MTV's Hottest MCs in the Game

MTV's Hottest MCs in the Game is a list compiled of ten Hip hop artists deemed to be the "hottest" of that given year by MTV since 2007. Although MTV has stressed that the list is not meant to represent the greatest rappers of all time but the most interesting and culturally relevant artists of that year, the list is met with much controversy and debate each year. MTV named one rapper the "Hottest Breakthrough MC" of 2011 and that honor went to Machine Gun Kelly. Kanye West currently holds the record for most appearances on the list, being the only rapper to appear on the list every year since its inception.

After a four-year hiatus that began in 2012, MTV announced that they are bringing the list back with a television special that aired on December 11, 2016 on MTV2.

Background
The Hottest MC in the Game List was formed in 2007 and every year a group of Hip-Hop journalists known as "The Brain Trust" debated on who its favorite rapper of that year was. The Brain Trust has been composed of:
 * Sway Calloway (on-air correspondent, MTV News)
 * Tuma Basa (manager, MTV Music Programming)
 * Bridget Bland (producer/writer, MTV Radio Network)
 * Buttahman (director, music and talent, "MTV Jams")
 * Rahman Dukes (senior producer, MTVNews.com)
 * Andrea Duncan-Mao (senior music editor, MTV.com Editorial)
 * Sean Lee (supervising producer, MTV News)
 * Joseph Patel (producer, MTV News)
 * Shaheem Reid (hip-hop editor, MTV News)
 * Jayson Rodriguez (hip-hop writer, MTV News)
 * Hillary Crosley (RapFix)
 * Steven Roberts (MTV News)
 * Sheila Grullon (MTV Jams)
 * Yomi Desalu (mtvU)
 * Ahmed Abdulle (mtvU)
 * Mike Masic (mtvU)
 * Moe Ahmed (mtvU)
 * Rebecca Thomas (writer, MTV News)
 * Renaud Jean-Baptiste Jr. (junior copywriter, MTV News)
 * Nadeska Alexis (blog editor, RapFix)
 * Rob Markman (senior Hip-Hop writer, MTV News)

The Brain Trust judges rappers on the grounds of their 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. In order to be eligible to be included in the list an artist must have actively released music that year.

Hottest MC in the Game recipients
Legend
 * °: New entry
 * ↑: Up / Re-entry
 * ↓: Down
 * -: Same

2007

 * 1) ° Lil Wayne
 * 2) ° T.I.
 * 3) ° The Game
 * 4) ° André 3000
 * 5) ° Kanye West
 * 6) ° Young Jeezy
 * 7) ° Jay Z
 * 8) ° 50 Cent
 * 9) ° Common
 * 10) ° Jim Jones

===2008 ===
 * 1) ↑ Kanye West
 * 2) ↑ Jay Z
 * 3) ↓ Lil Wayne
 * 4) ° Rick Ross
 * 5) ° Snoop Dogg
 * 6) ↑ 50 Cent
 * 7) ° Lupe Fiasco
 * 8) ↓ Young Jeezy
 * 9) ↓ André 3000
 * 10) ↓ T.I.

===2009 ===


 * 1) ↑ Jay Z
 * 2) ↑ Lil Wayne
 * 3) ° Drake
 * 4) ↓ Kanye West
 * 5) ↓ Rick Ross
 * 6) ° Gucci Mane
 * 7) ↑ Young Jeezy
 * 8) ° Fabolous
 * 9) ↓ 50 Cent
 * 10) ° Raekwon

2010

 * 1) ° Eminem
 * 2) ↓ Jay Z
 * 3) ↑ Kanye West
 * 4) ↓ Drake
 * 5) - Rick Ross
 * 6) ° Nicki Minaj
 * 7) ↓ Lil Wayne
 * 8) ° Waka Flocka Flame
 * 9) ° B.o.B
 * 10) ° Ludacris

2011

 * 1) ↑ Rick Ross
 * 2) ↑ Drake
 * 3) - Kanye West
 * 4) ↑ Nicki Minaj
 * 5) ↑ Lil Wayne
 * 6) ↓ Jay Z
 * 7) ° Meek Mill
 * 8) ° Big Sean
 * 9) ° Wiz Khalifa
 * 10) ° Wale

2012

 * 1) ° Kendrick Lamar
 * 2) ° 2 Chainz
 * 3) ↓ Rick Ross
 * 4) ° Nas
 * 5) ↓ Drake
 * 6) ↑ Big Sean
 * 7) ↓ Kanye West
 * 8) ° ASAP Rocky
 * 9) ° Future
 * 10) ↓ Meek Mill

===2016 ===
 * 1) ↑ Kanye West
 * 2) ↑ Drake
 * 3) ° Chance the Rapper
 * 4) ° Travis Scott
 * 5) ° Young Thug
 * 6) ↑ Future
 * 7) ° YG
 * 8) ↓ Kendrick Lamar
 * 9) ° Lil Uzi Vert
 * 10) ° 21 Savage