C.L. vs Guru

I got in an arguement with a friend today about who was the better rapper between C.L. Smooth and Guru and I was saying it was C.L. by a mile but he thought Guru. I think gangstarr is one of the greatest groups ever, but just Guru as a rapper to me didn't have much more tan the voice. Or at least did not have the delivery and lyrics that C.L. had. What do you guys think?

I think producers choose rather bland but consistent mc's with little to no outstanding qualities that would make them stand out as a solo artist. See:

Guru
CL Smooth
Mr. Eon
Slug
Geologic
Will Smith
Nabo Rawk


if anybody tries to use Rakim as an example of this...your card will be pulled.


In regards to the question, I think this is splitting hairs, but CL is probably the better pure mc while Guru is obviously more favored due to consistency (of both him and Gang Starr).

I prefer Guru, but I think CL is the better rapper technically.

Dwight wrote:

I prefer Guru, but I think CL is the better rapper technically.

Exactly.

Dwight wrote:

I prefer Guru, but I think CL is the better rapper technically.

Cosign also. Even though I have been listening to more CL lately and really seeing how much I underrated him.

I gotta go CL Smooth on this one. While I like Guru, CL is easily the better MC and may have had more classics had he and Pete stayed together. I don't think CL was carried by Pete as much as Guru was carried by Premo.

Agreed with all of the above. Appreciate the input. It was hard for me to argue cause i kept saying how dope gangstarr and he didnt understand then how I could say C.L. was better.
But have you guys istened to the jazzmataz albums? They have some good stuff but get boring by the end. It is hard to listen to it straight through. As much as I love jazz, Guru just to me cannot carry an album. He needed Premo to make the album work.

lyrically, i think CL's got him, but i prefer Guru. I think his voice, flow, and delivery are a lot easier on the ears.

this is a stupid question.. guru is the superior emcee which is why he actually had a career in the rap game.. CL was a one hit wonder.

Gotta go with Guru on this one.

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

this is a stupid question.. guru is the superior emcee which is why he actually had a career in the rap game.. CL was a one hit wonder.

Mecca and the Soul Brother was CL's best album but All Souled Out and The Main Ingredient were also critically acclaimed. And Guru had a stellar career in the rap game because of Premo.

I think CL got worse with each release. He was at his best on All Souled Out IMO.

CL is the definition of a one hit wonder...

T. Myers wrote:

I think CL got worse with each release. He was at his best on All Souled Out IMO.

I disagree entirely. Mecca & The Soul Brother was easily his best performance IMO. All Souled Out and The Main Ingredient were dope as well.

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

CL is the definition of a one hit wonder...

Dude, your east coast rap knowledge is terrible. You know NOTHING about it whatsoever, stupid fuck.

KJ Styles wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

I think CL got worse with each release. He was at his best on All Souled Out IMO.

I disagree entirely. Mecca & The Soul Brother was easily his best performance IMO. All Souled Out and The Main Ingredient were dope as well.

As a complete piece of art, M&TSB is easily better, but Pete Rock was on a completely different level on that joint. lyrically, CL was spitting better on the EP IMO.

I'll give Guru the nod, but CL is better on paper.

CL without Pete Rock = failure

Guru without Premier = decent

halfsharkalligatorhalfman wrote:

I'll give Guru the nod, but CL is better on paper.

CL without Pete Rock = failure

Guru without Premier = decent

American Me was a dope album IMO.

Eastern Rap Pro wrote:

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

CL is the definition of a one hit wonder...

Dude, your east coast rap knowledge is terrible. You know NOTHING about it whatsoever, stupid fuck.

The only thing CL Smooth is known for is TROY. He has other albums, but so does Young MC and Vanilla Ice. He's a one hit wonder, just an underground one-hit wonder, but still a one-hit wonder.

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

Eastern Rap Pro wrote:

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

CL is the definition of a one hit wonder...

Dude, your east coast rap knowledge is terrible. You know NOTHING about it whatsoever, stupid fuck.

The only thing CL Smooth is known for is TROY. He has other albums, but so does Young MC and Vanilla Ice. He's a one hit wonder, just an underground one-hit wonder, but still a one-hit wonder.

That's bullshit, you just don't listen to him like that so you don't know about him. His other songs (which is what TROY is) are critically acclaimed as well. TROY is just his biggest hit.

Young MC has other songs... so does Vanilla ice... and a few people like those songs... but all he is known for among the general regular hip-hop fans is TROY.

Vanilla Ice had Ninja Rap. quit acting like that song ain't dope.

NINJA RAP!!!!
ROFLMAO!!!!

Now that I've stopped laughing, CL was the better lyricist, but Guru had a more captivating presence.

halfsharkalligatorhalfman wrote:

I'll give Guru the nod, but CL is better on paper.

CL without Pete Rock = failure

Guru without Premier = decent

Are you high?

You got that backwards. American Me is still a 5 star record. Or at least 4.5. I bump that shit all the time.

CL gets the win for me.

And to respond to Nero's claim, Will Smith was a dope rapper....even if I have little to no desire to hear him on the mic again (the little desire would be if he ever collaborated with DJ Jazzy Jeff again).

Southern Rap Pro wrote:

Young MC has other songs... so does Vanilla ice... and a few people like those songs... but all he is known for among the general regular hip-hop fans is TROY.

Not true...these all had decent numbers on the charts.

They Reminisce Over You [T.R.O.Y.]
Straighten It Out
Lots of Lovin
I Got a Love
Take You There

In addition, "One Hit Wonder" is usually a term reserved for either forgotten artists, or those who lack relevance or respect in the hip-hop community. CL had a run, and is still active. And widely respected by many hip-hop heads.

CL definitely wasn't a one hit wonder. I may prefer Guru but CL's track record speaks for itself. Mecca & The Soul Brother & The Main Ingredient are staples in the hip hop community. If you have 2 bangin' group albums and an EP (I haven't heard any solo CL work) obviously you weren't a one hit wonder.

Guru got that voice