Who Is The King Of Rap?

Deciding who is the King Of Rap can follow a lengthy discussion, as hip-hop is major in pop culture these days with many successful artists. Rolling Stones put an end to the debate announcing Eminem as the King Of Rap, and most hip-hop enthusiasts have agreed on it.

As hip-hop culture started dominating the popular culture in the mid-2000s, the Queen and the King Of Rap discussions began to exacerbate among hip-hop fans. There are many successful and influential rappers today like Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and many more.

Recently Rolling Stone Magazine crowned Eminem as the King Of Rap, which was not a big surprise among fans as most agreed upon the decision. The magazine took many things into account including album sales, chart successes, YouTube video view counts, social media activity, concerts, awards, and opinions of authorities, as the basis of their selection.

What Is The King Of Rap?

The King Of Rap is an honorable title that is given to the most influential, successful, and famous rapper of an era.

There are many things to consider when choosing the King or Queen of Rap, such as the songs, the influence on the genre, popularity, and originality. 

With the music sector changing constantly and rapidly, there are many different kings and queens of rap and hip-hop who made their marks in different eras in history. Today, with the progression of technology, it is easier to track the achievements of artists, making the selection of successful artists slightly easier.

The King Of Rap: Eminem

Rolling Stone magazine selected Eminem as the King Of Rap among countless rappers, which was a fair decision according to many fans and authorities. With his constantly charting albums, high YouTube view counts, and more than 50 million followers on social media, Eminem is the most successful and influential hip-hop artist and rapper of the 2000s.

The magazine narrowed down the list to Eminem, Lil Wayne, Drake, Kanye West, and Jay-Z to choose the King Of Rap of the 2000s. 

Among all those rappers, Eminem’s albums were the ones consistently hitting the charts and are always the reference points for the hip-hop genre. He has sold more than 220 million records worldwide since the beginning of his career in the late 90s. He was always one of the best-selling artists in the music world, who peaked on the charts countless times with his hit songs and albums.

His unique rapping style was influenced by Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, and Esham, among many others. He raps in a style that is easy to relate to for the fans, which is considered the strongest point of his rapping style. He knows what the audience seeks, and as the King Of Rap, he never falls short of the expectations.

A Bit of Eminem History

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, or Eminem, was born in 1972 in Missouri, USA. He became one of the best-selling musicians, with record sales of over 220 million worldwide. He has also won numerous awards, including 15 Grammy Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, 8 American Music Awards, and an Academy Award. In 2022, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Besides his fantastic music career with his unique rapping and production style as well as great lyrical content, Eminem is also a controversial and famous celebrity. Such as his background story, dramas with his mother, bans from MTV, etc.; there are many controversial stories in Eminem’s life and career. 

With his debut movie, 8 Mile, which tells a part of Eminem’s life story, Eminem won the Academy Award for Best Original Song with his song “Lose Yourself”, which he composed for the movie. Later, he appeared in many other movies, like ‘The Wash’ (2001), ‘Funny People’ (2009), and ‘The Interview’ (2014).

So far, Eminem’s discography consists of 11 studio albums.

• Infinite (1996)
• The Slim Shady LP (1999)
• The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
• The Eminem Show (2002)
• Encore (2004)
• Relapse (2009)
• Recovery (2010)
• The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013)
• Revival (2017)
• Kamikaze (2018)
• Music to Be Murdered By (2020)

Different Kings Of Rap In music history

There were many highly respected and appreciated rappers throughout music history such as Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, and Dr.Dre. All of these rappers were called the King Of Rap at some point in their careers by different communities. 

However, there was never a consensus on a rap king as there is now on Eminem. With his long and successful career, Eminem deserved the title. Other rappers from the past also achieved high success, but they did not have long-lasting, consistent success, or simply hip-hop was not as mainstream as today to have a consensus.

Conclusion

King Of Rap is a highly honorable title that is hard to associate with only one hip-hop artist as there are countless hip-hop artists and enthusiasts today. However, there is one name that is respected and appreciated by almost all different branches of hip-hop; Eminem.

Since his debut single in 1998, Eminem achieved so much as a hip-hop artist earning respect from all the communities in the hip-hop as well as music world. He is one of the best-selling artists and is one of the most famous faces in the world today.