Note: Jadakiss recently appeared on ESPN’s Jalen & Jacoby podcast and was asked who his top 5 Hip-Hop groups of all-time were. This article has been updated below with his response, as well as The Game’s top 5 LA Rap albums.

A few days ago, during a podcast appearance, Ice Cube was asked to name the greatest rapper of all time, besides himself. The platinum veteran who has classics in his solo catalog as well as with N.W.A., surprised some when he championed Lil Wayne. “It’s hard to beat Lil Wayne; it’s just hard,” said Cube. Over a decade ago, another esteemed MC legend, KRS-One, made a similar claim. In 2022, Cube expounded, “Lil Wayne—I just think he is great. His metaphors are otherworldly,” said the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Cube continued, “[He is] just an amazing talent. [He is the best], as far as lyrics and can make hits and has been copied—all these dudes are nothin’ but clones of Lil Wayne at the end of the day.” The moment arrived weeks after Lil Wayne was asked to name his Top 5 MCs on a television show. Wayne emphatically praised Missy Elliott while listing four other choices—including the ensembles of two legendary Southern Hip-Hop groups.

Hip-Hop artists listing their top 5 (or being asked the question) is nothing new; it’s an age-old discussion among Hip-Hop Heads. These lists are expressions of taste, style, region, and sometimes generation. It is how many fans understand each other’s sensibilities and styles. These lists can also change for any music fan, including the artist. In episode #85 of the What’s The Headline podcast (embedded as video and audio below), the Ambrosia For Heads team covers 30 rappers and their own lists of 5 (give or take sometimes) MCs. The discussion features some analysis and unpacking of these choices, with the context of when they were made.

The Top 20 Rap Albums Of All-Time As Determined By Millions Of Fans

AFH also compiled a master list below, with each MC, their choices, and a link to where and when they presented these Top 5 MCs list (as these lists can sometimes change—so receipts are supplied, spanning over 10 years of discourse).

The time codes for episode #85 of the What’s The Headline podcast (with hyperlinks to skip around) are available at YouTube and Anchor, respectively.

Ice Cube (2019)

Grandmaster Melle Mel
Ice-T
Chuck D
KRS-One
Rakim

In 2022 Cube said, “All these dudes are nothin’ but clones of Lil Wayne at the end of the day. I just think he [is the best rapper of all time].”

Black Thought (2019)

Rakim
Kool G Rap
Big Daddy Kane
KRS-One
Chuck D

Snoop Dogg (Top 10) (2020)

Slick Rick
Ice Cube
LL Cool J
KRS-One
Rakim
Run-D.M.C.
Big Daddy Kane
Ice-T
Too Short

Scarface (2019)

Nas
Run-D.M.C.
A Tribe Called Quest
Kendrick Lamar
Nipsey Hussle

Rev Run (2015)

Drake
Nas
Rakim
JAY-Z
Kanye West
Nicki Minaj (asking for a sixth choice)

J. Cole (4) (2014)

Tupac
The Notorious B.I.G.
Nas
JAY-Z

Nas (2016)

Influences:

KRS-One
Eric B & Rakim
Kool G. Rap
Big Daddy Kane
Slick Rick
Doug E. Fresh
Heavy D

Top 5 Of This Generation:

J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
Drake
Lil Wayne
Rick Ross

LL Cool J (2020)

Big Daddy Kane
Kool G Rap
Eminem
Pharoahe Monch
Chuck D/Ice Cube (tie)

Pharoahe Monch (2013)

Busta Rhymes
Eminem
Kendrick Lamar
Nas
Royce 5’9″

Lupe Fiasco (Top 3) (2018)

JAY-Z
Eminem
Nas

Ab-Soul (2015)

Lil Wayne
JAY-Z
Nas
Eminem
Lupe Fiasco

Raekwon (Top 5 non Wu-Tang Clan inclusive MCs) (2014)

Rakim
Slick Rick
Kool G Rap
KRS-One
Chuck D

The Game (2022)

Top 5 LA Rap Albums
The Chronic
Doggystyle
The Documentary
good kid, m.A.A.d. city
Death Certificate

Action Bronson (2011, in order)

Kool G Rap
“All of Wu-Tang Clan”
Pimp C
Nas/AZ (tie)
Cormega

Vinnie Paz (2011, in order)

Kool G Rap
Big Pun
JAY-Z
Rakim
Tragedy Khadafi

Kurupt (2010)

Rakim
KRS-One
Kool G Rap
The Notorious B.I.G.
The D.O.C.

The D.O.C. (2022)

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar (2012)

JAY-Z
Eminem
Tupac
The Notorious B.I.G.
Snoop Dogg

Jadakiss (2015)

MCs
The Notorious B.I.G.
JAY-Z
Nas
Styles P
DMX

Groups
NWA
Wu-Tang Clan
Run-D.M.C.
EPMD
Mobb Deep

R.A. The Rugged Man (2013, in order)

Masta Ace/Tragedy Khadafi (tie)
Kool Moe Dee
Chuck D
Redman
Slick Rick/Doug E. Fresh (tie)

Drake (2020)

The Notorious B.I.G.
JAY-Z
Lil Wayne
Jeezy
Young Tony (OVO)
André 3000

Bun B (2009)

Pimp C
Kool G Rap
Rick Royal (of Royal Flush)
Scarface
Jeezy

Immortal Technique (2019)

Rakim
Big Daddy Kane
KRS-One
Kool G Rap
Slick Rick

Lil’ Kim (2014, in order)

The Notorious B.I.G.
JAY-Z
Eminem
Rakim/KRS-One/Nas/Big Daddy Kane/Queen Latifah (tie)
Drake

Kool G Rap (2020)

Grandmaster Melle Mel
Big Daddy Kane
Rakim
KRS-One
Nas

Rakim (2022)

Grandmaster Melle Mel
Kool Moe Dee
Grandmaster Caz
Eminem
JAY-Z

Bonus: “Black Thought is most underrated.”

Eminem (2002, in order)

Redman (who said the same thing about Eminem in 2016)
JAY-Z
Tupac
The Notorious B.I.G.
André 3000
Jadakiss
Kurupt
Nas

Lil Wayne (2022)

Missy Elliott
JAY-Z
The Notorious B.I.G.
Goodie Mob
UGK

JAY-Z (2009)

The Notorious B.I.G.
Tupac
Scarface
Eminem
André 3000

JAY-Z had a slightly different list of six MCs for Charlie Rose in 2010:

The Notorious B.I.G,
Tupac
Kool G Rap
KRS-One
Nas
Eminem

DJ Kool Herc (2015)

Grandmaster Melle Mel
KRS-One
Lil Wayne
Kanye West
Chris Brown

AFH readers can catch regular discussions about the culture on our What’s The Headline. The podcast also has interviews with Joell Ortiz, AZ, Blu & Mickey Factz, Kurupt, Evidence, Skyzoo, Pharoahe Monch, Prince Paul & Don Newkirk, Statik Selektah, Lyric Jones, The LOX, MC Eiht, Havoc, Duckwrth, photographer T. Eric Monroe, and Lord Finesse.

All episodes of the show are available to view or for listening wherever you stream your pods.

#BonusBeat: Some additional lists:

Krayzie Bone (2016)
DJ Premier (2011)
Pete Rock (2013)
Lord Finesse (2011)
Kool Keith (2020)
Ill Bill (2011)
Homeboy Sandman (2015)
A.G. (2011)
Apathy (2011)