legal battle with Birdman and his label putting this album’s release up in the air with many fans unsure whether this album would ever see the day of light. However, what truly matters is we finally get this project and spoiler alert: IT DELIVERS.

“Tha Carter” album series is the signature album series by Lil Wayne. Much as the name implies, this is the fifth Carter album by Lil Wayne. Wayne has been a juggernaut in the rap game since the early 2000′s in regards to amount of records sold and his discography is matched by few if any. Lil Wayne’s music has always been around me since a relatively young age. Lil Wayne has been one of the first rappers I listened to when I started getting into hip hop music. I remember when Tha Carter III was released in 2008 because my older brother and older cousins would always play it. Since then, I have listened to every release by Wayne and I am an avid fan of his.

The album is 23 songs in length with the first track “I Love You Dwayne” being a skit so technically it is 22 songs in length. All the tracks are mixed and produced to near perfection which is to be expected considering this album has been at least 6 or 7 years in the making. From a lyrical stand point this project is up there with some of his best work. The song “Mona Lisa” featuring Kendrick Lamar is being raved by critics far and wide because it gives a very vivid description into a scenario where a man is set up by his female companion into getting robbed and ultimately killed. The lyrics paint a picture so vivid that it is almost scary. This is something few can actually pull off with Lil Wayne being one of the best to ever do it. This shows how much time and effort was put into this album an I am not overstating when I say this song paints a better picture than most attempts by experienced crime authors. This is just one of many stories Wayne expertly describes and sets up with his lyrics and wordplay. The album sports some very interesting features as well. As mentioned previously, Kendrick Lamar is on the album and other notable features include: Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg and the late XXXtentacion. Every feature sounds fit to their respective song and sounds natural. Often times in hip hop, a feature may sound forced but every feature was well used in my opinion. The album is also diverse in sounds and tempo. Some tracks are faced paced with heavy bass and fast lyrics while other tracks are slower with calmer beats and calmer lyrics. Wayne is very versatile so he uses his many flows and cadences to match each song and it all comes together very well.

All in all, Tha Carter 5 is an instant classic. This album is easily not only one of my favorite albums of this year, but also one of my favorite albums from Lil Wayne which says a lot. Now, many people have tried to compare it to his other projects and most notably Tha Carter III (which is one of the greatest albums of all time in my opinion). I would not compare these albums because they are very different. The come in at different points in Wayne’s career and life and I think each should be appreciated independently as great works of art. This album exceeded my expectations and I am very happy Lil Wayne’s fans are able to appreciate this project. 9.5/10

That about wraps it up for this alum review, stay tuned as Kanye West’s new album should be coming out any day now and I will be sure to post a review on that. As always, thanks for reading.

-houstonhiphophead

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Top  5 Hip Hop Albums of 2018 (So Far)

2018 has been a strong year for hip hop with the many releases. With most of 2018 already in the books, I decided to make a list of the best hip hop albums to have been released so far this year. Hip Hop has always been a big influence in my life since I was a young kid but I have been a very active listener since the start of this year. Usually on my commute to and from school/work, I try to listen to roughly 1 album for the day. I’ve tried my best to listen to all the albums which hit my radar and through this, I discovered many artists who I would never normally listen to and as a token of advice if you are reading this and you don’t like hip hop music, perhaps give one of these a listen. You never know, you may find something you like.

Before getting into the list I would just like to say by no means do I consider myself to be a professional music critic. What I like may not be the same thing you may like and this is perfectly fine. I am simply stating my opinion and personal taste and you may choose to agree or disagree with it as you please. With that being said, let’s get to the list:

5. KOD- J. Cole.

There is no question J. Cole is one of the most talented rappers right now. This statement is only further supported by his recent releases including his fifth studio album: KOD. On this album Cole takes the “responsible rapper approach” by dedicating the majority of the album tackling the glorification of drugs in today’s rap music with an emphasis on how rappers must be mindful of their content because they are directly responsible for today’s youth whether they like it or not. While the message is great and powerful, the music itself seemed rather bland as compared his previous works. The lyricism was great as to be expected with any J. Cole project but I feel like the music was made simply to get the message out (as weird as that sounds). He wanted the listener not to be distracted by the instrumentals and beats but to listen to the message and what he had to say. This made the music seem one sided with not being diverse which I have come to expect with his previous projects. 2014 Forest Hills Drive by J. Cole is one of the greatest albums I have ever listened to because it had the perfect balance of substance and production. It might not be too fair to compare both albums because both are very different but that is the J. Cole I want to hear. Nonetheless, KOD was a very solid album.

4. Scorpion- Drake

Drake is easily the biggest rapper right now. He may not necessarily be the most technical or most skilled, but his star power is simply unmatched by anyone. Scorpion was one the most highly anticipated albums of 2018 and met most of my hopes and expectations. For starters, he gave his fans a “double album”. The album had 25 tracks and was split into an “A Side” and a “B Side”. The “A Side” was mostly rap songs while the “B Side” was composed of slower R&B songs which many fans (myself included) wanted from Drake because not only is Drake a talented rapper, but he is also a pretty talented singer. In my opinion, his best album to date is Take Care and the reason myself and millions of people love this album is for the R&B elements Drake uses throughout that project. Some elements can be found on Scorpion, but not nearly as much. One thing I was disappointed with on Scorpion is that he did not reply to Pusha T. In case you did not know, there was a big rap beef going on over the summer between Pusha T and Drake. Both artists released diss tracks, however Pusha T’s diss track revealed that Drake had a child in secrecy. This ultimately turned out to be true as it was admitted on Scorpion but I was expecting some form of retaliation on Drake’s part. I would have really wanted to hear a response toward Pusha T of some sort because I feel rap beefs are very entertaining to watch as long as they are strictly music related. Great songs usually come out as a result of these quarrels (and not to mention the memes on Instagram). All in all, Scorpion was a good album, but Drake is known for making great music. If Drake had over delivered I would probably rank this album higher, but I sort of expected the end product. Nonetheless a very good album which is to be expected by him

3. Kamikaze- Eminem

Coming in at number 3 is Kamikaze by the living legend Marshall Mathers aka Slim Shady aka Eminem. Whatever you know him by, you must know he is one of the greatest artists of all time. Period. Eminem has nothing left to prove yet  decided to drop this bomb on us with literally no warning at all. This surprise album is easily one of the best albums so far this year and definitely a huge step up from his previous entry: Revival. Eminem’s long historic career has always been involved in controversy in some form or the other, so it is only fitting that his tenth album entry is as well. Eminem came out swinging from the first track by taking shots at everyone in the rap game. From disses aimed toward Lil Pump to Tyler the Creator, to Joe Budden, and to the most talked about recipient of Eminem’s wrath: Machine Gun Kelly, Eminem held nothing back and expressed his unfiltered opinions on these unlucky souls. He has given us classic albums and is easily one of the greatest rappers of all time. Musically, everything one would come to expect from Eminem is on this album. Everything from his offset humor to his wordplay and lyricism can all be found in abundance on this album. Everything was simply on point. This is a very well put together album. The critiques I have are very minor. I would have liked to have seen a bit more features on the album because although he is an amazing rapper, at times it can get hard to digest the lyrics coming at you faster than you can process them. Some features would have been a nice change in pace because let’s just face it, nobody can keep up with Em. Outstanding body of work from an all time great.

2. Daytona- Pusha T

What happens when you mix some of Kanye West’s best production with some of Pusha T’s best lyrics? The answer is obvious: you get a masterpiece. Daytona comes in at a close second for album of the year for me for reasons I will explain in my #1 spot. Pusha T took a bit of a risk on Daytona being it was only 7 tracks long but boy did it pay off. This album proves that quality>quantity. Instead of electing to go with the long album track list which has become very popular today, Push elected to cut all the sub-par music and fillers and skits and just give us the raw bass heavy music a Pusha T fans have come to want and expect. He stayed true to his craft and every song was carefully crafted. Although much of the subject matter is not very radio friendly, loyal fans of Pusha T are rejoicing because this is exactly what they wanted to hear. From the aggresive flows, to the drug kingpin lyrics, to the deep thumping base which can be found in abundance on Daytona, this album has it all. It just makes me want to hear more: which brings me to my only critique of this album. I want more. The total length for the album is only around 21 minutes. Although this album over delivers and exceeds my expectations, I would have loved a few more tracks of the same quality. It leaves me wanting to listen to more and in turn, I have been listening to Pusha T’s older works more and more. This is simply an amazing album and is an album I have revisited time and time again.

1. Astroworld- Travis Scott

ASTOWORLD! Now before I get into this, let me acknowledge my bias. I am from Houston, Texas which is the same city Travis Scott is from and I have seen first hand how his music and artistry has helped change the culture for the youth of this city. I am programmed to always support and be a big fan of a fellow Houstonian but this is not the only reason why this is my pick for the best album so far. The bottom line is Travis Scott simply makes the best music. Astroworld has been arguably the most anticipated album of this year and in my opion, it exceeded my already sky high expectations. This album was named after the famous theme park in Houston which was unfortunately shut down in 2005. Much like the theme park, this album was a wild ride from the start to finish. First off, this 17 track long album was filled with the most packed features of any hip hop album in recent memory. The guest features included Drake, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Swae Lee, Kid Cudi, Stevie Wonder, James Blake, and many others. Production was also not disappointing either as the producers working on this album included an all star cast of some of the best hip hop producers such as the multi grammy award winner producer Mike Dean, Metro Boomin, Tay Keith, John Mayer, Frank Dukes, and a plethora of other producers. All of these features and producers somehow came together and meshed perfectly to create this classic. Astroworld had the perfect balance of production, and lyrics, while being diverse in music. It really was like riding a roller coaster with some sections of the album being fast and furious while other sections being very mellow and smooth much like a ride in real life. Honestly, I have no issues with anything on this project. If i were required to make a list of things I disliked about the album, I would honestly be forcing it. This album is not only my favorite album of this year, but quite easily one my favorite albums of all time! I believe this is the album that will propel Travis Scott to the top tier of rappers today and several years down the line, this album will be critically acclaimed as a classic.

So there you have it. Those were my top 5 albums of 2018 thus far. Be on the lookout for more lists, reviews, debates and news about hip hop. Thank you for reading and until next time.

-houstonhiphophead