Is Rakim really the G.O.A.T.?

damn
laugh.gif
my bad ive had to work this weekend my mind is elsewhere..
ohwell.gif
 
Originally Posted by Harlem On The Rise

I mean with Nas he has been in the conversation of the BEST MC since '94, its now 2009, 15 years later and he's still in top form, Unititled was brilliant...until Untitled dropped, it got to a point where Nas had made waaay too much good music to not be the BEST.
Click to expand...
Co-sign. When in this argument, his longevity has got to play a major role. To be in the spotlight for at least 15 years and still NaS lyricism iscrazy. People say he's not versatile, but its crazy to listen to Illmatic and Untitled- he has adapted and grown. Its almost like two different artists.

Rakim was never able to do that; that's what causes me to flip-flop between these two over whos G.O.A.T.
 
Originally Posted by SEND ONE

.u can agrue Dondi paved the way for dudes doin top to bottoms on cars but there's ppl out there better than dondi.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Props for even knowing that name.

Personally I try to avoid the "paved the way" argument. I look at it more as what he did relative to the time it was done and influences. The way he broke out in his day was way more advanced than what others did in they're time....Nas came very close though.

Someone in here said age plays a factor and I kinda agree. It's one thing to listen to his material now in an era where we're already used that style of rhyming, and it's another when you actually experienced it first hand. The latter lets you understand/appreciate more what he did.

Rakim to rap is kinda like Jesus to the bible. There's B.R. and A.R. The difference between the music B.R. and A.R. is ridiculous.


Thank you. As a writer, I still get chills when I break down Rakim's rhyme patterns. I'm only 21, but having went back and listened to most of hiscatalog, he's still light years ahead of many of today's most popular rappers. (Granted, that's not saying much, but that's besides thepoint...)
 
What Rakim did in the 80's = having a Mac lab top with a ipod in the 60's...

Thats how far ahead he was when it came to pure spit during his era...
 
Originally Posted by sStutter

I don't think he is, but I have no problem with him being your GOAT.
Click to expand...
... because ...
Originally Posted by SEND ONE

He FORCED the game to adapt to his style in a way that no one else has been able to duplicate.

Dude was more ahead of his peers than any other mc considered to be the greatest.
Click to expand...
 
I like alot of Ra's material but IMO he gets too much credit as the innovator. Same way Mid East Beast sat here and rubbed down Kool G. They innovated anew style in hip hop that became a standard but its been decades and people have rocked the style better. Thats just IMO. I personally feel Big Daddy Kane >Ra
 
Originally Posted by mossman75

Originally Posted by B Smooth 202

I have a lot of respect for R...but I don't think he is the greatest of all time, more like the greatest of his generation. Rappers got better after Rakim.
Click to expand...

I wanna know the list of these Rappers that got better


Rakim= GOAT

Changed the way MC's rapped, before you had cats rapping like... I got a dog a cat a mouse a rat/A fly he wont die and a little gnat

To....


Im just an addict addicted to music
Maybe its a habit, I gotta use it
Even if its jazz or the quiet storm
I hook a beat up convert it in a hip-hop form
Write a rhyme in graffitti in every show you see me in
Deep concentration cuz Im no comedian

I take 7 mcs put em in a line
And add 7 more brothas who think they can rhyme
Well, itll take 7 more before I go for mine
And thats 21 mcs ate up at the same time

I came in the door, I said it before
I never let the mic magnatize me no more
But its biting me, fighting me, inviting me to rhyme
I cant hold it back, Im looking for the line,
Taking off my coat, clearing my throat
My rhyme will be kicking it until I hit my last note
Click to expand...

That statement alone should tell you whats up...
 
Reading some of the responses in this thread remind me why I don't come thru here on the daily like I used to.

Some of you young dudes are straight buffoons.

My-T.
 
if hip hop was a house then rakim's the foundation. he ain the G.O.A.T (Nas is) but he is one the best ever to spit. im glad i got to see him live, its anexperience
pimp.gif


for you youngins, do yourself a favor and listen to paid in full
 
Originally Posted by GolfAlphaBravoEcho

Should he even be considered? I mean like from the late 80's to the early 90's he did his thing right? Then the ol' boy fell off.

But he hasn't made a significant contribution to the game in 10 years Addicted was in 02 and Classic wasn't even released on a major offering.

Does Rakim sit in your top 10 rappers of ALL TIME?
Click to expand...
which is why i never understood how anyone could consider him the goat. he didnt make it out 80s with the rest of those cats. Wheres thelongevity? Somethin i think is necessary if your to be considered the greatest imo

thought> the ar
 
Originally Posted by Pmighty

Originally Posted by GolfAlphaBravoEcho

Should he even be considered? I mean like from the late 80's to the early 90's he did his thing right? Then the ol' boy fell off.

But he hasn't made a significant contribution to the game in 10 years Addicted was in 02 and Classic wasn't even released on a major offering.

Does Rakim sit in your top 10 rappers of ALL TIME?
Click to expand...
which is why i never understood how anyone could consider him the goat. he didnt make it out 80s with the rest of those cats. Wheres the longevity? Somethin i think is necessary if your to be considered the greatest imo

thought> the ar
Click to expand...
Eric B. and Rakim's final album as a duo was actually released in the early-90s to much fanfare.
 
Originally Posted by Pmighty

Originally Posted by GolfAlphaBravoEcho

Should he even be considered? I mean like from the late 80's to the early 90's he did his thing right? Then the ol' boy fell off.

But he hasn't made a significant contribution to the game in 10 years Addicted was in 02 and Classic wasn't even released on a major offering.

Does Rakim sit in your top 10 rappers of ALL TIME?
Click to expand...
which is why i never understood how anyone could consider him the goat. he didnt make it out 80s with the rest of those cats. Wheres the longevity? Somethin i think is necessary if your to be considered the greatest imo

thought> the ar
Click to expand...
They actually did make it out the 80's with a couple of classic albums.

This "what have you done for me lately" is what's wrong with Hip Hop.
 
And the last really great Nas album was Stillmatic

Illmatic > Untitled > Stillmatic

To me it's an impossible task to pick out the greatest because it seems to shift from Rakim to Nas to Biggie on any given day, depending on my mood. Rakim's flow is truly timeless and I can listen to him rap all day because it NEVER gets tiresome; much in the same way I can listen to the Beatles todayand never get tired of their songs. But what Nas did was equally impressive and worth equal admiration, which was to build on greatness and give new meaningto the term "ARTist". If I had a gun to my head and I had to chose I would say Nas by the slightest of margins.

I think the debate for GOAT is flawed because it must include some sort of consensus definition that we all can agree upon or else we will be just arguingsenselessly for no reason. Should longevity be a factor or not? (i.e. Biggie) Or is it the quality of the music, which means flow, lyrics, impact, etc?
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom