If someone asked me ten years ago, “Who is the greatest hip-hop artist of all time?” I probably would have paused for a moment, thought up a few names, gave my answer, and then wondered if that was who I meant to say.

But with everything that has happened since the beginning of his career to where he is at today and what his future holds, I can easily and emphatically say that Nas is undoubtedly the greatest hip-hop artist of all time.

Of course, many fans and critics will dispute the statement — some yapping about rappers with higher record sales and numerous awards; others complaining of slept-on underground artists possessing more skill and style; and then the biased haters who will simply disagree and rant without much explanation.

In this case, we recognize particular rappers that deserve the discussion for argument—namely Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Eminem.

But before I get into this greatest ever talk, I want to shed light on something most people have overlooked.

The Oversight of 80s Rappers

I first began listening to hip-hop in 1985. At that time, radio stations in Los Angeles were playing Top 40, rock, heavy metal, new wave and adult contemporary music in heavy rotation. The first traces of hip-hop weren’t heard on the radio until 1983 when the emergence of popping and breakdancing exposed electro hip-hop on the local airwaves with artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Ice-T and Twilight 22 to name a few.

Since its existence in 1973, hip-hop progressed slowly in Los Angeles. In the mid 1980s, the fan base for this genre of music was low. The first signs of rap music didn’t play on mainstream FM radio until the early 90s (Only KDAY 1580 AM represented it in the 80s).

For the most part, the 80s was a decade of pop music and top 40. With hip-hop in the trenches, still absent from the mainstream, its low popularity didn’t make it favorable for the rappers in the 80s based on ‘the greatest ever’ discussion.

When we look at those who made noise in the 80s—names like Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel, KRS-1, Kurtis Blow, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap — diehard hip-hop fans know them and recognize their greatness. However, many new uneducated fans appeared after the 80s and were not tuned in to the artists then. Instead, they were more inclined to follow the newer rappers, or as I like to call them, the unproven.

Let’s face it, the majority of today’s rap fans have very little respect or care for the pioneers who paved the way. By discounting 80s rappers from the ‘greatest ever’ talk, that alone taints this whole discussion. It is unjust if they feel this way.

How is it justifiable if a basketball fan says Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever without knowing or recognizing the accomplishments of past greats like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bill Russell? If the whole picture is not looked at, then it is not worth listening to. What validity do they have to weigh in on who is the greatest?

On a different topic, the 80s rhyme style evolved dramatically within a ten year span. Most fans may find the 80s style to be too primitive, simple or just not to their taste. For example, LL Cool J’s “Radio” to AZ’s “Sugarhill” showcases two different deliveries.

LL displays a simplistic but thorough narration in the song. His rhymes are in line with the old school ‘Rappers Delight’ style while airing emotionally-charged vocals to a slow tempo beat. AZ on the other hand composes a more vivid and detailed essay in ‘Sugarhill’ — speaking nonchalantly, depicting imagery and wordplay, inputting more content but still staying in sync with the music.

The style difference of songs can also play a factor in unfair judgment. When you identify two different decades exhibiting two different styles, how can you evaluate the greatness of a lyricist fairly?

The Argument

It was in the mid 1990s that hip-hop was at its peak. It was the best time for anyone to be a rapper due to its popularity and the explosion of fans that turned to the music. It was also a time in which the most prolific artists were making a name for themselves.

Tupac Shakur and Nas made their debuts in 1991. Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) came a year after in 1992. Jay-Z and Eminem made their presence known in 1996.

Ready to Die is the debut album of The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records

Notorious B.I.G. released only three albums during his life with “Ready to Die,” “Conspiracy” (with Junior M.A.F.I.A), and “Life After Death” (Not counting posthumous albums). While his popularity was instant with his debut album “Ready to Die” going four times platinum, his second album doubled that going ten times platinum—a remarkable feat with only five years into his rap career. You can make a case at how successful he would have been if he had the chance to produce more albums and music.

On paper, Biggie surprised me with his wit and skill. He excelled in narrating his words carefully. As simple as the rhymes may read in most of his songs, the Brooklyn native had a knack for filling in sentences with the right words to keep the story flowing. He was the voice of East Coast hip-hop and on his way to be the undisputed greatest lyricist ever before his unexpected death in 1997.

Despite his rise to stardom, the limited number of songs Biggie released is both a positive and a negative in his standing as the greatest. Biggie left us at the apex of his brief career and the thought of how much better he could have been will always leave fans and critics wondering, unfortunately however, not knowing to what heights.

His music is timeless, but can we solidify him as ‘The Greatest’ 20 to 30 years from now? Did he leave us with enough material to gauge how great his music was as time goes on? How far can ‘The Greatest’ discussion progress when other lyricists today are reaching or may have surpassed his accomplishments? To label him the best ever falls short.

Tupac Shakur

Tupac is a similar case with his unfortunate passing as well. Compared to Biggie’s debut, Tupac’s first album “2Pacalypse Now” failed to sell more units and did not make noise the way ‘Ready to Die’ did. “2Pacalypse” was released the same year that Nas made his debut in 1991 on a song he guest appeared on, “Live at the Barbeque,” with Akinyele, Fatal and Main Source. Admittedly, my attention has been heavily on Nas since.

My first notice of Tupac didn’t come until 1993 when his second album, “Strictly 4 my N.I.G.G.A.Z.” came out. Three songs in particular, “I Get Around,” “Holler if ya Hear Me,” and “Keep ya Head Up,” caught me and set me in place from that point on. Most notably, his third and fourth albums, ‘Me Against the World’ and ‘All Eyez on Me’ was the turning point in his rise; a success in which platinum and diamond status was the result.

Tupac lived his life as a modern day Shakespeare. His words were never forced; every word written in his songs defined his message. He wrote rhymes that were reminiscent of the old school format but the content was never simplistic. This particular writing style made it easy for him to be versatile in the kind of songs he wanted to do. With high energy and melancholy songs in his collection, Tupac reached people in a personal way. He was revolutionary and hardcore but also compassionate and prophetic.

No other artist moved fans more than Tupac. This is the one aspect that made him the people’s rapper. It is because of this that so many consider him the greatest of all time. But does his post-death fame still hold firm against others like Jay-Z, Eminem or Nas—three lyricists who to this day are still very much in the game?

With six albums contributed (excluding his posthumous albums), most of them going platinum, Tupac gets the upper hand on his accomplishments over Biggie. Based on collected responses, Tupac holds a slight edge in popularity over Biggie as well.

Eminem, however, is a different animal compared to both. Eminem is a technical lyricist.

During his pre-Aftermath days, a young fiery Slim Shady (his alter ego) was first heard in 1997, freestyling on the air on a Los Angeles radio show called ‘The Wake Up Show’ at radio station 92.3 The Beat. I had the privilege of following Eminem at the time before his rise to stardom and I knew from the first minute hearing his rhymes, that he would be the next big thing.

My Saturday nights would be spent sitting by the radio, listening to Eminem for a number of weeks, dazzling us and showcasing his freestyle talent during the radio show.

Eminem on radio station KMEL/Power106’s Wake-Up Show with Sway and Tech, 2000.

Legendary Rapper Ice-T directed a documentary in 2012 called “The Art of Rap” in which he interviewed Eminem asking how he writes his lyrics. Eminem replied, “What I love about rap is that it feels like puzzles to me. The words are like puzzles and I’m trying to figure out where can it go here … how can I take a word and put it at end of a sentence but in between maybe make some words rhyme and sandwich them … I study the craft …”

Eminem’s success stems from his great ability in storytelling, narrating, and creating imagery with high-level wordplay. His freestyles are distinct. His aggressive flows and word-blending delivery is like a verbal machine gun, words shooting alphabet bullets. His experience in battling and writing diss records has made him arguably the most lyrically feared in hiphop. With this in his repertoire, Eminem is very much the complete lyricist.

Added that, his fanbase is likely larger than Tupac or Biggie (due to his race perhaps?) His record sales proved this after an estimated 5,000,000 units were sold with his debut album “The Slim Shady LP.” Sales doubled on his next two albums “The Marshall Mathers LP” and “The Eminem Show.” With eight total solo albums and six compilation albums, all have reached at least platinum status making him one of the “grandmasters of rap,” as Ice-T quoted.

Jay-Z performing on tour in 2008

Jay-Z’s accolades have similarities with all the previously mentioned lyricists. The New York-born rapper is credited for his moneymaking success and his knack for being a hitmaker. With 14 of his 15 albums reaching platinum and selling 55 million albums worldwide, you can’t knock on his hustle.

Two of those albums, “Hard Knock Life” and “Life and Times of Shaun Carter” were his most impressive albums financially, but musically, his debut album “Reasonable Doubt” and “Black Album” were my favorites.

His earlier projects were noteworthy for his wordplay and confident presentation. I have to emphasize that it was his beginnings that elevated him to where he is today.

But as a rapper and entrepreneur, it is not just skill that has catapulted Jay-Z to where he is. (Recall the Samsung-Magna Carta Holy Grail business ploy.) Some hip-hop fans and critics have said that Jay-Z’s businessman approach to selling records is worth noting only for business, not music.

An article that sheds light on Jay-Z’s pursuit of profit by Rawiya Kameir from the Daily Beast makes an interesting statement: “And yet, the narrative is beginning to crumble. Despite his long list of accomplishments, by year’s end, there was a palpable sense that Jay-Z had wasted much of his cultural cachet by making decisions purely in pursuit of profit and often at the expense of both art and responsibility.”

Whether the intention is for business ambition or not, and while Jay-Z’s creative expression is in question, we do know regardless, that he is a skilled wordsmith.

While I think the emotional factor is lacking in his rhymes compared to the other artists, Jay-Z builds strength and character with his self-portrayal. It isn’t the aggressive nature that we tend to notice from Eminem but the confident nature that we see oozing from him. If there is one lyricist who masters the narcissistic persona to perfection, it is definitely Jay-Z. This is the person who first made the term ‘swagger’ an every day word!

But does this altogether secure him as the greatest ever?

Nas is like, the Greatest

Most artists are first recognized from a song they composed or from an album release, but never has there been anyone who could create so much hype from a 16-line verse in a song.

Nas’ sudden impact on hip-hop came in 1991 when he guest collaborated on a song titled “Live at the Barbeque” with hip-hop acts Main Source, Akinyele and Fatal. It was these 16 bars that made Nas forever remembered as the birth of a hip-hop king in the making.

The buzz over Nas’ rhyming was widespread. Critics and listeners were raving over the verse. Many were mesmerized and dared to compare Nas to a hip-hop legend of the past, Rakim.

To be mentioned with one of the most prestigious figures in hip-hop was something special; something rare. Hip-hop fans would support and debate the comparison with excitement as they anticipated what was to come next.

Fans got another treat a year after “Barbeque” when Nas released his first single “Halftime” from his debut album “Illmatic.” The song was also a contribution to the movie “Zebrahead”.

MC Serch, a well-known rapper from the hip-hop group 3rd Bass (He also executive-produced “Illmatic”), was one of the first of many in the industry who recognized Nas’ skills and helped lift his career by featuring his song on the movie “Zebrahead.” “Halftime” lyrically left fans wanting more before the unveiling of “Illmatic.”

In all my years following and listening to hip-hop, there were three albums in particular that had enormous hype and anticipation.“Straight Outta Compton” by N.W.A, “Doggystyle” by Snoop Dogg, and “Illmatic” were all critically acclaimed and did not disappoint in their release. These three catalogs today all fall under my all time favorite hip-hop albums.

I remember one morning going to school seeing and hearing people ditching class to go buy the first copy of “Illmatic.” Music heads feverishly boasted about getting the first cassette that morning and bumping it in their car, walkman or radio. Others rushed to the store after class to go buy the album. A number of others were making copies for their friends, showing it to them, and persuading them to listen and follow Nas.

Whenever I introduce curious folks who want to learn more about rap and hip-hop, I always tell them, that they must include Nas’ “Illmatic” on their list of music to listen to. “Illmatic” is Nas’ best work from a lyrical read. This album featured 10 tracks of the most illustrative narratives of inner city life through his eyes.

Today, “Illmatic” is still mentioned and discussed as the greatest hip-hop album ever made. Its widely celebrated catalog was also noted with a 20th anniversary re-release earlier this year — recognizing its impact in music but also presenting its authenticity to a new generation of hip-hop fans. By the way, they even made a documentary about this album “Time is Illmatic” and received a perfect 100 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes.

So why do fans appreciate Nas, praise his works and set him on such a high pedestal?

The Reason

Like Tupac, Nas is a poet, but of a different kind.

Tupac was straight to the point with his messages — natural and direct. Nas utilized storytelling with wordplay and emotion. Both rappers exhibited a personal element in writing through their music and it reached people.

Tupac touched base on things that can be related to in our own lives and experiences. Nas presented self-expression and metaphorical scenarios but in a way that painted a clear illustration through words. Nas’ content is filled with enriching quotes and thoughts. I marvel at his wordplay especially (like Biggie) in making his points clear in his songs.

Eminem, Jay-Z and Biggie are equally great lyricists. Each of their skill sets define their individuality and how they narrate their music. Eminem, however is so gifted technically with the elements in rhyming that I find him above Nas on that level. On an emotional level, the three artists leave me a bit short-ended on a ‘deep-feeling’ aspect beside Nas and Tupac.

With eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums with over 25 million records sold worldwide, Nas has had his share of record sale success but nothing in comparison to the other rappers. The fact that he has never won any major awards is something he accepts. In an interview with VH1 in 2012, Nas admitted to being ‘the underdog’ compared to his peers and said he thought of himself as “the most mainstream underground artist.”

“The fact that I’ve not won lots of awards is really a cool thing in a way. I’m able to sustain and still do what I do without the accolades that everybody else gets and it makes people like me more. It makes people know that I’m going to always be true.” — Nas

Nas may not get the awards nor the grand honor in the limelight, but his acceptance of being who he is and making his own music goes beyond any record sales figure or achievement award. It is because of this, that I see the genuine nature of Nas and my appreciation for him is multiplied.

In a documentary by Pardeep Dhillion Media, Nas talks of creating his own road in his music and offers words of wisdom through his life and presents it, something he has done for us throughout his career with his songs.

There is no current lyricist who has been in the game longer than Nas. From the time he came into existence in 1991, and with his 20th anniversary re-release of “Illmatic,” Nas’ relevancy to today’s fans has carried over 24 years and likely will continue on for years to come.

Longevity is one reason for Nas’ greatness. As long as Nas is alive and continues to make music, he holds the title of the Ironman of hip-hop. Many rappers have either stopped or lost the appeal of the fans for staying relevant. Especially as the years go on and the sound of hip-hop continues to evolve and change. Nas has managed to carry his music during the times and likely has gained new fans from a younger audience.

Jay-Z and Eminem have also crossed generations and modernized their music to be heard and appreciated. Both artists are five years off from Nas’ long-standing hip-hop career, but are also legitimately ‘Ironmen’ defined by their own accomplishments and accolades. I would agree that these three are among the top of the hip-hop mountain today.

Nas’ greatness is not just rooted in his writing alone but in the topics/concepts of his song. Some of Nas’ best works have not been released as singles but should be highlighted to really show his creativity and how the songs stand out from other rappers.

25 Nas Songs You Must Hear Before You Die

From ‘It Was Written’ Album — “I Gave you Power*” “Shootouts”

From ‘I Am’ Album — “Undying Love*”

From ‘Nastradamus’ Album — “Life We Chose”

From ‘Stillmatic’ Album — “Rewind*” “One Mic*” “What Goes Around”

From ‘God’s Son’ Album — “Get Down” “Revolutionary Warfare” “Dance*” “Heaven”

From ‘Streets Disciple’ Album — “Reason” “War” “Me & You (Dedicated to Destiny)”

From ‘Hiphop is Dead’ Album — “Still Dreaming” “Can’t Forget About You”

From ‘Untitled’ Album — “Sly Fox”

From ‘Life is Good’ Album — “World’s an Addiction” “Cherry Wine” “Back When*” “Stay”

From ‘Distant Relatives’ Album — “In His Own Words” “Patience*”

From ‘Lost Tapes’ Album — “No Idea’s Original*” “Doo Rags”

“*” — Standout songs

The End Note

Every lyricist mentioned in this article deserves praise for their accomplishments. But Nas’ future is still in the minds of fans — one news bit that has been mentioned for so long, a full album with hip-hop producer extraordinaire DJ Premier providing the beats. Fans want this and continue to be hopeful.

Collaboration albums are also being talked about with Nas. Will there be an album with AZ? With Common? A second album with Damian Marley? These questions will only keep fans following and hoping for more Nas in the future. If this is a business ploy to keep the audience tuned in, it is a great move. And it strengthens Nas’ legacy and longevity.

With the likes of Jay-Z and Eminem and any other lyricist on the rise, Nas’ presence for me will always stand above them.

His persona and the struggles that he’s endured — his divorce from Kelis, the loss of his best friend Ill Will early in his life, and his parenting struggles with his daughter Destiny a couple of years back—are things that make him relatable, and as we listen, we see parallels in our own lives. These intangibles are part of his artistry.

But as a lyricist, rapper, emcee or whatever you may think of him, there are five reasons I believe define why Nas is the greatest hip-hop artist of all time.

(1) His first ever rhyme with ‘Live at the Barbeque’ shook the hiphop world (not a song or an album)

(2) The ‘Illmatic’ album, the 20th anniversary, the movie, the success and the fans that talk of it till this very day,

(3) His longevity from 1991 to today (The oldest active lyricist in the game and still relevant to this day),

(4) His creativity, his concepts, his eloquent street poetry that tells a well-thought story, is the recipe to his greatness,

(5) He’s still alive.

I am inspired by great hip-hop artists. Nas inspires me the most. And in end, I’ll leave this with his own words …

“I know I’m here to inspire … If watching me or listening to me can help you then I’m doing my job.” — Nas

The 10 Greatest Lyricists of All Time

10 — Kool G Rap

9 — Chuck D

8 — Notorious BIG

7 — Ice Cube

6 — Tupac

5 — Eminem

4 — KRS-1

3 — Big Daddy Kane

2 — Rakim

1 — Nas