Mt. Rushmore of Rap

I was listening to Eric Kuselias on Mike and Mike in the Morning a couple of weeks ago, and LL Cool J was doing promotions all over the station that day. He sat in to be interviewed by Eric, some of the TV guys and Scott Van Pelt. Anyways, Kuselias brought up the topic of who would be the four (presumably) guys that would be pictured if they made a Mt. Rushmore of Rap. I think this was a great question, would like to debate it myself, and this post is my answer to that query. Now the parameters for the answer are Mt. Rushmore itself, 4 faces and 4 faces only. This necessitates that groups are excluded. However, if you really want to make a case for your favorite group in the comments, be my guests. On to the Mt. Rushmore of Rap.

1. LL Cool J

His discography is lengthy and phenomenal. Radio (1985) had I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells". Coupled with his appearance as himself in one of my favorite movies, "Krush Groove", and you could tell that a star was about to break out. And boy did he ever. Bigger and Deffer (1987) had the ever popular "I Need Love", which put him on the map in my middle school world as soon as it came out. Walking With a Panther (1989) had such hits as "Big Ole Butt", "Going Back to Cali", "I'm That Type of Guy" and "Jingling Baby". Big Ole Butt had the line - "she worked at Red Lobster but I didn't remember". Now that's poetry. Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) had 3 hits, including "The Boomin' System", and two absolute MONSTERS, "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Around the Way Girl". He released 14 Shots to the Dome (1993), which went platinum without a single being released. Mr. Smith (1995) returned him to the forefront of the music world, with the singles "Doin It", "Hey Lover" and "Loungin". Phenomenon (1997) came out next, followed by G.O.A.T. (2000), 10 (2002) and The DEFinition (2004), which featured the hit, and club favorite "Headsprung". Todd Smith (2006) and Exit 13 (2008) were his latest two albums. This doesn't even include his greatest hits album, all world.

LL Cool J makes Mt. Rushmore primarily because of his longevity, along with some very popular and excellent songs of various styles. From his slow "I Need Love" and "Around the Way Girl", to the hard "Mama Said Knock You Out", to the creepin' classic "I'm That Type of Guy", to the club hits "Headsprung and Doin't It", LL always brought it.

2. KRS-One

KRS-One's discography is equally as long as LL Cool J's, even if not as well-known and popular to the general public. Criminal Minded (1986), By All Means Necessary (1988), Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop (1989), Edutainment (1990), Sex and Violence (1992), Return of the Boom Bap (1993), KRS-One (1995), I Got Next (1997), A Retrospective (2000), The Sneak Attack (2001), Spiritual Minded (2002), The Mix Tape (2002), Kristyles (2003), D.I.G.I.T.A.L. (2003), Keep Right (2004), Life (2006), Hip Hop Lives (2007), Adventures In Emceeing (2008), Maximum Strength 2008 (2008), Conflosation (2008).

Although not necessarily commercially successful in the way we think of extremely popular groups, KRS-One is not recognized for his popularity, but rather, because of his actual skills on the microphone, and his ability to create on the fly. He was a true freestyler, and his rivalry with MC Shan over the song "Queensbridge" made people pay attention to rappers, and not just the songs themselves. He practically created battle rapping, at least as far as the general public is concerned. A truly great MC.

3. Dr. Dre

Became popular as a leading member of the group N.W.A., with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. In 1988 N.W.A. released Straight Outta Compton, with three immediate hits, "Straight Outta Compton", "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Fuck Tha Police". After leaving N.W.A., Dr. Dre released The Chronic in 1992, his first solo album, although he did release the title song to the movie Deep Cover with Snoop Doggy Dogg, starring Lawrence Fishbourne and Jeff Goldblum. The Chronic contained such hits as "Ain't Nuthin But a G Thang", "Fuk Wit Dre Day" and "Let Me Ride". [Note - Fuk Wit Dre Day and Cop Killer were the songs I listened to in college to prep for any sporting event - those songs would get you in a mood]. Dre's next big production was to produce Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle, followed by the soundtracks for Above the Rim and Murder was the Case. He later released 2001 (2001), which contained the single "Forgot about Dre".

However, it was what Dre did between solo albums that puts him on Mount Rushmore. His production of Snoop Doggy Dogg, and later Eminem and 50 Cents, among others, is what makes Dre stand out among rappers. To quote one of his own songs, "You never been on a ride like this before, with a producer that can rap". He also is known for his funky beats, often sampling funk hits from the 1970's. For his contributions as a rapper, producer, and for practically starting, with Public Enemy, the urban conscious movement in rap, Dr. Dre belongs on Mount Rushmore.


4. Kurtis Blow

I thought about this last person a lot, and Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube and Chuck D, all were finalists for this last spot. Plus, the Asian delegation would have selected the RZA, the GZA, the Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and the entire Wu Tang Clan.

However, I kept coming back to Kurtis Blow. Kurtis Blow's discography is not as lengthy as LL Cool J's or KRS-One's, but it does include, Kurtis Blow (1980), Deuce (1981), Tough (1982), Ego Trip (1984), America (1985), Kingdom Blow (1986), Back by Popular Demand (1988), and Kurtis Blow Presents: Hip Hop Ministry (2007). His hit singles include "Christmas Rappin'", "If I Ruled the World" and "The Breaks", which has been sampled and referenced in all sorts of popular culture, including video games like Grand Theft Auto, Vice City.

However, Kurtis Blow's greatest contribution may have been his compilation series, History of Rap, in both book and CD formats. In addition to being a capable MC himself, Kurtis Blow's contributions will allow future rappers to know the lineage from which they developed, and allow all of us to truly know the history of this purely American form of music.

Your thoughts?