by Nunya Carley

Created on: March 25, 2007   Last Updated: April 04, 2007

There has always been much debate over the question posed; "Who is the greatest rapper of all time?" We tend to think of the "firsts" as the greatest; Sugar Hill Gang had the first "commercially released" song, Run DMC was first rap song played on MTV. Curtis Blow was the first rapper to be signed to a major label, LL Cool J had the first to top the billboards, and people argue that Afrika Bambaataa WAS the first rapper.

In essence this question takes a lot from the reader's preference, or opinion. There are so many that are, and were great, for many different reasons. If I was the one magically chosen to decide just who IS the greatest rapper, I would lead towards those that are most memorable. Their jams and beats are duplicated, and they create words that sear into our heads.

The first person to pop in my head is Dr. Dre. Not only has he come up with some of the most famous rap songs, but he also has the ability to "pick the winner", as far struggling rappers go, and helps them attain a super-sized level of fame. Another contender would be the lead of KRS-1 aka BDP - Boogie Down Productions aka Kris Parker. His songs were played continuously, and always touched on controversial topics that kept people talking.

While Dr. Dre and KRS-1 are two of my favorites, I still don't think my vote would go to them. I was a large fan of rap since the beginning, and grew up in neighborhood full of "ghetto" complexes. The best raps were not so much known for the words, or how fast they could be rapped - but more for the "beatbox" noises that were amazing to listen and watch. Because of this, my vote would go to TWO artists; Mc Ricky D aka Slick Rick, and Doug E Fresh. Their song "The Show/La Di Da Di" is not only STILL one of the most memorable, but it is also copied and remade time and time again. The beatboxing, words, and odd noises were used spectacularly enough to not only get my vote for greatest rappers of all time, but also for my favorite rap song.

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