As hip-hop celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Billboard and Vibe are counting down the greatest rappers of all time.
Over the past month, the magazine has been rolling out its list of the Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time before revealing the final top 10.
The editorial staff determined the rankings based on the following criteria: the body of work/achievements (charted singles/albums, gold/platinum certifications), cultural impact/influence (how the artist’s work fostered the genre’s evolution), longevity (years at the mic), lyrics (storytelling skills), and flow (vocal prowess).
While the list includes female MCs like Lil? Kim (No. 31), Lauryn Hill (No. 30), and Missy Elliott (No. 19), Nicki Minaj is the only woman in the top 10.
? She’s undeniably blazed the trail for the next generation of female MCs, while at the same time, building a legacy whose impact is hardly limited to the hip-hop world,? writes Billboard.
With a career that spans three decades, Jay-Z was named the greatest rapper of all time. He was ranked so for his? longevity, the breadth of his accomplishments, and what he’s meant to hip-hop.?
