In the world of Hip-Hop the term “G.O.A.T” or ” Greatest Of All Time ” gets thrown around a lot these days by fans and even artists themselves . So let`s get to the bottom of it . Ultimately it is virtually impossible to decide on just one due to high saturation of quality rappers over the years so the only way is to pick a ” G.O.A.T ” for each decade .
1990`s
The 1990s was the beginning of hip-hop for many with rappers that are still around today making their name in this decade . This being said this was only ever going to be a two horse race . Tupac and Biggie . These two are the Godfathers of Hip-Hop . Both incredibly talented , even engaging in a feud before their untimely deaths . Musically however , Biggie dropped iconic songs Hypnotize and Juicy , showcasing his talent and leading Brooklyn rap at the time. Tupac came through will Ambitionz As A Ridah , California Love , Dear Mama and Changes which showcased and inspired West Coast rap . Biggie is an absolute icon , however Tupac just edges him out as the 90`s G.O.A.T due to his cultural impact and combination of gangster , braggadocios rap and then emotional heart felt songs that tackled real world issues . This is seen in his song Changes in which he delves into the relationship between black people and the police . Sad to think what he could have achieved if he was still here today .
Changes by 2-Pac
2000`s
Arguably the hardest decade to decided on due to the sheer amount of immensely talented rappers that exploded . Lil Wayne , Jay-Z , Kanye West , 50 Cent and The Game . However it could on be one man and it is Slim Shady himself . Eminem . His lyricism and freestyle ability are mind blowing . Slim Shady , Rap God and Lose Yourself are classics and he even returned with hits later on in his career with Love the Way You Lie with Rihanna which shows his ability to make emotional tracks . He also silenced critics with ease after a Machine Gun Kelly diss and beef was ended within minutes after Eminem dropped a devastating diss track back .
Rap God by Eminem
2010`s
The era in which hip-hop and rap split off into many different genres and became what we know it to be today . Pop, Emo , Gangster and Trap just to name a few sub genres of hip hop all grew massively . Producers and beat makers also gained more recognition with producer tags at the start of songs coming in. Artists wise , Young Thug and Future should be given a massive nod for developing and pioneering the new wave of autotune trap sounds . Lil Peep , Juice Wrld , XXXTentacion and Pop Smoke all should have been in this conversation during this decade and especially the next , however their deaths at young ages expressed the stupid wave of great potential artists dying young . Once again though there was only one name that it could be and that is Drake . Drizzys versatility and abilty to create catchy songs is second to none . The fact that Drake does create such songs means his rap ability is over looked . Pound Cake is a contender for song of the decade and if Drake drops a song you best believe its going straight to the top of the charts . Honorable mentions go out to A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar for their contributions to the hiphop scene throughout the 2010s .
Girls Want Girls by Drake feat. Lil Baby