1. Wu-Tang Clan
2. Jay-Z
3. The Roots
4. Pharoahe Monch
5. Necro

1. Main Source
2. Blackalicious
3. Common
4. KRS-One
5. Beastie Boys

Don't listen to much hip-hop / rap now but on my ipod ....

1. Public Enemy
2. De La Soul
3. Jungle Brothers
4. Schoolly D
5. Wu-Tang Clan

1 Public Enemy
2 Ice Cube
3 N.W.A
4 Consolidated
5 New Kingdom

1 - Jurassic 5
2 - Jedi Mind Tricks
3 - De La Soul
4 - MF Doom
5 - A Tribe Called Quest

1) Kanye West
2) Jay-Z
3) Lupe Fiasco
4) Eminem
5) J Dilla

Oh my

A Tribe Called Quest
J Dilla (going to squeeze Slum Village into that)
Jay-Z
The Wu-Tang Clan
DJ Shadow

Changes all the time etc etc as I'm sure it does for everyone.

Jay Z
Kanye West
Nas
Public Enemy
Wu-Tang clan

if it was top 6 MF Doom would be my #6. the danger doom stuff that he dose with danger mose is good too.

A Tribe Called Quest
Dilla
Wu-Tang Clan (specifically 92-97, plus Ghostface since)
Outkast
Gang Starr (plus Premo's productions in general)

This list could obviously be a top 100+ but those guys all have great bodies of work.

Tupac Shakur
Lupe Fiasco
Lil' Wayne
Plies
Bones, Thugs-N-Harmony

Jurassic 5
Wu-Tang Clan (specifically Meth and Ghost)
Eric B/Rakim
Beastie Boys

And controversially, Will Smith. His stuff as The Fresh Prince was important as hell, but most people these days dont see past the mega moviestar thing.

Like others though, my list would be different if I answered it yesterday or tomorrow!

Seems the best place to discuss this - you boys heard the new Q-Tip album yet, "The Renaissance"? It's pretty solid, some great tracks, in particular the Dilla produced Move which is truly magnificent.

Big Daddy Kane
Kool G Rap (+ DJ Polo)
Ultramagnetic MC's (Kool Keith Thornton esp)
Gang Starr
Masta Ace

I've been listening to it on and off for the past fortnight and I'm really liking it. Tip has a remarkable talent for making every album and song sound so fresh, no matter how long he has been rapping.

Gettin' Up, Move (Dilla Dawg lives on!) and You are probably my favourite tracks.

I love Tip's voice, it's great to hear him on fresh stuff. Only had one proper listen all the way through but I also liked the track with D'Angelo, although he could sing the phone book and I'd think it was great

Black Star (Talib Kweli & Mos Def)
Big L
Aesop Rock
Tribe Called Quest
Yungun

Big L

Common

Talib Kwali

Tenuous but, D'Angelo (I'm no a fucking poof before you say it)

NAS

Beastie Boys
Public Enemy
Gang Starr
A Tribe Called Quest
Sixtoo - Canadian rapper, dark but brilliant.

I like the avator PPV - Rival Schools great album.

(only kidding mate , tis indeed a great album. New material on the way next year!)

Is that the first new stuff since United by Fate? Not heard much of them since.

It is. They split up after that album & only got back together last May for a short tour and some fests.

A bit wary of bands getting back after a fall-out so we'll see how it goes.

Before I get torn to shreads for liking shit rappers, I'm not really all that into Rap/Hip Hop.

N.W.A
Public Enemy
Beastie Boys
Eminem
Ice Cube

Mantronix
NWA
Bushwick Bill
Public Enemy
2 Live Crew

Eminem
Immortal Technique
Dr.Dre
Jedi Mind Tricks
Xzibit