BLACK TRUTH NEWS PICKS THE BEST 25 HIP HOP GROUPS OF ALL TIME [Full List]

5. Public Enemy

I kind of struggled with putting Public Enemy in this slot. My apprehension definitely was not based on accolades or influence. PE is not only one of the handful of Hip Hop groups in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, but their album Fear of a Black Planet is preserved in the Library of Congress. In terms of influence, Public Enemy was at the forefront of bringing political and social awareness in Hip Hop. What made me hesitant to put them in my top five was the music. Of course their music is legendary, but honestly there are other groups who music I like better than PE. However this list is not just based on my musical taste. This is a countdown of who  I believed had the best music, biggest influence and the most success as a Hip Hop group. Even with that said, I still listened to PE’s It Takes A Million to Hold Us Back album for more persuasion on their selection. And let’s just say that even though the album was released in 1988, it stills sounds fresh and dope. Not too many artists can or will say that about their music after 30 years.

4. N.W.A

N.W.A only released two albums, but the impact of those albums cannot be denied. The release of their debut album Straight Outta Compton changed the landscape of Hip Hop. It was kind of culture shock to hear the rawness of their lyrics and the real to life description of daily activities on the West Coast. It was labeled “Gangsta Rap” but group members said it was simply “Reality Rap.” Although there were other artists like Scholly D, Ice-T, and Boogie Down Productions who introduced “Reality Rap” to Hip Hop; N.W.A made it popular. In a sense they created a wave that continues to this day. From the root of N.W.A, you had: Ice, Cube Eazy-E, Dr, Dre, Snoop Dogg, Bone-Thugs -N-Harmony, Tha Dogg Pound, The Game, 50 Cent, Warren G, and Eminem.

3. Run-DMC

Behind Wu-Tang Clan, Run-DMC might have been the most influential group in Hip Hop history. Some may argue they were much bigger than Wu-Tang and you wouldn’t get any argument from me. Run-DMC was huge superstars. I remember my uncles playing their tapes to death. They had movies, shoe deals and sold out arenas. Without Run-DMC & Jam Master Jay(R.I.P) there would be no Migos or any other major group that has went platinum or multi-platinum on this list. They were the originators of international superstar groups in Hip Hop. Period.

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