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Crowning Moments  - New York Yankees All-Star Derek Jeter closed out his Hall of Fame career Sunday (Sept. 28) in Boston and played his final home game last Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Jeter led the Yankees to five World Series and without a doubt earned his crown. To salute Captain Clutch, let's take a look at the New York MCs who ruled the Empire State each year during Jeter's 20-year run. —Michael Harris (@IceBlueVa)(Photos from Left: Clarence Davis/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images, Mike Stobe/Getty Images, Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)

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1995 – The Notorious B.I.G.  - Biggie Smalls was the illest in 1995 as he captained Bad Boy's dynasty and left the streets of New York ablaze with a string of hits that included "Big Poppa," "One More Chance" and "Juicy." The Big Apple had a few contenders for the crown at the time but there could only be one king.(Photo: David Corio/Redferns)

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1996 – Puff Daddy - Bad Boy reigned supreme in 1996 and Diddy ran the city alongside his all-star lineup of the Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e Total, Faith Evans and the Lox. Puff and Bad Boy had radio and the underground on lock as the George Steinbrenner of hip hop took the field with his team and became bigger than his own artists, "all up in the videos" dancing and flexing his own mic skills in the process.  (Photo: Diane Freed/Getty Images)

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1997 – Ma$e - The world was ready to write off Bad Boy in 1997 when the Notorious B.I.G. was murdered but Ma$e emerged and put the label on his back and took NY to new heights in the process. Couldn't nobody hold the Harlem MC down as he had everybody "Feeling So Good" and took "Rookie of the Year" honors when he anchored Diddy's "No Way Out" and dropped his solo debut, "Harlem World." (Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

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1998 – Jay Z - With Ma$e finding the Lord, and Biggie returning to the essence, Jay Z and Derek Jeter landed their first championships in 1998. Jigga's breakout smash, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, catapulted the heralded MC to stardom and had everyone across the country trying to emulate that New York hustler lifestyle. The talk was now over and no one was saying, "N***a What, N***a Who?"(Photo: Scott Harrison/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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1999 – DMX - DMX didn't let you forget how gully New York was when he took the "Player of the Year" honors and had clubs like the Tunnel on smash. Dropping two albums in one year (It's Dark And Hell Is Hot / Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood), X made Yonkers a household name and let you know NY "Didn't Give a F**k."(Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

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2000 – Ja Rule - It was murder in New York in 2000 as Ja Rule and Derek Jeter both took home World Series MVPs. The Queens MC kicked off his run with a string of hits that included "Put It on Me," "Between Me and You" and "I Cry" as he had the streets and the ladies "holla, holla" his name. (Photo: Scott Gries/ImageDirect)

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2001 – Jay Z - Jigga was officially "That N***a" in 2001 as he took over New York with arguably his best album, The Blueprint. With Kanye catching on the production tip for Big Sean, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing "Izzo (H.O.V.A)."(Photo: Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect)

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2002 – Ja Rule - Ja Rule once again took over the streets of NY with his blend of melodic choruses as he had the rotten apple "livin' it up" and everyone screaming, "It's Murder!" That platinum run of hits continued with his third album, Pain Is Love. (Photo: M. Caulfield/WireImage)

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2003 – 50 Cent - 50 had the streets of New York on fire with his slew of mixtapes, but in 2003 he deeboed the game and ended Ja Rule's reign and career in one fell swoop. Determined to get rich or die tryin', Fif took home "Rookie of the Year" honors with a stat sheet that included "In Da Club" and "21 Questions" as New York abandoned its "Wankstas" and stunners and took hip hop back to the block.(Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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2004 – 50 Cent - Curtis wouldn't let up and had the streets of New York Begging for Mercy as he continued his dominance and brought along his G-Unit crew for the annihilation. 50 remained "So Hood" and had women "Smiling," which proved to be a deadly fast pitch and breaking ball.(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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2005 – 50 Cent - Hate it or love it, 50 Cent continued to let the world know that he ran New York as he Massacred the competition. The Queens MC went on the offense and threw a few darts at previous NY Kings like Diddy, Jay Z and Nas that year. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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2006 – Jim Jones - The Diplomats were New York's under bosses for several summers but in 2006, the capo of the Dipset took over the Empire State as he had everyone balling to his breakout hit, "We Fly High." Jim put on for Harlem and got new York poppin' once again with his grand slam.(Photo: Jeffrey Ufberg/Getty Images)

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2007 – M.I.M.S. - The South had started its global dominance and New York was running on "E" but M.I.M.S. (Music Is My Savior) held the city afloat with his pinch-hitting heater "This Is Why I'm Hot." While he may have been a one-hit wonder, you can't deny the fact that he briefly wore the crown.(Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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2008 – Jay Z - Hov took reign once again in 2008 as he resigned from his post as president of Def Jam and released his concept album, American Gangster, at the end of 2007. Getting back to music, the Roc Boy became "Internatiomal Hov" during his European run.

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2009 – Jay Z - Hov made a triumphant return in 2009 as he elevated from King to God-like status with 2009's The Blueprint 3. Jigga ran the town and had all of his subjects in an "Empire State of Mind" while he killed the auto-tune crutch. In the process, he and Jeter both added another championship feather in the Yankee fitteds.(Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

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2010 – Nicki Minaj - In 2010, Nicki Minaj did what no other female MC has ever done, she dethroned the fellas and took the New York crown. Her highness "Did It Om'em" and you couldn't deny the Queens MC was "The Best" in the five boroughs. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for VH1)

Photo By Kevin Winter/Getty Images for VH1

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2011 – Nicki Minaj - Nicki still wouldn't relinquish her crown in 2011 as she continued to ride the wave of her Pink Friday debut. With New York clearly on lock, she ruled all she surveyed as the features queen. She even murked Jay Z on Kanye West's "Monster."(Photo: Kevin Winter/DCNYRE2012/Getty Images for DCP)

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2012 – Nas - Nasty Nas stays in the best MCs debates but he reclaimed his "Don" status in 2012. Esco brought that grown man consciousness back into the game and became an "addiction" once again for New York heads with his 11th album, Life Is Good. (Photo: Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

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2013 – French Montana - French Montana emerged from a Coke Boy posted on the blocks of NY to bona fide anthem dropper. The Bronx representer had the clubs on fire with joints like "Pop That" and "Freaks" as he took the streets and the crown and let you know he "ain't worried about nothin'."(Photo: Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

Photo By Photo: Prince Williams/FilmMagic

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2014 – Bobby Shmurda - As Derek Jeter rides out his illustrious career, he started and ended it all with Brooklyn. Bobby Shmurda takes home New York's "Rookie of the Year" for 2014 and tries on the crown. Shmurda's definitely the "Hottest N***a" in the Rotten Apple right now, sporting that Yankees cap.(Photo: Brad Barket/BET/Getty Images)