The Greatest Rappers 1988 – 2005…According to The Source Magazine

Written by Rizoh. Posted in Mixtapes

Published on July 18, 2006 with 22 Comments">22 Comments

When you start seeing folks like Mike Jones, Chingy and Ying Yang Twins on a Best of anything-list, it really shows how much rap has plummeted into utter mediocrity. According to this issue of The Source, the greatest artists between 1988 and 2005:

1988
-P.E – BDP – Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince -Big Daddy Kane – Rakim
-Salt N Pepa -Slick Rick -Too Short/Eazy-E -EPMD -Run DMC

1989
-N.W.A -De La Soul -LL Cool J -2 Live Crew -Tone Loc
-Big Daddy Kane -The D.O.C. -EpMD -Queen Latifah -Biz Markie

1990
-P.E -Ice Cube -MC Hammer -LL Cool J -Brand Nubian
-Digital Underground -BDP -A Tribe Called Quest -Rakim -X-Clan

1991
-Ice Cube -N.W.A. -A Tribe Called Quest -Geto Boyz -De La Soul
-Naughty By Nature -Cypress Hill -Black Sheep -DJ Quik -P.E.

1992
-Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg -Das EFX -Redman -Kris Kross -Ice Cube
-Arrested Development -Sir Mix-a-lot -Pete Rock & CL Smooth -The Pharcyde -DJ Quik

1993
-Snoop Dogg -Wu-Tang Clan -2Pac -A Tribe Called Quest -Naughty By Nature
-Digable Planets -Cypress Hill -Ice Cube -MC Eight -Onyx

1994
-Nas -Biggie -OutKast -Warren G -Method Man
-Da Brat -Bone Thugs -Scarface -Common -Jeru The Damaja

1995
-Bone thugs -Wu-Tang -Snoop/ Dog Pound -Biggie -2Pac
-Mobb Deep -Goodie Mob -Naughty By Nature -The Pharcyde -Dj Quik

1996
-2Pac -Fugees -Outkast -Westside Connection -Jay-Z
-Lil Kim -LL Cool J -Nas -Busta Rhymes -Foxy Brown

1997
-Biggie -P. Diddy/Mase -Wu-Tang -Wyclef -Will Smith
-Busta Rhymes -Master P -Bone Thugs -Missy -Rakim

1998
-Lauryn Hill -Jay-Z -Master P/ No Limit -DMX -Outkast
-Juvenile -Big Pun -N.O.R.E. -Canibus -Gang Starr

1999
-Cash Money/Ruff Ryders/DMX -Eminem -Jay-Z -Redman & Methodman -Snoop Dogg
-Mobb Deep -No Limit -Nas -The Roots -Mos Def

2000
-Eminem -Dr. Dre -Nelly -Jay-Z -Outkast
-Dmx -Ja Rule -Mystikal -Ludacris -Lil Bow Wow

2001
-Jay-Z -Ja Rule -Nas -P. Diddy -Ludacris
-Xzibit -Trick Daddy -Missy -Petey Pablo -Fabolous

2002
-Eminem -Nelly -Missy -Nas -Cam’Ron
-Jay-z -Nappy Roots -Clipse -Big Tymers -50 Cent

2003
-50 Cent -Outkast -Jay-Z -Lil John & The Eastside Boyz -Ludacris
-Snoop Dogg -Chingy -David Banner -T.I. -Lil Kim

2004
-Lil John -Kanye West -G-Unit -Snoop Dogg -Twista
-Ludacris -T.I. -Terror Squad -Jadakiss -Juvenile

2005
-Kanye West -50 Cent -The Game -Mike Jones -Young Jezzy
-Ying Yang Twins -Paul Wall -Bun B -Three Six Mafia -Lil Kim

TRU

Rizoh

Rizoh is the most powerful man in all the lands. He lives in Houston where he earned a BS in Nerf Herding. He's the founder of The Rap Up, the editor of Roc4Life.com, and is in the Grammy-awaiting band Pervertable Disciples.

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  • http://www.prohiphop.com Clyde Smith

    Why would you single them out when hacks like Puffy and Mase made the list? They were truly awful.

    But, of course, New York does everything first, don’t they?

    Hey, I forgot about Onyx!

    According to that actor whose name I can’t remember and was always hard to pronounce when looking at the spelling, Onyx “revolutionized the raspy voice” style of rap!

    It’s true. I saw it on MTV!

  • http://www.prohiphop.com Clyde Smith

    Why would you single them out when hacks like Puffy and Mase made the list? They were truly awful.

    But, of course, New York does everything first, don’t they?

    Hey, I forgot about Onyx!

    According to that actor whose name I can’t remember and was always hard to pronounce when looking at the spelling, Onyx “revolutionized the raspy voice” style of rap!

    It’s true. I saw it on MTV!

  • John Moran

    ^word
    Nas is on that list a lot, which is a good thing.

  • John Moran

    ^word
    Nas is on that list a lot, which is a good thing.

  • Daz B

    Mike Jones? fuck outta here

  • http://kalibleek.blogspot.com KaLiBLeeK

    Wow…compare 2005 to every other year on that list. Rather depressing. And how did No Limit make the list twice? This has to have been a “most popular rappers” list, and not “best rappers.” If not, somebody needs to start slappin’ folks over at The Source.

  • http://rap.about.com Rizoh

    Guys!
    I didnt make the list
    The source did

  • Daz B

    Mike Jones? fuck outta here

  • http://kalibleek.blogspot.com KaLiBLeeK

    Wow…compare 2005 to every other year on that list. Rather depressing. And how did No Limit make the list twice? This has to have been a “most popular rappers” list, and not “best rappers.” If not, somebody needs to start slappin’ folks over at The Source.

  • http://rap.about.com Rizoh

    Guys!
    I didnt make the list
    The source did

  • http://hiphopworld.com Fezz

    wtf! mike jones best artist of 2005?
    is this a joke?

    fukk the sauce for this shit!

  • http://hiphopworld.com Fezz

    wtf! mike jones best artist of 2005?
    is this a joke?

    fukk the sauce for this shit!

  • Jiggaboo

    Hov still the king – he’s on ther 5 times. I counted

  • Jiggaboo

    Hov still the king – he’s on ther 5 times. I counted

  • http://www.prohiphop.com Clyde Smith

    We still blame you Rizoh!

  • http://www.prohiphop.com Clyde Smith

    We still blame you Rizoh!

  • http://rap.about.com Rizoh

    LOL!
    Fine then, I am The Source. Yipee!

  • http://rap.about.com Rizoh

    LOL!
    Fine then, I am The Source. Yipee!

  • Viktor

    Someone needs to slap the kufi out whoever wrote this list for The Source.
    Those Vh-1 lists are even better than this shit

  • Viktor

    Someone needs to slap the kufi out whoever wrote this list for The Source.
    Those Vh-1 lists are even better than this shit

  • WTF

    This is bullshit. There’s a thousand rappers that should be on before most of these chumps. Just a couple off the top that weren’t mentioned… Public Enemy!, KRS1 !. The Source has got its head so far up its ass all it can recognize is SHIT!!!

  • WTF

    This is bullshit. There’s a thousand rappers that should be on before most of these chumps. Just a couple off the top that weren’t mentioned… Public Enemy!, KRS1 !. The Source has got its head so far up its ass all it can recognize is SHIT!!!

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