Origins of Hip-Hop

Fat Joe's authenticity helped him gain respect from all angles as he pushed to break boundaries as one of hip-hop's only Latino rappers while also forming a reputable crew of rappers and producers, famously known as The Terror Squad.

From his eccentric style, booming voice, and explosive career, Busta Rhymes changed the landscape of Hip Hop forever. After the heart-wrenching breakup of his group, Leaders of The New School, Busta Rhymes has to forge his own path as a solo artist to keep himself and his dream alive.

Eve's rise to fame as one of rap's most successful female artists is worth a celebration, but the path to get there was less than ideal; after struggling to be noticed, she finally catches the break of a lifetime and gets signed by Dr. Dre. After dealing with her anxiety she came back stronger than ever, rising from the ashes becoming a household name, and her contributions are forever etched in the fabric of Hip Hop.

Hip Hop was birthed from the Bronx but to New York's surprise, a harsh reality also lived on the West Coast. Enter: the Original Gangster, Ice-T. Ice-T took a page from Iceberg Slim's books and applied it to his multifaceted career. From "Cop Killer" to playing America's favorite cop on television, Ice-T's career and accomplishments have paved the way for artists to emulate his path.

Growing up in an upper-middle-class family in the suburbs of Atlanta, Jon Smith began to find his way in music early on; forming his supergroup Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz, Jon continued to make his mark across genres.

Emerging from the South Bronx in the 1970's, Grandmaster Flash and his innovation helped create the most widespread movement in popular culture: Hip-Hop. Using a record player as an instrument, Grandmaster Flash fast tracked his career and notoriety and spawned the legendary group the Furious Five. But all good things don't last forever… after parting ways with the group he created, Flash is forced to find his own path and reinvent himself.