the most IMPORTANT figures in hip hop

[Tzar]

just a topic i thought of on the way home today that could be present argument. i couldn't think of too many besides a couple that may seem obvious...

rick rubin: there has been way better producers out there as we all know but i couldn't see rap w/o him.

chuck d: one of, if not the, first rapper to really stand up and say 'fuck you' to...everything and anything.

beastie boys: this is kinda obvious. 3 white boys could 'make it' back in a time where rap was the voice of the oppressed black youth.

umm... that's all i could think of. wu-tang was up there as well, as a group/gang type of way. first 'gang' to come out of the streets and make a real statement on hip hop.

[mickill]

Run DMC for bringing the street influences to recorded hip hop and taking rap to an international audience.

Eric B & Rakim for creating the blueprint for the modern rapping style and changing the sound of the genre altogether through their use of sampling.

Public Enemy for being the first group to focus on social and political issues while forging entirely new sounds.

Marley Marl for being the architect of beat-making; every producer that came after him was directly or indirectly influenced by him.

Jay-Z for being the most influential figure in rap ever; everything from his flows to his image to his model for success in the business facets of the industry have been exploited by just about every well-known rapper living today.

[mickill]

But I'd say the key figures in hip hop's beginnings were: Kool Herc (for birthing the scene and being the first to extend the breakbeat), Afrika Bambaattaa (for introducing audiences to his vast range of records, thereby proving the sources for musical influences were limitless), Grandmaster Flash (for innovating most of the basic dj techniques), Grand Wizard Theodore (for pioneering the scratch) and Grandmaster Caz (for his contributions as an MCing pioneer and being among the first to do it well). They were responsible for the foundation, so I guess they're all among the most "important".

[mickill]

Oh, I forgot about Dre.

[taquitos]

Oh, I forgot about Dre.


fuck that

[roosta]

NWA / Ice-T - popularized the gangster rapper template that came to dominate hip-hop

[paul jones]

John Barnes

[mickill]

fuck that

The guy's responsible for the careers of like half the rappers in the west coast.

Even if you're not a fan of Eazy E, NWA, The D.O.C., Snoop, Eminem, The Game, 50 Cent and any of their own offshoot artists, you can't deny the man's impact on the careers of some of the biggest rap artists ever. Or you could, but you'd be kinda stupid.

[DipDipDive]

Paul Wall.

[taquitos]

The guy's responsible for the careers of like half the rappers in the west coast.

Even if you're not a fan of Eazy E, NWA, The D.O.C., Snoop, Eminem, The Game, 50 Cent and any of their own offshoot artists, you can't deny the man's impact on the careers of some of the biggest rap artists ever. Or you could, but you'd be kinda stupid.

i meant like in the song, eminem says "fuck that, cus you forgot about dre"

at least i think thats how it goes. i haven't heard it in years

edit: i actually looked it up and he doesn't say "fuck that" ,so nevermind.

i never really listened to eminem

[DipDipDive]

Huh?

[mickill]

Oh, okay

edit: No, wait...hold on.

Yeah, okay.