Christopher Lynn | Staff Writer
MTV’s Hottest MCs List Stirs Controversy
Once again, MTV has dropped its yearly list of the 10 Hottest MCs in the game.
Since 2007, MTV has put together a list of ten Hip-Hop and Rap considered to be the “hottest” of that year. Although MTV has emphasized that their list is not intended to exhibit the greatest rappers of all time but the most entertaining and popular artists of the year, the Hottest MCs in the Game List is always laced with controversy.
Starting with number 10, Meek Mill seems to be the street-flavor of the Maybach Music Group. Dropping from last year’s number 7 spot, he took his label mate, the simpful, basic chick anthem maker, Wale’s spot this year. Though the sequel to his first MMG mixtape, “Dreamchasers 2” was critically acclaimed, I just cannot seem to get through 73 minutes of Meek Shrill, even though I can’t front on his lyricism. I really wish his number 10 spot correlated with the number of decibels he rapped in.
Number 9 on this list is none other than Future Vandross. Who would have known that the guy on the second verse of “Racks” would blow up this big? I bet YC, you know, the guy whose song it really was, is now begging for a feature from Future. Picking up where T-Pain left off, Earth, Wind, and Future is flourishing in the lane that Roger Troutman made with autotune. With a slew of mixtapes, and his debut album Pluto, Future Beverly & Maze shows no signs of slowing down.
The 8 position this year is also held by a newcomer, A$AP Rocky. DAT PMF from Houston, no, wait…Harlem! This mellow spitter, rapping vicariously through codeine-sipping Houston artists, has been on the scene since his mixtape “Live. Love. A$AP” dropped back in 2011. A$AP finally released his first album Long. Live. A$AP in January of this year, debuting at number 1 on the BillBoard 200 Charts. Other than his rapping style, A$AP is known for his fashion sense. Whether he’s wearing Raf Simons or Russell Simmons, A$AP is a trendsetter and will continue to be.
Anybody who knows me knows that I am slightly biased when it comes to the number 7 artist. Being on every list MTV has put out to this point, Kanye West has been killing the game since 2000 with his production. Since 2002, Kanye has proven that he is more than just a producer. 10 years later, and he’s still killing it. From his early days, to his 808s singing days, to his high fashion days, it seems Yeezus can do no wrong…musically. But this year was a quiet one for him, only releasing one solo single, “Cold.” Other than that, a 2 Chainz feature, and his G.O.O.D Music collaboration album, West has been laying low in 2012. Well, sans the whole performing in a Falkor mask in Atlantic City thing..
Landing one spot above his boss, Big Sean holds the number 6 position. Getting a big break from Kanye back in 2007, Big Sean was signed to G.O.O.D Music. 2007 was a big year, considering he already dropped his first mixtape and was ghostwriting for Kanye. I mean, who did you really think wrote those punch lines in “Good Life”? But it wasn’t until 2010 that Big Sean would become a household name because of his mixtape, “Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG.” Releasing his debut album, Finally Famous, in the summer of 2011, Big Sean showed us that he indeed was finally famous. A Kanye co-sign doesn’t hurt either.
Rounding the top 5 is none other than the simp gawd himself, Aubrey Drake Graham. This is his fourth appearance on the 10 Hottest MCs list. In dancing that fine line between gangsta rap and saving females, no one else does it better than Drake. From “catching bodies” to having “bath water you can soak in.” Drake is known for being the rapper that sings, or the singer that raps, or whatever. Whether he’s my cup of tea or not is irrelevant, but you know what is relevant? Drake.
God’s Son, Escobar, Nastradamus, Nasty Nas, or whatever you want to call him, ranks at number 4 this year. Nas has been in the game for a while now. Dropping Illmatic in ‘94, before some of you were even born, Nas was 19 when he got into the game. Surprisingly, this is his first appearance on this list.
His last album, debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts; making that the sixth time he has done so. There’s nothing I can say that Nas’ discography and career hasn’t already.
No stranger to this list is Rick Ross, coming in at number 3. Consistently getting better since his debut album, Port of Miami in 2006, Rozay has cemented his boss status in the rap game. Anyone that portrays a drug lord, yet overcomes photos surfacing of him looking like Carl Winslow in a correctional officer uniform has got to have bars. Having four debut albums at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, the latest being God Forgives, I Don’t in 2012, Rick Ross has built an empire.
This next man is no stranger to the number two, seeing as though he always has at least that number of chains on at any minute. Since changing his name to the more family friendly “2 Chainz”, the artist formerly named after mammary glands has had much mainstream success. The third G.O.O.D Music member on this list, Kanye and Def Jam just seem to have a knack for signing talent. 2 Chainz might be the most demographically known artist on this list. I can’t count how many times someone outside of my race and age group has either said “2 Chaaaaainz” or “TRUUU.”
Last but not least is the number 1 artist of the year according to MTV. Claiming this spot is Kendrick Llama. I can see their rationale behind this pick, with the critical acclaim behind his album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. Instead of ranting, I’m just going to leave you with this: GKMC sounds like a robot reading a run-on sentence with elevator music in the background.
Whether I agree or not, I can see why MTV chose these ten artists. This is probably the best order I have seen on the Hottest MCs list in a while. Thanks for not screwing this one up MTV. Take notes XXL.