Uk rap is rap, US rap is rap, rap is music, music is a form of artistic expression and therefore subjective. In other words one is not “better” than the other.

Having DJ’d hip hop for 20 years and created it myself for about the same length of time I’ve seen a fair amount or music referred to as rap. Even within the UK we have drill, boom bap, grime, r&b/soul influenced rap, garage and drum and bass. All of the above include rap (some more than others) and all are valid forms of expression.

Personally I’m a sucker for more boom bap leaning hip hop. Musically linked to the 90s/early 2000s but there’s plenty of modern day stuff out there and plenty of UK stuff that equals US stuff for me in terms of quality, with subject matter I can better relate to.

Just a few examples of my tastes:
Pretty much anything put out on High Focus records
Pretty much anything put out on Blah records
Pretty much anything produced by The Alchemist
Griselda

dead players in the house

I can’t stand west side gun though his annoying voice and stupid gun noises. Sounds like a little boy. Brings down Griselda as a whole. Benny and Conway are fire though I just think the thug shit has past its sell by date. I’ll listen to 50, big L pun and prodigy if I want the thug shiz. Can’t beat it. But Harry shotta on drum n bass destroys 99% of all rappers across all genres. The guys a monster.

Boom boom boom boom!!! how can you not like Westside.

I can't even listen to American shit any more, not even the old stuff that used to be good. UK rap shits all over the US, Americans just aren't with it at all.

the US stuff has turned very hollywood, non of it seems real or relatable anymore

US all the time. The amount of UK rap people have tried to get me to like... Just awful.

American for me..just the vibes are a lot better and authentic

yess pistach <3 totally agreed

CANNOT RELATE TO US RAP ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT UK FOR ME FROM SKINNYMAN TO THAT DRILL STUFF.

Uk rap for me personally mate

You've called it, the era of UK rap is upon us

is that even a question? i thought they didnt have hard drugs here

American rap has always taken first place, the amount of quality American rappers is a lot, and also guys like K-dot, J.cole... (just some examples), you can't really find their UK equivalent. However, British rap is much better nowadays, Dave for example is one of my fav rappers, so young but so talented his ceiling is incredible. I also think J Hus, Aj Tracey, Skeps, Giggs and Kano are fantastic rappers, but there is much less of quality British rappers for me personally. Like I can list of more American rappers that I like than British rappers. I'm not a HUGE fan of Drake, but a lot of credit to him for making British rap a lot more popular in the US + worldwide. But at the moment the one rapper I see breaking through to American heights of rappers is Dave, so so talented, and he has a natural knack for instruments. He also loves listening to movie soundtracks and different music as he finds it inspiring which I thought was really cool. Shows that he has a keen eye for production as well.

They are both good I listen to both

The yanks will always have that crown, but in terms of battle rap, the UK is fuckin miles ahead imo. The US battle rap scene is so disappointing man.

Enjoying this new album a lot, one of my early favourites.

Czarface, Ice-T & Kool Keith

I cut most meticulous

Not mentioned yet we need DOOM and Mac Miller.

Oder Falco.

reeeeeemix

You need to throw big pun in the mix for sure.

100% needs to be there, I’d put Pun and Big as my Number 1’s personally.

For me Dilla, Doom and Guru are the most important, Biggie may be the best, 2pac the most polarizing. Shock G & Trugoy were heartbreakers...

Sean P, ODB, Phife, Prodigy, Bushwick, Biz, Darkman X, Gift Of Gab, CPO, too many man

sad to add DMX here

Solid list but I’d put Pac above Biggy. East vs West and preference aside, lyrically-speaking, I think 2pac is notch above Big.

tupac had the charisma of a rock star and gravitas of a rebel leader. a great story teller but not as great as mr wallace i think and puffys beats are more consistent than the work of tupac's producers.

Puffy's beats?! lol

puffys samples

Yeah. And anything that Puffy “produced” was made by someone else. Don’t get me wrong, puff daddy was a producer but only in the sense he brought the ingredients together... the ingredients being MCs and producers. The majority of stuff that came out on BadBoy records was produced by The Hitmen (featuring legendary producer Easy Mo Bee) of which he did head up but as more of an organiser than anything else.

Easy Mo Bee is a bad motherfucker and I don't think many realise his scope over the years, Always give daps to anyone that brings him up

peace

the only beat$ that really count are the ones that come in wads

Gotta love the one douchebag (Itche) who downvotes but adds absolutely nothing to the discussion. If you’re going to downvote (a comment of personal opinion of all things), at least add to the discussion by posting your own opinion why you disagree.

I don't think downvoting a post when you're too busy to reply makes you a douchebag. Ease up a bit man, a downvote is hardly a slap in the chops now is it? Spark an L and chill.

As for reasoning it's quite simple. Biggie is respected far more widely as a lyricist than Pac. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy Tupac more than Biggie or anyone else for that matter. Music is subjective and what appeals to one person may not to another. That's the beauty of it!

I find the list above massively lacking anyway and it blows my mind that Pac and Biggie get almost singled out as the greatest dead rappers. As Nowherematt mentions bellow there's not even a mention of MF DOOM at all or....
Big Pun, Prodigy, Phife, GURU (?!), Sean Price, Dilla, Heavy D, Adam Yauch.

The influence the guys above had on hip hop is absolutely insane.

Yours sincerely
Dr Douchebag

Although slowthai is a rapper, I think calling Doorman a rap song is a gross misclassification! It's way more punk/post-punk imo. Fantastic song though.

awesome track, thanks

What I know, i know because of Krs-One

Definitely

Chuck D

Front row welcome to the terrordome

Fist pumped chuck and flav

Think we invented it right there 1990 👊

Good shout. I'd also recommend 'Tricks of the Shade' by The Goats.

2pac, pick any of his top 20 tracks. (Untill the end of time, hell razor, never had a friend like me, picture me rolling etc.)

2pac was an inspirational leader i think he could have helped around now.

that's easy, charlie 2na

ROOF

I absolutely live and breathe 90s hiphop, so if I could start from the top, I'd probably go with GZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and Pete Rock.

SOTL

Some whackerey going on in these replies, LOL.
Here’s a few…
Rakim
Chuck D
Mos Def
Large Professor (Main Source)

RIP

Guru

First jazzamatazz album, but step up into the arena under his gangster name with premier is one of my favs

Freddy fox n….

Inspirational - The mighty Mos Def.
For a lift - Anderson .Paak,
but this thread is young.

Big Daddy Kane. Absolute genius. Was your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. ...but now probably your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. 😂

life started with GENESIS wigga

Just saying Jadakiss “why” is such a banger 😎

Rakim

Schooly D as well

Macka B

A Tribe Called Quest

When I need to be hyped anything from Wu-Tang or it's many members

mos def, crew- tribe called quest

laugh all you want but this da mac

Someone already said Eminem

old school vibez
Eric b and rakim - follow the leader
Ice T - soul on ice

Wu tang for the beats

"Got more soul, than a sock with a hole"

MF DOOM

The wall by Scarface.

In my personal opinion he's the best to do it

Something from the Native Tongues collective. Always sets me straight.

marshal mathers EMINEM FOR ME. HIS FILM 8MILE! INSPIRATIONAL FOR ME

Just diving in because it's a music thread and I'm crazy about music. That said I love all kinds from blues to classical, from jazz to opera, and of course hard rock, synth, pop, soul and everything else - apart from rap. The one music genre that does absolutely nothing for me. Bought the 12" of "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash when it was released and still have it. And that's pretty much where it started and then ended for me...apart from the Fugees doing "Killing Me Softly", but that's all about Lauryn Hill, which is another story.

Cher

citation please

Drake or lil durk if I hit the roads

nicee dude that is gold gonna listen to it whilst smoking one up 💯

would recommend khary he is an underrated artist maybe you've listened to him before.

hope u have a great weekend bigga 💚

Not come across khary before, will have to check out some more of his stuff. Nice recommendation!

RIP. Music and me, is a fantastic album. It brings back memories of burning around the back lanes in my mate’s corsa. “All dogs go to heaven.” Beautiful tribute.

9 kids is this a hip hop record?

Such a talented artist, I really need to see them live.

'Faces' is so hauntingly beautiful

Great album.

Where have I heard this before... oh yeah Gorillaz

That's the one, this was a little pre-Gorillaz team up.

Might learn his verses and do them in the Bane voice from now on 😷

and an original member of the beastie boys

I got hooked onto hip hop when I first PE LP and Ice Cube's Amerikkka's Most Wanted got released, so a long ass time ago. I think Rubin worked on Fear Of The Black Planet with PE. Their first 5 LPs are classics in my library

Did I miss Mars Volta on that list? Top 3 Rick Rubin

Also Yeezus, System’s first album and One Hot Minute top tier.

when u see rick rubin for the first time you would never think he produces rap albums

he is indeed a musical genius!

i come across Rick Rubin on the magna carter documentary

how does rick rubin compare to scott storch?

Not a fan of Scott Storch. In the words of Timbaland: 'you just a piano man'

Me neither.. hahah just a piano man. Indeed! He had a few true bangers in his heyday tho...

seriously

Legend, here he is enjoying some death metal with Paul McCartney😂

Ms. Dynamite.
Shout out to the Channel U days.
Her feature on So Solid Crews Envy is straight legendary 🔥🔥🔥

UK rap is not my forte.
But from the few females I have seen, Ms Banks sound impressed me most.

Lady Sanity

get off manz dick

One of the best tunes from one of the best Hip Hop albums of all time.. sets me up nicely for the rest of the evenings listening, cheers mate 👊🏻

You’re welcome mate, had a feeling you’d be a fan of them.

I am, I'm pretty sure the video you linked is the one in my Hip Hop playlist on YT.

Listening on repeat. 💚