Anatomy of a G.O.A.T. – Follow the Flow
written by JusHH
written by JusHH
Who is the G.O.A.T.? What does it really take to be the greatest rapper of all time? While it is definitely a subjective topic where many people have many different opinions, there are some undeniable characteristics that the “greatest” should have. For one, you must have longevity. One hot song, one classic album isn’t enough. Your name must ring out for many years. LL Cool J has been a major player in the game for over 20 years; no other rapper can come close to saying that. He broke ground in the 80’s, topped the charts in the 90’s and kept the ladies dancing in the clubs well into this decade. He was also fierce in the booth as he battled anyone who was willing to step in his path. LL’s music will still be hot and will still be listened to 20 years from now. However, the G.O.A.T must bring it lyrically. Your rhymes must be more than noticeable; it has to make you say “damn, who’s better than this dude?” And nobody reinvented the bars like the God MC, Rakim. Before the R, the rhyme schemes were simplistic, easy to follow and were more about riding the beat. Rakim changed all of that. Rhyming words at different points of a particular bar and rhyming multiple words within one bar just had not been done before. It was one of the first times people had to spin the record back because a rhyme went over their head. Add that to the fact that Paid In Full is arguably one of the most critically acclaimed records ever and Rakim appears to be as close to the greatest as you can get. While being a pioneer normally reserves the right to be called the best, it often breeds evolution and evolution often breeds improvement.
Since 1988, lyrics have gotten even more complex. Flows and cadences have changed. Because of what they heard back then, rappers experimented more and took the art to the next level. Enter Nas. Perhaps the Rakim re-incarnated. He took the style created in ’88 and perfected it, allowing it to still be relevant in 2008. When 16 year olds listen to Nas they are listening to Eric B. for President without even knowing it. Nas epitomizes everything that is great about Hip-Hop. The image of nodding your head on the train, joining in a cipher in front of the bodega or penning your latest gem in your rhyme book can all be seen in one of Nas’ verses. He’s a poet who often speaks for the people rather to them. With timeless quotables and Illmatic under his belt, the crown appears to have his name on it. Consistency matters. There can’t be a situation where the world universally agrees that you fell off. Trying to achieve commercial success will drive an artist crazy and it will always result in a bad product when that artist steps out of their lane. But what about shock value? How do you measure the “wow” factor that you get when you hear a rapper do or say something that you might haven't heard before. Maybe you’re more surprised because you judged a book by its cover but its “dopeness” can’t be denied. Whether its completely disappearing into a beat to the point where the first five times you heard the song, you thought he was mumbling or telling an incredibly detailed story from the perspective of a crazed fan, you begin to wonder if he’s the best. The truth of the matter is, when it comes to pure lyrical talent there are very few who can hang with Emimen when he is at the top of his game. There are rhymes that he said that completely leave you scratching your head because you can’t believe how someone could think of a line so creative. “I’m harder than me trying to park a dodge, when I’m drunk as f**k, right next to a humongous truck in a two car garage.” The passion in his delivery is undeniable and he is a true student of the game – constantly giving props to those who inspired him. Being a rapper is primarily about putting words on a page and if the skill involved with doing that continues to improve, then the current benchmark is set by Em. You really believe that there isn’t a style or form that he couldn’t do, yet there are things that he’s done that you can’t see other rappers doing. How much greater can you get then that?
Being the G.O.A.T. is bigger than that though. You must have an aura about you – a mystique of sorts that can equal your ability in the booth. Your personality must transcend and reach just as far as the music coming out of the headphones. A pure jump shot will get you two points but if you soar through the air for slam dunk, you’ll also get an all-star appearance and a sneaker contract on top of that. The greatest has to be the total package, a mosaic of all the qualities that make a great emcee. This line of logic would lead you down a path that takes you to Brooklyn where The Notorious B.I.G called home. Biggie is considered by most to be the Gold Standard when it comes to rappers. People can comfortably walk anywhere in the world and call him the best and receive very little resistance. He spit for the hood, he spit to the ladies. He told stories better than MC Ricky D and completely changed the game when he got on the mic with Bone Thugs N Harmony. Even more than ten years after he recorded in the booth for the final time, one of his songs still hit just as hard as it did the first time you heard it. But he’s not the G.O.A.T. Now imagine everything that Biggie is, add a consistency rivaled by none and an affect on popular culture like no other rapper before him and you get Jay-Z. Since having the “King of NY” title fall in his lap in 1997, Hov never looked back and with so many classics to his credit, whenever he records a new project, it is first compared to his earlier works before it is compared to the rest of the industry. The fact that his last album is arguably his best work is a testament to not only his longevity but his ability to remain on top despite constant changes in the overall Hip-Hop landscape. If you are a new artist, without question you want the career that Jay-Z currently has. To have incredible mass appeal and commercial success yet be respected by the hardest of hardcore Hip-Hop fans is truly an anomaly and puts him atop of anyone’s list.
However, rap is music and music is art and art is more than just entertainment. True art must have substance. True art must inspire. True art must make you feel. When you hear music it should make you think and make you view the world a bit differently. It should make your day better if you need a lift or help you understand that you’re not the only one who shares a certain struggle. A rapper should be an artist and an artist should make songs that if you are black, it makes you proud to be that. His song should make you hug your mother that much harder the next time you see her because you appreciate her sacrifice. His songs should make you second guess calling that girl down the street a “bitch” because she’s a beautiful woman that deserves more respect. His songs should motivate you to better yourself and get out of the hood and not feel that you are less of a man because of your negative environment. This artists’ music must be timeless because it addresses and articulates the essence of humanity and humanity as we know is everlasting. Only one rapper has truly captured the real meaning of being an artist. So much so that his lyrics are written in best selling books and taught in accredited universities. This is why the Greatest rapper Of All Time is the late, great Tupac (2Pac) Shakur.
17 comments:
I get to be the first to comment, I like this.
So with every paragraph I was like I agree. I was completely and uneqivocally a sheep this morning--able to be led in any direction you, JusHH, wanted to lead me. Looking within I am aware that this is due to the fact that I'm not even sure who I would deem the greatest of all time.
Then you spoke about Biggie. I don't know if there can only be one. I don't think we have to narrow it down. But about Biggie I will say this: he did a Seinfeld (unfortunately for reasons beyond his control). He was taken out while he was at the apex of his career. We will never get a chance to see Biggie fall from grace as one of the illest rappers. Because of that I would consider him a G.O.A.T. I don't think I could ever give that title to anyone still living for the simple fact that they might not be done...look at what happened to Rakim when he tried to come back. He really couldn't hold his during a new era of hip hop.
With that said, I will agree about Pac. For me him and Biggie do go into the same Seinfeld-like category. And everything you said about Pac hit the nail right on the head. His music incites a passion in you; he taps into emotions that no other artists can. You wanna read anything he wrote or that is written about him. You wanna see him in movies (as corny as they might be you'll still love his character). He makes you feel like you're listening to John Coltrane, Dinah Washington, Marvin Gaye, Public Enemy and Ice-T all at the same time. I'm not sure he holds that title all alone, but f*** it Ima go ahead and just agree since I can't disagree--Pac is the G.O.A.T.
24 - I feel you on the Biggie thing. To me, he's the most difficult artist to rate. I mean given the length of his career, it completely contradicts what i said at the beginning of the piece. However, his body of work is so f'n incredible that you simply can't deny his spot on the list.
I was listening to Suicidal Thoughts not too long ago and I was like "damn"!
But that's why Hip-Hop is so fun, we get to have hypothetical conversations like this.
This post cannot come at a more perfect time. I was listening to Life After Death yesterday and was saying how Big's death was a tragedy in itself but then how we all stopped and realized....the music. We will never see if he can spit Notorious Thugs lives. We lost out on some of the best art hip hop will ever be graced. Like #24 said, we will never see Big get whack and that's the beauty of it. And I LOVE me some Pac. I too am torn between which I would say is the greatest. Indisputably though they are both at the top of that list. Great post!
I have a question, why is Eminem often left off people's lists? Its like he's such a distant afterthought to so many people and i just don't get it. It can't just be the "white" thing cuz that would be ridiculous. I'd mention Em as one of the greats to some people and they'd look at me as if i said Chino XL instead.
HA HA HA Chino XL. I agree that Em is nice but I don't really think I could put him up there as G.O.A.T. It has nothing to do with him being white. I really couldn't care less. Nice is nice. It's like look at the Gym Class Heroes. I love them dudes. They don't really get recognized in hip hop I think because they have that whole band thing going on. They don't really do the hip hop group formula. But then again the Roots are band too and it seems to work for people. Who knows? Em has a very different something about him (like the GCHs) that I think people don't really try to get into until somebody, i.e. Dr. Dre, says its crak. But yes I agree that Eminem is creative and thoughful in his rhymes and sometimes goes unrecognized for that.
For the second time in my PTM membership, I can say, I can not disagree with Mr. Jushh :) It is hard to pick just one, but I can't disagree with the reasoning behind your choice.
And EM is one of the nicest mother F#ckers out there. Have yall listened to his $hit? His music to me, can make me laugh, think, and say f$ck my ex, all in one. Anyone who can do that, is pure talent. Im not too sure why he doesn't get the love as other hip-hop artist, but dude is sick... Great piece Jushh...
Another question... If BIG doesn't get killed, how high on the list would Jay-Z be in 2008? Would Jay been able to gain the type of fan fare if his BK counterpart was still coming with classics?
i think the "how big would Jay be if Big was still around?" question has about as much validity as the claim that Jay "steals" Big's rhymes. I think at this point, it is undeniable that this cat has something so unique and has been able to captivate such a HUGE audience that you just have to give him credit. But at the same time, with competition from Big and Pac, he def has to share the limelight, but i think he'd still be as bright as ever cause i felt like Big and Pac were too thug to fully capitalize commercially, musically speaking, Big was very laid back and nonchalant and pac was always on some beef shit, he and 50 would either be best friends or like 50 and game.
I think the "if BIG were around" argument always has some validity. I mean, sometimes there's just not enough shine for everyone. Also, if BIG was still selling a decent amount of units, how mainstream would Jay have gone? Either way, circumstance or not, Jay is the GOAT in my personal opinion. However, I can't disagree with anyone's choice of Tupac.
Oh, and am I the only one that liked Kane over Rakim?
I'm definitely not mad at you for Hov being your GOAT. This is why its so much fun to talk about it.
Kane is sick and he definitely brought it. Perhaps I favor the R because I've heard more of his stuff plus Paid In Full to me is better than any album that Kane put out. But i'm nitpicking because "as soon as the pen hits the paper... aww s**t!"
Stu.. Big did "One More Chance (remix)" and "Mo' Money Mo' Problems" he already crossed over commercially. Hov is from the exact same mold that BIG came from, BIG just dropped a year or two earlier. It would have been interesting to see them jockey for the top spot.
If Pac were still alive, well, i think alot more would have been different but that is perhaps another post down the road.
yeah, he did, bad boy was the shit, he def had the best marketer possible on his team so he would've done his thing, i've never disputed that, but mo money mo problems blew postmortem and one more chance and big poppa were huge, along with hypnotized (also postmortem) so is it fair to question if big is only this, well big, (double no homo)because of his untimely death? i think the answer is what i was sayin all along, questioning any of their success (big pac or jay) is silly, because they were such huge figures and were destined to shine regardless of who is or isnt around.
I think Big and Jay are/were great artists, PERIOD. If Big was still here they would probably be making each other greater and greater. Keeping each other on their toes and doing joints together that would have us debating on PTM who spit the illa verse on the track (with none of us really being able to come up with an answer). But then again I'm an optimist...I think Big and Pac are rhyming together in heaven, haha.
Well just to put it out there... I think Jay got Big on Brooklyn's Finest.
"Jay-Z/the only MC with a flu/yeah, I rhyme sick/I be what you're trying to do..."
Says it all right there.
I love the post, J, but I don't agree. I just can't believe there will ever be a "Greatest Rapper of All Time" just like there will never be a "Greatest Athlete of All Time" for the simple reason that time doesn't end. Those distinctions assume that time will, at some point, stop and we will be able to gauge the people we have watched perform for so long.
2Pac was one of the most influential artists of our generation, but so was B.I.G. and so is Jay-Z. But that doesn't mean they should be canonized. I would contend that Jay is a better lyricist than B.I.G., while B.I.G. is a better storyteller than Jay and Pac is a better poet than them both...that's just one example.
It's a fantastic post, but, I feel, a moot point.
I definitely agree with you Mr. Turner on your point about us not being able to gauge that because time doesn't end. Yes with every generation we get new artists that are great in their own respect, and perhaps we will get someone that's as lyrical as Jay, as great a storyteller as BIG and as wonderful a poet as Pac--and then he/she will be the g.o.a.t now won't they. But a moot point? Never that. Shouldn't be canonized? Who's to say? Many would agree that there have been playwrights after Shakespeare that would wipe the floor with him, but in literature that is a GREAT debate to have. And it always ends with no matter who came or will come after, Shakespeare's work labels him a literary genius and should be canonized. I think the same can be said for BIG, Pac and anyone else on JusHH's list that we can debate about.
Yeah, I mean I understand if you cannot make your own decision on who think might be the best but when i wrote the post on Monday April 14th, it was a finite period in time and i based it on everything from 1979 until that day and came up with my answer. 20 years from now, if we're still doing this and i do another GOAT article, it will be from another finite period of time. No matter what it is, there's always room for the debate to take place. The fun, is that its subjective and so many opinions can be right.
Post a Comment