For some comedy check out VH1's 50 Greatest Hip Hop Artists. They really try hard to make a good list by adding alot of old school names to it and crowning Run-DMC as #1. But as someone at RMHH asks:
Ja Rule??? Ahead of Gang Starr? Kool Moe Dee??
Lil Kim and Master P ahead of MC Lyte and the Biz???????
DMX ahead of Ice Cube??!!?
Puffy ahead of Nas AND RAKIM!!
Here is the complete list:
50. Sugarhill Gang
49. Tone Loc
48. Kool Moe Dee
47. Arrested Development
46. Eve
45. Heavy D. & The Boyz
44. MC Hammer
43. Coolio
42. Kurtis Blow
41. MC Lyte
40. Gang Starr
39. Ja Rule
38. Biz Markie
37. The Roots
36. Master P
35. Big Daddy Kane
34. Lil Kim
33. De La Soul
32. Cypress Hill
31. Naughty By Nature
30. Will Smith / DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
29. Nelly
28. Busta Rhymes
27. A Tribe Called Quest
26. Ice Cube
25. Snoop Dogg
24. Queen Latifah
23. DMX
22. KRS-One / BDP
21. OutKast
20. Eric B & Rakim
19. Nas
18. Afrika Bambaattaa
17. Fugees / Lauryn Hill
16. Ice T
15. Missy Elliott
14. P. Diddy
13. NWA
12. Wu-Tang Clan
11. Beastie Boys
10. Jay-Z
9. Salt N Pepa
8. Grandmaster Flash
7. Dr. Dre
6. Eminem
5. LL Cool J
4. Notorious BIG
3. Tupac Shakur
2. Public Enemy
1. Run-DMC
POST SCRIPT: Laze.net agrees
Article comments
1 - Glenn Edward Deuman VII
I'll agree with you, but I have to give credit to VH-1 for actually playing MUSIC VIDEOS instead of adding to the overcrowding of reality television. VH-1's ratings have gone to the dumpster & they're just trying to appeal to a wider range of music fans. I think I'd do the same if I were running a network.
2 - SamTorres4ever
man that list is messed up......dead prez has alot more talent then half of them.....big pun ny one? lyrically they missed some of the best! how is there no pun he was insane with his lyrics
thats dumb they just basically listed what people who dont know rap.....
who only know what the radio plays
....like. run dmc was good but i mean........
like dead prez said...."turn off the radio...turn off that bullsh*t!"
3 - Sam Torres
oh and shit wheres AZ??????
lifes a b*tch and then you die??!!?!
one of the best ever!......
mainstream stuff nuthing awsome....nuthing talented... at least they didnt put 50 cent cause he has no talent just hott beats and fun tracks for clubs so im tired of hearing his name........
at least they got bambaattaa
but nas and eric b are top of the list top top of the list
4 - Temple Stark
AZ? Just to the right of Cali, left to of New Mexico and under Utah.
Sizzle.
Float me some indie rap and roll my friend. What are some names you're thinking of?
5 - Duane
No musicians on the list? Weird.
6 - Temple Stark
No humor in your comment? Typical :-)
Do you like anyone up there?
7 - Uk.Nigga
how can Tupac be number 3 .. when .. he iz really the best Rapper ever. VH1 .. are chattin shit .. Tupac should have been number 1. RIP Tupac
8 - Skillz
That list is bull shit. Gang Starr, Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul should have been much further up the list.
And KRS ONE, Rakim and The Roots should be in the top 10.
And Master P should not be on the list at all. That's an insult to hiphop
9 - Randy P/Tube
P Diddy ahead of Snoop, Ice Cube, A Tribe and De La Soul.........uhhhhh, no. Nice try, VH1 but you tripped over your bling on this one.
10 - ksingh
How can you not have BONE THUGS N HARMONY on that list or any of the members. They changed the face of rap opening up the doors for the midwest, so artits like Twista and Kanye West can have success. They gave people the "The Crossroads", a definite big hit, and have sold more than 30 million albums, more than half the people on you list.
11 - Merc
It's rediculous, yes, but what about EPMD? Does anybody remember them?
12 - kevin
For reals, how could they leave out BTNH, they faulking own. Guess thats what you get when you leave it up to VH1 to make a hip-hop list.
13 - Fairsquat
NWA should deffantly be in the top ten if not number one! Dr. dre, Wu-tang, A tribe called quest, de la soul and IceT should all be up there so much better. And I have never seen anything dumber than Queen latifah being ahead of SNOOP DOGG...he should be so much better on the list!!!
14 - eth0
if this list is based on most influencial hip hop groups, then it makes sense that run dmc is #1, as they largly popularized the genre to a new generation of listeners. And is also makes sense that p diddy is higher on the list than snoop and ice cube because p diddy used hip hop as an outlet to generate a mass fortune and produce many future artists to come. many of your comments are based on personal preference, not what influence the artist had on the genre
15 - AllEyezOnPac
thats bull-$h1t P $hitty number 14 my a$s lol!
pe and run dmc were jus pioneers in rap, no way were they better than big or pac
wat p. $hitty thinks jus cuz he hosted it , means he earns a top 50 rap spot?? h3ll no hes a wack rapper, and they did miss out on alot of gr8 rapeprs
alot of that list is wack
16 - Pacavelli
Ok this list is tha biggest load of Fuckin shit ever, LL Cool J and Salt n Peppa,P Diddy!!!!LOL dats funny 2pac IS THE GREATEST RAPPER THAT EVER LIVED and thats a fact!!!! FUCK THIS LIST
17 - La Couch
fuck p diddy, fuck ja rule, fuck missy elliot, fuck nelly, fuck master p say uhhh bitch, and fuck eve. iam out.
18 - Zar
Yeah this list is based on most influencial hip hop artists, not on who is the best MC. And by the way Duane there are plenty of musicians on this list. Fugees to name one you ignorant SOB.
19 - josh hillemeier
where the fuck is bone thugs n harmony? this list is a bunch of shit.
20 - ayeayeaye
wheres pun and big L, thats all i gota say, shits rediculous, and yall stop sayin Pac is #1, he was a poet, but rapping wise, his flow/style was nothing above average.... HE WAS A GOOD RAPPER...NOT AMAZING
21 - matt
yo this top 50 is beat they should have done the top 50 hip hop artists not not the top 50 most influentioal people in hip hop
Im sayin if it was 50 best what about cannibus, Pun, big l, Kweli, Immortal Technique,
For the Record i got Biggie at the top
22 - Cokes
THIS SHIT IS WHACK I HEARD BOUT IT DEN SAW IT!!! FUCK MAN NOW MTV MADE THE GREATEST 10 GROUPS ALIVE AND I FUCKING LAUGHED WHEN THEY PUT A TRIBE CALLED QUEST NUMBER 6. I WAS BOUT TO BREAK MY FUCKING TELEVISION. THEN THEY PUT PUBLIC ENEMY AND OUTKAST IN FRONT OF THEM? LMAO OH MAN BULL SHIT
23 - jorge22s
Salt N Pepa ahead Of JAY-Z?????????
beastie boy ahead of NWA ?
Queen latifah can't be ahead of ice cube, snoop dogg and A tribe called quest
The Roots is too far, should be on 20 at least
RAKIM should be...like third
that list is a fuckin jokee