There's no single, universally agreed-upon "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time) of rap, as it's subjective, but Jay-Z, Tupac (2Pac), The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie), Nas, and Kendrick Lamar are consistently named among the best, alongside others like Eminem, Lil Wayne, and André 3000, with major publications like Billboard often crowning Jay-Z. Criteria like lyricism, longevity, impact, and commercial success heavily influence these debates, with fans often divided by era and personal preference.
The top rankings were unveiled on February 8, 2023, which crowned Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time and Nicki Minaj the greatest female rapper of all time. It sparked multiple debates within the hip hop industry, many of whom criticized the publications and artists featured in the premier positions.
The "Big 3" of modern hip-hop, particularly dominant in the 2010s and early 2020s, are widely considered to be Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole, recognized for their lyrical skills, commercial success, and cultural impact, often compared as the era's top lyrical forces. While debates continue, especially after Kendrick's "Big Me" line and J. Cole acknowledging the trio, they remain central figures in discussions about the genre's elite, though newer artists and past legends like Eminem, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne also feature in "Big 3" conversations for different eras.
There isn't one single "1st fastest rapper," as records change and different metrics are used (syllables vs. words, underground vs. mainstream), but Twista (formerly Tung Twista) was the first recognized by Guinness World Records in 1992 for 598 syllables in 55 seconds, while Eminem holds records for fastest rap in a #1 single ("Godzilla"), and underground MCs like Rebel XD and Tonedeff have clocked even higher syllable-per-second rates.
Tonedeff, Twista, Bone Thugz, Tech N9ne, Mac Lethal, Khan, Watsky, Jarv. There are tons of rappers faster than the average Eminem and Busta jams. Speed doesn't always equal quality anyway. Just enjoy what you like yo.
“Rap God” is Eminem's braggadocious ode to himself and his career.
Yes, Eminem has immense respect for 2Pac, calling him one of the greatest songwriters ever, deeply inspired by Pac's raw emotion, impact, and ability to connect with listeners, even producing his posthumous album Loyal to the Game and writing a heartfelt letter to his mother, Afeni Shakur,.
GOAT Rappers
He told SiriusXM: “The Tupac/Biggie thing was tough because you like them both, and you're just stuck in this weird thing where you're bumping the Tupac diss record, then you're bumping something from Biggie that might be dissing him in it.” Eminem admitted that Tupac and Biggie were huge influences on his own career.
The 3rd richest rapper varies slightly by source and date, but generally, after Jay-Z and often Kanye West or Dr. Dre, Sean "Diddy" Combs is consistently listed as the third wealthiest, with fortunes ranging from around $400-$600 million, driven by music, Bad Boy Records, Ciroc Vodka, and other ventures, despite recent legal challenges affecting his standing.
Drake, according to RIAA, has more record sales (by certified units) than any artists in history with about 340 million sales (Eminem has about 240 million sales). Drake has 8 no. 1 hits compared to Eminem's 5.
Bad Bunny is once again Spotify's Global Top Artist
Rounding out the top five artists are Taylor Swift in second place (but first in the U.S.), followed by The Weeknd (third), Drake (fourth), and Billie Eilish (fifth).
He Was Nearly Kicked Out of School for Writing Rhymes Before he became the "Rap God," Eminem was just a kid growing up in Detroit with a knack for words. In fact, his love for rhyming got him into trouble early on.
Coke La Rock. Coke La Rock (aka Coco La Rock; born April 24, 1955) is an American rapper from New York City who is sometimes credited as being the first MC in the history of hip-hop. In 2010, he was inducted into the High Times Counterculture Hall of Fame at the annual ceremonies at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam.
He was named the greatest rapper of all time by Billboard and Vibe in 2023. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio. His music is built on a rags to riches narrative. He is the richest musician, worth $2.6 billion as of 2025.
Meet Giacomo! Legend has it, he is the most photographed goat in the world. He has been warming hearts with his cute smile and chomping olive branches since he arrived in 2010. He was “appointed” to eat the grass between the vines, but we found the shrubs, vines and olive trees were his favorite target.
Drake proves again why he's the Hip-hop Goat by surpassing 117 BILLION streams on Spotify across all credits 🔥🦉 He remains the most-streamed artist of all time on the platform. There's a difference between Grammy and real numbers Drake chose the numbers. And guess what? They don't lie🙌❤️🔥
"I like Tupac more now because it's reflective." Snoop Dogg: He changed hip-hop while he was here and even after the fact. Eminem: Tupac was the first one to really help me learn how to make songs that felt like something.
Eminem's following album Relapse (2009) became the most collaborative project between the two. Dre produced every single song on the album, and its quality definitely shows. To this day, the pair continue to be very close friends. Dre even inducted Eminem into the 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
🇬🇭Ghanaian rapper Lyrical Joe has now taken over Eminem's title as the fastest rapper in the world. In the song "Takeoff" by Lill Humble, Lyrical Joe rapped over 240 words in just 30 seconds, surpassing Eminem's previous record of 225 words in the same time frame.
Freestyles are performed a cappella, over beatboxing (as seen in Freestyle), or over instrumental versions of songs. Freestyling is often done in a group setting called a "cypher" (or "cipher") or as part of a "freestyle battle".
With him overtaking Drake in popularity and being accepted by the culture as the king of rap, Lamar has gained some new accomplishments. Notably among these accomplishments is Lamar becoming the first solo rap artist to headline the Super Bowl Halftime performance.