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In a field which is littered with talent and different takes on traditional concepts, the world of MCing has been blessed to witness a number of exceptional contributors. Still, there are a few who appear to buck the trend of stereotypical MC with big egos and bigger cars. Kool G Rap, aka G Rap, aka Kool Genius of Rap, aka your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper, is a bit of an anomaly in the hip-hop game. He oozes humility, helping many younger members of the hip-hop family become what they are today.

In an interview on the Juan Epstein podcast, G Rap was asked to pick his favourite MCs of all time. Below is a list of rappers (in no particular order) who Kool G Rap considers to be in the top ten MCs of all time. Unsurprisingly, the rapper from Queens lists himself in the top ten. If you can’t have faith in yourself, no one else will either. Having been in the game for 40 years, he’s definitely a worthy inclusion.

Nas was the first name out of G Rap’s mouth (after acknowledging himself, of course). During the interview G Rap stated that: “When we connected, you know what I’m saying, we maintained the connection and everything. He was cool with me chopping his demo’s. I actually had him recording in my house…so that I could chop them.” Nas was introduced as a young MC who reminded the world of Kool G Rap. It’s no surprise that a rapper G Rap helped to create is on this list.

With a flow that could cure the severest drought, Rakim stands head and shoulders (literally, he’s 6’5″) above many other MCs of the era. Born in the same year as Kool G Rap, the two pioneered the MC and DJ tandem duo era of hip-hop.

Alongside Kool G Rap, Krs-One was born in a time when discrimination against Black people was rampant. The Brooklyn rapper was vocal about civil rights not only through his music (his iconic track ‘Sound of the Police’ bringing awareness to the discrimination peddled by the authorities to the masses), but also through his work with the Stop the Violence movement.

Similar to those of the same era, Big Daddy Kane oozed confidence through his strong lyricism. What set him apart was his ability to incorporate different flows seamlessly. If Kool G Rap was a champion for minimalists on the rap scene, Big Daddy Kane was his ultimate idol.

Questions were asked if Jay Z’s move towards the mainstream detracted from the fact that he was a great MC. Kool G Rap countered this with “I dont care how many people think that he went mainstream or whatever now, but this dude was a beast…I appreciate what he does. Even when he’s not being super lyrical, I appreciate what he does in terms of making a good record, a good song.” For an MC to feature on this list, despite the mainstream detraction, indicates he had some massive positives prior to that time.

When asked about Eminem’s inclusion in this list G Rap said one thing: “Cos he’s a lyrical beast.” Yes, he has the occasional gag track like ‘Fak’ or ‘My Band’ with D12, but the self proclaimed ‘Rap God’ can unquestionably damage anyone in battle if he so chooses.

Kool G Rap recounts a moment between himself and Big Pun during the interview: “I met Pun in one of Fat Joe’s clothing stores in the Bronx and Pun got on his knee and kissed my ring and all that…That just shows you how real of a dude Pun was cos Pun was a real goon.” The humility is what speaks to Kool G Rap here. For an MC who had such a massive hit as “Still not a player” to bend the knee, is extremely up Kool G’s alley.

Unlike a lot of the MCs on this list, Ice Cube has a much slower flow, which aligns with G Rap’s legacy. Although he was one of the last two names to be mentioned, G Rap said that his place was: “No argument to me”. The exclusion of Tupac Shakur from this list was met with some sneers. Although the two share similar vocal frequencies, Kool G Rap chose to include Scarface over the Harlem rapper due to his superior lyricism. Huge praise.

Kool G Rap picks his favourite rappers:

• Kool G Rap
• Nas
• Rakim
• Krs-One
• Big Daddy Kane
• Jay Z
• Eminem
• Big Pun
• Ice Cube
• Scarface