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Mar 16, 2024 · Nas is one of hip-hop’s legacy artists and one of its most influential. Born Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones in Brooklyn, the rapper grew up in New York City’s Queensbridge projects and rose to fame ...
- Jay-Z. “I will not lose.” Brooklyn’s Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s defiant-yet-confident declaration has proven true through his legendary career. History is also on his side: Hov has 14 Billboard 200 No. 1 albums (the most amongst solo acts), and over 140 million records sold.
- Kendrick Lamar. The Compton native has become one of music’s most influential artists thanks to his vivid, thought-provoking — and sometimes controversial — lyrics, fearless genre experimentation, and agile-yet-masterful flow.
- Nas. At this point, hip-hop purists know Nas’ path to greatness all too well. In 1991, Large Professor tossed him an alley-oop on Main Source’s posse cut “Live at the Barbeque,” and Escobar delivered a rim-rocker of a performance.
- Tupac. Poet, actor, activist, and rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur was the ultimate polymath in the ’90s. Once a tag-along member in Digital Underground, ‘Pac’s larger-than-life demeanor became too big to shelter.
- Rihanna. 33 7. Famous As: Singer. Birthdate: February 20, 1988. Sun Sign: Pisces. Birthplace: Saint Michael, Barbados. For anyone who has a penchant for music, Rihanna needs no introduction.
- Kanye West. 21 9. Famous As: Rapper, Singer-Songwriter, Record Producer. Birthdate: June 8, 1977. Sun Sign: Gemini. Birthplace: Atlanta. Creative from a very young age, Kanye West dreamed of becoming a rapper since very early in his life.
- Tupac Shakur. 31 5. Famous As: Rapper. Birthdate: June 16, 1971. Sun Sign: Gemini. Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S. Died: September 13, 1996. Tupac Amaru Shakur, popularly known as 2Pac or Makaveli, is considered as one of the greatest American rappers of all time.
- Eminem. 8 0. Famous As: Rapper. Birthdate: October 17, 1972. Sun Sign: Libra. Birthplace: Saint Joseph. Amongst the biggest rappers of all time, Eminem gained worldwide popularity with the release of albums like The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP.
5 days ago · From old school to the current top rappers putting out today's biggest hip hop hits, this list counts down rap's best lyricists and game changers in history. Lil' Wayne, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Eminem, Andre 3000, and Tupac are among the top hip-hop artists that appear on this amazing countdown.
- Bryan Kalbrosky
- Jay-Z. Jay-Z is the rapper who everyone tends to just plug in at the top of their all-time hip-hop lists. You’re probably thinking that’s exactly what we’re doing here and I can’t necessarily blame you for your skepticism.
- The Notorious B.I.G. A lyrical genius who wasn’t afraid to prove it and quite possibly the best storyteller in rap. Biggie always made it feel like he was letting you in on a secret.
- Tupac. The word I keep coming back to with Tupac Shakur as I thought about why I ranked him so high: Range. He could bring you to tears, he could make you laugh, he could make you want to get up and dance.
- Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar dominated rap in the 2010s. Between putting out three of the finest albums across any genre that decade, providing an entire political moment with its anthem with “Alright” and winning a literal Pulitzer, Lamar has established himself as one of our vital perspectives across all cultures with the way he sees the world and the stories he chooses to tell.
Aug 8, 2023 · Explore the music from every artist featured in our 50 Artists Who Changed Rap list in an exclusive playlist, curated by longtime GRAMMY.com contributor and hip-hop tastemaker Kevin L. Clark, on Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora.
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Billboard initially created a list of the 10 greatest rappers of all time in November 2015, with the top position held by The Notorious B.I.G. [1] The publication revised their rankings in 2023, via a partnership with Vibe, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
