- There have been lists of ‘Greatest Rappers of All Time’ and ‘Top Hip Hop Heads’ but never really a ‘King of Rap’ title
- In 2011, Rolling Stone decided to put an end to the feuds in the hip-hop industry and name one person the rap king
- Although Eminem has been given the crown, there are still arguments that he isn’t the king of rap.
As simple as the question ‘Who is the king of rap?’ is, it has caused a lot of controversies over the years. The question has so much depth to it that one cannot just roll any name out of his or her lips without concrete reasons.
Determining who the king of rap is, involves quite a lot. So far, a number of names have come to play and various people have made their picks based on the artists available.
Taking the top 10 positions are famous names such as Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Diddy. Of this list, one of them has been crowned the king of rap of this era and by design, he is at the top.
There are also legends in the industry like The Notorious B.I.G, Nas, and Tupac. These Legends’ contribution to the growth of the rap genre cannot be overemphasized. In fact, Eminem has confessed severally, to drawing inspiration from a couple of these O.G’s including Nas.
Eminem is the King of Rap
Before you come for me, I did not make the declaration on a personal base, although it is a popular belief. Rolling Stone had declared, after a series of polls and opinion checks, that Eminem deserves the crown and title.
Certainly, there are big names in the industry who were up against him but according to the magazine, these others did not quite meet up. Eminem’s only worthy contender seems to be one whose, legacy alone remains alive. This person is Tupac Shakur.
1967-formed American Monthly magazine which focuses on music, pop culture, and politics listed the following as their mode of measurement;
- Album sales
- Chart Successes
- YouTube Video Counts
- Social media activities
- Concerts and Awards
- Opinions of Authorities.
Following these, the Detroit rapper cleared all other contenders by a large margin. He was closely followed by Lil Wayne who, despite being close, was almost short by half of some of his achievements.
The decision for the crowning was quite unanimous as it was widely accepted by both fans and authorities, alike. Even most MCs have accepted that Eminem is one of the greatest rappers alive and deserves to be made king of rap.
A Summary of How Rolling Stone Drew Their Conclusion
As of when Eminem also known as Slim Shady, won the title in 2011, he had sold over 75 million on his albums. Lil Wayne however only had 3 million sales.
Lil Wayne’s YouTube views were a whopping 671 million however, it was not a match for Slim Shady’s 1.3 billion views on the same platform.
On Social media at the time, Eminem’s pages and news would reach a record high of 44 million Facebook likes and he had about 5 million Twitter followers. It was obvious that the ‘white guy’ had built a remarkable force in fans.
It would interest you to know that both rappers began their careers in the same decade, the 1990s. There really wasn’t any disparity in Rolling Stone’s mode of judgment as the figures spoke for themselves.
See Also: Kimberly Anne Scott: 17 Untold Facts About Eminem’s Ex-Wife- Is She Alive?
Who is Eminem, the King of Rap?
H was born Marshall Bruce Mathers III in St. Joseph, Missouri, United States of America. Eminem started a career in hip-hop in the 90s. He was born on October 17, 1972, and had quite a troubled childhood which led to him dropping out of school.
Since his break into the hip-hop world, he has been prone to a great number of criticisms. It first began when he, an ethnically white guy, delved into a musical genre supposedly dominated by blacks. Eminem was mostly ignored and bullied as a form of discouragement.
Marshall Mathers used his hard, traumatic, childhood and teenage experiences to build and tell stories. He has ultimately told his way to a huge title. However, he used the stones thrown at him to build a ladder and rose up charts. Being on the side of luck, he has been named a best-selling musician as he has recorded over 220 sales worldwide.
In the same vein, Eminem has about 15 Grammies, as well as 1 Academy Award, 17 Billboard awards, and 8 American Music Awards. Marshall has also sealed a spot at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To name a few of his successes and achievements so far.
Shady is also an actor who made his acting debut in 8 Mile where he played a ‘fictionized’ version of himself. He is a record producer, songwriter, and businessman. The rapper owns Shady Records and opened a restaurant in Detriot named Mom’s Spaghetti.
Above all, Marshall Mathers prides himself more on being a father to three lovely kids. His daughters are named Hailey Jade, Alaina Marie Mathers, and Stevie Laine. You most likely have heard him talk about his daughters if you’re a fan of his music.
‘Why Be a King, When You Can Be a God?’
Eminem has been certified as the king of rap in this era of hip-hop music. The factors supporting this include his originality, popularity, and influence on hip-hop.
However, he isn’t taking the road of humility. As his ‘Rap God’ single suggests; ‘Why be a king when you can be a god?’ The rapper has certainly gone on to achieve a lot more success and titles for himself.
In addition to some of the already mentioned titles and achievements, Slim Shady also has titles of being Best Rapper Alive. There is in the Guinness Book of World Records and is one of 7 rappers who made it to their list.
Marthers’ Guinness Records include ‘Most Words in a Hit Single’ as well as for being the fastest-selling rap artist in the year 2000. He has however gone on to create and break more records for himself.
The 52-year-old rapper has a long list of awards that are spread over his works. Whether a single, album, or movie, be sure that he has gotten critical acclaim for it and in the process, bagged recognitions and awards.
Eminem has ‘been through hell and back’ and has just a lot of vouchers to show for it. However, he has proven in his over 2 decades of penetrating the hip-hop world and making his presence felt, that he is not here for jokes. Being named the king of rap is no easy feat but he has achieved it and more.
We don’t know how much longer he would be in the entertainment world. However, it is certain that even when he is retired, his legacies would remain. Eminem made music that would outlive him and this, more than anything, is the desire of most rap artists.
