Hip Hop has always been seen as a competitive art form. From battling on street corners to arguing on Twitter, artists and fans of the culture are partially driven by the discussion around who is the greatest emcee.
Rap legend Eminem recently shared his thoughts on the best rapper of all time conversation during an episode of Zane Lowe’s At Home With on Apple Music. The Detroit native explained why he believes that debate will never be settled.
Eminem said:
Yeah, man, when people compare, when they try to compare eras, Hip Hop went through too many different transitions for anyone really to be the best rapper of all time, because rap has went through transitions. It’s evolved. Now people are doing things with flows that I never could have seen happening. But at the same time, rappers from that era meant so much more to that era, just because there were so many innovators and there were so many rappers.
The “Godzilla” spitter also talked about some of his favorite rappers:
I rap to be the best rapper, but I’m not the only rapper who raps to be the best rapper. [Lil Wayne], [J. Cole], [Kendrick Lamar], Joyner Lucas. They rap to be the best rapper, and I feel like when you push yourself like that, that’s what I feel like inspires greatness. But the list, man, sometimes you almost have to go by era. Tupac, I feel like rappers like Rakim, G Rap, [Big Daddy Kane], Treach, Pharaoh Munch, KRS-One would drive some new s###, it just outdid whatever was before that. And then along comes Rakim, and he out does that. And then along comes G Rap and he starts out doing everyone else. Redman, Redman was, to me, one of the most consistent artists. Still rapping to this day, is one of the most consistently dope rappers.