Origins 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. He pimped the system to stand the test of time as an artist whose career has spanned over four decades. 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.

From the window to the wall, Lil Jon has seen it all. Growing up in an upper middle class family in the suburbs of Atlanta, Jon Smith began to find his way in music early on. Learning how to DJ from a close friend and throwing the now infamous "Chicken and Beer" parties in his basement, Smith caught a lick of the spotlight and wanted more. Making his way to the top as an A&R, forming his supergroup Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz, and continuing to make his mark across genres, Jon understands he was a born hitmaker.

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.

2 Live Crew frontman and controversial Hip Hop pioneer, Luther Campbell, rose to fame as he single-handedly changed the face of music two fold: fathering the birth of Southern Hip Hop, and fighting for musicians' first amendment rights. Known as the raunchiest man in Hip Hop, Luke was a musical mastermind: his activism, drive and perseverance for constitutional rights changed Hip Hop and law books forever.