MTV News – Jay, Nas, LL, More On Being The ‘Greatest MCs Of All Time’:
I can buy Jay-Z being #1 hustler in the industry. I can buy him being the most successful artist. But #1 MC of all time?!?!? Oh hell naw! Rakim, Kane or Biggie could eat him alive lyrically. Sinead O’Connor was right. It’s about the loot.
Rakim was on point as usual:
“It’s a blessing, man. Especially the road I took. I’m a conscious rapper. I try to stay away from a lot of things: Not wanting to cross over and go pop. Try to stay true to my roots and for them to bless me with that title. It makes it all worth the battle. It’s like the first time you sit down with the notebook, you want to be with the greats. I came up under Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee. I used to think, ‘If Melle Mel heard this, or if Caz heard this, what would he think?’ ”