Heralded instantly as one of New York's leading rap voices, Nas expressed an outspoken, self-empowered swagger that rallied the streets of his city and elsewhere. Whether proclaiming himself "Nasty Nas" or "Nas Escobar" or "Nastradamus" or "God's Son," the self-appointed King of New York battled numerous adversaries for his position atop the... [+] Read More

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To the admiration of a generation, Jay-Z led an incredibly storied career in the rap industry, pulling himself up by his bootstraps as a youth to one day become the reigning rapper of New York City and then a major-label executive following his retirement from music-making. More than anyone, Jay-Z embodied the ultimate rags-to-riches rap dream,... [+] Read More

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On the real, the most prolific, insightful, creative, and futuristic emcee ever to be recorded. Often slept on, however once heard the sound is undeniably ill. Skillful in the ways of rhyming and production, set out on a mission to bring truth to the light. The world has been complaining about the way the rap game has shifted, here is your... [+] Read More

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1 out of 1 people agree

Kool G Rap never rose to superstar status during his late-'80s reign as a leading member of Marley Marl's Juice Crew, but the Queens-bred hardcore rapper endured for over a decade, eventually enjoying a renaissance in the early 2000s. Throughout his tour of duty, G Rap maintained a reverent following, mainly among his original... [+] Read More

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In just a few short years, the Notorious B.I.G. went from a Brooklyn street hustler to the savior of East Coast hip-hop to a tragic victim of the culture of violence he depicted so realistically on his records. His all-too-brief odyssey almost immediately took on mythic proportions, especially since his murder followed the shooting of rival... [+] Read More

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Loved by the streets as well as by critics, Cormega was the rare hardcore rapper to win praise from all directions, and while he never quite crossed over like some of his New York City peers, he maintained a respectable independence over the years nonetheless, self-releasing his work on the Legal Hustle label. Born Cory McKay, Cormega came up as... [+] Read More

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Following the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., DMX took over as the reigning, undisputed king of hardcore rap. He was that rare commodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credibility to spare. His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost a decade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the theatrical... [+] Read More

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Philadelphian rapper Beanie Sigel had a rapidly rising career, beginning with his appearance on one of underground rapper/producer DJ Clue's mix tapes, to his cameos on Jay-Z's Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, to a consequent solo deal with Roc-A-Fella Records. His distinctive, slightly drawling delivery and his clever but hard-hitting rhymes were... [+] Read More

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Perhaps better known for his shady reputation than for his accomplishments, Benzino worked in the rap industry for a decade before going solo in 2001 with much hoopla. During the final months of 2001, he became a regular fixture in The Source magazine, even appearing on the cover despite being relatively unaccomplished relative to the usual... [+] Read More

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Loved by the streets as well as by critics, Cormega was the rare hardcore rapper to win praise from all directions, and while he never quite crossed over like some of his New York City peers, he maintained a respectable independence over the years nonetheless, self-releasing his work on the Legal Hustle label. Born Cory McKay, Cormega came up as... [+] Read More

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Born James Campbell in Westbury, NY, in 1969, veteran rapper Freddie Foxxx was in a group by the age of ten and made his recorded debut as Freddie C. in 1986 on a 12" by Supreme Force. He landed a deal with MCA and released Freddie Foxxx Is Here in 1989. After making noted appearances on records by Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo, Boogie Down Productions,... [+] Read More

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Kool G Rap never rose to superstar status during his late-'80s reign as a leading member of Marley Marl's Juice Crew, but the Queens-bred hardcore rapper endured for over a decade, eventually enjoying a renaissance in the early 2000s. Throughout his tour of duty, G Rap maintained a reverent following, mainly among his original... [+] Read More

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As golden age rap suddenly gave way to West Coast gangsta in the early '90s, an East Coast variety of hardcore rap arose in turn, with Mobb Deep initially standing tall as one of New York's hardcore figureheads on the basis of their epochal Infamous album. Released in April 1995, The Infamous was released almost exactly a year after Illmatic and... [+] Read More

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One-half of the Queens hardcore rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga, Victor "Noreaga" Santiago met Kiam "Capone" Holley in 1992 while both were serving prison sentences. Signed to Penalty Records in 1996, the pair released a hard-hitting debut (The War Report) in June 1997, but after Holley was thrown back in jail on a parole violation, Santiago began... [+] Read More

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One-half of the Queens hardcore rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga, Victor "Noreaga" Santiago met Kiam "Capone" Holley in 1992 while both were serving prison sentences. Signed to Penalty Records in 1996, the pair released a hard-hitting debut (The War Report) in June 1997, but after Holley was thrown back in jail on a parole violation, Santiago began... [+] Read More

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SMP, a 18 year old hip hop artist from Southern California, has been rapping for 4 years and developed a strong local fan base within the Inland Empire. His first album, Ten Faces of Hip Hop, is a well rounded piece of work with many different aspects of hip hop all rolled together into one.

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Emerging in 1993, when Dr. Dre's G-funk had overtaken the hip-hop world, the Staten Island, NY-based Wu-Tang Clan proved to be the most revolutionary rap group of the mid-'90s -- and only partially because of their music. Turning the standard concept of a hip-hop crew inside out, the Wu-Tang Clan were assembled as a loose congregation of nine... [+] Read More

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