In no particular order, I present to you my ten favorite rhyme spitters of all time. No, they may not necessarily have created the best songs or albums (some have but that is irrelevant to this discussion). These are just the MC's who, verse-for-verse, I have enjoyed listening to most from a purely lyrical/flow-wise/delivery-wise perspective. Think the Vince Carters of MC'ing. And with all that considered, next up is...Mos Def (circa '99-2000).
I truly believe had Mos followed up his Black Star album and first solo joint with another classic, he would be in my top five, dead or alive. Legend even has it that the one and only Mr. Iovine told Mos that if he could deliver another album of the caliber of "Black on Both Sides", he would "take him to the moon".
Mos had a way of flowing that sounded so effortless, even non-hip hop heads liked it (check this entry of the always brilliant blog Stuff White People Like for further proof). In fact, he eventually evolved (or devolved, depending on your perspective) into a badge of cool for the hipster crowd... before the phrase "hipster" was even coined.
But where hipsters embraced Mos for his aura of bohemian-hip-hop-chic, rap fans appreciated the purity of his Native-Tongues-esque style combined with his damn near unparalleled ability to put words together in a way few could do. Call him conscious or backpacker if you must... but if he was spitting, we were listening. Talib, his Black Star counterpart, may have had the impressive metaphors or vocabulary. But Mos' style painted pictures.
Then, alas, he decided he wanted to be a singer. Or a rock star. And go back to acting. Yes, I liked "Umi Says". And "The Italian Job" was entertaining. But let's face it. When he was straight spitting on a hip hop beat, he was a god.
It seems like with his new material, he is going back to his roots and give hip hop fans what they really need. Which is not another movie with Bruce Willis. Let's just hope not so much time has passed that it's too late.
The Evidence.
"Definition". "From the first to the last of it/Delivery is passionate/The whole and not the half of it/Vocab and not the math of it..."
"Respiration". THE WHOLE DAMN FIRST VERSE. Brilliant.
"B-Boy Document '99". "It's the high powered original/B-boy traditional/Raw base material/Crooklyn individual..."
"Travellin' Man". "'Cause this thing called rhymin' no different from coal mining/We all on assignment to unearth the diamond..."
"Hip Hop". "Hip hop will simply amaze/Praise you/Pay you/Do whatever you say do/But black it can't save you..."
"Brooklyn". "Thugs mobbin' it/Form partnership/Increase armorment/Street pharmacist/Deep consequence when you seek sleek ornaments..."
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