There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs is a 2003 book by the old school hip hopMCKool Moe Dee,[1] where he ranks what he believes to be the Top 50 greatest MCs of all time, giving a breakdown of each artist.[2] The book also features a foreword from Chuck D and includes full color photos from hip hop photographer Ernie Paniccioli.[3]
MCing elements
Kool Moe Dee breaks MCing down into several different elements in order to effectively judge the skills of the artists – this includes originality, concepts, versatility, vocabulary, substance, flow, flavor, freestyle, vocal presence, live performance, poetic value, body of work, industry impact, social impact, longevity, lyrics, and battle skills.[3]
The book also includes other MCs on several additional lists scattered throughout the book, such as “11 Best Kept Lyrical Secrets” and “10 Best Hip-Hop Pop Kings” - Kool Moe Dee also
explains ten of his thirteen “battle laws” in the book.[3]
Sequel
In There's A God On The Mic, Kool Moe Dee refers to a follow-up book called The True 50 Greatest Groups In Hip-Hop, which has so far not been released.[4]