Karen Civil's "30 Best Rappers In Their 30s" List

Two weeks back, Complex published a list of the 30 Best Rappers In Their 30s. The list created a wave of controversy, with rappers like Joe Budden, Young Jeezy, and Big Boi publicly disagreeing with their placements on the list on Twitter. Comedy duo It's The Real even teamed up with Slaughterhouse and got the group to humorously vent about the countdown.

Beyond rappers on the list, our readers had a lot to say, too. One of the people who tweeted about the rankings was none other than Beats By Dre social media manager, hip-hop talking head, and Lil Wayne associate Karen Civil. In the name of keeping things fair and balanced, we hit her up, asked her to make her own list, and she happily obliged. Although she picked many of the same rappers we did, she went with a very different order. Continue reading for the full response, with her personal commentary on (almost) every selection.

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"In the long run, Game will represent the generation of West Coast MC’s to come after Dre, Snoop, E-40, Nate Dogg and Quik and before Black Hippy, Dom and Nipsey. Last year’s The R.E.D. Album proved he could still deliver a quality project given the opportunity."

"Catfish Billy has been quiet for the most part, but his deep-fried country delivery and dope releases shouldn’t be ignored."

"You want to know why he’s this low? Not because he can’t rap, it’s because he releases one song every presidential term."

"Curtis may be in a different 'space,' but he can still deliver a good song and project. Didn’t anyone else listen to 5: Murder By Numbers?"

"Following a lackluster 2011, La Flare has quietly been putting together a nice comeback in 2012."

"Spoiler alert: All four members of Slaughterhouse make this list. It’s all subjective at the end of the day, but can you really name 30 other rappers over the age of 30 better than Crooked?"

"Luda’s had a career which always hasn’t been appreciated. Either way, DTP’s ring leader still can tear through a verse as hard as when he wants to."

"Kiss has lost steam over the years, but his track record for delivering some of the game’s finer verses still rings loud. Too bad he never really dropped that classic album yet."

"Long before Slaughterhouse, Ortiz was one of the better rhymers from New York. Now he’s just proving it on a larger stage."

"Regardless of where you place him on your all-time list, Killa will go down as one of the greatest personalities rap has ever seen. Rap needs another well-thought out, Harlem-crafted and properly marketed project from Cam. He’s got more hits in him."

"Talk about a career revitalization. Juicy’s got one of the best strip club odes in 2012 (“Bandz A Make Her Dance”) and appears to only be getting hotter as the year progresses."

"Fab’s built a name up for himself over the years thanks to several hit singles and mixtapes. The main things holding him back from being higher? He’s yet to drop a classic album and There Is No Competition 3 was nowhere near as good as The Soul Tape."

"The Snowman—who is now an executive—still commands a listen whenever he appears on a track. Undoubtedly one of the most important artists of the past decade."

"Over the years, Budden has changed the public perception around him from suicidal introvert (the timeless Mood Muzik series) to (mostly) happy-go-lucky, lyrical wizard who has mastered the art of throwing a dope ass pool party. Plus, he’d probably decapitate anyone who even had half a brain to test him behind a mic."

"Bun’s one of the great guys in the game for several reasons. He’s also one of the most consistent behind a mic and he’s been around so long his Hip-Hop 401(k) plan must out of this world. Revisit Trill O.G. if you haven’t in awhile."

"Slaughterhouse’s Detroit connect often moonlights as a surgeon. At least you would think from the sharpness and pinpoint accuracy of his lyrics."

"He may not be as in-demand as he has been in recent years, but the facts remains that Clifford is one smash away from being 'that guy' again."

"Always controversial, Lupe's recent tracks have everyone looking forward to Food & Liquor 2."

"Maybe it’s because he doesn’t come on the radio every five minutes, but Mike continues to stake his claim as not only one of the game’s finest lyricists, but also one with the most relevant information to speak on."

"Here’s what a lot of people don’t know: Gibbs turned 30 this past June. And truthfully, he’s an undeniable album away from being even higher up on this list."

"There are better rappers on the list, but you’d hard pressed to say there are more hotter than The Artist Formerly Known As Tity Boy right now."

"Spitta has to be the in the top 10 if for no other reason than his work ethic. He’s released more projects the past two years than most artists release their entire careers. Combined. Not to mention, he’s perfected the art of staying in his lane and maximizing its opportunities. There might not be anyone who 'enjoys' rap more than Spitta."

"He’s not Jay Electronica in terms of being stingy with his music, but there are reasons people will sacrifice their first born for a solo album. He’s one of the best rappers of all time, but we just wish he would prove it more often."

"The braided half of Clipse continues to torch everything he touches. And depending who you ask, everyone he touches too."

"Here’s the thing. We all love Andre, but since we cannot rank both Stacks and Big together, the more visible half gets the nod here. Solo wise, The Son of Chico Dusty quietly remains one of the best projects of the last three years. It’s still Outkast over everything though."

"He’s positioned himself as one of rap’s forefront artists right now and is doing a damn good job in helping shape the careers of damn near everyone on MMG with a pulse."

"Five solo albums in and all five are critically acclaimed and one album with Jay-Z which still harbors the debate of 'game changer.' This isn’t to say Kanye is the G.O.A.T. but he’s definitely continuing to stake his claim as one of the genre’s icons."

"Marshall’s been through almost every high and low one could possibly ask for. Even today, he remains as enigmatic as he was when he was pissing human rights organizations in the early 2000s. A surefire first ballot Hall of Famer."

"Life Is Good will ultimately be remembered as one of the highlights in Nas’ career. He’s arguably the best to ever do it. Anything less than top three would be uncivilized."