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For the past few months, rappers and influencers within the community of Hip Hop have been posting their individual lists of top 50 all-time rappers. Naturally, this has sparked a ton of controversy. It seems as though every time a new list is posted, the rap community goes into a heated debate about the placement of these artists and who should have been left off or added to the list.
In response to The Trap Museum’s top 50 all-time list, T.I and his associates joined in on the fun and created their own top 50 on the ExpediTIously podcast. T.I and company decided the list would be solely based on impact and not accolades or awards.
Around the 40’s the group reached a roadblock when trying to decide between Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj. T.I stated that they couldn’t both be on the list due to their similarities in style and impact. The debate was up in the air, until one of the associates at the table said, “Nicki would not be here doing the things that she is doing if Lil Kim wouldn’t did that”. The argument for Nicki quickly shifted to her being one of the highest-selling artists of all time, to which T.I replied “She’s one of the biggest selling artists of all time, and I salute that but…. Impact, impact, impact”. The decision went to a vote in which Lil Kim was the unanimous winner, ultimately leaving Nicki Minaj off the list of top 50 all-time.
TIP posted his personal list earlier today which featured both artists, placing Lil Kim at 40 and Nicki Minaj at 42. Since Nicki’s rise to stardom in the late 2000s, she and Lil Kim have been compared time and time again, and these comparisons have caused friction jealousy and competition. Nonetheless, both artists have empowered female rappers and had a great cultural impact all while diversifying the Hip-Hop demographic.