The Greatest Rapper Alive

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Kendrick Lamar

No matter how far back into the history of hip-hop you look, you will always find debates over who truly is/was the greatest rapper alive. I would argue that in all of rap's history there was never a time where it was so clear who that rapper was than there is today. K-Dot, Kung-Fu Kenny, Cornrow Kenny, whatever moniker you want to use, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has dominated the rap game for the past half-decade. Even Kendrick's weakest projects such as Untitled Unmastered and Overly Dedicated are heads above the competition. The sheer lyrical skill that Kendrick displays on every single project is mind-bending. Drake may get more radio plays and Big Sean may get more features, but that just shows how Kendrick is on an entirely different plane of skill than those who he is normally in competition with for the throne of rap. While other rappers need radio hits and catchy choruses to remain successful in the game, Kendrick's projects are so phenomenal that he only needs to focus on those albums. I could go on and on about the many different facets of K-Dot's talent, such as his variety, consistency, and story-telling mastery, but I think that you get the point. Some folks only care about bangin' beats, and catchy choruses about money, fancy cars, and drugs, but when I look at what makes a rapper the greatest alive I look at his/her intellectual prowess through their lyrics, wordplay, and consistency across an entire project. For me, all of Kendrick's projects portray those talents handily, from Section.80 to DAMN.

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