How do we judge rappers?
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5th Letter
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I got this idea from a debate I had in another thread, where basically Hell Rell is considered wack, but Gucci Mane was considered good. So what is the criteria besides "opinion". For me personally Canibus is a better rapper than Jim Jones, but I would rather bump Jimmy over Canibus anytime. So do we consider a rapper wack because you dont like their music, or do you think they are genuinely wack? Lets speak on it.
Comments
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Contrary to elitist belief "lyrics >>> all"
I'd say:
Lyrical ability
Delivery
Wittiness, punchlines
Creativity
Accessibility
Content, "soulfulness" -
um...by listening to the songs...
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um...by listening to the songs...
Okay but is that how you determine a rapper is better than the other? -
Okay but is that how you determine a rapper is better than the other?
which ever has the more songs i like... -
which ever has the more songs i like...
interesting take on things. Using my own example and using your way of judging rappers, I like way more Jim Jones songs than Canibus songs so that would mean Jimmy Jones is better than Canibus -
I judge off the ability to make good music. IMO lyrics, wordplay, substance, creativity, flow etc..all come into play when being able to make good music. I don't care how ggod you at the art of rapping if you make wack music you're a wack artist in my book.
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interesting take on things. Using my own example and using your way of judging rappers, I like way more Jim Jones songs than Canibus songs so that would mean Jimmy Jones is better than Canibus
thats just how I judge it...if you like jim jones more then canibus,. it's not a reach as many would say, to choose him over canibus. Yes canibus can make dope lines and jimmy not so much...but the lyrics is just apart of the song, kidn of like a instrument. Once everything is together, who am i gonna want to hear more of? thats how i decide who my favorite is
my top five right now just as an example
Jay
Em
Kanye
Ross
Lupe
I like all for what they bring all together musically to tracks and projects -
I can respect that.
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i usually judge a rapper after hearing their album enough times were i should love it.
if i dont love it after the 6th listen then its usually not worth it.
rappers that have to grow on me always seem to be my faves.
but even with that being said i still find it almost impossible to get into anyone using wack/ignorant/sloppy lyrics or rhyme schemes
entertainment is entertainment but you need to be a good rapper too. -
I rate rappers on they content. Nowadays anybody can rap. But its the content that keeps me interested. You may like more Jim Jones tracks but there is no way he better than Canibus.
I would say content and then delivery. -
I only judge rappers on how well you can craft an album. Cause in all reality that's the only thing that matters in the long run. All those mixtape rappers that a lot of ppl claim to be great aren't really cause they weren't good enough to put out a solid album. Granted some get caught in bad label situations but i think for the most part they don't have that artistic skill to make an album.
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DatNiggaB1 wrote: »I rate rappers on they content. Nowadays anybody can rap. But its the content that keeps me interested. You may like more Jim Jones tracks but there is no way he better than Canibus.
I would say content and then delivery.
of course jimmy is no where near as good as canibus. -
1. it starts with voice... if u have an annoying voice that it... this is music... it supposed to be something u want to listen to no annoying
2. Flow... u have to have a dope flow.. once again... it's for listening... i don't care about ur lyrics if ur flow sucks and you can't even interest me... if u can't flow then write a book and if u got something interesting enough to say maybe i'll read it... but i'm not gonna listen to u rap.
3. Pick good beats... again... THIS IS MUSIC...
4. Lyrical ability... what seperates the greats from the rest -
of course jimmy is no where near as good as canibus.
^^what??? he's better then cannibus... by a long shot... if you would of said he don't have as complicated of lyrics as cannibus then I feel u... that don't make cannibus a better MC though
it's like rakim said... "mc means move the crowd".... jimmy is killin him overall n i don't even like jim jones like that -
midwestgangsta wrote: »1. it starts with voice... if u have an annoying voice that it... this is music... it supposed to be something u want to listen to no annoying
2. Flow... u have to have a dope flow.. once again... it's for listening... i don't care about ur lyrics if ur flow sucks and you can't even interest me... if u can't flow then write a book and if u got something interesting enough to say maybe i'll read it... but i'm not gonna listen to u rap.
3. Pick good beats... again... THIS IS MUSIC...
4. Lyrical ability... what seperates the greats from the rest
What if you have all that and cant make a solid album aka Jadakiss? -
midwestgangsta wrote: »^^what??? he's better then cannibus... by a long shot... if you would of said he don't have as complicated of lyrics as cannibus then I feel u... that don't make cannibus a better MC though
it's like rakim said... "mc means move the crowd".... jimmy is killin him overall n i don't even like jim jones like that
Lyrically, and flow wise Canibus is better, Jimmy just makes catchier music. -
What if you have all that and cant make a solid album aka Jadakiss?
^^then i'd say u would be a dope ass mc that can't make a good album... and that's exactly how i'd describe jadakiss -
Rappers don't have to be exceptional at rapping to have appeal. A lot of posters on this board forget that there is much more to the musical experience than the verses. Rapping is one single aspect of a hip hop SONG.
As for rating rappers, i think that flow, lyricism, voice n/h, and delivery are all important factors in determining their technical skill between the choruses. -
I think this would make for some good discussion
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I judge rappers based on the following
Flow
Lyricism
Creativity
Subject Matter
If a rapper isn't good at any of the above he is wack to me. -
I dont have no scientific formula. I just like what I like like the majority of people.
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Character, morals, ethics, intelligence, perseverance, content of their music, creativity, ability to work with others and including other music genres, ability to present music to the majority (white people) is probably the biggest and most important factor into making it.
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I really look at the emcee, production and overall song.....thats why i say even rappers that i deem wack can make a song that i like.....Imo the talented rappers are the ones that really can impress with the words alone....songs and production is subjective, but i dont believe a skilled emcee is,....I agree with the bus jim jones comparison i know jimmy doesnt have a 3rd of the skill that bus has but i'd listen to a jim jones song b4 a bus joint
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Lyrics are important but its not the be all end all. Beats, flows, content, humor and songwriting are important as well. For each individual they will put one above others. The best songs are a marriage of all that. The best rappers should be the best representatives of everything that encompasses talent as an MC: content, lyrics, humor, songwriting, flows.
I'm a lyrics person, but not a Canibus fan because I don't like Canibus lyrics. I'm a fan of humorous rap too, so I dig Noreaga and Cam'ron too even though Nore is the best lyricist and Cam is a shell out himself.
I think we SHOULDN'T jude based on beats, because most rappers don't produce. I also find the majority of hip-hop's artistic expression is in the lyrics, which if using a painting analogy we will find that the beat is merely a canvas.
[That isn't to say that there isn't any artistry in production. It takes talent and skill to do that as well, but that's not how we should judge MCs, because most don't possess the talent and skill necessary to produce art on the production end.]
Back to MC-ing and using @Jamaica 's examples I think Jim Jones actually touches on more of those bases than Canibus does. Jimmy can be entertaining, he can flow, and he can craft songs better than Canibus. Can Canibus rap circles around him? Yes, hell he can rap circles around him twice, but lyrics are only one part of the game. -
Lyrics weigh a lot for me. But I can appreciate bangers with average lyrics. As long as you can put together a good album with solid lyrics I can listen. But also the voice some rappers after a while just get tiring.
Now if I were to rank artists that's a different thing. You have to be able to incorporate all the elements in terms of album flow, lyrics, delivery, and content.
