“I got a list, here’s the order of my list that it’s in, It goes Reggie, Jay-Z, 2Pac and Biggie, André from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas, and then me,” Eminem Proclaims in his song “Til’ I Collapse”. This was the Detroit rapper’s list of all time greats in in 2002 when he released his fourth studio album, “The Eminem Show”, but now we get a fresh look on how one of the G.O.A.T.s rates his peers and predecessors.
Youtuber, NoLifeShaq, wanted to see who the current rappers in the industry consider to be the greatest rapper of all time. He messaged a long list of rappers on Instagram inquiring their thoughts on the topic. The list included names like Lil Wayne, DaBaby, Drake, Travis Scott, and, of coarse, Eminem. Em didn’t respond to his direct message, but put out two tweets that answered the question.
No matter how long he has been rapping, Eminem has always considered himself a student of the game and shows a ridiculous amount of respect to the people that influenced him, and the people that he has influenced. His criteria seemed to based on lyricism and impact rather than sheer popularity, as everyone he named is pretty sharp with the pen. He obviously couldn’t decide who the absolute best is, but his list features rappers that don’t usually get mentioned in this conversation like Royce Da 5’9 and KXNG Crooked, legends that are on the same level as him like Lil Wayne and Jay Z, newer rappers that keep him interested in what rap still has to offer like Joyner Lucas and J. Cole, and the undisputed greats of Biggie Smalls and Tupac. The fact that he didn’t even try to mention himself shows a unique amount of humbleness, as millions of rap fans would put him in that category.