Anyone who asks me who is the greatest rapper of all time is usually shocked to
not hear me immediately shout "Jay-Z" or put the Roc-a-fella diamond in the air. The truth is, Jigga is my favorite rapper, but I've never been completely comfortable giving him the crown as the greatest. That doesn't mean I
don't consider him the GOAT, but it does mean that I'm open to changing my assessment when a good argument is made for other greats like Biggie and Rakim. Biggie made "Somebody's Gotta Die," "Suicidal Thoughts," "I Got A Story To Tell." Rakim's lines have been bitten so much that they've become hip hop cliches. Do you understand the lyrical power of
creating a catalog of cliches?
But those aren't the only artists I feel are worthy of the throne. (There's, of course, Weezy F. Baby--please say the "Baby". Sike nah!) But really, Andre 3000 may be quietly taking the scepter for himself. Think about it. Homie has done everything every great rapper has done. Lyrical? Heck-muthaphreakin-yiggidy-yes-yes-yall. Stories? Yezzir. Thuggery? That too. Charismatic delivery? And you know this. Flow? Heavy, like a period gone bad for a fat girl. He even went psychedelic and made
The Love Below. Other great rappers did the same thing, just not to much acclaim and with such cohesion. (
Electric Circus anyone?
Cee-Lo Green and his Perfect Imperfections?
The Soul Machine was fantastic tho.) Andre went left and we still couldn't help but follow. Blond wig, hammer pants, bird chest and all, we were double-clappin' to women shaking like a polaroid picture.
Remember when Jay went left? Oh, that's right, he went right and made
Kingdom Come, the album where he flew to Mars in his G-4, cigar in hand, and left us behind. He said he wanted to expand the scope of the music. He did, but so did Andre, to much more artistically gratifying results. I'm not advocating for 3 Stacks here, nor am I turning my back on Hov (pause), I'm just presenting a case. My biggest gripe with Jay is not that he doesn't have the capability of artistic genius, but that he doesn't live up to it. In fact, he refuses to. His egocentricity does not allow him. He was comfortable with being
recognized as the greatest. He didn't feel the need to go
72-10 or
16-0. The championship ring was enough for him. He views each of his accomplishments as something that trickles down to the common folk of the hood. He is the carrot in front of the horse, the pool beneath and the branch above
Tantalus; the unattainable goal. His brand of altruism is about self-indulgment first, which is itself a contradiction. "I do this for my culture/ To let 'em know what a nigga look like when a nigga in that roadster." Thanks Jay. We appreciate it. The hood needs that. Black people need that. :-|
I contrast that to Andre 3000's first lines from "Da Art of Storytellin' (Part 4)":
She said, "Why in the club you dont make it precipitate?
Ya know 'make it rain' when you could make it thunderstorm?"
I’m like, "Why? The world needs sun. The hood needs funds.
Theres a war going on and half the battle is guns.
How dare I throw it on the floor when people are poor?"
So I write like Edgar Allan to restore. Got a cord,
Umbilical, attached to a place that can't afford no landscaping or window draping
This old lady told me if I ain't got nothing good, say nathan
that's why I don't talk much
I swear it don't cost much to pay attention to me...
You lie, Andre. It does cost to listen. Would Jay make it rain in the club? Hecky nah, son, but for completely different reasons. "I gotta get mines, you gotta get yours," would undoubtedly be his reply to a chick asking him why doesn't throw his cash in the air for fans to grab. You get the feeling that Jay thinks that he worked hard to make this money, not to give it away. And if he is giving it away, better believe he's getting something for it. <>It's the hustler's mentality.< /sarcasm>
To be fair, an artist's worth and talent cannot be a derivative of his perspective. If it were, a 5 year old's
crappy crayon drawing of the sun, flowers, and happy faces would be viewed as "better" than intricately detailed drawings of
ugly ish. So I'm not saying that just because 3000 has a more community-conscious conscience, he's better than Jay. If that were the case, Talib, Mos, Common and every other rapper do-gooder would be the subjects of endless GOAT debates. (And sadly, in some circles they are.) It's really about the level of artistry. Most neglect to put Tupac in the list of Top 3 rappers for the simple reason that he wasn't lyrical. Yes, he could touch you in ways unimaginable (no homo/jacko), but he was often lyrically simplistic and metrically one-dimensional.
Jay and Dre are artistically heavyweights in all categories. However, you get the feeling that Jay has no problem being lazy when Dre cannot stand the thought of it. Where Jay can come up with a hot 6 lines and feel that's enough to coast through the rest of a song, Dre has to make sure the whole verse is hot. He wants you to quote the entire verse on your Facebook page, not just a hot couplet.
And that's why I'm ready to consider: Andre Benjamin > Jay-Z
Discuss.
(And yes, I said "Da Art of Storytellin' (PART 4)". Exclusive! *DJ Clue echo*)
