S. Samuel
[Each week, SOHH asks two entertainment personalities to name their Top 5 rappers of all-time. To make things tricky, we've created a "Hall of Fame" of emcees (see right) who are universally respected and therefore may not be mentioned. After Kimora Lee Simmons dished out her top choices, DJ Scratch unloads his fave five.]
Melle Mel. Man, Melle deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He goes without saying. Just listen to “The Message”. That song is so far ahead of its time. He has so many bodies of work, but it’s just that one record that’s so amazing and ahead of its time. Just “The Message” alone puts him in there.
LL Cool J. LL Cool J needs to be in the Hall of Fame as well. LL Cool J is the greatest of all time. He’s the most consistent and the only artist that’s completed a record deal from start to finish. He has the most platinum albums. He’s LL Cool J. He’s the only emcee in hip-hop who has battled everybody and never lost. Undefeated.
Busta Rhymes. I say Busta Rhymes, stopping at his fourth album. He’s electrifying. Probably the best live performer in hip-hop to this day. And he’s one of the most charismatic artists in hip-hop, carrying that old school tradition into the new school.
Q-Tip. He’s a genius. I’m not sure if people knew this but he’s an incredible off-the-top freestyle emcee. He’s also another electrifying performer.
Grand Puba. Grand Puba is my final pick. Come on. Just think back to his lyrics. Grand Puba, then Brand Nubian. He’s also one of the most underrated producers in hip-hop. He actually produced the Brand Nubian album.
