2.) T.I: Do you think T.I is better than Andre 3000? What about Nas? Lyrically he is better than Redman or Bun B? I think Tip is Top 15 or at the very least top 20 when it comes to the top emcees of all time. Some people may agree with that statement but most wouldn’t consider him one of the best of all time.
That’s where my argument comes in at; I believe if you listen to his albums, you have to put him up there with the best of the best. I feel like his nomination on my underrated list also addresses the issue of traditional hip hop media still being New York bias. You hear statements like he is “the Jay Z of the South” and I get the rationale behind the regional subculture importance within hip hop. But low key that statement also implies that T.I is not regarded as one of the best outside of the South.
I refer back to a song like “Swagger like us” where he outshined the competition and then I took in consideration all his hits and the content of his songs. He is one of those rare emcees that have the ability to excel in every facet of the game. He has the lyrics to satisfy the hip hop purist, who dissect every word that comes out your mouth. He has the content that gives you the respect of the street audience and he has simple rhymes to attract the casual rap fans. When you think of other rappers who were able to do that you start to think about people like Melle Mel, 2Pac, LL Cool J, Biggie, and Jay Z. Need I say more?