Man i couldn't figure out an order but these are my top five.
Jay Z: he’s got a style and flow that’s kept fans followin from young to old. the original hova, it’s game ova, verbalizing life, his soul, he ain’t sold’ya. real as real can get, besides all that this the man that gets beyonce wet.
Nas: smooth tempo when spittin knowledge. deep intellect teachin life like college, the parts history left out. true to the core witout a doubt. remindin the world, what the world’s about.
Eminem: a linguistic phenomenon. the way he twists thangs up, i mean c’mon. no one before no one after, well, some of his last shit is kind of a disaster, but still, unique as the view from every window sill. each jam a new perspective, if i gotta pick an alive top five, this man’s elected.
Method Man: rough and raspy rap OG got verbs like shots from an uzi. takin destinies and wakin dreams. a tough renegade no tricks up his sleeve. he blows up the spot wit tongue grenades. competition fades in the aftermath, wu tang baby, ya’ll know the name.
Mos Def: freestyle genius, i mean this, give the man a mic and he’ll defeat it. leave it depleted. he’s been in the game for years and still has rhymes for days. only time he stops is when the mic’s about to drop.