Independent rapper and author Freddy Will is one of those well rounded MCs who has been a fan of hip hop from the very beginning. He grew up in West Africa as one of the few who totally adopted hip hop as a culture and sought a career in the business. With the many transitions that have taken place in hip hop over the years, he sits down to outline what he feels about hip hop today and who he sees as his greatest MCs of all time.

Q: What do you think about hip hop today?

"It depends how you look at it. As an artist, you don’t want to listen to your own music all day, you want a feel for what other dope artists are doing. For a fan who is not trying to rap, DJ or produce, hip hop can mean something different from what it does to someone who is a fan and also an artist.

I think hip hop is the strongest genre in mainstream music today. It entertains people of all cultures. I don’t think hip hop has a problem in itself. I think the outside influences on hip hop are the problem.

Bad press and negative stereotype seems to be a big problem for hip hop. If we had positive press and the world gave its full respect, hip hop would have grown far more and became the world's most dominant art form. But nowadays, it’s about money and sometimes that can be a weakness.

For example, a techno lover can show up with a lot of money and have a urban rapper switch up his or her style to match the techno person’s idea of a good song. Some radio stations, TV, magazines and even movie producer are starting to dictate to the artist on how the music should sound because they want money from their sponsors. That’s the problem with hip hop today. How do you turn away certain sponsors regardless if they’re waving the wrong kind of six figure check?"

Who are your top 5 MCs dead or Alive and why?

"I don’t have a top 5 MC list, too many dope MCs to choose from. It's tough enough to select a top ten but I'll give you my top 11 closest ones, besides myself of course:

11. Uncle Luke – I was not living in America when ‘Two Live Crew’ came out but I use to listen to their music. When the supreme court ruled that it was legal to use profanity in art etc, that was a huge breakthrough for all future generations of rappers. If you're gonna solidify your legacy in hip hop I think you need to have a sick flow, no question. You have to dress fly and you gotto have swagger. Every rapper has to have all those qualities but Uncle Luke was like wait up, you need to be somethin' a 'pimp' as well. A tough guy with a sick flow, slick outfit and plenty of  money, tricked out cars and jewels is hot but above all he's got to bring out some nice looking honeys. Bad ones too. Uncle Luke changed the game in that aspect and that is a requirement right now.


                             

10. L. L. Cool J –  I think L's image is probably the blueprint for every new rapper today. In my opinion L took the game from where founding fathers like Run-DMC and Curtis Blow left off at.  For years now, his albums have been number one sellers around the world because he has the flow, the swagger and the money it takes to keep the girls coming. A lot of rappers came and went over the years and he reinvented himself several times and continued dropping classics hits. Till this day his music is still relevant. His acting game is even better. L. L. Cool J broke the first mould in the stereotype of what white-collar America thought a rapper can and can’t do. Time and time and time again he paved the way for future mainstream successes in hip hop to be possible. He came out when guys like Big Daddy Kane and Digital Underground was out and lasted through to Eminem, Ludacris and Nelly's era. That's legendary to me.


                               

8. Busta Rhymes –  He is a real nigga and a true artist. As far as solidifying a permanent place for his name in the history of hip hop? Busta Rhymes will not only be there, he will be remembered as one of the greatest. Busta has it all, from a distinct flow to his own swagger to a great stage presence to being captivating on the big screen. He tweaked his image from the long dreaded east coast electric rapper to a clean shaved, brush cut dope boy kind of image and did pretty well with the new Busta. Can’t say he went Hollywood either and he had the chance to. Busta is one of the best hip hop figures because he helped win people over to the genre at a time when hip hop was going global.  

                               
                                   

6. Snoop Dogg –  Snoop is not only the Doggfather he is the Godfather of West Coast hip hop. Like Jay Z, Snoop was able to come out of a tough period in time at the top of his game.  How he made that transition from Death Row Records to where he is now is legendary. To me all Snoops albums are classics. Snoop has the most distinct style in hip hop. He brought Dr. Dre’s G funk to new heights but then he spun off with No Limit Records and redefined down south hip hop without forgetting his roots where he came from. Snoop Dogg is the Prince in hip hop. Even as new rappers like Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane and Soldier Boy are distinct, Snoop Dogg still stands out among them. You can copy any other rapper's swagger and flow but you can not jack Snoops style. It just to unique.

                                  

3. Nas –  He is a legend in my eyes because of the knowledge he put to and from the streets through his music. He respects Africa in a way that no rapper did before. I think he was a key supporting figure for hip hop that held his own while other legends like Ice Cube, LL Cool J, 2Pac and Biggie were changing the game. And he came out of that era with the same spark he always had. He has a few classics of his own and he is not afraid to show that he has heart. In my opinion Nas is one of those guys who had a natural career. His swagger is so unique you can't say that Nas didn't influence the game.

                           

2. Big Daddy Kane –  Back in the days when Ice Cube, Kool Moe Dee, Biz Markie, KRS 1 and NWA were making headlines, before Lords of the Underground, Das FX, Naughty by Nature, Nice – N – Smooth and Onyx were it, when the flat top was the flat top, B.D. Kane was it! The definition of swagger, flow and all of the above. No one had girls like Uncle Luke did but Kane held his own there too. B. D. Kane’s image is also a blueprint of rap today. I don’t know of a rapper who does not charge some part of their game to Big Daddy.  I think Kane had the flow to back up his swagger and at the end of the day it boils down to the flow.

                         

www.freddywill.com