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VIBE Magazine's “The Best Rapper Ever” contest has the industry and fans buzzing; some positive remarks have been made and definitely some negative. Although the rankings were compiled fairly through votes made by fans, a certain contender had a different opinion. 

In a Youtube video, posted by rapper Joe Budden earlier this month, the rapper nearly pops a blood vessel because of some of the rankings held by a few rappers on the list. 

The video, which can be seen  http://www.youtube.com/chea2001 runs for almost ten minutes and shows Budden reading off various names and weighing in on which rankings he thought were deserved and unjust. It’s safe to say that Budden is jealous that some rappers had a higher ranking than he did. He goes on a rampage saying that the person, who constructed the list, wasn’t man enough to put his/her name on it. He even goes on to tell him/her to “suck d***!”   It is blatantly obvious that he had no idea that the list was made as a result of a poll.

Being that Budden is a rapper, it's unequivocal after seeing the video that he can't give an unbiased opinion on this list. However, the contest and Budden's politics on the competition do raise an array of questions. 

The voting for the official title began on May 18, 2009. The list, which is comprised of 128 MCs, will run for seven weeks. Rapper Eminem was voted The Best Rapper Alive in last year's contest; beating out some real heavy hitters in the game. 

One match-up that has sparked a lot of controversy is the MC Hammer vs. Will Smith head-to-head. They're competing against one another at the 18 and 17 seats, respectively. Budden was baffled by the ranking of both of these individuals. Neither Smith nor MC Hammer has put out a Hip Hop album in years and yet they're still ranked higher than rappers who have been consistently dropping albums. 

So what makes a good Rapper? What makes a Rapper legit in the industry? Image is everything and the more marketable you are, the more albums you sell. Personality is another huge factor in being a successful artist. If you're personable and genuine, fans will always support you and your movement. 

Some would say it's the natural raw talent that an artist possesses. While others would say it's all in the delivery. It's no secret that some of the most renowned rappers use Ghostwriters. So should those rappers be held at a lower standard because they didn't write their own lyrics? If that's the case, then there are a few dozen rappers that should start looking into an alternate career path. Anyone can perform a song, but it takes a real artist to write and perform it themselves. 

Another question that comes to mind, does longevity outweigh talent? It appears that some of the "older" MCs, who devoted their life to Hip Hop, were completely left off the list. Longevity gets you respect from your peers and royalty checks.   Even the most talented artists slip through the cracks and never get discovered because of their lack of connections and promotions. 

Hip Hop artists who've been around for over a decade will always have a fan base because they've paid their dues to the industry. The issue at hand seems to be whether or not the older artists will be able to maintain their status with artists like Soulja Boy and T-Pain on the rise. 

In a word, yes! The music of yesteryear told real stories that people could relate to or empathize with.  Nowadays, all you really need is a sentence mixed with a hot beat and you have a hit. Longevity equals security. 

Of course some, if not most, people would say that the best person(s) to rank these MCs are other Rappers. But let’s face it, every rapper believes they're the best. A hint of vanity comes with the territory of being an artist. So in all actuality it would be unfair to have the artists choose; the list would be infinite. VIBE chose to go with the opinion of the fans; after all, they are the ones who make these artists successful. If it wasn't for their support and tax paying dollars, most of these rappers would still be spitting lyrics on street corners. Fans make you or break you in the music industry. 

A low rank is a low blow to an artist's ego and it should fuel the artist to step their game up. Every artist in that contest should be grateful that fans actually thought so highly of them to vote them in. Bask in the ambience Joe Budden - it's free promotion.

Never bite the hand that feeds you, because sometimes that hand will bite right back. 

Good luck to the contenders and may the best MC win!