Best Hip Hop Artist Bracket - Sweet Sixteen

 

There were very nearly some huge upsets in the second round as Nas, LL Cool J, and Wu Tang Clan all snuck through by one vote.  But alas, there are no cinderellas as all four brackets feature the top four seeds.  This is the first time that has happened in any bracket I’ve made.  I don’t know if that’s a testament to my seeding or just a reflection of the greatness of those artists.  Either way, we have some heavyweight matchups moving forward and it’s a shame that some of these acts will have to lose in the next round.  So let’s take a look at the bracket and cast your votes.

Best Hip Hop Artist of All Time - Second Round

 

Round 1 is in the books and there were, surprisingly, very few close results.  Only two matchups were decided by two votes or less, with Cypress Hill edging by Kendrick Lamar and Beastie Boys coming back to sneak by DMX.  Also, there weren’t that many upsets as the higher seeds mostly held their own.  Warren G and MC Hammer advanced as 11 seeds, but they were the lowest seeds to move on.  The matchups get a little tougher in this round so we’ll see who comes out on top!

Best Hip Hop Artist of All Time - First Round

Fifty years ago, the genre of hip hop music was born.  You may have been seeing lots of tributes on various awards shows and news programs throughout the year.  And seeing as hip hop is one of my favorite music genres, I felt it was only fitting to do a tribute in my own way.  I know I usually reserve my brackets for March, but I felt this momentous anniversary deserved its own special bracket.  So I decided to create a bracket to find the greatest hip hop artist of all time.  I’ll admit, though, that this bracket is slightly skewed to my favorites from the 80s and 90s.  I did put in some of my usual data crunching, looking at top 100 hits and placement on other greatest artist lists, but I also made sure that some of my favorites made the cut.  

And now I’m giving you all the chance to vote for your favorites. From Sugarhill Gang to Run DMC to Jay-Z to Drake, I tried to at least represent all eras and both groups and solo artists.  I hope you all enjoy this special fall bracket madness and keep voting through to the end.  Without further adieu, here is the bracket and your chance to vote.