There aren’t many true hip hop heads who would disagree with the huge impact of KRS-One. Both as the leading member of Boogie Down Productions and in his own right, the iconic rapper is well-regarded as a foundational stone of the hip hop world we know and love today. However, for KRS-One there is one rapper who can be considered “the greatest rapper of all time” and it will leave you shocked.
It’s worth repeating that hip hop is a competitive sport in most regards. The act of standing in front of a mic and spitting the best verse is a confrontational act that rightly deserves a fearsome foe on the other side. From rap battles and beyond, the idea of rapping has always been underpinned by a competitive edge. It means that the consistent ranking of rappers is a necessary part of the game.
It has led countless interviewers to posit the question of naming either a “top five, dead or alive” or their favourite rapper to almost every hip hop artist around. Joe burden, most recently, has found fame by asking some more unusual guests to his podcast about their own top five. Perhaps most interesting about KRS-One’s pick for the GOAT, is that he offered it freely.
The clip below showcases an excitable KRS-One backstage at a show alongside Bushwick Bill and Project Patta. Also in the clip is a more-than-buzzed Lil Wayne, and it is him who KRS-One calls the “greatest rapper of all time! Right here, yo, this is crazy! Yo, let me tell you, don’t sleep!”
Calling Lil Wayne one of the greats is nothing new. Countless artists, including Drake, Nicki Minaj and Justin Bieber have anointed Yung Money as the GOAT, however, to hear such an accolade come from a hip hop pioneer must have landed heavily for the Atlanta rapper.
Watch the moment KRS-One picked his favourite rapper of all time below.
