Good idea but...

I don't even know where to begin, I feel like I am one of few who still appreciate the artistry that makes a good MC. This was a good idea...until y'all started incorporating everone with a current radio single on the list.

lil Mama is good...STOP HATING! Her flow is nice and she has swag. Please stop hating. Have you even listened to what she has to say? She has a nice freestyle game too. show sum love, she is rare in the game..unlike these DL rappers (yeah, I said it...someone please give George Clinton his synthesizer back, some of these lil boys don't now what to do with it)

In the future, it may be appropiate to 'sub-divide' the catergories according to...lyrics, longegivity, and who's stuff sounds best on a ringtone.
(Let's not forget the ringtone rappers! They see me rollin...they hatin'!)

July 22, 2008 at 1:48 pm

Hey cold mc the list is for the BEST rapper alive. There only could be one. All the rest of those cats are eliminated. The white boy is the best rapper alive PERIOD

July 22, 2008 at 1:13 pm

Hey cold mc the list is for the BEST rapper alive. There only could be one. All the rest of those cats are eliminated. The white boy is the best rapper alive PERIOD

July 22, 2008 at 1:09 pm

how can diddy be here if he dont write his rhymes, soulja boy sucks, lil mama sucks, missy elliot no way is near bein the best alive, bow wow is shit, flo rida should be off, nelly , rick ross, i like the idea but they shoulda got better emcees on the list

July 22, 2008 at 12:14 pm

Another thing...what are we voting on here? All-around best MC? Best lyricist? Most influential? Best albums? Best appearances? Best mixtape performances? Best "currently relevant" MCs?

This is why we will never have a clear answer to the question of who the best MC is. There are too many ways to evaluate them and nobody ever seems to narrowly define what we are evaluating. If this was based on pure lyrics many would not be included and many others would be. If it is for longevity, people like LL Cool J would be on here. If it was simply best rapper alive we would have Rakim, KRS-1, and many other on this list.

This is why the seedings seem inconsistent to me. If this is about who is all-around (style, sales, lyrics, performances, etc) I would think Fat joe should be seeded higher. If it is about currently relevant MCs that are putting out hits why is Lauryn Hill on here? If it is about lyrics and real hip-hop Cassidy and Joe Budden shoudl be much higher seeds.

I guess at the end of the day it is always just going to come down to peoples' opinions. It would be good to have five or so different tournaments based on different parameters for evaluation and then an all-around category evaluating all MCs that are "current" and all "past" MCs (Rakim, etc) ...then have a final battle...something like that.

Still I'm loving this. I'm taking Hova

July 22, 2008 at 11:09 am

I don't understand how Nas received #2 in his bracket..clearly Nas is the #1 seed...Raekwon 13???How could Nelly be higher with his cat in the hat rhymes???

July 22, 2008 at 10:59 am

Here are my thoughts on the seedings...
Seeded too high:
-Lil Mama- should she even be in this? much less seeded above Cassidy? Are you serious?
-Lupe Fiasco- I like the guy but 3 seed? He should be more like a 5
-Boosie- an 8 seed? That's just giving him way too much credit
-Webbie- same as Lil Boosie...should not be this high
-Paul Wall- this guy is really not nice...he should be more like a 13
-Rich Boy- a 12 seed? Really? Come onnnnn...

Seeded too low:
-Joe Budden- the guy is a beast and kills every verse and every mixtape he's on and you have him seeded below a bunch of bums
-Cassidy- similar to Budden he rips everything (ask Freeway) and he's below Lil Mama? That's disgraceful!
-Raekwon- he's fallen off yes but go listen to Cuban Linx and tell me the guy should be a 13
-Fat joe- the guy is not the best MC out there or anything but 14 seems low to me

MCs that should not be on here:
-Soulja Boy- I don't need to explain this. He's not an MC. And he's garbage...
-Dizzee Rascal- I don't know if I can name 2 songs by this guy
-Rich Boy- You can make a case for including him I guess, but it's a weak case at best
-Shawty Lo- doesn't he only have like one song out? Dey Know is basically a community track now since there are so many versions. I don't even know if he can claim the track anymore since about 850 people have ripped it better than he has...

Noticeable exclusions: Too many to mention





These seeds were awful:

July 22, 2008 at 10:58 am

JOE BUDDEN #15, CROOKED I # 14 = CRIME!

July 22, 2008 at 10:09 am

Real Mc's KRSONE, NAS, KANE. Rakim, Mos Def, Dre 300 BIG, Big L, JAY Z, WU TANG CLAN (yOU pick),Rakim,
Snoop, Ice cube, common. talib , jaru da damager, grand master Cas, MMMM CCCCC;s mannnnnnnnnnn..............

This new stuff is to watered down..
although I due have respect for a few newer mc's Luda, lupi, Bun B, scareface,Lil Wayne, TI, the clips, skills, and a few others..........but the complete Mc is KRSONE..........................

July 22, 2008 at 9:53 am

Real Mc's KRSONE, NAS, KANE. Rakim, Mos Def, Dre 300 BIG, Big L, JAY Z, WU TANG CLAN (yOU pick),Rakim,
Snoop, Ice cube, common. talib , jaru da damager, grand master Cas, MMMM CCCCC;s mannnnnnnnnnn..............

This new stuff is to watered down..
although I due have respect for a few newer mc's Luda, lupi, Bun B, scareface,Lil Wayne, TI, the clips, skills, and a few others..........but the complete Mc is KRSONE..........................

July 22, 2008 at 9:51 am

How in the hell did Nas get a #2 seed? Love the idea of this tournament, but this list is f*cked up! Shawty Lo, Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, and P Diddy, are ya'll f*ckin serius?

July 22, 2008 at 9:37 am

Dr Dre aint a Rapper, hes a PRODUCER that gets his raps wrote for him, so somebody like Tha D.O.C should be involved in this competition!

Some of the artists that have in this competition shouldnt be...... examples Rich Boy, Soulja Boy ... how u gonna give Soulja Boy the Best Rapper Alive crown when he sings and jumps around like a f**kin idiot???? he doesnt even RAP??

P.Diddy should also not be included because hes neither a Rapper or a Producer...... he gets his Bad Boy rejects to write his**itand gets in house Producers to do his beats aswell, Bottom line, Diddy said it himself recently hes an Entertainer not a Rapper or a Producer so why is he included in this competition????

I do believe this competition is an excellent idea and maybe it will shut up some of these lamea**rappers that be saying there the best and they obviously are not!!!

My prediction for the winner just based on pure rapping and lyrical ability ....... Crooked I - gotta be the Best Rapper doing the damm thang at the moment!!!!

July 22, 2008 at 9:27 am

I agree with many on their postings. When I first noticed MCs such as Rakim and KRS-1 I figured that without saying it Vibe was reserving this contest for MCs that are currently releasing records and are very visible. That's why I didn't get too worked up over MCs of such a high caliber being absent from the list. Still some of these MCs in the contest aren't particularly relevant! It would be great if this contest was greatest raper ever and was expanded to be 128 MCs...just a thought. Then we could really get to the bottom of it...especially if the seedings were better and less focused on making compelling match-ups in the first round. Let the best move on and wait for the good battles in the later rounds!

July 22, 2008 at 8:53 am

THE WORST LIST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean ever.... It is an insult to not have KRS-ONE, Rakim, LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Keith Murray, Eric Sermon, Kool G. Rap, Guru, Slick Rick, Dana Dane, Doug E. Fresh, and etc. on this list. It says rappers ALIVE not who drop albums in the past 5 years. Also, the seedings are horrible.... Cassidy, Mos Def, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Jada, Beanie, Meth, Red, Cube, Talib K, should be high then Kanye, TI, The Game, Nelly, Lil Boosie, Webbie, and etc..... Some of these guys would never have made it if Pac, Biggie, and Big Pun was alive....

The rap game is very water down with teeny bopper catch phrases songs. No one is listening to lyrics anymore.... Soulja Boy and Rich Boy is a JOKE!!!!!!

Lil Wayne is so hot because he really doesn't have true competition but could hold his own against some of Vets of the rap world dead or alive. Jay-Z, Nas, etc... don't have to prove anything no more....

Please redo this list and bring some JUSTICE to Hip Hop.....

PS- How can you 4get about DR. DRE and the CHRONIC Album.... Pimpin would be nothin without TOO SHORT..... DMX should be on the list.....

July 22, 2008 at 8:33 am

And since the best rapper alive (who doesn't have to be high/drunk out of his mind to write a rhyme AND let them make sense AND talk about something that's relevant AND doesn't need a beat), Rakim, is not on this list, I just want to take a moment to talk about my lack of respect for Nas being so hell bent on having an album called "ni***r." That has to be the most ignorant ish I've ever heard, and his sidekick wore an outfit with a jacket that said it. I don't agree with Al Sharpton much, but I agree with him here. Harriet Tubman would flip in her grave if she saw the type of stupidity Nas is acting out in. Nas, stop shouting out strong, Black leaders if you continue to snub them. I hope Joe Budden wins this category. I like his rhymes anyway. At one point, I did like Nas better, especially with "I Want to Talk To" and "Hate Me Now," but after this CD stunt, you couldn't give me a Nas album for free.

July 22, 2008 at 8:18 am