Black Thought compiled a list for us of his top ten rappers of all time, most of which are heavy-hitters who paved the way in the early days of hip hop. On Sunday (May 17th), the Roots frontman sat down with Hot 97's Fatman Scoop for a virtual interview, where Scoop inquired about who would make Black Thought's Top 10 Rappers Of All Time list. Immediately, he begins naming a ton of legendary MCs, resulting in a list that looks like this:
1. Rakim
2. Chuck D (of Public Enemy)
3. Kool G Rap
4. Big Daddy Kane
5. KRS-One
6. The D.O.C.
7. Rev Run (of Run-DMC)
8. Schoolly D
9. EST (of Three Times Dope)
10. LL Cool J
Consisting mostly of East Coast artists, Black Thought's list appears to be heavily influenced by his own regional roots. D.O.C., who hails from Dallas, is the sole rapper that doesn't come from East Coast backgrounds, while Schoolly D and EST are both fellow Philly natives alongside Black Thought.
Thought also reflected on collaborating with some of the rappers listed in the past. “If I did a record with G Rap, the nuances of my style that come from G Rap will probably stand out more because that’s who I was paired with,” Thought explained later on during their conversation. “There’s certain artists that are one-fifth of who I feel makes me up, and Rakim is one of those dudes. I occupy a dope space where most of the MCs that I have a certain level of respect for, that respect is mutual. That’s all the validity, that’s all really the accolades, that’s all my flowers while I’m still here.” Watch the full interview below: