Rozay’s “Hustlin’” dreams turned to gold when he rattled the cages of rap’s mainstream with his 2006 summer anthem and pledged his allegiance to Def Jam and its ex-presi… See more

“I’m drivin’ Caddy, you fixin’ a Ford,” Joseph Simmons boasted on Run-DMC’s 1984 breakthrough “Rock Box.” While DMC was the majestic voice and the late DJ Jam Master Jay … See more

Before Melle Mel’s game-changing run with Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, rap was still constrained by its “yes, yes y’all!” park jam origins. Then came “The Message” (… See more

In 1987, MC Lyte bumrushed her way into hip-hop’s boys club with a throat-grabbing voice and dynamic lyricism that seemed well beyond her 16 years. The Brooklyn teen’s open… See more

Jadakiss’ signature laugh and “ah-ha” squeal have signaled for decades that a lyrical masterclass was on the way. The LOX frontman fostered his hip-hop breakout with a co-si… See more