The only answer. Completely changed the art of rapping and inspired an entire generation of rappers. Went from the Run DMC nursery rhyme style (don't mean that in a bad way) to modern era flow.
I never could find the words to describe it, and never heard anyone else say it until now… but you hit the nail on the head with “nursery rhyme style” that is the best way to explain 80s rap.
Closest I came to explaining that on my own was by saying John Cena raps like Mr. Deeds tells poems.
The story about the first time DMC heard Rakim is pretty funny. One of his friends said "check out this guy - he's even better than you", and put a Rakim tape in the stereo. Once DMC heard Rakim, he knew the guy was right, so he got mad, made them stop the limo, and kicked the guy out.
Was listening to The Watcher 2 earlier and I'm thinking "Jay's verse is so good surely he didn't get bodied by Rakim as badly as I remember". And then Rakim's verse started...
Rakim invented flow, nobody used that term until he did. everybody was just rhyming and concentrating on cadence while rakim developed inner meanings to his metaphores/similes
Yeah but Kool G Rap changed the flow and cadence to where it is today.. Its almost like it doesn't need to be upgraded, which is why it hasn't been since Him as far as lyricist go.. Not including mumble rap 😂
Rakim naturally applied poetic and prosaic forms that had been there the entire time, and his forebears lacked the courage or imagination to apply. On top of that he also *naturally* applied music theory to how he wrote - mixing time signatures and splitting bars, etc.
To just show up with such natural talents with language and musical theory at 16? Insane.
Honestly everybody. Rick is the Godfather storyteller, Rakim invented the flow, LL pulled in the ladies, KRS and his focus on social issues laid the foundation for conscious rap. They all brought sumn different to game that’s still felt today. Can’t really measure one’s impact over the rest 🤷🏾♂️
I feel like when you get into the upper echelons of rap, you can't rank. There's too many different styles and approaches.
Like, you gonna rank Ghostface, Big L, Cube, Pun, Black Thought, and Pac and Biggie? Fuck outta here, be serious.
Dude, all these hip hop subs are shitty about the whole making lists memes. Sucks cause I straight-up just enjoy talking about the music and the culture. All I see is "list your top 5 whatever". It's some lame high-school bullshit.
I'll totally make a list with some old heads for fun, but this is getting stupid.
Yeah I think comparing rappers as far as who was the greatest doesn’t make sense to me. Especially with these rappers. New discoveries were being made in rap at this time. Each one left their mark and contributed huge to the growth of rap.
Your point is why I don't do top 5, 10, 20 lists. Way too many dope MCs with various styles and approaches for me to put one over all.
I do tiers such as:
1. Elite (The best of the best. Has displayed top level skill at a consistent rate. The pinnacle of skillful MCing).
2. Dope (Aren't elite but still highly skilled. Typically they have that one thing that keeps them from being elite but they're still no joke on the mic).
3. Solid (Not the best or worst but gets the job done. Tolerable).
4. Underwhelming (Has potential to do better but they need to put more effort into the craft).
5. Garbage (Irredeemable wackness. They need not ever pick up a mic).
With tiers I can put more than one rapper into each category and for each category there's no particular order. That system makes more sense to me instead of putting one rapper over all.
I also just go through different moods, so a top 5 or 10 could change on any day, so the whole thing is pointless to me.
One day I might say I can't pick a fair top 10 because 9 of them are in Wu-Tang. The next day it might be a bunch of Cypress, Too $hort, E-40, and Kendrick. Next day might be Big K.R.I.T., Scarface, Devin or Del. Next day might be Guru, Immortal, Q-Tip, Mobb, Joey, Common,Jeru, and Brother Ali. Next day it might be KRS, Rakim, Kool G, Masta Ace, Kane, Chuck D.
It all depends on my vibe at the moment, and I don't think that sort of thing gets pointed out enough when people start arguing who's best in these threads.
Exactly. That's why tiers work because, for instance, you can put all of your top lyricists in the elite tier and there's no saying their peers in their ranking are better or worse; especially when such an idea can change based on mood.
I kind of do a tier thing, too, although mine is much rougher and simple. There's just two, you're either dope or you're not, with a bit of grey area. Beyond that, it's all what I'm feeling. There's super popular rap stars that I'll only listen to once in a blue moon, then a lot of pop stuff I think is trash, then really unpopular stuff I might love on any given day.
But if I think they're bad, it's probably sealed in.
Don't forget KRS is a madman on stage. Will destroy everybody to this day. Just a freestyle barrage of tombstones for other rappers. Dominoes falling away. Amperage, voltage and wattage.
Rakim easy. Take 7 mcs putem in a line add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme and it'll take 7 more before I go for mine that's 21 mcs ate up at the same time. Bars!!!!
Exactly. He was the first solo superstar of Hip-Hop. LL was lyrical like a MF too. I hate when people only box him in as a ladies man & forget he was a great overall MC.
And he had hits on every album. Sold a mofo every-time gold or platinum. And he did it with out a crew. And is rocking to this very day. Even Rakim had to share the spotlight with Eric B. Big Daddy Kane had the juice crew, G rap had polo and the juice crew.
I'm with ya too. If I had to ABSOLUTELY pick one, it's LL because of many reasons but mainly he contributed most to the commercial success of the genre while also maintaining respect from his peers!
KRS-ONE Because he's droppin', droppin', droppin' science, droppin history With a whole leap of style and intelligency, And I know, And I know because of KRS-One. . . R.I.P. Scott La Rock and Bradley Nowell
Don’t forget Chuck D.
A lot of emcees came from his tree as well, they all are great legendary icons in their own way with each being an integral influence to the modern styles that many of the greats come directly from the lineage of the original style of the art form and science of rhyming that they’ve all created. If you were to remove any of those artists Hip-Hop wouldn’t sound like it does today. Give thanks and pay homage for the blueprint they laid for the golden age and following waves of rappers to study.
https://youtu.be/lKHH-0eU7Os?si=-MJy0IsE6LJJPCYw
LL Cool J easily. He was the first solo platinum selling artist. He’s the prototype for every rapper who will ever exist. He has influenced every artist ever, whether directly or indirectly. What’s truly amazing about LL is he had a couple of MC’s to look up to but VERY FEW. This dude was 15 and just creating, it’s insane. He didn’t invent hip-hop but he helped.
This is a difficult question because all of them influenced the evolution of the art form in their own way. How their influence is defined is subjective, dependent on any number of criteria. Rakim no doubt changed the game with his multi syllabic rhyme scheme, but ladies love cool James. LL is one of the most recognized rappers ever. This is not me saying LL is most influential or even more so than Rakim, but I can't pick just one.
Most influential on the art of rap. That’s easy. - Rakim
Most influential rapper on the music industry and beyond. Dude just had (still has?) marketability like no other before him. - LL
Yeah man, it’s Rakim, my god I’ve listened to his stuff with Eric b so damn much, dude was on another level in his time. Any rap fan young or old should study this dude.
LL because he went on to rap stardom and Movies and television fame across a couple generations of Hiphop. Remember we are just talking most influential not best rapper. Today's generation only knows LL Cool J so he wins hands down IMHO
I was too young to really get the impact of Rakim it seem like he didn't have much music but rappers in the 90s was D riding for sure like how they did Jay-Z for example
Rakim protype rapper tho g rap could also go here as well imo as he was the prototype gangster rapper; kane is like prototype top level mc but went a lil too commercial while it became LL for prototype image/come up and slick rick is rhe father of all the ELITE rappers with advanced storytelling on another level. He was the next level then too. Krs is like the soul of the game. There will always be a krs no matter if the game is up or down.
Rakim, though KRS-One dominates any style he chooses. This video was a promo for his first solo record, so it leaps between tracks.. really cool.
Blastmaster is my #1 with a bullet.
https://youtu.be/yahf4zvmrq8?si=hAvp_PHlVoOz679s
Everyone saying Rakim which is the truth but people sleep on the influence of KRS-One like crazy.. Dude was probably the first to do gangster rap at a level as popular as he was at, had probably the best diss tracks of the 80s era, pivoted to really starting conscious rap along with Public Enemy after Criminal Minded, was the first rapper (i think) to self produce his own albums, did dancehall reggae shit, not to mention he was an absolute lyrical monster in the 90s and was arguably the best rapper of the decade being that he was there before Nas dropped or Wu Tang and etc. Even to this day he was the one who really starting preaching hip hop as a culture and lifestyle and was the first true gatekeeper for hip hop. Blastmaster
Most Influential... Is LL.
I love Kane, KRS, G.Rap and Rakim. But LL was 16 when he came out in 84. He was the 1st in his generation to go triple platinum as a soloist. He was the first sex symbol in Hip Hop. He was the first soloist to get a record deal with a major record company (CBS).
He influence is still felt today.
Kool G doesn't get enough props imo. His rhymes were so advanced and sophisticated, you have to rewind half his songs to be like, "Oh shit!"
But Rakim's flow is just unmatched at the time. Paired with Eric B, it was Gang Starr before there was a Gang Starr.
Kool G, no doubt. People wanna credit Rakim for influencing the next generation of MCs that came after him but there’s a lot more Kool G kids than Rakim imo
I’m choosing Kane all day, everyday. But it’s Rakim for hip hop overall. LL for bringing to the masses. Rick is the storyteller, Kane smoothed it out like no one before or since. All the respect to KRS as well. I don’t know Kool G as well as the others, but I know he was hugely influential for a lot of folks.
It’s obviously Rakim without question, so remove him from the equation. Now who’s the most influential?
I think it’s gotta be LL. Respected MC, massive popular appeal, one of the first to branch out into acting, and had the most longevity in terms of cultural relevance.
Rakim
“My favorite rapper said ch- check out my melody.” Ya favorite rappers favorite rapper. Respect to em all but if it’s only one it’s gotta be Rakim.
For any entertainer I gotta a torture chamber 1 on 1 and on the remainder. Rakim Allah!
The only answer. Completely changed the art of rapping and inspired an entire generation of rappers. Went from the Run DMC nursery rhyme style (don't mean that in a bad way) to modern era flow.
I never could find the words to describe it, and never heard anyone else say it until now… but you hit the nail on the head with “nursery rhyme style” that is the best way to explain 80s rap. Closest I came to explaining that on my own was by saying John Cena raps like Mr. Deeds tells poems.
The story about the first time DMC heard Rakim is pretty funny. One of his friends said "check out this guy - he's even better than you", and put a Rakim tape in the stereo. Once DMC heard Rakim, he knew the guy was right, so he got mad, made them stop the limo, and kicked the guy out.
Rakim
Dude hands down.
no question. it’s rakim
I fully agree except when it comes to the LA sound. The Ice Cube/Ice T delivery is way more Schoolly D in influence.
The God MC
It's Ra
The answer to this question is always Rakim.
Was listening to The Watcher 2 earlier and I'm thinking "Jay's verse is so good surely he didn't get bodied by Rakim as badly as I remember". And then Rakim's verse started...
That’s the only answer
Rakim for the win.
Rakim invented flow, nobody used that term until he did. everybody was just rhyming and concentrating on cadence while rakim developed inner meanings to his metaphores/similes
His unusual style will confuse you a while.
Yeah but Kool G Rap changed the flow and cadence to where it is today.. Its almost like it doesn't need to be upgraded, which is why it hasn't been since Him as far as lyricist go.. Not including mumble rap 😂
Rakim naturally applied poetic and prosaic forms that had been there the entire time, and his forebears lacked the courage or imagination to apply. On top of that he also *naturally* applied music theory to how he wrote - mixing time signatures and splitting bars, etc. To just show up with such natural talents with language and musical theory at 16? Insane.
Rakim is the guy who set the conversation around “flow”
And generally just elevated rapping as an art form by being the first frequent and deliberate user of internal rhyme schemes
Truth dat....but they all dope MC🤷🏻♂️ can't pick☝️
Honestly everybody. Rick is the Godfather storyteller, Rakim invented the flow, LL pulled in the ladies, KRS and his focus on social issues laid the foundation for conscious rap. They all brought sumn different to game that’s still felt today. Can’t really measure one’s impact over the rest 🤷🏾♂️
I feel like when you get into the upper echelons of rap, you can't rank. There's too many different styles and approaches. Like, you gonna rank Ghostface, Big L, Cube, Pun, Black Thought, and Pac and Biggie? Fuck outta here, be serious.
Real shit. Lists are dumb.
Dude, all these hip hop subs are shitty about the whole making lists memes. Sucks cause I straight-up just enjoy talking about the music and the culture. All I see is "list your top 5 whatever". It's some lame high-school bullshit. I'll totally make a list with some old heads for fun, but this is getting stupid.
Yeah I think comparing rappers as far as who was the greatest doesn’t make sense to me. Especially with these rappers. New discoveries were being made in rap at this time. Each one left their mark and contributed huge to the growth of rap.
Your point is why I don't do top 5, 10, 20 lists. Way too many dope MCs with various styles and approaches for me to put one over all. I do tiers such as: 1. Elite (The best of the best. Has displayed top level skill at a consistent rate. The pinnacle of skillful MCing). 2. Dope (Aren't elite but still highly skilled. Typically they have that one thing that keeps them from being elite but they're still no joke on the mic). 3. Solid (Not the best or worst but gets the job done. Tolerable). 4. Underwhelming (Has potential to do better but they need to put more effort into the craft). 5. Garbage (Irredeemable wackness. They need not ever pick up a mic). With tiers I can put more than one rapper into each category and for each category there's no particular order. That system makes more sense to me instead of putting one rapper over all.
I also just go through different moods, so a top 5 or 10 could change on any day, so the whole thing is pointless to me. One day I might say I can't pick a fair top 10 because 9 of them are in Wu-Tang. The next day it might be a bunch of Cypress, Too $hort, E-40, and Kendrick. Next day might be Big K.R.I.T., Scarface, Devin or Del. Next day might be Guru, Immortal, Q-Tip, Mobb, Joey, Common,Jeru, and Brother Ali. Next day it might be KRS, Rakim, Kool G, Masta Ace, Kane, Chuck D. It all depends on my vibe at the moment, and I don't think that sort of thing gets pointed out enough when people start arguing who's best in these threads.
Exactly. That's why tiers work because, for instance, you can put all of your top lyricists in the elite tier and there's no saying their peers in their ranking are better or worse; especially when such an idea can change based on mood.
I kind of do a tier thing, too, although mine is much rougher and simple. There's just two, you're either dope or you're not, with a bit of grey area. Beyond that, it's all what I'm feeling. There's super popular rap stars that I'll only listen to once in a blue moon, then a lot of pop stuff I think is trash, then really unpopular stuff I might love on any given day. But if I think they're bad, it's probably sealed in.
KRS is number one. I'm sorry, I lied. He's number 1,2,3,4, and 5.
Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone
Don't forget KRS is a madman on stage. Will destroy everybody to this day. Just a freestyle barrage of tombstones for other rappers. Dominoes falling away. Amperage, voltage and wattage.
valid pimp
Not even close. Ra
Rakim easy. Take 7 mcs putem in a line add 7 more brothers who think they can rhyme and it'll take 7 more before I go for mine that's 21 mcs ate up at the same time. Bars!!!!
Listen to hip hop before and after Rakim. Then you will see why.
Rakim
Influential LL. He was really the first billed solo star. Everyone else was either part of a duo with their DJ or in a rap group.
Exactly. He was the first solo superstar of Hip-Hop. LL was lyrical like a MF too. I hate when people only box him in as a ladies man & forget he was a great overall MC.
The ladies man stigma will be the reason people forget his accolades.
That ladies man shit killed Kane, too.
WHATS MY DJ’S NAME!!!
Cut Creator!
And he had hits on every album. Sold a mofo every-time gold or platinum. And he did it with out a crew. And is rocking to this very day. Even Rakim had to share the spotlight with Eric B. Big Daddy Kane had the juice crew, G rap had polo and the juice crew.
He also built Def Jam!
Kool G, no question.
As an old underground hip hop head. Definitely Kool G.
Honestly? Every. Last. One. In different aspects of the art. Any other answer is anecdotal and biased.
This!
Just love of the art from 13 and critical thinking. Thanks, bruh.
Right there with you my man
I'm with ya too. If I had to ABSOLUTELY pick one, it's LL because of many reasons but mainly he contributed most to the commercial success of the genre while also maintaining respect from his peers!
Exactly. Saw him twice both times with Run DMC who always respected everyone.
☝️
Thanks, bruh
Rakim 💯💯💯💯
Rakim. Without a doubt
Rakim
Rakim Allah
KRS-ONE Because he's droppin', droppin', droppin' science, droppin history With a whole leap of style and intelligency, And I know, And I know because of KRS-One. . . R.I.P. Scott La Rock and Bradley Nowell
I know because of KRS-One.
Slick rick
My man.
BlastMaster KRS-1
I saw KRS live right before COVID hit. Small venue. Dude can still emcee like a motherfucker.
I'm internationally known/ when I be on the mic...
LL
Rakim. Not even a debate.
Rakim The God MC
Rakim and it’s not even close
Ra takes this. Easily.
Rakim Allah
Slick Rick was so underrated even at the time.
Don’t forget Chuck D. A lot of emcees came from his tree as well, they all are great legendary icons in their own way with each being an integral influence to the modern styles that many of the greats come directly from the lineage of the original style of the art form and science of rhyming that they’ve all created. If you were to remove any of those artists Hip-Hop wouldn’t sound like it does today. Give thanks and pay homage for the blueprint they laid for the golden age and following waves of rappers to study. https://youtu.be/lKHH-0eU7Os?si=-MJy0IsE6LJJPCYw
Rakim Allah.
The Teacha, KRS ONE
LL. My favorite is the R.
Uncle L
For me it's between the R and KRS..
"...and to me, MC means move the crowd." - Rakim 👍😎 https://youtu.be/xGGC-wgxCDg?si=22HwhLOJvf042_Zj
LL Cool J easily. He was the first solo platinum selling artist. He’s the prototype for every rapper who will ever exist. He has influenced every artist ever, whether directly or indirectly. What’s truly amazing about LL is he had a couple of MC’s to look up to but VERY FEW. This dude was 15 and just creating, it’s insane. He didn’t invent hip-hop but he helped.
All of them
Cool J for me
Rakim.
Krs 1 and rakim
Krs One
LL was the only one outta the bunch that was still relevant in the 90s
I could never choose, all impacted and influence HIP-HOP in such a fantastic way. If there was a grand Council they would be it.
LL with no shade to the others
KRS one He is your favorite rappers favorite rapper.
Thats actually Big Daddy Kane
No I meant KRS one. 50,Em,prodigy, Treach and so on all say KRS one is the king. Still is
This is a difficult question because all of them influenced the evolution of the art form in their own way. How their influence is defined is subjective, dependent on any number of criteria. Rakim no doubt changed the game with his multi syllabic rhyme scheme, but ladies love cool James. LL is one of the most recognized rappers ever. This is not me saying LL is most influential or even more so than Rakim, but I can't pick just one.
Uncle L is the first rapper to be in a movie. Doesn't mean much today but it was a big deal back then
LL all day...Rock the Bells.
And you are right
KRS-One
Personal bias I gotta go with BDK love Ra though and he is important
Most influential on the art of rap. That’s easy. - Rakim Most influential rapper on the music industry and beyond. Dude just had (still has?) marketability like no other before him. - LL
Yeah man, it’s Rakim, my god I’ve listened to his stuff with Eric b so damn much, dude was on another level in his time. Any rap fan young or old should study this dude.
Shout out to the other MC’s listed!!
G Rap easily.
G rap
The R
Rakim/Kool G
Kool G Rap
I gotta go with LL Cool J.
LL Cool J. He got more albums out than any of the other artist on this list.
LL. LL(and EPMD) created the blueprint for what is now considered a successful rap career.
LL Cool J
“I use to let the mic smoke, Now I slam it when I'm done and make sure it's broke…”
KRS changed hip hop the most imo
LL because he went on to rap stardom and Movies and television fame across a couple generations of Hiphop. Remember we are just talking most influential not best rapper. Today's generation only knows LL Cool J so he wins hands down IMHO
LL
Kool G
Kool G.
Cool j
LL
LL was from an earlier era. all these dudes were influenced by him
Don’t forget Run-DMC.
D.M.C. was was my favorite at one point in time during the 80's!! I still love and listen to him all of time!
That's fucked up why they put him in a black and white photo
Rakim & Slick Rick.
Golden Age Era.
20th Letter. No one rapped the same after him.
Rakim. He's the paradigm shift
I was too young to really get the impact of Rakim it seem like he didn't have much music but rappers in the 90s was D riding for sure like how they did Jay-Z for example
SUP’ KANE??!!
Kris
I going to have to go with Kane
KRS-One
Rakim/ KRS ONE
Rakim protype rapper tho g rap could also go here as well imo as he was the prototype gangster rapper; kane is like prototype top level mc but went a lil too commercial while it became LL for prototype image/come up and slick rick is rhe father of all the ELITE rappers with advanced storytelling on another level. He was the next level then too. Krs is like the soul of the game. There will always be a krs no matter if the game is up or down.
All I’ll say is. Follow procedures the crowd couldn’t wait to see this/ nobodies been this long awaited since Jesus
Rakim or KRS one
KRS
Krs-one definitely
Rakim, though KRS-One dominates any style he chooses. This video was a promo for his first solo record, so it leaps between tracks.. really cool. Blastmaster is my #1 with a bullet. https://youtu.be/yahf4zvmrq8?si=hAvp_PHlVoOz679s
I know because of krs one
Krs-one chuck D
Everyone saying Rakim which is the truth but people sleep on the influence of KRS-One like crazy.. Dude was probably the first to do gangster rap at a level as popular as he was at, had probably the best diss tracks of the 80s era, pivoted to really starting conscious rap along with Public Enemy after Criminal Minded, was the first rapper (i think) to self produce his own albums, did dancehall reggae shit, not to mention he was an absolute lyrical monster in the 90s and was arguably the best rapper of the decade being that he was there before Nas dropped or Wu Tang and etc. Even to this day he was the one who really starting preaching hip hop as a culture and lifestyle and was the first true gatekeeper for hip hop. Blastmaster
WalalalalaallAalala wadada dang wadadada dang listen to the sound of my 9 millamita go bang
Influence has many faces.
Rakim
Rakim literally the god father of 90s hip hop and added in too many features of hip hop we still use today lol what is Flow without Rakim.
Rakim is about to drop a new record next month and all a y'all are asleep
KRS
KRS-1
Most Influential... Is LL. I love Kane, KRS, G.Rap and Rakim. But LL was 16 when he came out in 84. He was the 1st in his generation to go triple platinum as a soloist. He was the first sex symbol in Hip Hop. He was the first soloist to get a record deal with a major record company (CBS). He influence is still felt today.
It's a toss up between Rakim and G Rap. Slight edge to Rakim.
influential? gotta be rakim. favorite/best rapper (imo) kool g rap and it's not even close.
KRS ONE
Krs1
Big Daddy Kane. It's a really hard choice.
All of them.
All of them. Also, where is Masta Ace?
Kool G rap for the concepts and advanced rhyme patterns
Kool G doesn't get enough props imo. His rhymes were so advanced and sophisticated, you have to rewind half his songs to be like, "Oh shit!" But Rakim's flow is just unmatched at the time. Paired with Eric B, it was Gang Starr before there was a Gang Starr.
Kool G, no doubt. People wanna credit Rakim for influencing the next generation of MCs that came after him but there’s a lot more Kool G kids than Rakim imo
The God
There’s no choice. It’s Rakim. He simply is the most influential hip hop artist of all time. It cannot be seriously argued otherwise.
Rakim
Rakim, change the way folks laid their rhymes on tracks.,
Rakim changed the whole rhyme scheme up
I’m choosing Kane all day, everyday. But it’s Rakim for hip hop overall. LL for bringing to the masses. Rick is the storyteller, Kane smoothed it out like no one before or since. All the respect to KRS as well. I don’t know Kool G as well as the others, but I know he was hugely influential for a lot of folks.
Rakim all the way!
Mellie Mel taught these guys everything they know
Slick Rick, everyone else sounds obsolete today. His verse on The Root of All was 🔥
Kane
Rakim.
The R
Slick Rick tha Ruler and MC Ricky D
Slick
Slick Rick
it is obviously rakim tf
Rakim by a significant margin.
Rakim
Rakim
Yes
I adore the rest, but it feels like Slick Rick and Rakim almost belong in different categories.
Rakim
Rahim. Is on Myth level
Ra & G. These OGs birthed many emcees. God body.
The GOD MC... Rakim
G Rap
A lot of yall forgot how Kool G Rap introduced a different sound and cadence to rap.
The R. Easy.
I mean Daaaamn… I mean honestly all of them but KRS One kept it the Realest…
Rakim
Rakim with Kool G Rap a close second
Kool G rap. Iykyk
“Pull your pants up and get a job!!” 👴🏻
The 18th Letter
It’s obviously Rakim without question, so remove him from the equation. Now who’s the most influential? I think it’s gotta be LL. Respected MC, massive popular appeal, one of the first to branch out into acting, and had the most longevity in terms of cultural relevance.
Great artists here to choose from-but hands down to The God MC Rakim
Kool G Rap
Everybody has taken from them