Thirty Three Jones | Desktop Site
Over the next week or so, MTV.com is going to be revealing their Top 10 MCs list. In case you can't handle the suspense of waiting a whole week for this huge announcement, here it is:
10 - LL Cool J
9 - Eminem
8 - Ice Cube
7 - Big Daddy Kane
6 - KRS-One
5 - Nas
4 - Rakim
3 - Notorious B.I.G.
2 - Tupac
1 - Jay-Z
Considering the source (MTV) this is about as good a list as you can hope for. I have some issues with it (I would not put 2Pac ahead of Biggie and there are too many five percenters up there for my tastes, but that's a conversation for another day), but the main problem I have with the list is the fact that they left off Public Enemy's Chuck D.
Chuck D. was perhaps the greatest live performer in hip hop and got the crowd more hyped up and involved than I've ever seen at any other rap concert. Getting back to the original meaning of MC, Master of Ceremonies, I think Chuck D. embodies that as much as anyone on that list. If I had to drop someone off the list to make room for Chuck, it would have to be LL Cool J, though I would put Chuck up higher than #10.
For a taste of what Chuck D. brought to the game as an MC, here's a 9 minute mix of P.E. tracks:
Download P.E. Enemy Assault Mixx (mp3)
If you don't already own it, go pick up It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back. You could make a strong case for It Takes A Nation as one of the top 5 hip hop records of all time.
4/11/2006 8:08:02 AM posted by Fresh