Finding The GOAT: Mac Miller vs. ScHoolboy Q…Who You Got?

As we continue the ultimate battle for the title of the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time), we are asking you to help us rank who is the greatest MC to pick up a mic. We will take over 35 years of Hip-Hop into consideration, pairing special match-ups in a sequence not unlike March Madness. For the next several months, we will roll out battles, starting with artists from similar eras paired against one another, until one undisputed King or Queen of the microphone reigns supreme.

The next MCs to square-off are making moves in real time: Mac Miller and ScHoolboy Q (click on one to vote). These two MCs rose to prominence in 2011, and really came strongly into form soon after. Both rappers balance their deep appreciation for the 1990s with a heavy disregard for convention, at times delivering precise bars, while at others, going completely left.

Voting For Round 1 is now closed. Stay up to date with the latest Finding The GOAT brackets

Mac Miller

or

ScHoolboy Q

Each has released mainstream albums, and both have found that less popular works may have gone further in connecting with hardcore fans. Each of these artists has been embraced by pockets of his elders, bridging the generation gap, and neither strays from revealing his most intimate thoughts on wax. Read about these two incredibly active artists, listen to their music and cast your vote.

Mac Miller

MacMiller_goat

In less than four years, Mac Miller has transformed from a commercial juggernaut Pop tart into one of the most innovative lyricists in Hip-Hop. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania kid built a fan-base that made the recording industry take heed through friendly charm, PG-13 mischief, and a simple, easily digestible delivery for a kid whose biggest influence is Big L. By 2012, Mac relocated to L.A., covered himself in facial hair and tattoos, indulged in controlled substances, and came out one of Hip-Hop’s elite spitters. Many Heads contend that pound for pound, Mac’s sophomore LP, Watching Movies With The Sound Off was the most interesting, skillfully made album released on June 13, 2013 (Kanye West’s Yeezus, J. Cole’s Born Sinner).

Although the Most Dope front man celebrates his love of drugs, in the last three years, the West Coast transplant has released some incredibly sobering rhymes. Mac chronicles his fame, expectations, and aspirations in real time. Studying the greats, this is an MC who had the microphone, the charts, and the attention, and used it to make exactly the kind of Hip-Hop he wanted–big on wordplay, sinister images, and bending flows. Along the way, he has also grown into a formidable producer, under his Larry Fisherman moniker. While many artists cop to fame and sales, Mac evaded the spotlight in search of leaving a lasting imprint on the art-form. With a gold LP under his belt, another handful of acclaimed projects, this 22 year-old has a bright world ahead of him, and legions of trusting fans who know more about Rap’s possibility because of him.

Other Notable Songs:

“S.D.S.” (2013)
“Remember” (2013)
“Polo Jeans” (with Earl Sweatshirt) (2014)

ScHoolboy Q

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ScHoolboy Q is a different kind of burgeoning Gangsta Rap icon. From the streets of South Central, Los Angeles, Quincey Hanley approached Rap as a misfit. A former high school football star, Q frequently spiked the mic with a disdain for Rap and a disinterest with life. That irreverent approach strongly resonated with the masses, as when he wants to, ScHoolboy Q is a top rapper not only within his star-studded Black Hippy crew (Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar), but within present-day Hip-Hop.

Although Q comes from some of the most violent streets in the United States, it’s his accounts of what’s going on inside his head that have been most enduring. From aiming to be a good father, to shaking some gripping addictions, and dealing with the darkest of depressions, ScHoolboy Q never crutched being a product of his environment, and instead, remains a reverse commuter in an era of Hip-Hop where so many artists claim to be street. Groovy Q is from the epicenter of street life, and just wants to be normal. With two heralded independent albums, and a recently-released show-stopper, ScHoolboy Q adds a new element to his region, and gives every track he touches something special.

Other Notable Songs:

“Figg Get Da Money” (2011)
“Sacrilegious” (2012)
“Raymond 1969” (2012)

So…who you got?

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