Nas vs Jay-Z. Who's the better rapper?

[Kosher Ham]

How did Tupac and Biggie get in this discussion ?

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

Nas has ONE album that he has been living off for years. Jay-Z has a catalogue that is only rivaled by Eminem. Illmatic was amazing..okay. Then what?? Oochie Wally? I know i can? Hip Hop is dead then I'll murder all the DJs??? NO. Ppl flock to Nas because everyone wants to be cool and do the "underground versus mainstream" thing because it's so cool to be a hipster and be all anti-establishment when in reality you cannot deny facts. If we are judging off one good thing then Brady Anderson was the best Oriole of the 90s, Jeremy Lin should be a hall of famer, David Tyree should have the SB named after him, and Kerry Wood is also in the HOF. You become the best by maintaining excellence. Nas didn't do that. It doesn't mean he isn't dope as ****. It means he is not better than Sean Carter.

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 01:45 AM ----------

I'm not trying to attack but it jus frustrates me that ppl hate Jay-Z because he is mainstream. That is stupid. He didn't just become a ******* trillionaire. He was FIRSTLY a dope ass rapper with STAYING POWER and that's how he became rich. Nas was too worried about being the mafia dude with the bs Escobar ****. Then they started beefing and Jay-z had Kanye make the Take Over beat with the Doors sample and it ended Nas' career for a few.

Like Jay-Z said,"That's a one hot album every ten year average and that's so LAME!"

[abdcskins]

It Was Written is dope as hell. Stillmatic is fairly solid as well. Nas' shortcoming is his production- very suspect he picks bad beats.

Reasonable Doubt (classic), The Blueprint, and The Black Album are solid. The rest range from mediocre to trash.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

abdc, I been saying that for years man! Biggie is overrated and IMO Jay-Z is a carbon copy of the cat. However Tupac was IMO better than Big, because of his depth and knowledge. Biggie was a great storyteller and no doubt a great emcee, but Tupac just had IT. He was a real poet who just happened to be good at rapping.

Tupac Shakur is the biggest example of "the cult of personality" I have ever seen. Ppl are in love with HIM, not his music. He was a polarizing figure AND he died young. His music was good but he is overrated in the same vein as Elvis.

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 01:54 AM ----------

It Was Written is dope as hell. Stillmatic is fairly solid as well. Nas' shortcoming is his production- very suspect he picks bad beats.

Reasonable Doubt (classic), The Blueprint, and The Black Album are solid. The rest range from mediocre to trash.

In My Lifetime, Vol.1 has my favorite Jay-Z song ever in "Where I'm From"

[Thinking Skins]

You think he's better than a lot of those? Or the list is just bad?

I think its actually a respectable list. Its not really my order, but I can defend each of them.

In regards to the original question, if we are talking "hip hop artist" i'll take Jay-Z. If we are talking rapper/mc/lyricist, I'll take Nas.

FTR, the thread says "better rapper" and the poll says better "hip hop artist," so I don't know who to vote for given my feelings.

Any list that doesn't start off with Memphis Bleek as the unquestionable number 1, is BS. It should be

1. Memphis Bleek

2.

3. Everybody Else

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 06:28 AM ----------

Immortal Technique really doesn't get enough credit sometimes - sometimes you feel like you just got mind ****ed after some of his stuff.

Revolutionary Vol 1 and Vol 2 were great. I didn't really like The Third World. Haven't heard any of his work since.

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 06:44 AM ----------

Tupac Shakur is the biggest example of "the cult of personality" I have ever seen. Ppl are in love with HIM, not his music. He was a polarizing figure AND he died young. His music was good but he is overrated in the same vein as Elvis.

You are SO WRONG with this. I mean he died with probably half of his material unreleased. He was also involved in a shooting that divided the Hip Hop Nation, and wasn't afraid to call Biggie out about it. I mean I don't care what you say about Ether or Takeover or 2nd Round Knock Out or No Vasoline or whatever other beef tracks you want to name, Toss it Up is the best beef track ever!

Then he did something that nobody else in Hip Hop could do - show both sides of his personality. He could make a Dear Mama/So Many Tears/Keep Ya Head Up and also do a song like California Love/2 of America's Most Wanted/**** the World/etc.

Everybody else will release that one track that makes you think on their album where the rest of it is hardcore gangsta stuff. Pac would just tell you what was on his mind.

Then you look at his unreleased stuff. The stuff that we were calling Makaveli 2, 3, etc. Stuff like:

- Thugs Mansion (which Nas stole. I despised Nas for that)

- When Thugz Cry

- Letter to My Unborn

- Ghetto Gospel

- Unconditional Love

Others (particularly Biggie) mighta been better at things like word play, storytelling, and different abilities and stuff, but when it comes to pure passion and love for the craft, nobody's better than Pac! Nobody! Its just not even a question. The dude died with like 10 albums unreleased. Dude lived in the studio. And it came out in his songs.

In My Lifetime, Vol.1 has my favorite Jay-Z song ever in "Where I'm From"

I love that album too. I love "Lucky Me". Its a rare look at Jay being introspective.

[Mr. Sinister]

Vol. 2 is another Jay album that rarely gets talked about anymore

Hard Knock Life

Jigga What, Jigga Who

Can I Get A

Money Aint A Thang

Classics

[skinsfan07]

Nas has ONE album that he has been living off for years. Jay-Z has a catalogue that is only rivaled by Eminem. Illmatic was amazing..okay. Then what?? Oochie Wally? I know i can? Hip Hop is dead then I'll murder all the DJs??? NO. Ppl flock to Nas because everyone wants to be cool and do the "underground versus mainstream" thing because it's so cool to be a hipster and be all anti-establishment when in reality you cannot deny facts. If we are judging off one good thing then Brady Anderson was the best Oriole of the 90s, Jeremy Lin should be a hall of famer, David Tyree should have the SB named after him, and Kerry Wood is also in the HOF. You become the best by maintaining excellence. Nas didn't do that. It doesn't mean he isn't dope as ****. It means he is not better than Sean Carter.

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 01:45 AM ----------

I'm not trying to attack but it jus frustrates me that ppl hate Jay-Z because he is mainstream. That is stupid. He didn't just become a ******* trillionaire. He was FIRSTLY a dope ass rapper with STAYING POWER and that's how he became rich. Nas was too worried about being the mafia dude with the bs Escobar ****. Then they started beefing and Jay-z had Kanye make the Take Over beat with the Doors sample and it ended Nas' career for a few.

Like Jay-Z said,"That's a one hot album every ten year average and that's so LAME!"

lol at "everyone just wants to be cool and do the underground thing, so they flock to Nas." Come on bro, any real hip hop fan will tell you that it's ignorant to believe that he has been living off Illmatic his whole career. I think you just don't know much Nas, which is why you are biased.

[DCranon21]

Vol. 2 is another Jay album that rarely gets talked about anymore

Hard Knock Life

Jigga What, Jigga Who

Can I Get A

Money Aint A Thang

Classics

In my opinion, I think all of Jay-Z albums are solid or the classics that someone mentioned(Reasonable Doubts, The Blueprint, and Black Album). To me, he's never had a bad release. But again that is my opinion.

[Mr. Sinister]

In my opinion, I think all of Jay-Z albums are solid or the classics that someone mentioned(Reasonable Doubts, The Blueprint, and Black Album). To me, he's never had a bad release. But again that is my opinion.

I don't think so either. I'd say that out of all his albums, Kingdom Come is my least favorite, and even that had some great tracks on it like Beach Chair and Show Me What You Got. But again, it doesn't touch a lot of the stuff that he did before his "retirement," though like I said before, it's not a slight on him, it's just that a lot of his stuff was just that good.

[authentic]

i was hoping he'd be mentioned. i didn't want to be the first because i say it in every hip hop thread i post in....but he is my favorite lyricist.

Now see now we're talking.... Black Thought "IS" and always will be my favorite MC.. For my money, he's the best to ever do it..

[Thinking Skins]

This thread should be Lupe vs Drake: Who is the better rapper?

We old heads are always gonna name names from the 80s and 90s, but what about recent history? Who is the best since the best? Who's the best of this generation? I think Lupe, Wayne (if you count him as this generation), Drake, J Live, etc. That'd be a better conversation. And it might help me update my music catalog.

[Mr. Sinister]

Meh, I liked everything from Lupe up until Lasers. Felt like something was missing.

[MattFancy]

This thread should be Lupe vs Drake: Who is the better rapper?

We old heads are always gonna name names from the 80s and 90s, but what about recent history? Who is the best since the best? Who's the best of this generation? I think Lupe, Wayne (if you count him as this generation), Drake, J Live, etc. That'd be a better conversation. And it might help me update my music catalog.

Lupe isn't bad. Not a fan of Drake. Lil Wayne has gone down hill recently. I'd say Eminem is still the best of the current generation.

[Backpack3r]

This thread should be Lupe vs Drake: Who is the better rapper?

We old heads are always gonna name names from the 80s and 90s, but what about recent history? Who is the best since the best? Who's the best of this generation? I think Lupe, Wayne (if you count him as this generation), Drake, J Live, etc. That'd be a better conversation. And it might help me update my music catalog.

If you are talking recent history than it is DEFINITELY Kanye, when all said and done he will be in the top 5 easily

And i know a lot of ignorant people are gonna look at your post and say LIL WAYNE? How could you mention him?!!? Yes, in the past couple years he has fallen off big time, he is actually annoying now, but Wayne in his prime was a beast, his first two Carter albums are certified classics

[Sticksboi05]

Nas has ONE album that he has been living off for years. Jay-Z has a catalogue that is only rivaled by Eminem. Illmatic was amazing..okay. Then what?? Oochie Wally? I know i can? Hip Hop is dead then I'll murder all the DJs??? NO. Ppl flock to Nas because everyone wants to be cool and do the "underground versus mainstream" thing because it's so cool to be a hipster and be all anti-establishment when in reality you cannot deny facts. If we are judging off one good thing then Brady Anderson was the best Oriole of the 90s, Jeremy Lin should be a hall of famer, David Tyree should have the SB named after him, and Kerry Wood is also in the HOF. You become the best by maintaining excellence. Nas didn't do that. It doesn't mean he isn't dope as ****. It means he is not better than Sean Carter.

Lol what? Since when is Nas underground? He has an album every music fans knows and has had #1 albums...He's mainstream also. And out of JayZ's catalog, maybe three are good albums. What abcdskins said basically.

[MattFancy]

If you are talking recent history than it is DEFINITELY Kanye, when all said and done he will be in the top 5 easily

And i know a lot of ignorant people are gonna look at your post and say LIL WAYNE? How could you mention him?!!? Yes, in the past couple years he has fallen off big time, he is actually annoying now, but Wayne in his prime was a beast, his first two Carter albums are certified classics

No doubt Wayne used to be a beast. But lately he's crap. He seems to be almost better now when he is on someone else's track. His own stuff has been weak. I'd say right now its between Kanye and Em, with the edge to Em.

[authentic]

Lupe isn't bad. Not a fan of Drake. Lil Wayne has gone down hill recently. I'd say Eminem is still the best of the current generation.

-I'm not sure Eminem is considered a "current generation" rapper... He's more of the late 90s to early 2000 MC.. IMO, many of the greatest rappers of all time are being phased out in the "35 and older club".. But i'm still holding out hope that someone will step up.. Jay Electronica was supposed to take the mantel, but i don't know what ever happend to him.

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 08:12 AM ----------

If you are talking recent history than it is DEFINITELY Kanye, when all said and done he will be in the top 5 easily

And i know a lot of ignorant people are gonna look at your post and say LIL WAYNE? How could you mention him?!!? Yes, in the past couple years he has fallen off big time, he is actually annoying now, but Wayne in his prime was a beast, his first two Carter albums are certified classics

I've always viewed Kanye as more of a producer than an MC... He's good, but not all that lyrically versitile.

[Sticksboi05]

If you are talking recent history than it is DEFINITELY Kanye, when all said and done he will be in the top 5 easily

And i know a lot of ignorant people are gonna look at your post and say LIL WAYNE? How could you mention him?!!? Yes, in the past couple years he has fallen off big time, he is actually annoying now, but Wayne in his prime was a beast, his first two Carter albums are certified classics

Lil' Wayne has talent. But he is so one-dimensional. You could make that argument for BIG also but he is just a vastly superior storyteller and rapper in general.

[MattFancy]

-I'm not sure Eminem is considered a "current generation" rapper... He's more of the late 90s to early 2000 MC.. IMO, many of the greatest rappers of all time are being phased out in the "35 and older club".. But i'm still holding out hope that someone will step up.. Jay Electronica was supposed to take the mantel, but i don't know what ever happend to him.

Yeah but he is still around. If we're not counting Em, then its definitely Kanye. He's douche, but he makes really good music. I'm holding out hope that maybe Wale can be mentioned towards the top one day.

[Backpack3r]

-I'm not sure Eminem is considered a "current generation" rapper... He's more of the late 90s to early 2000 MC.. IMO, many of the greatest rappers of all time are being phased out in the "35 and older club".. But i'm still holding out hope that someone will step up.. Jay Electronica was supposed to take the mantel, but i don't know what ever happend to him.

---------- Post added May-30th-2012 at 08:12 AM ----------

I've always viewed Kanye as more of a producer than an MC... He's good, but not all that lyrically versitile.

I think J. Cole is here to take the mantel, his album Cole World was amazing

[Mr. Sinister]

I haven't listened to anything from Wayne since '08, when the light bulb was officially turned off from the whining. I think he is talented, but just find his voice incredibly annoying.

[authentic]

I think J. Cole is here to take the mantel, his album Cole World was amazing

I think J Cole is cool. A little bit better than Lupe IMO..

[Thinking Skins]

No doubt Wayne used to be a beast. But lately he's crap. He seems to be almost better now when he is on someone else's track. His own stuff has been weak. I'd say right now its between Kanye and Em, with the edge to Em.

Nah, yal are missing my point. Kanye and Em (and probably Wayne) are still even the old generation. What's Kanye 2001? I think Em is like 2000? And I know Wayne is Cash Money times, but when was Carter 1, which is when I felt like he established himself. I probably shoudn't have named him, but I really don't know anybody from today.

What about Lupe, Drake, Wale, J. Cole, Jean Grae, Jay Electronica, etc.

[skinsfan07]

I think J Cole is cool. A little bit better than Lupe IMO..

No way in Hell bro.

[authentic]

No way in Hell bro.

Lupe started of hot IMO... but recently, not really feeling him.. IDK