The Notable Influencers * Listed in No Specific Order of Importance
Alfred Liggins III
The man who aggressively turned Radio One into a media powerhouse, Liggins guides one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies and the largest radio broadcasting company that primarily targets African-American... Read More
Datwon Thomas
As editor-in-chief of GlobalGrind, Datwon Thomas manages one of the top-tier hip hop sites online. The former EIC of XXL, Thomas has helped push GlobalGrind beyond its hip hop demographic and into the larger stratosphere of popular... Read More
Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin, an American record producer and songwriter, has produced hits for top megastars like T.I., Usher, Soulja Boi, Lil’ Wayne, Kid Cudi and Nelly and won the 2010 BMI Pop Award, the BMI Songwriter of the Year in 2009... Read More
Antonio "L.A." Reid
L.A. Reid heads one of the most powerful, respected and iconic brands in hip hop. As chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Island/Def Jam, Reid is captain of hip hop's most storied ship and he guides some of the industry's... Read More
Aaron "TechN9ne" Yates
A former member of the Black Mafia, Tech N9ne has long been one of hip hop's most unique artists. His bizarre subject matter may have made him one of genre's permanent outsiders, but he's utilized that status to develop one... Read More
Clifford "T.I." Harris, Jr.
In what can best be described as an up-and-down year, T.I. has been one of the most talked-about personalities in hip hop recently. The rapper spent most of late 2009/early 2010 incarcerated following a federal weapons conviction,... Read More
Christopher "DJ Premier" Martin
DJ Premier has long been the producer most accredited with defining the sound of East Coast hip hop, from the early 1990s onward. To this day, Premier remains one of the most sought-after and respected beatsmiths in the industry;... Read More
Kevin Liles
Kevin Liles is an accomplished entrepreneur, executive and one of the industry's most respected veterans. Formerly president of Def Jam Records and Warner Music Group, Liles is now CEO of KWL/Def Jam Enterprises, a music... Read More
Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jacoo
Lupe Fiasco has managed to maintain one of the most loyal fanbases in hip-hop. Earlier this fall, when his third LP, Lasers, was met with another delay, fans gathered a petition with over 28,000 signatures to demand that Atlantic... Read More
Wyclef Jean
For a decade-and-a-half, Wyclef Jean has been one of the most acclaimed and respected artists/songwriter/producers in hip hop. But over the past year, Jean has become just as iconic for his civic, philanthropic and political work... Read More
