Pusha T is passionate about his rhymes, so it should come as no surprise that after the Clipse spitter narrowly missed making MTV's "Hottest MCs in the Game VIII" list that he'd stake his claim.

"I felt I should've been on the list, but I wasn't, but that just means to me I gotta work harder," Pusha told DJ Semtex when he phoned into his radio show in the UK on Friday. "I gotta work harder so they can't deny me."

The G.O.O.D. Music spitter is currently in Paris working on his solo debut My Name is My Name and last week he saw his name come up in a [article id="1702918"]three-way debate[/article] between Meek Mill and French Montana. Pusha Ton eventually lost the 10th spot to the Philadelphia rapper, but he expressed his support for both Meek and French.

During yesterday's radio interview Pusha said he felt the Hottest list, which Kendrick Lamar [article id="1703255"]ultimately topped[/article], had some "inconsistencies." He contended that Kanye should be [article id="1703078"]higher than a #7 seed[/article], but went on to defend Future's inclusion and Jay-Z's absence from the list. "Did Jay-Z drop some music," he questioned rhetorically. "Ain't nobody should be on the list just because they've been good in other years... He done it for plenty years."

Still when it comes to himself Pusha is adamant about his 2012 accomplishments. "I'm not out of my mind over the list, but I think I had a stellar year," he argued citing his contributions to G.O.O.D. Music's #1 rap posse cut "Mercy" as well as "New God Flow" and Chief Keef's "I Don't Like" remix.

It wasn't just the hits that fueled Pusha's confidence, he also factored in his mostly-subliminal, but still notable battle with various members of Lil Wayne's Young Money clique . "I blacked out on a whole crew all year, all year long I blacked out on a whole crew by myself," he said. "I had MCs denouncing their fan base, coming back with records talking about, 'Well as long as my chicks love me,'" he continued referencing Weezy and Drake's collaborative single "Love Me." "I did that, I did that I don't belong on no list? It's cool, I just gotta work harder man."

Despite his position and disappointment, Pusha defended the Hottest MCs conversation and championed the spirit of debate. "I think it's good for music, at the end of the day everybody gotta agree that it's good for music," he said.

What do you think of the list? Read the [article id="1702984"]full list of Hottest MCs[/article] and sound off on MTV News' "Hottest MCs in the Game VIII" using the hashtag #HottestMC!