The 10 Best Rap Verses of All Time
These are the lyrics that could prove Kanye West wrong.
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10 Rap Verses That Could Prove Kanye West Wrong - Amid an investigation for an [alleged] attempted paparazzi camera snatch and a resurgence of headlines about that infamous sudden seize of the MTV VMA mic, Kanye West proclaimed via Twitter that his second verse on "New Slaves" is, of course, "the best of all time." It certainly is one of the best-timed given his lines "So go and grab the reporters/So I can smash their recorders;" and it's ripe with raw emotion as he syncopates imagery of the torture of slavery and juxtaposes that with commercialism and the industrial prison complex ("I see the blood on the leaves"). But is it the best? Click on to ponder these other epic verses in rap history and join the debate. (Photo: Taylor Hill/WireImage)
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Eminem's Second verse on "Renegade" - Eminem's contribution to "Renegade" was the only guest feature on Jay Z's The Blueprint, and, as Shady does, it stood out as a remarkable display of lyrical, rhythmical and referential talent. "See, I'm a poet to some, a regular modern day Shakespeare/ Jesus Christ the King of these Latter Day Saints here/ To shatter the picture in which of that as they paint me/ as a monger of hate, Satan and scatter-brained atheist/ But that ain't the case, see, it's a matter of taste/ We as a people decide if Shady's as bad as they say he is/ Or is he the ladder, a gateway to escape/ Media scapegoat, they can be mad at today?" (Photo: Scott Gries/PictureGroup)
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Notorious B.I.G.'s Verse on "Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)" - In case you were wondering what makes Biggie Smalls so notorious, it's that he makes rap braggadocio so believable, and for anyone else who attempts it with "the gimmicks, the wack lyrics," he'd say: "The s--- is depressing, pathetic, please forget it/ You're mad 'cause my style you're admiring/ Don't be mad, UPS is hiring."(Photo: David Corio/Redferns)
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Jay Z's Second Verse on "99 Problems" - Jay's ability to narrate the drug dealer's story is unparalleled in rap. On "99 Problems" he tackles the nerve-wrecking encounter of being pulled over with the calm and clarity that only a seasoned driver would have, switching lanes with ease between the main character and his antagonist. "The year is '94 and in my trunk is raw/ In my rear view mirror is the mother f----ing law/ I got two choices y'all pull over the car or/ bounce on the double put the pedal to the floor..." (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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Nas "Life's A B----" - Nas became the official street dreamer scribe when he debuted with Illmatic, delving into the psyche of those of us who [barely] survived that 18-24 age bracket and needed to recalibrate what it means to be a fully grown adult. "I woke up early on my born day, I'm 20 years of blessing/ The essence of adolescent leaves my body now, I'm fresh in/ My physical frame is celebrated 'cause I made it/ One quarter through life some Godly like thing created ... I switched my motto — instead of sayin f--- tomorrow/ That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto."(Photo: Mats Andersson/WENN.com)
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Snoop Dogg "Deep Cover" (aka "187") - Before Snoop was a Lion, he was the Dogg, picked up and mentored by former members of the N.W.A. His laid back but vivid vocals were the perfect fit for Cali's ganagsta rap legacy. "Scared as a motherf---er, cause I'm fresh out/ But I got to make my green, and plus they all fiend/ Follow me, they keep yellin' murder, but it won't stop/ Until the last n---a that you know drop."(Photo: Vivien Killilea/FilmMagic)
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Lil Wayne's First Verse on "A Milli" - Lil Wayne is not one to hold back on coarse imagery (at times resulting in great controversy), but it's always backed by an infectious rhyme pattern that forces the listener into his hypnotic N'awlins zone. "A millionaire, I'm a young money millionaire/ Tougher than Nigerian hair/ My criteria compared to your career, this isn't fair/ I'm a venereal disease like a menstrual bleed/ Through the pencil and leak on the sheet of the tablet." (Photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for GQ)
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Lauryn Hill's First Verse on "Lost Ones" - L-Boogie doesn't even bother to hit those Sister Act notes on "Lost One." And she doesn't need to. Instead, she gives that pure Fugee-la flow to deliver a memorable commentary on the miseducation of the commercialized, using multisyllabic words and internal rhyme schemes. "It's funny how money change a situation/ Miscommunication leads to complication/ My emancipation don't fit your equation/ I was on the humble, you on every station..." (and that's just the opening bars). (Photo: Paul Smith/ WENN)
Photo By Photo: Paul Smith/ WENN
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Kanye West "Mercy" - Kanye has a knack for exploring the ridiculousness of his own lifestyle, making any debate about his music incomplete until we've put him up against himself. For this round we'll take Yeezus' "New Slave" and juxtapose it to one of the most opulent verses the Louis Vuitton Don has spit: "Let the suicide doors up/ I do suicides on the tour bus/ I do suicides on the private jet/ You know what that mean, I'm fly to death/ I step in Def Jam building like I'm the s--- / Tell 'em 'Give me 50 million or I'm a quit.'" Even his art references are rich on this one: "Now the whole party is melted like Dalí." (Photo: 13thWitness/Getty Images for Samsung)
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J. Cole's First Verse on "Born Sinner" - The title track from J. Cole's second studio album deftly sums up the entire project, which finds Cole contemplating how much he wants this commercial rap life. "Spinning in circles, live my life without rehearsal/ If I die today my n----, was it business? Was it personal?/ Should this be my last breath? I'm blessed 'cause it was purposeful/ Never got to church to worship Lord, but please be merciful/ You made me versatile, well-rounded like cursive/ Now you chose me for a purpose, I put my soul in these verses." (Photo: IconicPix/WENN.com)