Ok buddy.

I think the words legend and icon are terms that are thrown around to loosely. It takes much more to achieve those things imo.

I know, we've been through this many a time. I'm well aware of your impossibly high standards of defining what an icon or legend, but somehow not strict enough to let Janet Jackson in. We just have a fundamental disagreement on how to define a legend I guess. I think of people who make big waves in the music world and have good music behind it (because sometimes they don't, especially looking back at their contemporaries). That's why I consider them as potentially legendary in the musical world.

You'll notice in my post that I prefaced that both Aesop Rock and El-P will probably be considered legendary in underground circles. This doesn't make them legends in everyone's eyes because a lot of people haven't even heard of them, but I think that they've made enough of an impact to fit my criteria.

Make sure you make a note of this prediction so you can refer back to it 30 years from now.

But there really hasn't been any prolific mainstream rappers in recent years that has made "legendary" music, music that has broke cultural/racial barriers and has been groundbreaking for rap music. Everything that has been released in recent years has been done before.

People have said things like this for ages about every form of popular music and they've always turned out to be wrong.

Well if that is your opinion on Janet than all I can do is respect it although I don't agree. However, I don't see what that has to do with this thread. There have been some really great underground rappers, yes I agree with you on that.

However, to be a legend I think you have to make a significant impact on the genre itself as well as "the people." I think this happens when the music transcends and touches people. It so much deeper than just being a "good rapper" but to be fair I think this is the case for any genre.

I mostly hear this about 90's and 00's music.

IMO, innovation in popular music ended in the 80's, specifically late 80's.

Right, that's why all hip hop since then sounds exactly like Public Enemy and Big Daddy Kane.

speaking in generalizations gets you nowhere, though.

honestly i'm not as current on rap music cause i prefer 90's **** for the most part but i would have to say that i haven't heard any really groundbreaking artists in a while. i would have to say the last truly groundbreaking artist to me was lil wayne circa-2005 or so. since then there's been a few decent niche rappers that have emerged but nothing really revolutionary imo and nobody that seems obviously bound for legendary status. maybe kanye though i really haven't kept up with him much