Another Top 50 Rappers list has sparked conversations, and Bow Wow and Swae Lee are weighing in. The hitmakers may occupy vastly different lanes in Hip Hop, but they are both respected, award-winning artists in their own rights. Billboard and Vibe recently partnered to unveil their picks for the Top 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, and unsurprisingly, the choices caused debates among the genre’s enthusiasts. With only 50 picks, not everyone could be included, and Bow and Swae have chimed in about not seeing their names listed.
“I took no offense not making that list,” Bow tweeted. “I always said im not a rapper i am an entertainer.” He added he doesn’t ” like to be box’d in.” When a fan told him he should have been included, Bow simply expressed it was out of his control. Further, he didn’t seem bothered because he agreed with another supporter who remarked he was a legend.
Read More: Ice Cube Isn’t Impressed With Billboard’s Top 50 Greatest Rappers List
Meanwhile, Swae Lee took a different approach. While in Arizona for the Super Bowl, TMZ caught up with Lee and asked his thoughts on the list. The rapper was unaware he wasn’t on it until the cameraperson told him. “That’s f*ckin’ wrong!” said the Rae Sremmurd star. “I got 20 No. 1s. We changing Rap!” When it was further noted that there weren’t any Rap groups listed, either, Swae doubled down that the list was inaccurate.
Then, he wanted to know if Future and Young Thug were included. It seemed that the list may have been correct if those two made it. When he learned that Jay-Z earned the top spot, Lee hesitated before saying, “That’s cool.” He added, “I feel like, it’s politics,” before declaring people should move away from the “old, traditional Rap scale.”
Read More: Ja Rule Reacts After Billboard & Vibe Exclude Him From “Top 50 Rappers” List
The top spots on Billboard and Vibe‘s list were also hot topics. Jay-Z took the No. 1 position, followed by (in order) Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Tupac Shakur, and Eminem. Swae isn’t the only person frustrated with the choices, as Ja Rule also complained after seeing he wasn’t listed, either.
