CNN - Let "s begin with a disclaimer: Nas doesn "t endorse the following sentence.

But he "s the greatest lyricist of all time.

Those words were carefully chosen: "lyricist" over "rapper" or "hip-hop artist;" "greatest" instead of "most successful;" "all time" rather than "today."

Those distinctions are important. Still, Nas isn "t buying it.

"It "s wayyyyyy, way, way too early in our lives," he said when asked where he fits among history "s best MCs. "It "s great to put a list together, but don "t take it too seriously because your list won "t matter 10 years from now or 15 years from now. It "ll be a different list."

OK, no lists then; just a strong case for Nas being the best rhymesmith ever, the GOAT, numero uno, and a humble concession that this is but one man "s opinion and yours are enthusiastically welcomed below.

With "Life is Good," Nas dropped his ninth No. 1 hip-hop album since 1994. Seven of those have gone platinum, which places him second among rappers only to Jay-Z with 11. (We "re not counting compilations or collaborations here, only original solo efforts, and yes, Tupac Shakur had nine, but five were posthumous releases.)

It also ties Nas with Snoop Dogg or Snoop Lion or whatever his name is, and it puts the Queens native one plaque ahead of Eminem, Too Short, OutKast and LL Cool J, all of whom belong in the greatest-ever discussion, as well.

Read Full Article