I went with Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Kool G Rap because I feel that they are the best 3 old school hip hop lyricists. That's just my personal opinion of course, but I think it's a fact as well. I say that in a non-cocky kind of way of course. I just think they are the 3 that were/are on another level from everybody else.
My personal favorite of the 3 is Big Daddy Kane. I think out of the 3, he rips the mic the nicest. He has a smooth flow and his lyrics are ridiculous. It's like the dude has non-stop quotables. Anyone who is familiar with his music knows what I mean. The way he threw various rhyming words together in one bar and his rhyming in general always made my jaw drop. Not to take anything away from the other 2 (they are 2 of my favorites as well obviously), but I just think BDK did it better than those 2.
If a decent amount of people vote, I think Rakim will end up winning the poll personally. I see a good amount of Rakim fans around here (and in general), but don't see nearly as many BDK fans. The same goes for Kool G Rap. There hasn't been many emcees (if any) that can really fuck with these 3. Sure you might hear a rapper spit some dope lyrical shit on a record once or twice, but these dudes did it consistantly throughout the 80's and early 90's. Shit, they are still doing it today. I remember reading a post about older rappers falling off not too long ago and it really made me laugh.
Who can fuck with these guys is a whole different discussion completely, but I have a few in mind. Big Punisher and AZ come to mind first. Nas has always been a dope lyricist, but I don't think he's on their level or the level of the two I just mentioned. Maybe. I know some people will laugh at me for mentioning this dude too, but whatever ..Canibus. I'm not saying the dudes music can fuck with anything by BDK, Rakim or G Rap ..i'm just going by the ability to rip the mic. I'm a big Bis fan, but i'll admit he doesn't have alot of great songs. I can't think of anyone else really, maybe Big L and Black thought? But if I name Big L with Pun and AZ, I think Nas has to go there too.
Big Daddy Kane
"Rappers stepping to me they want to get some,
But Im the kane, so yo, you know the outcome,
Another victory,
They cant get with me,
So pick a bc date cause youre history,
Im the authentic poet to get lyrical,
For you to beat me, its gonna take a miracle,
And, stepping to me, yo thats the wrong move,
So what you on, hobbs, dope or dog food?,
Competition I just devour,
Like a pitbull against a chihuahua,
Cause when it comes to being dope, hot damn,
I got it good, now let me tell you who I am,
The B-I-G D-A-double D-Y K-A-N-E,
Dramatic, asiatic, not like many,
Im different, so dont compare me to another,
Cause they cant hang, word to the mother,
At least not with the principal in this pedigree,
So when I roll on you rappers, you better be,
Ready to die because youre petty,
Youre just a butter knife, Im a machete."
- From "Aint No Half Steppin"
"The name is big daddy, you know, as in your father,
So when you hear a def rhyme, believe that Im the author,
I grab the mic and make mcs evaporate,
The party people say, damn...that rappers great,
The creator conductor of poetry,
Et cetera, et cetera, it aint easy being me,
I speak clearly so you can understand,
Put words together like letter, man,
Now thats dictation, proceeding to my innovation,
Not like the other mcs, who are an imitation,
Or an animation, a cartoon to me,
But when Im finished, Im sure that you are soon to see,
Reality, my secret technique,
Because I always speak with mentality,
I put my title in your face, dare you to base,
And if you try and come get it, yo imma show you whos with it,
So if you know like I know, instead of messing around,
Play like roy rogers and slooow doown,
Just give yourself a break, or someone else will take,
Your title, namely me, cause Im homicidal,
That means murder, cause Im about to hurt a-,
Nother mc, that try to get with me,
Ill just break him and bake him and rake him,
And take him and mold him and make him,
Hold up the peace sign,
Assalam walaikum!"
- From "Aint No Half Steppin"
Rakim
"Thinkin of a master plan,
Cuz ain't nuthin but sweat inside my hand,
So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent,
So I dig deeper but still comin up with lint,
So I start my mission- leave my residence,
Thinkin how could I get some dead presidents,
I need money, I used to be a stick-up kid,
So I think of all the devious things I did,
I used to roll up, this is a hold up, ain't nuthin funny,
Stop smiling, be still, don't nuthin move but the money,
But now I learned to earn cos I'm righteous,
I feel great! so maybe I might just,
Search for a 9 to 5, if I strive,
Then maybe I'll stay alive,
So I walk up the street whistlin this,
Feelin out of place cos, man, do I miss,
A pen and a paper, a stereo, a tape of,
Me and Eric B, and a nice big plate of,
Fish, which is my favorite dish,
But without no money it's still a wish,
Cos I don't like to dream about gettin paid,
So I dig into the books of the rhymes that I made,
To now test to see if I got pull,
Hit the studio, cos I'm paid in full."
- From "Paid In Full"
"Follow me into a solo,
Get in the flow - and you can picture like a photo,
Music mixed mellow maintains to make,
Melodies for MC's motivates the breaks,
I'm everlastin, I can go on for days and days,
With rhyme displays that engrave deep as X-rays,
I can take a phrase that's rarely heard, FLIP IT,
Now it's a daily word,
I can get iller than 'Nam, a killin bomb,
But no alarm - Rakim will remain calm,
Self-esteem make me super superb and supreme,
But for a microphone still I fiend,
This was a tape I wasn't supposed to break,
I was supposed to wait, but let's motivate,
I want to see who can keep followin and swallowin,
Takin the making, bitin it and borrowin,
Brothers tried and others died to get the formula,
But I'ma let ya sweat - you still ain't warm,
You a step away from frozen, stiff as if ya posin,
Dig into my brain as the rhyme gets chosen,
So follow me and were ya thinkin' you were first?,
Let's travel at magnificent speeds around the Universe,
What could ya say as the Earth gets further and further away,
Planets are small as balls of clay,
Astray into the Milky Way - world's outasight,
Far as the eye can see - not even a satellite,
Now stop and turn around and look,
As ya stare in the darkness, ya knowledge is took!,
So keep starin soon ya suddenly see a star,
You better follow it cause it's the R,
This is a lesson if ya guessin and if ya borrowin,
Hurry hurry step right up and keep followin,
The Leader."
- From "Follow The Leader"
Kool G Rap
"I sway the tech wit the Tech and Sway,
Step away, weapons spray, rep the day,
Who owe a debt to pay get swept away,
Across the whole board like checker play,
When I blaze your whole set could raise,
Wake-Up Show for those slept away,
Niggas that met the trey, hit the deck and prayed,
DJ Revolution, spinning like lead from out the heck-a.k.,
Tearing your neck away, flood up the street with blood redecorate,
Until the head of jake investigate."
- From "The Anthem"
"I grip up hips and zip up lips, step on reps,
you flip and wanna sip on my tip,
Take a deep breath, because you don't have another left,
Comin' back like I'm avengin' my brother's deat,
Makin' veterans run for medicine,
cuz I put out more lights in a fight than ConEdison,
Rip the damn cage like I'm on a rampage,
And if you want rage, I'm-a make front page,
Read the headlines, suckers, todays the deadline,
your head is way past bedtime,
Can't kill though. Solo. Cuz you're still all...soft like a pillow,
My rap is rougher than Brillo,
So fear me, don't dare dare me,
and don't compare me to him when you hear me."
- From "The Symphony"
My personal favorite of the 3 is Big Daddy Kane. I think out of the 3, he rips the mic the nicest. He has a smooth flow and his lyrics are ridiculous. It's like the dude has non-stop quotables. Anyone who is familiar with his music knows what I mean. The way he threw various rhyming words together in one bar and his rhyming in general always made my jaw drop. Not to take anything away from the other 2 (they are 2 of my favorites as well obviously), but I just think BDK did it better than those 2.
If a decent amount of people vote, I think Rakim will end up winning the poll personally. I see a good amount of Rakim fans around here (and in general), but don't see nearly as many BDK fans. The same goes for Kool G Rap. There hasn't been many emcees (if any) that can really fuck with these 3. Sure you might hear a rapper spit some dope lyrical shit on a record once or twice, but these dudes did it consistantly throughout the 80's and early 90's. Shit, they are still doing it today. I remember reading a post about older rappers falling off not too long ago and it really made me laugh.
Who can fuck with these guys is a whole different discussion completely, but I have a few in mind. Big Punisher and AZ come to mind first. Nas has always been a dope lyricist, but I don't think he's on their level or the level of the two I just mentioned. Maybe. I know some people will laugh at me for mentioning this dude too, but whatever ..Canibus. I'm not saying the dudes music can fuck with anything by BDK, Rakim or G Rap ..i'm just going by the ability to rip the mic. I'm a big Bis fan, but i'll admit he doesn't have alot of great songs. I can't think of anyone else really, maybe Big L and Black thought? But if I name Big L with Pun and AZ, I think Nas has to go there too.
Big Daddy Kane
"Rappers stepping to me they want to get some,
But Im the kane, so yo, you know the outcome,
Another victory,
They cant get with me,
So pick a bc date cause youre history,
Im the authentic poet to get lyrical,
For you to beat me, its gonna take a miracle,
And, stepping to me, yo thats the wrong move,
So what you on, hobbs, dope or dog food?,
Competition I just devour,
Like a pitbull against a chihuahua,
Cause when it comes to being dope, hot damn,
I got it good, now let me tell you who I am,
The B-I-G D-A-double D-Y K-A-N-E,
Dramatic, asiatic, not like many,
Im different, so dont compare me to another,
Cause they cant hang, word to the mother,
At least not with the principal in this pedigree,
So when I roll on you rappers, you better be,
Ready to die because youre petty,
Youre just a butter knife, Im a machete."
- From "Aint No Half Steppin"
"The name is big daddy, you know, as in your father,
So when you hear a def rhyme, believe that Im the author,
I grab the mic and make mcs evaporate,
The party people say, damn...that rappers great,
The creator conductor of poetry,
Et cetera, et cetera, it aint easy being me,
I speak clearly so you can understand,
Put words together like letter, man,
Now thats dictation, proceeding to my innovation,
Not like the other mcs, who are an imitation,
Or an animation, a cartoon to me,
But when Im finished, Im sure that you are soon to see,
Reality, my secret technique,
Because I always speak with mentality,
I put my title in your face, dare you to base,
And if you try and come get it, yo imma show you whos with it,
So if you know like I know, instead of messing around,
Play like roy rogers and slooow doown,
Just give yourself a break, or someone else will take,
Your title, namely me, cause Im homicidal,
That means murder, cause Im about to hurt a-,
Nother mc, that try to get with me,
Ill just break him and bake him and rake him,
And take him and mold him and make him,
Hold up the peace sign,
Assalam walaikum!"
- From "Aint No Half Steppin"
Rakim
"Thinkin of a master plan,
Cuz ain't nuthin but sweat inside my hand,
So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent,
So I dig deeper but still comin up with lint,
So I start my mission- leave my residence,
Thinkin how could I get some dead presidents,
I need money, I used to be a stick-up kid,
So I think of all the devious things I did,
I used to roll up, this is a hold up, ain't nuthin funny,
Stop smiling, be still, don't nuthin move but the money,
But now I learned to earn cos I'm righteous,
I feel great! so maybe I might just,
Search for a 9 to 5, if I strive,
Then maybe I'll stay alive,
So I walk up the street whistlin this,
Feelin out of place cos, man, do I miss,
A pen and a paper, a stereo, a tape of,
Me and Eric B, and a nice big plate of,
Fish, which is my favorite dish,
But without no money it's still a wish,
Cos I don't like to dream about gettin paid,
So I dig into the books of the rhymes that I made,
To now test to see if I got pull,
Hit the studio, cos I'm paid in full."
- From "Paid In Full"
"Follow me into a solo,
Get in the flow - and you can picture like a photo,
Music mixed mellow maintains to make,
Melodies for MC's motivates the breaks,
I'm everlastin, I can go on for days and days,
With rhyme displays that engrave deep as X-rays,
I can take a phrase that's rarely heard, FLIP IT,
Now it's a daily word,
I can get iller than 'Nam, a killin bomb,
But no alarm - Rakim will remain calm,
Self-esteem make me super superb and supreme,
But for a microphone still I fiend,
This was a tape I wasn't supposed to break,
I was supposed to wait, but let's motivate,
I want to see who can keep followin and swallowin,
Takin the making, bitin it and borrowin,
Brothers tried and others died to get the formula,
But I'ma let ya sweat - you still ain't warm,
You a step away from frozen, stiff as if ya posin,
Dig into my brain as the rhyme gets chosen,
So follow me and were ya thinkin' you were first?,
Let's travel at magnificent speeds around the Universe,
What could ya say as the Earth gets further and further away,
Planets are small as balls of clay,
Astray into the Milky Way - world's outasight,
Far as the eye can see - not even a satellite,
Now stop and turn around and look,
As ya stare in the darkness, ya knowledge is took!,
So keep starin soon ya suddenly see a star,
You better follow it cause it's the R,
This is a lesson if ya guessin and if ya borrowin,
Hurry hurry step right up and keep followin,
The Leader."
- From "Follow The Leader"
Kool G Rap
"I sway the tech wit the Tech and Sway,
Step away, weapons spray, rep the day,
Who owe a debt to pay get swept away,
Across the whole board like checker play,
When I blaze your whole set could raise,
Wake-Up Show for those slept away,
Niggas that met the trey, hit the deck and prayed,
DJ Revolution, spinning like lead from out the heck-a.k.,
Tearing your neck away, flood up the street with blood redecorate,
Until the head of jake investigate."
- From "The Anthem"
"I grip up hips and zip up lips, step on reps,
you flip and wanna sip on my tip,
Take a deep breath, because you don't have another left,
Comin' back like I'm avengin' my brother's deat,
Makin' veterans run for medicine,
cuz I put out more lights in a fight than ConEdison,
Rip the damn cage like I'm on a rampage,
And if you want rage, I'm-a make front page,
Read the headlines, suckers, todays the deadline,
your head is way past bedtime,
Can't kill though. Solo. Cuz you're still all...soft like a pillow,
My rap is rougher than Brillo,
So fear me, don't dare dare me,
and don't compare me to him when you hear me."
- From "The Symphony"
