Lots of high quality contenders repping the Letter R were found in the most recent installment of our weekly series to determine which hip hop artist or group is the best in the game as driven by the letters of the alphabet. From golden age hip hop go-tos like Run DMC and Rakim, '90s-era risers ala Raekwon, The Roots and Redman, and underappreciated '00s-era rhyme-slingers Rhymefest and Run the Jewels, it seemed like it'd be tough to vote in this latest round.
But the race was easily won.
The 18th Letter of the Hip Hop ABCs goes to none other than the honorable Rakim. You would be hard pressed to find an emcee with better mic and crowd control than William Michael Griffin, Jr., so it is no surprise that he has influenced everyone from Nas to 50 Cent to Joey Bada$$. Go ahead and add you and me to that list, too. His former collaborator Eric B. may be the more presidential of the two but it was Rakim earning 65 percent of the vote.
Rakim took home his repeat win as well as a featured spot in the upcoming 2015 A3C Festival. This should give him the chance to show a brand new generation of emcees how to Follow The Leader.
Now it is your turn to decide who follows him in this alphabetical rap battle. Who's the best beginning with the Letter 'S'? Vote below.
Infinite Skillz is a Hip Hop fan and emcee. Click here to find out more about his music.
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2015.