Forbes Lists Top 50 Rappers Of All Time

[@ilovejaysquared]

Forbes don’t need to be talking nothing about Hip Hop imo. 😂

[@uvtpodcast365]

@@ilovejaysquared why not Forbes deal with money hip hop is a billion dollar industry annually

[@oso1165]

​@@uvtpodcast365 so by that dumb ass logic you think banks or credit unions should also put out top 50 rapper lists ? Just because both deal with money like everyone else on earth does ?

[@ilovejaysquared]

@ The “music genre of hip hop” is a billion dollar industry, i agree. But Hip Hop as culture is different.

[@uvtpodcast365]

@@ilovejaysquared still yet we can’t be saying which outlets can speak on hip hop the things is to knock down doors and be seen in all walks of life like you said culture not race or class but cultural a 56 year old white man can love hip hop just as much as a 30 year old black man representation is what I thought it was all about like I didn’t understand all these so called hip hop journalists mad about Kendrick doing Harper Bazaar when they been getting exclusive interviews from artists for decades artists are more than one thing stop pigeon holing them

[@ilovejaysquared]

@@uvtpodcast365 I’m not Pidgeon holing them. Artists gotta get their bread. Full support of artists making this life work with what they have To be fair to Forbes, this is THEIR top 50, not what we would culturally agree on, so I’m not concerned with that. However, there is a world of revisionism when it comes down to black culture and our history. I believe inclusion is important, but I’d be remiss to say, that not everybody should be “invited to the cookout”, especially not one of the biggest outlets of promoting capitalism called Forbes. ASAP Rocky over Rakim? Drake over YE? Like I know you understand where I’m coming from here.

[@MartyMcFly__25]

J Cole above 2pac is hilarious 😂😂😂 in what universe. I’m a Cole guy but that’s ridiculous

[@luddman77]

@@MartyMcFly__25 above Nas is crazy too

[@Bdonlee15]

I think Cole himself would slap the author over that nonsense 😂

[@Iamabutt5000]

Cole can be above at this point. The message is basically identical and the man is a better lyricist than Tupac. Nas tho....nahh Cole ain't better than Nas

[@erikelliott8015]

If the list ranking was exclusive to lyricism (not impact, legend status or bodies of work), I would say Cole is above.

[@luddman77]

@ nope

[@Stungun48]

The ones missing off the top of my head in no order: Aesop Rock, Big Pun, Q-tip, Ludacris, T.I., KRS, Immortal Technique, Jadakiss, Black Thought, and Redman. Also can we stop ignoring Big Boi and acting like he wasnt keeping pace with Andre, matching the energy, and sometimes out rapping Andre on a few tracks like Skew it on the Bar-B for example. Can he get his flowers y'all lol

[@TheCompanyMan]

Ghost face is on the list.

[@TheCompanyMan]

No big boi is super disrespectful

[@joeymccashland4420]

Redman not being on there was another one that pissed me off. Tech N9ne too. Assuredly Forbes knows the (at one time) #1 independent rapper in the world.

[@mystablak]

Young Thug in the pantheon of all Atlanta hip hop doesn't make the top 10. If you qualify it and give a time period then yes.

[@mystablak]

Miseducation was an r&b album. It won a Grammy for best female R&B album.

[@professorskye]

This list just went OFF THE RAILS in the top 10.

[@nated4395]

Off the rails in the top 10? I thought it went off after putting Cardi in there. I just stayed to listen to the comedy that ensued.

[@leedurham3144]

They went off the rails by the 40s 😂

[@kdpwt]

How do i delete someone elses top 50

[@marcb3733]

Nicki Minaj at 8 and Rakim at 21. Cmon man.

[@parkermudsen1063]

Once I see Forbes and Rappers I knew to take this list with a grain of salt.

[@stanleyyoungitc]

No Scarface? No KRS1? No Black Thought No Redman? No Jadakiss? No TI?

[@dannyavila910]

I haven’t seen the full list, but if this is true, I might as well not even look at the list

[@johje02]

was Biggie on here??

[@theheartpart5]

@@johje02 Yes. He was #12 iirc

[@dudesupremeX]

Yeah some wppl who know nothing about our culture always speaking on our culture and can’t even do it in a decent way. They could’ve left off young thug, juicewrld and Cardi and 3 spots could’ve been filled with Redman, TI, and Luda. They left off big boi too

[@leedurham3144]

@@dudesupremeXa artist like eve is over some damn cardi b. She only has 1 album. It was a lot of ppl who shouldn’t touch a top 50 rappers list 😂

[@williamhesquire]

bad bunny over Lupe is wild too.

[@chinortega3]

@@williamhesquire is bad Bunny even considered a rapper?? Isn't he regaton or whatever

[@williamhesquire]

@@chinortega3 yup.

[@chinortega3]

@@williamhesquire crazy smh

[@williamhesquire]

@@chinortega3 scary, spooky, hilarious. LMAO sumbody gotta do it.

[@chinortega3]

@@williamhesquire fair enough lol

[@TreFKennedy]

Cole over pac is WILD

[@leroygreen6310]

Lupe Fiasco at 41 is an egregious insult to real Hip Hop. Lil Kim over ICE CUBE smh who the hell is making these kinda lists.

[@nebula1931]

I'm purely convinced that these publications hold conference meetings just to have everyone shout a random rapper and they call it a day 🤦🤣

[@iraford5788]

Agreed lmao 🤣.

[@mitch7110]

No one would discuss it if it was 100% accurate

[@briscoedaking.]

I hate that 2Pac gets disrespected because he wasn’t “lyrical, miracle, spiritual” and he didn’t have the double, triple entendres. His last 3 albums alone are PHENOMENAL

[@Madvillainy48]

​@@briscoedaking. 2Pac is goated when it comes to substance and delivery of his bars, but his flow and his skills are not on par with a lot of other rappers. That has to count for something. J Cole over 2Pac is crazy tho.

[@williamhesquire]

I think his songs wouldn't hit the same if he was. from the days with the underground to the death row days.

[@fullrangebasshead7055]

Pac didn't need that . He caught all flights direct no sneak dissing. So you know who he was talking about .

[@khornebloodgod2137]

Lyrically, pac wasn't the greatest. Story telling, there is an argument. The one thing I won't entertain any arguments about, pac could make you feel, better then anyone before or after him. So that alone puts him top 3.

[@jcmurie]

@@briscoedaking. even his first album is phenomenal. It's my personal favorite of his, even though I know that's a hot take

[@nephiilim]

Cardi B but no Fresh Prince, first rap Grammy, first rapper to have their own TV show, has done more movies than any of the other rappers on this list, come on man

[@xXSonTJXx]

Asap Rocky's spot pissed me off even before the top 10 lmao

[@kevthepoet]

We gotta stop being nice about this. WE NEVER ASKED Y'ALL. People that do not care about poor black people in Urban areas should not have an opinion on a culture and art form that was created by and for poor black people in urban areas. That doesn't just go for Forbes and Rolling Stones but Complex and XXL need to get their priorities straight and realise they like the industry of rap music where Drake can be a goat and rappers that can't rap do embarrassing Freshman freestyles but the rap industry and Hip-Hop culture are not the same and neither they nor Drake nor the mumble rappers they used to support care about real Hip-Hop culture. Shout out to Yasiin Bey, Mos Def was right! 😤

[@christinathein951]

Well said. I like the point on hip hop culture v. rap industry being two completely different things.

[@chinortega3]

Justin I know we don't know each other but I lost my best friend yesterday and just know that when i watch your channel it will now be in his honor, cuz from what we see in the videos, your personalities were so alike so just know your helping people heal ❤

[@isisbeck2374]

My condolences 💚🖤💛❤️

[@Chicago311zero]

Kendrick’s the only one that they got right… lmao Cole over Eminem, Nas, and Tupac is so disrespectful. Drake over them even is. Who made this list a 15 year old! 1.) Kendrick Lamar 2.)Nas 3.) Eminem 4.) Jay Z 5.) 2pac 6.)Lil Wayne 7.) Biggie 8.) Kanye West 9.) Rakim 10.)LL cool J or Krs one

[@Le_Petomane]

Who do you have at 1? Not Jay Z? 3 stacks?

[@Chicago311zero]

@@Le_PetomaneI mean I could make the argument for Kendrick. But idk that’s tough. Jay Z is great I’m more about lyrics though I kind of like Nas. But all them boys I. My top 10. Pac em Nas Jay 3 stacks biggie dot Wayne etc. I even would have Rakim and ll cool j high up Krs one

[@JamesSmith-ov5um]

@@Le_Petomane I woulda had Nas at 1, Kendrick at 2 and Jay at 3 but Forbes was definitely gonna have Jay at 1

[@AngeBiampandou]

​​@@Chicago311zeroJay-Z the kong of double and triple entendre is not a lyricist ? Are y'all okay ? 😂😂😂

[@Chicago311zero]

@@AngeBiampandou I never said Jay Z wasn’t a lyricist I just said he’s not my goat he’s in my top 10… hells wrong with some of you people. I can have opinions that don’t align with you it will be okay baby I won’t let the bad men hurt you anymore baby cakes!

[@MrJBraham1]

M.I.A.??????? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 nah Forbes nah

[@finnbalor8021]

Just for everyone's info this Forbes list has been around for like a year or so and its essientally a blog post/editioral (contributing article, meaning people can write stuff for Forbes with their own opinon and no consensus). Every 3 months it feels like this list goes viral. But its not a concensus list, its not even anything offical. Its just something a contributing writing put together and was largely ignored until it circulates every few months. Just an FYI

[@ErickEstebanComedy]

Where’s BIGGIE?!? How do you have Lil Kim over the person who actually wrote her raps. The omission of the Notorious BIG from this list is LUDICROUS

[@nathanmartin455]

Ludacris* ...which they don't have either

[@ErickEstebanComedy]

@ Spellcheck got me. I spelled it correctly but hit that blue airplane to quickly

[@neotheboxer]

Biggie is on the list...I think he was like 11 or something

[@iseeitall5713]

#12 in Forbes’ crazy world

[@OGTBella]

"You don't have to write your raps list "😂😂

[@Trixiethegoldenwitch]

A$AP being that high on the list is because it's a Forbes list almost certainly (Cardi too, they're looking at wealth). What I really want is a "50 over 50" list of JUST rappers over 50yo. These lists are definitely putting Pac as low as they can manage to be contrarian, it just doesn't make sense to put anyone else at #1 if you've talked to like any rapper ever.

[@mical7582]

His name is Asap Rocky. There are multiple members of his crew e.g. Asap Ferg. And this list seems to be about fame or wealth, not skills. Asap Rocky is over criticised and underrated. No he should not be that high. But who is taking this list serious?

[@Ironman79]

Whoever made this list don’t fcvk with the south. No Scarface is insane! And the Big Boi disrespect continues. So annoying.

[@jermainegrays]

These lists be so trash. No Ludacris is wild.

[@misstiff29]

This list pizzed me AWF 😂

[@Bdonlee15]

Childish Gambino that high above Lupe AND above LL? I love your content, but it’s hard to get through this list 😂

[@keithbrisbane7775]

LL put out a dope album this year too

[@kingklassic3522]

I had to remind myself this is Forbes not an actual hip hop ranking lol J.cole that high? Idk man. Not over tupac nah. Not even over eminem or nicki. Idk what they base these off of

[@SeshatRenee]

Missing for me: T.I., Luda, Big Boi, Redman, Tech 9, Cee Lo Green, swap out Cardi for Eve.

[@crownmajesty]

Method Man is on the list.

[@SeshatRenee]

@@crownmajestythanks

[@ihatezen]

Tech 9 sucks

[@jhannrodzz2846]

Bad bunny being on the list proves that theres a hidden agenda in this list, nothing hip hop about him

[@iTinkThere4iAM]

Pac Nas Wayne Andr3 Kendrick

[@Maka5velli]

T.I , Big Boy, Scarface, Crooked I, Fat Joe, Fabulous, Remy Ma

[@BeachboilosVA]

Disappointed in this list, but I should’ve expected it from Forbes. Nas at 9 is disgraceful

[@doptimusdx743]

One question that I always have when I see a top 50 list is, can we make room for Zack de la Rocha from Rage Against the Machine? To me, he and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park and Fort Minor are the only (highly successful) MCs that have done rap justice in an otherwise "metal" band. Both of them (more obviously Zack) deliver powerful messages across genres and to audiences that might not hear a lot of rap. If we're talking about total number of bars spit during my workouts, it's gotta be Em then Zack. I have both Zack and Mike in my personal top 15 most impactful on me.

[@kdpwt]

Honestly top everything is pointless but anyway, i would put them in top 100, or maybe 47, 48 and 49 for shinoda and de la rocha. I agree with you on powerful messages across genres and to audiences that might not otherwise hear it, but i don’t consider them real mcs. Same with M.I.A. Who is more of an artist. Some can be both but idek if those 3 can be part time mcs Idek why cardi b is on there, and i’m only up to 45 LOL

[@jcmurie]

In that same vein, I think Ride from Death Grips deserves more appreciation. They're too out there to get mainstream recognition like this, but real ones know he's one of the best

[@nah8780]

why not 🤷‍♂️ he's still an MC after all but I get why u asked this, since there's A LOT of great MCs that aren't brought up as much as they should be, since they aren't "traditional" (like Zack de la Rocha, MC Ride, Daveed Diggs, Beastie Boys... etc)

[@prod.youngsensai]

Who tf asked Forbes for their opinion ??? 😭😭

[@Le_Petomane]

I dont know but a white guy with a "hair piece" was involved i feel.

[@Blossoming-o6r]

I saw a short where a guy was saying there hasn't been a year where Jay Z was the undisputed hottest or best and that's how I've felt my entire life. Remember people going mad for him and I just didn't feel it. Hey though that's the thing with lists like this, we all have our own so there will always be a debate 😂 Nas at 9 is criminal. Edit: Agree about Tupac.

[@saewutséhuh]

Forget star power and influence. My top 50 is lyrical ability and pen game only.

[@antgal9467]

When did Forbes get a rap list? Usually they do top earning rappers and stuff. Weird.

[@steppman2]

It’s all happening, and it’s all debatable!

[@kevinrobinson4848]

I wouldn't even entertain this list. They are trolling or they are clueless about rap.

[@MikeyBizzle]

Why we not calling out snoop for not writing his rhymes too? We know folks write for him publicly

[@djb1ge]

I’m sorry, but Juice Wrld & Cardi B don’t belong anywhere near a Top 50 OAT list.

[@AnalyzeThat93]

We gotta stop letting just anyone make these lists, man.

[@RST94]

This list is hot cheeks. This shows the importance of protecting the culture. If we don't, other forms of media will tell the history of the culture for us. Some of these picks are just flat out embarrassing. Appreciate you Justin for being so chill, cause I would've cursed on half of these lol

[@JuanCastillo-yi4sc]

Can you make a video listing your top 50?

[@mayhemcbs]

They lost me when they put LL Cool J at 35 .WTF where they thinking putting him there .Then at Busta at 32... They are tripping

[@LookingForAName...]

I think it was Open Mike Eagle who said it the first time this list made its rounds: a list like this is inane, because there's no reason it should exist. It doesn't translate any real person's perspective at all, it doesn't have coherent criteria, nothing. You wanna rank artist by influence and popularity? Go ahead. You want to rank them off of pure rapping ability? Great. You can even rank them by ability within a certain threshold of popularity, and that would still make some sense. But a list that ranks Cardi, Bad Bunny, MIA and Chief Keef (no disrespect to either of them) alongside DOOM, Kweli and Roc Marciano has no internal cohesion to me.

[@querldox]

Roc will continue to climb these lists. He is the father of the modern underground style! He gets better and better. Only guy rapping like DOOM with those insane holo-rhymes. He is my personal number 1.

[@DizoDixon]

With the exception of a few it's not many who came out after 05 that's an all-time great in my opinion

[@gregorybertrand645]

Whoever wrote this list tried to write Aesop Rock, but didn't know how to spell it and it autocorrected to A$AP Rocky and they just went with it because they were an hour away from the deadline. 😂

[@mrD66M]

Nasir 🐐 is top 3 Kendrick, Jigga and Nas

[@NUMBERSMoss]

The ALM presale is selling fast for a reason. People are really seeing the value in this project. Can’t wait to see what’s next for Alemio Network.

[@nephiilim]

Talib Kweli at 50 already makes me want to disregard the whole list

[@nijahs]

TLDR: He’s not mad it. Also Justin where’s ya list at?

[@ellebeaux]

😂

[@buckfastbjork6968]

M.I.A. Deffo belongs in a top 50 rappers list. Huge impact on multiple levels (she was doing industrial hip hop before yeezus and even death grips), she has an incredible catalogue of music with at least 2 classics (arular and kala), she is super creative and a phenomenal songwriter. People tend to overlook the highly political themes and messages of her music with regards to immigration fear mongering, western warmongering and colonialism, and she does all of that while putting out incredibly infectious bangers that resonate on an international scale The song paper planes is literally about the mass hysteria and fear of immigrants stealing jobs and being criminals Put some respect on M.I.A. 🙏

[@antgal9467]

I think Chief Keef should be higher, just off impact alone.

[@messifcb101]

Honestly, I am just happy that they even put Lupe fiasco on the list. We all know he is a top 10 mc…if not top 5…or top 3. Solely on lyrical abilities.

[@LeckyBarnacles]

With ‘DOOM on the list, I was hoping we’d finally see ‘Tay (Phonte) get his 💐 😔

[@helarpanibour8107]

Justin, you should make a video with your top 50 and explain every placement. I'd definitely watch

[@thelaughingstormbornagain1297]

M.I.A pretty much immediately discredits the whole list. still enjoyed you're commentary.

[@quiphere]

It's a shame Big Pun wasn't on this list. Black Thought too, for that matter. That said, this was fun coverage of a Top Rappers list.

[@TheCompanyMan]

🙏🏿

[@xaviercartier]

It’s Forbes So I Knew The Jay-Z Glazing Would Be “Over 9000!!” 😅😂

[@thechauffeur9987]

If this was just for lyricists , Jean Grae would make my top 50 instead of Cardi or MIA

[@TheCompanyMan]

How do you feel about rapsody?

[@thechauffeur9987]

@ She’s great, although I’m mostly familiar with Laila’s Wisdom and Crown. Now that Kendrick got me outside, I have a lot to go through that I missed during the Drake years.

[@TheCompanyMan]

Check out Eve. That’s my favorite project from her

[@daleharris4953]

No shade, but why is ASAP Rocky rated so high?

[@TheCompanyMan]

That's what I'm tryna figure out.

[@daleharris4953]

@ Forbes is tryna get a Rihanna interview or something lol

[@krystiannorthwall6726]

Lmao I swear, could see him on this list fs but 15 is WILD

[@krystiannorthwall6726]

Honestly tho, if you go International like this list does at sometimes there's probably a few artists in there that push him back to like 65

[@daleharris4953]

@ I completely agree… show me a Spotify wrapped of anybody that has Rocky over Future

[@Blossoming-o6r]

I'm locked it. Popped up during my lunch break. Nice.

[@ROBNarvaez]

The roadmap for Alemio is super ambitious. If they can deliver on even half of it, we’re in for a massive ride. ALM to the moon?

[@neotrinityrakgajane]

I was about to be mad but I guess it's Forbes a finance magazine rating rappers. So I guess it's mostly measuring financial impact?

[@SlickemStickem]

Justin i respect your opinion on rap, but we have to stop letting these outside forces have a voice in our thing. No matter what! We have to stop letting the Grammys and Forbes have an opinion about our thing

[@traceatroj240]

Those accolades are important to artists even when they pretend they don't care, because they know the culture will always have their own takes and biases

[@SlickemStickem]

@traceatroj240 NO, NO, no! They shouldn't care either unless it's a source that the culture respects . It's on the artist too

[@cald4aprps628]

All this is is a way to generate clicks and to also tell/sell you on what/who you should think is important. And people are giving them credibility by engaging with a nonsensical list.

[@jcmurie]

12:34 I haven't heard about this. How did Lauryn Hill steal Miseducation?

[@kdpwt]

Following

[@idmann17]

Same...

[@wallysworst]

They put Rocky waaaaaaay too high, even putting him above Tyler is insane to me. Not to mention putting Grippy Guy over Tupac...

[@BARNEYChristy]

Anyone else noticing how quiet Alemio Network is flying under the radar? This is usually how the big gains sneak up on you!

[@DementedEscape]

Lupe needs to be higher he’s teaching rap at MIT again! He’s chosen to not be as commercial. Forbes is pissing me off lol.

[@adammarsh956]

GOAT Off the top of my head 1. Nas 2. Black Thought 3. Big L 4. Big Pun 5. Maybe old Eminem, RA, SlimkidTre Hardson, Prodigy, Sean P or Zach De La Rocha (i cant decide)

[@commaJim]

Talib's recent Liberation 2 w/ Madlib was really a nice album. I'm glad he made the list, though I agree he should be at least a bit higher

[@Dpzoecuban1009]

Wow, some of these placements of the picks are just bewildering.

[@TheFlamingWatermelon]

MIA is a goat

[@hjr228]

The most impactful thing ASAP Rocky has done for hip hop in the past 5 years is name is child RZA.

[@overlord6815]

Outside of Drake and Cole, I think the rappers in the top 10 are OKAY(I'd swap out a few) but the order is ass. Kendrick, Nas, and Em all deserve top 3 spots.

[@youreadood]

*THE TECH N9NE DISRESPECT CANNOT CONTINUE TO BE TOLERATED*

[@tymeburglar86]

You probably know more than me on this topic. As a moderate Cardi fan, I've never heard her "openly" say she doesn't write her own raps, in fact she says the opposite. I know there's rumors but since her IOP days, she always said she writes and gets additional help from songwriters. She's even claimed to have written some songs by herself. I don't know if that's true but I've never heard her admit to not writing so just wanted to add a bit of nuance.

[@briansherwood1912]

Drop your top 50 bro... I know those lists are full of land mines, but I would love to see it

[@nephiilim]

Forbes shouldn't even be allowed to put out lists like this. Why do we even let this happen ? What does Forbes have to do with hip hop culture?

[@jmar5127]

Justin wit the nonchalant reaction to Nas at 9th is nasty.

[@seandonaldson6498]

Black Thought is a pretty notable omission. Personally, I’d have a tough time leaving Gift of Gab, Phife off the list.

[@DarnellU]

Was Biggie in the list?

[@jk770415]

@@DarnellU #12

[@kokikodevereaux4932]

Talib definitely needs to rank higher but I'm surprised that he was mentioned so that's a plus. Mos Def and Lupe higher. Dr. Dre isn't a rapper. Lauryn may need to be lower, sorry. It feels like they were trying to strike a balance between skill, commercial success, and impact. I'm shocked that the list was objectively good. Pac was definitely in the wrong place. Cole is too high. Kanye could be higher. At least they didn't leave anyone off that I can think of.

[@kingjams]

Jadakiss, Big Pun, Big L, AZ, if they are not in your top 10-20 burn the list.

[@iwillbeatz3534]

Facts, all of them need to be on there

[@ralphjames6247]

Forbes into Hip Hop now😮😮

[@ernieyt7942]

That J. Cole curveball threw me off 😂

[@erikelliott8015]

Not having Black Thought on the list feels like a criminal offense.

[@mystablak]

So the first female rapper to go platinum gets overlooked while M.I.A. is on the list called the Top 50 Rappers of All Time? Da Brat being missing is crazy.

[@sjw4life546]

10. Kendrick 9. Snoop 8. MC Lyte 7. DMX 6. Ice Cube 5. Jay Z 4. BIG 3. Nas 2. Pac 1. Rakim

[@MzHeather-904]

Hey Justin!!

[@TheCompanyMan]

Hey Ms Heather!

[@timmiejordan9648]

My personal top 5 would be Kendrick,Nas,Jay-z,Lupe and 2 pac

[@timothyalan34]

I live in Chicago, and even though I've gone to rap open mics where people straight up plagiarize a Lupe Fiasco verse from an old mixtape of his and everybody goes crazy, it feels like I've been singlehandedly defending this man's lyrical prowess on my own lol the same rapper who wrote "Switch" and "Murals" is below ASAP Rocky on a hip hop list, God help us

[@mrlofi333]

It’s like every year these non hiphop sites love doing these list

[@badbillydee4991]

These kind of lists always reinforce one thing for me: Top 50s shouldn’t be ranked. I truly believe a top 50 should simply be a listing of the 50 best rappers, without a ranking of who’s above who. I get why people do it, it helps a lot with engagement, but I really think it would cause the discourse around them to be a lot better.

[@alsdaman8211]

I agree the Kweli should be higher off the strength of degree of difficulty. Rapping about consciousness is far more difficult than ignorance and degeneracy.

[@EayuProuxm]

People need to remember Lupe had major commercial success with a label that DID NOT LIKE HIM.