Which rap artists have been around the longest?
 

The 50 cent thread has me wondering .. which rap artists have been around the longest?

ll cool j has been around forever and still makes platinum albums

You must be which artists have been around the longest, and still can sell an album. In that case, LL's been around for 21 albums, and mid 80's. So I would say he is it.

:pimp

whuzzup yo

http://www.worth1000.com/entries/63500/63647JpRO_w.jpg

Uncle LL Kool J($tyle$) - been making records for almost 20 years

I would have to say LL. Up to now there album still sells.

dre's been around

Dr Dre has been making records for about 20 years beginning with the World Class Wreckin Crew in '84-'85 I believe. He has never stopped making them platinum.

Will Smith, used to be the "Fresh Prince" who is now an actor/icon, has been pumping out rap albums since the mid 80's also.

Same story with Ice Cube who started in the group NWA in '86.

Rakim has had a decent run since the mid 80's.

Most contemporary rap arists seem to have started after 1990, after Vanilla/Hammer became rap/pop sensations.

beastie boys have been around forever

definitely...

snoops been around awhile...ll cool j....will smith...too short

De La Soul

Bob Dylan.

Thanks, all

Seriously, listen to "Subterranian Homesick Blues."

Dre, Will Smith, LL, Beasties, Run DMC, De La Soul, KRS-One and Kool Keith are all some big name hip hop acts that have been around since the 80s.

fat joe, mase, jay z :)

or busy bee & grandmaster flash ;)

dr dre
LL
KRS one
cube
beasty boys
snoop
run dmc

White Lines...
 

Grandmaster Flash has been around since the early 80's.

ADG Webmaster

Ice T :upsidedow

Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane , EPMD

would run dmc and beastie boys be some of the early ones?

Okay, so I did some digging...Grand Master Flash has been around since the early 70's, and is fer sure one of the pioneers of rap music. Also included on the list are Afrika Bambaataa, Cool DJ Herc, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, and the Sugarhill Gang.

Here's an interesting article on the subject:

The History of Rap

ADG Webmaster

Big Daddy Kane hasn't released an album since 98. And since 99, EPMD has only released a single. Erick Sermon's career has continued though since EPMD.

Although he's a pioneer and still a prolific DJ, GMF hasn't released an album since 97. Kool DJ Herc is another pioneer but retired in the 90s. Kurtis Blow's last release dates back to the mid 80s. The only thing the Sugarhill Gang has done since the mid 80s is a rap album for kids.

Dr Dre has been doing it for over 20 years

Grand Master Flash? Kurtis Blow? Not sure if they count. I don't think they are around anymore. Definetly some of the first though.

:1orglaugh ,ya'll dont' know shit...$hort been around since 82...he made album #10 in 1996, he started slanging tapes from his trunk....check your facts and history :1orglaugh if you don't know $hort shut the fuck up..he's on i think album 14...all albums and not complaitions

:thumbsup
ice-t is a real pimp, tip: 7th deadly sin is one of his best albums. If not the best!

Dr Dre has NOT been an mc for that long , he started as a DJ so you cant count those years

his first REALLY SUCCESFULL album was made in '93

LL is a hasbeen , all the singles he has been making lately all FLOP ,

the first REALLY SUCCESFULL album he made I think was in '85

Krs ONE NEVER made a REALLY SUCCESFULL album , although he made MANY MANY hip hop classics he doesnt do commercial rap and thus by the standards of this thread he doesn't apply

any rapper that started before '90 now = hasbeen , the only one that isn't is KRS , all the others = hasbeen

wasn't this thread about REALLY SUCCESFULL rappers, thus high record sales ? ? your boy $hort has not made one in that peticular category , so stfu

vanilla ice is wreckin mics

chuck d and public enemy

what he said :thumbsup

Most rap artists have been around too long :glugglug

lol, he owned his own record company and his publishing that translate to much cash in bank... :1orglaugh every album went at least platy w/out radio play..he didn't need mtv :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh :1orglaugh

can't forgte ICE -T was doing his thing way before nwa..but what do you y'all know :1orglaugh

Run DMC.....sugar hill gang

beastie boys.... even tho they have changed styles often, they are still mad original.

You know, they were the first rap group i remember in the 80's that had some crazy violence in their rhymes... everyone else during those times was rappin some happy go lucky shit.

are you talking about too short ? if so , make yourself more clear

Dre has made the most of his rap career, for the amount of time he has been in the scene, he has prolly made the most $$$$$, and had the biggest influence!

Wow, I never expected these guys to have that kinda longevity. Amazing.

longevity : LL
power / longest career average : Dre

De La Soul - been around as long as LL

no way will rap music cross over into suburban lifestyle..its just a fad

it's not like Run DMC, Krs-One, Kool Keith are still arround (I know krs released a cd but it sold like 50 000 copies ...)

But they aiin't putting out plat records after plat records like LL ...

That's who I was gonna say. Still goin' strong.

chingy and nelly are as old school as you can get...

they also drop very little bullshit. They're unique to hip hop man
LL went commerical....not to say James didn't drop it with BAD back in the day, but he hasn't made an album that tight since. De La hit their stride with 'Stakes is High'

http://users.pandora.be/freevideo/NE...Number_one.mp3

thats why KRS ONE will ALWAYS be NUMBER ONE ;-)

vanillia :)

http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.co...Vanillaice.jpg

Haha, I remember a friend trying to tell me this back in '88-'89. He said it would go the same way as break dancing; what a fool!