[The Tens] High School High: Counting Down The 10 Best Teenage Emcees Of All Time
With the recent takeover by the Odd Future crew (and the recent release of Goblin by Tyler the Creator), it became obvious that the young were once again becoming the ones to look out for, and rightfully so. These are not some pick-up-and-go type of emcees and talents looking for a quick buck and then jet. It is evident that they, alongside many up-and-coming hip hop youngsters are taking time to hone their craft, build their legacy, and respectively present their work. This was something lost in the shuffle throughout most of the 2000’s, as a variety of child-emcees and YouTube dance-makers bombarded major music outlets with processed cheese slice hip hop: fake, questionable, and occasionally good as a grilled cheese sandwich. But while these aforementioned “rappers” need that sizzle and extra butter to make things work, there are certainly young products that display a natural and mature micsmanship that many of us admired (and still admire) of a young Nasir Jones*.
With that said, whether or not you are a fan of the OFWGKTA team, they are the falling apple that leads me to reflect on the best-of-the-best young emcees that have passed through hip hop. Thus, TheWellVersed.com has compiled a Top Ten list of the Best Emcees Under 18 ever, at any time. We are looking back at a variety of emcees that showed promise and exceptional skill at a young age, and ranking them at that point in their career. But before jumping into that, we need rules!
To compile this list we:
- Only take into consideration the MC’s work before they have turned 18. Nothing after. (Though, early months of their 18th year were accepted).
- Only consider artists that had dropped a considerable amount of work before the time they turned 18. One or two songs/verses wouldn’t make the cut.
- Only looked at emcees. Producers, writers, etc were not looked at.
