On the back of Complex Magazine’s ‘Nigerian Rappers’ goof, how about we school them, or any other naive publications for that matter, on the Top Rappers of All Time to have handled the mic from this part of the world.

It is always a tough call, the reason divided opinions arise when coming up with the top 5 lyricists(dead or alive), especially from home of hiphop, the United States. So why not give ours a try, nothing’s wrong with having our own list of the finest to ever do it.

From this shores however, we have just a few(or many, depending on the angle you’re looking at it) to choose from. Over the years we have had rappers that have won recognition for ‘lyricist on the roll’, ‘best rap album’, ‘best rap solo performance’ e.t.c….deserved or undeserved.

To be able to come up with a decent top 5 list however, factors to be put into consideration ranges from ‘who has had a monumental catalog(albums, singles, mixtapes)’, ‘who said what(hotline)’, word plays, punchlines, mic presence & cadence, statement of intent, social substance/significance, consistency, and to an extent, commercial success.

Now, lets look at the array of rappers we have had over the years:

Ruggedman, Mode 9, Pherowshuz, Terry tha Rapman, Overdoz, Sauce Kid, Eldee, Freestyle, Elajoe, 2shotz, Big Lo, Ikechukwu, Gino, Ruff Rugged & Raw, Illbliss, Naeto C, M.I, Iceberg Slim, Dagrin, Vector, Ice Prince, Jesse Jagz, Reminisce, Olamide, Godwon, Show Dem Camp, Loose Kaynon, Beazy, Lex, Poe, Mojeed, Falz The Bahd Guy, Black Magic, Phyno……and their female counterparts…..Sasha, Blaise, Bouqui, Eva, Muna, Kel.

Surely enough in numbers to pick your top 5 from, but it’s way more than just picking a random five…have ANY of these actually done enough to earn the coveted ‘top 5 greatest’ spots?

Expectedly, opinions will differ on who the greatest top 5s are, and many of today’s hip-hop/rap lovers are mostly familiar with the new generation rappers. When hip-hop has now sadly been watered down -bubble gum rap, corny punches, lack of creativity- becoming too playful with lyrics(some simply do not know how to rap) in a bid to cater to the ‘Nigerian audiences’.

Sadly, the works/recordings of those that can be called ‘legends’ are not well documented and can’t be made readily available to enthusiastic rap fans. No adequate coverages or documentation of past projects and availability of ‘old’ physical copies are non-existent or limited. Which makes it hard for a new generation rap fan to check-out, download or buy past records from artistes such as Pherowshuz, Terry the Rapman, Mode 9, Freestyle and some others.

The list of the greatest to ever do it from outside these shores, the US in particular, sees rappers like Tupac shakur, Notorious B.I.G, Nas, Jay-Z, Rakim, Big L, Big Pun, Andre 3000, Eminem drift in and out of the top 5 rotation in identical fashion, where all of these legendary rappers can have their works revisited and accessible by hiphop enthusiasts.

So why can’t we have a respectable list of our own Top 5s, and have our rappers seriously raised their game to the level of being heralded as All-Time greats?…..Huge question, but;

Reason 1: They are satisfied with sacrificing the true form of the craft for the more commercial appeal….in a not-so-good-way.

Reason 2: Taking their foreign counterparts into consideration. Those who often make the divided ‘Top 5 dead or Alive’ list didn’t/don’t just jump around collaborating with hugely mediocre artistes/rappers. In rare cases when they did/do, they quite ‘owned/own’ the tracks they were/are featured on, as a true testament to their greatness.

Jay-Z, 2Pac, BIG, Nas, Eminem, Rakim(the usual ‘Top 5′ suspects) didn’t/don’t just jump on any record, they were/are not just everywhere as no amount of money could/can actually convince them to make records with mediocre artistes if they don’t feel it’s right. They can indeed go the length of giving free verses to an artiste they deem super talented or of worth, just like Em showed recently with a free verse for Tech N9ne’s ‘Worldwide choppers II’, as he declined money offered him.

Reason 3: Then again, in this part of the world, we tend to shy or run away from competition, where admittedly, a healthy, friendly competition is required to fuel a healthy, impressive rap discography. Competition keeps respective rappers on their toes, as they tend to dread being outdone/’outrapped’ by their competing peers.

Rap from this part has truly gone too soft or too friendly at the moment.

The era of lyrical rivalry between Ruggedman and Modo was surely great and an interesting time for hiphop heads –even made none rap fans commit- as there was vast diverse opinions about who went the hardest, who had a better verse or the better song.

Then there was Iceberg Slim casually and harmlessly saying “Am I better than M.I/I don’t know/matter of fact, you should ask M.I” on his song ‘Mr International’, to which the ‘Short black boy’, who was at his best lyrical prowess at the time, took offence and went out on a lyrical annihilation of some sort with ‘Somebody wants to die’….good times.

Even Freestyle had arguably his hardest lyrical assault with ‘Bragging Rights’ featuring Blaise, a song that was allegedly inspired by his disagreement with former label mate, Eldee.

Sadly not anymore, competitive edge is gone. Which is not to say rappers should always go at each other, a healthy competition is just one of the recipes required for the growth/sustenance of hiphop.

Kendrick Lamar is a new generation artiste who is rapidly being touted as one of the best to ever to ever do it(even if too early), but which of our rappers can stand to him lyrically? I’ll say M.I have no doubt got the talent and would sure hold his own if the opportunity arose, it’s just that our beloved ‘Chairman’ can’t seem to be arsed at the moment.

Is he(M.I) and his colleagues doing enough to get that sort of competitive recognition? We think not, as he and most of our rappers are/appear satisfied with being averagely successful in their craft, so long the pay is forthcoming and good. They collaborate with average foreign artistes and blow their own trumpet, thinking they have ‘arrived’, where in truth they can’t stand the truly gifted lyricists.

As respectable as M.I’s catalog is(first two albums and mixtapes), his passable status in the rap genre(contrary to what they try to make us believe) came to fore in Ice Prince’s recent interview with The Breakfast Club, where he mentioned M.I as his mentor and had to tell Charlamagne Tha God and co. to google him(M.I) up.

We would imagine a rapper as talented as M.I should already resonate with respectable international media due to his unique creative attributes, but the Chairman has since somehow given up on the magic that stood him out, for more ‘pop’ relevance.

Kendrick has earned scores of collaborations with the industry greats such as Jay-Z, Eminem, Scarface, e.t.c, and No, it isn’t just because he is affiliated to Dr Dre. He’s a genius at what he does and he stays true to his art….no gimmicks.

‘Local Rappers’ by Reminisce, Olamide and Phyno actually embodied all that is wrong with the state of rap in the country today, as it sought to rubbish/disregard the elements that are required of true hiphop masters….We simply do not strive for greatness anymore.

Add on top of that, we ‘blacked out’ lyrical Modo as ‘boring’, didn’t give Freestyle and Blaise enough acknowledgment, celebrated Eedris and now regard Lil’ Kesh a good rapper, with Gino, Pherowshuz, Terry The Rapman overlooked, as we now shamelessly celebrate mediocrity.

No competitive edge, it’s now all fun and games for our rappers. Ironically enough, we are blessed with producers like Kid Konnect, Sossick, Jesse Jagz & Pheelz, who know their onions when it comes to delivering real rap sounds, and can create masterpieces of production even a rapper of Nas’ status would love to rip.

Wealth and acquisitions have actually been the Achilles’ heel of our rappers as it is their ultimate aim. No one can begrudge them that, as we live in a country where poverty is rife….mouths must be fed.

Make NO mistake though, you can earn and achieve as much(if not more) if you stay true to your craft….ask Kendrick and JCole….even in Nigeria(before you come up with the ‘rap can’t sell in Nigeria’ Bullsh!t).

Not that we haven’t had phenomenal releases from some of our rappers past and present, there have indeed been flashes of brilliance here and there, it is just that they either gave up too early due to little or no recognition, or they just totally sold out to cater to more commercial appeal.

In all honesty, we couldn’t convincingly come up with a credible ‘Greatest Top 5 Rappers of All Time in Nigeria’ as most are with more blemishes than commendable feats.

Maybe M.I, Mode 9, Dagrin, Gino and Terry Tha Rapman will do, just for the sake of it.

http://nexthop.com.ng/greatest-ever-rappers-in-nigeria-top-5-dead-or-alive/

Lacomus !!!!!

I still wonder what that lil kesh said in that song lyrically. He just wasted a good beat spitting crap he spent a yeae writing. Olamide is lousy

So you really want me to read this Ababio abi Tharaja abi na Textbook

The only thing when go make me read this textbook na if LIE MOHAMMED turn to TRUTH MOHAMMED