Who is forever the King of New York???

[The Wire]

In my lifetime, no one has stamped themselves as being the King of New York quite like Jay-Z. If you want a guy who personifies that New York attitude, the innate entrepreneurial mindset of the Big Apple, as well as a New York flow, it's Jay-Z. It would've been Biggie if he had of S. Carter's brain.

The thing is that Biggie only released two albums. As his life was cut so tragically short, we can't say for certain that BIG didn't have Sean Carters 'innate entreprenurial mindset of the Big Apple' as you put it. Were BIG alive today, it is quite possible that he would have gone down the road of clothes deals, shoe deals and record companies much in the same vein. But then is that really what people are looking for? I would say that as a hip hop artist, Nas is by far the more accomplished of the two. Jay-Z has had far too many poor albums, and yet he has by far the bigger profile. He has perhaps sacrificed the quality of his work in order to go for the bigger bucks. Is this to be commended? Who, when we look back on them in history, is going to be more revered? Is it in fact Nas that is the King of New York due to his refusal to become part of the system, his refusal to go down the corporate route and instead to keep his lyrics and his music as real and as classy as possible.

[Jim_Davis]

In my lifetime, no one has stamped themselves as being the King of New York quite like Jay-Z. If you want a guy who personifies that New York attitude, the innate entrepreneurial mindset of the Big Apple, as well as a New York flow, it's Jay-Z. It would've been Biggie if he had of S. Carter's brain.

spot on sonny.

[Tuggers1986]

The thing is that Biggie only released two albums. As his life was cut so tragically short

You cant really say that. Look at how many tracks Tupac recorded.

[Tuggers1986]

And its Nas. It WAS, IS, ans ALWAYS will be. Nobody can touch him. All the people saying Jay Z. Rember in The Takeover..."We run new york"? I think Ether clearly proved that was not true.

[riza]

NAS is the king, gay-z is overated. no1 can touch nas lyrically

[fasman]

King of NY is and will be Biggie Smalls.. hands down..

Nas will be next...

Jay-z, i dont know why but i wouldnt put him top 5.........

[Knicksman20]

Jay-Z is somewhat of what Biggie would be if he were alive. Biggie already had a clothing line just about started before he died call Brooklyn Mint. Contrary to what alot of poeple think, Biggie was a smart guy who was mentoring Jay to the game of rap. Even though Biggie had only 2 albums; he by far showed why he is & always would be the King Of NY. Nas can't touch BI because he's not as charismatic, funny, & charming for the ladies as Biggie was. Biggie got at Nas with Kick In The Door though & killed that track.

[Bucktown Beast]

Well Biggy put NY back on the map after the West had been running **** in the rap game for a minute. Then he became self proclaimed as Frank White and was pretty much understood that he was the King.

But you can arguably say that Nas was/is the king of NY. He just wasn't as crossover appealing as Big. But his skill, catalogue, creativity and amount of material is simply unrivaled. Jigga is closer to Big since he has more mainstream appeal and if someone says that since Big died he was the King, well...thats also possible.

[The Fix]

kool g rap deserves some sort of consideration...

[Jim_Davis]

Ether hands down rapes Takeover. But Jay-Z is clearly the King.