Who is the best rapper of all time?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Who is the best rapper of all time?
Position1 of 8›: Jay Z is the best rapper
Argument: Jay Z built an empire

Jay Z was the first to move from rapper to proper business mogul, giving new visibility and power to rappers who were now no longer "just" the talent.

The argument

Jay Z turned his artistic talent into a brand. A successful rap career requires an immense amount of intelligence. The best rappers know how to manipulate words and phrases and pair them with rhythms and beats to create complex rhyme schemes. Jay Z not only excels at this, but he is an immensely successful businessman. Jay Z has a net worth of approximately $810 million and a diverse portfolio which includes investments in sports, streaming platforms, liquor, art, and real estate. Jay Z is an incredibly gifted rapper and a resourceful and versatile businessman. Furthermore, Jay Z uses his wealth and influence to give back to the rap community by bringing other talented rappers, like Kanye West, into the limelight. Jay Z built an empire by using his skills as an artist, businessman, and philanthropist, which makes him the best rapper of all time.

Premises

[P1]Jay Z excels at the intelligence rap demands, manipulating words and beats into complex rhyme schemes. [P2] He turned that talent into a roughly $810 million empire spanning sports, streaming, liquor, art, and real estate. [P3] He also uses his wealth and influence to elevate other rappers like Kanye West into the limelight. [C] Therefore, because Jay Z built an empire as artist, businessman, and philanthropist, Jay Z is the best rapper of all time.

Counter-arguments

While Jay Z is extremely accomplished and successful, his business empire does not make him the best rapper of all time. He may be the most versatile rapper of all time, but in terms of pure musical and lyrical talent, there are better rappers.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Skill with words, rhythm and rhyme is the ground on which every candidate on this question is advanced, so the premise does nothing to distinguish him from the field. [Rejecting P2] Net worth and a portfolio of investments measure business success, a different achievement from rapping and not one from which the conclusion can be built. [Rejecting P3] Elevating other artists speaks to influence within an industry rather than to the craft. As the counter-argument puts it, all of this may make him the most versatile figure in the field without making him the best rapper in it.