LEGENDS OF HIP HOP
The legends of hip hop for Black Music Month.
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Kool Herc - Jamaican-born Kool Herc is often credited with being the founder of Hip-Hop. In the early 70s, he began the artform of "breakbeat" DJing by isolating the drumbeats of record instrumentals and mixing them together.
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Grandmaster Flash - Considered one of the pioneers of rap, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were the first rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.
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Run-DMC - The legendary Run, DMC and their DJ Jam Master Jay were the first rap group to ever go platinum. Earlier this year, the group originally from Hollis, Queens was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Russell Simmons - Russell Simmons is dubbed the Godfather of hip-hop. He is arguably hip-hop's first true entrepreneur, responsible for Def Jam Records, Phat Farm clothing, and Def Comedy Jam.
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LL Cool J - The self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. has stood the test of time. There is no other rapper in hip-hop that can lay claim to longevity the way LL has.
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Salt 'N Pepa - 1985 belonged to the ladies when Cheryl "Salt" James, Sandy "Pepa" Denton and Dee Dee "Spinderella" Roper debuted as the female rap trio Salt N' Pepa, the best selling female rap group of all time.
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KRS-One - The blastmaster KRS-One is also known as the teacher. With his own philosophy, KRS dominated the 80s by using rap as a way to "edutain."
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Eric B & Rakim - You won't hear too many rappers out today who don't cite Rakim as one of their inspirations or favorite MCs. The duo of Eric B. & Rakim were considered light years ahead of their time.
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Public Enemy - Public Enemy gave hip-hop its first full dose of politically conscious rap. Their 1988 groundbreaking album, "It Takes A Nation Of Millions..." was critically acclaimed even in the mainstream.
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Big Daddy Kane - Big Daddy Kane is one of the most influential rappers to grab the microphone. An exceptional lyricist, the Brooklyn-bred MC dominated the late 80s with his brand of smoothed out, funky hip-hop.
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MC Lyte - Debuting in 1988, MC Lyte was one of hip-hop's first successful female solo rap artists.
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N.W.A. - West Coast hip-hop was primarily pioneered by this highly influential group. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella are the true founders of gangster rap.
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De La Soul - The trio of De La Soul were part of the Native Tongues collective, introducing jazz-infused alternative hip-hop.
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Queen Latifah - Before Queen Latifah became one of Hollywood's most successful Black actresses, she was one of hip-hop's strongest female voices. She debuted as a rapper in 1989 with the album, "All Hail The Queen."
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A Tribe Called Quest - Another group considered part of the Native Tongue Posse, Q-Tip, Phife and Ali Shaheed Mohammed made up the critically acclaimed group that released five albums in a 10-year time frame.
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Wu-Tang Clan - A nine-member group made up of nine different solo artists was a new idea back when Wu-Tang burst onto the rap scene in 1993. Reppin' the forgotten NYC borough of Staten Island, they quickly achieved commercial success with their unique brand of RZA-produced hip-hop.
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Tupac Shakur - 2Pac is hip-hop's most controversial artist. While he advocated for social and political change in his music, the rapper/actor/poet's legal troubles thrust him into the mainstream spotlight. 'Pac was murdered in Las Vegas in 1996.
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The Notorious B.I.G. - Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn has its most revered hip-hop artist in Biggie Smalls. In 1994, he debuted with the classic album, "Ready To Die," on Puffy's legendary Bad Boy Records. In the midst of an East Coast/West Coast battle in 1997 and just six months after 2Pac's murder, Biggie was gunned down in Los Angeles after a party.
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Nas - Nas is a skilled lyricist who many regard as hip-hop's most prolific poet. His debut album "Illmatic "is considered to be one of hip-hop's classics.