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Would It Be Fair To Say The Vast Majority Of Legends Are From The 80s?

5 Grand

Old School Godfather
That's how I feel.

I could name 20 MCs/groups that are indisputable legends from the 80s.

I doubt that you could name 20 MCs/groups that are legends from any other decade.

In other words, if you were to name 25 Legends in Hip Hop, 15-20 of them would be from the 80s.
 
Na. And if so, it's based more on the fact that rap was brand new so it was pretty easy to chart a new path for a city or region, or be the first to bring this important element or that important element, etc.

But I wouldn't say that the 80s has the MOST.
 
I could dispute alot of "legends" from the 80's. Being the first to do it doesnt make you legendary in my opinion. Drop your 20 and let me embarrass you


1. Sugarhill Gang - Released first successful rap record

2. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 - First rap group, before Sugarhill Gang. In The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and The Message is in The Library of Congress' vault.

3. Cold Crush Brothers - Didn't have much commercial success but if you are into old school flyers and tapes, The Cold Crush Brothers have far more flyers and tapes than anybody else from their era including Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow. Their flyers and tapes are artifacts that prove they were doing the most shows in The Bronx & Harlem out of all the groups from that era.

4. Treacherous Three - Not the absolute first rap group, but they released a handful of songs in the early 80s. Besides Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, they probably have the second best catalog from that era.

5. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks was supposedly the first Rap single to go gold (although I suspect Rapper's Delight went gold but Sugarhill Records didn't report it)

6. Run DMC - Came out in 1983 and competley shut down everything. Just about every rapper/group fell off after Run DMC came out. They were the first group to recognize that there was a market for an album that's all Hip Hop. No ballads or R&B songs. They used drum machines and synthesizers when everybody else was using musicians. Also, they had scratching in their songs which wasn't common at the time. It's been said that Run DMC's debut album was the first Rap album to go platinum.

7. Beastie Boys - First White Rap group. Sold 4X platinum in 1986/87 (album came out in December 86)

8. NWA - Credited for Gangsta Rap. Dr Dre produced songs that sounded sonically different than East Coast Hip Hop (D.O.C.'s album).

9. 2 Live Crew - Created Miami Bass. First rap group that had deep 808 bass in every song. Also pushed the envelope lyrically with "dirty lyrics". Had a legal case that went all the way to the Florida Supreme Court. They were accused of being "obscene" and people wanted their music to be banned from stores, but they won.

10. Too Short - First rapper from The Bay to go nationwide. Also made "dirty" songs. Rapped about Street life.

11. Public Enemy - One of the first socially conscious groups. Also they sampled records in a way that nobody else was doing at the time (e.g. Bring The Noise, Rebel Without A Pause)

12. Eric B & Rakim - It's generally accepted that Rakim's flow changed the game and that he raised the bar for MCing.

13. De La Soul - Their three Feet High And Rising album was the first "abstract" album. They didn't wear gold chains or drive around in fancy cars in their videos. They were more down to Earth. They wore beads or Africa Medallions.

14. KRS One/Boogie Down Productions - The Teacha. Their first album was more "gangsta" but when DJ Scott LaRock died, KRS became more "conscious". KRS organized Self Destruction and the Stop The Violence Movement.

15. Salt N Pepa - Female version of Run DMC. Had a few mega hits, like Push It. They continued on until the mid 90s.

16. LL Cool J - First solo rapper to really blow up and have a successful career. While Kurtis Blow and Spoonie G were before LL, LL was on Def Jam, who was owned by Columbia (a major label) so he had bigger budget albums and videos. Also secured a lane with the females that lasted into the 00s.

17. Dougie Fresh - First Human Beatbox. Invented Beatboxing. The single The Show/Ladi Dadi was HUGE!

18. Afrika Bambaattaa & The Soul Sonic Force. Bambaataa was a community organizer and created the Zulu Nation. They have/had chapters all over the world. Also, Bam released handful of classic records, most notably Planet Rock.

19. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Fresh Prince was a good story teller and could hold his own on the mic. If you were to make a mixtape from that era you'd have to put at least one Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince song. But Jazzy Jeff was something else altogether. Jazzy Jeff wasn't just a DJ, he invented turntablism. Jazzy Jeff is the GOAT DJ. Listen to the Live @ Union Square routine!

20. Ice T - Rapped about gang life before NWA. We had no idea that Bloods and Crips had gangs in the West Coast and that they wore blue and red until the movie Colors came out, Ice T made the theme song for the movie.



That's 20 MCs/groups. I left out Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Stetsasonic, Whodini, Fat Boys and a few other groups that aren't really legends or pioneers, they're more veterans than anything else.

edit. Also Schooly D. He supposedly made the first gangsta rap song, but he didn't really do anything with it. He had a few dope songs but no classic album. KRS and Ice T made a bigger impact even if Schooly was technically the first Gagsta rapper.
 
lmao ok lets go

3. Cold Crush Brothers - Didn't have much commercial success but if you are into old school flyers and tapes, The Cold Crush Brothers have far more flyers and tapes than anybody else from their era including Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow. Their flyers and tapes are artifacts that prove they were doing the most shows in The Bronx & Harlem out of all the groups from that era.

are you trolling right now or what? They supposed to be legends cuz they got a bunch of flyers they passed around? Are you serious right now? NOBODY ever mentions them they did not have any lasting impact on the culture. What MC's today have said they were a huge influence? What sound is clearly influenced by them?

4. Treacherous Three - Not the absolute first rap group, but they released a handful of songs in the early 80s. Besides Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, they probably have the second best catalog from that era.

Again, your only argument is that they were one of the first to do it. I dont know if I ever heard a treacherous three song and they definitely didnt have a impact on the game

5. Kurtis Blow - The Breaks was supposedly the first Rap single to go gold (although I suspect Rapper's Delight went gold but Sugarhill Records didn't report it)

Same thing applies here, you can only say they were the first, noone considers him the best from that era

Also Schooly D. He supposedly made the first gangsta rap song, but he didn't really do anything with it. He had a few dope songs but no classic album. KRS and Ice T made a bigger impact even if Schooly was technically the first Gagsta rapper.

oh so you just throwing names out there now right? He didnt do anything with his gangsta rap song, according to you only a few good songs no classic albums but somehow hes a legend?

put it to a poll if you disagree

15. Salt N Pepa - Female version of Run DMC. Had a few mega hits, like Push It. They continued on until the mid 90

When people talk about influential female rappers noone says salt n peppa come on be serious. Lil Kim, foxy, Lauren Hill, queen latifah, sure but salt n peppa? nah son you reaching. 1st doesnt equal legend
18. Afrika Bambaattaa & The Soul Sonic Force. Bambaataa was a community organizer and created the Zulu Nation. They have/had chapters all over the world. Also, Bam released handful of classic records, most notably Planet Rock.


the main thing anyone has ever heard about him in the last 2 decades was the rape allegations...not his music. I guess you can make the argument though because they do have a following all around the world

20. Ice T - Rapped about gang life before NWA. We had no idea that Bloods and Crips had gangs in the West Coast and that they wore blue and red until the movie Colors came out, Ice T made the theme song for the movie.

I like Ice T but hes not a legend he was just the first. NWA did everything he did but better and NWA had way more impact on the game. Aint noone making a motion picture based on his life, he had dope songs and is a vet but not a legend.
 
are you trolling right now or what? They supposed to be legends cuz they got a bunch of flyers they passed around? Are you serious right now? NOBODY ever mentions them they did not have any lasting impact on the culture. What MC's today have said they were a huge influence? What sound is clearly influenced by them?

I'm assuming you're 20 years younger than me.

Anyway, you say nobody mentions them Jay Z said,

… Label owners hate me, I'm raising the status quo up
I'm overcharging niggas for what they did to the Cold Crush
Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hoed us
We can talk, but money talks, so talk mo' bucks…


Jay Z - H to the IZZO

Anyway here's some footage from a movie called Wildstyle. the movie came out in 1983 but it was recorded in 1982. They go in @4:25





Again, your only argument is that they were one of the first to do it. I dont know if I ever heard a treacherous three song and they definitely didnt have a impact on the game


Yeah but if you've never heard a Treacherous Three song, it's not because they're not legends, it's because you don't know anything about Hip Hop!

They were featured in Beat Street



Again, you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Kurtis Blow was featured in Krush Groove and has a strong catalog. My favorite song by him is 8 Million Stories, and if you don't know that song you should listen to it before you respond







When people talk about influential female rappers noone says salt n peppa come on be serious. Lil Kim, foxy, Lauren Hill, queen latifah, sure but salt n peppa? nah son you reaching. 1st doesnt equal legend

You sound stupid. Salt N Pepa were going platinum in the 80s, decades before Lil Kim & Foxy Brown.


231124
 
I like Ice T but hes not a legend he was just the first. NWA did everything he did but better and NWA had way more impact on the game. Aint noone making a motion picture based on his life, he had dope songs and is a vet but not a legend.


Here's a documentary about Hip Hop called Break-in and Entering. It features Ice T, amongst other people. It came out in 1983. This documentary was global. People in Japan and Europe were watching this in 1983!

Ice T appears at 22:00 and throughout.

 
I would say that I think a lot of those cats get tagged legendary because they were pioneers and broke down major barriers.
 
That's how I feel.

I could name 20 MCs/groups that are indisputable legends from the 80s.

I doubt that you could name 20 MCs/groups that are legends from any other decade.

In other words, if you were to name 25 Legends in Hip Hop, 15-20 of them would be from the 80s.


Smh

it's like 9 members in Wu, so that's bout 1/2 way to 20 lol
 
Same thing applies here, you can only say they were the first, noone considers him the best from that era
yea go back and read what i said, i never said they weren't successful i said they werent influential. Vanilla ICE sold mad records too whats your point?


How can you say they weren't influential? In the 80s every girl wanted to be either Salt, Pepa or Spinderella. They danced in their videos, which was a first. In fact, they were the second female group that I can think of (Sequence was first but they didn't really have any hits). Salt N Pepa have a Greatest Hits catalog that could fill up a CD-R. And they're from the 80s. Basically I'm saying they were the first successful female rap group. And now that I think about it, I can't think of another female Rap group at the moment.

Can you think of another female Rap group that danced in their videos?




 
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