The Best Rapper Alive: Lil Wayne’s claimed it. Jay-Z owns it. But what about Eminem or Andre 3000? Nas, T.I., or Game? Snoop, Lupe Fiasco, or…? You decide!
The Best Rapper Alive Tournament has ended. Thank you!
Everyone’s got a favorite rapper. Even your favorite rapper has a favorite rapper.
So we’re taking the debate to the people, to you – fans, Stans, and pros alike. Introducing VIBE Presents…The Best Rapper Alive, an interactive, NCAA-style tournament pitting the 64 top Mcs recording today against each other in a head-to-head competition: All this to determine who you believe to be the best in game.
The first round of voting begins July 21. Each round lasts one week – followed by our version of The Final Four. That’s when the tournament really heats up. Winners of each matchup will be determined by your vote at VIBE.com.
There are four brackets, represented by four of our fallen rap legends. Click on any one of them to begin voting. You can vote once a day for as many days as you like. At the end of five weeks, we’ll crown a king or queen, and the winner will be announced in our November issue.
But voting online is only one part of The Best Rapper Alive competition. Think you know rap like that? Prove it by downloading and printing out the bracket and fill in your predictions for each round, from the play-in game to the ultimate champion. Then mail it to:
The Best Rapper Alive
c/o VIBE
215 Lexington Ave., 6th Floor
New York, N.Y., 10016





























































home
Comments
1.
bravehartt says:
view profile
this is my first time hearing about this bracket so sorry if im outta touch but soulja boy ? what about masta ace? snoop over cube? dub c could eat quite a few cats on this list, phife dawg. i guess we could all go on and on but some choices just............
August 11, 2009 at 1:58 am
2.
Diar says:
view profile
f**k rickross
August 11, 2009 at 1:34 am
3.
Diar says:
view profile
50cent should be the best rapper.. Like he say he hate rickross.. couse rickross was a cop..rappers gotta sale drugs.... + 50cent had work hard this year.. he got to mixtap out.... Mannn.. f**k rickross.. Am with 50cent.. get him off the f**kin list.. wether 50.. lloyd bank.. ice cube.. best rappers
August 11, 2009 at 1:33 am
4.
mike28 says:
view profile
I can't beleive any of this bull. Anyone who honestly thinks that lil wayne is the best rapper alive needs to understand what rap really is. His early music was 10 times better than the crap he spits now, he doesnt care about rap, he just cares about making money.
The best rapper alive if your talking about rhyming and flow is Tech N9ne. Now i know many of you are now going to say that he the most garbage rapper alive, but actually listen too a lot of his songs and i you will see how much flow he has.
Just give him a chance and listen!!!!
August 11, 2009 at 12:59 am
5.
ElvisTaylor says:
view profile
Look, for some reason it happened again in music history and a white dude came into the scene and just blew everyone away.
Elvis did it back in the days, I hate elvis by the way but I guess you had to have been there and not known all the great music the would come after him...
It's really not a race thing but in a way it is. I think this happened because since a white rapper would never be excepted into hip hop that made Eminem work and practice much more then your average rapper trying to make it. So in a way it is common sense that the best rapper would be the under dog.
I mean, isn't that what raps about, the under dog getting to the top over night.
What's great about eminem is that his lyrics hit home to many people all over the world. He raps about great topics and mixes it with amazing rhymes.
When people in the future look back at history of rap they will still be listening to Eminem because his music is time less. Plus he was chosen to make one of the best songs with Tupac in 2003 and 50 cent as well but for some reason 50 cent didn't step it up after the fresh hook in 2 pac reserrection.
I thought the tourch was being passed to 50 cent and eminem. It's like if 2pac was alive in the studio with them. No rapper would have pulled off those two great songs. Only biggie smalls was there as well.
But 50 cents first album is truly the best album ever made in hip hop history. I remember that I was addicted to that album for years.
Much love and please don't chose your rapper due to race because at the end of the day it's the music that counts.
Eminem and 50 are really the only rappers who where chosen to come out in 2 pacs new album in 2003. To me that says it all and everyone else should just shut up.
July 26, 2009 at 2:28 am
6.
dano13 says:
view profile
this bracket is a joke. budden a 15 seed? Crooked I a 13? both these dudes could destroy just about the whole bracket with exception of em, nas, 3000, lupe. And how is bow wow and flo rida even on the list? just doesnt make any sense from a rap stand point
July 16, 2009 at 12:18 pm
7.
drew123 says:
view profile
i think we haven't reach the peak i fill were still looking for the best rapper alive
July 8, 2009 at 7:17 pm
8.
growingdanks says:
view profile
ok im not here too hate or say anyone's bad but everyone has a right to their own opinion so with that said here i go...........lyrically slim shady really does deserve the title honestly what other rapper alive right now thats main stream besides cannibus (underground) HAS WON RAP OLYMPICS??PLEASE TELL ME..... wayne would get squashed in a rap battle with slim ...... honestly i cant even think of another rapper thats main stream who could beat shady in a rap battle PEOPLE WANNA TALK ABOUT RAP......RAP IS FREESTYLE anyone can write some**itdown and spit it.........BUT TO lryically demolish someone who is staring you down and your white is one hell of a respectfull acheivement all im saying is slim shady deserves the title he paved the way for all white rappers and broke barriers in rap that would have never been broken with out SLIM SHADY'S INFLUENCE!!!! FACE it white boy got skillz that kill on the mic!
July 6, 2009 at 12:54 pm
9.
SPARXXCHOG says:
view profile
this is for real you cna not have the best rapper alive and not mentioned mcs like young french papose royce da 59 it is crazy these mcs are really good i think vibe should put it as the rappers with album battle instead of the best rapper alive
June 29, 2009 at 10:25 am
10.
plknyc50 says:
view profile
LLOYD BANKS IS HANDS DOWN THE BEST.PLK> and where is ja rule?
June 26, 2009 at 10:29 pm
11.
Jae_Fingerz says:
view profile
How are you gonna create The Best Rapper Alive rap bracket & have names like... Bow Wow?, Killer Mike?, & Rich Boy & not have real lyricist like... Royce Da 5'9!, Papoose! Joell Ortiz & Inspectah Deck!
Its a dope idea, but lets do it justice & have the world vote their favorite 64 best rappers alive & have them ranked... Then, Get permission of these top 64 emcees & set it up as a live telecast to spit box for real with respectable Judges to narrow down a real winner! Now that would be a sporting event for your ass! The MC-A Finals! It'll be the Super Brawl of the music biz. I think Vibe got a good concept, but don't halfa**it. Lets get this done with real life rap battles to crown the Best Rapper Alive!
June 26, 2009 at 2:50 pm
12.
g4m3 says:
view profile
game is the best rapper
bws!
g-unot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 24, 2009 at 11:10 am
13.
Ekillem says:
view profile
I agree with the first 3, but lil wayne better than Jay z and nas? bull shit! Lil wayne iz a lil b**ch and i aint hatin but this ni**a kissin birdman on the mouth plus his flows are kinda wack. what the f**k is up with you stupid ni**az?
June 13, 2009 at 8:33 pm
14.
eyedontevatr says:
view profile
mos def mos def mos def!!!!! come on! why the hell is soulja boy even on this list?cus he makes rhymie words?
MOS IS A f**kIN GENIOUS! THE BEST 4 EVER AND ALWAYS!
June 13, 2009 at 1:48 pm
15.
otrasepatela says:
view profile
nassssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 12, 2009 at 10:27 am