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Today’s hip-hop landscape looks a lot like the lunchroom at an urban high school. What began as one thing, has grown into another, much bigger, more fractured thing altogether. While the casual observer might look at the rap genre as one thing, the more dedicated listener will note the distinct sub-categories that the music has to offer. Each category, while separate, will contain a bit of overlap for two reasons. First, each artist is influenced by the art of their contemporaries and predecessors. Secondly, what makes the product that each artist creates palatable for large audiences are the cords of similarity within the biographies of the entertainers and their fans. These shared experiences, stories, and viewpoints are the intangible elements that create the culture of hip-hop.

Here are the categories and their most notable figures:

• The “Cool” Kids
• The Gangsters/Soldiers
• The Kingpins
• The Outsiders and Weird Kids
• The Disciples

Click Here to keep reading “The Hip-Hop Lunchroom – Rap’s Five Emcee Categories.” Category explanations after the jump.