Rakim and Eric B is just too fun. Paid in full is my favorite album. Amongst new artists, I guess Action Bronson is the most entertaining/quotable to me. I just like hip hop that's fun. That's it.
SlyPokerDog included a Dame DOLLA video to prevent this thread from being relegated to the OT forum wastelands.
current mc's? cant stand most of them. MF DOOM, Esoteric, Tech N9ne, Redman, some others here n there. Chuck D, Cube, Big, Em, Pun, Nas, Rebel INS, 3000, Jada, Q-Tip, Mos Def, Kane, KRS, Big L, GZA, Meth, Scarface, Jay basically any classics what actually had bars and didnt mumble. these new artists fuckin succcccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk
I don't have the breadth of taste to know to know who the best is.... but I know who the worst is... Mark Wahlberg. (aka Marky Mark.) His lack of flow and incapability to fit his words around rhyme schemes had me convinced he was mentally retarded for a time. When my friends made fun of him I would say, "How can you guys say that! He's doing his best!" "Ripcityboy. You're drunk! He's not slow. Hes just BAD!" I had a similar problem with Jon Bon Jovi. I used to mistake him for another artist when I got stoned at parties. My friends would make fun of him and I would say, "How can you guys say that. This Beatles cover isn't bad. He's doing his best." "Ripcityboy! You're stoned. That isn't Bon Jovi. That's Melissa Etheridge!" Just for the record. My favorite rap artist currently is The Immortal Technique.