The 50 Most Influential DJs

See where Jam Master Jay ranks.

3. Afrika Bambaataa - Afrika Bambaataa was one of the first adherents of fellow Bronx forefather Kool Herc's break-beat revolution. Afrika's South Bronx parties and performances helped hip hop grow from seed to full-fledged tree. In 1982, Afrika and his crew, the Soulsonic Force, released the touchstone track "Planet Rock," an invaluable rap classic that helped pave the way for techno, house, electro, jungle and other dance-music genres. Meanwhile, Afrika's Zulu Nation crew, a former street gang turned hip hop think tank, counts A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers and other Afrocentric rap icons as members.    (Photo: Wikicommons)
DJ Kool Herc - DJ Kool Herc is understood to be the father of hip hop. That's quite a title, but it's one that's well-deserved, as the Jamaican-born, Bronx-raised legend created break beats, which would serve as a launching pad for the music and culture. (Photo: WENN.com)
1. Grandmaster Flash - Grandmaster Flash has left an indelible, impossible-to-miss mark on hip hop, popular music and DJing. A key party-rocker in rap's nascent South Bronx days, Flash is credited with inventing the cross-fader using discarded electronic parts found in a local junkyard. Later, as leader of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, he was behind two seminal records: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," an instrumental turntable solo that marked the first time scratching was recorded on wax; and "The Message," the hugely influential prototype for all socio-political rap to follow. Flash and the Furious Five were the first hip hop group to be inducted into the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame, in 2007. (Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

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1. Grandmaster Flash - Grandmaster Flash has left an indelible, impossible-to-miss mark on hip hop, popular music and DJing. A key party-rocker in rap's nascent South Bronx days, Flash is credited with inventing the cross-fader using discarded electronic parts found in a local junkyard. Later, as leader of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, he was behind two seminal records: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," an instrumental turntable solo that marked the first time scratching was recorded on wax; and "The Message," the hugely influential prototype for all socio-political rap to follow. Flash and the Furious Five were the first hip hop group to be inducted into the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame, in 2007. (Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

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