Complex released its annual rankings of 20 rappers in their 20s today (August 7). The site says that the list is based strictly on the music the artists have created, not necessarily on lyrical skill or potential.
“This is a list about the best rappers,” Complex says, “and being the best rapper entails making the best Rap music. We take rap skills into consideration, but our emphasis is on an artist’s overall catalog and more often than not, people’s skill sets don’t match their output.”
The now 20-year-old Joey Bada$$ makes his debut on the list. The article says that part of what makes him so special is his ability to transcend age.
“It was pretty much a given that Joey Bada$$ would slide onto this list once he reached qualifying age,” Complex writes. “The Brooklyn rapper has transitioned from a lyrical whiz kid isolated on the East Coast and blogs to an underground staple throughout the country and overseas in just a matter of years, stoking the flames of ’90s rap revivalism that old heads and kids hitting puberty could appreciate.”
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Fetty Wap, 25, also makes his first appearance on the list. The site credits him for not being a one-hit-wonder, as many projected him to be.
“While Fetty may not be the best rapper in the traditional sense, you can’t front on his songwriting and ability to make hits,” it says.
Vince Staples returns on the list and jumped to #7 from last year’s #20 rank. The site explains why the “Señorita” rapper is “underrated.
“Mainstream Rap gatekeepers aren’t fans of rappers who don’t make bubble gum bullshit,” the site says. “They don’t like rappers who are smart. They prefer ignorance and ‘swag.’ Vince is none of those things.”
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Drake was dethroned from his top spot on last season’s list and lands at #2. The site credits Meek Mill‘s accusations that the Toronto rapper uses a ghostwriter as reason to question Drake’s abilities.
“This list considers how good you are at rapping, but ultimately that idea boils down to how good the Rap music you make is,” Complex says, “and let’s be for real, Drake has made some of the best songs of this year, the year before, and the year before that. Meek can chastise Drake all he wants about the ethics of ghostwriting, but here’s the kicker: Drake’s music is better than Meek’s and better than almost every rapper in their 20s.”
The top spot this year goes to Kendrick Lamar, who held the crown on 2013’s list as well. The article cites his success on back-to-back albums as one of the reason’s for his title.
“He faced immense pressure to follow-up his instant classic and came through with another masterful album this year with To Pimp a Butterfly, which not only solidified his spot as the Best Rapper Alive, but it established his place in the all-time pantheon of rap,” it writes.
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To read the full list, visit Complex.
For additional Kendrick Lamar coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
