About a year ago my friend Marcel and I got into a conversation about emcees we thought had never performed a wack verse (a poorly written rhyme for the uninitiated). It's a difficult concept to gauge. We all have our own sense of poetic excellence; not all emcees will appeal to all people. However, I think the most appropriate way to evaluate this topic is by comparing an emcee to the best examples of his or her work.
All rappers have one or two instances in their careers in which most of their fans agree to be defining moments. Many Kanye West fans feel his ability was most palpable on the Late Registration album. Nas fans will more often than not refer to his lyrical mastery peaking at Illmatic. You see the trend. To ascertain an emcee's consistency, I use their perceived artistic peak as a measuring stick for the rest of their catalogs.
Here I have an ever evolving list of emcees who I feel belong in the No Wack Verses Club. If you have any to add or take away, get at me and we'll discuss it.
But yea, I've never heard anyone listed below kick a wack verse. Ever.
Joell Ortiz
Jean Grae
Elzhi
Andre 3000
Big Boi
MF Doom
Phonte of Little Brother
Bahamadia
Lauryn Hill
Royce da 5' 9"
peace.
notice: updated 4/4 due to spirited conversation with my homie Marcel
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