Snoop Dogg launches debate on greatest rappers of all time, and we can’t resist.
Snoop Dogg, a man whom many consider one of the greatest rappers of all time, has posted his own list of the top 10 MCs of all time.
The list, which he posted on Instagram, is made up of these 10 alltime greats.
SLICK RICK >> The ’80s hip-hop pioneer, known for his own solo career as well as his work with Doug E. Fresh on such classics as “The Show” and “La Di Da Di.”
ICE CUBE >> The Hall of Famer from N.W.A. went on to a hugely successful solo recording career and became a major movie star to boot.
L.L. COOL J >> In 2017, the man responsible for “Rock the Bells,” “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “I Need Love” would become the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors.
KRS-ONE >> The hip-hop great came to fame in the late ’80s as a member of Boogie Down Productions, then went on to a successful solo career in the early ’90s.
RAKIM >> One of the genre’s greatest lyricists, this pioneering talent is best known for his work in the golden age hip-hop duo Eric B. & Rakim and the blockbuster “Paid in Full” album (and title track).
JOSEPH “RUN” SIMMONS AND DARRYL “DMC” MCDANIELS >> The two Run-DMC rappers greatly helped popularize hip-hop in the mid-’80s, releasing a number of classic platters, starring on MTV and lighting up the charts with the likes of “It’s Tricky,” “My Adidas” and “Walk This Way.”
BIG DADDY KANE >> A name that deserves to be on every list of all-time great MCs, Kane is a wordsmith beyond compare, who influenced and moved legions with the late-’80s classics “Long Live the Kane” and “It’s a Big Daddy Thing.”
ICE-T >> Before he starred on the NBC police drama “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” IceT delivered a steady run of gold/ platinum-selling albums in the late ’80s and early ’90s, beginning with the classic debut “Rhyme Pays” in 1987.
TOO SHORT >> This West Coast rap legend, who attended Oakland’s Fremont High School, is known for such platinum-plusselling offerings as “Short Dog’s in the House” and “Life Is … Too Short.”
What about women rappers?
I really enjoyed Snoop Dogg’s list of the top 10 rappers, especially since he included the great Big Daddy Kane in the mix. What he didn’t include, however, was any women. So I came up with my own list of the top 10 female rappers of all time. In making my list, I looked at such things as impact on the genre and body of work — which explains why you won’t see any newer artists here — as well as pure rapping talent, lyrical prowess and, of course, how much I enjoy their music .
Here’s my list, which, unlike Snoop’s, is ranked from 1-10:
1. MISSY ELLIOTT >> With over 30 million records sold, this Virginia native is reportedly the top-selling female rapper of all time and deserves to someday be enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, alongside such fellow hip-hop heroes as Public Enemy
and 2Pac.
2 (TIE). SALT AND PEPA (OF SALTN-PEPA) >> Snoop included both Joseph “Run” Simmons and Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of RunDMC on his list and I am definitely reserving two spots for Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, who worked with DJ Spinderella to craft some the most memorable songs of the ’80s and ’90s. And speaking of the Rock Hall, this group should’ve been inducted years ago given its sizable and undeniable contribution to popular music.
4. LISA “LEFT EYE” LOPES >> She was a force to be reckoned with as a member of the blockbuster “girl group” TLC, slinging equally big rhymes and charisma on such hits as “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs,” “Creep” and
“Unpretty.” She died young, from a car accident at the age of 30, but will be remembered as an all-time great.
5. LAURYN HILL >> She’s only released one full-length studio offering during her lengthy solo career. Yet, that offering — 1998’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” — might just be the best album of the last 25 years.
6. MC LYTE >> She’s an absolute trailblazer in the genre, whose many accomplishments include being widely regarded as the first female solo artist to release a full-length album (1988’s “Lyte as a Rock”).
7. DA BRAT >> Another true gamechanger, Da Brat was the first female solo rapper to score a platinum platter with the great 1994 debut “Funkdafied.”
8. NICKI MINAJ >> The multiplatinum-selling artist has breathtaking talent and is able to accomplish things on the microphone that are simply spellbinding.
9. TRINA >> The “Love & Hip Hop: Miami” star has released so many good albums over the years, beginning with the 2000 debut “Da Baddest Bitch” and continuing right up to last year’s “The One,” which was her first full-length outing since “Amazin’ ” in 2010.
10. QUEEN LATIFAH >> Long before she scored an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Mama Morton in the 2002 film adaptation of the musical “Chicago,” Dana “Queen Latifah” Owens was busy establishing herself as one of the top MCs in the game with such solid platters as 1993’s “Black Reign.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS >> Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Jean Grae, Remy Ma, Roxanne Shante, Eve, the Lady of Rage and so many, many others.