Eminem revealed a new list of iconic MCs that he considers to be the greatest rappers of all time.
Mr. Mathers first waded into the G.O.A.T. debate on the 2002 song “‘Till I Collapse”. “I got a list,” he spit. “It goes Reggie [Redman], Jay-Z, 2Pac and Biggie/ André from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas, and then me.” Now, 18 years later, he’s provided an update, albeit in non-rhyming form.
YouTuber NoLifeShaq precipitated the discussion, posting a video in which he DM’ed 30 rappers asking who they believe is the best. Eminem chose to answer publicly, replying to NoLifeShaq on Twitter. Over a series of posts, he wrote,
“For me, in no particular order… Toss up between wayne, pac, royce, jay, redman, treach, g. rap, biggie & king crook….Plus redman, LL, nas, joyner, kendrick, cole, andre, rakim, kane…”
Excluding Eminem, six of his original top eight found a place on the updated list. The exceptions are Jadakiss and Kurupt, who have fallen out of the public eye over the last decade-plus. Of the new additions, most are actually older legacy acts, such as Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Treach of Naughty by Nature, and LL Cool J. He also shouted-out frequent collaborator Royce da 5’9″, co-signed the current crop of young superstars in Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, and gave a signal boost to some lesser-known names in Joyner Lucas and Crooked I aka KXNG Crooked. Check out the original tweets below.
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Under normal circumstances, Eminem would be touring right now in support of his surprisingly adequate 2020 album, Music to Be Murdered By. But even during the coronavirus crisis, Slim Shady has found plenty of ways to keep busy. He donated Mom’s Spaghetti to health care workers in Detroit, and later caught a home intruder in his living room.
Previously, Em paid tribute to Tupac in a moving essay, calling him a “true genius.”
For me, in no particular order… Toss up between wayne, pac, royce, jay, redman, treach, g. rap, biggie & king crook….
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) June 14, 2020
Plus redman, LL, nas, joyner, kendrick, cole, andre, rakim, kane…
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) June 14, 2020
