Top 5 Rappers by Region: East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, and the Dirty South

[Omar 382]

I'm not all that up to date on modern hip hop, and you apparently don't have any knowledge of the past.

My number 1's from each region had their debut studio albums released in 1994, 2005, 1999, and 2001. If you mean that I don't know much music from the '70s or '80s, then yeah, I don't; but I know plenty of hip-hop from the "past;" in fact, that's the majority of the hip-hop I listen to.

 

[Omar 382]

I'm not all that up to date on modern hip hop, and you apparently don't have any knowledge of the past. So i doubt we'll see things the same way, but I can't even conceive of a world where 2Pac and Jay-Z aren't considered top 5 all tine from any region, and you don't have either even in the top 5 of their own region. And I've never been that big into the East Coast N.Y. sound. Besides Biggie and Jay-Z I would probably just put in a couple Wu Tang guys, or maybe DMX. I'd put Outkast as a group as #1 in the south, but if you separate them, Big Boi still has gotta be on the list. If groups count Bone has to be there for the widwest, maybe Bizzy solo. I'd put Twista right there next to Tech N9ne, and Obie Trice was always a personal favorite.

You do realize you may just be in the minority on Jay-Z as a top 5 MC.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Hip Hop is marginally tolerable (mainly the old school conscious MC's)....and is actually a type of "music"...
...but rap is not music...it's rap...unfortunately it just so happens to be a distant cousin of hip hop.

Try not to confuse the 2, derpity dawg.

You're welcome.

 

[SJ76]

Currently? This shit ain't rap. I'm still listening to NWA, 2 PAC, etc.

Kanye got stuffed in a locker on the south side of Chicago. He's a bitch

 

[SJ76]

This thread is a hot mess. Somebody pass the popcorn

 

[outofyourmind]

I didn't even know regions was a thing.

 

[DragonfromTO]

@Bloody Brian Burke
@Lions=TeHsUcKs
@StanMarsh51
@broncosmitty
@Brasky
@Edonidd
@SJ76
@Cyder
@CatsTopPac
@DetroitDevil

(if any of you want to be taken off this list, just let me know. I just use it because you guys are the only people I know of on t'Hoop that give a shit about hip-hop).

Pretty simple thread. Give your overall top 5 rappers from the different main regions of America. Here's my list:

East Coast:
1. Nas
2. The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Prodigy
4. AZ
5. Big L

West Coast:
1. The Game
2. Schoolboy Q
3. Kendrick Lamar
4. Snoop Dogg
5. Ice Cube

Midwest:
1. Eminem
2. Lupe Fiasco
3. Kid Cudi
4. Tech N9ne
5. Kanye West

South:
1. T.I.
2. Jeezy
3. Andre 3000
4. Lil Wayne
5. Ludacris

Royce not on your board in the midwest?

 

[DragonfromTO]

Some notes....

Toughest spots for me were Game over Q, Ice Cube over 2Pac (not that I'm a huge Pac fan), Tech N9ne over Kanye West (if we included work as a producer, I might put him on there), and Luda over Rick Ross and Scarface (I recognize that Scarface is the better and far more accomplished rapper, but I feel like I don't know his discography well enough to put him over Luda, who I've listened to since I was 12).

Deepest region in terms of talent is the south. But overall, I like east coast hip-hop the best. Anything made in NY from 1995-2005 is fire. Today, I'll take the west coast though.

I haven't gone through the whole thread yet so I apologize if someone has already asked, but I would love to hear the argument for this.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Nah, I recognize that he's regarded as one of the greatest. But the only songs I can name from him are "When I B On Tha Mic" and "Guess Who's Back," so I can't include him for my personal list. But FWIW, Scarface's "Guess Who's Back" will always be the "Guess Who's Back."

You have the power to fix that you know

 

[GNG]

Make sure you leave Pac where hes at. Cube is #1 in the west. An east coast list with out Rakim is pretty Weakl

All Rap sucks.

 

[Edonidd]

My number 1's from each region had their debut studio albums released in 1994, 2005, 1999, and 2001. If you mean that I don't know much music from the '70s or '80s, then yeah, I don't; but I know plenty of hip-hop from the "past;" in fact, that's the majority of the hip-hop I listen to.

Ehh, I didn't mean that to be a shot at you, just meant that we're coming from different eras. Even listening to "hip-hop from the past" you're doing so through modern tastes and evolutions. If you go listen to Enter the 36 chambers today, I'm sure you'll like it and can appreciate it. It was a great album. But it also influenced pretty much every album for years, that's not something you hear. In fact it just ends up making innovators and trend setters look less original when you go back and listen to them, because they sound like everything else.

 

[Edonidd]

You do realize you may just be in the minority on Jay-Z as a top 5 MC.

Nas sucks. Illmatic was overrated.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Ehh, I didn't mean that to be a shot at you, just meant that we're coming from different eras. Even listening to "hip-hop from the past" you're doing so through modern tastes and evolutions. If you go listen to Enter the 36 chambers today, I'm sure you'll like it and can appreciate it. It was a great album. But it also influenced pretty much every album for years, that's not something you hear. In fact it just ends up making innovators and trend setters look less original when you go back and listen to them, because they sound like everything else.

While I get the general point that you are making here I don't think that Omar's "blind spot" (that's in quotes because I'm not sure that's the right term here and it kinda sounds mean) is that big/bad relatively speaking. There's obviously no substitute for having been there but Omar generally seems like he gets it, even when we disagree.

 

[ill]

I don't think about region when I think about rappers. I know who I like and who I don't, but I never think about where they are from anymore.

 

[Edonidd]

While I get the general point that you are making here I don't think that Omar's "blind spot" (that's in quotes because I'm not sure that's the right term here and it kinda sounds mean) is that big/bad relatively speaking. There's obviously no substitute for having been there but Omar generally seems like he gets it, even when we disagree.

I agree. I don't mean it to be a shot at him or anything. But anyone that saw Jordan play knows hes the best. 2pacs i n that same zone for me.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I feel like the east coast has a ton of guys who I "love" to listen to, but aren't "great" rappers necessarily: Jada, 50, Cam, Beanie, Juelz Santana, Havoc. Even Styles P could be included on that list.

Beatnuts have always been like this for me. They are far from being great MCs but I will always turn them up.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I don't think about region when I think about rappers. I know who I like and who I don't, but I never think about where they are from anymore.

(I feel like this joke will be appreciated in this thread )

 

[ill]

(I feel like this joke will be appreciated in this thread )

I like a lot of white rappers too

G-Easy, El P, Mac Miller, Action Bronson, Lil Dicky, Asher Roth....

 

[Lions=TeHsUcKs]

@Bloody Brian Burke
@Lions=TeHsUcKs
@StanMarsh51
@broncosmitty
@Brasky
@Edonidd
@SJ76
@Cyder
@CatsTopPac
@DetroitDevil

(if any of you want to be taken off this list, just let me know. I just use it because you guys are the only people I know of on t'Hoop that give a shit about hip-hop).

Pretty simple thread. Give your overall top 5 rappers from the different main regions of America. Here's my list:

East Coast:
1. Nas
2. The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Prodigy
4. AZ
5. Big L

West Coast:
1. The Game
2. Schoolboy Q
3. Kendrick Lamar
4. Snoop Dogg
5. Ice Cube

Midwest:
1. Eminem
2. Lupe Fiasco
3. Kid Cudi
4. Tech N9ne
5. Kanye West

South:
1. T.I.
2. Jeezy
3. Andre 3000
4. Lil Wayne
5. Ludacris

That east coast list isn't too bad except I'd move Big L up. AZ is not top 5 either IMO. Probably would put someone like Lord Finesse or GZA ahead of him. You have too many recents at top 5 for West Coast and the Game is trash. No way schoolboy Q is better than Kendrick either. Midwest I can't argue tbh, I'd probably put Common top 2 or 3 though even though he acts now. South I guess is the popular opinion, but I'd put someone from Goodie Mob and Big Boi on the list as well. Eighball and MJG deserve a mention as well along with Scarface.

 

[Edonidd]

That east coast list isn't too bad except I'd move Big L up. AZ is not top 5 either IMO. Probably would put someone like Lord Finesse or GZA ahead of him. You have too many recents at top 5 for West Coast and the Game is trash. No way schoolboy Q is better than Kendrick either. Midwest I can't argue tbh, I'd probably put Common top 2 or 3 though even though he acts now. South I guess is the popular opinion, but I'd put someone from Goodie Mob and Big Boi on the list as well. Eighball and MJG deserve a mention as well along with Scarface.

Schoolboy Q being ranked above Kendrick Lamar was one of the few things I did agree with him on, although I think both are ahead of The Game. And I hated his East Coast list with a capital Hate. I'd have Jay-Z over everyone on his list, and LL Cool J, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Rza, ODB, DMX, and maybe even 50 or Busta over everyone but BIG.