Swae Lee isn't validating Billboard's Top 50 rapper list for obvious reasons -- it's missing his and Rae Sremmurd's names, and that makes him suspect of the whole damn thing!!!
We caught Swae out in Glendale, AZ during the Super Bowl party blitz and he was hot at Billboard's omission, although he agreed with Jay-Z's spot at No. 1.
He explains his success as a rap star should've qualified him for a spot ... and he makes a decent point.
Swae Lee has 2 Diamond (sales of 10 million) tracks to his name ... "Unforgettable" with French Montana and "Sunflower" with Post Malone, and seeing as Billboard's whole deal is compiling stats and numbers, that should've counted for something, eh?
While Swae and Slim Jxmmi rank high amongst Gen-Z legends, their opinions don't differ much from one of rap's true pioneers Ice Cube ... who also unloaded on the list to TMZ Hip Hop last week.
As Cube sees things, Billboard doesn't have enough credentials to speak on hip hop culture, and couldn't be reasoned with once he realized his Mt. Westmore co-star Too $hort was left off the list!!!
Swae concluded our chat teasing Rae Sremmurd's upcoming "Sremmlife 4" album ... which he promises will make the BB editors eat their words!!!