Top Ten Best Hip Hop Lyricists

The Top Ten
1 Eminem Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, is an American rapper, actor and music producer born on October 17, 1972 in St. Joseph, Missouri. Eminem has sold over 300 million records making him the bestselling hip-hop artist of all time. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of D12 and (with Royce da 5'9") half of the hip-hop duo Bad Meets Evil. Rolling Stone ranked him 83rd on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, calling him the King of Hip Hop. Including his work with D12 and Bad Meets Evil, Eminem has had ten number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and 5 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and 13 worldwide.

Have you ever listened to "Cleaning out my closet" then listened to "Headlights". It's still hits hard to this day, if an artists music to this day can invoke emotions and ideas that are relatable then it means they are the best lyricist. Eminem has recently came out from the dark and showed his views on mumble rapper and 'ghost writers' in his kamikaze album and his Collab with logic in homicide. He mentions in his songs that he's inspired the 'Hopsins', the 'Logics', and the 'Coles', which is true. Even Hopsin agrees and was excited to be mentioned in an Eminem song stating "that he's going to tell his mama! " He's taken his career and made something out of it, he's inspirational and one of the most mentioned artists in his field. He's often quoted to be a modern day Shakespeare, which is one of the most highest compliments given to lyricists.

Really nas over Eminem? Naw dude Eminem is the all time best lyricist I've ever heard. Because his lyrics don't get boring, he uses very clever word play and have you seen this dudes vocabulary? This dude has rhymes for days and honestly I like new Eminem better then old Eminem. He's like fine wine bro he keeps getting better with age and nas is a lyrical beast but Eminem is the king

Eminem doesn't have the best lyricism in the game. His deliverance is what makes him the best rapper of all time. However, New York rapper own the lyricism game. For example, The Notorious B.I.G? "You're reign on the top was short like leprechauns" (Kick In The Door). Nas can literally recite a story backwards. That takes serious skill.

Eminem is obviously d best! No doubt about it. Listen to his sick lyrical flows, his deep angst and pains in some of his songs, his funny side in some other songs and his inspiring side in songs like Lose Yourself and you will realize the truth. EM rules forever!

2 Nas Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper and entrepreneur born on September 14, 1973 in New York City. His album, Illmatic, is considered to be one of the best rap albums of all time. He is also considered to be one of the best rappers of all time.

Anyone who picks Eminem over Nas has neither never heard a Nas song or is just madly obsessed with Eminem (No disrespect to Eminem) but when it comes to Lyricism, I mean pure lyrical prowess. No one (only maybe underground rappers) can come near Nas. Nas is a lyrical god. Eminem's lyrics will sound basic in your ears if you listen to Illmatic.

Nas's lyrics not only show originality, clever word play, and skill, but what makes Nas the greatest lyricist is his consistency. In every single Nas album, and in every single song, Nasir Jones uses an intricate rhyme scheme and complicated multi-syllable rhymes to paint a picture and spread his message.

While I respect Eminem he is not a better lyricist then nas nas is known for his lyricism don't get me wrong I love Eminem but nas wins for lyricism illmatic is a masterpiece. " my first album had no famous guest appearances the outcome I'm crowned the best lyricist"- Nas Eminem deserves 3rd only behind nas and tupac

Nas is the most clever emcee I have ever heard. His raps are like poetry and I get lost in his music. His lyrics are genius and I would highly recommended illmatic if you haven't heard it yet.

3 Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known as 2Pac, was an American rapper and actor born on June 16, 1971 in East Harlem, New York. Tupac sold over 75 million records worldwide and has been referred to in multiple major publications such as Rolling Stone as one of the greatest music artists of all time. 2Pac was assassinated on September 1996 at the age of 25. ...read more.

Lyricism at it's finest. 2pac might not have wordplay, but he has a good amount of extended metaphors, some entedres, similes, stroytelling, internal rhyming, assonance, etc. his subject matter is the best. He raps about societal problems, just listen to Me Against The World, Changes, Keep Ya Head Up, Me And My Girlfriend.

Worst lyricist of all time yeah right the best lyricist of all time by far you either illiterate or deaf or just to stupid to understand what the hell he saying jack ass!

He's one of the best lyricist not because of his cool rhymes & all that cool stuff but he is very influential with his lyrics.Plus, he's the greatest rapper of all time

hez the realest hiz lyricz get 2 you nd it connectz nd a lot of people can relate 2 hiz rapz nd plus hez got the best lyricz

4 Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios, better known by his stage name Big Pun, was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in The Bronx borough of New York City, in the early 1990s, he was the first Latino rapper to have an album certified platinum as a solo act. Pun was proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and became an icon within his community. Weighing nearly 700 pounds, he died of heart failure. Pun wasn't generally considered the greatest rapper of all time, but was the first rapper to carry such a devoted Latin fan base, one that exceeded that of Cypress Hill.

He was one of the best, he had one of the greatest flows/delivery in history. He had some dope lyrics.

Best ever no question

5 Immortal Technique Felipe Andres Coronel, better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and urban activist from Lima, Peru. He was born on February 19, 1978

Though many my not agree with what his lyrics say, it's undeniable that no lyricist can even compare to what he's created in songs like "Dance with the Devil" and "Caught in a Hustle" they're just pure genius, with lines like:

"It's funny how on the block, n****** will kill you for cash. But never raise the gun and cry out 'Freedom at Last! '" and

"I would like to raise my children to grow to be soldiers, but then a general would decide when their lives would be over."

He is really good story teller just listen to dancing with the devil and prove me wrong

I don't see how lil wayne is on this list.

6 K-Rino Eric Kaiser (born 9 September 1970), better known by his stage name K-Rino, is an American rapper and record producer from Houston, Texas. He is a pioneer of the Southern hip hop scene, and has been rapping since 1983. K-Rino's first release was the single "rocking It" with his group Real Chill in 1986, and he founded the South Park Coalition collective that same year. K-Rino has spent his entire career as an independent artist, and has released all of his albums since 2004 on his label Black Book International.

Thank God now he's way higher than Lil Wayne, not to sound like a cocky snob but before I came along this list had Lil Wayne above actual lyricists which was laughable.

Nice to see him finally get some recognition. Amazing metaphors and similes.

So according to this list lil gayne is more lyrical than K-Rino? Lol

7 Canibus Germaine Williams, better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican born-American rapper and actor.

Mashed Eminem up into little pieces when they had beef and can ruin his career if they have beef again

He told you he was and is

8 Black Thought Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an American artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots, as well as an occasional actor.

Having lil lame above Black Thought makes this list a joke.

Edit: Thankfully, this list is much better now compared to the disaster it was when I first found it.

9 Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Fiasco is the chief executive officer of 1st & 15th Entertainment.

Lupe is BY FAR, the best lyricist, higher then the level of Nas, Biggie, MF DOOM in my opinion. Just listen to tracks like Words I Never Said, Mural, Prisoner 1 and 2, Show Goes On, Kick Push, No Scratches, etc. His storytelling is really good. He has good subejct matter and also has good double entendres, wordplay, alliteration, assonance, homonyms, storytelling, etc. which are all components of lyricism. there will never be a rapper near as good as lupe in storytelling.

Just listen to tracks like failure and dumb it down or even the newer go to sleep because you will need to listen again because it has so much meaning to it making Lupe the best lyricist

Many people don't realize it but lupe's lyrics are literally poetry... Tetsuo and youth is the best album I've heard in a while. Just look up any of his songs on genius and you'll see what I'm talking about

Lupe is way better than some rappers who make lots of noise like Kendrick lamar! His lyrics are deep and intellectual

10 Big L Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974 – February 15, 1999), best known by his stage name Big L, was an American hip hop recording artist, born and raised in Harlem, New York City, New York. Coleman embarked on his career in rapping, with the hip hop trio, Three the Hard Way. His first notable appearance came on Lord Finesse's "Yes You May (Remix)". Coleman released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, in 1995 and significantly contributed to the underground hip hop scene. In 1998, he founded Flamboyant Entertainment, his own indie label, through which he released one of his most popular singles, "Ebonics" (1998). ...read more.

All I can say to his lyrics: they are the bomb. You do not often see someone rhyming through a whole song and keeping up his flow like Big L.

The king of punchlines should be in the top 5

Greatest rapper in the world

The Contenders
11 Pharoahe Monch

"known for his complex delivery, internal and multi-syllabic rhyme schemes, " My God!

12 Andre 3000 André Lauren Benjamin, known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia, and is most known as one half of the hip-hop duo OutKast. Despite never actually releasing an official solo studio album, 3000 has built up a strong following online among hip hop listeners and often ranks very high on hip hop lists.

He's the best, listen to "look what you've done"

13 Aesop Rock Ian Matthias Bavitz, better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop recording artist and producer residing in Portland, Oregon.

You could spend hours researching the lines in one song. His rhymes are complex and have many pop culture references. He's quite simply one of the best lyricists in the game.

Check this guy, he is amazing, the best lyricist of all time, not the best rapper, but liricist yes.
Check Zero Dark Thirty, None Shall Pass, Daylight, in my opinion his best songs. Probably the most underrated rapper

14 Rakim William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim Allah (or simply Rakim), is an American rapper and record producer. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time. ...read more.

The Greatest Lyricist that ever touched a mic. No one comes close to his lyrical content. He can be credited with changing the whole rap game as it is known today!

"The GOD MC, The Microphone Fiend, The 18th Letter, Clearly the BEST. "

The God MC.. Definitely should be no. One.. He is the best lyricist of all time in any genre.

No one can do it better than the 18th letter!

15 Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace, born May 21, 1972, better known by his stage name The Notorious B.I.G (sometimes Biggie Smalls or just simply Biggie), is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. On March 9, 1997, he was murdered in a drive by shooting in Los Angeles, California at the age of only 24. To this day it’s unknown who murdered him. ...read more.

Biggie reigned supreme as the master of lyricism. While most other rappers depend on the way they deliver their songs, Biggie used the words he just thought of off the top of his head. Should definitely be #1

Big Poppa is King of Hip-Hop!

King of hip hop

16 Del the Funky Homosapien

Good and unique lyricist and funny stage name

17 GZA Gary Grice, better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter.

Arguably one of the greatest lyrical rappers of all time. GZA also has one of the greatest hip hop albums ever "Liquid Swords"

"Way better than that ugly punk 50 who can't rhyme like the GENIUS. "

You must be an idiot to put Lil Wayne over Gza

Easily top 3, much better then Eminem.

18 Killer Mike Michael Render, better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American hip hop recording artist, actor and activist from Atlanta, Georgia.
19 Talib Kweli

"BLACK SMITH IS THE MOVEMENT! "

20 Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles, better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan.
21 Mike Shinoda Michael Kenji "Mike" Shinoda (born 11 February 1977) is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, graphic designer, manager and film composer. He co-founded Linkin Park in 1996 and is the band's rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter, keyboardist, producer, and co-lead vocalist.

He doesn't swear a lot. Intelligent rhymes just like nas and very underrated

His lyrics are deep...

22 KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker, better known by his stage names KRS-One, and Teacha, is an American rapper and occasional producer from The Bronx, New York City, New York.

LOOK UP DEFINITION OF HIP HOP HE'LL TELL YOU.

23 MF Doom Daniel Dumile (July 13, 1971 - October 31, 2020), also known as MF DOOM, was a British-born hip hop recording artist who spent most of his life in the United States. He died on October 31, 2020, however, his death wasn't revealed until December 31.

His work on MADVILLAINNY is insane. He raps his butt off track after track. Rhinestone Cowboy, Figaro, Accordion, All Caps, Fancy Clown, Strange Ways, and Great Day are all excellent examples of his lyrical capabilities. The ONLY three contenders that can even compete are Rakim, Nas, and Eminem.

The most underrated lyricist ever. How he is not in top 10 is beyond me. Just listen to "Figaro".

He's very underground, best lyricist you'll listen to

By far #1

24 Kanye West Ye (born Kanye Omari West; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and fashion designer. He is regarded as one of the most influential, as well as controversial, artists of the 21st century. ...read more.

He writes great lyrics, during the college dropout era he didn't even write he actually memorised it in his head. Something only Biggie, Jay Z, Kanye and a few others do. He's a genius

So underrated. Once you get past his ridiculous/hilarious punchlines, there's so much more depth to his lyrics

More like overrated. You can't be the best lyricist if you use ghostwriters.

Amazing lyricist

25 Big Daddy Kane Antonio Hardy, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and actor who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap collective the Juice Crew.
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