Not #1 in My Book

 Hard to believe that the Grammys were only last Sunday. I'm not even going to try to get into all the controversy and conspiracy theories surrounding that event. However, I did love the salute to 50 Years of Hip-Hop. Too bad it wasn't longer with more of the pioneers there, like the SugarHill Gang (remember Rapper's Delight?) and Grandmaster Flash, the OGs of hip hop.

Anyhoo, Brie found a list of the 50 greatest rappers of all time. I said, "Good grief, who came up with this list and put Jay-Z as number 1? Nope: not in my book. He'd be lucky to be in the top 20. Or 30.

But that got me thinking: who would be in my list of top 10 rappers of all time? I mean we all know I'm the Queen of rap music 😆 So here, in no particular order except for #1, are my top 10 rap artists of all time.

• Busta Rhymes - Woo Hah, Got You All in Check was his breakout hit with the syncopated beat. And if you're a true fan, you know his rapid fire delivery of the verse in Chris Brown's song 'Look at Me Now', which he performed at the Grammys. And yes: those are real words he is saying: amazing! 
• Remy Ma - Home girl was good before her jail sentence, but came back stronger afterwards. Fat Joe really put her on the map! 
• Queen Latifah - She was one of the earliest female rappers in hip hop. She was part of the Native Tongues crew, which consisted of the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul (R.I.P Trugoy alias Plug Two) and a Tribe Called Quest. They were known for their social consciousness when it came to rap.
• Missy Elliott - need I say more?
• Eve - The first lady of the Ruff Ryders, she held her own amongst rappers such as DMX. And that wasn't easy!
• DMX - Which actually stands for Dark Man X (how many of you knew that?) was the first artist to debut an album at number 1 five times in a row. He is known for his trademark growl when he raps, and was the reigning King of hardcore hip-hop.
• Ice Cube - Once a part of NWA, when he embarked on his solo career the hits kept on coming. With that angry face and matching delivery, you knew when Cube was on the mic.
• Dr. Dre - One of the founders of NWA. Who knew that he would go from songs like "F--k the Police" to receiving the First ever Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the Grammys? And they used to say rap would get you nowhere...he knew exactly what he was doing every step of the way. 
• Tupac - He was definitely one of the most influential rappers of all time prior to his "death"; selling more than 75 million records. Rolling Stone ranks him among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2017. He was inducted into the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame in 2002.  His posthumous Greatest Hits album (1998)was one of only nine hip hop albums to be certified Diamond in the U.S. Yet his life was cut short at the age of 25 (was it??). However, his music and legend live on. 
• Eminem - Without a doubt, this former angry young man is, in my book, the best rapper of all time. His lyrics, his delivery and his performances combine in a talent that pretty much defies description. We can thank Dr. Dre for this one!

So there you have it. Honorable mention has to go to Snoop Dog. But I think he'll forgive me. And sorry, not sorry Jay-Z. To me, you just don't hold up to my top 10. And everyone is entitled to their opinion.