Rhymers block

All donned shaved heads – also gave New York rap an extra edge at a time when Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and A Tribe Called Quest began etching their paths as perennial mainstays. — C.L. 39. Slum Village Image Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images Slum Village breathed life into the Midwest rap scene when it bubbled up in the 2000s with soul-grabbing lyrics and funky samples. Originally comprised of venerated beat maestro J. Dilla alongside rappers T-3 and Baatin, Slum Village rose within Detroit’s rap ranks following 2002’s Trinity (Past, Present, and Future) and 2004’s Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit). Unfortunately, Dilla, who exited the group in 2001 to pursue a solo career, died in 2006, while Baatin passed away three years later. However, the group still marched forward, after recruiting Elzhi, one of rap’s heralded rhymers, to join co-founder T-3 and Dilla’s younger brother IIIa J. The group’s notable later-era releases include 2010’s Villa Manifesto and 2015’s Yes! — C.L. 38. Big Tymers Image Credit: Ronna Gradus/Getty Images Cash Money co-founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams and the label’s former resident producer Mannie Fresh were also partnered in another impactful endeavor: Big Tymers. Hailing from New Orleans, the Big Tymers stepped onto the scene with 1997 debut album How You Luv That. But with the release of 2000 sophomore platinum set I Got That Work, the duo’s undeniable musical chemistry ignited massive hits — “#1 Stunna” featuring Juvenile and Lil Wayne, plus “Get Your Roll On” — that further entrenched their hometown’s distinct southern flavor within the rap mainstream. The Big Tymers scored a Billboard 200 chart-topper and a second platinum album in 2002 with Hood Rich, featuring the proud-to-be-broke anthem “Still Fly,” and released Big Money Heavyweight before parting ways in 2005. — N.R. 37. 8Ball & MJG Image Credit: Shannon Fagan/Getty Images Before the emergence of OutKast, Goodie Mob, Three 6 Mafia or Cash Money Records, there was 8Ball & MJG. The influential Memphis duo was among the originators and cornerstones of southern hip-hop, with arguably only the Geto Boys proving as influential in the first half of the

Cleveland on the hip-hop map, crooners and rhymers Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — comprised of Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Flesh-n-Bone — first caught the ear of N.W.A’s Eazy-E in 1993. The quartet signed to Ruthless Records that year and enjoyed major breakouts with debut EP Creepin on ah Come Up in 1994 and first full-length E. 1999 Eternal in 1995. For over a decade, their unique style of gospel melodies, cinematic beats and a staccato lyrical flow made them a regular presence on the Hot 100, including the chart-topping “Tha Crossroads,” which spent eight weeks at No. 1 and earned the group their first Grammy. — N.A. 20. UGK Image Credit: Pam Francis/Getty Images The duo, comprised of Bun B and Pimp C, may not have been the first great Houston rap group, but they came to define the city’s trunk-rattling grit with albums like 1996’s classic Ridin’ Dirty. The Underground Kings finally got their mainstream due by collaborating with Jay-Z on his crossover smash “Big Pimpin’” in 1999 (as well as Three 6 Mafia’s “Sippin’ on Some Syrup” the following year). Their greatest collab would come in 2007 with the OutKast-assisted “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You),” before Pimp C tragically died at age 33 from an overdose later that year. The duo’s influence extends even further than their output; artists from Kendrick Lamar to A$AP Rocky to Megan Thee Stallion regularly invoke their style, while Bun has become one of the true elder statesmen of the game. — D.R. 19. G-Unit Image Credit: Scott Gries/Getty Images In some ways, the history of hip-hop can be seen through two lenses: the era before G-Unit and the era after. Led by 50 Cent, the crew’s classic core (50, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck) took the world by storm, utilizing an endless flow of mixtapes, beefs and cold, hard lyricism to effectively put the rap game in a chokehold from 2002 to 2007. Infighting — and changing times in hip-hop — ultimately led to the group’s undoing. But there are few true crew albums that can

Through potent rhymes that were equal parts conscious and commercially relevant. Deriving the group name from the word “refugee” — a term often weaponized against immigrants from numerous countries (including Wyclef and Pras’ native Haiti) — the trio reclaimed the word, while creating music that countered the growing gangsta rap of the mid-‘90s. Multi-platinum-certified sophomore effort The Score proved the power of their authenticity: Recorded in Jean’s uncle’s basement, the Grammy-winning album featured the timeless hits “Killing Me Softly” and “Ready or Not.” Despite only releasing two albums, the Fugees became one of the best-selling hip-hop groups of all time. — N.R. 13. Mobb Deep Image Credit: Gregory Bojorquez/Getty Images Death Row’s triumvirate of 2Pac, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg held the rap game in a Cobra clutch in 1994. The West Coast movement wreaked terror on the Billboard charts and the streets, to the dismay of their East Coast rivals. But Queens duo Mobb Deep upped their odds with the magnum opus “Shook Ones (Pt II).” The ominous heater evoked a certain edge and aggression that the East Coast lacked at the time. Prodigy’s 24 bars of fury became the gold standard for mid-’90s lyricism as he and Havoc dished out more indelible bars on debut album The Infamous, including such stellar tracks as “Give Up the Goods” and “Survival of the Fittest.” The duo’s chemistry remained unmatched when they tangoed on 1999’s Murda Muzik, highlighted by the club scorcher “Quiet Storm” (elevated by Brooklyn fireball Lil Kim appearing on the remix). Despite Prodigy’s untimely passing in 2017, his and Havoc’s legacy as prime-time rhymers is well-documented and well-remembered, also thanks to deeper classics like “Win or Lose,” “The Realest” and “Hell on Earth.” — C.L. 12. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five Image Credit: Peter Noble/Redferns When the late ‘70s ushered in rap, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 was among the genre’s early trailblazers founded in the South Bronx by the namesake DJ/producer, with a five-member crew of Melle Mel, Kidd Creole, Keef Cowboy, Scorpio and Rahiem. Grandmaster Flash manipulated the turntable with magical fingers that made