Top 5 rappers

Not necessarily my favorites, but the best in terms of skill and the way I personally connect with their lyrics and influence.  I could put them against anyone, at their best, but consistently their middle of the road stuff could be put against most others' best and still be considered great.

Without further ado, let's spark the controversy; in no particular order:

My Top 5

• Eminem (emotion, flow, word choice, delivery, creativity, diction)
• Notorious Big (lyrical wizardry, word choice, delivery, creativity, story telling)
• Lauryn Hill (rhythm, flow, word choice, but if not here, then down there with snoop, I really wish she kept rhyming) 
• Little Wayne (metaphors; I think i am talking about lil wayne when I say "not my favorite", but if you really, really listen to him.. he says the craziest things)
• Method Man (diction, consistency, but unfortunately not persistance)

Honorable mentions

• Q-Tip (smooth voice)
• Ice Cube (story telling)
• Slick Rick (story telling, smooth flow)
• Busta Rhymes (sick flow, rhythm)
• Tupac (emotion)
• Kanye (creativity, rhythm, flow and he's a student of the art, keeps improving)
• Jay-Z (top 5 consideration for the way he can connect with the audience, I truly respect this artist)
• Prodigy (realness)
• Nas (realness, flow, storytelling, consistency, lyrics)
• Raekwon (flow consistency)
• KRS One (Criminal Minded was the first rap song I memorized)
• Andre 3000 (he makes me laugh, skill)
• Big Pun (flow)
• Rakim (I feel like he taught everyone how do do it)

Producers (so necessary, in no particular order... and please forgive omissions here... I write about that which I do not know)

• Dr. Dre
• Pharrell (and/or The Neptunes)
• Kanye
• Scott La Rock
• P-Diddy
• Jam Master Jay
• Swizz Beats
• Trackmasters
• RZA
• Alchemist
• Just Blaze
• Havoc
• Timbaland 
• Pete Rock
• DJ Premier 
• Wyclef

Not Honorable mention, because I don't want to put everyone there, but if I didn't want to pair the list down:

• Redman 
• Common (kinda like Redman - i like him and acknowledge his skill, but he doesn't connect with me and never has his rhyme inspired me, or made me rewind it or move me like any of the artist in the above two categories)
• Talib Kweli or Mos Def (want to put one of these two guys above, discovered both too late in life)
• Snoop Dog (if only for Doggy Style and everything he did prior; he he stayed on that trajectory, he's be top 5!)
• LL Cool J (sometimes I sit in my room, sometimes I stare at the wall and in the back of my mind I hear my conscious call)
• Royce the 59 (has held his own on records with Eminem)
• Lupe (can put it on and let it play through)