Years ago, I crafted a post stating that Andre 3000 could not be the greatest rapper of all time because he has yet to produce a solo rap album and perform as a solo artist like many of his peers during his era did, when they wanted to claim the number 1 spot. To be crystal, his peers include emcee’s such as Jadakiss, Prodigy of Mobb Deep (R.I.P), Q-Tip, Styles P, and specifically every other rapper that started out in a group and then decided it’s time to go solo and put out solo songs and projects.

Then, I compared Rap to the NBA and paralleled Andre 3000 with Robert Horry and people got mad. REAL MAD. Like, I can’t be leave you gave my sister AIDS mad. Like, why you always responding with All Lives Matter mad. Something like, What you mean y’all ain’t got no chicken!? IT’S POPEYE’S, MAD! One dude been responding to me for years as “Dre” and boy is he upset. He been talking to himself for years. I literally think his last response was 2021. The post was created in 2014. He has the right to be upset and I let him rock. Too often in hip-hop conversation we move the goal post for who we love, admire and want to be like. We also allow feelings to replace our facts in the heat of debate. With Andre 3,000 that happens often. What I did was challenge everybody’s thinking and got venom, slander and Jay-Z hate. Why are we bringing other rappers into this? So dig, lets rehash this one last time as BehindTheRhyme.com is now 10 years old and because I honestly love hip-hop and all that comes with it.

Let’s say for the sake of y’all argument, I’m wrong. Let say comparing Andre 3000 to Multiple NBA Champion, clutch shot maker and key piece to some of the greatest NBA teams we’ve ever seen, Robert Horry is indeed blasphemous, stupid, pointless and idiotic. Let say you are absolutely right. Who is Andre 3000 if Rap was the NBA?

Allen Iverson? AI was one of the biggest culture shocks to the NBA and the world. He literally changed the game of basketball with only 1 trip to the NBA finals. But Stacks is on the most winningest team in Hip-Hop called Outkast. So do that make sense? Iverson was “solo” every year. Andre only has The Love Below and it won big, even if he didn’t quite play the “rap” game.

Carmelo Anthony? See I thought this would be the most disrespectful pick. I avoided this off of Outkast numbers alone. But lowkey maybe this is what Stacks is fearful of. Being the guy everybody is watching and is expected to make a big splash and having that moment that puts him in the conversation to become one of the greatest ever….and it just doesn’t pan out like that.

Scottie Pippen? I say no cause The Love Below was better than Pippen’s 2 years without Mike. Dre won without Big Boi. He just didn’t rap without him.

Kevin Durant? He’s not winning as the front man. In 2014, this is who y’all wanted me to say. How do you feel in 2022? I think the Andre to KD comparison don’t work at all. Y’all tell me.

He’s not really Dennis Rodman, but if you view psychology of Basketball a certain way, you have a pretty decent argument. This honestly isn’t a bad pick here.

He’s not Bill Russell, Wilt, Dr. J, Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Shaq, Dream, Kareem, Magic or Bird. Just let it go. He ain’t them. He undoubtedly has the skills to be them, but he ain’t them.

Oscar Robertson? Wait. Let’s stay with Oscar Robertson. The Big O was the guy who revolutionized and solidified the Triple Double. He’s still regarded to this very day as one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game. He’s a perennial all star, a league MVP and when he got Kareem, he became an NBA Champion. He made the original 50 greatest players. He’s obviously in the NBA 75 and many say he’s the greatest at what he did and if you don’t know, you had to be there. I think there’s a huge portion of hip-hop that feels that way about 3 Stacks. Is that fair to say?

I’ll concede to Big O if that’s what y’all want. I can be wrong and be willing to correct my mistake.

The fact still remains is solo rap albums have to be recorded, released and perform well to be in that G.O.A.T category. It’s just the way of the culture we cultivate. If all Jay albums did Reasonable Doubt numbers he wouldn’t be in the conversations. Cause cultural impact matters. Sales aren’t everything and don’t reflect skill. But you do have to play the game to be seriously considered. Andre 3000 opted to not play the solo rap album game and that’s okay. He doesn’t owe us that. He’s given us great music. You don’t have to be regarded as “The G.O.A.T” to do that.

Y’all mad at me and telling me The Love Below counts for 3000, but every chance you get y’all down Drake and say his album aren’t classic because he do too much singing. Lauryn Hill rapped more than Andre 3000 on Miseducation and she still won the grammy for Best R&B Album. That’s the goal post moving I’m talking about. History is repeating with different players and you are reacting differently. That’s not how this goes.

So officially; I’ll let my Robert Horry comparison die here today, but I’m picking up with Oscar Robertson. I’m not here to argue any further. Have fun with this whether you agree or not. Debating over the best is a pillar of the culture. I’ve done my job to uphold that pillar. Thank you.