Ludacris Reveals His Top 5 Rappers
Ludacris is sharing his top 5.
Speaking with XXL’s Hip-Hop Moments of Clarity podcast, the Atlanta rap veteran revealed which MCs are worthy of the crown, starting with André 3000.
“So, top five flows, man. André 3000 is going to be in there. I feel like he always challenges, always challenges,” began Luda.
He also gave props to hip-hop’s younger generation including Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. “I’ma put Kendrick Lamar in there as number two,” he said. “I’ma put J. Cole in there as being, like…right now, I’m thinking of people that are versatile and constantly trying to think of different flows that don’t pretty much have a set flow that they always do.”
Coming in at No. 4 was Hov, who Luda celebrated for his versatility. “I’ma go ‘head and put JAY-Z in there, man. JAY-Z, you know, he does different things and he does experiment with different flows. And mostly, his different subject matter and how he’s able to weave through and be on a track with anybody.”
He wavered between Lil Wayne and Eminem for the fifth spot, ultimately giving it to Weezy. “I was honestly gonna put Lil Wayne,” said Luda. “Damn, this is hard because it’s like you got Lil Wayne…you got Eminem, but I’ma have to go with Lil Wayne because the body of work and his consistency and he’s been in the game almost 30 years, bruh.”
Ludacris recently collaborated with the Young Money boss on his Timbaland-produced single “S.O.T.L. (Silence of the Lambs),” which he premiered during his Verzuz battle with Nelly.
He explained why he gave the edge to Weezy, while also honoring late legends including Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., and Big L. “When we goin’ back to what we’re talking about, I’m saying Lil Wayne in terms of the span,” he said. “How long and how hard it is that people don’t realize to be that versatile and continue reinventing yourself through three decades, almost three decades. That’s a hard feat, so I’ma throw him in there too.”
When he’s not in the studio, Ludacris is joining the fight to end racial inequality with a new media platform called KidNation, which aims to teach children about current events through music. “Because we are in the height of not only COVID-19, but we’re also in the height of a racial divide that is starting to make small, positive change, and we want to help with that change,” he told CNN.