Who's Not Hot?

[blkjoker]

Just like Jay-z said the "The rap game is like the crack game", its all about fast money. How do you think rappers like Chingy is able to make money and who is dumb enough to sign him? Thats what people want to see and Chingy fits the part well most labels don't give a fucc how fast you can spit how good you can write, how real you are are how nasty your lyrics are. All they care about can we make money off this dude. That's why the rap game is messed up a lot of greedy folks out there. Back in the dayz it was more about creativity what you stood for, and what you were about. You got some rappers who will never get what they deserve in the game. You got ones who lyrics are nasty they write there own sh@t, and they real, but thats not whats sellin. What sellin is IMAGE! Who looks gangsta or who all pimped out, who got the newest dance moves (no matter how dumb it looks) or who got a new sayin out. You can never beat out what the fans what to see or hear. Cause thats who is spending money, and thats how a lot of rappers switch up to keep up with what the fans what to see or hear. Thats why 99.9% of the rappers or sell outs or not real. Money talks but not to all of them and those are the ones who keep it real and don't sell out to make money very few in the game.

[kiCKer]

the music industry has been like this for years. if y'all think it's just happenin' to Hip Hop music...it's been happenin' from the get go. like i said before, the labels put out only what people wanna hear...yeah, the quality might go down...but we are fans too. make your voice heard. either that or just don't listen to it.

screw all this real, not real, true, controversial, sell-out, etc...

there's only two types of music - "wack as fuk, dope as fuk..."

[omack]

You guys are on point. It won't be easy changing the game, though. What people like is what is going to be hot, even if it is not of the highest quality.

[blkjoker]

the music industry has been like this for years. if y'all think it's just happenin' to Hip Hop music...it's been happenin' from the get go. like i said before, the labels put out only what people wanna hear...yeah, the quality might go down...but we are fans too. make your voice heard. either that or just don't listen to it.

screw all this real, not real, true, controversial, sell-out, etc...

there's only two types of music - "wack as "i will get banned", dope as "i will get banned"..."

When it first started rappers had more skills and most labels was signing niggas with skills. Then as it kept going they went after the different look to white rappers it changed as it got older.

[blkjoker]

You guys are on point. It won't be easy changing the game, though. What people like is what is going to be hot, even if it is not of the highest quality.

Agree. Like I say when it comes to women most want to hear something they can dance to at the club, thats why Nelly, chingy, east side boyz, ying yang twins, blew up. You cant dance to know gangsta rap. The young males mainly white are the ones that made 50 large and Em large believing in the hype and there image. But I dont have to listen to that stuff thats why I been looking towards under ground cats lately.

[kiCKer]

the music industry has been like this for years. if y'all think it's just happenin' to Hip Hop music...it's been happenin' from the get go. like i said before, the labels put out only what people wanna hear...yeah, the quality might go down...but we are fans too. make your voice heard. either that or just don't listen to it.

screw all this real, not real, true, controversial, sell-out, etc...

there's only two types of music - "wack as "i will get banned", dope as "i will get banned"..."

When it first started rappers had more skills and most labels was signing niggas with skills. Then as it kept going they went after the different look to white rappers it changed as it got older.

hmm...depends how you look at it. i think lyricism has elevated since the beginning of Hip Hop. take the flow of Sugar Hil Gang and the Furious Five vs Common and Eminem. no disrespect to the old skoo, but things have definitely elevated.

also, the topics are still the same. Big Daddy Kane rhymed all the time about girls and money. Too Short, all he rhymes about is girls. in the 80's, you had the yin and yangs (ie: Big Daddy Kane's topics vs Public Enemy). in the 90's-present you got Cash Money and their songs vs Dead Prez and their songs.

true, most Hip Hop cd's are sold to middle America...but why is that? it's because nobody outside of middle America is buyin' CD's man. we all gettin' them mixtapes, bootlegs, etc.

i don't think there is a lack of talent in mainstream. i mean Luda can kick metaphors, so can Kanye, Eminem, Jay Z. Ice Cube can story tell, so can Nas, Scarface...and the beats in Hip Hop music have gotten WAY better and more innovative.

i mean, there has been a song on every topic you can think of. what's left to do? Hip Hop music has its phases. in the early 90's, Gangsta Rap blew up...then the Eastcoast came back with Nas, Wu Tang, Biggie, Outkast...late 90's came in the "Bad Boy" era and others like Jay Z, Cash Money. then came the Midwest with Nelly, then came the "Neptunes" era...and now its the "Lil' Jon and his crunk music" time.

Hip Hop music ain't wack...it's beautiful. what other genre do you know that can evolve and only get bigger. Metal died out, Techno died out, New Wave died out, Pop never changed...only Hip Hop is ever-changing. ya can't hate on its power and beauty.

[George]

Naw, personally i don't think the industry puts out what the PEOPLE WANT, the industry puts out what they want us to listen to.

In other words, the music companies don't give a mess about socially conscious messages, or political challenges in the music. Just look how they try to downplay 2pac's role as an influence on our youth.

But the media doesn't have a problem with promoting 50 cent, even though i feel he has less to offer than what Pac had to offer.

All 50 cent to me is a package of negative black male stereotypes being served to White middle class teen curiousities. But 50 sells his image well and makes the money/concerts well.

But in all honesty, i see color people who struggle day to day (Black/Oriental/Asian/Hispanic/Native) seeking Rappers they can relate their pain to, a figure they can rest their troubles upon.

For Black males and probably many others 2pac, was that person who was willing to represent the people. The media felt threatened by his "**** the status quo!" mentality. So they tried(and still do) their best to downplay his importance as a Rap Musician.

The industry don't play what we want, they just play us what they want to give to us, not caring about our needs and expectations in a musician.

[blkjoker]

Kicker u are right I agree with you, but to me back then just about all the rappers had skills. Today its all about image, where cats really be singing not rapping. Also to George most labels put out stuff they know kids will buy, they know what crowd to target and go after. They know what the youth wants to here and they throw it down there throat. Now its not what the mature crowd wants to hear like maybe you and me. Young kids dont really listen to lyrics most go over there head. All they like is the beat and the chours lines, thats all they yell "Its Gettin Hot In Here" or "I Aint Never Scared." Thats what these lables is going after chours line niggas, Nelly could not find a record deal to save his life. Why? Cause he was so different and they was scared to take a chance on him. Somebody did now what? ok if they like him I'm sure they will like Chingy. Why? Cause thats what sellin, what The Youth is buying. Em comes out and hits big, then what soon after that they said well i guess its time for the white people to blow up. So timberland came out with Bubba Sparks, so he can be like Dre. and have a white boy make him some money. Every few often they come out with somebody out of left field, then they all copy and come out with the same after that until somebody comes out with something different and when that sells they all come out with the same thang and make there cut. These labels no what sells and what The Youth wants to here.

[kiCKer]

here...since i am actually in the music business. i will break it down for y'all...this knowledge was handed down to me by people like the Vice President of ASCAP, former A&R and Vice President of Virgin Records, former producer of Wu-Tang Clan, Paul Simon, etc...

okay...i'll put it into context with mainstream labels (ie: the Big 5)

a good band/group/act will get somewhere in the high 100,000 - million $ in advance when signing a contract. but that's besides the point...here's how much an artist will actually make, BEFORE recoupment.

the industry standard for points (on a scale of 100) is 8.5 cents per song. that's how much a songwriter (NOT the artist) makes per song on an album. let's say there are 10 songs on an album and that rapper wrote ALL the songs. then the artist went platinum so he sold 1,000,000 copies of the album. here's the formula...

0.085 x 10 = $0.85 x 1,000,000 = $850,000 / 2 (publisher/songwriter) = !! $425,000 !! ...that is how much a platinum artist who wrote ALL the songs (no co-writers) will receive for sellin' a million copies. now we all know most rappers have co-writers/ghost-writers and do not single-handedly write EVERY single song. but let's give them the benefit of the doubt.

so say a new artist gets a $750,000 advance...in his record sales alone, he has paid off $425,000...leavin' $325,000 he needs to recoup still. but this recoupment is not a gauruntee pay back, meanin' the artist does not have to pay it back. the only reason artists do pay it back is so they can recieve mechanical royalties, which i won't get into...

now you might think...so nobody makes money? actually, the record company is the one who loses the most money. whenever big labels give advances, they automatically write of 90% of it...meanin' they write that 90% of the advance given will not be recouped.

so what does a smart label do? they just hope the guy will sell millions of albums to get the money back.

a smart artist would do this...take the $750,000 advance. use whatever is neccessary to releast and promote an album. keep the left-over money, use it to go on tour and sell the cd themselves. they can buy the album for $10 wholesale from the label itself, sell it for $15 at their shows and make a $5 profit...rather than 85 cents for that whole 10 song album

but yeah...i haven't covered everythin', but hopefully this will show how the business works...everyone thinks it's easy for the artist or label to make money...but it's not...for every 9 artists who fail, 1 makes it. it's said that last year...only about a dozen albums went platinum...that is spanning ALL genres. the average sale for a new artist's first album is 38,000. so for every 50 Cent sellin' millions, you got all these artists who can't even break 50,000.

[kiCKer]

and all these people complanin' about watchin' tv and seein' wack artists grew up in the "MTV" era. whatever happened to listenin' to an artist, goin' to their shows/concerts, instead of havin' to see them. of course shit will be repititive on TV. what isn't repetitive on tv? for everyone 10 artists on TV, you got 100 who aren't. so stop judgin' all of Hip Hop by what you see on tv. Hip Hop ain't dead...it's just that y'all judge by what you see, not what you hear...

[zzzz]

^^^ You're right, it aint dead. A lot of people don't even know the other 90 of those rappers exist. The mainstream $h!t is the part that's showing it's ugly face...and if you ask me... the b!tch needs a face lift, is all I'm saying.

[blkjoker]

^^^How can you speak on Pac you dont even know the kat? I cant believe for a streetgangs board you would think most of you kats would like MTV, BET, hip hop, undeground rap, and the artists, etc.... But all i hear is animosity towards it. What do all you kats listen to CLASSIC 80s VH-1 or what??

First off dude did I sat I knew 2pac? What I am saying pac told sh@t like it was, talked about shit people could relate 2. Thats what I am saying. Just like I say they are some niggas in the main stream with skills that I like. But a lot is bull shit and you know it.

[blkjoker]

and all these people complanin' about watchin' tv and seein' wack artists grew up in the "MTV" era. whatever happened to listenin' to an artist, goin' to their shows/concerts, instead of havin' to see them. of course stuff will be repititive on TV. what isn't repetitive on tv? for everyone 10 artists on TV, you got 100 who aren't. so stop judgin' all of Hip Hop by what you see on tv. Hip Hop ain't dead...it's just that y'all judge by what you see, not what you hear...

Thats the problem the same shit, I liked it when it came out cause it was new. But they need to expand and show more shit instead of the same shit. Thats why I dont watch BET and MTV, and listen to radio, I just get and listen to what I like.

[blkjoker]

^^^ You're right, it aint dead. A lot of people don't even know the other 90 of those rappers exist. The mainstream $h!t is the part that's showing it's ugly face...and if you ask me... the b!tch needs a face lift, is all I'm saying.

Agree

[George]

Heres some Rap artist/musicians you all can check out that are not showcased on BET or the airwaves that much=

*Mountain Brothers (3 awsome Oriental rappers who made some noticible noise over the net and college radios, they're from Philly)

*Paris with his Sonic Jihad album, you can check it on the net i think

*I think Jin's debut album is coming out soon, and i don't believe the mainstream media is gonna promote it the way Eminem was promoted. SO all you just get it for Underground sakes!

*and of course theres always Kazaa, you can find a lot of musicians/artist in the lower underground getting their respect among true music seekers.

*And if any of you go to the stores and, feel tired of the same BS commercial 2004 crap, just pick up those back in the day 2pac or Biggie or whoever albums and reminisce about times when Rap/Hiphop was all about integrity and originality!!! Peace

[GUNJA SMOKIN]

U KNOW PARIS IS AS REAL AS THEY COME

AS FOR WHOS NOT HOT.....

YUNG GUNS
LOON
LIL JON
YING YANG TWINS
P DIDDY
KANYE WEST

THE LIST GOES ON AND ON

['X']

bgC what do you mean Ice Cube used to be racist? He still promotes the NOI and 5%ers, if that's what you mean.

Shorty from the Lench Mob even said that Ice Cube's lyrics made him out to be a proper gangster but when he met him he thought he had the wrong man.

Shorty probably used to jack people like Ice Cube.

Ice cube's a heavy lyricist, but on the list of wanksters he probably comes higher that the Beastie Boys.

LOL!!!!

CUBE USE TO BE RACIST??? COME ON NOW WE IN THE NATION OF ISLAM NOT RACIST, JUST TRUTH TELLERS, NAME ONE THING WE SAY THAT'S NOT TRUE??? IT'S CRAZY HOW SOME OF US GROWN PEOPLE NEVER READ ANY KIND OF BOOK AND STUDY BUT STILL MAKES COMMENTS ON THIS, AND I BET WHOEVER MADE THESE COMMENTS NOT BLACK FOLK.

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D.X

[Anonymous20]

I'd put Ice Cube in the same boat as Ras Kass on Soul On Ice. That was some hard lyrical stuff.

['X']

^^^^ I can agree with this somewhat( but cube aint nowhere near where he used to be).



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D.X

[Casper]

Fuck Ja Rule
G-Unit
and
Nelly

[kiCKer]

bgC what do you mean Ice Cube used to be racist? He still promotes the NOI and 5%ers, if that's what you mean.

Shorty from the Lench Mob even said that Ice Cube's lyrics made him out to be a proper gangster but when he met him he thought he had the wrong man.

Shorty probably used to jack people like Ice Cube.

Ice cube's a heavy lyricist, but on the list of wanksters he probably comes higher that the Beastie Boys.

LOL!!!!

CUBE USE TO BE RACIST??? COME ON NOW WE IN THE NATION OF ISLAM NOT RACIST, JUST TRUTH TELLERS, NAME ONE THING WE SAY THAT'S NOT TRUE??? IT'S CRAZY HOW SOME OF US GROWN PEOPLE NEVER READ ANY KIND OF BOOK AND STUDY BUT STILL MAKES COMMENTS ON THIS, AND I BET WHOEVER MADE THESE COMMENTS NOT BLACK FOLK.

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D.X

Cube has his period where he didn't like a certain race. if you doubt this, then just listen to his song, "Black Korea". he later apologized for that song, but man...i can tell you myself, that song didn't fit well with us Koreans, or other Asians

['X']

It amazes me how some people listen and interpret music. When cube and others make these kind of songs, they not saying they don't like a "WHOLE" race. But during this time(and even now!!) he wrote Black Korea, that was the additude of many of us Black and Brown folk in these so-called inner cities. I mean if you didn't and don't go through it, you can never relate, and those of us in these so-called inner cities know that the treatment and the out right predjudice that alot of these koreans show towards us Black and Brown is crazy, and they make it so obvious that they don't like and they don't trust us. And how can you come into a community and set up shop(which I'm not knocking them doing buisness), and treat those that represent the community, that you decided to come in, and your customers like we all criminals. And we will never forget Latasha Harlins(RIP) who was shot point blank in the back of the head for something that could of been resolved in another way!!!! I mean, and alot of this is still going on today!!! We needed that song, because it bought attention to a bad problem in our communities. And if cube apologized, then that's because he has in some ways sold out and went totally hollywood and he back to making music with no substance again. I'm not saying that all of the asian community is like this, but alot of them are and they haven't changed and it's a cold feeling to get treated this way in your own community. And they even act this way when my mother of father go into some of these stores, and they innocent older people. So if cube was wrong for saying the truth, what are the koreans who actually behave this way??? We always quick to label us (BLack folk) racist, but in alot of ways we have reasons to not like some people, because alot of others don't like us!!!



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[kiCKer]

the topic i replied to was Cube makin' racist comments, which in turned could back up the claim that Cube was in some way, shape, or form...racist. at least in his views.

now you come with a claim that because many Asians who owned these liquor stores in the "hoods" did fit that stereotypical profile, Cube had a right to bring out that song?

come on now...it's pretty absurd how you can try and defend racial comments made by ANYONE. i am not callin' Cube a racist based on prejudice towards him. in fact, i like his music and respect him. but that still does not deny the fact that Cube put out the song. for whatever reason it may be, you cannot deny those were some racial comments, directed towards another group of minority.

think about it...if a group of whites put out a song called "Black America" or whatever and made the SAME stereotypical, racial comments towards your ethnic group, in the SAME exact way Cube did with his song on Koreans, for the SAME reasons, would you back them up as well?

i understand you are proud of your culture, heritage, and people...and i ain't got no problem with that...but before we are divided into colors, we are still equal humans. Cube should have no reason to put out that song about Koreans and Asians in general...whether his claims were true or not. the fact that he apologized, makes me respect Cube as a MAN, not just a Black male...even he knew it was wrong.

i just don't understand how you can try and justify what he did. i do not sit here and try to justify what the lady did to young Ms. Harlins. nor do i try and justify the reasons why many owners are disrespectful to customers. though i could use the reason that many customers come up in the stores and disrespect the owners. my aunt and uncle had a store up in East LA for 20+ years back from the 70-90's. i've been there plenty of times and seen a range of customers. many who were respectful and often friends of my aunt and uncle. others who were downright disrespectful.

now how logical would it be for me to justify the killing of Latasha, using the reasons that many owners were disrespected and mistreated.

i understand that my example is goin' a lil' extreme, but i hope it gets my point across.

what Cube said in the record was not right. period. two wrongs don't make a right. you were taught that since you was a baby, i'm sure. right? the actions of the Koreans do not justify the reaction of Cube and his song...and vice versa. neither was right, but the original topic was about Cube and his song.

we can go off topic and discuss more, but that would prolly end up in pm's. so hit me back if you would like to further argue the issue. peace~

['X']

If it is hard to accept hearing about what some of the koreans and others do to us, IMAGINE BEING THE ONES ON THE OTHER END OF THEIR TREATMENT!!!! CUBE JUST EXPOSED WHAT GOES ON IN THESE BUISNESSES. DON'T BLAME THE MESSENGER, BLAME THOSE WHO THE MESSENGER IS EXPOSING. I WILL KEEP SAYING, IF YOU IN THESE STREETS AND YOU GET THIS BEHAVIOR BY SOME OF THESE SHOP OWNERS, THEN YOU CAN ADMIT THAT CUBE WASN'T WRONG. THE KOREANS AND OTHERS ARE WRONG FOR THEIR STEROTYPES AND FOUL BEHAVIOR!!!!



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D.X

[sexy365]

You are so right!

[kiCKer]

If it is hard to accept hearing about what some of the koreans and others do to us, IMAGINE BEING THE ONES ON THE OTHER END OF THEIR TREATMENT!!!! CUBE JUST EXPOSED WHAT GOES ON IN THESE BUISNESSES. DON'T BLAME THE MESSENGER, BLAME THOSE WHO THE MESSENGER IS EXPOSING. I WILL KEEP SAYING, IF YOU IN THESE STREETS AND YOU GET THIS BEHAVIOR BY SOME OF THESE SHOP OWNERS, THEN YOU CAN ADMIT THAT CUBE WASN'T WRONG. THE KOREANS AND OTHERS ARE WRONG FOR THEIR STEROTYPES AND FOUL BEHAVIOR!!!!



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D.X

lemme ask you this then...flip the script. y'all got the liquor stores and we the customers. y'all treat us with the same "foul behavior". we go out and make a song called "Yellow Africa" or whatever, sayin' the same shit about y'all peoples. now after you hear it, you gonna sit there and tell me that it ain't right for me to put out a song dissin' y'alls peoples?

my point is, racism is wrong...PERIOD. on either ends...just cuz a black homie said it, does not make it right. open your mind homie.

don't try and stop the mistreatment and racism of your people, by justifyin' actions like these...racism cannot counter racism...

['X']

If the shoe was on the other foot, and you made a song about us(Black folk), you would not be wrong for exposing the foul treatment you or your people was going through. Don't hate the messenger, hate the treatment he speaking on!!!!


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D.X

[Interested]

Well everybody is entitled to their own opinion but here are mine.

Dirty South:
Hot-Ludacris, Lil’ Scrappy, Outkast, Ying Yang twins, T.I., Young buck (like his flow), 8Ball & MJG
Not-Lil’ Jon & Eastside boyz, Jermaine Dupri (Why did you pick him Janet?), Lil’ Bow Wow(horrible bay shit)

New York
Hot- 50 Cent(can’t freestyle worth shit but he can write his own songs though) Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo, Nas, R.I.P. BIGGIE SMALLZ
Not- DIPSET IS SO FUCKING LAME THE HORROR! Jay-Z, P.Diddy, Lil’ Kim, Fat Joe, Terror Squad, Mobb Deep, Angie Martinez, Ja Rule, Charlie Baltimore, Cadillac Tah, black child, Method and Redman.

West Coast:
Hot- Snoop Dogg, The Game, EAZY E, 2Pac, Lil’ Eazy(upcoming), WC (liked his real old shit), Knocturnal,
Not-ICE CUBE, MAC-10, Xzibit, LL Cool J

Mid-West:
Hot-Twista, Kanye West,R Kelly(just had to add his name)
Not-Chingy,J-kwon

My over all favorite rapper/s is DEAD PREZ!!!!!!!!

I FUCKING HATE LL Cool J

['X']

I agree on the Dead Prez, but L.L form the west coast? I think you made a mistake, and I won't even comment on your not list from the west and east. Snoop, hot?... Nas and Fat Joe not? come on now!!


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D.X

[Interested]

Like I said everybody has their own opinion and your right about LL Cool J, my fault. He had songs out before I was even born. He had some tights one but Nas may not be gangsta but he is educational.

In hopes to reach their students, teachers around the country have increasingly been using Hip-Hop songs from the likes of Nas and dead prez as learning tools.

Schuaib Meacham, a 42-year-old education professor at the University of Delaware is at the forefront of a movement that hopes to bring Hip-Hop into classrooms to help engage students in learning. According to Meacham, teachers are now empowering the students by letting them bring their favorite rap songs to class as a tool to teach filmmaking, science, creative writing and literature. He also tells students to listen to Hip-Hop lyrics for classic literary traits like metaphors. Meacham sees parallels between literary work and rap songs --citing William Blake poem, "Infinite Sorrow" and Nas' song, "Fetus," as examples.

"If Blake's sorrowful poem about his birth is literature then so is Nas' song," Meacham told Azcentral.com. "The kids might not see literary devices in Blake, but they see it in Nas."

The movement is steadily growing and Meacham along with 300 other educators and Hip-Hop artists including dead prez attended a conference organized by H2ed-Hip-Hop education in New York last November. While more professors are joining Meacham's cause, he has run into opposition from administration. The education department's administration even changed the title of one of his classes, "Hip-Hop Literacy" without his approval because they felt it wasn't appropriate.

"In class, hip-hop is a vehicle to help students succeed where previously they've failed," Meacham explained. "Without hip-hop, you wouldn't even know what they were capable of."

[kiCKer]

If the shoe was on the other foot, and you made a song about us(Black folk), you would not be wrong for exposing the foul treatment you or your people was going through. Don't hate the messenger, hate the treatment he speaking on!!!!


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D.X

if you put it that way...then i can't argue with ya on that...

however, i do disagree that any type of racism, provoked or unprovoked is wrong. just cuz a handful of blacks disrespected me and treated me like shit...i would not go out and make a general statement about all black people. but that's just my opinion...

anyway...respects...peace~

[Anonymous20]

[quote="Interested"]Well everybody is entitled to their own opinion but here are mine.

Dirty South:
Hot-Ludacris, T.I., 8Ball & MJG, Scarface for ever hot so is UGK free Pimp C,
not-everyone else down south especially Atlanta rappers like Bonecrusher, Lil Jon, Lil Scrappy, Ying Yang, Young one all you lames are straight ass.

New York
Hot- Terror Squad, Nas, Mobb Deep, Jada Kiss, Talib Kweli, Mos Def
not- everyone else

West Coast:
Hot- Rappers from the bay, Tash, alkoholics
not - everyone else

Mid-West:
Hot-Twista, The whole Drama Ward, Grind Family, MCG'z, Father Tyme, Ric Jilla, EC Illa, Qualo, Bumpy Johnson, Common, juice
Not-Commercial St. Louis rappers, Bone, Midwest Monstaz, gay ass D12 and eminem.

Worst rappers of all time everyone current who is suppose to be hot. Especially St. Louis rappers and rappers in Atl except for TI and Ludacris no comment on Outkast.