The 10 Most Popular Rappers of All-Time

There are variousqualities and unique skills that must come together in order for a music artist to become truly legendary. Not only does a rapper have to possess the gift of rhythm, but they must also be able to compliment their beat in extraordinary ways. Not to mention the fact that a talented rapper can tell a very compelling story, their point of view, using powerful lyrics in a ‘catchy’ hip hop tune.

Here is a list of the 10 most popular rappers of all time:

10.Kendrick Lamar

Born and raised in Compton, California, Kendrick Lamar is an award-winning rapper and songwriter who began his musical career as a teenager under the stage name K-Dot.

Lamar gained recognition in 2010 after his first retail release, Overly Dedicated, and amassed a large Internet following. Kendrick Lamar is also known for collaborating with artists such as Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre.

9. Andre’ 3000

Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000) is the rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor best known for his part in the duo Outkast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi.

In 2013, Complex included Benjamin on its list of the best rappers of the 2000’s. In 2015, Billboard also included him on its list of the 10 Greatest Rappers of All Time.

8. Rakim

William Michael Griffin, better known by his stage name Rakim, is recognized as the father of modern day rap, and he is also widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled MCs of all time.

In 2012, The Source ranked him #1 on their list of the ‘Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.”

7. Ice Cube

O’Shea Jackson Sr., known professionally as Ice Cube, began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the group N.W.A. Ice Cube not only enjoys a successful music career, but he has had a very successful acting career as well.

Ice Cube was ranked number 9 on MTV’s list of the 10 Greatest MCs of all time, while fellow rapper Snoop Dogg ranked him as the greatest MC of all time. In 2012, The Source ranked him number 14 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.

6. Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter, known as Jay-Z, is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, having sold more than 100 million records, while receiving 21 Grammy Awards for his music.

In 2009, Jay-Z was ranked the tenth-most successful artist of the 2000’s by Billboard as well as the fifth top solo male artist and fourth top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent.In 2017, Forbes estimated his net worth at $810 million, making him the second-richest hip hop artist in the U.S.

5. Snoop Dogg

Out of Long Beach, California, Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr., known professionally as Snoop Dogg, began his career in 1992, when he was featured on Dr. Dre’s solo debut, Deep Cover.

Snoop Dogg has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide. His debut album, Doggystyle (produced by Dr. Dre and released in 1993 through Death Row Records), debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles.

4. Nas

Nasir Bin OluDara Jones, better known by his state name Nas, is the Muslim American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and entrepreneur who is recognized as one of the greatest hip hop artists.

MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of “The Greatest MCs of All Time”. In 2012, The Source ranked him number two on their list of the “Top 50 Lyricists of All Time”. In 2013, Nas was ranked fourth on MTV’s “Hottest MCs in the Game” list.

3. Notorus B.I.G.

Out of Brooklyn, NY, Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie, or Biggie Smalls, is the artist who is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time.

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by a gunman in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.

His double-disc album Life After Death, released 16 days later, rose to No. 1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America.

2. Eminem

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, also known as Enimen, is the rapper, record producer, and actor recognized as the best-selling artist of the 2000’s in the United States.

Throughout his career, he has had 10 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. With US sales of 45.1 million albums and 42 million tracks as of June 2014, Eminem is the second best-selling male artist of the Nielsen SoundScan era, the sixth best-selling artist in the United States and the best-selling hip-hop artist.

Globally, he has sold more than 172 million albums, thus being one of the world’s best-selling artists. Rolling Stone ranked him 83rd on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, calling him the King of Hip Hop.

1. Tupac Shakur

Lesane Parish Crooks, known as rapper Tupac (2Pac) Amaru Shakur, sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Shakur is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time and he has been listed and ranked as one of the greatest artists of any genre by many publications, including Rolling Stone, which ranked him 86th on its list of The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting at an intersection in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where he died from injuries six days later.

In 2017, Shakur was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.