Rap Royalty

Who "rules" hip hop? Check out the list.

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The Throne - Jay-Z and Kanye West have collaborated on the gutsy Watch the Throne, a reference to who rules the rap game.(Photo: Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for VEVO)

Celebrating His Escape From the Rough Life on “Juicy” - Remember Rappin' Duke, duh-ha, duh-ha / You never thought that hip hop would take it this far / Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight / Time to get paid, blow up like the World Trade / Born sinner, the opposite of a winner / Remember when I used to eat sardines for dinner / Peace to Ron G, Brucie B, Kid Capri / Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starsky / I'm blowin' up like you thought I would / Call the crib, same number same hood / It's all good(Photo: Tar/Retna Ltd)

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The Notorious B.I.G. - Brooklyn's own Notorious B.I.G. constantly referred to himself as the "king of N.Y." Critics have also crowned him a "king" in the rap arena.(Photo: Tar/Retna Ltd.)

Will Smith playing "Will Smith" in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - This is a story all about how…Will Smith went from obscurity to becoming the biggest star in the world. It all started when producers at NBC plucked the rapper out of a recording studio and, recognizing his off-the-charts charisma, built a show around him. The rest is pop-culture history.(Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

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Fresh Prince - By virtue of his rap name, Will Smith must have known early on that he was destined for greatness. The Fresh Prince went on to dominate Hollywood, although some in rap never really considered him to be one of rap's greatest.(Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage)

Lil Jon - There is no denying that Lil Jon was a king--of crunk, that is. With the aptly titled Kings of Crunk, Lil Jon resided over the crunk movement for many years.(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Lil Jon - There is no denying that Lil Jon was a king--of crunk, that is. With the aptly titled Kings of Crunk, Lil Jon resided over the crunk movement for many years.(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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The RZA - Before most rap fans knew him as the RZA, it was Prince Rakeem that the ladies loved. Prince Rakeem was an early name for the head of the Wu-Tang Clan, and with his soulful groundbreaking production, Rakeem was indeed rap royalty.(Photo: Kristian Dowling/PictureGroup)

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Nas - "Burner at the side of your dome / Come out of my throne," Nas proclaimed on "Ether," a dis record directed at another throne-sitting MC. Though Nas didn't seem to spend much time sitting in the throne himself, there was no denying his power.(Photo: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup)

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Nas - "Burner at the side of your dome / Come out of my throne," Nas proclaimed on "Ether," a dis record directed at another throne-sitting MC. Though Nas didn't seem to spend much time sitting in the throne himself, there was no denying his power.(Photo: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup)

We Got Our Own Thang - Teddy Riley was raised in Harlem's St. Nicholas Projects and has been a force to be reckoned with since the age of five. His uncle owned Harlem's famed '80s nightclub, the Rooftop and let Teddy hone his skills in the club's studio. As a result of that, Teddy has become a major force in music and helped build Andre Harrell's Uptown Records –– Riley was responsible for some of label's biggest hits including Heavy D's "We Got Our Own Thang" and Guy's debut –– as well as his own legacy.(Photo: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup)

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Teddy Riley - They called him the "king of swing." Teddy Riley created a new sound with his production, dubbed "new jack swing." Now, more than 20 years later, no other producer has come close to taking over the top spot in his genre.(Photo: Adrian Sidney/PictureGroup)

21. Big Daddy Kane & Marley Marl\r - On 1988's Long Live the Kane, Marley's chopped-up funk samples and Kane's swag-heavy rapidfire braggadocio influenced scores of rappers and beatmakers to follow and produced several classic cuts that still "Set It Off" on the dance floor to this day. Highlights: "Raw," "Set It Off," "Ain't No Half-Steppin'"\r\r(Photos: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images; Scott Gries/Getty Images)

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Big Daddy Kane - For the cover photo on his critically acclaimed debut album Long Live the Kane, Big Daddy Kane sat on a throne in a king's garb adorned with women.(Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)

Lil Scrappy\r - There was hardly anything little about the stocky Atlanta rapper who is known for his aggressive style.\r\r(Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images) 

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Lil Scrappy - Introduced to hip hop by rapper Lil Jon, it's no wonder Lil Scrappy dubbed himself the "prince of the South." He even used the same description for the title of his independently released album.(Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

The Ruler - This London-born MC really introduced the theme of monarchy to the American hip-hop scene. Calling himself Slick Rick the Ruler, Ricky often wore a king's robe and crown on stage when he performed.

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The Ruler - This London-born MC really introduced the theme of monarchy to the American hip-hop scene. Calling himself Slick Rick the Ruler, Ricky often wore a king's robe and crown on stage when he performed.

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"Crush On You"\r - Lil Kim showed her playful fashion sense with colorful wigs alongside mentor Biggie and her Junior Mafia comrade Lil Cease. She playfully rhymes and unknowingly foreshadowed a later collabo: "You can slide on my ice like the Ice Capades/And itchy-gitchy-yaya with the marmalade"\r 

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Queen Bee - Back in the late '90s, every female rapper wanted to be the queen bee, but they couldn't be. Lil' Kim was the heiress to Biggie's throne, and by association, she became the Queen Bee. The name stuck with her throughout her career.

Queen LatifahYear: 2004 - (Photo: By Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

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Queen Latifah - When it came to royalty, the ladies wanted in on the action as well. Queen Latifah was one of the artists who paved the way for female MCs, so it was only right that she be crowned.(Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

T.I. - T.I. has often referred to himself as "king of the South," but he didn't stop there. The Atlanta rapper titled his fourth album King, and later gave the name to his son.(Atlantic Records)

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T.I. - T.I. has often referred to himself as "king of the South," but he didn't stop there. The Atlanta rapper titled his fourth album King, and later gave the name to his son.(Atlantic Records)

King Tee - Compton rapper King Tee is a pioneer of West Coast rap. One of his albums was titled The Kingdom Come.

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King Tee - Compton rapper King Tee is a pioneer of West Coast rap. One of his albums was titled The Kingdom Come.

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Run-D.M.C. - Probably one of the first rap acts to go the royalty route, the members of Run-D.M.C. were the self-proclaimed "kings of rock." Laying the foundation for many artists after them, the trio set the mark in hip hop, establishing the premise that if you want to rule the game, you've got to claim the throne.