The 20 Most Influential Rap Artists
Narrowing down Rap’s 20 Most Influential Artists has proven to be an extremely rigorous task. Going back and listening to all of rap’s founding fathers and seeing their music evolve into what hip hop is today was extraordinary. I know my list will leave out many of rap’s finest that have clout today but we’ve got to draw the line somewhere.
20.) De La Soul- One of the few groups that have won a Grammy. They are not your typical hardcore rap group. De La Soul branched off into the Jazz/Alternative Rap genre that was untapped prior to there arrival. Probably the second most creative group in terms of style and lyrics on this list, right behind Outkast.
19.) LL Cool J- With “Mama Said Knock You Out,” LL brought back the fire into rap. His style still reverberates among rap’s inner circles and can be attributed to many of today’s hits.
18.) Outkast (Big Boi and Andre 3000)- These guys were my first little taste into what turned out to be Southern Rap’s ascension into the mainstream. Big Boi’s gritty lyrics and Andre 3000’s laid-back style played off each other perfectly. After listening to their smash-hit “Rosa Parks,” I was hooked. Southern Rap wouldn’t be where it is today without Outkast and for that alone, they are granted this spot.
17.) Chuck D. (Public Enemy)- I know the flack that we got for not putting any of Public Enemy’s songs on the top 100 Greatest Rap Songs of all time but oh well. Public Enemy has put out so many records I can’t keep track of all of them. They started out in the late 80’s and have made an impact till this day. Chuck is still very much involved in the rap game and has appeared and produced in numerous popular rap songs. Having Flava Flav on stage with you doesn’t hurt much either.
16.) Nas- Putting him at #16 won’t hold with many rap aficionados but he just hasn’t been around long enough to put him higher. Nas arguably put out the Best Rap Album of all time with “Illmatic,” but his influence has yet to be determined. With time, Nas will prove to be among Rap’s most influential artists but we’ll just have to wait and see how his legacy plays out.
15.) Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five- How could I not include one of the pioneering groups of rap. These guys were awesome and transcended racial lines with there 1982 hit “The Message.” Their ability to get the crowd hyped up was second to none. Without Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, rap might have not utilized the turntables nearly as much as it does today.
14.) Dr. Dre- What can I say about Dre that hasn’t already been said about him. The guy is just phenomenal. Without Dre’s “Nuthin’ but a G Thang” Snoop wouldn’t be regarded as one of Rap’s greatest. Without Dre signing Eminem, we wouldn’t have the first white rapper to make it big. The list goes on and on.
13.) MC Lyte- The greatest female rapper that has ever lived. MC Lyte revolutionized the role that woman play in the rap game. She’s influenced artists like Foxy Brown, Lil’ Kim, Da Brat, and many others. In terms of pure influence, MC Lyte took rap and flipped it all around. Any female rappers that come into rap owe her enormously.
12.) Common- Common’s lyrics alone are enough to grant him the #12 slot. Kweli even mentions Common in the song, “Ghetto Show.” “…Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, next best thing I do a record with Common Sense, cause it’s the music, the blues, its jazz, its acoustics. Soul, rock and roll hip hop that we producing yea.” His eloquence on the mic is unsurpassed. Common is always pushing the envelope and making rap better and better every single day. He has influenced rappers like Talib Kweli, Kanye West, Mos Def, Jean Grae, etc. If you can be one of the forces behind Talib Kweli’s sick lyrical genius then your okay in my book.
11.) Puff Daddy- The Hip-hop community owes a lot to Puffy. He may not have had the best lyrics or the best beats, but the boy knew how to put on a show. Puffy sold out arenas worldwide and made BIG’s legacy that much greater. His status as rap’s super mogul have not deterred him from making great music. It was BIG himself that pushed Puffy into the recording studio. Yes, Puffy may have borrowed tracks from earlier rap legends but that doesn’t make him any less of a superstar.
10.) Jay-Z- Mentioning any time of greatest rappers ever list without including one of the best would be sacrilegious. His deadly lyrics left crowds chanting for more every time. He represented New York to the fullest with every track and rhymed about the struggles and hardships of a poor black family living in the Bronx. What made his lyrics pop out were Jay’s quick delivery and ground-thumping beats.
9.) Tupac- Pac may not have had the greatest impact while he was alive, but his death brought about a renaissance in his music. Somehow Tupac’s tracks keep being released even though its been more than a decade since his death. Probably one of the hardest working rappers that has ever lived, Tupac made it abundantly clear that no one stood in the way of his success. His humble beginning’s made him that much hungrier. Pac’s beef with Biggie captured all of the headlines but it was his poetry on the mic that made him so popular. Even taking time out to thank his mother for all that she had done for him with, “Dear Mama.” Unfortunately most other rappers today don’t have time to thank their families for all of the sacrifice that they had to put up with. R.I.P. Tupac
8.) KRS-one- I will admit KRS-one wouldn’t have been on this list a few years ago, because I had no idea who he was. Being introduced to his greatness in 2002 had been an eye-opening experience. Jay-Z definitely benefited from having KRS-one come before him and blaze the trail for his fellow rappers success. Unfortunately, most of the general public doesn’t know about KRS-one and it is a damn shame. These KRS-one tracks might rethink the way that you look at the world today:
a.) Sound of Da Police
b.) MC’s Act like They Don’t Know
c.) Step into a World (Rapture’s Delight)
7.) Naughty By Nature- No other song could hype up a crowd like “OPP.” The early 90’s were all about Naughty by Nature. Working alongside Queen Latifah and other artists, they went about creating there own sound which pleased the general public. Their rhymes were so quick and fast-paced, few groups could keep that type of tempo up and still sound coherent.
6.) Rakim- I can justify giving Rakim such a high spot by simply noting which artists dedicated songs to him. Nas dedicated “UBR”, Raekwon dedicated, “Rakim Tribute” and even 50 Cent mentions “My Melody” in his single, “Hate or Love it.” Rakim added dimensions to hip-hop/rap that were simply unknown before his time. He emphasized poetry in his songs and gave deeper meaning to his tracks. You could close your eyes and feel what he felt. I suggest you download “Paid in Full” and sit back and enjoy it.
5.) Ice Cube- Yes, NWA was one of the greatest rap groups of all time, but its not the sole reason behind Ice Cube’s influence. His transition from West-Coast to East-Coast rapper was a pivotal one. When Cube hooked up with Dre, magical things began to happen. His original voice and hard-hitting lyrics let the audience know not to fuck with this “gangsta.” Nowadays, his acting career overshadows his rapping, but never the less, he will always be remembered as one of the most influential rappers of our time.
4.) Notorious B.I.G.- BIG chronicled his life with the music that he put out. Possibly one of the greatest opening lyrics to a rap song:
It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up magazine
Salt'n'Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin' pictures on my wall
Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl
His song “Juicy” hovers around the #1 spot on The Rock Czar’s Top 100 Greatest Rap Songs of all time. It is a shame that he died so young. On the other hand, his music is cherished that much more now that he is no longer with us. RIP B.I.G.
3.) Run DMC- One of the first rap groups that I had ever had the honor of listening to. These guys opened the doors to so many other rap groups, it would be impossible to list all of them. Their work with Rick Rubin opened the floodgates and the mainstream began to take notice. MTV began airing rap/hip-hop music videos and rap began receiving money from all sorts of places. Run DMC made what bling is today. They rocked the gold chains and had that swagger about them that few groups had.
2.) Slick Rick- Widely known as rap’s “greatest storyteller.” Everyone has borrowed beats from Slick Rick and for good reason. Before Slick Rick there had been no other rapper that approached song writing and beat making the way he did. “La Di Da Di” is all I have to say about Slick Rick.
1.) A Tribe Called Quest- These guys influenced a whole generation of rap superstars. Everywhere you look, a taste of ATCQ can be found. “The Low End Theory” is a must for anyone that is looking to enhance their knowledge of rap music. Whenever another site describes ATCQ’s sound, I always have the same reaction. “This is crap, ATCQ is so much more.” Note to other sites, don’t write a review of ATCQ or their sound. It will be inaccurate and won’t do them any justice. Just list your favorite tracks and move from there.
a.) “Check the Rhime”
b.) “Electric Relaxation”
c.) “Bonita Applebaum”
Honorable Mentions- Too $hort, Beastie Boys, Kanye West, Mobb Deep, Lil Wayne
Comments
ATCQ is a vastly underrated rap group that has influenced countless rappers today. The amount of songs that artists have stolen from them is astonishing.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated. However Brian Greenwell's idiotic banter is not. :)
TRC
Nas should be in the top 5 along with Pac and Rakim. Wow, I listen to alot of Indie music but DAMN, this is stupid!