Who Are The Most Influential Figures In Hip-Hop? Posted by Lucas G. on 02/26/14 | Filed under Opinion, Debates, RH Nation Answers

As rap nerds, we like to take anything anyone has ever said and over-analyze it to an insane degree. So when Steve Stoute started talking most influential people in hip-hop with Hot 97′s Angie Martinez, you know our ears perked up. Originally this was going to be a regular old post, but since Nathan is busy getting drunk with rappers, I am on Question Of The Week Duty, so I thought it would make for a good one. Before we get into it, check out what Stevie said. Word to The Smoking Section for the spot.

Dre, Jay, Puff… Kanye… hmph! Really influential, like really changing the culture. Yeah, probably that. There’s guys that are coming up. Rick Ross. Pharrell, if you want to say that. There’ guys coming up. Drakes and Rick Ross who are getting there. To be able to shift tides globally. Bigger than just making hit songs. Drake has a lot of hit songs. Changing things. Making people change the way they dress. That kind of thing. Finding ways to capitalize off of changing markets. Those are the guys. It’s really four guys.

Obviously, the parameters here aren't exactly clear but still, is Steve still concussed from that Cristal bottle? Some of 'em I agree with (Kanye, Jay Z) but Puff? Dre? I don't know, I'd have to disagree with Mr. Stoute. Dre maybe (we'll see), but Puff, when was the last time anyone said "You hear that new Puff song?". I have my top five, but before we get into it, as always, we gotta lay the ground work. There wasn't enough of it in his interview, so we have make it extra clear now. "Influence" is one of those tricky words that doesn't really have any fixed measurements, but I think we have to try right? Right. I see this breaking down into two main sections.

Rap Influence:
Obviously the most important one. If we are going to consider some one an influential people in hip-hop, they have to at the very least, you know, make hip-hop music. When these special tier of emcees drop something the world stops in its tracks to listen. The kind of artist where when we get a stream of the album up, Nathan and can sit back with some popcorn, watch the pageviews roll in and do our happy dance. I also think longevity plays a factor here. Chance might have been very influential in 2013, but with only one mixtape, he isn't anywhere on this list. Until you put out successful album after successful album, and have continued success you can't influence the genre; to change the game you have to be a part of it for a long time, and then, maybe, you can be influential. To me, this is the most important factor, when it's all said and done, the music is what matters and they only way you can be truly influential is if your music touches millions and millions of people.

Cultural/Brand Influence:
Here is where the business end of things come to play. Music is the main focus, but it seems like recently (within the last 10 years or so) rappers seem interested in taking their music and turning it into something more; a brand or a business. It can range from endorsements, labels, commercials, to acting gigs, and anything (non-music related) in-between. I think this is what Steve was focused on, being that he is a businessman himself, but it is only part of the equation. Still, if you are an influential emcee, your influence has to be more than just the music; the bests take rap and turn it into a multi-million dollar brand.

So, my top five. This was actually tougher than I thought, but here it goes.

1.) Jay Z

He's not a businessman hes a business, mannnnnn. Jay Z's musical influence is unquestioned and though his quality has declined he is still making "new rules". Being that he is 40, and has 12 albums to his name, Jay's best rapping days are behind him, but through his savvy business moves he still has more influence than ever. From Roc Nation, with artists like J.Cole to a sports agency, Jay has tried it all. Any emcee can grab a shoe deal or a beverage, but how many can say they helped get a second baseman the fourth largest contract in MLB history. Jay has taken a successful rap career and turned it into so much more. His music doesn't make a splash like Kanye's but he has him edged out on the "branding" influence. Plus, he is married to Beyonce. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it has to count for something right? You see that "Partition" video? I think Stout was heavily considering the brand/business when he came up with his answer, which is why I am inclined to put Jay over Kanye. Based on just music though, it would be Kanye number one.

2.) Kanye

This is a no-brainer. Kanye is the epitome of an influential rapper in both musical and cultural influence. His songs break the internet and his shoes break Nike stores. Kanye, ever the experimenter, tries things years before anybody else does; he is the ultimate trendsetter in that sense. Without 808s & Heartbreak, auto-tune and that electronic influence would not have become nearly as popular. Kanye started his own label and has some really big players helping to extend his reach. I don't know exactly how to consider his rants and outbursts, but I'd have to imagine that in the end it only helps his name reach more and more people. Kanye is one of those rare people who can become a brand, but not lose a step when it comes to the music. He does everything at a high level and musically, is hands down the most influential emcee in the game. Point blank, nobody's music is more influential than Kanye's, but when it comes to the other stuff, I think Jay has him beat. Kanye may have shoes, number one hits, and the fashion world, but Jay has sports teams and one of the leaders of the free world quoting his lines.

3.) Drake

Here is where things get really interesting. Kanye and Jay are shoo-ins but after them, it gets a little murky. Putting him at number 3, might be a stretch, but with the music influence already on lock, and the brand trending upwards, I think he belongs. Toronto is now a bustling metropolis full of talented, versatile artists, and it was Drake who really broke down the door for America's hat. He has done the acting thing (most recently appearing on SNL and in Anchorman 2), is clearly making a push in sports (how many emcees can say they took part in the dunk contest?), and he has the shoes, the label, and the clothes, that ever emcee needs to be considered a businessman. As for the music, he has that covered, Nothing Was The Same was one of the more popular albums of last year (it was the most popular on RefinedHype) and he can often be found collaborating with some of raps biggest names (like the two above him). He is younger than Kanye and Jay, but at 27 he still has a long career ahead of him and was farther along than Kanye or Jay at this point in his career. Once Kanye and Jay hang up their mic's and Tom Ford suits, it will be Drake who takes the reigns as hop-hop's most influential rapper/businessman.

4.) Eminem

This might get some weird looks, but hear me out. Before Eminem, the only white rapper was Vanilla Ice. After Em, white rappers started coming out of the woodwork; Eminem is directly responsible. He isn't the only reason why, but the landscape of while hop-hop would be vastly different if it weren't for him. The music is obvious, sure MMLP2 wasn't a classic, but even with a long hiatus, Eminem remained a beloved emcee because his older stuff is timeless; there was a time when he would easily be number one on this list based solely on his talent and his music (but not anymore). Additionally I think Eminem influences people who don't listen to hip-hop. Drake has a very particular audience, and when you think about all the other genres out there, so do Jay and Kanye, but I think Em has reached a much broader audience than any other rapper. For alot of people, Eminem is the only person influencing their opinion of hip-hop. Obviously they are misguided, but it doesn't make his influence any less influential.  Though he isn't as ostentatious as Jay and Kanye, he certainly has a brand all his own. He has starred in more than one super bowl commercial, had deals with the Call Of Duty series, and he even endorsed watches that weren't made of gold or silver. Sure he had a bit of a break there, but the fact that he can go from having no influence to being one of the most influential, talked about emcees shows just influential he is.

5.) Dr. Dre

Begrudgingly, I'll put Dre in the top 5. It doesn't feel right, but I really can think of anyone better so he gets it by default. Look I get that Beats By Dre are the hottest product since Tamagotchis but outside of the business end, I don't really see it.  He hasn't produced a record of value since 2006, and we all know about the whole Detox saga. Seriously when the most influential part of your music is that you haven't dropped it, you are not really putting in work on that end of things. Still, Beats are so fucking popular. I mean everybody is wearing them. Next time you are at the gym look around around and count the number of Beats you see. It's not just your local gym either, every single professional athlete has a pair; that is influence. Dre is a great businessman, but I can't consider him an influential rapper if he isn't making music, which is why I was reluctant to put him on the list at all. If Lebron is repping your product though, then you deserve some credit...I guess..

Nathan and I are already at odds on GChat so I expect this to be a pretty good conversation. I tried to consider the business end more than I would normally, because I think that's what Stout was going for, but I can;t fault you for putting more weight in the music. If your talking about musical influence I think Kanye is the clear winner, but it isn't just about the music.

What do you think, RefinedHype Nation, who are the most influential figures in hip-hop?

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