Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter
Artist, mogul and icon, Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has been hip hop's alpha male for the better part of a decade, and he continues to be the industry's ultimate taste-maker, power player and trendsetter. On December 11, 2009, Jay-Z... Read More
Russell Simmons
"The Godfather of Hip Hop" For anyone else, a title such as this would sound hyperbolic. But for Russell Simmons, even 'Godfather' may be an understatement. The man who put hip hop on the global map, Simmons began launch... Read More
Stephen Hill
As President of Programming for Black Entertainment Television, Stephen Hill is the guiding force behind one of the pillars of African American pop culture. BET is the primary source of music... Read More
Kanye West
There are few figures in 2000s hip hop culture that have been as artistically and culturally influential as Kanye West. Musically, the emergence of artists like Drake and Kid Cudi is evidence of Kanye West's ongoing influence on a younger... Read More
DeAndre "Soulja Boy" Way
Youth often belies wisdom. In the case of rapper/producer/writer Soulja Boy, youth – and youthful antics – completely distort his wisdom. Granted, the 20-year-old who has more than 100 tattoos admittedly has room to grow. But... Read More
Sean "Diddy" Combs
He started out humble enough to cater to the stars – be it the neighborhood paper boy (whom he persuaded to hand down a popular route for a percentage of his earnings); burgeoning pop-rock stars the Fine Young Cannibals and R B singer... Read More
Dwayne "Lil Wayne" Carter
A little prison time did nothing to slow Lil Wayne's momentum throughout 2010. Still one of the most popular rappers in the industry, the man born Dwayne Carter has continued his run of chart success and shrewd business moves despite... Read More
Lyor Cohen
A force in the music industry for over two decades, Lyor Cohen is a hip hop executive who's overseen the ascension of some of rap's biggest names. Chairman/CEO, Warner Music Group, Cohen made his first industry strides... Read More
Jimmy Iovine
Interscope Records was founded as a small alt-rock label in the late 1980s. It was the determination and vision of it's founder, Jimmy Iovine, that led to the label becoming a hip hop powerhouse and industry standard-bearer... Read More
Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
Cocky and controversial, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson is always one of hip hop's most entertaining personalities. More than that, 'Fiddy,' over the course of his career, has shown a business savvy and a knack or self-promotion... Read More
