Billboard, in honour of the 50th anniversary of Hiphop, has named the top 50 rappers of all time.

The suspenseful reveal started on January 11, 2023. 10 rappers were named from number 50 upwards every week. Yesterday, February 8, the last top 10 were unveiled. 

The list only covers North America, where the Hiphop sound and culture began. 

50. Rick Ross

49. Rev Run (Run-DMC)

48. Melle Mel

47. MC Lyte

46. Jadakiss

45. Ice-T

44. Queen Latifah

43. Bun B

42. Redman

41. E-40

40. Dr Dre

39. Ludacris

38. Gucci Mane

37. Common

36. Yasin Bey (formerly Mos Def)

35. Future

34. Chuck D (Public Enemy)

33. Busta Rhymes

32. T.I

31. Lil Kim

30. Lauryn Hill

29. Pusha T

28. Black Thought

27. Q-Tip

26. Big Pun

25. Method Man

24. KRS-One

23. Kurtis Blow

22. Ghostface Killah

21. DMX

20. Big Daddy Kane

19. Missy Elliot

18. Ice Cube

17. 50 Cent

16. Scarface

15. J. Cole

14. LL Cool J

13. Rakim

12. André 3000

11. Kanye West (Ye)

10. Nicki Minaj

9. Snoop Dogg

8. Drake

7. Lil Wayne

6. The Notorious B.I.G

5. Eminem

4. Tupac

3. Nas

2. Kendrick Lamar

1. Jay Z

According to Billboard.com, the criteria for the list is, in no particular order:

- Body of work/achievements (charted singles/albums, gold/platinum certifications)

- Cultural impact/influence (how the artist’s work fostered the genre’s evolution)

- Longevity (years at the mic)

- Lyrics (storytelling skills)

- Flow (vocal prowess).

A recognised music market-share leader, Hiphop "dates back to 1973, when DJ Kool Herc first set up his two turntables to rock a Bronx party."

Billboard curated the Hiphop GOATs (Greatest of All Times) list together with Vibe in commemoration of the genre's golden jubilee.