10) Drake
Although Drake is a fairly new artist, he is no doubt one of the best rap artists of the decade. Before becoming a rapper, he was an actor playing one of the main characters on the teen series, Degrassi. He signed with the Young Money record label that is headed by the famous rapper Lil Wayne in June of 2009. He’s recorded several mixtapes featuring a number of hits and his first album will be released sometime in 2010. Drake would definitely be higher on the list if he wasn’t so new to the rap game.
9) Jay Z
Jay Z, a.k.a. Hova, is a favorite with most hip hop music lovers and definitely deserves to be listed on the top ten best rap artists of the decade. He has made quite a few popular songs in his 14 year career including Hard Knock Life, Big Pimpin, Song Cry and a bunch of others.Not only does Jay Z’s rhymes make him an awesome rapper but his ability to rap without writing, makes him an even better candidate for this list.
8) Kanye West
Kanye originally didn’t start out as a rapper but as a producer for Jay Z’s Rock-A-Fella Records. His first single, Through the Wire, was an immediate success most likely due to the inspiring message it sends out to people. Kanye has many inspirational songs such as Jesus Walks and All Falls Down. The great messages that he creates with his music is why he is one of the best rap artists of the decade.
7) Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti has to be one of the best artists of the decade because of his real life stories. One of the best albums of 2006 was Back 2 da Basics which featured a number of popular songs. He also has some mixtapes that are very popular in the rap scene with artists such as Jeezy and Gucci Mane. His most recent song 5 star chick is on the top 100.
6) Nas
Nas makes the top ten best artists of the decade because he has made one of the best albums of the decade, illmatic. Illmatic is still a classic album in the hip hop world and will most likely be hailed as so for many years to come. Nas has a very unique style in his rapping and although he doesn’t put out many songs, when he does you know that it will be worth listening to.
5) Webbie
Webbie made his first appearance in the rap scene in 2005 with Gimme That. His Savage Life and Savage Life 2 albums have a number of great songs on them. Webbie may not be a very well know rapper but he defintitely deserves to be counted as one of the best artists of the decade.
4) T.I.
Tip Harris, a.k.a. T.I., is one of the most unique rappers of all time. His lyrics are very well written and they are often easy to relate to which makes the songs better. T.I.’s Trap Muzik album featured some very popular singles including Rubberband Man, Lets Get Away, and 24’s. Unlike alot of other rappers music, you can play his entire album completely through and not have to skip songs. This fact alone gives him the right to be listed on the best rap artists of the decade.
3) Jeezy
What makes Jeezy a great rapper is his notorious punch lines. He has a great technique for writing songs that make you want to just sit back and enjoy his music. He started out with a group called Boys in the Hood but soon branced off when he realized his talent far exceeded theirs. No doubt, Jeezy deserves to named one of the best artists of the decade.
2) Eminem
Emimem makes the list of the best artists of the decade because he has some of the most lyrical rhymes anyone could ever make. He is the only white hip hop rap artist at the time and he definitely made a name for himself. Eminem’s lyrics often contain real life instances which makes it easier for fans to relate to.
1) Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne is no doubt the best rapper alive so he has to be one of the best artists of the decade. Lil Wayne gets the number one position because of his unusual talent of writing such magnificent punch lines. Lil Wayne has been releasing hits ever since he was a teenager with the Cash Money record label and he has only improved as time went on.
