The Rise of Hip-Hop Icons

From Kool Herc’s Kingston-style block parties to Kendrick’s Grammy sweeps and Carti’s moshpit mayhem, who really ran rap every year since 1979? In this definitive timeline, we break down the Big 3 artists of each year, blending mainstream dominance, cultural impact, and lyrical integrity.

Featuring heavyweights like LL Cool J, OutKast, Missy, Future, Nicki Minaj, and J. Cole, this episode challenges revisionist history and makes room for the artists who actually defined the sound, the streets, and the stats.

Was Drake too dominant to leave off 2019? Should LL have been #1 in ’87? Did we underrate Future’s run? Is Kendrick now the GOAT closer? We’ve got facts, footnotes, and a lot of fire takes.

Whether you’re an old-head, new-school, backpacker or trap loyalist, this episode is your hip-hop history cheat code.

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