By Martin A. Berrios
Do the math Jack; there are tons of people rapping. A lot of them are trash, others have minute potential but will never pop off, some are decent, but very few are great. But everyone has their own opinion. So whomever you might think is the best, might not even cut the mustard to others. With that in mind we bring you Top 5 Dead Or Alive.
Yup, we pose the bigger than B.I.G. question to your favorite rappers, producers, athletes, actors, swagger jackers, and Johnny-come-latelys. Up first we got New Orleans’ own Curren$y. Toted as one of the young boys to watch in 2009, he breaks it down on who makes his list and more importantly why. Who else but us?
Jay-Z
Curren$y: I picked Jay because nobody wanted to sign that dude at first. They took it upon themselves, shot their own videos and let n****s know what they were sleeping on and they ended up getting the right deals. They had to do it on their own and show the industry. Musically every aspect you look at Rap on, you can put a check in everything for Jay. He can write stories, he can do the gangster sh*t, he does his fly sh*t, the introspective stuff, and positive sh*t; there’s no flaws with him. That’s what made me f*** with Jay.
Favorite Track: "Allure"
Snoop Dogg
Curren$y: I feel the same away about Snoop. Snoop proved he can tell stories. Snoop proved he can touch every aspect of the game and never loose himself. Each one of the people I picked, I picked them because trying to fit into every aspect of the game, you can get lost in that sh*t and loose yourself. Snoop still has been Snoop. He still a G regardless. I f*** with Doggystyle, The Blue Carpet Treatment, and The Last Meal the most.
Favorite Track: "Stacey Adams"
Soulja Slim
Curren$y: It’s too much stuff the world never got to know about Slim. The world never got to know what Slim was about. Some people know and some people don’t. I don’t really care for gangster Rap, unless I could believe you and he was the truth. He just wasn’t talking no sh*t he just heard, that was his life. Honestly dog, the play I’m using and how I’m bringing my team on and my company is the same blueprint he had set up when he stepped away from No Limit [Records]. He gave me game about how to handle the No Limit situation, because I was on his album (Years Later) I was still cool with Slim when him and [Master] P were still at odds.
Favorite Track: "From What I Was Told"
The Notorious B.I.G.
Curren$y: Man that first album also he’s absolutely the truth in storytelling, he was ridiculous. He always able to do his gangster sh*t and address the females so good and he wasn’t even a like, no homo, a Tyson Beckford. The whole way he carried himself as a boss too. I just respect the way he do his sh*t no matter what lane he went in.
Favorite Track: "Me And My Bitch"
Slick Rick
Curren$y: Let me tell you, Slick Rick is exactly what I’m trying to do right now. Slick Rick is the freshest n***a in this sh*t. At the time he was popping, the way he was carrying himself in the game he was the flyest n***a ever. He had a million chains; he had all the baddest clothes you didn’t even know anything about. When you look at old videos now, he can jump out those videos and come to my sh*t today.
Musically I’m a big story guy, and I’m not even going to even begin to comment on Slick Rick’s story telling skills. I liked how he relayed what he was going through with relationships. I’m big on stories and how you are able to relate to females because females are a big part of any rapper’s career. He let you in some of his personal sh*t and he would incorporate stuff like that and I thought that was deep. I try to do that myself.
Favorite Track: "Behind Bars"