A two-year-old list just stirred up fresh drama in the hip-hop world.
Complex’s “50 Best New York Rappers of All Time” has resurfaced online—again—and while it originally dropped in 2023, it’s once more causing waves in 2025. The renewed chatter prompted Fat Joe and Jadakiss to weigh in during a recent episode of their joint podcast, Joe and Jada.
“Jadakiss Ain’t in the Top Five?”
At around the 1:10 mark, Fat Joe couldn’t help but bring it up:
“Complex pulls out a 50 emcees of New York City, but Jadakiss ain’t on the top five, dead or alive. How do you feel when you see this list and you ain’t on the top five, Jada?”
Jada’s Response? Unbothered.
With classic cool, Jadakiss brushed it off like lint on a leather jacket:
“I don’t give a f*** about none of that st. It don’t bother me at all. They know what I do. Complex know, the list know. Let’s cut the st already.”
The response got a big laugh from Fat Joe, and Jada kept the energy going:
“This is not Chinese arithmetic or nothing crazy. They know what I do, and that’s it. You touch the oven, you know the oven is hot.”
Where Did They Rank?
In the original 2023 list:
• Jadakiss landed at No. 16
• Fat Joe came in at No. 31
As for the top five, Complex named:
1. Jay-Z
2. The Notorious B.I.G.
3. Nas
4. Rakim
5. LL Cool J
Not exactly a surprise lineup—but still enough to spark debate, especially when someone like Jadakiss, a respected lyricist with a bulletproof rep, gets placed outside the top 15.
Why Is It Trending Again?
The list went viral this week after it was reshared by multiple hip-hop accounts on X (formerly Twitter), including DJ Vlad. It’s unclear whether Joe and Jada thought the list was new, but their reactions speak to a larger truth in hip-hop: lists come and go, but legacy is permanent.
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Jada’s message? Simple.
You don’t need a top-five nod to prove you’re elite.
The oven’s still hot.
