10. GameHate him or love him, but you can't deny the fact that Game led the movement that is now the new west coast. Before Game came on the scene in the mid 2000s, the West coast had fallen off the Hip Hop map. He opened the door for the Jay Rock's, and the Kendrick Lamar's.
9. Young Jeezy
Jeezy is definitely the hood motivational speaker. He has been able to stay consistent since his first album in 2005, and he continues to have more motivation for the streets. He is well respected in the streets and INdustry.
8. Rick RossAgainst all odds, Ross was able to come back after his was exposed as having a correctional officer job in his late teens. His style of gangster rap is the mafioso style that the likes of Raekwon, Nas, Biggie, and Jay Z made popular in the mid 90s. He built his label from the ground-up, and has been able to produce some successful rappers under his imprint.
7. T.I
The self acclaimed King Of The South; T.I let people know you can come in the game as an underdog calling yourself the King, and with hard work, get to the point where you actually are crowned the king. He is one of the pioneers of Trap music from the south, and he has done a lot for himself in the last ten years.
6. 50 CentNo one can deny the fact that the impact of 50 Cent's career cannot be disputed in Hip Hop. In his second coming, he came in the game as a Juggernaut; there was no one touching the kid at his prime. He took gangster rap to another level, and even made white kids love it again. Even though he is not as hot musically as he once was, he still has a lot of influence on the way young rappers in hip hop think; from the respect he commands in the streets, and his business acumen.
5. Lil WayneI don't want to name names but you can't tell me their ain't as many as a dozen Lil Wayne clones in Hip Hop right now. The retarded flow, tattoo decorated body, the skinny jeans wearing, Lil Wayne brought that to the table.
4. NasIt is very rare for you to hear rappers name their rap influences without mentioning this man. He is respected for his lyricism on the mic, ability to paint pictures with words, and his longevity in the game. Your new heroes of Hip Hop...the Drake's, J.Cole's, and Kendrick Lamar's have all admitted to studying him in various interviews.
3. Eminem
Who can get on a song and demolish everyone else on it, every time, even if the song isn't his...that's right, Eminem. Delivery, story telling abilities, lyrics, he got everything on point. His offspring are Hopsin, and Tyler, the Creator
2. Kanye WestWho else pushes the boundaries in Hip Hop like Kanye? Forget all the ranting, this man is a musical genius. I am still surprised people hate on his Yeezus album; that was a masterpiece in my opinion. I guess he is just too far ahead of people musically, they need to catch up to really feel the album. He might not be the most lyrical MC there is, but he knows how to add just the right dose of everything to make a great song...some deep lyrics, great production, a message, great wordplay, and dope delivery. In the mid 2000s, he made it cool to rap about other things other than guns, drugs, and street related stuff. He birthed rappers such as J.Cole, Drake, Childish Gambino, Wale and the likes.
1. Jay Z
Every new rapper wants to be Jay Z. He got the swag, the skills, a great wife, the success, longevity, and respect. He is definitely bigger than rap now, but it is still good to see him stick around and mentor some up and coming rappers.
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