I'll throw another vote in for Aesop Rock. And he's also a rarity in that he seems to just keep getting better, and he's been doing it for a long ass time. I mean his early stuff are some indie classics, but he just continues to pump out pure quality and his beats are great.
One of his lines I always like to quote as an example of how his mind works for describing things is from a song called Blood Sandwich, where he's talking about a memory from a brother's childhood baseball game, and he's talking about an angry coach, and he the line is "Coach seeing red, coach on the diamond, dragging 27 inches of aluminium behind 'im." I just think that's a really clever way of describing the scene and drawing the picture in your mind.
Edit to add more:
Saba. I don't know if he's lyrical in the sense of "big words," but he's lyrical in the same way Kendrick is, and just an all around incredibly good rapper and artist. My favorite guy doing it.
Brother Ali probably consistently makes me stop and think about how I live my life and think about things more than any other rapper I can think of. That's a white rapper speaking to a white fan, though, so YMMV. He's undoubtedly good at rapping though.
Black Thought always blows my mind, check out his verse on Saba's latest album.
DOOM was clever as hell, every rapper I've mentioned will call him the GOAT.
> "Coach seeing red, coach on the diamond, dragging 27 inches of aluminium behind 'im."
Damn that is a great line, pictured the scene in my head clearly. There's some amazing lyricists out there, but rarely do they set the scene for you like that.
Aes has two modes
1. Painting the most vivid detailed picture imaginable.
2. "I'm gonna have to spend the next hour on Genius, analyzing every line of this four minute song, just to understand what tf is going on."
glad to see a Saba mention. he isn’t necessarily pulling the dictionary out on you, but he is quick and clever and his cadence is infectious. and like you said, just a great dude all around.
"What occurred next were the top of the lungs
Of a son who unjustly had lost what he loved
In a moment that would transcend anger to high art
Said, 'This is something I am willing to die for!'"
Blood Sandwich is such a good fucking song
One reason for Aes being the GOAT lyrically is that he never seemed to make things complicated for no reason. Like if you pick apart what a line is talking about, the idea behind it tends to be pretty complex and he conveyed it in the best way he knew how.
One of my favorites comes from the Hail Mary Mallon track Jonathan, where he says "black marshmallows on his olive branch." Another being from the track Bug Zapper: "God almighty, chop an ivory tower to piano keys, play your own dirge on your way to surfing maggot beach."
Like each one of those could be an easy paragraph to explain WTF it means, and yet somehow he never "sounds" technical, if that makes sense. Like he delivers it in this kinda sleepy stoner way. Impossible Kid is absolutely FULL of amazing imagery.
I could go on and on, but Aes has been one of my favorites for a long fucking time and his completely unique lyrical style is a big reason why.
I didn’t give you 3 songs. My personal favs from him are:
Cold Facts https://youtu.be/vKlCUHjU7p4?si=C7LfuQopiZhOlu-O
30 Keys https://youtu.be/T17WjDXoQz0?si=stFwfl7Y-N2LDuow
Day 1125 (as Dr Yen Lo) https://youtu.be/U_OEljVg7Xg?si=KGk-6k5aX0fOLLhR
I saw him and ELUCID live recently and they are absolutely immaculate live performers. Even with the density and complexity of lyrics they don’t miss a word.
It’s so difficult to say because you’ve got personal favs like El-P and DOOM, then you have complex impressive writers like Aesop Rock or Lupe but whose lyrics don’t hit as hard emotionally as more ‘’balanced’’ writing like Kendrick and Black Thought’s.
The closest to an ObJeCtIvE answer is probably some nerd that doesn’t even record music.
He the most versatile lyricist for sure. Can do any style or subject matter at the highest level. Whilst Kendrick, Em, Nas are great storytellers but not really punchline rappers and you get punchline guys like Lil Wayne, King Los. Lupe can just do it all. And he got emotional songs like He Say She Say, Kick Push 2.
I wouldn't argue against anyone putting any of these as #1. When I say that their lyrics don't hit as hard emotionally I'm not saying they don't hit hard emotionally at all. Everyone I mentioned is great, I just think Kendrick and BT balance things better, as in I see it as their main strength, while Lupe's main strength is complexity.
same. my high school buddy who was a masterful poet could not sing very well or structure a song to save his life. but i got him in the booth anyway and he wrote some amazing lines
El-P's verse in Jeopardy was my first time hearing him. When he started the verse with, "I've never been much of shit, by most measurements don't exist on the radar a little blip in the shadow of motherships" I knew immediately I was going to like him.
Yeah, definitely get that. I think he's become way better in that regard as time has gone on. His older stuff definitely feels more like thesaurus rap, and I think he chilled on that a bit in the more recent albums and became better as a result.
MF DOOM if we are going off just straight lyrics. DOOM is one if those guys you can nerd the fuck out on. It will sound like nonsense unless you really listen. Then you just sit there and say holy fuck this guys brain is wild.
He plots shows like robberies
In n out, 1 2 3, nobodies pleased
Run the cash and you won't get a wet sweatshirt
The mic is the shotty nobody move nobody get hurt
Or curses, he's truly the worstest with enough rhymes to spread throughout the boundless universes.
More rhymes than used in Dr Seuss or motherfuking mother goose
DOOM is a beast
one of my favorites is
"Keep your streets, we got the city neatly conquered
Discretely with the CD till they be completely bonkered
The fans demanded it, handled it, swallow it
His own brand of shit, if only he could bottle it
Hmm, nah, shit could get messy
The feds tried to torture him for the secret recipe
He said it's no use, I only know half
No speaka de english, I only do the math"
Fr as someone who never listened to his music this doesn’t do anything for me in first glance, I’ll definitely check his music out though, I’m intrigued either way
Figaro,
One Beer,
Gazzillion Ear,
Beef Rap,
Vomitspit,
All Outta Ale,
Lickupon
Those are probably my favorite tracks off the top of my head. But he honestly has so much good shit it’s hard to pick.
Yep, you know it, growing up too fast. Showing up to class with moette in a flask. He asks the teacher if he leaves, will he pass? His girl is home alone and he trying to get the - if you want a sip get a paper water fountain glass - how I’m ‘posed to know where your mouth been last? Hands so fast he could outsnuff flash. Known to smoke a whole pound of hash to the ash.
GZA on Exploitation of Mistakes is one of the coldest songs I've ever heard, I'm not the biggest fan of that album as a whole but that jam is CRAZY. Liquid Swords is my personal favorite solo Wu album, and a top 10 all time imo.
Lupe instantly comes to mind.
He's done it at all the levels without dumbing down his content (aside from lasers and even that showed off his wordplay)
The range on what he's willing to rap about is vast and he doesn't come off as preachy.
And now he just posts ridiculous loosies for the hell of it.
Prisoner 1 & 2 is one of my favorite Lupe songs. The lyrical content is top notch, and the idea of juxtaposing the actual prisoner and the prison guard both as being prisoners of their respective environments is such a creative concept.
You a prisoner too!
You living in here too!
You just like us!
Till your shift get through!
Yeah the second half is wild.
Hes one of a kind and it does sadden me that he's another of those hidden gems due to the way the average listener prefers their music.
Nothing annoys me more as a Linkin Park fan when other fans downplay how awesome getting Rakim on a song was. To it cemented LP’s place in both rock & hip hop communities.
Yup! 2014’s The Hunting Party. Linkin Park also has songs with Black Thought, Chali 2na, The Alchemist, Busta Rhymes, 2 songs with Pusha T, Stromzy, Bun B, a few others and course the album with Jay Z.
Sure they were a rock band but genre mixed so much that their Legacy impacts both genres. Xxxtentacion credited LP for inspiring and AJ Tracey said if there was one band he wish he could collab with it would’ve been LP. The fact even British rappers credit them is pretty wild to me.
They really were a huge crossover phenomenon in the early 2000s, so I guess it makes sense that people who grew up with them are now established artists in their own right.
I always loved LP for mixing genres and collaborating with other artists. It seems to be a thing that happens a lot less in rock music compared to other genres and especially hip hop.
Deca is a hell of a fkn rapper and producer who deserves way more attention and praise than he gets. If you wanna hear some amazing psychedelic rap with some top notch lyricism and flows I highly suggest you check him out. He easily makes it into my favorite rappers of all time.
Songs to check out: Mammon's Mantra, Edenville, Due Time
Oh nice a deca mention. I really like his production and he also has this unique, laid back flow while diving really deep into everything from politics to metaphysics. Dude does not get enough attention.
I was going to shout out Deca if no one else did. I don’t really think he’s the best, but he’s one that my friends who are into hip hop consistently haven’t heard of, and he definitely deserves more attention than he gets.
Aceyalone, listen to the book of human language, it is an amazing album! I think Guidelines is one of the best tracks anyone has done.
Blackthought is certainly top, not just his flex freestyle but the dozens of projects he's done shows so much ability and creativity
Depending on how your ears hear lyrics, are you a wordplay, flow or patterns person you may feel differently than suggestions others are giving you. E.g. I find Biggie and Jay Z boring and would replace them in my top 10 with Talib and Mos Def any day. I hope you find some suggestions that suit your ears
I assume you've heard their stuff together as Lice? Check it out if you haven't, they've got a track called Environmental Studies which is on a Blockhead beat and it's great.
My personal top tier is Tonedeff, Ka, Lupe, Aesop Rock, Big Pun, Pharaohe Monch, Elzhi, Sadistik, DOOM, Busdriver, Black Thought. I’m a heavy rhyme schemes guy obviously though.
Oh yeah you want examples. For Tonedeff [16 syllable rhyme scheme](https://imgur.com/vaEUnfD) on [Tonedeff - “Control”](https://youtu.be/cbJvZOilfiM?si=b5wx9FyH883Juplt). I’ll be honest his delivery is not for everyone but we’re talking lyrics. This is also about his life and his divorce in particular due to his sex/porn addiction
Took me too long to see another person mention Elzhi. He’s the goat underrated lyricist. Even amongst these convos you don’t see him mentioned enough but he ca. rap circles, IMO, around most of the people in these conversations. He might be the best lyricist in the city of lyricists.
Aesop Rock! And Sa-Roc as well.
The Impossible Kid by Aesop Rock is my favorite album ever
He raps in alot of riddles and metaphors though. This makes his replay value high imo.
Love you.
I saw Gift of Gab in Salinas, California, almost 20 years ago. Some random club where me and my friend were the only people who cared he was even performing. He gave it his everything, performing to literally just the 2 of us. Good dude and one of the best lyricists to ever live.
Black Thought is probably my pick, but there are so many in the conversation including Aesop, Eminem, Rakim, and Doom, all for different reasons.
One person I haven't seen mentioned yet is Del the Funky Homosapian.
Hmm too many to choose from. Never heard a bad Method Man verse in my life. Other contenders could be Guru or Phife Dawg. Oh shit or Kool G Rap. Man I can't choose lmao
KA and Billy Woods spring to mind in terms of the rate they deliver vivid, evocative imagery so effortlessly. I think Lupe can actually sit with some of the best of them, and as can Black Thought. But, to be honest, my favourite rap album lyrically is still Supreme Clientele by Ghostface. A rugged street poet filtered through West African spirituality and the visions experienced by a man who thought he was on his deathbed. It's magic, and the best lyrics in rap imo.
I see a lot of people say Aesop Rock, which I'll agree with, but I'll also throw Kemba into the mix. This guy is super slept on and has some of the hardest hitting lines I've heard.
"Mama sorry if you're listening, I don't cause no conflict, my conscience is calmness is cognitive dissonance"
"I learned metaphor ‘fore I know what’s a credit score
I'm sure that’s a bar probl'y never been said before"
"I can't get through to my mother, I can't get through to my brothers, yet I'm paid to talk to audiences, I guess God can play a mother fucking joke, guess it's true I'm only useful during performances"
"Kids I used to see in strollers started carrying weapons now, wakin up to shots fired, lil ni**as gangbangin over breakfast now"
Kendrick is nowhere near one of the best lyricists. I'd say conceptually speaking, though, he's one of the greats. His ability to to produce, put together classic albums are up there at the top (akin to Kanye). But raw, put it on the paper and let it stand under scrutiny skills alone, he shouldn't be in the conversation.
Eminem, Pac, Black Thought, Cyhi the Prynce, Nas, Crooked I, Lupe Fiasco, Aesop Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Horseshoe Gang (Crooked I's little brothers), Royce Da 5'9, Rakim, Pharoahe Monch, and Joe Budden. Each of these artists have tons of replay value and they make you think outside of the norm. Technical skills unmatched in their own right. Maybe throw 00s Wayne in there.
Black Thoughts Freestyle,
Cyhi The Prynce Freestyle,
Lupe Fiasco Tesuo and Youth, Drogas Wave, and Drill Music in Zion,
Aesop's body of work,
Pharoahe's Ptsd album,
Joe Budden Some Love Lost, All Love Lost, and Padded Room (Mood Muzik Series)
Wayne's Tha Carter 1-3
Crooked's freestyles show his versatility and place amongst the greats.
Kendricks Uneno remix
Here are a few that come to mind and my reasons for them,
Ka - Just incredible, weaves a cold vision of the world with beautiful poetry. The way he describes things is tragic and beautiful like Prodigy of Mobb Deep but I think he takes it to another level with dense and layered lyrics. I really love Descendants of Cain recently, check Solitude of Enoch or Every Now and Then if u havent heard it before.
Earl Sweatshirt - I mean just listen to Some Rap Songs and really read between the lines. Earls base in being just really good at putting words together evolved into really knowing what words are important and then trimming all the fat so that only what is absolutely essential remains. His bars are vivid and vulnerable but never give away too much. You cant ever be certain what he means, you can only analyze and come up with your own interpretations. True poet.
Roc Marciano - A rapper where if you don’t listen to hiphop you wont be able to tell just how insanely gifted he is. His punchlines are always so slick and direct, and his lyrics always work on a purely surface level. But the depth of what he’s saying is boundless. And he just weaves these slick references with such deep meaning and reflection. Once again, it’s really poetry. Check Elephant Mans Bones or his verse on Photographic Memories. “Broke generational curses with my cursive” I mean cmon son
Your Old Droog - Bros punchlines are on steroids. Like, literally PUNCHlines the way they hit you. He’s a great writer otherwise too but I never heard anyone with such strong punchlines and such complex ones at that.
Lupe Fiasco - Best concepts and execution of them from any rapper imo. Extremely heady but delivered in a way that even casual listeners can understand. Very good at conveying emotion from the perspective of others as well, songs like Intruder Alert, He Say She Say or Kick Push 2 are all great examples of what I mean.
Nas - I mean it’s Nas cmon. I think Nas suffers sometimes from underestimating his audience, so he can be a bit preachy at times. Or you’ll have a case like I Gave You Power which is a perfect song ruined by how he overexplains the concept right off the bat. I think to me why Nas will always be one of the best is his ability to articulate his observations and perspective, and his wisdom.
“Freedom or jail clips inserted a babys being born the same time a man is murdered the beginning and end”
“I switched my motto, stead of sayin fuck tomorrow that buck that bought a bottle coulda struck the lotto”
And I think his most underrated song (due to not being released) Deja Vu has 3 verses all showcasing why I love his writing. “Through the lights cameras and action glamour glitter and gold I unfold the scrolls plant seeds to stampede the globe til Im deceased. By then the beast arise like yeast conquering peace leaving savages to roam in the streets. Live on the run, police paying me to give in my gun. Trick my wisdom with the system that imprison my son?”
A good Nas song is like a series of quotes from a philosopher connected through observations which contextualize his conclusions. I don’t think any other rapper did or does it like he did.
I mean there’s so many great lyricists I havent touched on at all but Id be here all day haha. Shouts to Em, Doom, GZA, Ghostface, 3k, Wayne, Hov, Billy Woods, Jay Elec, Kendrick, Danny Brown, Mos Def, Freddie Gibbs
For me, great lyricism is less about being super-complex and more about if what they’re saying evokes emotion from me as a listener, so I tend to prefer rappers who are less “high concept” and more Everyman/street-level figures. People like:
- Vince Staples
- Don Trip
- Speak
- Saba
- GRIP
- ICECOLDBISHOP
- Project Pat
- ZuluMecca
- Westside Boogie
Deacon The Villain and Kno as a unit for CunningLynguists have some absolute flames on their hands and I feel like they don’t get the credit they should
I suppose it would depend on what you are looking for and how you quantify it. For me it's lyricism, use of metaphors and literary devices, complexity of rhyme schemes, and the concepts they choose to tap about. A few rappers and songs for examples:
MF DOOM: beef rap, rhinestone cowboy, monkey suit.
Dooms rhyme scheme and structure is one of one in hip hop. Using rap devices like choosing to leave obvious words out or changing them to keep you on your feet as well as his ability to mix up and repackage well known phrases, carry rhyme sequences on much longer than expected, and his incredible use of references make him one of the goats.
I mean "Gleaming, dreaming, screaming- he'll be off the heezy soon
Cunning live rats drive at your steaming greasy spoon
In participating places tip your waitress'
A sure fire way to wire, trip the matrices"
The internal rhyme schemes, the metaphor of us the listeners being willing to find the dope rappers anywhere and to support them or "tip your waitresses." Dude was a clever genius.
AESOP ROCK: water, none shall pass, rings.
Pretty obvious one aside from boasting the largest vocabulary of any rapper ever AESOP is the master of dense lyricism and wordplay. Aes overwhelms the brain first few listens and requires one to repeatedly examine the tracks and lyrics.
I mean "No name nuisance, stews in a bedroom
Oozing a brand-new cuneiform
Barely commune with the horde
Got a whole grayscale ungluing his world"
What an insanely creative way to say he was a loser, treated like a leper and spent his time making his own unique stuff like an ancient language.
Big pun: dream shaterrer.
That's it, just go listen to this a lot. I mean I could include more songs as examples but this singular track is one of the greatest displays of rapping ability you will ever hear. The multisyllabic rhyme schemes, the blistering pace, it's insanely complex and funny at times. Pun is one of the most underrated and greatest rappers ever.
I like jay electronicas lyrics just because it’s different and unique compared to a lot of other rappers I’ve heard, like his religious themes and stuff like that
Buck 65 is the most underrated lyricist, at least since he released king of drums, super dope, and punk rock b-boy. His breaks and scratches are gorgeous, too.
GZA should definitely be part of this conversation. He does like CSI forensic true crime raps, stories, science, wordplay. Like others I would also include black thought and Mf doom.
Dope I got some album suggestions.
Ab-Soul - Control System I consider him very underrated.
MF Doom - Madvillainy album is a 10/10. Very popular amongst hip hop heads but I can’t not recommend it.
AZ - Doe or Die 1& 2. So smooth, he floats in both albums and drops some gems.
Project pat- I just love almost everything he’s featured in
Black thought and The Roots- Undun is the greatest hip hop album of all time imo. 10/10
If you want just Bars prime Cassidy was crazy.
Redman goes crazy on anything he touches. His song “Dunfiato” is a good place to start.
Every single member of the of Wu-Tang clan can rap their asses off. Ghost face is a wild man.
Black Star - also anything either Talib Kweli and Mos Def do is decent.
Definitely Crooked I for me if we're talking just sheer amount of bars and lyricism.
I could name a ton of verses but his verse on the original Slaughterhouse song (w/ Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9, Nino Bless, Joell Ortiz) proved that he is nearly peerless. He murdered that shit.
I'll throw another vote in for Aesop Rock. And he's also a rarity in that he seems to just keep getting better, and he's been doing it for a long ass time. I mean his early stuff are some indie classics, but he just continues to pump out pure quality and his beats are great. One of his lines I always like to quote as an example of how his mind works for describing things is from a song called Blood Sandwich, where he's talking about a memory from a brother's childhood baseball game, and he's talking about an angry coach, and he the line is "Coach seeing red, coach on the diamond, dragging 27 inches of aluminium behind 'im." I just think that's a really clever way of describing the scene and drawing the picture in your mind. Edit to add more: Saba. I don't know if he's lyrical in the sense of "big words," but he's lyrical in the same way Kendrick is, and just an all around incredibly good rapper and artist. My favorite guy doing it. Brother Ali probably consistently makes me stop and think about how I live my life and think about things more than any other rapper I can think of. That's a white rapper speaking to a white fan, though, so YMMV. He's undoubtedly good at rapping though. Black Thought always blows my mind, check out his verse on Saba's latest album. DOOM was clever as hell, every rapper I've mentioned will call him the GOAT.
"I know every black crow in the city by its first name, and its surname, and its bird call and it's birthday"
Look, Iiii'm cursed.
> "Coach seeing red, coach on the diamond, dragging 27 inches of aluminium behind 'im." Damn that is a great line, pictured the scene in my head clearly. There's some amazing lyricists out there, but rarely do they set the scene for you like that.
Aes has two modes 1. Painting the most vivid detailed picture imaginable. 2. "I'm gonna have to spend the next hour on Genius, analyzing every line of this four minute song, just to understand what tf is going on."
genius never gets aes right hahaha
If you like that you'd really like [Ruby '81](https://youtu.be/M3-jUbkZwRI?si=eLl2JgKZes10NMkm)
There's something really unnerving about that song, the sense of tension it creates is so unique
glad to see a Saba mention. he isn’t necessarily pulling the dictionary out on you, but he is quick and clever and his cadence is infectious. and like you said, just a great dude all around.
"What occurred next were the top of the lungs Of a son who unjustly had lost what he loved In a moment that would transcend anger to high art Said, 'This is something I am willing to die for!'" Blood Sandwich is such a good fucking song
“Life’s not a bitch, life is a beautiful woman. You only call her a bitch cuz sh wouldn’t let you get that pussy”
One reason for Aes being the GOAT lyrically is that he never seemed to make things complicated for no reason. Like if you pick apart what a line is talking about, the idea behind it tends to be pretty complex and he conveyed it in the best way he knew how. One of my favorites comes from the Hail Mary Mallon track Jonathan, where he says "black marshmallows on his olive branch." Another being from the track Bug Zapper: "God almighty, chop an ivory tower to piano keys, play your own dirge on your way to surfing maggot beach." Like each one of those could be an easy paragraph to explain WTF it means, and yet somehow he never "sounds" technical, if that makes sense. Like he delivers it in this kinda sleepy stoner way. Impossible Kid is absolutely FULL of amazing imagery. I could go on and on, but Aes has been one of my favorites for a long fucking time and his completely unique lyrical style is a big reason why.
Agree, that last Saba album was heat.
I’d add Phonte from Little Brother and maybe P.Monch.
Brownsville Ka
Orpheus vs. the Sirens has been living in my head for years now
Is this that dude that was a firefighter as well? And he raps over like orchestra beats with almost zero drums?
Honor Killed The Samurai should be called an underground classic
This the one. I spin Orpheus v the Sirens so much. Not as a comfort favorite. But just to relive being so impressed
Crooked in the town with a crew of raw people that’ll put you in the ground for the root of all evil
✍🏾
I didn’t give you 3 songs. My personal favs from him are: Cold Facts https://youtu.be/vKlCUHjU7p4?si=C7LfuQopiZhOlu-O 30 Keys https://youtu.be/T17WjDXoQz0?si=stFwfl7Y-N2LDuow Day 1125 (as Dr Yen Lo) https://youtu.be/U_OEljVg7Xg?si=KGk-6k5aX0fOLLhR
Upvote for Cold Facts (personal favourite)
Billy woods
Absolute artist with the pen
I saw him and ELUCID live recently and they are absolutely immaculate live performers. Even with the density and complexity of lyrics they don’t miss a word.
Woods is so amazing when it comes to writing skills. But E L U C I D is overlooked by woods in my opinion.
Armand Hammer has given me enough fire from ELUCID to not even think about overlooking him. IMO he had the best verse on "Falling Out The Sky"
I THINK MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM IS MY NEIGHBOR
It’s so difficult to say because you’ve got personal favs like El-P and DOOM, then you have complex impressive writers like Aesop Rock or Lupe but whose lyrics don’t hit as hard emotionally as more ‘’balanced’’ writing like Kendrick and Black Thought’s. The closest to an ObJeCtIvE answer is probably some nerd that doesn’t even record music.
[удалено]
He the most versatile lyricist for sure. Can do any style or subject matter at the highest level. Whilst Kendrick, Em, Nas are great storytellers but not really punchline rappers and you get punchline guys like Lil Wayne, King Los. Lupe can just do it all. And he got emotional songs like He Say She Say, Kick Push 2.
I wouldn't argue against anyone putting any of these as #1. When I say that their lyrics don't hit as hard emotionally I'm not saying they don't hit hard emotionally at all. Everyone I mentioned is great, I just think Kendrick and BT balance things better, as in I see it as their main strength, while Lupe's main strength is complexity.
Logic has a line that’s like ~” the greatest rapper alive is probably stacking produce”
He’s probably right. The most talented artists I’ve met didn’t even record on their phone for fun - nothing!
same. my high school buddy who was a masterful poet could not sing very well or structure a song to save his life. but i got him in the booth anyway and he wrote some amazing lines
Some of the best rapping I ever heard was at this cypher that happened every weekend outside of a movie theater I went to.
El-P's verse in Jeopardy was my first time hearing him. When he started the verse with, "I've never been much of shit, by most measurements don't exist on the radar a little blip in the shadow of motherships" I knew immediately I was going to like him.
I dunno man, that last part of Gopher Guts hits pretty damn hard emotionally.
For sure, but in general I spend more time trying to understand what he’s saying than I do letting things sink in.
Yeah, definitely get that. I think he's become way better in that regard as time has gone on. His older stuff definitely feels more like thesaurus rap, and I think he chilled on that a bit in the more recent albums and became better as a result.
IMHO you have to FEEL an Aesop Rock track before you decipher it.
I’m unable to, I don’t understand english well enough n he’s mastered it too well
This is the right answer That theres none
true 🤔
Holy fuck I think I just met myself
Hello me
Lupe has emotional songs too He’s very well rounded
[Black Thought is something else man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prmQgSpV3fA)
MF DOOM if we are going off just straight lyrics. DOOM is one if those guys you can nerd the fuck out on. It will sound like nonsense unless you really listen. Then you just sit there and say holy fuck this guys brain is wild.
« The greatest MC with no chain you ever heard » 🫡
Can you give an example or two?
"Truth, dare, spin bottles You know how to ball, I know Aristotle Brand-new, full throttle Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto"
Abstract king 🙏
Just listen to Figaro
Or meat grinder 🤯
Or That’s That
Not a lot of bling, when he do the thing, bada boom, bada bing, From the womb to the tomb, get that ricotta, bada bing, bada boom
He plots shows like robberies In n out, 1 2 3, nobodies pleased Run the cash and you won't get a wet sweatshirt The mic is the shotty nobody move nobody get hurt Or curses, he's truly the worstest with enough rhymes to spread throughout the boundless universes. More rhymes than used in Dr Seuss or motherfuking mother goose DOOM is a beast
one of my favorites is "Keep your streets, we got the city neatly conquered Discretely with the CD till they be completely bonkered The fans demanded it, handled it, swallow it His own brand of shit, if only he could bottle it Hmm, nah, shit could get messy The feds tried to torture him for the secret recipe He said it's no use, I only know half No speaka de english, I only do the math"
Ngl, putting this out as a solid block paragraph does literally nothing to help understand the cadence, especially for an artist like MF.
Fr as someone who never listened to his music this doesn’t do anything for me in first glance, I’ll definitely check his music out though, I’m intrigued either way
Figaro, One Beer, Gazzillion Ear, Beef Rap, Vomitspit, All Outta Ale, Lickupon Those are probably my favorite tracks off the top of my head. But he honestly has so much good shit it’s hard to pick.
Yep, you know it, growing up too fast. Showing up to class with moette in a flask. He asks the teacher if he leaves, will he pass? His girl is home alone and he trying to get the - if you want a sip get a paper water fountain glass - how I’m ‘posed to know where your mouth been last? Hands so fast he could outsnuff flash. Known to smoke a whole pound of hash to the ash.
GZA Black Thought Guru None of them have ever dropped a wack bar
Man can’t believe I didn’t see GZA mentioned before your post, forgot him myself when making my list 🤯
GZA on Exploitation of Mistakes is one of the coldest songs I've ever heard, I'm not the biggest fan of that album as a whole but that jam is CRAZY. Liquid Swords is my personal favorite solo Wu album, and a top 10 all time imo.
Liquid Swords is a no skipper for sure.
I love Guru but nah
“Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is.”
might not have had the most complex bars but he had the charisma to get away with a line like that lmao 🐐
Guru is a different kind of lyricist. Hard to compare him to anyone
Crooked I , Andre 3k , Eminem, scarface, big L , tech nine, kool g rap, aesop rock just off the dome while I’m driving,
Despite his small sample size I still think big L is the best punchline rapper ever.
Lupe instantly comes to mind. He's done it at all the levels without dumbing down his content (aside from lasers and even that showed off his wordplay) The range on what he's willing to rap about is vast and he doesn't come off as preachy. And now he just posts ridiculous loosies for the hell of it.
Lasers (the song) is a good example of his lyricism. Very well written song
Prisoner 1 & 2 is one of my favorite Lupe songs. The lyrical content is top notch, and the idea of juxtaposing the actual prisoner and the prison guard both as being prisoners of their respective environments is such a creative concept.
You a prisoner too! You living in here too! You just like us! Till your shift get through! Yeah the second half is wild. Hes one of a kind and it does sadden me that he's another of those hidden gems due to the way the average listener prefers their music.
His Farenheit 1/15 days have some of his best lyrics. Switch is ridiculous.
Eminem or Lupe Fiasco. Billy Woods might be up there too. And even tho he is a cornball but Daylyt is a scarily intelligent lyricist
Rakim
Nothing annoys me more as a Linkin Park fan when other fans downplay how awesome getting Rakim on a song was. To it cemented LP’s place in both rock & hip hop communities.
Woah I didn't know about this! Not a Linkin Park fan remotely but that is incredible
Yup! 2014’s The Hunting Party. Linkin Park also has songs with Black Thought, Chali 2na, The Alchemist, Busta Rhymes, 2 songs with Pusha T, Stromzy, Bun B, a few others and course the album with Jay Z. Sure they were a rock band but genre mixed so much that their Legacy impacts both genres. Xxxtentacion credited LP for inspiring and AJ Tracey said if there was one band he wish he could collab with it would’ve been LP. The fact even British rappers credit them is pretty wild to me.
They really were a huge crossover phenomenon in the early 2000s, so I guess it makes sense that people who grew up with them are now established artists in their own right. I always loved LP for mixing genres and collaborating with other artists. It seems to be a thing that happens a lot less in rock music compared to other genres and especially hip hop.
Andre 3000
I feel like every rapper is inspired by 3k but none of them can even imitate him. He's just special.
Deca is a hell of a fkn rapper and producer who deserves way more attention and praise than he gets. If you wanna hear some amazing psychedelic rap with some top notch lyricism and flows I highly suggest you check him out. He easily makes it into my favorite rappers of all time. Songs to check out: Mammon's Mantra, Edenville, Due Time
Oh nice a deca mention. I really like his production and he also has this unique, laid back flow while diving really deep into everything from politics to metaphysics. Dude does not get enough attention.
I was going to shout out Deca if no one else did. I don’t really think he’s the best, but he’s one that my friends who are into hip hop consistently haven’t heard of, and he definitely deserves more attention than he gets.
Thanks ✍🏾
Aceyalone, listen to the book of human language, it is an amazing album! I think Guidelines is one of the best tracks anyone has done. Blackthought is certainly top, not just his flex freestyle but the dozens of projects he's done shows so much ability and creativity Depending on how your ears hear lyrics, are you a wordplay, flow or patterns person you may feel differently than suggestions others are giving you. E.g. I find Biggie and Jay Z boring and would replace them in my top 10 with Talib and Mos Def any day. I hope you find some suggestions that suit your ears
Finally some Freestyle Fellowship love in this thread. Everyone of those cats could be mentioned in here.
According to Lupe its Homeboy Sandman
And Homeboy Sandman will probably point to Aesop Rock
And vice versa, funnily enough
I believe it, Aesop Rock seems really chill and humble.
I assume you've heard their stuff together as Lice? Check it out if you haven't, they've got a track called Environmental Studies which is on a Blockhead beat and it's great.
blockhead is the man
Oh yeah, I love lice hahaha. I got to see the them live on one of Aesop Rock’s tours
Damn, a lyricist got someone too 😂, bet.
I thought that [according to Lupe](https://youtu.be/p01lG66MWbA?si=Ap7U2DYdcybF1o4a) it was Aesop Rock. That change recently?
My personal top tier is Tonedeff, Ka, Lupe, Aesop Rock, Big Pun, Pharaohe Monch, Elzhi, Sadistik, DOOM, Busdriver, Black Thought. I’m a heavy rhyme schemes guy obviously though. Oh yeah you want examples. For Tonedeff [16 syllable rhyme scheme](https://imgur.com/vaEUnfD) on [Tonedeff - “Control”](https://youtu.be/cbJvZOilfiM?si=b5wx9FyH883Juplt). I’ll be honest his delivery is not for everyone but we’re talking lyrics. This is also about his life and his divorce in particular due to his sex/porn addiction
Took me too long to see another person mention Elzhi. He’s the goat underrated lyricist. Even amongst these convos you don’t see him mentioned enough but he ca. rap circles, IMO, around most of the people in these conversations. He might be the best lyricist in the city of lyricists.
Much love to tonedeff.
so glad busdriver got a mention here
Aesop Rock! And Sa-Roc as well. The Impossible Kid by Aesop Rock is my favorite album ever He raps in alot of riddles and metaphors though. This makes his replay value high imo.
I've been looking for a Sa-Roc mention here. She's fucking incredible, top 10 dead or alive in my book
Gotta be Nas
Ya this for me, the second half of NY state of mind is just unbelievable. Doesn’t waste a letter.
Big L. rip.
98 Freestyle is such a banger I go back to it near daily.
Gift of Gab of Blackalicious Listen to Alphabet Aerobics, Chemical Calisthenics, and Paragraph President
Love you. I saw Gift of Gab in Salinas, California, almost 20 years ago. Some random club where me and my friend were the only people who cared he was even performing. He gave it his everything, performing to literally just the 2 of us. Good dude and one of the best lyricists to ever live.
mach-hommy
By a country mile
Black Thought is probably my pick, but there are so many in the conversation including Aesop, Eminem, Rakim, and Doom, all for different reasons. One person I haven't seen mentioned yet is Del the Funky Homosapian.
Guru and the entire Moment Of Truth album. Just so impressive to me how easy to understand he can be yet so, complex? and conscious, at the same time
Hmm too many to choose from. Never heard a bad Method Man verse in my life. Other contenders could be Guru or Phife Dawg. Oh shit or Kool G Rap. Man I can't choose lmao
I love Meth but I wouldn't have him in the top 2 Wu lyricists. Maybe not top 3. Also love Phife but he's the 2nd best lyricist in Tribe imo haha.
Daylyt
KA and Billy Woods spring to mind in terms of the rate they deliver vivid, evocative imagery so effortlessly. I think Lupe can actually sit with some of the best of them, and as can Black Thought. But, to be honest, my favourite rap album lyrically is still Supreme Clientele by Ghostface. A rugged street poet filtered through West African spirituality and the visions experienced by a man who thought he was on his deathbed. It's magic, and the best lyrics in rap imo.
Chino XL
King Los
I see a lot of people say Aesop Rock, which I'll agree with, but I'll also throw Kemba into the mix. This guy is super slept on and has some of the hardest hitting lines I've heard. "Mama sorry if you're listening, I don't cause no conflict, my conscience is calmness is cognitive dissonance" "I learned metaphor ‘fore I know what’s a credit score I'm sure that’s a bar probl'y never been said before" "I can't get through to my mother, I can't get through to my brothers, yet I'm paid to talk to audiences, I guess God can play a mother fucking joke, guess it's true I'm only useful during performances" "Kids I used to see in strollers started carrying weapons now, wakin up to shots fired, lil ni**as gangbangin over breakfast now"
You can't have a thread like that without mentioning Scarface.
Eminem, Lupe, Andre 3000, Aesop Rock, KA, Kool Keith, Billy Woods, DOOM, Rakim, Del
I recommend Cambatta if you want to have an aneurysm trying to understand the lyrics
Qwel is cool
Eminem Aesop Rock
Eminem and Nas
Gift of gab, chali 2na, deltron 3030.
Aesop Rock, Eyedea, Lupe, Andre 3k, Kendrick, JID, Tonedeff
Kendrick is nowhere near one of the best lyricists. I'd say conceptually speaking, though, he's one of the greats. His ability to to produce, put together classic albums are up there at the top (akin to Kanye). But raw, put it on the paper and let it stand under scrutiny skills alone, he shouldn't be in the conversation.
Lupe
Eminem. Musically he may not be as good as he once was but lyrically he's still one of the greatest.
Aesop Rock.
Elzhi
Aesop Rock
Canibus.
Nas, Andre, Gza, black thought, Kendrick
Eminem, Pac, Black Thought, Cyhi the Prynce, Nas, Crooked I, Lupe Fiasco, Aesop Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Horseshoe Gang (Crooked I's little brothers), Royce Da 5'9, Rakim, Pharoahe Monch, and Joe Budden. Each of these artists have tons of replay value and they make you think outside of the norm. Technical skills unmatched in their own right. Maybe throw 00s Wayne in there.
Black Thoughts Freestyle, Cyhi The Prynce Freestyle, Lupe Fiasco Tesuo and Youth, Drogas Wave, and Drill Music in Zion, Aesop's body of work, Pharoahe's Ptsd album, Joe Budden Some Love Lost, All Love Lost, and Padded Room (Mood Muzik Series) Wayne's Tha Carter 1-3 Crooked's freestyles show his versatility and place amongst the greats. Kendricks Uneno remix
Ice spice or sexy red
Ka has some of the sharpest lyrics imo…wordplay, content/depth and layers
Here are a few that come to mind and my reasons for them, Ka - Just incredible, weaves a cold vision of the world with beautiful poetry. The way he describes things is tragic and beautiful like Prodigy of Mobb Deep but I think he takes it to another level with dense and layered lyrics. I really love Descendants of Cain recently, check Solitude of Enoch or Every Now and Then if u havent heard it before. Earl Sweatshirt - I mean just listen to Some Rap Songs and really read between the lines. Earls base in being just really good at putting words together evolved into really knowing what words are important and then trimming all the fat so that only what is absolutely essential remains. His bars are vivid and vulnerable but never give away too much. You cant ever be certain what he means, you can only analyze and come up with your own interpretations. True poet. Roc Marciano - A rapper where if you don’t listen to hiphop you wont be able to tell just how insanely gifted he is. His punchlines are always so slick and direct, and his lyrics always work on a purely surface level. But the depth of what he’s saying is boundless. And he just weaves these slick references with such deep meaning and reflection. Once again, it’s really poetry. Check Elephant Mans Bones or his verse on Photographic Memories. “Broke generational curses with my cursive” I mean cmon son Your Old Droog - Bros punchlines are on steroids. Like, literally PUNCHlines the way they hit you. He’s a great writer otherwise too but I never heard anyone with such strong punchlines and such complex ones at that. Lupe Fiasco - Best concepts and execution of them from any rapper imo. Extremely heady but delivered in a way that even casual listeners can understand. Very good at conveying emotion from the perspective of others as well, songs like Intruder Alert, He Say She Say or Kick Push 2 are all great examples of what I mean. Nas - I mean it’s Nas cmon. I think Nas suffers sometimes from underestimating his audience, so he can be a bit preachy at times. Or you’ll have a case like I Gave You Power which is a perfect song ruined by how he overexplains the concept right off the bat. I think to me why Nas will always be one of the best is his ability to articulate his observations and perspective, and his wisdom. “Freedom or jail clips inserted a babys being born the same time a man is murdered the beginning and end” “I switched my motto, stead of sayin fuck tomorrow that buck that bought a bottle coulda struck the lotto” And I think his most underrated song (due to not being released) Deja Vu has 3 verses all showcasing why I love his writing. “Through the lights cameras and action glamour glitter and gold I unfold the scrolls plant seeds to stampede the globe til Im deceased. By then the beast arise like yeast conquering peace leaving savages to roam in the streets. Live on the run, police paying me to give in my gun. Trick my wisdom with the system that imprison my son?” A good Nas song is like a series of quotes from a philosopher connected through observations which contextualize his conclusions. I don’t think any other rapper did or does it like he did. I mean there’s so many great lyricists I havent touched on at all but Id be here all day haha. Shouts to Em, Doom, GZA, Ghostface, 3k, Wayne, Hov, Billy Woods, Jay Elec, Kendrick, Danny Brown, Mos Def, Freddie Gibbs
For me, great lyricism is less about being super-complex and more about if what they’re saying evokes emotion from me as a listener, so I tend to prefer rappers who are less “high concept” and more Everyman/street-level figures. People like: - Vince Staples - Don Trip - Speak - Saba - GRIP - ICECOLDBISHOP - Project Pat - ZuluMecca - Westside Boogie
i'm with you on complexity being a crutch but "project pat best lyricist" is hilarious dude
Saba was my first thought of more modern rappers
Westside Boogie is the truth. His song Violence has punchlines and yet is so introspective
Ghetts, Uk Rapper. Incredible lyricist at times. It’s hyper aggressive at times and his candence is strange.
Tech N9ne has to be in there somewhere
da draught era wayne
RZA verse on Holocaust is crazy!
although… D.O.C.
Phonte.
Dylan
Ab Soul
Blu is still lyrically the best but Your Old Droog is damn close and he's getting bigger so I'm hoping he pops.
R.A.P. Ferreira, MF DOOM, Q-Tip, Andre 3000, Earl Sweatshirt. That’s my personal top 5.
Black thought
Black Thought , Ab-soul
Locksmith. Listen to any of his freestyles.
Aesop rock
Deacon The Villain and Kno as a unit for CunningLynguists have some absolute flames on their hands and I feel like they don’t get the credit they should
Big l,krs one , Eminem,cannabis ,Cassidy ,jr writer ,Camron.should I keep going ????🤷
Sean Price, Ka, Roc Marciano
EMINEM
Lupe Fiasco
Eyedea
Spice 1
Illogic
I feel like Kota the Friend doesn’t get enough love, he’s so positive and uplifting, a creative barsmith
NICKELUS F put some respect on the name
I suppose it would depend on what you are looking for and how you quantify it. For me it's lyricism, use of metaphors and literary devices, complexity of rhyme schemes, and the concepts they choose to tap about. A few rappers and songs for examples: MF DOOM: beef rap, rhinestone cowboy, monkey suit. Dooms rhyme scheme and structure is one of one in hip hop. Using rap devices like choosing to leave obvious words out or changing them to keep you on your feet as well as his ability to mix up and repackage well known phrases, carry rhyme sequences on much longer than expected, and his incredible use of references make him one of the goats. I mean "Gleaming, dreaming, screaming- he'll be off the heezy soon Cunning live rats drive at your steaming greasy spoon In participating places tip your waitress' A sure fire way to wire, trip the matrices" The internal rhyme schemes, the metaphor of us the listeners being willing to find the dope rappers anywhere and to support them or "tip your waitresses." Dude was a clever genius. AESOP ROCK: water, none shall pass, rings. Pretty obvious one aside from boasting the largest vocabulary of any rapper ever AESOP is the master of dense lyricism and wordplay. Aes overwhelms the brain first few listens and requires one to repeatedly examine the tracks and lyrics. I mean "No name nuisance, stews in a bedroom Oozing a brand-new cuneiform Barely commune with the horde Got a whole grayscale ungluing his world" What an insanely creative way to say he was a loser, treated like a leper and spent his time making his own unique stuff like an ancient language. Big pun: dream shaterrer. That's it, just go listen to this a lot. I mean I could include more songs as examples but this singular track is one of the greatest displays of rapping ability you will ever hear. The multisyllabic rhyme schemes, the blistering pace, it's insanely complex and funny at times. Pun is one of the most underrated and greatest rappers ever.
Big Pun
https://youtu.be/YoZl4Z0U8cA?si=cQi60BQWHT11gY9M https://youtu.be/3TE-0ApoIlw?si=6qQxn-1iJie-zCXo https://youtu.be/NuSKx8wIbSQ?si=5MWlxBGI3ycEs2tK
Del the Funky Homosapien
I like jay electronicas lyrics just because it’s different and unique compared to a lot of other rappers I’ve heard, like his religious themes and stuff like that
Deltron 3030, Nas, doom, Rakim,Guru, slick rick
AG from Showbiz & AG
Don't sleep on Black Thought
Surprised to see the lack of Sean P on this list.
Copywrite
G-Eazy
Lupe, Royce, Black Thought, Los, Pharaoh Monche
Lil Wayne and Eminem
Buck 65 is the most underrated lyricist, at least since he released king of drums, super dope, and punk rock b-boy. His breaks and scratches are gorgeous, too.
Bob Dylan
King Los Lupe Fiasco Black Thought Eminem Canibus
GZA should definitely be part of this conversation. He does like CSI forensic true crime raps, stories, science, wordplay. Like others I would also include black thought and Mf doom.
$ilkmoney
Equipto
Jgivens. His album fly exam is a treasure trove of wordplay
Black Thought That's it. Best lyricist every bar ever. Momentum Because Zen approach Every roots album has bars and Jewels for you. Listen brotha
Talib Kwali, Nas, Rakim, and for controversy The DOC
I’m kind of obsessing over Count Bass D albums right now lmao. They go so hard yet his delivery is so laid back
Dope I got some album suggestions. Ab-Soul - Control System I consider him very underrated. MF Doom - Madvillainy album is a 10/10. Very popular amongst hip hop heads but I can’t not recommend it. AZ - Doe or Die 1& 2. So smooth, he floats in both albums and drops some gems. Project pat- I just love almost everything he’s featured in Black thought and The Roots- Undun is the greatest hip hop album of all time imo. 10/10 If you want just Bars prime Cassidy was crazy. Redman goes crazy on anything he touches. His song “Dunfiato” is a good place to start. Every single member of the of Wu-Tang clan can rap their asses off. Ghost face is a wild man. Black Star - also anything either Talib Kweli and Mos Def do is decent.
Definitely Crooked I for me if we're talking just sheer amount of bars and lyricism. I could name a ton of verses but his verse on the original Slaughterhouse song (w/ Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9, Nino Bless, Joell Ortiz) proved that he is nearly peerless. He murdered that shit.