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Everyone keeps saying that Lil Wayne is the best because many people listen to him. I'm sure people said the same thing about Vanilla Ice at one point. So, how do we judge best rapper? Is it the one who has the best beats, most creative lyrics, most meaningful lyrics?
Most rap critics assess rappers based on lyrics. Hence, the credibility of Lupe Fiasco, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and other rappers who are "socially conscious" (they hate that label). On the other hand, the population judges rappers based on their reputation and beats (and sometimes lyrics as in the case of Eminem). I mean, look at 50 Cent, Kanye, Jay-Z, Outkast, and Lil Wayne. Some of them have lyrics that are OK, but most are popular because of their beats, that's it.
And, a lot of times, good beats require dumb lyrics. At one point, one of my favorite rap groups was Black Eyed Peas. Their first two albums, "Behind the Front" and "Bridging the Gap" had some of the best lyrics I had heard. But, to make these, they sacrificed popularity...so, they used the formula:
GOOD BEATS + ANY LYRICS = HIT
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