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Kurtis Blow
This Harlem kid's combination of deft rhyming and stylish boasting made him the first MC to appear on Soul Train, have a gold record, and release a rap album on a major label.
> Kurts Discusses Salt-N-Pepa
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Everlast
Irish-American bluster gave his House of Pain a massive hit with 1992's "Jump Around." But Ice T's protégé became even more interesting when a heart attack got him singing the blues on "What It's Like."
> Everlast Discusses 2 Live Crew
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Grandmaster Flash
The Bronx's Flash was a double threat - perfecting the sonic cut 'n' paste with "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," then elevating rap's lyrical concerns towards politics with "The Message."
> Grandmaster Flash Discusses Blondie
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Fab 5 Freddy
Brooklyn graffiti artist Freddy first came to the world's attention when he was name-checked in Blondie's "Rapture." He went on to appear in 1982's Wild Style and host Yo! MTV Raps.
> Fab 5 Freddy Discusses Sugarhill Gang
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Nelson George
Former Billboard contributor Nelson George's numerous books include the essential Buppies, B-Boys, Baps, and Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture. He watched hip-hop blossom from a ringside seat in New York.
> Nelson Discusses The Fresh Prince
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Ed Lover
Hip-hop's court jester hosted Yo! MTV Raps with his rotund DJ partner Dr. Dre, and, lest we forget, starred in the 1993 comedy classic Who's the Man?
> Ed Discusses The Beastie Boys
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Ludacris
He's got ladies in different area codes, and if they don't already know the Atlanta rapper's representing hip-hop's next generation, it's probably because they haven't checked their two-way pagers yet.
> Ludacris Discusses P. Diddy
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Russell Simmons
Rap's greatest entrepreneur went from managing Kurtis Blow to running Def Jam Records, guiding the careers of Run-D.M.C. and Public Enemy. He diverged into urban fashions with Phat Farm.
> Russell Discussus Run-D.M.C.
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