Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Each week Rocks Off will have some of them here discussing issues relevant to their culture.
This Week’s Panel: Bun B, Slim Thug, medicine Girl, O.N.E., Preemo, Chane, Delo, Chingo Bling, Doughbeezy, Chuckway, Fat Tony, Kyle Hubbard, C-Stone, Roderickvonn, more.
Not Invited: Kanye West, because he’s waaaay to sensitive.
This Week’s Prompt: An easy one: Who is the best shit-talker in rap right now?
Slim Thug: Birdman. But he needs to talk more like he used to.
Bun B: I’d say 2 Chainz.
A.D.D.: Aside from myself? You know I gotta fuck with Lil B the Based God.
Kyle Hubbard: When you say shit talker, I assume you mean as they are in the act of rapping and not just general shit talk, i.e. interviews. I’d give it to Royce Da 5’9″ with Ludacris as a very close second. Royce’s “Second Place” is the “Hey, I’m Better At Rapping Than You Are” rap song of the year.
YS: Birdman. That’s what he do; talk shit. You heard him on Drake’s album? [laughs] He’s been talking shit since the Big Tymers.
Doughbeezy: Killa Kyleon.
Chane: Nothing personal, but I’d have to say directly, [it’s] 50 Cent. Indirectly, [it’s] Jay-Z.
Delo: Baby [Birdman] of Cash Money.
Chuckway: It’s Tre 100 and Killa Kyleon.
Fat Tony: Tyler, the Creator. Heems of Das Racist is pretty ill at it too.
Tha Centop: Um, probably Baby from Cash Money. He just likes to talk and brag.
Roderickvonn: Maybe Tyler, the Creator.
C-Stone: I’d say Game.
Mr. Wired Up (Oh Boy): Lil Wayne.
O.N.E.: The best shit talker in raps is Wayne.
Medicine Girl: Without a shadow of a doubt, Z-Ro. Rap in itself is a shit-talking genre, but he actually addresses the glamourization of it.
DJ Young Samm: Killa Kyleon.
Chingo Bling: 2 Chainz.
Preemo: Cannibus at the moment, for going in on J. Cole.
This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2011.