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 Barbados, Doug E. Fresh became known as the first human beatbox in rap and a major 1980s star. Alongside his Get Fresh Crew, he released the hip-hop classic The Show/La Di Da Di and his debut album Oh, My God!. He is celebrated for his precise vocal imitations of drum machines.
Cleveland hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony was discovered by Eazy-E and signed to Ruthless Records. They achieved multi-platinum success with their 1995 album E. 1999 Eternal and the chart-topping single Tha Crossroads. Known for hits like I Tried, the group has collaborated with 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G.
New Orleans rapper Juvenile emerged in the 1990s bounce scene and found national fame as a solo artist and member of Hot Boys. He is best known for hits like Ha, Back That Azz Up, and the chart-topping Slow Motion, alongside multi-platinum albums including 400 Degreez.
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.
Born in London and raised in the Bronx, pioneering rapper Slick Rick is renowned for his effortless storytelling and platinum-selling 1988 debut, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. A Def Jam staple, he released albums including The Art of Storytelling and became one of history's most sampled artists.
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.
Formed in Philadelphia by rapper Black Thought and drummer Questlove, the Roots are a progressive hip-hop band known for live instrumentation and acclaimed albums like Things Fall Apart. They earned a Grammy for You Got Me and became a prominent late-night television house band.
Common is a Grammy-winning artist, actor, and activist with a three-decade career. He won an Academy Award and an Emmy Award for the song Glory, co-written and performed with John Legend for the film Selma. His recent releases include the two-part album A Beautiful Revolution.
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.
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.”
Formed in New York, the trailblazing hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa features Cheryl Salt James, Sandra Pepa Denton, and DJ Spinderella. Known as the First Ladies of Hip-Hop, they changed the game for women in the genre with their authentic style, dropping their debut track The Showstopper in 1985.
Method Man (Staten Island, Wu-Tang Clan) and Redman (Newark, Def Squad) are an iconic East Coast hip-hop duo known for their energetic style and clever lyrics. Their acclaimed collaborations include "How High" and "Da Rockwilder", featured on albums like "Blackout!". Method Man earned a Grammy, and Redman was named "Rap Artist of the Year". They are also recognized for their cult classic film "How High".
Savannah, GA rapper/producer: OutKast & Dungeon Family’s Big Boi—cool, witty rapid-fire flow; Grammy-winning Speakerboxxx; “Player’s Ball,” “Shutterbugg.”
Miami rapper Rick Ross is a nine-time Grammy-nominated, multiplatinum hip-hop artist known for the breakout single Hustlin and the album Port of Miami. Founder of Maybach Music Group, he’s scored multiple No. 1 albums and billions of streams.
Yonkers, New York native Jadakiss, born Jason Phillips, is an East Coast hip-hop icon known for his distinctive raspy voice and sharp, hardcore rhymes. A key member of The Lox, his solo career includes hit albums like "Kiss of Death" and "Ignatius" (2020), and the Grammy-nominated track "Why?". He frequently collaborates with artists such as Styles P and Mariah Carey.
Goodie Mob, an Atlanta-based hip-hop group, includes Big Gipp, Cee-Lo, Khujo, and T-Mo. Known for their impact in Southern rap, their 1995 debut, "Soul Food," is a classic.
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).
