Lyrics to Go

These MCs don't waste lines. In celebration of Black Music Month | we take a look at some of hip-hop's most lyrical wordsmiths.

Lyrics to Go - Hip-hop was all about skills in the early days. As the culture went mainstream, some vowed to carry on the tradition and continue to push the lyrical envelope rather than dumb it down. In celebration of Black Music Month, we take a look at some of hip-hop's most lyrical wordsmiths.

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Lyrics to Go - Hip-hop was all about skills in the early days. As the culture went mainstream, some vowed to carry on the tradition and continue to push the lyrical envelope rather than dumb it down. In celebration of Black Music Month, we take a look at some of hip-hop's most lyrical wordsmiths.

Ghostface - A wizard of poetry indeed, Ghost is one of hip-hop's most descriptive MCs. Whether serving up abstract rhymes on "Supreme Clientele" or reliving hardships on "All I Got is You," Ghost keeps it super lyrical.

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Ghostface - A wizard of poetry indeed, Ghost is one of hip-hop's most descriptive MCs. Whether serving up abstract rhymes on "Supreme Clientele" or reliving hardships on "All I Got is You," Ghost keeps it super lyrical.

Jay-Z - The master of the double entendre, Jiggaman's penchant for clever wordplay has made him one of the game's best pound for pound lyricists.

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Jay-Z - The master of the double entendre, Jiggaman's penchant for clever wordplay has made him one of the game's best pound for pound lyricists.

Jadakiss - 50 was right when he said the hardest of New York came from Yonkers. After 12 years in the game, Kiss continues his bid as one of the most lyrical hardcore composers.

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Jadakiss - 50 was right when he said the hardest of New York came from Yonkers. After 12 years in the game, Kiss continues his bid as one of the most lyrical hardcore composers.

Eminem - A backpack rhymer at heart, Em is a word technician who loves to experiment with multisyllabic patterns.

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Eminem - A backpack rhymer at heart, Em is a word technician who loves to experiment with multisyllabic patterns.

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Posdnuos of De La Soul - Nothing's simple for De La's standout lyricist. The Long Island MC takes pride in challenging the listener with his layered rhymes.

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Posdnuos of De La Soul - Nothing's simple for De La's standout lyricist. The Long Island MC takes pride in challenging the listener with his layered rhymes.

The Notorious B.I.G. - Big had a knack for being lyrical, yet accessible. Refusing to compromise even for radio, some of Biggie's biggest hits featured some of his hardest lyrics.

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The Notorious B.I.G. - Big had a knack for being lyrical, yet accessible. Refusing to compromise even for radio, some of Biggie's biggest hits featured some of his hardest lyrics.

Big Pun - Pun's catchy singles may have made him the first Latino rapper to go platinum, but his rapid fire flow earned him a reputation as a lyricist. Heads still can't get over his "dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn't do diddily" line from "Twinz" off "Capital Punishment" 12 years later.

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Big Pun - Pun's catchy singles may have made him the first Latino rapper to go platinum, but his rapid fire flow earned him a reputation as a lyricist. Heads still can't get over his "dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middleman who didn't do diddily" line from "Twinz" off "Capital Punishment" 12 years later.

Kool G. Rap - Who says gangstas can't be lyrical? G. Rap laced his rhymes with unparalleled imagery, making him one of hip-hop's most gutter storytellers.

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Kool G. Rap - Who says gangstas can't be lyrical? G. Rap laced his rhymes with unparalleled imagery, making him one of hip-hop's most gutter storytellers.

Talib Kweli - MCs of all sub genres have admitted that they wish they could have wrote some of Kweli's most famous rhymes. You heard Jay-Z. This BK MC has superior skills.

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Talib Kweli - MCs of all sub genres have admitted that they wish they could have wrote some of Kweli's most famous rhymes. You heard Jay-Z. This BK MC has superior skills.

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Redman - Under Red's animated presence lies a lyrical genius. Though he's one of rap's funniest MCs, Red gets busy on the microphone.

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Redman - Under Red's animated presence lies a lyrical genius. Though he's one of rap's funniest MCs, Red gets busy on the microphone.

Black Thought - Thought's the kind of MC other MCs are scared to rhyme with. Hip-hop fans may be sleeping on him, but their favorite MC isn't.

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Black Thought - Thought's the kind of MC other MCs are scared to rhyme with. Hip-hop fans may be sleeping on him, but their favorite MC isn't.

Canibus - A punchline king, Canibus burst onto the scene by outshining established super lyricists like Redman and Common. Nasty Nas wouldn't even get on the same track with Bis on The Firm's "Desperados."

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Canibus - A punchline king, Canibus burst onto the scene by outshining established super lyricists like Redman and Common. Nasty Nas wouldn't even get on the same track with Bis on The Firm's "Desperados."

Bid Daddy Kane - Kane never half stepped when it came to lyrics. The Brooklyn wordsmith is one of the legends to study for any aspiring punchline rapper.

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Bid Daddy Kane - Kane never half stepped when it came to lyrics. The Brooklyn wordsmith is one of the legends to study for any aspiring punchline rapper.

KRS-One - One of the few progressive MCs able to mesh conscious and hard lyrics, the Blastmaster's rhymes always give him a leg up on sucker MCs.

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KRS-One - One of the few progressive MCs able to mesh conscious and hard lyrics, the Blastmaster's rhymes always give him a leg up on sucker MCs.

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Ras Kass: September 26: - Rapper Ras Kass celebrates his 38th birthday.

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Ras Kass - Ras showed the world Cali MCs were also lethal with a pen and pad. Any doubt on his lyrical skill was put to rest when he released "The Nature of Threat," a 7-minute song dealing with racism.

Common - Com's knack for punchlines, clever wordplay, thought-provoking rhymes and concepts make him one of the most versatile lyricists in the game. "I Used to Love Her," a track on which Com describes hip-hop as a woman, remains rap's metaphoric standard.

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Common - Com's knack for punchlines, clever wordplay, thought-provoking rhymes and concepts make him one of the most versatile lyricists in the game. "I Used to Love Her," a track on which Com describes hip-hop as a woman, remains rap's metaphoric standard.

Pharoahe Monch - Monch seemingly spits to make his fellow lyricists write their rhymes over. One listen to "Stray Bullet" off Organized Konfusion's "Stress - The Extinction Agenda" will make anyone believe in Monch's unmatched lyrical ability.

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Pharoahe Monch - Monch seemingly spits to make his fellow lyricists write their rhymes over. One listen to "Stray Bullet" off Organized Konfusion's "Stress - The Extinction Agenda" will make anyone believe in Monch's unmatched lyrical ability.

Andre 3000 - Three Stacks seemingly gets better with age. The ATL rhyme sayer's knack for kicking introspective yet relatable lyrics makes him one of the most thought-provoking MCs in the game.

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Andre 3000 - Three Stacks seemingly gets better with age. The ATL rhyme sayer's knack for kicking introspective yet relatable lyrics makes him one of the most thought-provoking MCs in the game.

Rakim - Ra was ahead of his time. When rappers were still spitting simplistic rhymes, he raised the bar and inspired his peers to step their lyrics up.

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Rakim - Ra was ahead of his time. When rappers were still spitting simplistic rhymes, he raised the bar and inspired his peers to step their lyrics up.

Nas - Heralded as the lyrical messiah upon his arrival in the early '90s, Nas has penned some of hip-hop's most memorable rhymes since the release of his classic "Illmatic." In more than a decade in the game, he's made his mark as one of the most conceptual MCs as evidenced on tracks like "I Gave U Power" and "Rewind."

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Nas - Heralded as the lyrical messiah upon his arrival in the early '90s, Nas has penned some of hip-hop's most memorable rhymes since the release of his classic "Illmatic." In more than a decade in the game, he's made his mark as one of the most conceptual MCs as evidenced on tracks like "I Gave U Power" and "Rewind."