Dâm-Funk 1971 (Pasadena, CA) Musician, vocals, producer, composer, dj, Associated Styles Funk, funktronica, electro-funk, G-Funk, boogie, r&b Influences & Project Connections Zapp, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Snoop Dog, Prince, Ice Cube, Steve Arrington, Kashif, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pete Rock, Talib Kweli
Dilated Peoples DJ Babu, Evidence, Rakaa Iriscience formed 1992 Los Angeles, CA
dead prez M-1 , stick.man. Formed 1996 Tallahassee, FL Rappers, writers, producers
Rappers, writers, producers Associated Styles Hip Hop, conscious hip hop
Associated Styles Hip hop, political hip hop, revolutionary hip hop
Influences & Project Connections Roy Ayers, Mos Def, Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Gwen Dickey, Talib Kweli, Cypress Hill, The Alchemist, DJ Premier, Guru, John Legend, Pharoahe Monch, Aloe Blacc, EPMD
Influences & Project Connections Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Tony Allen, Public Enemy, Jungle Bothers, NWA, IAM, Snoop Dawg, Ghostface Killah, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Bilal
Chuck D 1960 (New York, NY) Public Enemy 1985-present Rapper, writer, producer Revolutionized conscious hip hop in the late 80’s. Public Enemy’s 1989 Fight The Power (written for Spike Lee’s film–Do the right thing) became an anthem for a generation, reflecting racial tensions and encouraging social activism and resistance Along with James Brown and George Clinton, Public Enemy are one of the most sampled groups of all time Associated Styles Hip hop, political hip hop, conscious hip hop, rock, metal, blues Influences & Project Connections War, The Jacksons, Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, Gil Scott-Heron, James Brown, Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, George Clinton, Roy Ayers, Charles Wright, Tony Allen, KRS-One, Cypress Hill, DJ Premier, Redman, Method Man, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, dead prez, The Roots, Ghostface Killah, Swizz Beatz, Rapsody, Jungle Brothers, Dilated Peoples, Kool G Rap
Yasiin Bey AKA Mos Def 1973 (New York, NY) Rapper, writer, producer Associated Styles Hip Hop, conscious hip hop, political hip hop, soul, neo soul Influences & Project Connections Fela Kuti, James Brown, Fred Wesley, Gil Scott-Heron, Curtis Mayfield, Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, Bill Curtis, Roy Ayers, Talib Kweli, Dj Premier, J-Dilla, The Roots, dead prez, Jungle Brothers, Public Enemy, Bilal, Erykah Badu, Rapsody
KRS-One (1965 New York, NY) Boogie Down Productions Rapper, writer, producer and early hip-hop pioneer who popularized the idea that hip hop is a Culture. Inspired by the death of Dj Scott La Rock, KRS-One established the Stop The Violence Movement (1989) tackling issues affecting his community. In 1996 he formed the Temple of Hip Hop a ministry, archive and school promoting hip hop culture, and lectures today in over 500 universities across the US. Associated Styles Hip hop, conscious hip hop, political hip hop Influences & Project Connections James Brown, Fred Wesley, The Impressions, Sly and The Family Stone, The Blackbyrds, Bob James, Melle Mel, Larry Graham, Chuck D, Kool G Rap, DJ Premier, Redman, EPMD, Ghostface Killah, Jungle Brothers, Pete Rock, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Lauryn Hill, Angie Stone, Swizz Beatz
DJ Premier 1966 (Houston, TX) DJ Premier is often regarded as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. One half of pioneering jazz rap duo Gang Starr (1989-2003) he has been sampled over 2000 times and is behind some of hip hop’s most influential productions (Jay-Z, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G.) Producer, musician, dj Associated Styles Hip Hop, jazz, jazz rap, funk, soul Influences & Project Connections Guru, Jonh Coltrane, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, The Crusaders, The Fatback band, Fred Wesley, James Brown, Edwin Birdsong, Roy Ayers, George Clinton, Larry Graham, Public Enemy, Jungle Brothers, Ghostface Killah, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Dilated Peoples, Mos Def, KRS-One, Kool G Rap, Method Man, Bilal Anderson .Paak, Rapsody
Kool G Rap 1968 (New York, NY) Kool G Rap is cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time. A pioneer of gangsta/street rap, his multisyllabic technical style has influenced countless rappers including Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. One half of hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo & Juice Crew member (86-93) Rapper, writer, producer Associated Styles Hip hop, gangsta rap, horrorcore, hardcore hip hop Influences & Project Connections Grandmaster Caz, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, James Brown, The Blackbyrds, George Clinton, The Fatback Band, Larry Graham, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Mob Deep, Dj Premier, Dilated Peoples, Ghostface Killah, Pete Rock, The Roots, Rapsody,
Rapsody 1983 (Snow Hill, NC) Rapper, songwriter Associated Styles Hip hop, conscious hip hop, r&b Influences & Project Connections MC Lyte, Aaliyah, Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Angie Stone, Deniece Williams, Erykah Badu, The Impressions, Public Enemy, Bob James, The Roots, Raphael Saadiq Anderson .Paak, Talib Kweli, Havoc, Hiatus Kaiyote, Phife Dawg, Moonchild, Robert Glasper, EPMD, Kool G Rap, Aloe Blaac
Melle Mel & Scorpio Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5 formed in 1978 South Bronx, New York and are the first hip hop artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2007) Rapper and writer Melle Mel composed White Lines and cowrote The Message, the first majorly successful hip hop song containing conscious rap. In 1984 he rapped on Chaka Khan’s I Feel for you helping introduce Rap into the mainstream. Associated Styles Hip hop, conscious hip hop, old-skool hip hop Influences & Project Connections DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, The Sugarhill Gang, Booker T Jones, George Clinton, Parliament Funkadelic, Fred Wesley, Chaka Khan, Bob James, Prince, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Kool G Rap, Method Man, Redman, Mos Def, dead prez, Jungle Brothers, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli
Ghostface Killah AKA Tony Starks 1970 (New York, NY) Legendary MC and key member of Wu-Tang Clan (1992-present) Ghostface is known for his unparalleled storytelling and solo masterwork Supreme Clientele (2000) cited alongside Ready to Die, Illmatic and Stankonia as one of the most unique and influential hip hop albums of its time Rapper, writer, producer Associated Styles Hip hop, hardcore hip hop Influences & Project Connections RZA, MF DOOM, Raekwon, Muddy Waters, James Brown, The Jacksons, Bill Withers, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic,The Blackbyrds, Fred Wesley, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Pete Rock, Havoc, T3, Mark Ronson, Method Man, Black Thought, Bob James, Mos Def, Swizz Beatz
Flavor Flav 1959 (New York, NY) Rapper, hype man, musician and founding member of Public Enemy 1985-2020?! Associated Styles Hip hop, political hip hop, conscious hip hop, rock Influences & Project Connections James Brown, Chuck D, KRS-One, Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, Larry Graham, Fred Wesley, Bill Fatback Curtis, Zapp, George Clinton, Pee Wee Ellis, Roy Ayers, Charles Wright, Tony Allen, DJ Premier, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill 1975 (Newark, NJ) Fugees 1992 Mixing elements of hiphop, soul, reggae and r&b The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) not only opened doors for women but for the entire hip-hop genre, creating a widespread audience and influencing the next generation of r&b, soul and hip hop artists Rapper, writer, producer Associated Styles Hip hop, soul, r&b, reggae, neo soul Influences & Project Connections Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Donny Hathaway, KRS-One, Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, Public Enemy, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, DJ Premier, Talib Kweli, dead prez, Pete Rock Phife Dawg, Rapsody, Little Simz, Jorja Smith