7 Rappers Who Have Left a Lasting Impression on Music History

[{"selector":"#anim-7b2942df-5e5d-4b4c-b507-9e4bed5caf88","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ecb5b4d2-4f2f-4b87-ac9b-16ad241f3146","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-895d152e-0e3f-4b70-b5ab-2208ef3d10f9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Born in Compton, Kendrick Lamar brings a powerful, thought-provoking style to gangsta rap and R&B. He s also known for his work on the Black Panther movie soundtrack. Kendrick Lamar

[{"selector":"#anim-cc706a12-9cfd-427c-ba71-df8145ed91d3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e5122517-5ac4-4dd3-a9b0-883dccd27c75","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e1d79360-5d5a-4f60-9c6b-1a84c9a13428","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] LL Cool J emerged at rap s mainstream dawn, with unmatched energy in hits like I Need a Beat. He transitioned to acting but remains true to his rap roots. LL Cool J

[{"selector":"#anim-ed97bae4-ef90-4c53-a2e4-f28f8d416a5a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1fe32b17-7654-4697-92ec-45280145710a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d86f834e-a6ae-45f9-9a4f-ff3c5c43e74d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Big Pun made waves with Still Not a Player, becoming the first Latino solo rapper to go platinum. He passed away in 2000, but his legacy endures. Big Pun

[{"selector":"#anim-9ec9977e-4ee2-41f3-99c6-8105623292c3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0dcffdd6-6d1b-4929-af13-7b354bb51e73","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a5dc8ee9-54b5-4649-925c-d65af5890b43","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Atlanta s Ludacris rose to fame with his Dirty South style and charismatic presence. A Grammy winner and pop culture icon, he s left a lasting mark on music. Ludacris

[{"selector":"#anim-951c8acb-2988-4fdc-ac0d-ae093925a133","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a655cdd7-597e-44bb-bfa9-ee5c8ec70cde","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-61448b11-0857-4ffd-9320-32b2fff3d4eb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Formerly Mos Def, Yasiin Bey is a talented lyricist and smooth rapper. Known for hits across genres, his latest album, Negus, was released in 2019. Yasiin Bey

[{"selector":"#anim-d8022b57-f47e-4dca-b3f8-b2353d39702c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66eb52a7-5bcc-449a-9f85-e19a24f31a1d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8b612d63-c27a-4722-8a39-2ef50497a1f5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Lauryn Hill s versatility spans rap, R&B, and jazz. Her 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, remains an influential classic. Sporadic tours and collaborations follow. Lauryn Hill

[{"selector":"#anim-e62dee21-b864-49b2-b7d8-c90ad97b2b46","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e308b564-4c97-4cd8-af23-cc4ec615f775","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a1a220da-2ee5-44d6-8446-e43e6561d229","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(100.00000%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Crater Lake, deepest in the US, formed 7,700 yrs ago by Mount Mazama's collapse. Klamath Indian oral traditions recount its creation. Missy Elliott