More Than 259,000 People Named Notorious B.I.G. the Best Rap Artist of All Time
It's a tall order to choose the best rapper of all time. There are so many beloved artists to choose from. But one late artist was the choice of more than 259,000 people.
The wildly popular poll was posted by Ranker. The site ranked the top 250th rappers of all time. And one musician was ranked at the top. The number one slot was held by the Notorious B.I.G. According to Ranker, he was known for his "powerful storytelling and unparalleled flow," and "changed the landscape of East Coast hip-hop in the '90s."
Who Were the Top 5 Top Ranked Rappers of All Time?
Who came next? The Notorious B.I.G.'s West Coast rival, Tupac Shakur. Both men, of course, met early deaths after being shot. The site noted Tupac's "profound lyrics."
Kendrick Lamar clocked in at number three on the list. Eminem was fourth. The fifth-place rapper was Nas.
You can read the full list on Ranker. Other lists have placed Notorious B.I.G. lower. For example, a list of the best rappers by Billboard has Jay-Z in the top spot, and Notorious B.I.G. is sixth. "Building a reputation for delivering gritty tales in a laid-back style, accented by deep-toned, rumbling vocals and a signature dark sense of humor, Biggie went on to score 16 Hot 100 hits," that site wrote.
A list on IMDb has Shakur in the top spot. Notorious B.I.G. places second on that list. "A contender for best rapper of all time and a gifted East Coast storyteller whose gritty, objective realism won him enormous respect and credibility," All Music wrote of him.
Biggie Smalls AKA Notorious B.I.G. Was Only 24 Years Old When He Died
It's fairly astonishing to realize that Notorious B.I.G. was only 24 when he died, given his influential impact on the genre.
Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls and the Notorious B.I.G., "lived a short life. He was 24 years old when he was gunned down in 1997 in Los Angeles, a murder that has never been solved," according to Biography.com.
"Smalls was from New York and had almost single-handedly reinvented East Coast hip hop - overtaken in the early 1990s by the West Coast 'g-funk' sound of Dr. Dre and Death Row Records," that site reports. His death may be caught up in that rivalry.
"With his clear, powerful baritone, effortless flow on the mic and willingness to address the vulnerability, as well as the harshness, of the hustler lifestyle, Smalls swung the spotlight back towards New York and his label home, Bad Boy Records," Biography.com reported.
"In just a few short years, the Notorious B.I.G. went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records," noted All Music. After his death, he "became a symbol of the senseless violence that plagued inner-city America in the waning years of the 20th century," All Music wrote, noting that Notorious B.I.G.'s life and death were both a product of his time.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 1:13 AM.