MTV has just wrapped up numbers ten to four in their list of the ‘Hottest MCs’ in Hip-Hop. It’s proved pretty controversial, but consensus seems to suggest that Kendrick Lamar will be named number 1 when the list concludes tomorrow. In Kendrick’s own words, ‘fuck that’. Everyone knows who the world’s hottest MC is. He loves motorbikes, hates child support, and he’s been tried for sodomy and animal cruelty in a single incident. He’s DMX, and this is why he’s great.

He wrote the interchangeable rap colossi X Gon’ Give It To Ya/Party Up (Up In Here)/Where The Hood At

DMX has made three of the biggest hype tunes of all time. They all sound the same, they all depict his confusing stance on homosexuality, and if you run a Youtube search using the terms ‘collision’ or 'concussion' every video will feature one of these songs as the soundtrack.

He’s hood as fuck. And maybe raw as shit.

A lot of rappers brag about how they’ve achieved incredible fame and wealth even when faced with the pitfalls of crime and poverty. Not DMX. He embraces the adversity that shaped him. And thanks to his preference for carjacking vehicles at major international airports while impersonating a federal agent and being high on cocaine, he gets to embrace it on a regular basis. 

He doesn't know who Lil' B is

While I don't agree with the man's obvious homophobia, I am a big fan of his ignorance toward social media fanboy Lil' B. Lil' B creeped onto our radar by saturating Myspace with about 200 profiles, and naming his acclaimed fifth album I'm Gay. This was all news to DMX, whose shocked reaction in this video, not to mention the fact he seems to be swallowing his tongue, suggests he doesn't spend his spare time on the internet. 

He’ll never be forgotten

Years from now, when culture has been distilled into an indistinct stream of fail videos, we will hear the familiar sound of ‘X Gon’ Give It To Ya’ playing over a clip of someone being punched in the head for money, briefly transporting us back to a more civilised time.

See whether or not DMX makes the cut here.