the top ten MC's in the hip hop game today (yes!)...according to MTV (noooo!)


1. Kanye West



Why He's Hot
With all due respect to the Diddys and Busta Rhymeses of the world, Kanye West has surpassed everyone as the best live performer in hip-hop. Grooming himself on stadium tours with Jay-Z, U2 and the Rolling Stones over the years has done him good. Even if West didn't release another rap this year, he'd still be the hottest for his Glow in the Dark Tour alone. Without exaggeration, it's the greatest one-man show put on by a hip-hop artist, possibly ever. Pure expression, no irony, just an irrefutable avowal that he is the game's most imaginative visionary right now. 'Ye's sold-out set is an orgy of lights, classic songs and conceptual genius. You've never seen anything like it.

And by the way, he can rap and produce as well. From the stage to the studio, no one puts the entire presentation together like Mr. West. Tremendous! Graduation beat Curtis and every other hip-hop album on the Billboard charts. First-week sales of close to a million and double-platinum certification notwithstanding, it stood out from everything else artistically too. On the last list, we spoke of the dominance of "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Stronger." Those two records put Kanye in 2007's top five. This year's ranking was spurred on by "Flashing Lights," a first-listen dance-floor classic in which Kanye narrates his troubled relationship and his hate affair with the paparazzi.

Late last year, while 'Ye was enjoying the commencement of a next level of fame and success, he lost his best friend. He lost one of his life's greatest inspirations, his mother, Donda West. Kanye showed the world his inner strength. He took several weeks to grieve, only to come back with a critically acclaimed international tour and the video for "Flashing Lights."

Of late, he's been unveiling a whole new set of rhymes, with guest appearances alongside vocalists like Estelle and hip-hop's elite, such as Lupe Fiasco, Pusha T, Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy.

"I got the money and the fame, man, that don't mean sh--," he raps on the Snowman's "Put On." "I got the Jesus on the chain, man, that don't mean sh--/ 'Cause when the Jeeesus pieces can't bring me peace, yo/ Sure, I need just at least one of Russell's nieces."

Kanye has been telling us he's #1 for years, and now that he has been given the accolade of Hottest MC in the Game, intelligent bets are that he'll continue creating so he won't have to relinquish the title.

"I'mma rap like I got some type of respect for myself/ I don't do it for my health, man/ I do it for the belt, man," he says in Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" remix.


2. Jay-Z



Why He's Hot
Obviously Jay-Z is not cupid, but it feels like he's indirectly responsible for this recent rash of semi-secret celebrity weddings. (Thanks Jigga.)

Who are we to doubt love? But once Jay and Beyoncé were reported to be married, look how many other celebs have "quietly" gotten hitched. That's influence, baby! It's just one aspect of being a hot MC. Jay's the "biggest star in the world" Kanye West made an entire song about. You wanna speak success, do you? Last November Hov's American Gangster became the 10th #1 album of his career, tying Elvis Presley as the solo artist with most #1s. Only the Beatles have more, with 19.

Since the 2007 list — the same list Jay said he doesn't need to worry about because of his "Greatest MC of All Time" coronation by the MTV News Brain Trust — Jay-Z continued to make the music he was inspired to create, except American Gangster was a little more palpable to the public.

You hear his d-boy dreams on songs such as "Pray" and "Hello Brooklyn 2.0," while his trumpeting of affluence on "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is ...)" still reverberates universally.

No one in the game knows the art of capitalizing on their appeal better than Jay-Z. He has more endorsements than an all-star athlete and just a few weeks ago, inked a reported $150 million deal with Live Nation to start a new record label, go on many more tours (his two recent tours sold out faster than the length of an album interlude) and make at least three more LPs. Only U2 and Madonna have gotten contracts so momentous. Jay is obviously in a different realm from his peers, but it hasn't affected his drive to be the best. There still isn't a more exceptional lyricist today and, let's face it, when it come to swag, Hov sits in the pole position. His outlook for the rest of the year? More millions, probably another album, and let's hope his appearance on Tha Carter III is the lyrical slugfest between him and Lil Wayne that will spark a heated argument during out next round table. A video with Jigga and Rick Ross for "Maybach Music" wouldn't the worst thing in the world either!

3. Lil' Wayne



Why He's Hot
Simply a master of brayed bars and audacious approach, Lil Wayne's boundaryless microphone-bogarting has made him hip-hop's most exciting man to listen to. How many times have you felt like Weezy was just going to jump right out of your iPod and fall on your shoulders? How many times have you tried to figure out how he can use so many different patterns, tirelessly bulldozing through any track? Cruel! Just cruel, we tell ya. He works the hardest and has legions (yes, legions) of fans — the same ones who treat the leaked tracks that have flooded mixtapes like precious collectibles — who will tell you he's the most naturally gifted spitter in the universe right now.

Birdman Jr. is still the name on everybody's lips, he's still the guy that everybody wants to work with. After thieving all the attention from everyone he's collaborated with (think Playaz Circle's "Duffle Bag Boy" or that conversation rap he has on Mario's "Crying Out for Me" remix), Weezy has finally pushed the launch button on his long-awaited third installment of Tha Carter series. The libidinous "Lollipop" was Weezy's biggest song ever and came just when some were starting to question whether he could make his own hit record. (Guess they never heard "Tha Block Is Hot.") What made "Lollipop" even more monumental — as if thousands of girls sensually dancing to it at the club weren't enough — was that it marked the end of Lil Wayne the rapper (one who doesn't mind being licked, according to the song) and the beginning of Weezy F. the artist. The record is so rich in melody, it's hard to believe that's really Wayne singing, but he did it again on Usher's "Love in This Club, Part II."

Tha Carter III is unanimously the most anticipated album of 2008, but then again, it was also the most anticipated of 2007. The project's delay and lack of benefits that come with releasing an album — like headlining an arena tour — were the only thing that prohibited the roundtable members from crowning him the Hottest once again. Brain Trust member Tuma Basa wasn't exaggerating when he said Wayne's hold on his fans is approaching messianic stature. All he needs is to deliver the Grail, which is known as Tha Carter III.

4. Rick Ross



Why He's Hot
Oh, to be loved! Rick Ross' bossin' up is one of hip-hop's most entertaining chronicles right now. Miami's new emperor has been able to coagulate all the right characteristics: unruffled, husky charm seemingly from the B.I.G. lineage, concretely convincing rap elegy and transfixing influence.

In March he went up against veteran friends Fat Joe and Snoop Dogg in a three-way SoundScan confrontation, resulting in a second-straight #1 debut for the Port of Miami representative. Of the hip-hop projects to drop this year, his sophomore album, Trilla — influenced by Michael Jackson's Thriller in title and hopes of impact — is definitely the standard for excellence midway through 2008. "Speedin' " with R. Kelly was the marquee co-sign a top-five MC should have at his disposal, but "The Boss" with T-Pain — Ricky Ross' cigar-smoke-and-champagne-fueled anthem — is what left his inscription on the fans.

As we hit the spring and summer, look for Ross' big-shotting to keep shaking the soil underneath his feet. He's introducing artists on his label, Maybach Entertainment, planning a tour and working on an album and movie with Birdman called "H." And expect to hear more of his untested cameo carnage — Nas, T.I. and DJ Khaled (of course) are just a few people thinking about having him on their albums.

5. Snoop Dogg



Why He's Hot
It just didn't matter. Snoop said he didn't write his lyrics for his latest album, Ego Trippin'. His first single, "Sensual Seduction," mostly featured him singing through an Auto-Tune device. His next single, "My Medicine," is a country song. Country! Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty (with the Afro) and Garth Brooks' type of country. The intrepid OG is getting away with murder and the Brain Trust members are his enablers. Snoop is in that Holy Land territory where people love him for being him almost more than for what he actually does. What's wrong with that? Honestly, can anyone really say that they aren't enamored with everything the Dogg is doing right now?

His latest LP is one of the most consistent of his career, rich with potentially massive singles and grounding cuts with street appeal. Onstage, Snoop is a walking, talking human superlative, as proven by his performance at last year's J.A.M. Awards and earlier this year on an episode of "VH1 Storytellers." His OG bluster can captivate crowds at concerts featuring rap artists like Rick Ross and Fat Joe, but he's just as irresistible co-headlining a rock-heavy tour with 311.

Snoop reeled in even more fans when he launched his reality show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood." On the show, the Long Beach native introduced us to his family and let people see him in settings as intimate as his wedding-vows renewal ceremony. He cried on the dance floor while listening to Guy's "Let's Chill" and taught his kids to play soccer with David Beckham. A second season is coming later in 2008, and with Ego Trippin' having a lot more life in its cycle, expect Snoop to contend for next year's list as well.

6. 50 Cent



Why He's Hot
Curtis underperformed — 50 himself called it a "dud." Still, it sold more than any other hip-hop release last year except, of course, Kanye West's Graduation. And despite the false starts that led to his #8 spot on the 2007 "Hottest MCs" list, "I Get Money," "Ayo Technology" and "I'll Still Kill" maintained his credibility as a musical commodity to close out the year.

You don't make hundreds of millions of dollars (close to half a billion last year, according to some reports) by being thickheaded. 50 Cent can learn from his mistakes. Before releasing Curtis in September, Fif deviated from one of his prime sources of support: the mixtape circuit. He made up for lost time very quickly last fall when he put out Sabrina's Baby Boy and followed up with The Return of the Body Snatchers and Elephant in the Sand. The three releases helped him gain some of the traction he had lost in the street, while also introducing records from the G-Unit's upcoming Terminate on Sight, "Rider Part 2" and "I Like the Way She Do It."

Fif's firmest footing might not be on the 'hood's concrete or in Hollywood ("Righteous Kill" with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino comes out later this year) or even on foreign soil (he's spent most of the last year touring continents such as Africa, Asia and Europe), but in cyberspace. The Queens general recently launched ThisIs50.com, which almost immediately became a staple on the Web. In March, more than a million fans went to the site to download Elephant in the Sand. He's been using it not only for social networking and news, but for promoting himself and the Unit. The site features low-budget videos for a gaggle of songs from their mixtapes and Web shorts that play out like mini reality-TV episodes starring the crew.

This summer will establish just how powerful the Unit really are. Young Buck has been kicked out of the group, leaving Lloyd Banks, 50 and Tony Yayo to contend with a heavy playing field of summer releases from acts like T.I., Nas, Nelly and old nemesis Game.

7. Lupe Fiasco



Why He's Hot
With swagger that lays somewhere between dope-boy fresh and Louis-Viutton-Don dapper, "He spat the poems that got their domes all geeked up." Did Lupe have a legitimate gripe about being totally ignored by the Brain Trust during last year's list and subsequent sidebar convos? Absolutely. Did the trustees tell the world that their list was neither perfect nor definitive? Absolutely. Nevertheless, Lupe made it impossible to overlook him this time (and not just because of the support he's getting from his peers). A little less arcane and definitely darker than 2006's Food and Liquor, his The Cool LP borders on classic contention. His blatant sarcasm didn't sacrifice his lyrical legerdemain on "Dumb It Down." The articulation of emotion and attention to detail on "Hip-Hop Saved My Life" makes the song easily one of 2008's most cherished, and the ample airplay for "Superstar" and many weeks as Billboard's top rap record re-established Lu's nascent star power.

The coolest thing about The Cool was that Lupe was able to maintain his rap incorruptibility when recording it. Fiasco just didn't care that the over-the-headness of some of his lyrical bars may have reaped disparagement from critics or fans — but since The Cool is already certified gold, it's obviously caught some ears. The Chicago native's profile is higher than its ever been: Late last year he top-lined his own tour, and this spring Fiasco has become such an attraction that fans are getting to venues early to catch his opening act on Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Tour.

8. Young Jeezy



Why He's Hot
He can dominate the show on a posse cut with some of his most mic-savvy peers, then successfully facilitate requests from mainstream mainstays like Mariah Carey and Usher, who call him to sanctify their #1 albums and songs with his seamless street swagger. Young Jeezy is at his pinnacle. Don't misconstrue the ranking: He's #8 with a bullet. We fully expect the Atlanta hustler to rank higher next time. After the release of USDA's LP Cold Summer in mid-2007, Mr. 17.5 shut down publicly to work on his top-secret third album and "count all that money."

Even with a break, the 'hood's loyalty toward him has remained, and when he re-emerged on records like Shawty Lo's "Dey Know" remix and Rick Ross' "Luxury Tax," it was evident he was setting himself up for a run at the crown. His placements of late — the actual songs he's chosen to get on — have been flawless, ranging from chart hits to club anthems. The Snowman's rhyme-dispensing on these records has also been stellar. He's improving as a lyricist, and he has so much swag that you can tell he's inspired a whole brood of new southern MCs to bite his style.

Apathetic to his clones, Jeezy is ready to go all the way over the top with it on his next album. Three years since the release of his classic Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, he feels that the experience he has under his belt has made him a better artist. Not a hustler who raps, but an artist. Young is dedicated to his craft, as his new collaboration with Kanye West, "Put On," proves. Don't pack your heavy coat away yet. The Snowman will keep the summer on frio.

9. Andre 3000



Why He's Hot
No album, no single, only two guest appearances — Andre did even less this year than he did in 2007. There's not even a handful of verses to judge him on. Should the Hip-Hop Brain Trust members be found guilty of treason for giving Andre a slot in the top 10 despite minimum output?

Absolutely not.

Tres Stacks has illustrated natural bravura over brainless bravado, dropping judiciously dope couplets laced with gentlemanly swagger that brew to a crescendo and shed every note in their way.

Splendidly subtle N.W.A reference here, magnificent drug metaphor there — before you know it, this legend has had more impact in about 40 bars than many peers can boast on their entire long-play discs. 3000 may be the most inspiring MC right now, because everything we've heard from him in the past several months has been methodically dead-right. His album isn't slated to drop until later this year, which could be 2009 in Andre time. It's all good, as long as all this teasing of his excellence results in another classic opus.

10. T.I.



Why He's Hot
Hold up. Just last year, T.I. was up for debate to be #1, and now he slips to #10? What happened? First of all, let's be clear: Tip's decline in ranking has nothing to do with his skills. We all know that he is still one of the best in the business and his popularity is still intact. Unfortunately, since almost topping the last list, Tip had to take an unforeseen, unwelcome hiatus when he was arrested in November on a slew of gun charges, leading to more than six months of house arrest. Promotions for his platinum T.I. vs. T.I.P. came to an end. The kibosh was put on the single "Hurt" and its video. Any chance of dropping another LP at the top of '08 was thwarted quick. Movies, endorsements — everything shut down. He says his arrest probably cost him between $10 million and $12 million. Musically, he was inactive for months while many of his peers continued to put out sterling material.

In March, he pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to more than 1,500 hours of community service. He still faces a reported year in prison. But Tip didn't fall completely off the map during his time on the bench. In a testament to his following, he brought several thousand fans to the Web site StreetCred.com simply by posting a video message telling folks he was OK. Tip's swag was at Hugh Hefner level, talking to his fans via webcam in a robe and slippers. In March, he made headlines simply by taking his family to church and speaking on the serious issue of AIDS prevention.

While his popularity transcended music years ago, his songs are still the foundation of his ability to generate interest. We've had a few sprinklings of him on remixes here and there, but we just got his full-on return with the first offering from his upcoming Paper Trail, "No Matter What." Although the cut has a few indignant retorts for Shawty Lo and others who he feels questioned his street credibility, Tip's commitment to sincere commentary on his life, no matter how painful, will always keep him at four-star-general ranking.

You can bet the house on Tip in 2008. He's back to writing down his raps, which is only going to make him that much deadlier on the mic. Plus, the Atlanta native is a fiery beast when everything is all good. Imagine how strong he's going to come now that he feels he has something to prove? The recording sessions for Paper Trail are almost at 100 songs deep, and he's working with Kanye West, Danja and longtime collaborator DJ Toomp among others.

if you want to click on the individual's names, you get a lot more about the criteria and why they were chosen and such...

main list, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Lupe Fiasco, Young Jeezy, Andre 3000, T.I.