The 10 Most Influential Hip Hop Artists

Oversized books written in the popular top-ten countdown format.

"From Run-D.M.C.'s iconic styles to Lauryn Hill's confident rhymes, these influential artists have shaped hip hop into what it is today. Discover how these artists have influenced every aspect of hip-hop culture" (publisher).

When Kendrick Lamar won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his album "DAMN," critics announced that the award represented a belated acknowledgement of the cultural importance of hip-hop as a genre. The articles in this volume, ranging from music reviews to profiles, show the lives and careers of prominent hip-hop artists, including the controversies of Kanye West and the successes of Drake. The impact of these artists can be felt in the spheres of fashion, art, literature, and politics as well as in every sphere of music.

When Kendrick Lamar won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for his album "DAMN," critics announced that the award represented a belated acknowledgement of the cultural importance of hip-hop as a genre. The articles in this volume, ranging from music reviews to profiles, show the lives and careers of prominent hip-hop artists, including the controversies of Kanye West and the successes of Drake. The impact of these artists can be felt in the spheres of fashion, art, literature, and politics as well as in every sphere of music.

The author and co author would like to take you as the reader into 50 years plus of the most 135 influential rap/ hip hop songs of all time. Our list is is not a ranking and defined by groups or individuals or male or females. There is new school, old school, west, east, Midwest, south and even overseas artists. As a kid I followed the culture of hip hop and rap since I was around 5-6th grade. I was fortunate to meet a dear friend in college Hans, aka Haks 180 who shared my passion with the culture. We have taught each other so much over the years and without his help on there is no way I could ever write this book. People, family members and loved ones have often asked us why embrace and dedicate our lives to the culture without any vision to make money from it. Our goal was to give back to the culture and share our knowledge and expertise. Enjoy. But remember this is not a ranking system as we felt it is impossible to rank some of the best songs, and or artists over 50 years of an exceptional musical history. So step in and give us a great read if your a true Hip hop/ Rap fan. We detail songs from all over the world. Trust me all your favorite rappers are on this list.

2019 Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago - Best New Poetry Collection Winner 2019 Chicago Reader's Best of Chicago - Best Poet Runner-Up In Even the Saints Audition Raych Jackson Reconditions her body and reclaims her church. This empowering book of poems interrogates the relationship between blackness, shame, and what it is to live a life tied to the church. Rich with historical context and a deeply engaging personal narrative. This body of work is bursting with charm, wit, and pride, as it dances on the thin line between saint and sinner. Includes poems such as "Period Rules", “A Wasted Ass Shave”, and "I Ask What 'Circumcision' Means in a Full Sunday School Class" that have been watched by millions online Advance praise for Even the Saints Audition This is an important and brave book, one that keeps me asking for more. -Fatimah Asghar, Author of IF THEY COME FOR US / co-creator of BROWN GIRLS Jackson rearranges the scripture of God until it is a machine that works for her. Her bible blesses the ones who roam. -Kara Jackson, Author of BLOODSTONE / National Youth Poet Laureate This work is a sinner's diary, made of the secrets between pews, the notes beneath the hymns and the guilt writhing within desire. -Toaster, Artist

How gangsta rap shocked America, made millions, and pulled back the curtain on an urban crisis. How is it that gangsta rap—so dystopian that it struck aspiring Brooklyn rapper and future superstar Jay-Z as “over the top”—was born in Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood, surf, and sun? In the Reagan era, hip-hop was understood to be the music of the inner city and, with rare exception, of New York. Rap was considered the poetry of the street, and it was thought to breed in close quarters, the product of dilapidated tenements, crime-infested housing projects, and graffiti-covered subway cars. To many in the industry, LA was certainly not hard-edged and urban enough to generate authentic hip-hop; a new brand of black rebel music could never come from La-La Land. But it did. In To Live and Defy in LA, Felicia Viator tells the story of the young black men who built gangsta rap and changed LA and the world. She takes readers into South Central, Compton, Long Beach, and Watts two decades after the long hot summer of 1965. This was the world of crack cocaine, street gangs, and Daryl Gates, and it was the environment in which rappers such as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E came of age. By the end of the 1980s, these self-styled “ghetto reporters” had fought their way onto the nation’s radio and TV stations and thus into America’s consciousness, mocking law-and-order crusaders, exposing police brutality, outraging both feminists and traditionalists with their often retrograde treatment of sex and gender, and demanding that America confront an urban crisis too often ignored.

A one-of-a kind survey of rap and hip hop history from 1973 to today by Chuck D, arguably the most influential rapper in the world. In the more than 40 years since the days of DJ Kool Herc and "Rapper's Delight," hip hop and rap have become a billion-dollar worldwide phenomenon. Yet there is no definitive history of the genre-until now. Based on Chuck's long-running show on Rapstation.com, this massive compendium details the most iconic moments and influential songs in the genre's recorded history, from Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'" to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to Kendrick Lamar's ground-breaking verse on "Control." Also included are key events in hip hop history, from Grandmaster Flash's first scratch through Tupac's holographic appearance at Coachella. Throughout, Chuck offers his insider's perspective on the chart toppers and show stoppers as he lived it. Illustrating the pages are more than 100 portraits from the talented artists specializing in hip hop.

Annotation. The extraordinary impact of hip-hop music on American culture over the past three decades is undeniable. At the forefront of this global phenomenon stand artists who broke new ground, both musically and politically. This unique reference provides substantial entries on the most revolutionary hip-hop artists and innovators, past and present, and offers in-depth coverage of each icon's influence in shaping hip-hop music. An essential reference for high school and public libraries, this encyclopedia will help students and interested readers uncover the historical and cultural framework of hip-hop as it extends to more recent artists. From Run DMC, the legendary group credited with bringing rap to the mainstream, to Salt N Pepa, the first all-female groups to stake their claim in the male dominated world of hip-hop, to Kanye West's breakout career as a producer and rapper, this encyclopedia recovers the histories of important artists both inside and outside the hip-hop mainstream, all while examining the varied and ever-changing forms of the music. Comprehensive profiles are enhanced by sidebars highlighting such topics as rivalries between artists, the importance of geographic region, musical innovations (including sampling technologies), legal issues, media scandals, and wider phenomena, movements, or styles of hip-hop that were sparked by a particular artist or group. Hip-hop fans will appreciate the critical analysis of the icons' social and cultural impact as well as issues of enduring significance, such as the influence of gangsta rap on youth culture. A timeline, a comprehensive introduction, numerous photos, and an extensive bibliography of print and electronic sources for further reading are included, making this encyclopedia a crucial reference for teachers and students interested in understanding the history and future of hip-hop music.