Mount Rapmore

Let’s be honest, if hip hop had a Mount Rushmore, it would include busts of Run DMC, Nas, Jay-Z, and Dr Dre. Bill Simmons (ESPN.com’s Sports Guy) attempted to tackle this in a column, but I think he approached it the wrong way. Each of his choices (Dr Dre, Tupac, Russell Simmons, and Rakim) were based on an individual’s merit over the course of a career. The busts of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt were chosen for specific reasons, and I believe each of my choices identifies more clearly with an individual president (By the way, I'm reneging on my initial promise of short and mindless blog entires--this one is a bit lengthy. It's more the exception than the norm though).

George Washington was chosen to be a part of Mount Rushmore because he is widely considered the father of our great nation. I don’t think there is any debate that Run DMC is considered the “father” of hip hop as it exists today. Much has been said/written about the impact of Run DMC on hip hop today, so I don’t need to reproduce all of it because I don’t think anyone would question this. If you want to learn more about Run DMC, there’s a really cool website online called Google. Check it out.

Thomas Jefferson was chosen because he penned the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and because of his belief in democracy. This boils down to a tough decision between Nas and Tupac, but ultimately of the two, I think Nas is more likely to be considered hip hop’s greatest “scribe.” He is the preemptive story-teller in hip hop, spinning yarn for 15+ years dating back to his first studio album, Illmatic (in my opinion the greatest album ever made). I also think he is the most creative lyricist, using wordplay better than anyone not named Biggie Smalls (from “One Time 4 Your Mind: I try to stay mellow, rock, well acapella rhymes'll/ make me richer than a slipper made Cinderella fella/ Go get your crew, Hobbes, I'm prepared to bomb troops/ Got n*ggaz who's born, I shot my way out my Mom Dukes). Though his sophomore album, It Was Written, followed in the footsteps of his debut, Nas is certainly not without fault. He quickly dropped off in lyrical quality on several ensuing albums, giving in to the lure of commercialism (see: "Hate Me Now" with Diddy and "You Owe Me" with Genuine). Only one album (Nastradamus), though, doesn’t feature a song showcasing his superb lyrical ability. He’s written a song where he takes on the form of a handgun making its way through his neighborhood (“I Gave You Power”), one that brilliantly tells the story of a hit from end to beginning (“Rewind”), and told numerous stories of life in Queens (almost all of Illmatic, “N.Y. State of Mind Part II”, “2nd Childhood”). He's rapped countless songs on social commentary (“One Mic”, “Message to the Feds”, “Be A N***** Too”), battled arguably the best rapper ever in Jay-Z and won (“Ether”), taken shots directly (at Cormega in “Destroy and Rebuild”) and subliminally (at 50 Cent in “Queens Get the Money”), and chronicled the history of the game, its demise, and his plan to avenge its death (“Hip Hop Is Dead”). He was part of two supergroups (The Firm and Group Therapy), invented some of hip hops most copied lines ("From the womb to the tomb" and "I'm out for presidents to represent me"), and everything in between. Tupac may be one of hip hop’s most socially conscious artists, and his love for poetry is heavily laced throughout his work, but I believe you can trace the state of hip hop through Nas’ career. From the street-based rhymes to commercialization to rehabbing and reinventing, Nas has been there every step of the way. I also think, and there is nothing that can be done about this, that there is something to be said about success over a long career. To no fault of his own (or maybe fault of his own), Tupac’s career as a rapper only lasted four years (1992-1996). In the end, I prefer Nas’ body of work over a span of nearly two decades. Footnote: I'd also love to give this bust to The Notorious B.I.G. but opt against it for the same reason that holds for Tupac--too short of a career. Biggie was the voice of the streets--a young kid who started rapping only to escape a life of selling drugs. "Ready to Die" was entirely about just that, and as I said earlier, Big was a master of wordplay. His demo tapes actually display great lyrical creativity but his first studio album gave him the focus he needed to get to the next level. In every argument, Biggie surfaces as a top-5 emcee, and I don't disagree. Who knows where his career would have taken him?

Abraham Lincoln was selected for Mount Rushmore because he is credited with the abolition of slavery—a turning point in our country’s history. If one artist can be credited with changing hip hop at a single moment, it has to be Jay-Z. Jay-Z changed the game in the mid-to-late 90’s when he flipped the script and made it all about money, jewelry, and flashy cars. This necessarily was not a good turning point for hip hop, but can you imagine hip hop music today without someone yapping about how much money he has? The unfortunate part is that Jay-Z is, in my opinion, is the greatest rapper that ever lived, but he’s almost single-handedly responsible for a lot of the garbage that’s out there today. Up until Jay-Z, hip hop could be divided into styles identifiable by region—the east coast had a slower, grittier sound where lyrics reigned supreme (Nas, Rakim, Wu Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest (not as slow or gritty but as good lyrically as any)), the west coast was defined by gangster rap and it’s extreme vulgarity and exploitation of women (N.W.A., Tupac, Snoop Dogg), and the south featured a funky sound focused on cruising in candy-painted cars or smoking copious amounts of marijuana (Outkast, UGK). Now, unless they shouted it out in songs, would you ever be able to tell where rappers are from? Every rapper has the most money, the most bling, and the best cars. You would be hard-pressed to list 5 mainstream rappers who don’t rap about at least one of those. So because of the way he transformed the game, for better or worse, I’m giving the third bust to Jay-Z. Footnote: Runner-up for the Lincoln bust is Kanye West. Kanye has also single-handedly changed hip hop through the reintroduction of the soul sound and his willingness to do things no one else would even try. He is probably the most musically gifted artist in hip hop and his ability to crossover to mainstream is unparalleled. But because of others' hesitation to follow his lead and until we can say that he has pointed hip hop in a different direction like Jay-Z did by making it about money, he has to finish second here.

Theodore Roosevelt is part of Mount Rushmore because of how the United States expanded its global presence during his administration. If there’s anyone who I think is responsible for hip hop’s expansion to mainstream, it’s Dr Dre. The Chronic in 1992 brought gangster rap to the suburbs (admittedly, it was the first CD I ever purchased) with funky beats and a fresh sound. “F*ckin’ Wit Dre Day” likely introduced the ‘burbs to “beef” as Dre and Snoop Dogg tore apart former N.W.A. cohort Eazy E. “Gin and Juice,” “Let Me Ride,” and “Nuthin But a G Thang” were just fun songs to listen to, putting the west coast funk sound on display with lyrics about drinking, smoking, and cruising in ’64 Impalas. Beyond The Chronic, Dr Dre is responsible for putting several other big names on the map. The aforementioned Snoop Dogg owes Dre for his break, as does Eminem—one of the most successful and lyrically gifted rappers ever, let alone the most successful white rapper ever. Eminem made it cool for white kids to like rap—and I mean good rap. Take your Beastie Boys argument elsewhere. But Eminem may have never gotten his shot were it not for Dr Dre. And oh yeah, ever heard of that guy 50 Cent? 50’s debut multi-platinum album Get Rich or Die Tryin' was executively produced by Dre. Now as a producer, Dre is respected as one of the most in-demand beat makers in the game, making hits for rappers (Jay-Z, Nas, 50, etc), R&B artists (Mary J Blige, Eve), and even other producers (Timbaland). His influence is felt across the entire industry as a rapper, producer, and mentor for new artists. Few can say they’ve left a fingerprint on hip hop, but Dr Dre is one whose legacy is undeniable. Footnote: It might be a stretch, but you could actually consider Dame Dash for this bust. After all, Dash was the original business mind behind Jay-Z's success and the first to give Kanye a shot at producing for a major label. Without Dash, we may have never known about Jay or Kanye, and that has to count for something, right?

This is entirely up for debate, and if you’ve made it through the entire posting I’d be curious to hear if you agree or disagree. Let’s go in.