There are many people who come from all walks of life who like to distinguish themselves as "Hip Hop Heads" or dedicated students of the beautiful genre and culture we call Hip Hop. There has been an ongoing debate since the start of Hip Hop on who truly is a student, who's a casual fan posing as a student, or who are the people who want to exploit Hip Hop for financial purposes, "Culture Vultures" as Dame Dash would refer to them as. One thing that you'll need to be able to distinguish yourself as a pupil of this art craft is an extensive knowledge and hunger for more when it comes to the music that is being created. Everybody knows the classic artists such as Snoop, Pac, Biggie and their classic albums, as well as the biggest artists in today's game like J. Cole, Drake, and Kendrick Lamar, but what about the other cats just itching to make waves. Artists like Smoke DZA, Casey Veggies, Travi$ Scott, and Logic have been tearing up the underground as well as the mainstream just waiting for their shot at the top 5. With artists like them mastering their craft, many people are going to wonder where these guys came from and what they're really about. So with that being said, Swanky Times is proud to introduce the "In Touch" series where every week we will be bringing you everything you need to know about intriguing artists (both established and up & coming) in the mainstream as well as the underground scene as well as the producerss who lace them with the beats! We will also covering singers who are tearing it up as well such as PARTYNEXTDOOR, BJ The Chicago Kid, and Kehlani. Provided with a brief bio; I will be giving you the top 5 songs this artist has put out, top 3 projects (granted they have that many) & my assessment of their music and persona as a fan/critic! All in all, this will be an opportunity to learn about underground music and artists on the rise. First on the list will be Vince Staples on Friday, July 24th! STAY TUNED!
With the first month of 2015 coming to a close, now is a better time than ever to reflect and debate: Who are the top 5 rappers today? With all of the hype always surrounded picking a top 5 of all time, the current debate kind of gets lost in the shuffle. We've seen some dope releases lately with J. Cole's critically acclaimed 2014 Forest Hills Drive, Lupe Fiasco's Tetsuo & Youth, Joey Bada$$' B4.DA.$$, and of course Lil' Wayne's Sorry 4 The Wait 2. With Action Bronson's Mr. Wonderful & Wale's The Album About Nothing both slated for a March release, 2015 is shaping up to have a good start. Hip Hop heads are also expecting (more like hoping for) some new products from heavyweights Kendrick Lamar (maybe sooner rather than later), Drake, and Kanye West. Taking all of that into account I came up with who I feel are the top rappers of today. With this ranking I wanted to focus more on this new turn of the generation. In Hip-Hop today, you can kind of feel a shift happening where these younger artists are taking the forefront while artists like Ye, Jay-Z, Eminem, etc are all focusing on other ventures to ensure their legacies..... As if they need any help. With all that being said I present to you Swanky Times' Top 5 Rappers Today....
5. A$AP ROCKY
At number 5 kicking off the list we have no other than the Pretty Muthafucka himself A$AP Rocky. While this ranking may come as a surprise to some, to many there's no surprise. Flacko has been one of the most electrifying Hip Hop artists of the past few years. With the 2011 release of Live. Love. A$AP, Rocky made his entrance in to the rap game. Tracks like Peso, Purple Swag, & Brand New Guy featuring Schoolboy Q, catapulted Rocky to a new fame and landed him tour spots with artists such as Rihanna & Drake. While those endorsements helped, Flacko showed that he was more than the hype with the 2013 release of his debut album Long. Live. A$AP. He showed a mainstream appeal with summer bangers Wild for the Night & Goldie while showing he can compete with the big boys by shining on songs like Fuckin' Problems which featured Drake & Kendick and the ultra lyrical 1 Train which featured Joey Bada$$, Kendrick, Action Bronson, Danny Brown, Yelawolf & Big K.R.I.T... With a line up of artists like that featured on your debut album you have to be pretty confident in your ability to knock shit out of the park, & confidence is one area Rocky doesn't lack in. We're still awaiting the release of his long awaited sophomore album, but with a few recent single drops you can expecting that to have a 2015 release. If you have any unanswered questions about Rocky (http://noisey.vice.com/read/asap-rocky-svddxnly-part-1-documentary) or his ability to rock the mic (http://youtu.be/lu2-2wJ9W_s) just check out those two videos.
4. JOEY BADA$$
In 2012, a fresh faced 17 year captured the minds of Urban America with the release of his debut mixtape 1999. Spittin' golden age reminiscent rhymes over old Doom beats and new samples, Joey BADA$$ forced his way into the rap game instantly garnering "Savior of Hip Hop" titles. While the progression for Joey has been slower than some anticipated, he's slowly making his way to the top of the mountain. His Pro Era crew which is littered with some of the best upcoming talent has demonstrated a collective movement unseen since A Tribe Called Quest & the Wu-Tang Clan & Joey is right at the forefront. Tracks like Survival Tactics (#LONGLIVESTEELO), Hardknock, & School High showed the raw potential and uncut lyricism in a young Joey. His progression continued with the 2013 release of Summer Knights which while not being as strong as 1999, was a dope tape in its self with standout cuts such as Reign, my personal favorite BADA$$ song 95 Til' Infinity, the ultra emotional #LongLiveSteelo about the late Capital STEEZ. For about a year now Joey has been knocking on the top 5 front door but hasn't really had the mainstream appeal needed or that one piece of work that hits the mainstream in the mouth, but on 1/20 that all changed. Joey released his highly anticipated debut album B4.DA.$$ to great reviews and great first week numbers. The album was number 2 overall on iTunes & Billboard and was number one in the Hip Hop section of each. The album was exactly what I was looking for him to bring and exactly what he needed to catapult him into mainstream fame. Hip Hop Heads will be pleased with tracks like Belly of the Beast & the J. Dillard produced Like Me. He also has a potential radio smash with the Kiesza assisted dance tune Teach Me. This album combined with a recent endorsement from Malia Obama (video below) has given BADA$$ the cred he needs to boast a top 5 ranking.
3. Kendrick Lamar
To say Kendrick Lamar has been M.I.A. lately would be an understatement, other then the single "i" K dot has been ultra quiet lately which is why he is now at #3 on the list. While "i" was pretty lyrical and delivered a good message, I personally thought it was below expectations considering it was some of the first material he was releasing since his ultra celebrated Good Kid, M.A.A.D City album that sent him up the rankings. Since unleashing GKMC & dropping the Control verse which shook the game up, Kendrick hasn't really capitalized on the crazy hype that has come his way. This slip is not attributed to his bars but more so to the lack of production, but with his upcoming untitled album rumored to be coming rather sooner than later (1/27 to be exact) he could be gunnin' for his #1 crown again real soon. This next album will reveal whether K dot is a legend in the making of just a one album wonder.
2. Drake
Let's get one thing straight right now before y'all get it twisted Drizzy is the man in Hip Hop right now. He is the man you go to if you need a hit and he's the man you go to if you need a cosign. He's made Billboard monsters out of PARTYNEXTDOOR & iLoveMakonnen & no matter what anybody says he made Migos famous by remixing their Versace single. Taking all of these in to consideration you might ask why he's not number 1? Well for the same reasom Kendrick dropped, Drake must be penalized as well. While he's dropped an album more recently than Lamar with 2013's Nothing Was The Same, the fact that he didn't release an album in 2014 hurt him. '14 was still a good year for Drizzy though as he's still Grammy nominated (Tuesday & 0 To 100), dropped some hot singles; 0 To 100, 6God, & How About Now, and dropped one of the hardest guest verses to start 2015 off on Nicki Minaj's Only. If recent work is any indication we can expect another Canadian classic with his upcoming studio album Views From The 6 which has yet to be tagged with a release date. Also we can expect a big year from the OVO crew if recent comments are taken in to account, Drizzy has said he wants 2015 to belong to OVO.
1. J. Cole
Hip Hop is, has always been, and will always be a "What have you done for me lately?" kind of art, & nobody benefited from this more than J. Cole. In a down year for Hip Hop & our country in general, 2014 belonged to Cole. When recent events which caused riots and protests in places like Ferguson, Missouri & NYC, you saw Cole at the forefront protesting with the people. He doesn't shy away from stating his views on political issues and current events alike and at the end of the day that's what music is about. It's about making a statement, standing up for your beliefs and being a voice of the people and nobody exhibited this attribute better than him. Not only was he an activist, but Cole also had a good year musically which he ended off with a bang with 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which was no doubt the album of the year, regardless of genre. Tracks like 03' Adolescence, Apparently, & Wet Dreamz showcase Cole's insane story telling ability while songs like GOMD & Fire Squad show his ability to switch up his style to a more ruthless & aggressive style. Fire Squad in particular started a country wide debate on the place of white people in Hip Hop and really got everybody talking. Cole's rise to the top has been a long time coming and has taken longer than expected but it finally came to fruition. The crown will belong to J. Cole until somebody takes it, which might be harder than expected.
BEST OF THE REST: With so many up and coming artists getting shine we are seeing a shift into the newer generation of Hip Hop. These artists aren't quite ready to be thrusted in to the top 5 but would make creating a top 10 list an awfully difficult task. In no particular order, this is the "Best of the rest": Wiz Khalifa, Action Bronson, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Big K.R.I.T., Childish Gambino, Dom Kennedy, Big Sean, Wale, Mac Miller, Tyler The Creator, Freddie Gibbs, Logic, Meek Mill, Nipsey Hussle, YG, & Chance The Rapper. Check out the top freestyles of 2014 by HOT 97!
Agree? Disagree? Let us know what you think in the comments or social media!
With all due respect to Joey & the Pro Era crew, I think Beastcoast fans all over deserve a preview of this album before we all hit stores and iTunes to buy it on Tuesday! Fans all over have been so patient waiting for this potential game changer to drop, so without further a due B4.DA.$$. #LONGLIVESTEELO http://www.sharebeast.com/hk0gxdza7m2u.
