Quote:
Originally Posted by Jester
Bleh, if you wanted to place Rakim above people in his list, you could have easily used the Sugarhill Gang or A Tribe Called Quest or Big Daddy Kane. Not that these people aren't important, but Rakim definitely surpasses them, and I don't even think I'd put any of them in a top 10 based on importance.
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No. A Tribe Called Quest should definitely be in the list, without doubt. They may not have played a part in influencing anything that has ever been hugely mainstream, but they certainly don't sound dated the way Rakim does to me now. Rakim did a lot for influencing mainstream rap that came after him, and is a clear influence in an unbelievable amount of rappers. But ATCQ developed a completely unique jazz rap sound, and along with De La Soul (who I don't consider to be as unique or influential) completely paved the way for alternative hip-hop. And while rap was starting to turn to darker themes and violence, ATCQ made jazzy songs with incredible beats, fantastic samples, and often nonsensical, fun, intelligent lyrics. I'd put them in top 5 for sure, over the Jungle Brothers, who had a much more focused influence and didn't truly open up the new genre like ATCQ.
Just my take. And I don't listen to that much rap, so I could be wrong.