Loading...

Download

Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20)

20. Jeezy
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 25
Top 10 hits: 3

We’ve already seen how The Snowman fared in a Verzuz battle, and his royal rumble against Gucci Mane in Magic City did not disappoint.

The battle went left when their personal history got involved and mixed in with the music, but it reminded us just how great of a career Jeezy has had.

He is one of the forefathers of the diverse Atlanta trap scene we have today, and his run at the top speaks for itself.

19. Nas
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 27
Top 10 hits: 2

If it’s not clear already from the title, this is not a power ranking of the greatest rappers of all time. The list of our best rappers alive every year since 1979 can be found here.

This is a list of who would perform the best in a Verzuz competition, a battle predicated on Billboard hits, song selection, stage presence, and an overall ability to match your opponent’s energy. 

Nas is one of the greatest rappers of all time, but in a Verzuz battle, he might not fare so well. That’s no knock to the Queensbridge rapper’s catalog, either.

18. Dr Dre
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 16
Top 10 hits: 6

If we were considering Dr. Dre’s production and writing credits, he would easily be amongst the top 10 on this ranking, but because we are only judging artists based on their solo work as a rapper, he slid down the list a bit. Still, it’s wild to think about how many unbeatable songs Dre has by himself.

One of the biggest testaments to that is Snoop Dogg’s Verzuz against DMX, where the West Coast rapper tapped into many of his Dre songs, like “The Next Episode,” “Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang,” and more to take a decisive lead in his battle. 

17. Nelly
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 37
Top 10 hits: 14

Nelly’s résumé speaks for itself. The St. Louis rapper has had four No.1 records, 37 charting songs, and 14 of them have occupied the top 10.

His 2020 battle against Ludacris only gave us a glimpse of the damage he could do, and one of the only reasons some say he lost is because of the technical difficulties that plagued the series early on.

Now that battles happen onstage, in front of live audiences, Nelly would be able to use his energetic stage presence to his advantage—not to mention his wide array of songs. 

16. Lil' Kim
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 17
Top 10 hits: 4

Lil’ Kim is one of the most legendary, influential rappers of the ’90s and ’00s, and although her reign didn’t extend much into the later ’10s, she has far more than 20 great records to bring to the Verzuz stage.

“Crush on You” and “Not Tonight” are, of course, some favorites from the ’90s, but she could also switch it up to her different styles.

If the battle went in a pop direction, she could break out something like 2001’s “Lady Marmalade.”

15. T.I
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 57
Top 10 hits: 11

T.I. is a dark horse Verzuz challenger who would be able to take on nearly any opponent, and you might forget he has as many hits as he does.

His dominance extends across several different eras, and in any given round, he could play hits from different lanes, ranging from pop to street rap.

After playing “Rubber Band Man” and “Bring Em Out,” he could jump over to radio favorites like “What You Know” and “Why You Wanna.” 

He also has top five records on the Billboard Hot 100 like “Whatever You Like,” “Live Your Life,” and “Swagger Like Us,” which would be difficult for anyone to answer.

14. Rick Ross
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 52
Top 10 hits: 3

Ross should break Verzuz tradition and go with a live band if he does it again. The prevailing thought about his battle with 2 Chainz is that he won handily without even getting deep into his well of hits.

If he were to go at his next opponent from the luxury lane with songs like “Rich “Magnificent,” “Amsterdam,” “Super High,” “Aston Martin Musik,” and his “Devil in a New Dress” verse, few MCs, if any, could match him.

13. Eminem
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 93
Top 10 hits: 22

Eminem might just be the most difficult artist to rank on this entire list. He’s one of the most commercially successful rappers of all time, and on paper, you could argue he would compete with any artist on this list.

At his peak, he was about as popular as an artist could possibly get, and he has a ridiculously long list of hits to his name.

The question is: How would his catalog translate to a Verzuz match in 2022? If this battle was taking place during the height of his run, he might have been unbeatable.

12. Kendrick Lamar
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 50
Top 10 hits: 8

On Future’s “Mask Off” remix, Kendrick Lamar asked, “How y’all let a conscious nigga go commercial while only making conscious albums?” He poses a legitimate question, especially considering his last three studio albums, good kid, m.A.A.d city, To Pimp a Butterfly, and DAMN, all went platinum.

For most of his career, he has avoided the “boring rap” memes that follow some artists by sprinkling his socially conscious bars throughout projects that also have festival bangers.

His ability to flat-out rap, coupled with a dense discography, makes Kendrick a formidable opponent for most artists in his generation .

11. Busta Rhymes
Check Out 'Verzuz' Rapper Power Ranking, Continued (11-20) Billboard Hot 100 entries: 20
Top 10 hits: 7

Busta Rhymes is one of the most formidable rappers anyone could face in a Verzuz match. Just look at the five opponents who allegedly backed out of battles with him as proof of that.

According to Crazy Legs, Busta had a few different opponents lined up, but they all turned the opportunity down because of how dense his catalog is.

“I had to let Busta Ryhmes know that no one is worthy enough to battle him,” Crazy Legs wrote in an Instagram post.

Kindly share your thoughts on the ranking and don't plan to miss the last article with ranking (21-30).
CC: @Billboard & Complex.com
#InternationalMusic #hiphopmusic #BillboardxBoomplay

Comments (22)

0/500

    New Comments22

    Angel Godbless

    good

    Tanzania

    Mwandu Msendo

    [0x1f630][0x1f630][0x1f630]

    Tanzania

    gregutalor

    tough list

    Nigeria

    francischbyd

    This is cool

    Tanzania

    +

        -   or   -

        -   or   -

        NG +234

            Please Select A Playlist

            Add New Playlist

            Share on

            Embed: Love & Light EP

            Custom Size :

            • Default
            • Desktop(300*600)
            • Mobile(300*250)

            Type :

            • HTML/HTML5 (WordPress Supported)
            Get Boomplay Premium
            for
            Payment Method
            Pay With
              Review and pay
              Order Date
              Payment Method
              Due Today
              Flutterwave
                Subscription Successful

                Congratulations! You have successfully activated Boomplay 1 Month Premium.

                Now you have access to all the features of Boomplay App.
                Payment Failed

                Please check your balance and then try again.

                You'll lose your subscription if we don't have a working payment method for your account, so please check your payment details.
                Need help? Contact Boomplay Subscription Support.
                Payment Processing...
                10 s

                Payment is being processed by . Please wait while the order is being comfirmed.

                Payment Processing
                Your order is processing, and it may take up to a few days for the service provider to handle your payment. Please kindly stay tuned and check your order status in ‘User Center’.
                About Order Status