1. Tupac Shakur (2pac)
Tupac Amaru Shakur graced the world with an indelible impact that was far from just music. While his catalog has sure played a role in expanding his influence, Pac’s true gift has proven to be his ability as a natural storyteller.
2. The Notorious B.I.G.
While there are many in the canon who are adept storytellers or able to spin clever yarns about their money, women, and other ephemera, Biggie Smalls was able to finesse the English language in a way that hardly ever utilized egregious transitions or flossing.
https://youtu.be/Dxz4uODUxMk
3. Jay Z
Shawn Carter’s journey has taken him from ghetto to boardroom. Polite, unassuming, effervescent even – hardly character traits one typically associates with rap superstars. Jay-Z keeps all the lyrics in his head. He doesn’t write anything down; he commits his raps to memory, leaves them buzzing around inside his cranium until they’re ready to be spoken and heard.
4. Andre 3000 (Outkast)
Outkast have been off on their own distant orbit for the past decade or so. But they may be the most anomalous group in hip-hop’s long history, having spent a decade releasing a series of increasingly psychedelic hip-hop albums.
5. Snoop Dogg
From an incarcerated gangsta to a revolutionary rapper to a mainstream media darling, Snoop Dogg has built an unprecedented career. A pioneer in the West Coast hip hop scene in the early 90s, the Doggfather has moved far beyond a gangsta rapper to become a successful rap icon.
6. Nas
As one of the greatest emcees of all time, Nas pushed modern hip hop into new artistic realms. According to Nas himself, the album took 4 years to complete and truly shows throughout the tracks how much effort and thought was put into this body of work. iLLmatic would eventually be seen as possibly one of the best rap albums of all time.
7. Scarface
An intoxicating and brilliant Southern rapper, Scarface had a tendency to champion evolution and risk taking which can be heard on The Diary, which was his first masterpiece and also the most daring and creative album of his career.
8. Dr. Dre
Rapper-producer Dr. Dre first made it big with hip-hop group N.W.A. in the 1980s. He has also enjoyed success as a solo act and worked with Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent. In 2016 Dr. Dre was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A.
https://youtu.be/0F0CAEoF4XM
9. Ice Cube
Ice Cube rose to fame in the late 1980s as a member of the controversial rap group N.W.A. before enjoying success as a solo artist and actor. He is one of the iconic stars of 21st century hip hop music, whose hard-hitting gangsta rap songs are believed to be a reflection of the political scenario of his time and often revolved around violent themes. Some of his bestselling albums include, ‘AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted’, ‘Kill at Will’, ‘Death Certificate’, ‘War & Peace Vol. 1’, ‘War & Peace Volume 2’, ‘Lethal Injection’ and ‘I Am the West’.
9. Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan)
Raekwon’s lyrics contain extensive use of New York slang (and some of which he invented), which is often delivered in an aggressive, fast-paced manner. His influential solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… is often credited with initiating the Mafioso rap phenomenon of the mid-to-late-1990s, and is generally considered one of the best of the solo albums by both fans and critics. The sequel to the influential album was released in late 2009 titled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II.
10. Missy Elliot
Missy Elliot is among the top 10 female rappers that the world has ever seen and she made history in the music industry as one of the female rappers with their debut album spotting the top of Billboard’s charts in the late 90s and early 2000s.
https://youtu.be/o47HCjB3Plc
11. Eminem
The artist developed a passion for rapping and started by attending local open – mic contests and soon caught the attention of Dr. Dre, a famous record producer. His albums were all roaring hits, making him one of the rap industry’s greatest sensations.
12. Rakim
Rakim began his rap career in 1985 when he collaborated with his friend Eric B. They shared a common love for music and decided to record rap songs together. In the coming years they recorded multiple songs and began to hold concerts all over the United States. In 1989, they recorded their first joint album, Follow the Leader (Eric B. & Rakim) and it became on of the most popular in American history.
13. Common
His rap career started in his cousin’s home in Cincinnati and continued in high school when he formed a trio called C.D.R. The act indeed scored gigs as the opener of N.W.A. and Big Daddy Kane among others. In 1999 he began recording his fourth studio album. “Like Water for Chocolate” was released a year later to mass critical acclaim.
12. Ghosface Killah (Wu-Tang Clan)
He debuted with the rest of the hip hop rap mega group Wu-Tang Clan on their critically acclaimed debut, 1993’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Ghostface became well-known for both his up-tempo, seemingly indecipherable stream-of-conscious hip hop rap and, later in his career, for his emotionally charged raps and his smooth constant flow.
13. DMX
Everything about DMX was unremittingly intense, from his muscular, tattooed physique to his gruff, barking delivery, which made a perfect match for his trademark lyrical obsession with dogs. He paid his dues rapping on street corners, playing in clubs, and distributing his tapes. All this created a buzz for the performer in the New York scene as he went on to release his first full album, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot.
14. Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan)
He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman along with fellow rapper Redman. He decided to sign with rap label Def Jam Recordings and release his solo debut, Tical in 1994. He won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By” with Mary J. Blige.
15. Lil Kim
In 1994, Lil Kim was discovered by fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A.; their debut album as a group, Conspiracy, generated two top 20 singles in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Lil’ Kim has been called “the fiercest, most provocative and most infamous female rapper” by AllMusic, and one of the top 50 greatest MCs of all time in the book There’s a God on the Mic.
https://youtu.be/vDn9laYxB08
16. Lisa Lopes (TLC)
TLC formed in 1991, with Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes lending her rapping skills to the group, and their first album produced three Top 10 hits. TLC’s 1994 follow-up, Crazysexycool, sold more than 11 million copies in the United States and featured three No. 1 hits. The album also earned the trio two Grammy Awards.
17. Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is a hip-hop duo made up of Havoc and Prodigy. Both members are natives of Queensbridge, New York; located in Long Island City. They are perhaps most famous for their landmark album, The Infamous, and the accompanying hit single, Shook Ones Pt. II. It became perhaps one of the most influential hip hop albums of the East Coast hardcore rap genre.
18. Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes is well-known throughout the hip hop community with the release of his debut solo album on Elektra Records, The Coming, in 1996. The album’s mix of ragga and hip hop made it a marginal success and in 2006 he released his seventh studio album, The Big Bang. It became his first No.1 album of his entire career.
19. Juvenile
Juvenile was a popular rapper in the 90s and 2000s when he became a member of the Hot Boys, a group formed in New Orleans. His work with Cash Money brought him a very respectable amount of money and made him popular in the world of music and hip hop. He is known as one of the veterans who brought the “bounce” craze in the early 90s a new hip hop style which was a combination of gangsta rap and party music.
20. Eve
One of the most successful women in hip–hop, Eve rode her connection with the Ruff Ryders rap collective to quick stardom. Her music and persona gives her a successful middle ground between hip–hop women who have embraced feminism and neo–soul and those who trade on a tough image and sex appeal.
