For as long as hip-hop has existed, MCs have been boasting their claims to the throne. While all that braggadocio has produced some of the genre's most entertaining (and most tragic) rivalries, it ultimately doesn't amount to much.

But that hasn't stopped Rolling Stone from putting together its own list of hip-hop's latest and greatest -- and crunching the numbers to make a well-constructed, albeit sure to be hotly contested, argument for the current king.

According to Rolling Stone's list -- which only takes the last couple of years into account -- Eminem deserves the crown thanks to a variety of factors, including YouTube views, album sales, live grosses, and social networking presence. Coming in second and third? Lil Wayne and Drake, respectively.

Further down the list are Jay-Z and Kanye West, who placed fourth and fifth, respectively, while Nicki Minaj -- the sole female artist to break the ranks -- landed at number six. Rounding out the top 10 are, in order, Rick Ross, Ludacris, Gucci Mane, and T.I.

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