Candidate #1 – Swizz Beatz
Made a name for himself as the inhouse producer for the Ruff Ryders with big hits like DMX Ruff Ryders Anthem and Down Bottom came back for the new millennium with hot tracks like On The Next One by Jay-Z but he took to rapping on some of his projects and it was uneven to say the least. Please stick to being behind the board Swizz #Swiss Beats - One Man Band CD
Candidate #2 – Timbaland
His track record of Hits ranges from Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Ginuwine, Missy to pop acts like Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and too many more to name. Hes been absolutely killer by starting trends and never following them. Hes the guy i wish Michael Jackson wouldve worked with to update his sound, Over the last 15 years hes been one of the most successful but as a rapper, he sounds like a kid who just wrote his first rhyme - in that its simplistic, doesn’t make sense and its all over the place. Awful is too good of a word, please give those beats to a real rapper and be like Quincy Jones who produces or arranges but doesnt try to sing or rap. #Timbaland - Shock Value 2
Candidate #3 – P-Diddy
He used to know his limits in the beginning if you want to be on the track, just pull a Kirk Franklin and add punch lines within the song backing up the lead vocalist, that way you get shine too, get to be in the video but not having to actually write and memorize any rhymes. This formula changed in 1996 when he did a duet song with Mase “Cant Hold Me Down” which became a big double platinum hit, and he got bold, and kept using ghost writers, to pin him lyrics, and got away with it on posse cuts but as a solo artist it was forgettable like his Forever CD. As a producer that’s stretching the truth as hes been over crediting himself for years for other peoples work but that’s the music business. #Diddy - No Way Out 1997
(I cant rap but I still try anyway)
Candidate #4 – Mannie Fresh
In house track star behind the late 90’s success of the Hot Boys camp. Under his belt classic bangers like Back That A Up, Bling Bling, and Get Your Roll On with virtually every new song a derivative of Trigger Man (Drag Rap) considering that the Boys sound at the time was over the top materialistic bragging about how rich they were, his simple tales of consumerism got him by but he definitely had no hip hop quotables in the source and in this new decade I haven’t heard much from Manny but hes still here check out #Mannie Fresh - Return Of The Ballin 2009
Candidate #5 – Pete Rock
In the early 90’s he was the NY guy people went to for those jazzy beats, with a catalog with They Reminsense Over You with CL Smooth, The World Is Yours for Nas and Down With The King for Run-DMC. But (theres always a but) he sounded disjointed and offbeat when he tried to grab the mic it was a disaster waiting to happen like his verse on Heavy D’s Don’t Curse Single (1991) a track that Pete produced himself. Get his best album were he doesnt rap and leaves that to a real rapper with #Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother
