BLOG: Which Rappers Do You Believe?

The jig is up. It’s been up really. With the way we can now examine a rapper’s background with old pics from disgruntled family and friends and police records being pulled up at the speed of a smoking gun, who are we to believe with our precious music listening minutes?

There are few rappers that I think have that capability of doing the craziness that they claim in their rhymes. DMX is one of them. His voice told me that back when he was just a mixtape murderer, long before I saw the crazed look in his eyes. He’s just off his rocker and would really “See you at the peephole, bustin' at the doorbell”. His rhymes sound like he would (or did) live them out. Does that make him realer than say the Clipse? I love all of their wordplay and the sincerity in their voices sounds grounded, but how much weight do/did they really push? Does it matter to you if it’s not as much as their rhymes claim? Does it take away from the reality of them spittin’ hot lines consistently?

Who’s the biggest gun bustin’ rapper/s you can think of? Biggest meaning most successful. I’m running with 50 Cent, with N.W.A a close second. Reality is in both of their storied careers, but who’s realer? Isn’t that what this whole thing is about? The best hustler/killer/scholar/pimp/hipster/baller/….poet? Yeah, at the end of the day, that’s what they all are, poets.

It comes down to which poet is the realest at what they bring to the table. Is Talib a conscious spitting almanac of black pride only? Lil Wayne a spaced out, drug laced, incredibly witty, mic killing, gangster only?

To get a grip on this, what percentage of their rhymes do you think are real? Like what they say in their work, do you think they would do it/have done it? I’m talking all the shooting and stabbing and the “I’ll kill niggas dead” talk, the “I hustled on your block” slyness, the “broads I pimped” shit, all that stuff that we glance over in the name of dope beats and ill flows, what percent is real throughout their respective careers?

Nas: I’m going with 88%
Jay-Z: 92%
50 Cent: 93%
Lil Wayne: 83%

Those just a few of mine, add to the list and put your percentage next to the name and why.-DT