Top 50 Emcees
The criteria for selecting my top 50 emcees are filled with both personal connections, artistic skill (spitting mad hella miracle lyrical bars) and cultural impact. It's also about when a particular emcee entered my life and defined my taste in rap. In some cases, groups are identified as a single entity, meaning that their voice or style is in unison. These artists also represent, for me, a bridge between eras and stylistic innovations. Their ability to be vulnerable is also a key factor. Rap culture is often filled with bravado, trash-talking, and competitiveness, so presenting oneself as “wound-able” takes a lot of courage and reflects the path a true artist is willing to traverse. The artists listed here, in alphabetical order, resonate with my sensibilities, express things that I would say, and some of them possess personalities that align with how I view the world. These emcees have given (and continue to give) me courage as an artist, imparted wisdom to my developing mind, and genuinely made a significant impact on why I love hip-hop so much.
Top 5
Illustration by Mike NichollsBlack Thought
A Philadelphia-bred wordsmith with calm, calculated aggression; Black Thought is the embodiment of an emcee. As co-founder of the groundbreaking hip-hop band, The Roots, he’s probably one of the Top 5 of somebody else’s Top 5. Don’t let his appearance of a distinguished gentleman mislead you, Black Thought’s thoughtful introspection is equally matched with his ability to control a crowd and vigorously freestyle at the drop of a dime. Quoting Ice-T here, “He can take out 99% of all rappers, including me!”
Ghostface Killah
Getting his start with one of the most influential super groups of all time, Wu Tang Clan, Ghostface juggles swag, beautifully crafted non-sequiturs, focused aggression and vulnerability like no other emcee. Fueled with unbridled passion Ghostface, at times, rhymes as if on the verge of bursting into tears. His vivid perspective as a lyricist touches upon his b-boy bravado, ability to craft great stories and willingness to get sentimental. Ghostface birthed a lot of styles, but he’s one of one.
GURU (RIP)
His name, a backronym of Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, truly encompasses the lane he created in this culture. Hailing from Boston MA, but making his name in New York, Guru’s voice had such gravitas and resonated with me deeply as this streetwise poet that was able to balance style with wisdom. Along with DJ Premier as the group GangStarr, their sound defined the jazz-influenced, rugged boom-bap sound of New York City. Guru had the ability to merge the slickness of jazz, street intelligence of an inner city griot and personal conviction.
MF DOOM (RIP)
Getting his start in the late 1980’s as Zev Love X in the group KMD. Doom has since reinvented himself as the chrome mask-wearing emcee who raps in 3rd-person about himself and has an uncanny perspective on life inspired by Marvel comic books. Doom has a keen wit with a deftly stream-of-conscious rap style. His approach to music really put him in his own universe within everyone else’s, Doom was a metaverse in his own right.
Phonte
From Greensboro, North Carolina, Phonte made some waves as part of the group Little Brother (along with Rapper Big Pooh and 9th Wonder). Not only is he on par with some of the most credible emcees he also can sing (truth be told he inspired one of rap’s most recognizable artists from Canada). He formed a Grammy-nominated R&B group, Foreign Exchange. With blue-collar sensibilities and penchant for melodies, Phonte is one of the most versatile hip-hop artists of his generation. Plus his bars are like no other and he’s from my home state!