Born in Queens, New York, rapper and actor LL Cool J emerged in the 1980s with hits like Radio and Bigger and Deffer. Known for multi-platinum albums including Mama Said Knock You Out, he earned Grammy Awards, a Kennedy Center Honor, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Formed in Philadelphia by Black Thought and Questlove, the hip-hop band the Roots broke through with their 1995 album Do You Want More?!!!??! and earned a Grammy win for the hit You Got Me. Known for live instrumentation, they became the house band for Jimmy Fallon.
Grammy-winning Philadelphia DJ, producer, and turntablist Jeff Townes is known as half of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince alongside Will Smith. He pioneered the Transformer scratch, executive-produced Jill Scott's multi-platinum debut, and released solo albums including The Magnificent.
Born in New York, rapper Rakim is widely regarded as one of the greatest MCs of all time. As half of the influential 1980s duo Eric B. & Rakim, he helped pioneer internal rhyme schemes on classic albums like the platinum debut Paid in Full. He later released acclaimed solo projects including The 18th Letter.
Common is a Grammy-winning artist, actor, and activist with a three-decade career. He won an Academy Award and an Emmy for the song Glory, co-written and performed with John Legend for the film Selma. His releases include the two-part album A Beautiful Revolution.
Ice-T (born Tracy Marrow in Newark, New Jersey) is a pioneering gangsta rapper known for blunt, political lyrics. His albums include Rhyme Pays, Power and O.G.: Original Gangster. He also fronts thrash metal band Body Count, famed for “Cop Killer.”
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, hip hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony signed with Eazy-E after auditioning for him. They achieved multi-platinum success with their album E. 1999 Eternal, featuring the number-one hit Tha Crossroads. Known for collaborations with 2Pac, The Notorious B.I.G., and Akon.
MC Lyte is a pioneering hip-hop rapper, DJ, and actress with a 30-year career. She is the first female rapper nominated for a Grammy, the first female artist to earn a gold single, and the first rap artist to perform at Carnegie Hall. She has received numerous honors, including the RIAA Pioneers of Hip-Hop Honor and the BET Her Hip Hop Legend Award, and serves on the Kennedy Center's Hip Hop Culture Council.
Z-Trip is an award-winning DJ/producer, dubbed a pioneer of the Mashup Movement. Hip-hop rooted but genre-blending, he’s collaborated with Linkin Park and Public Enemy, toured over a decade with LL Cool J, and released Shifting Gears (4-star Rolling Stone).
