Which Rappers Had the Best Music Series?

 •  News  •  by XXL Staff  •  88 Comments

CROOKED I – HIP-HOP WEEKLY SERIES

After nearly 12 years in industry limbo and on the brink of obscurity, the Long Beach native (and man widely credited with originating this concept) began flooding MySpace and the blogosphere with weekly freestyles over everything from pop hits like Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” to Left Coast classics “Deep Cover” and “Xxplosive.” Beginning in April of ’07 and lasting until April ’08, the buzz Crooked built off of the series earned him a spot on XXL’s first Freshmen 10 (then known as Leaders of the New School) cover and led to his teaming with fellow net-favorite MCs Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5’9 to form Slaughterhouse.

Highlight: “Blueprint 2 (Freestyle)”

Originality – XXL
Quality – XL
Consistency – XL
Overall – XL

Tags:

  • da kon

    nobody even know about zoe and em series just kanye and crooked yall making up shit lol

    • BossBullet

      how the fuck is kanye winning this when crooked started this shit

    • kris

      so can anyone explain why crooked I went from roughly 780 votes down to 338? XXL are you guys fixing the vote to get more money from fagget kanye?

    • kris

      so can anyone explain why crooked I went from roughly 780 votes down to 338? XXL are you guys fixing the vote to get more money from fagget kanye?

    • 519

      so how exactly does crooked I go from 780 votes this morning to 338 right now? XXL are you guys rigging the votes for kanye or something?

  • Sha

    Nobody…. And I mean NOBODY….. can compete with Kanye with this. Everybody can start their own series, but Kanye set the bar so high these niggas need step-stools.

    • 2k11

      you should do your research and google “crooked i”

      you’ve just been enlightened!

    • C.O.B

      Go eat a dick nigga. Do your research before u come here and post some shit u dont know. Crooked i has been doing this hip hop weekly for 52 consecutive week ( thats a whole year for the dumbass who dont know) and know he is doing it again and he is already 9 weeks deep.

    • kedordu

      SMH @ THIS GUY STOOOPID

    • kris

      ROFL sha i love how you say kanye set the bar high. did you not know that crooked I already did a full 52 weeks of hip hop weekly’s and is on his second hip hop weekly series. And it just so happens that lyric for lyric his series is about a fucking million times better then kanye’s plus the fact that kanye basically just has a bunch of famous mainstream rappers in his series so its not even him rapping half the time…so explain how he was the one to set the bar when he started over a year after crooked I finished a series…go listen toe the “forgive me” HHW or “big dreams” or “backdown” and actually listen to the lyrics.

  • BeerGangsta

    Kayne the others no Competition!!

    • Anonymous

      hell no. Shove that kayne up your ass and scream Crooked I.

      • that nigga

        HHAHAHAHA!!! Yeah, Kanye was hot but Crooked I fuckin killed that shit for 52 weeks. No comp at all. Crooked I, hands down.

  • getbizzy

    how did kanye start the trend of giving free music when 50 n gunit did so(n still continue to do so) two years ago to promote thisis50.com

  • http://xxlmag.com Matrix

    CROOKED BY FAR…. Lyrically and creatively unparalleled. Had soulfoul shit, club shit and street shit. FOR 52 WEEKS (AND IS DOING IT AGAIN)! Kanye has done it for what…? 6 weeks….? GTFOH

  • ssuutt-suuut COB

    Crooked shut the game down with his hip-hop weeklys…nobody can touch him on the mic! his hip-hop weekly reloaded series already got competitors scared!

  • http://twitter.com/makingmills Jez

    No Mike Bigga?

    • Mr. Uda

      fo reel…..thats exactly what I was thinking…..how the fuck are they gonna forget about SUNDAY MORNING MASSACRE, and put Zoe….not to hate on Zoe or anything, but SUNDAY MORNING MASSACRE was always on point….XXL, yall need to do your research before posting ISH….and to EVERYONE JUMPING ON THE KANYE BANDWAGON, everyone of his weekly ISH has been feature heavy….CROOKED I been doin all HIS SHIT SOLO, so put that in to account and then decide who is killing ISH

  • D90

    Crooked I definitely has the best series but what about Lloyd Banks? He’s got the Blue Friday series going on right now and it started before Kanye started GOOD Fridays and Blue Fridays will be going on for more weeks that GOOD Friday will

  • j

    Comparing Kanyes overproduced tracks with a million features Vs the bars that Crooked I built = NO COMPARISON

    • i miss tupac

      j fuck you crooked i just rambles on about random bullshit he aint a hot album he a one yes…one (1) hot bar after like 20 some odd garbage tracks and stop hating if ‘ye asked you to get on a track you would throw your new born daughter in a oven just to get hook frm him GO TEA BAG A BEAR TRAP AND DIE

      • j

        Kanyes balls called: They want their silk thong back. You got that right b

      • G The Kid

        Crooked spits such fire that it probably seems random to this simple a$$ gump. Really tho, it’s deeper than that, and the bars is ridiculous. You so weak, so weak. I’m tryin’ to throw your daughter in a oven. Sit Down and lose your keyboard.

      • LMAO

        you didnt even know who tupac was until tupac resurrection dropped!

  • entertainment

    Of course Kanye’s good friday is the best. It’s the reason why you guys are even doing this article. cmon now.

    • Magicplaya304

      n whoever did the article wasnt informed on hip hop… crooked did hhw along time before kanye

  • Zherow

    Crooked all day. Kanye just started, so how can you really compare his series to fully completed series by other artists? Kinda jumping the gun with giving it a XXL rating only six weeks in. Besides, Monster was wack and most of the G.O.O.D. friday releases seem either forced or just a competition of how many people Kanye can get on a song. The best one was So Appalled. Everything else is okay

  • Simple like ABC, 123

    Crooked I, Hip-Hop Weekly #52 (The Finale) >>> any free online series

  • Tha Truth

    crooked I the man…real hip hop lives with the west coast legend

  • buckets

    crooked i started this shit. everyone else just followed

    crooked i was the originator.

  • Krazie Legz

    WTF! FUCK KANYE WEST, CROOKED I STARTED IT HOW IN THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE GOING TO SAY LAME ASS KANYE’S SHIT IS BETTER THEN CROOKED’S? FUCK ALL THESE LAMES.

  • balaramesh

    crooked i.

    kayne is dope. but crooked made me look at EVERY rapper differently after his episodes.

  • http://www.thebossboard.com EFFeX

    COB originated the Weekly series, no others compare.

  • freakey toney

    any nigga that dont say crooked I needs to go and eat a five dollar footlong. Crookked went over 50 weeks, these other niggaz just getting started. and he went in solo.. shouts to xxl.mag.

  • Kenny D

    I smell another way for XXL to dickryde Kanye, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and Young Money, and 50 Cent and Shady/Aftermath/G-Unit. Crooked I’s was the best by far and I’m sick of XXL’s mainstream dickryding.

  • Magicplaya304

    Crooked def the best 52 ina row flow before kanye

  • SouthMan

    nobody commented about Zoe bein the best but he got votes know thats crazy as a fuck but I say its tie between Crooked and ‘Ye. They both put out material that at the time niggas need or needed to here.

  • Q!thaGreat!

    no doubt and no way in hell Kanye beating out Crokked I on this one! Kanye is talented and everybody riding because he’s more famous but Crooked was the dude that made everybody hate because they could not keep up with his quality output! if you really want something special! have Crooked i do weekly flows over Kanye’s weekly beats! then u got something going! COB! okay bye!

  • Anonymous

    “Even RZA just announced plans for #WuWednesdays”

    ^ yee!

    neva knew Zoe got busy like that…

    Crook

    ‘Ye

  • http://www.thebossboard.com BIGG Pene

    Ssuutt Ssuutt Um Crooked was doing this shit back in 2007 so Kanye is copying and Crooked is indeed the trendsetter. C.O.B.

  • buckets

    if crooked doesnt win this… shame on all of you!!!

    crooked > kanye

  • hiphophippo

    Crooked i hands down, crooked is too lyrically talented, theres no way in hell kanye comes close to crooks level #okbye

  • jedimindz

    why the fuck does overrated kanye gotta be on this? reason: overrated…which means we got all these dick ryders

  • No Name

    Lyrically speaking, Crooked I. Hands down. Sorry ‘Ye and friends.

  • Dino

    u guys are mad stupid if u vote kanye.
    1st off – most of his GOOD Friday series contains a buncha guest appearances.
    2nd – He only had like 6, 7 songs so far
    3rd – Crooked I started this with HHW, and now he’s doin HHW Reloaded, n he kills every beat.

    Kanye – better artist/musician
    Crooked I – better lyricist

    Kanye – Better albums and music
    Crooked I – better music Series

  • Ralph

    Crooked› by far

  • http://www.princeofgundo.blogspot.com Silk

    Crooked has been killing it LYRICALLY for years now, so its no surprise he did his thing on the original HHW series or again on this HHW reloaded. What makes Crook stand out is his ability to touch on such a wide range of topics in an intelligent manner(Sean Bell, Flood in Pakistan, War in Iraq, Mosque at Ground Zero…etc)…not that other rappers can’t/don’t, or that Crook does it all the time, in my opinion, its the way he weaves through the styles and topics so effortlessly, while still maintaining ridiculous lyricism throughout.

  • http://thebossboard debwe

    Crooked I obviously, he already did this 3 years ago for a whole year. There would be no such thing as any of the others had crooked not done it first, plus boy is spitting some serious bars man.

  • Jerm

    lmao XXLMag probly hired some ppl to just keep voting and refreshing the page for Kanye…cuz Crooked is the one who started this…Kanye and Banks just started or probably dont even plan to go as far as Crooked did with his series. And if they do…Crooked is probably willing and fully able to beat his own record lol.

  • El Tico Loco

    Crooked I got it, and XXL shame on ya’ll for calling Ye’ a trendsetter, he’s not. For years he’s taking cues from lesser known cats and taking it mainstream as his own, ask IceDrake about production, and wonder why he got off the polo kick he was on? Ask Fi Lo. I follow hip hop too close to try to pull that.

  • http://stonesthrow.com REGAN JR

    Mane Madlib Top all these nigs With The Medicine Show, He been dropping an new release every month since January all hot shit. but if i had to go with someone I’d pick kanye

  • Anonymous

    COB BITCHES

    CASH OVER BITCHES
    CRIP OR BLOOD
    CIRCLE OF BOSSSSSSSSSSSS

    GET THAT SHIT STRAIGHT IT WAS CROOK BEFORE ANY THERE SHOULDN’T EVEN BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS AND FUCK KANYE

  • Xplizit

    THIS SOME BULLSHIITTTTTT..

    HIP HOP IS FILLLED WITH DICK RIDERS AND KANYE WINNING THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF IT….

    CROOKED I TAKES IT

  • COBNORWAY

    YO XXL GET UR FACTS STRAIGHT. CROOKED I CAME UP WITH THE HIP HOP WEEKLYS BACK IN 2007, KANYE IS NOT A TRENDSETTER. UNDERGROUND MUSIC KILLS MAINSTREAM NO DENYING IN THAT!!

    STOP THIS MAINSTREAM DICKSUCKING!

    COB WORLDWIDE BABY

  • Calvin Stovall

    @El Tico Loco

    Trendsetter adopts a trend early on and blows it up in the mainstream: i.e. Kanye taking the free online series concept to another level with G.O.O.D Friday. It doesn’t mean he did it first. It means that since he started, it has become a full on trend of other artists following suit. Don’t worry, Crook got his props as originator, but Kanye is the trendsetter in this situation.

    Trends don’t start when a famous person suddenly comes up with this new idea or style our of nowhere. They are inspired, influenced or get it from the people around them and their fame/visibility brings it to everyone.

    • kedordu

      kanye west is doing a weekly series for the mainstream . thats it. dont be an idiot .

  • Calvin Stovall

    @Kenny D

    The inspiration for this post was to give shine to the other artists who did this before Kanye. The rest is a matter of opinion– That’s why there’s a poll.

  • @gmail.com

    How does kanye get an xxl and crooked only an xl quality was xxl for crooked fucken jay z and his illuminati connections haha but seriously crooked started and perfected this hip-hop weekly shit and this the muthafucken thanks he get

    C.O.B. till its over

  • 3Stacks

    Kanye’s GOOD friday series is better than Crooked I’s for the simple reason that the lyrics AND beats are original. There’s no denying Crooked’s talent, the dude can spit. But Kanye makes music that you want to put on your iPod/MP3 player. You listen to Crooked’s random topic freestyles once and never again.

    • jonhhon8

      You’re a moron and dont know what your talking about, when crooked was dropping those Hip hop weekly years ago, i would listen to the latest freestyle usually on repeat, and by the time the next one came out a week later, i still was listening to it, i STILL do listen to the freestyles from the first series, they were that good

      There really is NO comparison between kanyes and crookeds, how the fuck are you gonna compare 6 or 7 weeks to a whole year?

  • pigface

    crooked I started this weekly shiiit with original music recorded each week…kanye leaking old tracks that didn make the album fuuuk outta here

  • WHERE IS BLUE FRIDAY?

    Where is Blue Friday at, if i had to choose between good friday and blue friday banks would win easily, Reach out was amazing. This is bullshit you left banks out, i mean come on…Gorilla zoe??! over banks.

  • CrookedIsBetterThanKanye

    How does Crooked have XL for consistency when he has been murdering tracks for a full year and starting again now, and Kanye has the same XL for consistency when he’s been doing it like a month? And the quality of Hip Hop Weekly is a XXL too, all his rhymes were crazy and he didn’t rely on having 5 guest appearances per song, there was like one song with COB by request. I guess we gotta rate Kanye better because he is mainstream. This article shows XXL doesn’t know shit about rap, which was also displayed by the fact that they just recently seem to have “discovered” Tech N9ne. Step your game up, it’s not all about mainstream bullshit, Crooked is a better MC than Kanye could ever be, Kanye mostly just has awesome beats.

  • kedordu

    smh @ xxl kissing kanyes ass . crooked made history and it was a classic moment in hiphop . 1 whole yr . chillout!! im surprised the polls are that close . i guess kanye is here and now .

  • Yaser Lad

    Kanye. Hands down!

  • Anonymous

    Crooked series was tough and G tight. Kanye was musically genious and marketed heavy because u hearin the shit on stations heavy. Tough hard 4 me 2 choose

  • Reber C.O.B NORWAY

    150 % crooked fuckin i all day, he did 52 weeks now he is on another weekly series, wtf you tellin me, no doubt it will be crooked i. dont compare crooked and kanye they are on 2 differnt level, Kanye west is overrrattedd, crooked i fuckin underrated, he is the best out there no matter what u say, “OKBYE

  • Magicplaya304

    can’t wait till number 10 from crooked hope he bodies kanye n xxl mag for this article

  • Met Bronson Fan

    Check her out now!!! MET BRONSON album coming soon
    Nov.23rd “The Price Of Believing” Also GO CHECK OUT THE http://WWW.ICECOLDRECORDINGS.COM !!!!!!!!!!!! ITS A MOVEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ITS A TAKE OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ICECOLD!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOO!!!!!!!!!
    http://WWW.ICECOLDRECORDINGS.COM!!!!!!! GO NOW!!!!!!!

    Check her out now!!! MET BRONSON album coming soon
    Nov.23rd “The Price Of Believing” Also GO CHECK OUT THE http://WWW.ICECOLDRECORDINGS.COM !!!!!!!!!!!! ITS A MOVEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ITS A TAKE OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
    ICECOLD!!!!!!!!!! LETS GOOO!!!!!!!!!
    http://WWW.ICECOLDRECORDINGS.COM!!!!!!! GO NOW!!!!!!!

  • nellz

    The difference between Crooked and Kanye is that Kanye is actually putting out songs, not rapping over beats. I don’t think Ye will be able to keep this up for as long as Crooked did.

  • MANIC1

    WTF!!! KANYE WEST AINT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING ON CROOKED’S LEVEL. CROOKED I MURDERS KANYE WEST ON HIS OWN TRACKS JUST LISTEN TO HIS OLD SERIES BACK IN 07-08. KANYE IS OVERRATED NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT XXL NEED TO RECOGNIZE REAL HIP HOP AND BLESS CROOKED I ON THE COVER OF THEIR MAG.

    CROOKED I
    +
    C.O.B
    +
    SLAUGHTERHOUSE
    +
    SHADY RECORDS
    =
    WEST COAST BEST LIRICAL ASSASIN

  • Take F.light

    Smh..man you XXL niggas is some dick riders!! Crooked did this shyt in 07!!! and is 9 weeks in with part 2…No way Kanye’s over the top beats wit a million random people can fuck wit Crooked.. And yall forgetting That some of the kanye tracks are old as fuck..Crooked makes NEW shyt every week!! and LYRICALLY nobody can see him… #OkBye

  • cyphercircles

    HELL YEA,CROOKED I SHOOD BE TAKING THIS BECAUSE HIS BARS HAVE MORE ORIGINALITY HIS PUNCHLINES AND WORDPLAY IS UNMATCHED…FEATURES DONT MEAN SHIT THAT MEANS THAT U CANT STAND ON A TRACK BY URSELF AND THEY ALREADY HAD CROOKED I VS. JAY-Z AND PEOPLE VOTED THAT CROOKED I WAS BETTER CHECK THE VIDEO OF WHOS FREEVERSE WAS BETTER..KANYE IS JUS BULLSHIT “LETS HAVE A TOAST DOUCHEBAGS”? RLLY THAT SHIT IS SICK?? FUCK OUTTA HERE!!! CROOKED I BARELY HAS HOOKS AND CHORUS IN HIS HIP HOP WEEKLYS AND IT STILL CRAZY AS FUCK!!

  • FThaDumbSh*T

    Kanye a trend setter? Ha more like a trend follower he followed the time honored tradition of succin d to get to the top. Maybe if Crook was a beezy and went that route he would be up there in sales too. Fucc all mainstream dicc riders especial the lame fuccs at XXL for misinforming their readers C.O.B.

  • FThaDumbSh*T

    Kanye a trend setter? Ha more like a trend follower he followed the time honored tradition of succin d to get to the top. Maybe if Crook was a beezy and went that route he would be up there in sales too. Fucc all mainstream dicc riders especial the lame fuccs at XXL for misinforming their readers C.O.B.

  • http://www.squidoo.com/dora-lamp Jefferson Marmo

    Hi good points.. now why didn’t i think of these? Off subject a little, is this page pattern really from an ordinary installation or else do you employ a custom pattern. I have a very good web page i will be looking to improve and in any case the visuals is without doubt one of the fundamental things to perform on my list.

  • doubleN

    “I started this weekly shit…and this the muthaf*ckin thanks i get.” crooked I over everybody, best to do it.

  • LONGBEACHXNX

    COB BITCH…

  • CrookedIFAN

    SLAUGHTERHOUSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Ssuutt SSuutt

    We up #COB!

  • Tony Trey

    Crooked hasn’t done anything relevant since finishing Hip Hop Weekly, but that doesn’t change the fact that he did weekly raps first, longest, and best.

    • kris

      you say crooked hasnt done anything relevant? what about the slaughterhouse album, planet C.O.B, and hip hop weekly reloaded(week 10) coming out on wednesday?

    • FThaDumbSh1t

      Pig Face Weapon Waist, Blocc Obama 2.

  • lee boi

    hahahahah crooked i is the equivalent to 3 kanye’s rapping.im not into this bloggin shit but im actually gettin mad how dudes get suckered into fake hiphop.listen crooked i “gangsta” and kanye you jus keep makin them hot ass beats and stay of tha damm mic.for real

  • BangDaWest

    Dis race is fixxed. Crook started dis shit, u would think a mag like dis would kno better. but i understand he from da west, n dat along make him da underdogg. there’s not one rapper n da game fuccin wit his spit. go youtube “can i talk 2 you” Maybe da Best Vs ever. Or His nu hhw over dat drake beat. i been roccin with crooked since “i aint shit without my homeboy”. PS He killed “one mic” U would think nas took da beat from him and used it foe his mixtape. Bigg Lodown From West Side Village Park

  • northernpride

    I wonder if XXL ever plans on closing this poll? I think its obvious now that crook has the win…I guess they just think if they dont close it then kanye wont lose or some shit.

  • Poet Laureate

    These clown ass niggas dont know wtf they posting man Crooked-I did a whole year of freestyles & everyone was a classic .. fk outta here with Kanye

  • http://wordpressvideos.tv/ WordPress Tutorial Videos

    I wanted to write down a quick word to be able to express gratitude to you for some of the awesome secrets you are placing at this site. My time intensive internet research has now been honored with really good details to share with my friends and classmates. I ‘d state that that most of us site visitors are rather lucky to dwell in a magnificent network with so many perfect individuals with interesting basics. I feel truly privileged to have discovered your entire web pages and look forward to many more pleasurable minutes reading here. Thank you once again for everything.