Why Isn’t Eminem In The Top 10 Of MTV’s Hottest MCs?
EDUTAINMENT By MZ on October 9, 2009 at 10:34 am
Well isn’t this convenient. Just as MTV’s much maligned list of the hottest MC’s for 2009 was ending it’s buzz cycle, they decided to try and breathe life into by justifying why Eminem wasn’t included. So Shyheim Reid was given the envious job of quelling the disgruntled masses.
The 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game list is based on an MC’s achievements of the moment, not an entire career. The criteria are based on a combination of mic skills, buzz, commercial success (sales and airplay), business ventures, Web presence, and impact.
Each member of the Brain Trust compiles his or her list based on those criteria. The fan list is factored as an 11th judge. Each ranked artist is then awarded a number (number 10 is worth one point, and so on). Those 11 lists and their respective values are combined to form a final list, which is then discussed and debated at the Roundtable.
Eminem’s ranking was one of the most discussed topics at the Roundtable. His hotly anticipated return to hip-hop after a long absence drove first-week sales of over 600,000 — the highest first-week sales of the year so far. He granted a handful of select interviews here and abroad, and was part of a massive moment with Sacha Baron Cohen at the MTV Movie Awards.
But then Em retreated to the lab, where he spent the summer crafting Relapse 2. From June to September, Em all but took himself out of the public eye, while other MCs generated week-to-week heat with mixtapes, guest appearances, performances and Web activity.
Oh really? So a critically and commercially acclaimed LP, which is still one of the best selling albums of the year regardless of genre, doesn’t hold the same weight as releasing a mixtape and keeping up a web presence? I’m sorry but two years from now I’d like to believe that Relapse will be remembered more than random web vlogs and skits. Besides he didn’t technically disappear until “Forever” came out. I seem to recall a little back and forth with the Carey’s and a cameo in a Judd Apatow flick.
Because truthfully, your list is as relevant as the AP Top 25 College Football Poll. Sure it’s official just because you say it is. But what it really boils down to it, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on film it’s presented on. Where you guys messed up, though, was allowing fans to vote and believe they had a say in the process. When it’s a private affair, you can do whatever you want. But you mislead the people who actually cared about the list into believing their voice made a difference. Combining millions of people’s votes to count as a singular vote is idiotic. I’m willing to bet that Eminem would have easily secured a spot in the top 10 had more weight been given to fan votes.
I do have a suggestion though. Either release the actual results or let this fade away. Men lie, women lie, numbers don’t © Jay-Z. Let us see the “Brain Trust’s” score sheets and the results for the fan voting and how many people actually voted.
Your explanation for how the list was derived didn’t work the first time… so why do you think it’ll work now?
Why Isn’t Eminem In The Hottest MCs Top 10? [MTV]
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48 Comments
Couldn’t have said it better.
like I said on twitter…so what’s MTV’s bullshit excuse for T.I’s omission?
MZ on point as always.
No Eminem on this list was an automatic FAIL. Hell, just having 50 on this list this year was a fail.
Their defense is ridiculous for one reason. Jeezy has done nothing this whole year. You replace Em with Jeezy and you have a credible list. I loved The Recession but that was last year.
You know what, though? MTV’s list IS RELEVANT because it reflects the tastes of most listeners.
And most listeners are ___________
Y’all can finish that sentence for me
MTV knows as much about Hip-Hop as beauty pageant contestants know about international affairs.
lol @ MTV’s attempt to be tastemakers.
They can taste these
MTV’s “Hip-Hop Brain Trust” needs a lobotomy
MTV’s “Hip-Hop Brain Trust” = insignificant sycophants
It’s ironic that they’re called MTV’s “Hip-Hop Brain Trust”.
They’re NOT Hip-Hop, they DIDN’T use their brains when conjuring their silly little list, and I DON’T trust them.
MTV, tell me how my ass taste….
apparently at MTV it really does take 10 people to equal 1 brain….
Yeah who came up with this list? The Nobel Prize committee?
I wonder if that Teef guy has anything to say on the subject.
Great write, MZ. Couldn’t have said it better. I respect the hell outta Shyheim Reid, but I can’t get with this response.
How Em was left of is beyond, even with his explanation. No way in hell, 50 has been “hotter” than Em this year. There is no way you can explain that.
Anyway, a list is a list and what’s done is done. Better luck next year. Let’s just hope the BCS doesn’t mess up like this (though it probably will).
I started to laugh at Teef’s comments… Then I realized him and me haven’t talked about the beers we love right now in a minute. So i know he is just angry.
no one is taking gucci’s spot!!
LMFAO @ MTV, tell me how my ass taste….
Who gives a fuck about MTV and their stupid list? It has no relevance nor does it have any impact on anything. Everybody knows that their credibility in hiphop is weak, so there is no need to even pay this list any mind because the streets & the internet soldiers know what’s up!
I’m with ya J. Tinsley. Maybe he was just the fall guy for the whole ordeal?
But regardless, the rebuttal doesn’t make no sense. To say Em would’ve made it in May is one thing but how the hell do you explain Rick Ross’ high ass spot. His buzz with *poof* the day Deeper Than Rap
leakeddropped. All his presence after that has been mostly ridicule.If we’re doing timelines, I guess Jay-Z would’ve qualified for the top spot but I wouldn’t say he’s necessarily done anything beside “be Jay-Z” to actually knock Drake outta the box.
And Lil’ Wayne??!?! What has he done this year besides release a failed mixtape and play Super Knock-Up? His fans turned their back on him after the “classic” Tha Carter III and it shows.
And yeah, we haven’t seen anything from Jeezy this year, yet Eminem gets omitted? SMFH, LMAO and all that good stuff.
I knew from the get-go something would come up with this list, and of course it doesn’t take a PHD to make that prediction, but omitting Eminem is just a shock.
Considering he has the hottest verse in the hottest spin in hip-hop, the best selling album pound for pound so far this year, and a buzz for part all over the place, it’s strange how their excuse even works.
If anything, some site should do some sort of un-official rankings system, it could be fun and interesting to see what kind of activity gives you merit… TSS, GET IT DONE !!
i think half of the ‘brain trust’ needs to get fired and find a new job that doesnt involve anything hip hop….i dont care about web activity or any of that bullshit…..a top ten emcee list should be based on talent alone.
50 Cent has done more to keep Ross’ buzz alive than he has. Jeezy & Kanye are living off of last years achievements. Hell, Kanye’s album could only be considered Hip-Hop because he is. If you use reverse logic for Jay-Z as Eminem, he’s only been poppin’ since about May as well.
& don’t even get me started on T.I., he had the same year as Jeezy w/ way more extra curricular activity.
One album, one guess slot & one Mariah diss doesnt make u hot… next topic…
@ dronkmonk - yeah, as you can see, I don’t have much of an opinion on this matter, lol
@ Belve - man, I’ve had some Chimay sitting in the fridge for a couple weeks. No urge to pop THAT open, but I’m open to suggestions for some new shit to drink.
@ Flea - well said! lol
TSS >>> MTV
lol
They omitted him because he is white.
dey racest!
@ Paw: That’s what I was tellin’ you befo’!!
LOL @ Contra
Wayne dominated 09 with several high profile tours & the anticipation of his next album.
Now that’s juice lol.
i will say that list is pretty good. okay no eminem but in a sense his comeback wasn’t really as big as his mogul status. gucci has buzz, drake too. fifty, wayne that’s mogul status but there is no special buzz on it. raekwon has killed it so that’s normal to have him
the rest is pretty normal, jz, jeezy, ross, yeezy so the list
ain’t incorrect but in fact it’s mo the eminem’s status that was not respected. don’t panik relapse 2 will be there to correct that and to put on the line his special/supreme status. kind of “he’s over the list”… like the andre3000s*, black thoughts, big l when u talk about the best lyricists (*like talib kweli said) ! peace
MTV is socially bringing up idiocy in America.
Damn it sounds and looks like Mr. Reid drew the short straw and has been fed to the lions. That was an ass backwards excuse. In a time where artist arent selling records, his 1st week numbers are a positive attribute not a negative. To be honest, I didn’t think relapes was that good of an album. I guess MTV is too scared to say that and had to come up with that foolish answer.
MTV is Gay.
Nas is torching the whole list…
Honestly, I agree pretty much with Mtv. I havent heard eminems album because most people said it was shit. And you never really hear anyone talk about him. I mean, I’m white, but I feel like he gets too much credit BECAUSE he’s white. I think it’s disrespectful to people like BIG or Pac, who did awesome songs and were just fucking amazing, to associate this guy with them. He used to have some ridiculous lines around 2000 - 2003, but he has just turned into a gimmick. Every other song is about gay sex and making fun of celebrities. For me, when someone tells me they are an Em fan, I look at them the same as those people who listen to ICP. Musically immature. I’m not a teenager who hates his parents though, so maybe thats why I don’t get it. As far as being a “hot” rapper, No I don’t think so. More a popular pop star.
And one last thing, how come everybody always jumps on Jay for Kingdom Come, but I have never heard of anyone wanting an explanation for how Eminem was allowed to reproduce all of those Pac songs with HORRIBLE beats and put that shit out! His “production” is really bad, but somehow he was able to do all this without anyone asking if he even bothered listening to the beats before slapping Pac’s vocals all over that garbage? He gets way too many passes for how good he used to be 6 or 7 years ago.
He’s not on there because he fell the fuck off. His last album was fucking horrible and this new ain’t exactly momma said knock u out either. “We made you”…… really?…. REALLY??
It’s impossible to understand why Em is off this list. I admit that Em sings way too much on Relapse… That said, 3 a.m., medicine ball, and stay wide awake kill it. And, they kill it more than any other emcee has killed it in the past year. That’s just the truth. Anyone who claims anything else is just a hater or a racist. Or, even worse, just WACK. PEACE.
Also, I agree with Teef on everything.
I’m white, I agree that em DOESN’T deserve to be on the top 10 hottest MC’s in the game (mainly because em is not an MC; he’s a fucking rapper), and anyone that THINKS he deserves to be on that list should kill themselves twice.
@ADrake22,
yeah, the worst part about that weak ass diss from em, Mariah killed that diss and their entire beef with one line “I’m the press conference, you’re a conversation”. Eminem needs to sit his irrelevant ass down!!!
should da taken out raekwon and c.o and put in t.i. and em
Wasn’t one of the criteria for this list talent?! In that case, how did Gucci “rhyme with chain” Mane make it so high on the list?! Even Wayne WTF’d at Em not being on this list. MTV is intent on fighting BET for the “knows the least about real hip-hop” crown.
HAHAHA DRAKE SHOULDA BEEN 1 AND WWAYNE IS ALWAYS RELLAVENT TILL HE DIE CAUSE HE IS THE BEST AT DELIVERING LINES SO SUCK IT NIGGAS BUTEM WAS OFF BECAUSE HE DOESENT DO ANYTHING ANYMORE AND RELAPSE2 BULLSHIT WHO CARES ALRIGHT NOT HOT HE WAS LIKE 3RD OR 4TH BEST ON THE SONG BUT ROSS HELL NO GUCCI WE WILL DIE I ONLY LIKED KWAN WEEZY DRAKE AND JAY ON DIS LIST TIP AINT DONE NUTTIN HE AINT RELLAVENT SURE HE IS IN PRISON BUT AINT OUR FAULT NO DISSRESPECT AINT KIKKIN WHILE HE DOWN JUST ITS NOT THAT WRONG HES PROB TOP 2 RAPPERS OF THE TRAP BUT HIS LATEST ALBUM WAS NOT THAT GOOD AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH NIGGAS PLZ MTV DONT MATTER ITS TV NOT WEB ALRIGHT THEY DONT UNDERSTAND AND PEOPLEE DONT UNDERSTAND AT ALL!!!!!!!
totally agree with free willy
wayne is the dopest, most fashionable, ryhmin rapper alive
Why tha hell ain’t T.I.’s name on there ??? wtf son
MTV is a joke. Whats new?
with a name like Wonton Soup u need to shut the fuk up n get a life if you can produce beats then do it and put pacs lyrics on it n i gurante u aint going to get any airplay coz your a nobody internet geek loserboi