It’s one thing to write rap lyrics that are catchy and something that you can nod your head to. It’s a totally different animal to construct a hip-hop track that tells an intriguing story while also having a harmonious flow. Not every rapper has the talent or skill set to tell a compelling story through a song.
In the history of rap, certain rappers have excelled at storytelling, and on Thursday, the internet tipped their cap to these brilliant hip-hop raconteurs.Early on Thursday morning, the Twitter account for XXL Magazine asked the question: “Who is the best storyteller in hip-hop?”
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) January 9, 2020
The internet was quick to respond with their favorite rappers who they believe to be the greatest rap storytellers. There were hip-hop fans making cases for Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, J. Cole, Nas, Kanye West, Biggie Smalls, Ice Cube, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Fresh Prince, Immortal Technique, Offset, Scarface, and Meek Mill.
Then If You Play It Forward In Slow Motion You Can Hear 2Pac Softly Say “Come With Meeee.”
Then If You Play It Backwards In Fast Motion You Hear Fred Sanford Say “I’m Coming!” pic.twitter.com/diWMGmxWbc
— 👻:damdonny (@Donn_Knee) January 9, 2020
AND He Wrote Stan!
— Emikaze (@Liviakai21) January 9, 2020
— Sam (@sammyfidoe) January 9, 2020
TCD: narrative album
LR: concept album
Grad: narrative
808s: concept
MBDTF: narrative
Yeezus: narrative
TLOP: narrative
ye: hybrid
KSG: hybrid
JIK: hybrid
How many others have consistently made album-level storytelling primary? Kendrick and…?
— Watching the Throne (@KanyePodcast) January 9, 2020
— pink tony 🇮🇹 (@natebadfellas) January 9, 2020
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— Abdul azeez (@ezln323) January 9, 2020
— Mike P (@MVPizzle) January 9, 2020
— Alex / Vexed (@Juvasstoel) January 9, 2020
— 🔥🔥🔥 (@FLOWLAVAH) January 9, 2020
THE FRESH PRINCE
Parents Just Don’t Understand
Girls Ain’t Nothing But Trouble
I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson
Nightmare on My Street
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air pic.twitter.com/YBA7o4ekVu
— Paul Little 🎮 (@ItsPaulLittle) January 9, 2020
— PH Dofie (@ph_dofie) January 9, 2020
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— Nils Jolly (@JollyNils) January 9, 2020
— Marques. (@___Kees) January 9, 2020
— fr fr (@freezy_rooster) January 9, 2020
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Based on only eyeing up the replies to the XXL Magazine tweet, it appears the rankings of the best storytellers in rap are:
5.) 2pac (Brenda’s Got a Baby)
4.) Eminem (Stan)
3.) Nas (I Gave You Power)
2.) Kendrick Lamar (Keisha’s Song)
1.) Slick Rick (Children’s Story)
The responses seemed to declare Slick Rick to be the overwhelming winner as the best storyteller in rap. The British-accented lyricist from the Bronx has spun tales through hip-hop songs since the mid-1980s and broke out with his instant classic The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, which hit No. 1 spot on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 1988. Rick the Ruler was famously known for his storytelling ways as heard in Children’s Story, The Moment I Feared, and Mona Lisa.
— To Pimp A Tweet (@that_hop) January 9, 2020
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) January 9, 2020
— Pumkin Escobar (@PDotEsco) January 9, 2020
— rvd74 (@rvd74) January 9, 2020
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