CROWNED, DARLING! Kendrick Lamar Seizes the Greatest Rapper Throne and Biggie Is Runner-Up

Pull up a velvet chair, darling, because the oldest fight in hip-hop just got a verdict. Greatest rapper of all time? The crowd has spoken, and the crown is resting on Compton's favourite son. Kendrick Lamar has jumped to the front of the queue, and the Brooklyn legend he passed is not someone you overtake lightly.

Some context before anyone throws a drink. This argument has never been settled, and the people who are paid to settle it keep making it worse. The 2023 Billboard and Vibe ranking put Jay-Z at number one, and, as Jay-Z's Wikipedia page notes, the list was met with widespread backlash. That same ranking had Kendrick second, Tupac fourth and Biggie sixth. The original 2015 Billboard edition had The Notorious B.I.G. in first place and Eminem third, according to the record of the Billboard and Vibe rankings. Each side brings its receipts. Kendrick became the first musician outside classical and jazz to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018, and Eminem's estimated sales run past two hundred million records, which makes him the best-selling rapper.

Here's the tea from the opinion markets on Morfi, where people put money behind their convictions. Kendrick leads with 30% consensus and The Notorious B.I.G. holds second at 18%. Further back are 3 other sides. So far 43 traders have joined in and $108,460 is riding on the result. Look at how the crowd has rearranged the critics. Jay-Z, the critics' 2023 winner, doesn't make the top two, and Biggie, who fell to sixth on that list, is back near the top. You can almost hear the crowd telling the magazines to try again. My colleague DJ Vinyl Vex called this exact shape of the race, with Kendrick in front and Biggie dreaming close behind.

Now my opinion, darling, and it's only mine. I think the crowd got this right, and the Pulitzer is the reason. Platinum plaques prove a lot of people bought the album. A Pulitzer means the classical-music establishment had to admit a rap record was art, and Kendrick made them do it. I'll grant that Biggie had a flow like silk and that Eminem's sales numbers are enormous. Still, the GOAT is the rapper who changed who gets to hand out the trophies, and to me that's Kendrick.

A word of caution, though. This market opened less than a day ago, so it's still settling. Biggie fans are loyal, Jay-Z's camp won't stay quiet, and the Eminem crowd could make a late push. If you think the crown is on the wrong head, join the market on Morfi, put your conviction where your playlist is, and see whether you can move the result.