He didn’t hedge. He didn’t list ten names. He gave one—and it hit like truth. In a genre built on bravado, Eminem’s pick wasn’t about flash, but feeling. Tupac Shakur, he said, didn’t just write lyrics—he wrote lifelines. Every verse was a confession, a confrontation, a cry for change. And in a world still trying to decode what makes a legend, Em’s answer was simple: it’s not rhyme schemes—it’s resonance

Eminem has revealed the artist that is first and foremost on his Mount Rushmore of great songwriters.

During Em’s “Music to Be Quarantined By” playlist on his Siriux XM Shade 45 radio station on Monday (May 4), the Detroit rapper affirmed his admiration for Tupac Shakur’s pen game, calling him the greatest songwriter of all time.

“OK, this next song is from an artist that I feel like might be the greatest songwriter of all time,” Eminem began before playing ’Pac’s record, “If I Die 2Nite.” “Debate what you want about MC skills and all that because he had that, too. This is one of them songs by Tupac that, to me, was like, he was showing you I can write heartfelt shit and I can write lyrical, crazy shit, too.”

The Music to Be Murdered By rapper went on to explain why he crowned Tupac with the honorable title. “They say pussy and papers, poetry, power and pistols/Plottin’ on murderin’ muthafuckas ’fore they get you,” he rapped, reciting lyrics from the record. “The play on the p-words and all that shit and like, how he was doing it was so crazy mixed with the feel that Tupac could give you, which is constantly why I feel like he was always saying, ‘Can ya feel me?’ because you felt ’Pac. You can’t just listen to ’Pac. You feel ’Pac. If you listen to him, you’re gonna feel him.”

Speaking of Tupac, the rapper apparently has a namesake who was recently accused of fraud in Kentucky last month when trying to apply for unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic. A Lexington, Ky. resident named Tupac Malik Shakur was called out by Gov. Andy Beshear on April 26 after trying to file for unemployment insurance and receive a monetary determination letter back in March. After the governor’s office found that Shakur’s filing was not a prank, he received a personal apology from state’s governor.

Zero Fatigue LLC / Downtown/Interscope Records

Smino, Noir (2018)

Like his 2017 album BlkSwn, Smino’s Noir is a showcase of musical and vocal malleability. Over the course of 18 songs, the St. Louis, Mo. rapper unloads twangy raps over a bed of R&B, jazz, neo-funk beats as he paints a picture of romance and the midwest. With varying pitches and sonic frequencies in addition to inventive rhyming it’s an LP that cuts through the monotony of taking the same grocery store walks around the same general area you’ve been stuck in since last month.

CupcakKe

CupcakKe, Eden (2018)

CupcakKe’s 2018 album Eden didn’t get the same attention as her other 2018 LP, Ephorize, but it deserved to. The project includes all the same raunchy raps that made her famous as well as songs that offer sociological commentary (“Cereal and Water”). The effort dives into everything from Latin trap (“Prenup”) to drill (“Don’t Push Me”). This is an album with variety and enough energy to make folding your laundry or cleaning up your spot way more fun than it should be.

Sounds Music Group / Republic Records

Wiki, Oofie (2019)

Wiki’s always had a knack for introspection and clever rhymes that can be lost in the proverbial sauce if you don’t dedicate the proper attention to them. So then, if you didn’t have the time before, the nationwide quarantine is a perfect occasion to listen to Oofie, an LP with rhymes just as sharp as the ones found on Wiki’s 2017 album, No Mountains in Manhattan. With dexterous rhymes and features from Denzel Curry and Lil Ugly Mane (“Grim”), Princess Nokia (“Dame Aquí”) and more, you’ll find yourself rewinding a lot of tracks. Now you’ve got all the time in the world to do so.

Sounds Music Group / Republic Records

Kemba, Gilda (2019)

Using sharp autobiographical detail and the pain he felt after losing his mother to a stroke, Kemba created Gilda, an album that didn’t get the attention it deserved upon its release last year. Filled with deft rhyming and spurts of melody (“Captain Planet”), the LP is named after his mother. Its themes of perseverance (“Work in Progress”) offer a light at the end of a tunnel, something we’re all looking for amid the pandemic.

Real Talk Entertainment

Mozzy and Gunplay, Dreadlocks & Headshots (2017)

Mozzy and Gunplay became the situational duo you didn’t know you needed when they unloaded their joint album, Dreadlocks & Headshots in 2017. Although it didn’t get a ton of commercial success, relentlessly street bars from the two made it a project that was instantly respected. “They Know” and “Out Here Really” are two standouts on an LP that transports you to their neighborhood instead of your own, which you’re stuck in because of the quarantine.

First Generation Rich / Empire

Skyzoo, Music for My Friends (2015)

Skyzoo’s long been respected as a top-notch lyricist, and he flaunts his all-around rhyming ability on his third studio album, Music for My Friends, in 2015. For the project, he cruises on modernized boom bap to relay the stories and principles of himself and his friends. If you’re looking for a project to vibe out to as you do some laundry or work from home, this is the one for you.

N-Less Entertainment / Interscope Records

MoneyBagg Yo, Reset (2018)

Consistency is synonymous with MoneyBagg Yo, who’s getting his shine more than ever over the last year after coming up as one of the more respected new southern gangsta rappers out. Months before he unloaded his breakout project 4eva Heartless, Moneybagg dropped off his major label debut album, Reset. While the LP had all of the decisive rapping that makes Moneybagg a skilled rapper, as well as a J. Cole feature (“Say Na”), it didn’t manage a top 10 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart. With hard-hitting beats and some unfailingly street bars on every song, the LP can give you the energy you need to escape the monotony of quarantine life.

Motown Records

Rich Homie Quan, Rich as in Spirit (2018)

Filled with introspection and his trademark melodies, Rich Homie Quan’s Rich as in Spirit is a perfect LP to kick back, have a drink and reflect on life instead of checking your refrigerator every two hours. Released amid a litany of other melodic trap releases from 2018, the LP was a bit lost in the mix. However, Quan’s aspirational lyrics and pained vocals always deserve your attention.

Iron Works Records

Ka, Honor Killed the Samurai (2016)

Everything about Ka’s critically acclaimed 2016 album, Honor Killed the Samurai is understated. So then, it’s not too surprising that it’s not necessarily a widely discussed LP. However, as is the case with most underground treasures, there are plenty of gems to unearth, with Ka’s being precise lyrics that spotlight his past and the world surrounding him. This is one you can listen to as you take a walk around the block with nothing but his words to reflect on.

Jamla Records

Jericho Jackson, Khrysis & Elzhi Are Jericho Jackson (2018)

Slum Village’s Elzhi is one of the most respected lyricists in underground rap, but his joint album with producer Khrysis still went a little bit under the radar. In 2018, they dropped off Elzhi & Khrysis Are Jericho Jackson, an LP that combines Elzhi’s deft rhyme schemes and observations with crisp production from Khrysis. When it comes to listening to an album loaded with double meanings and game to digest, there’s truly no better time than now.

Diamond Lane Music Group / Blake Enterprises

Problem and DJ Quik, Rosecrans (2017)

Coated in the distinctive West Coast bounce that could only come from a legendary G-Funk producer like DJ Quik, his 2017 joint album with Problem, Rosecrans, is an LP that evokes images of a California summer. Songs like the Boogie, Dom Kennedy and Bad Lucc-featured “Bad Azz” and the Wiz Khalifa and Buddy-assisted “This Is Your Time” will make you feel like you’re cruising in a Cherry ’64 on a summer day. In other words, it makes it easier to pretend you aren’t under quarantine.

Sony Music Entertainment

Cyhi The Prynce, No Dope on Sundays (2017)

CyHi The Prynce is one of rap’s perennially underrated artists, so it’s no surprise his major label debut album, No Dope on Sundays, has remained somewhat confined to its underground space. Filled with rewindable punchlines, autobiographical details and features from Kanye West (“Dat Side), Travis Scott (“I’m Fine”) and more, it’s an LP that demands a few spins on any day, especially when you’ve got time to process thoughtful lyrics.

C9

Denzel Curry, Nostalgic 64 (2013)

Before he’d solidified himself as one of the best rappers out of Florida, a younger Denzel Curry was just trying to prove he was a legit MC. He did that with 2013’s Nostalgic 64, a project with the same sorts of energetic raps, albeit less refined, that would propel him to stardom. The project is laced with eclectic, video game-sounding samples that echo its title. Denzel’s since grown sharper as a writer and each of his succeeding projects only features improved skills, but fans should be using extra time to brush up on past projects they hadn’t dived into before. Start with Nostalgic 64.

Marci Enterprises

Roc Marciano, RR2: The Bitter Dose (2018)

Roc Marciano’s reputation as a rapper’s rapper is well-deserved, but a rap fan with less refined taste and a shorter time being invested in the genre may not know who he is. Projects like 2018’s RR2: The Bitter Dose are a reason that’s a shame if he’s not on a rap fan’s radar. For the project, Roc wastes zero time as he lets loose icy rhymes about murder and the pursuit of the almighty dollar over soulful, modernized boom bap. Tracks like the Action Bronson-featured “Corniche” and “Respected” are verbal thrill rides that will allow you to travel through the criminal underworld instead of the apartment you’ve been stuck in for a month now.

ESGN/Empire

Freddie Gibbs, You Only Live 2wice (2017)

Released in 2017, several months after he’d been arrested on sexual assault charges in Germany that were later dismissed, Freddie Gibbs’ You Only Live 2wice album is the sound of an artist who’s been through hell but made it out to the other side. Tracks like “Karat Jesus” feature Freddie sounding immortal as he flexes over a haunting instrumental. Meanwhile, “Crushed Glass” finds him explaining his legal situation and just how close he came to doing serious time. There’s a lot of trauma, emotion and triumph to process here, and there’s no better time than now to take a listen.

Cash Money Records

Birdman and Juvenile, Just Another Gangsta (2019)

More than 20 years removed from the first time they jumped on a song together, Birdman and Juvenile sound as good as ever on their 2019 joint album, Just Another Gangsta. But alas, they sound reinvigorated and hungry as they casually unleash rugged bars that live up to the album’s title. Songs like the title track and the NLE Choppa-assisted “Dreams” are as fire as tracks Juve and Birdman dropped years ago. If you want to take a trip down memory lane while also getting a glimpse at artists who haven’t lost a step, Just Another Gangsta is a project for you.

Mello Music Group

Open Mike Eagle, Brick Body Kids Still Daydream (2017)

With its humor and incredible attention to detail, Open Mike Eagle’s Brick Body Kids Still Daydream was one of the more-beloved critical darlings of 2017. On the album, Mike brings fans into his childhood upbringing in a project building he was eventually forced to move out of. On one song, he’s a superhero with a sad origin story (“Legendary Iron Hood”). On another, he’s just a grown man reflecting on his days getting drunk and playing video games (“95 Radio”). This is the perfect soundtrack to put it on while playing some NBA 2K.

Atlantic Recording Corporation

Curren$y, Canal Street Confidential (2015)

When you drop a lot of projects, it can be hard for even the most dedicated fans to keep up. That’s probably why Curren$y’s Canal Street Confidential flew just a bit below the radar when it was released in 2015. Coated with deft raps and some memorable guest spots from Future (“Drive By”), Lil Wayne (“Bottom of the Bottle” with August Alsina) and more, the project is loaded with slaps. If you didn’t check it out then, now’s the time.

Rare Sound/ Interscope Records/ Empire

K Camp, Rare Sound (2018)

K Camp’s 2018 album Rare Sound is a project that didn’t get the respect it deserved. Whether it’s because of new rap stars being Atlanta’s primary export, a somewhat understated style or anything else is up for debate. What isn’t is the fact that there are some great songs on this album, which finds him flaunting his knack for melody while delivering an ode to his friends (“Cherish My Dawgs”) or a track dedicated to his significant other (“Clouds” featuring Wiz Khalifa). Melodic and smooth, Rare Sound is an LP designed for easy listening, which both makes it perfect for moments you want to vibe out instead of hitting the streets. During the quarantine, the latter isn’t an option.