Weeks after radio/internet personality, Star declared Eminem the king of Hip Hop, a number of artists in the Hip Hop community have offered their thoughts on the Detroit, Michigan rapper being dubbed the king of Hip Hop.
Among those to share their opinion on Em being labeled the king of Hip Hop were those in the Hip Hop trio De La Soul. De La Soul’s Trugoy The Dove stated that in regards to the top artist in Hip Hop, “it’s a difficult question to ask.”
He went on to add that factors including voice, cadence, and lyrical content come into play when it concerns the king of Hip Hop.
“If you’re looking at it as ‘Who has more riches?’ Then okay, Eminem might be the king,” Trugoy said. “But I think when you’re talking about how many people love that king, I don’t know. I don’t think everybody’s an Eminem fan. Me, I’m an Eminem fan. Lyrically, he’s amazing. But I don’t necessarily say ‘I love every Eminem record.’ So, it’s the way you look at it. It’s a hard question to ask. One individual might say he is. The next two might say he isn’t. And the next seven might say he is. So, it’s a difficult question to ask…Some people might think it’s MF Doom… If you are a true student of Hip Hop, there’s so many elements you have to check. Voice, cadence, lyrical content, catalog, agility.”
DJ Maseo also chimed in on the king of Hip Hop debate, during the group’s interview with Vlad TV. According to the musician, there’s room for more than one king in Hip Hop.
“In the Bible, there’s a lot of kings. There’s a lot of kings. There’s more than one king. So, rightfully so, he’s [Eminem] a king in his own right. But so is Jay Z. And so is MF Doom,” DJ Maseo said.
MF DOOM King?? Negro please. How can an artist who appeals only to hipsters be a king? Dude can’t make a great song to save his life.Just a bunch of complex words to mask his inability to make a great song. Kings of Hiphop are: Tupac,Biggie,Nas,Common,Big L,Big Pun..e.t.c
And you are a bigger fool than i thought you were. You are out your rabbit ass mind. Thinking doom a bum.
Rakim > Tupac Biggie Nas etc
Tupac and Biggie are overated just because they’re dead deal with it
The comment hits home about there being mutiple Kings. I in regards to Em the question should be asked can anybody touch him one on one lyrically. In that debate I’d say he’s king on top of all Kings. Not to say some can’t come damn close, but I think would walk away victorious against any MC dead or alive.
Have u ever listend to GZA, Elzhi, Big L, Big Pun, MF Doom, Ghostface, RA the Rugged man even L-Boogie etc…Put the pipe down maybe u will see clearly!!!!!!
Eminem said these people are better than him: Redman, Jay-Z, 2pac, Biggie, Andre 3000, Jadakiss, Kurupt, and Nas. So how is he the “king”? lol Even he admits people are better than him. What about when he said he was Jealous or Wayne and Kanye? He’s king only to suburban white males who hate their parents.
You obviously didn’t get that line, he was stating them in reverse order. He wouldn’t put nas last thats for sure, that’s why he ended the line with him last (now flip the order) I know its tough for you peons to decifer his genius . Every top rapper has a least one interview naming eminem as one of their favorites or best.
yeah that line was said like a decade plus ago.
That line doesn’t mean anything, just because he said it doesn’t mean it’s true, it just showes that Eminem is humble and that the fame hasn’t gotten to his head. basically no one calls themselfs the best, it’s not up to them to decide, it’s up to everyone else
C’mon son… First off, he spit that line in 2002. Second off, Fuck Marcy, if you honestly believe he is king only to that demographic that you mentioned, you are straight up delusional. I can’t count how many legends of hip-hop have crowned him the best, or at least Top 5. Not that I necessarily agree with that, but you have to give the white boy credit where credit is due. Dude is a legit lyrisist, has done alot for the rap game, and always pays homage to those who came before him. Best rapper ever, probably not…… Top 10? Absolutely!!! And IMO anybody who says otherwise is just a hater
Who are we to judge? Do any of you have the lyrical skill?……. like before stated, the bible comment hits home. People are always turning everything into a competition. That isn’t even what these fools rap for. Decade-long careers, you think they care this much?
eminem is the king of wiggers and we love him
True. I wish these white wiggs would just stop
Guru and terminology are 2 slept on kings
Why do people and other artists keep saying Jay Z is anything but SHIT. Guy fuckin stinks.
Man you got to be cooking crack let’s stop being amazed at the fact that a white rapper has bars I’ve seen him get ate up on the sway and tech wake up show by super natural and their are a couple of mainstream artist that would bag him Jay Z not being one of them Naz 1songbwhere he rapped the song forward and the backwards as if it were in rewind still one of the dopest pieces spilt
Chuck D is the king of hiphop.
There is no other that put their stamp on the game to the degree that he has.
No one.
cooolll…
G-Rap, KRS, Rakim… these are names that I should be hearing. And when are we going to stop with that garbage ass jz. I’m sure if I put my mind to it, I could name 100 mc’s better. i.e. Beeluv from the JVC Force for starters.
DOOM. The Villain doesn’t need any other label though
Im not a huge fan of eminem but if you listen to his Infinite LP you’ll understand why he’s considered one of the best. Its straight fire but really the only CD I liked and continue to listen to of his. Jay Z is actually the shit if you listen to any of his CD’s before the last 2 or arguably 3. There are so many great rappers out there that are kings in there own way but do have sort of shitty CD’s like Nas does. Like I dont know if anybody is into Az but “Doe or Die” was INSANELY GOOD album or his verse on “Life’s a bitch”. He’s a king in my book. Tons of kings out there but eminem is definitely one of them now days where lyrical complexity is a rarity in the main stream. Hes a main stream king but there are plenty of lesser known rappers that are phenomenal.
Jay Z aint my favorite either but I loved reasonable doubt. I dont think there is a best ever but Jay Z or Eminem wouldn’t make my list
DOOM is king of any microphone. Even all those baby toy mics.
DOOM. The only label he needs is Villain.
Vlad is trolling and people are falling like dominoes for it. Sure, Eminem is nice on the mic and has always been the great white hope for suburban kids, but not THE king of hip-hop. C’mon now, let the light shine on people like Nas, Scarface and KRS-One instead.
De la Soul is correct, most real old school hip hoppers can break it down to different categories, Flow, Content, Lyricism and so on, possibly actually knowing about the history and showing respect to the spitters that came before you. I agree, we should be talkin about the Rakims, KRS’s, Ice Cubes, BDK and many more from back in the day. Before we can name a king of hip hop, we need to know what the criteria is for picking a king and then we can go from there. Race should never have anything to do with it, you are either dope or wack. When Em started, he would be the only white person in the whole club and he made it, he did not have an easy road at all. Once he started poppin, did being white help, probably, but that has nothing to do with him, that is our ridiculous society. With the media and social media the way it is, no matter what you do, you are going to have people that like you and people that hate you, no matter what. I’ve seen that with things that you couldn’t even believe that people would look at it in a curtain way, but they do. I think what peers say holds more water and I listen and read a lot of interviews and let just say I have heard some of the biggest names in rap history say that Em is amazing lyrically. I think Hip Hop needs to be cooler with each other and try to help others succeed and not always be about hate. He is in my top 10, but not my top 5, but Lyrically I would put him very high on the list, regardless whether you liked the content or not. I am talking about technical skill and word play, he is definitely pretty nasty. What’s irritating now, is that Em is pretty much minding his business and everyone has to keep starting up with him…. Good thing he is not in his old school diss track mode, those were some of his sickest stuff. Keep hiphop moving forward.
i wouldnt list them as kings but faces of hip hop.
em the struggle
jay the hustle
nas the lyrics…
i named these three because they’re in the forefront right now not legend status like say rakim or big daddy kane or krs one
It all depends what kind of rap you like. If you like angry heavy rap, Em, DMX, Busta etc.
If you like mainstream crap, gay-Z, 50 cent.
If you like complex lyrics and high skills, Nas, MF Doom, etc.
Smooth grooves, Snoop etc.
Old school, tribe called quest, de la soul, pharcyde etc.
For me personally, Mos Def is the best rapper of all time, based on flow, content & skill.
Em is good but at the same time IMO RA the ruggedman is better. Vinnie paz, atmosphere, apathy, benefit, Aesop rock, ceschi etc etc are all dope without selling out like em did….
why is it hiphop is the only music genre still looks at the person of the colors skin instead of his content. when is this phase gonna end?
When cops stop killing black kids , when will it end
Police killin everyone and tf does that gotta do w em spot in hiphop? Clown niggas like u out here makin ppl look bad
I know 1 thing for sure . that if u lyrically put best alive rappers on a top 10 list , if em is not number 1 , he is definetly one of the top 3. he done so much for hip hop and he is still killin’ the shit right now so . if you don’t hate then u should consider him as one of the greatest
There is no better MC than Dave from De La Soul.
Krayzie Bone is the King of Hip Hop. Just listen to anything he is on. He always kills it. I’m kinda surprised nobody has really mentioned Bone Thugs in this king of hip hop debate
Too many Kings to name.
Let me first say . I am a doom fan. Operation doomsday .monster island czars . Ect . I know all his work. But he is overrated . In the same way big l is.
The true king is lyrics flow ect but you gotta put catalog in the mix.
That being said. Tupac jay z eminem.are the only
Ones that could be close to king status.
Kendrick could surpass them all in the future thou
You’re right. It’s either 2pac, Jay-z or Eminem. Any of those answers makes sense. I think Kanye is starting to get to that level too.
Pfffft you best rethink your sob story of an opinion big l is a legend and Jay z has only 1 song I respect blue magic other then that commercial trash and as for kendrick you have got to be kidding not 1 track of his has ever appealed to me when he won a Grammy I laughed at the joke it was
Glad to see nobody posting disrespectful comments about the Legendary “De La soul.
Most cats in the game don’t even know about the Old School 80s or 90s, and it reflects in their records.
Fuck this whole race debate. Eminem can rap his ass off. What’s the problem?
If its not NAS its GZA, Em is dope lyrically but sometimes its a bit corny. His lyrical content is hit or miss. He doesn’t have the broad strokes that NAS and GZA do. Just flow though, he may be the best. Talib flow is dumb too though, so is Pharaohe Monch. It boils down to personal preference.
I wish DX would stop regurgitating VTV’s bullshit. They are race baiting for clicks, end of story.
lol
“Why be a king? When you can be a god?” -Eminem
Think that pretty much sums it up.
Preach!
There will never be 1 king of hip hop, this debate could last forever but won’t come to a conclusion.. I agree that there are KINGS and not one king.. Eminem is def one of them kings
I don’t care what the other wanna be says. Eminem is the best rapper ever !!!!! At least you can hear every word he raps not like the ones that you only hear and understand a word or 2. His songs is real life not al lot of meaningless shit. For me he is the only rapper I will listen to ever!!!
Jay z is no king, neither is Em. Em IS good though but not king. Jay z isn’t even good. He has been around for many years but he is a joke in my eyes. Now MF Doom is a king straight up.
Eminem is a great rapper but his is not getting played in the Deep South its a cash money and Young Money party and no limit Eminem he might be king of the suburbs but in the black hood of the cities he just a good rapper young black kids do not identify with Eminem anymore
Yeah, because the intellect of these kids in the hood can’t be too high. If in the hood, Young Thug and other crappy rappers are what’s hot, they prove to be stupid people.
Krs-one…. Nuff said
Name me one that would go after em and battle him? He has been claiming to be top dog for like 3 years now and no one has gone at him. Why is that? Yea you know why.
Cassidy,Murder Mook, Load Lux there u go Stan.
Em is the king of rap and there is literally no comparison I am head to the death and despise commercial rap and it’s jokes of fans I don’t care how long an artist has been in prison aka trap or a rappers fan base and big base instros I care about a rappers lyrics and how he spits them if I can feel his situation through his lyrics and how his perspective develops throughout the longevity of his career and em has been a god from infinite all the way to his latest even when he’s apologised for his last album because he felt like he failed it he fact was he didn’t on some of his latest hits I started to think he had fallen of coz his lyrics got soppy and almost depressive but then I hit a bad patch all of a sudden and caught an earful of the tracks I thought he wasn’t doing justice in and all of a sudden I really related and it got me through some rough times just like back in the day when I first started spinning him with the marshal mathers lp…. It takes one he’ll of a man to spit real even when he’s going through a lumpy patch to spit with honesty even if it shows signs of weakness within himself rather then ranting and blabbing making feel good music because it appeals to a larger majority of the listeners em will always have my eternal respect and gratitude for all he’s done and still he doesn’t get his due credibility and the trash these good for nothing journalists write about him makes me want to go and throttle them because he got problems drug related excetra well welcome to the world b**** life ain’t a mag now I just want to see some under ground cats get their due to like mota mouth and jehst too me hip hop has become a joke but em deserves the crown straight up and down
Yo that’s the longest Fucking run on sentence in history.
The king of hip hop is The Noturious B.I.G or M.F Doom. He’ll Aeosap Rock is better than em.TBH
Best MC’s Of all time list
1. Rakim
2. Tupac Shakur
3. Notorious B.I.G.
4. Jay-Z
5. Nas
6. Scarface
7. Snoop Dogg
8. AZ
9. Andre 3000
10.GZA
11. Methodman Redman Raekwon Ghostface Killah RZA WU-Tang
11.Mobb Deep Havoc Prodigy
12.LOX D-Block Ruff Ryders DMX Jadakiss Styles P Sheek Louch Drag-on Cassidy Murda Mook
13.Fabolous
14.Eminem
15.G-Unit Lloyd Banks 50 Cent M.O.P
16.Saigon
17.Game
18.Obie Trice
19.Xzibit
20.KRS-One
22.Ludacris
23.T.I.
24.Ja Rule
25.Game
Lol, Eminem kills jay z in the only song they did. He should be ATLEAST 4. My personal belief, 1. He is the best in every way and each song is unique. To put snoop dogg at 7, is a disrespect to rap. He has a couple hits, but he is so washed up, they don’t even matter. Jay z USED to be good but now he just raps about how he was good. He is stuck in that time. These numbers are so out of order. Tupac is probably better than rakim and so is biggie. Eminem can top them easily. Plus those 2 only got to live in their prime. Eminem is passed his prime and is still killing it. In his prime, that can carry him even if he turned out like snoop, which he won’t. His prime + how he is now = him as God of rap.
Eminem is top with krs one …big l ..big daddy Kane ..PAC and biggie