The best thing in life is someone’s opinion, which they stand behind firmly. When it comes to my opinions, I always stand behind them because it is the right thing to do. The two biggest things that are debated amongst peers are sports (LeBron James is still not in my top five) and music. When it comes to music, I understand it is a broad subject even if it is a specific genre such as hip-hop.

When it comes to having talks about music, the question is going to come up, who is your top five rappers right now? I have heard some lists that have made me question what people consider good music these days. I have a list that is going to be questioned, but the people on my list make real music… none of that Lil Pump “Gucci Gang” crap. People overhype this kind of music all the time, calling it the future of music.

My list consists of J. Cole, Big Sean, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Kevin Gates. This is not in order, either. You can debate my list all you want, but the beautiful thing about opinion is that no matter what, it is technically not wrong.

J. Cole is one of the top rappers of this era because, as everybody knows by now, he went double platinum with no features with his album “Forest Hill Drive,” in 2014.

His best project is “Born Sinner,” which he dropped back in 2013. The project had the hit songs “Sparkz Will Fly ft. Jhene Aiko,” “Born Sinner” and “Let Nas Down.”

When I’m listening to Cole’s music, these songs just don’t get skipped.

Big Sean is another artist that I would put at the top of my list. Big Sean is a rapper from Detroit who loves to embrace his past, which has helped him have a successful career thus far. Big Sean’s best project was his “Dark Sky Paradise” album, but his versatility is what gets me. He also did a collab album with Jhene Aiko called “twenty88” to make one of the best albums I have ever heard. “Twenty88” hit songs were “Talk Show,” “London Bridges” and “Two Minute Warning.”

Drake is a T.V. star turned hip-hop sensation and since that transition, he made “Nothing was the same.” The former Degrassi star turned hip hop icon took the world by storm when he released the albums “So Far Gone” and “Take Care,” a certified classic the world has not stopped playing ever since. The top songs on “Take Care” would be “Marvin’s Room,” “Crew Love” and “Headlines.”

Kendrick Lamar, who also goes by King Kendrick, reminds all that listens to him that he is the greatest to pick up the mic. He has released four albums, and every time you say this is Kendrick’s best album, he drops another great album. Instead of naming the top songs off Kendrick’s best album, I am just going to name his albums. They are Section.80, GOOD KID M.A.A.D CITY, To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN.

Last, but not least, is the Louisiana native, Kevin Gates. Kevin Gates raps from the heart, and since he is from Louisiana, I can relate to him a tad bit more than those previously named.  Kevin Gates is more of a mixtape artist than a mainstream artist with only one studio album. His mixtapes, however, are better than most artist ‘s albums. His album “Islah” peaked at #2 on the U.S. charts with the top songs being “One Thing,” “Ain’t Too Hard” and “Thought I Heard (Breadwinners Anthem).”

When it comes to the top five rappers of today, there they go… those that sit higher than the rest.