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Melle Mel has no doubt that Kendrick Lamar and Eminem are talented and capable rappers, but he does question their influence on Hip Hop culture.

Melle Mel has no doubt that Kendrick Lamarand Eminemare talented, but he does question their influence on Hip Hop culture. In a new interview with The Art of Dialogue the OG rapper has claimed that while artists like Kendrick and Em have proven themselves as capable rappers, they have yet to impact the game significantly. The conversation came about while Melle Mel was discussing Billboard and VIBEs recent list of the Top 50 Rappers of All Time Mel said that while the former TDE rapper, who ranked No.2 on the list, might have made some good songs, they dont translate into the street part of Hip Hop. I dont know what records he made like that, he said. I might know one or two of them, but I dont think you even hear Kendrick in the club like that. The iconic rapper jokingly admitted that while hes a bit of dinosaur in the game, calling himself 90-years-old, that Kendrick Lamars music doesnt resonate, and it certainly doesnt translate into the No.2 rapper of all time. Melle Mel, who landed at No.48 on the list, noted that while his legendary group, Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five, helped plant the seeds of what conscious rap is today, he believes younger, conscious rappers like Kendrick Lamar dont have the same impact. Nobody wants to rap like Kendrick Lamar. Nobody wants to rap like Eminem, he continued. A lot of people wanted to rap, like Pac and Biggie. Melle Mel says no one wants to rap like Kendrick Lamar, and he doesnt have any influence on Hip Hop. Read more