When it comes to the rap game, it's all about respect. In other words, a rapper's career will only go so far if they aren't respectable. Not only that, but they need to respected by their peers—not just the fans. Take some of the best rappers of all time, for instance. You got Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and so on. Some of rap's best artists have plenty of respect attached to their names, and that's why they remain as some of the industry's greatest years after the midst of their careers.
So, of all the respectable rappers out there, which artists have the best reputations? And as fans, who makes the list of rappers you respect most? Kanye West? Kendrick Lamar? Of course, you have all your female rap artists, too—and they should be included on any such list. There's a great deal of hip-hop artists, but only some have the top street cred and it's up to you to decide who deserves the most respect—at least for this list of rappers with the best reputations.
Peep the extensive list below and vote up the rappers you think are most respectable. You can also vote down artists, as well as add the ones you think deserve some serious credit.
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Tupac ShakurAll Eyez on Me, Me Against the World, The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and briefly as Makaveli, was an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one ...more
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EminemThe Marshall Mathers LP, The Slim Shady LP, The Eminem Show Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known by his stage name Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and actor. In addition to his solo career, he is a member of the group D12, ...more
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Dr. DreThe Chronic, 2001, Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang / Let Me Ride Andre Romelle Young, known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper and entrepreneur. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics. ...more
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Snoop DoggDoggystyle, Tha Doggfather, Tha Last Meal Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr, best known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American recording artist and actor from Long Beach, California. His music career began in 1992, when he was discovered ...more
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Ice CubeAmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, The Predator, Death Certificate O'Shea Jackson, Sr., better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and filmmaker. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later ...more
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NasIllmatic, Life Is Good, Untitled Nas album Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known as Nas, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Since 1994, Nas has released eight ...more
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The Notorious B.I.G.Ready to Die, Life After Death, Born Again Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names The Notorious B.I.G., Biggie or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York ...more
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Kendrick Lamargood kid, m.A.A.d city, Section.80 Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, better known as Kendrick Lamar, is an American hip hop recording artist from Compton, California. In 2004, Lamar signed to Carson-based independent record label, Top ...more
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The Dankest Meme added Eazy-EEazy-Duz-It, It’s On (Dr. Dre) 187um Killa, Eternal E Eric Lynn Wright, better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright is affectionately called "The Godfather of Gangsta ...more
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The Dankest Meme added 50 CentGet Rich or Die Tryin', Get Rich or Die Tryin' / The Massacre, Street King Immortal Curtis James Jackson III, better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, singer, entrepreneur investor and actor from New York City. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of the ...more
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1519704292721 added RedmanMuddy Waters, Whut? Thee Album, Doc's da Name 2000 Reginald "Reggie" Noble, better known by his stage name Redman, is an American MC, rapper, DJ, record producer and actor. He came to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam ...more
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André 3000Royal Flush, Class of 3000: Music Volume One, DoYaThing André Lauren Benjamin, better known by his stage name André 3000, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being ...more
RakimThe 18th Letter, The Archive: Live, Lost & Found William Michael Griffin, Jr., better known by his stage name Rakim, is an American rapper. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...more
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Method ManTical, 4:21... The Day After, The Riddler Clifford Smith, better known by the stage name Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He took his stage name from the 1979 film Method Man. He is perhaps best known as a ...more
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1519704292721 added Mos DefBlack on Both Sides, True Magic, The New Danger Yasiin Bey, better known by his former stage name Mos Def, is an American hip hop recording artist, actor, and activist from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Best known for his music, Mos Def ...more
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added DMXIt's Dark and Hell Is Hot, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood Earl Simmons, better known by his stage names DMX and Dark Man X, is an American rapper and actor. In 1999, DMX released his best-selling album ...And Then There Was X, which featured the hit ...more
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Jay-ZWatch the Throne, The Black Album, Reasonable Doubt Shawn Corey Carter, known by his stage name Jay Z, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in ...more
princ3ss.13 added J. Cole2014 Forest Hills Drive, Born Sinner Jermaine Lamarr Cole, better known by his stage name J. Cole, is an American hip hop recording artist, songwriter and record producer from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cole first received ...more
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Lauryn HillThe Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, MTV Unplugged 2.0, Ms. Hill Lauryn Hill is an American singer–songwriter, rapper, producer, and actress. She is best known for being a member of the Fugees and for her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Raised in ...more
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Slick RickThe Great Adventures of Slick Rick, The Art of Storytelling, The Ruler's Back Ricky Walters, better known by his stage name Slick Rick, is a Grammy-nominated English rapper. He has also been known as Rick the Ruler, MC Ricky D, and Ricky Dee. He began his career in late ...more
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1519704292721 added Ghostface KillahIronman, Supreme Clientele, Fishscale Dennis Coles, better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ...more
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KRS-OneHip Hop Lives, Return of the Boom Bap, Criminal Minded Lawrence Krisna Parker, better known by his stage names KRS-One, and Teacha, is an American rapper and occasional producer from The Bronx, New York City, New York. KRS-One rose to prominence as ...more
Ol' Dirty BastardReturn to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones, Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are) Russell Tyrone Jones, better known under his stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard, was an American rapper and occasional producer. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group ...more
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Tech N9neEverready, Anghellic, Absolute Power Aaron Dontez Yates, better known by his stage name Tech N9ne, is an American rapper. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two million albums ...more
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The Dankest Meme added Childish Gambino"Awaken, My Love!", Because the Internet Donald McKinley Glover, also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, is an American actor, writer, comedian, rapper, singer, and producer. He first came to attention for his work with Derrick ...more
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1519704292721 added RZARZA as Bobby Digital in Stereo, Birth of a Prince, Digital Bullet Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA, is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, MC, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter.
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Matt1345 added Royce da 5'9"Rock City, Street Hop, Death Is Certain Ryan Daniel Montgomery, better known by his stage name Royce da 5'9", is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is best known for his longtime association with Eminem as well as his ...more
1519704292721 added GZALiquid Swords, Grandmasters, Pro Tools Gary Grice, better known by his stage names GZA and The Genius, is an American rapper and songwriter. A founding member of the hip hop group, the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is known as the group's ...more
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1519704292721 added RaekwonOnly Built 4 Cuban Linx Instrumentals, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, Immobilarity Corey Woods, better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since ...more
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Matt1345 added ProofSearching for Jerry Garcia, Grown Man Shit, I Miss the Hip Hop Shop DeShaun Dupree Holton, better known by his stage name Proof, was an American rapper and actor from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups Goon Sqwad, 5 Elementz, ...more
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Talib KweliQuality, Liberation, The Beautiful Struggle Talib Kweli Greene is an American hip hop recording artist from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. Kweli also earned recognition through his work with fellow Brooklyn-bred rapper Mos Def, in ...more
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2 ChainzB.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time, Beez in the Trap, T.R.U. REALigion Tauheed Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition for ...more
Chance The RapperAcid Rap, Confident, Songs from Scratch: Paranoia Chancelor Bennett, better known by his stage name Chance the Rapper, is an American hip hop recording artist from the Chatham neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. In 2013, he began to gain major ...more
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Big Daddy KaneLong Live the Kane, It's a Big Daddy Thing, Daddy's Home Antonio Hardy, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely ...more
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Lil WayneTha Carter III, Tha Carter II, Tha Carter Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1991, at the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash ...more
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1519704292721 added ScarfaceThe Diary, The Fix, Mr. Scarface Is Back Brad Terrence Jordan, better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper. He hails from Houston, Texas and is a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from the city's South Acres ...more
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added CommonResurrection, Be, Like Water for Chocolate Lonnie Rashid Lynn, better known by his stage name Common, is an American hip hop recording artist and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? ...more
Ice-TPower, O.G. Original Gangster, Home Invasion Tracy Lauren Marrow, better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He began his career as a rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he ...more
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Chuck DAutobiography of Mistachuck, Rock da Funky Beats / Dance With You, An Interview With Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, better known by his stage name Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as ...more
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Missy ElliottUnder Construction, Supa Dupa Fly, Miss E ...So Addictive Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Her first major success came as a songwriter with childhood friend and producer ...more
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Matt1345 added YelawolfTrunk Muzik 0-60, Radioactive, Arena Rap EP Michael Wayne Atha, better known as Yelawolf, is an American hip hop recording artist from Gadsden, Alabama. He is currently signed to Shady Records, Interscope Records, and has since founded ...more
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added KuruptTha Streetz Iz a Mutha, Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey, Against the Grain Ricardo Emmanuel Brown, better known by his stage name Kurupt is an American rapper, actor and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records. He is a member of the rap group Tha Dogg ...more
Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added Big LThe Big Picture, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, Children of the Corn: The Collector's Edition Lamont Coleman, best known by his stage name Big L, was an American hip hop recording artist, born and raised in Harlem, New York City, New York. Coleman embarked on his career in rapping, with ...more
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Matt1345 added Joe BuddenJoe Budden, Halfway House, The Growth Joe Budden is an American hip hop recording artist from Jersey City, New Jersey, who, in addition to being a solo artist, is a member of the American hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, alongside ...more
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1519704292721 added MF DoomVaudeville Villain, Operation: Doomsday, Special Herbs and Spices Daniel Dumile is a British-born American hip hop artist best known for his "super villain" stage persona and unique lyrics. Daniel Dumile has taken on several stage names in his ...more
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The Dankest Meme added Joyner Lucas Joyner Lucas is an American rapper from Worcester, Massachusetts.
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added Big BoiSir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, Got Purp? Vol. 2, Royal Flush Antwan André Patton, better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast ...more
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added De La Soul3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the ...more
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added ProdigyH.N.I.C., Return of the Mac, H.N.I.C. Pt. 2 Albert Johnson, better known by his stage name Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the Hip-hop duo Mobb Deep with Havoc. He is the great-great-grandson of the founder of Morehouse
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Jóhannes Snær Magnússon added Big PunCapital Punishment, Yeeeah Baby, Endangered Species Christopher Lee Rios, better known by his stage name Big Pun, was an American rapper and actor, the first Latino rapper to attain Platinum sales status as a solo act. Big Pun emerged from the ...more
