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Most influential person in hip hop.

Nate said:
Overrated? Wow, that is a HSO right there! Reaching a larger demographic is pretty influential even if they weren't the ones that helped create or keep the music going. Can't be overlooked IMO.



LOL, maybe so but it appears that eminem built quite a bigger empire than Mr. Ice.
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But Mr Ice has a TV show. And he put the ragtop 5.0 on the map!


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JB said:
The answer would then be Vanilla Ice.
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this is actually kind of where i was originally leaning. for the most influential, my question was, "who made rap music cool for white people?" because i feel like that's why it's as big as it is now.
 
I agree with a lot of the old school assessments of Simmons, Dre, etc.

For newish era blends of hip-hop/ funk I'll throw in outkast specifically Andre 3000. The dude was out there, but ushered in a funk/neo soul hip hop era that I really liked. People like Pharrell really piggy-backed off the sound outkast made popular.
 
c.a.eleric said:
this is actually kind of where i was originally leaning. for the most influential, my question was, "who made rap music cool for white people?" because i feel like that's why it's as big as it is now.
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LL Cool J or MC Hammer most likely.
LL Cool J and Ice T are both cops on TV, so there is that.
 
Jay-Z.
 
JB said:
Nobody can move something forward that wasn't started is my line of thinking.
I think a lot of times, its easy to go with recent memory. Guys like Tupac and stuff not being around does not change hip hop. It still continues and grows. He was a popular artist, thats about it.
You could make the case for the 80s guys that brought it to mainstream and got them into the major award shows. Guys like LL COOL J, Kool Moe Dee and even MC Hammer (as shocking as that is), because they brought it to mainstream at the birth of video.
Most people however will just point to really popular guys from the last decade or two and see growth. Most of those guys brought something to the table in their genre, but them not being there does not change the outcome. My opinion anyway.
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I'm definitely biased towards artists from my era. Even though I've listened to a fair amount of the older stuff I wasn't around to see their influence.

Ultimately Dre and Jay Z are the two that I think of. The longevity of Dre's touch seems unrivaled. From the explosion in the mid 80s through several years ago, he produced hit after hit, "discovered" hit artist after hit artist, some of which are very influential in there own rights, and dropped big hits of his own.

Jay Z is a tougher sell, but he changed the game big time in my eyes when he showed up, has continued to be influential for 20 years. Like Dre he crossed over into other aspects of the industry, and brought us alot of other influential people.

I completely get the Simmons and Rubin argument, and can't say it's wrong. But in my eyes guys like Dre influenced it in a similar way, plus had the hands on influence from his production and raps themselves.
 
Wake said:
I'm definitely biased towards artists from my era. Even though I've listened to a fair amount of the older stuff I wasn't around to see their influence.

Ultimately Dre and Jay Z are the two that I think of. The longevity of Dre's touch seems unrivaled. From the explosion in the mid 80s through several years ago, he produced hit after hit, "discovered" hit artist after hit artist, some of which are very influential in there own rights, and dropped big hits of his own.

Jay Z is a tougher sell, but he changed the game big time in my eyes when he showed up, has continued to be influential for 20 years. Like Dre he crossed over into other aspects of the industry, and brought us alot of other influential people.

I completely get the Simmons and Rubin argument, and can't say it's wrong. But in my eyes guys like Dre influenced it in a similar way, plus had the hands on influence from his production and raps themselves.
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Genuine question.
If Jay-Z never happens, do you think Hip Hop is not at the level of sales and marketing it is now? I dont see it. He is a cajillionaire and married that disgusting person, but I dont see how hip hop as a genre was changed because of him any more than it was any other rapper with some hits. The ones influence, are the ones that create change.
 
JB said:
LL Cool J or MC Hammer most likely.
LL Cool J and Ice T are both cops on TV, so there is that.
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I don't know this to be true, but it was expressed to me that LL Cool J was just an artist who out down what was written for him, didn't have a ton of artistic control.
 
Wake said:
I don't know this to be true, but it was expressed to me that LL Cool J was just an artist who out down what was written for him, didn't have a ton of artistic control.
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Interesting point of view. Garth Brooks I believe has only written on his own a few of his songs. Yet there is no doubt and its barely arguable that he is the most influential country musician of this generation and perhaps ever.
 
JB said:
Genuine question.
If Jay-Z never happens, do you think Hip Hop is not at the level of sales and marketing it is now? I dont see it. He is a cajillionaire and married that disgusting person, but I dont see how hip hop as a genre was changed because of him any more than it was any other rapper with some hits. The ones influence, are the ones that create change.
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That's an interesting question and way to look at it, probably not, but I think the scene might look very very different. He may not have changed the trajectory, but maybe direction?
 
JB said:
Interesting point of view. Garth Brooks I believe has only written on his own a few of his songs. Yet there is no doubt and its barely arguable that he is the most influential country musician of this generation and perhaps ever.
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Yes but I think Garth was very involved stylistically in his songs. While the argument was Cool J was not. Again not my point of view but it resonated with me.
 
How is Run DMV not in the discussion especially joining forces with Aerosmith to do walk this way. Not to mention their style influence with the adidas shoes and clothes.
 
emart2173 said:
How is Run DMV not in the discussion especially joining forces with Aerosmith to do walk this way. Not to mention their style influence with the adidas shoes and clothes.
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To me that is the perfect expression on why I dont believe it to be a popular rapper.
Rick Rubin is arguably responsible for that taking place. Ironically 2 of the 3 members of Run DMC didn't want to do it at first.
 
JB said:
To me that is the perfect expression on why I dont believe it to be a popular rapper.
Rick Rubin is arguably responsible for that taking place. Ironically 2 of the 3 members of Run DMC didn't want to do it at first.
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I don't dispute Rick Rubin being influential and while they were popular I would put their influence up,there with most artists and industry folks of that era.

I also think eazy-e was as if not more influential than dre and others mentioned,
 
Yeezy

Lil Wayne

Drizzy

?
 
How did this thread go from "most influential person in hip hop" to "my favorite artist this week"?


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MC Lyte, Queen Latifah probably have as big an influence as jay-z or anyone after him.
 
Dr Dre for me. So much of what is great about hip hop happened because of him. Saying someone is more influential because they created it is like saying 1400's scottish golfers who created the game are more influential than Tiger Woods
 
PAC


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Wake said:
Yes but I think Garth was very involved stylistically in his songs. While the argument was Cool J was not. Again not my point of view but it resonated with me.
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That's true, Garth has been known to change melodies and lyrics to songs and not take writers credits. He does have some 60-70 he wrote that haven't been released yet. Hopefully Capitol releases them some day.

As for hip-hop, it's Dre and Jay-Z in my opinion.
 
Lil Dicky
 
russtopher said:
How did this thread go from "most influential person in hip hop" to "my favorite artist this week"?


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This why I said Master gee of the sugar hill gang. Dude opened the flood gates to rap and hip hop scene in 79 the the explosion of hip hop in the 80's.
 
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