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Aug 8, 2023 · 50 Artists Who Changed Rap: Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem & More. In honor of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop this year, GRAMMY.com is celebrating some of the genre's most impactful artists across the decades.
- 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.
- 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.
- Nefertiti Austin
- OutKast. “Nothing is for sure, nothing is for certain/ And nothing lasts forever, but until they close the curtain/ It’s him and I, Aquemini.” When André 3000 rapped that declaration on 1998’s “Aquemini,” he and Big Boi had already established an indelible sound and persona as OutKast, released a treasure trove of mind-bending Southern rap and helped establish Atlanta as a central hub in hip-hop.
- Wu-Tang Clan. “Wu-Tang again?” “Ah, yeah, again and again!” Never has a group before or since burst onto the scene with such unbridled power, self-assurance, bravado and top-level lyricism than the nine-headed monster that is the Wu-Tang Clan — thanks to 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and its bombastic, gritty lead single “Protect Ya Neck.”
- N.W.A. On the way to becoming the rap legends they are now, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E first began their quests as members of one of the most dominant groups of all-time, N.W.A.
- A Tribe Called Quest. Beginning its recording career on 1989’s “Native Tongue Decision” remix of “Buddy” by De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest came out the gate with three unimpugnable classics — 1990’s People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1991’s The Low End Theory and 1993’s Midnight Marauders — which served as warmly glowing guideposts for a generation of rappers more concerned with self-expression than commerce.
Oct 7, 2019 · Hip-hop has become a dominant cultural force, driving conversations about music, literature, and entertainment forward. Cardi B and Common are movie stars. Young Thug has created a wake of ...
Aug 11, 2023 · What Kool Herc did behind the turntables at that back-to-school party helped ignite a music we now know as hip-hop. That spark — and the cultural explosion that followed — is what we're ...
Jun 7, 2022 · Positioning hip-hop lyricism as a vocal expression akin to jazz, the Freestyle Fellowship’s impact proved lasting, and their influence resonates in underground, left-of-center rap music today ...
