![Rapper Future blazed a trail with his underground hit "Tony Montana" and with features on songs with everyone from Rihanna to Lil Wayne, landing at number nine was well deserved.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/7b/42/1362593602_6160_future.jpg?itok=8YyBj5VV "Rapper Future blazed a trail with his underground hit "Tony Montana" and with features on songs with everyone from Rihanna to Lil Wayne, landing at number nine was well deserved."){kind=small}
![Meek Mill generated a lot of buzz with his singles "Ima Boss" and "House Party," and his affiliation with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group helped to secure him at the #10 spot.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/hash/b2/5a/b25a90da895f3f0585a8760b7f2d9b42.jpg?itok=_eTQ5WZs "Meek Mill generated a lot of buzz with his singles "Ima Boss" and "House Party," and his affiliation with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group helped to secure him at the #10 spot."){kind=small}
MTV's annual Hottest MCs In The Game list has been determined, and has already ignited some controversy over the rankings of the rappers mentioned. The list only holds ten spots, and each one is highly coveted, giving the rapper a boost of credibility, not to mention record sales. The Hottest MCs list has been in place since 2007, and the line-up is crafted by a panel of hip-hop journalists who judge the artists based on artistic execution, (lyrical ability, flow), commercial success (charting hits, radio spins, album sales), cultural impact (business acumen, ushering in other big artists), digital metrics Facebook page likes, Twitter followers, new songs on mixtapes), buzz and other intangibles, according to MTV.com. On-air correspondent for MTV News Sway Calloway normally hosts the special when it airs. Slots 10-5 are listed in Part One below.
Part Two of the Hottest MCs list airs Thursday, March 7 at 10 p.m. ET.
![Meek Mill generated a lot of buzz with his singles "Ima Boss" and "House Party," and his affiliation with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group helped to secure him at the #10 spot.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/58/82/588201369135ca301efc37b60b0a3ddb.jpg?itok=lMk1p-sv "Meek Mill generated a lot of buzz with his singles "Ima Boss" and "House Party," and his affiliation with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group helped to secure him at the #10 spot.")
![Rapper Future blazed a trail with his underground hit "Tony Montana" and with features on songs with everyone from Rihanna to Lil Wayne, landing at number nine was well deserved.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/7b/42/1362593602_6160_future.jpg?itok=PWvU3UHK "Rapper Future blazed a trail with his underground hit "Tony Montana" and with features on songs with everyone from Rihanna to Lil Wayne, landing at number nine was well deserved.")
![The always out-spoken and controversial rapper Kanye West is very unhappy with his #7 spot. He recently called into "The Angie Martinez Show" on Hot 97 to share his opinion on his placement. "I feel like for them to put me at No. 7, they had to bring up things they didn't like, like they didn't like 'Cruel Summer' album. And I'm like, 'That's a compilation. It's not all rappers on [the album].' I mean, 'Cruel Summer' has 'Don't Like (Remix),' 'New God Flow,' 'Mercy,' 'Cold' ... you know? ... And 'Clique!' Ain't nobody bringing up that 'Diamonds (Remix)' verse. There ain't no verse in a year that's f--king with that verse!"](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/d0/4e/1362593602_7795_kanye-west.jpg?itok=kev7z4Yk "The always out-spoken and controversial rapper Kanye West is very unhappy with his #7 spot. He recently called into "The Angie Martinez Show" on Hot 97 to share his opinion on his placement. "I feel like for them to put me at No. 7, they had to bring up things they didn't like, like they didn't like 'Cruel Summer' album. And I'm like, 'That's a compilation. It's not all rappers on [the album].' I mean, 'Cruel Summer' has 'Don't Like (Remix),' 'New God Flow,' 'Mercy,' 'Cold' ... you know? ... And 'Clique!' Ain't nobody bringing up that 'Diamonds (Remix)' verse. There ain't no verse in a year that's f--king with that verse!"")
![In perhaps the most controversial seat on the Hottest MCs list, Big Sean holds tight at #6 over his mentor and boss, Kanye West. Big Sean has left an indelible imprint on pop culture with his catchy ad-libs, like "swerve," and "Oh God!," and his lead-off verse for G.O.O.D Music's "Mercy" has shown his impact is being felt in hip-hop.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/23/c6/23c6f309ff2377a5ce0c4d1eb3305bda.jpg?itok=7v0PfDl2 "In perhaps the most controversial seat on the Hottest MCs list, Big Sean holds tight at #6 over his mentor and boss, Kanye West. Big Sean has left an indelible imprint on pop culture with his catchy ad-libs, like "swerve," and "Oh God!," and his lead-off verse for G.O.O.D Music's "Mercy" has shown his impact is being felt in hip-hop.")
![Canadian-born rapper Drake continues to dominate the rap game year-round, and coming in at #5 is by no means a diss. Drake has been a regular on the list four years in a row, and peaked at #2 last year. Singles like "HYFR" and "Take Care" are still in heavy rotation, and his latest release "Started From The Bottom" has already charted high on the Billboard charts.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/profile_large/hash/ff/04/ff0437683deab8c2a9386e6cf6db909e.jpg?itok=GKEurli0 "Canadian-born rapper Drake continues to dominate the rap game year-round, and coming in at #5 is by no means a diss. Drake has been a regular on the list four years in a row, and peaked at #2 last year. Singles like "HYFR" and "Take Care" are still in heavy rotation, and his latest release "Started From The Bottom" has already charted high on the Billboard charts.")
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