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- Tupac. 12,757 votes. With a career spanning only five years, this phenomenal artist managed to leave an indelible mark on the hip-hop scene with his powerful lyricism, dealing with contemporary social issues and raw emotions.
- The Notorious B.I.G. 9,546 votes. Often referred to as one of the greatest rappers of all time, this Brooklyn-born MC was known for his impeccable flow, vivid narratives, and larger-than-life persona.
- Ice Cube. 8,103 votes. Once a prominent member of the groundbreaking hip-hop group N.W.A, this rapper made a name for himself as a solo artist with a powerful voice for the socio-political issues faced by African Americans in the late '80s and early '90s.
- Nas. 4,435 votes. Hailing from Queensbridge, New York, this highly influential rapper debuted with the game-changing album Illmatic, which is still widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.
Mar 16, 2024 · FilmMagic. It’s thanks to the best rappers of all time that hip-hop has continued to grow and become the beloved genre and influence it is today. Born in the Bronx in 1973, hip-hop music...
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Aug 8, 2023 · In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this year, GRAMMY.com is celebrating some of the genre's most impactful artists, producers and creators across the decades. From Drake to OutKast, Lauryn Hill to Lil Wayne, these pioneers and next-gen futurists shaped rap music over the past 50 years of hip-hop.
- Outkast, ‘B.O.B’ Stankonia, 2000. Outkast greeted the 21st century with a single that’ll probably still sound ahead of its time in the 22nd: Big Boi and Andre 3000 air millennial anxieties over a genuinely insane beat of jackhammer drums, Hendrix-at-Monterey guitars and massed voices chanting “Power music, electric revival” like a gospel choir conducted by Afrika Bambaataa.
- Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, ‘Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel’ Non-album single, 1981. Using three turntables and a crossfader (a device he invented), 23-year-old Flash created a continuous party jam out of records by Chic, Blondie, Queen and more – showing off frenetic steel-wheels moves and establishing the DJ as a new kind of pop musician.
- Marley Marl, ‘The Symphony’ In Control, Volume 1, 1988. Wizardly producer Marley Marl dials up a beat for the ages – a ferocious drum break and Otis Redding piano loop – and summons the cream of his Juice Crew affiliates.
- Funky 4 + 1, ‘That’s the Joint’ Non-album single, 1980. Nearly 10 minutes and God knows how many bars of exhortations and boasts, sprawling across a hopped-up disco beat.
- L’Trimm, “Cars With the Boom” The first national Miami bass hit came from Lady Tigra and Bunny D, teenagers with personality for days who met as dancers on a local TV show and had rhyme battles with boys in the high school lunchroom.
- Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins, “Get Low” “Get Low” was the Number Two hit that signaled the peak of the high-energy, high-alcohol-content, shout-happy movement known as “crunk.”
- M.I.A., “Paper Planes” Maya Arulpragasam was a globally connected radical who turned into one of hip-hop’s most forward-thinking artists. “Paper Planes” was a Clash-sampling shot at immigrant-fearing Westerners, complete with gunshot sound effects.
- Jay Z and Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind” This towering New York anthem began as a demo by Angela Hunte, who grew up in the same Brooklyn building as Jay Z, and Jane’t Sewell-Ulepic.
Any list of influential rappers must include giants like 2Pac, Jay-Z, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., and Kanye West -Mcs who altered the artform’s landscape and inspired generations of fans and artists worldwide. But hip hop is a mosaic of many voices. Pioneering women like MC Lyte, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliott broke down gender barriers.
Jun 28, 2023 · Billboard. Doubly heightened by this year’s celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, June/Black Music Month is racing ahead with a roar. And Billboard is doing the same today (June 28) as...
