The Hip Hop ABCs is nearing its end as we reach the final eight letters of the alphabet. This is the second journey where we've decided, letter by letter, which artist or group is the best of hip hop’s best. Voters are free to use whichever method they choose to make this decision, whether that be lyrics, record sales, influence, or all (or none) of the above.
The beauty of this free-for-all was on full display for the Letter 'S', its crowded field of nominees quickly turning into a two-man race. The incumbent, Slick Rick, won our first trip through the alphabet, but that was when we had a smaller voting pool. Now that the entire Internet can vote, a veteran challenger by the name of Snoop Dogg proved to be quite formidable.
While Slick Rick may be the greatest hip hop storyteller of all time and an inspiration for Snoop, he ultimately could not keep his spot as the ruler of the Hip Hop ABCs Letter S. Snoop Dogg, born Calvin Broadus Jr., ended up with 38% of the vote after pulling away at the end of what had been a mere four percent lead.
The Long Beach native has evolved from being the seemingly effortless rhyme spitter that turned heads on Dr. Dre’s The Chronic to a truly global brand that includes music, TV, sports, and film. And whether or not you buy into his Rastafarian reincaration, it is nearly impossible to protest his prowess. Congratulations Snoop! You are winner of the Hip Hop ABCs Letter S.
Who is taking the Letter T?
Infinite Skillz is a Hip Hop fan and emcee. Click here to find out more about his music.
This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2015.