Seriously -
It's Dr. Dre. With NWA he took rap music from party music to street poetry
with a documentarian stance. Unlike Public Enemy he got his message across
without being pedantic. This legitimized "gangsta" rap to the critical
establishment AND opened the door for hip-hop's dominance of teen culture.
With Ice Cube he revolutionized sampling and rap production- creating an
aural cinema of the urban wasteland.
His record "The Chronic" stands as perhaps the most influential hip-hop
record ever. Inspiring The Roots, Outkast and Nas.
He produced several classics, especially "DoggyStyle".
And he brought Eminem to the world. (Though a potential strike against him
due to its content, "Slim Shady" points toward the inevitable future of
white dominance of rap music)
Nuff said. I'm right, you're wrong. Na, na, na, nahhh.
NP: The Barkers - Burn Your Piano
