50 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time: A Kenyan Approach
Previously:
Hip Hop Top 50 Lists: A Kenyan Approach
50 Greatest Female MCs of All Time: A Kenyan Approach
Coming Up:
50 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Songs of All Time
50 Greatest Rap Verses of All Time
50 Greatest Hip Hop Collabs of All Time
There are several ingredients to a successful music group. First and foremost, is obviously Talent. Whether the group is all-lyricist, an MC and the DJ, an MC and instrumentalists – however the crew has been put together – the best groups have all members pulling their weight equally. Another vital cog in the group machine is Chemistry. We have borne witness to groups where each MC is undeniably phenomenal on the mic. Yet when they come together, the results are admittedly sub-par. Yaani, it’s less of Voltron and more of Soul Train – in the sense of everyone being more intent on breaking out their best moves with little regard to whoever came before or whoever’s coming after (pause…). To use a WWF (the only REAL wrestling) analogy, anytime a new member gets tagged in, excitement should build for what they are about to unleash. Whether it’s bars or some deft DJ handiwork – or even an infectious call-&-response by a hype man extraordinaire. After all, a group is only as great as the sum of its parts. Think The Legion of Doom or The Rockers (to borrow the tired cliché, if you don’t gerrit, forgerrabourrit)…
For the purposes of this list, ‘group’ includes duos, trios, quartets, even (spoiler alert) 9-man crews. While there are recognized ‘crews’ comprising several groups within them, I have decided to look at musical collectives individually as much as possible. Plus, it must be an actual group; whose journey as a group can be traced. Not just individual artistes finding strength in numbers, friendship, or any other thing that brings humans together, coming together for the obligatory collective album to represent that union – then quickly going their separate ways, until the next one. After all, there are collectives with many groups each bringing a unique dynamic, as well as mediocre (or downright wack) artistes hidden in the shadows cast by the glare of the crew’s brightest luminaries. So, no Juice Crew, Terror Squad, Flipmode Squad, DITC, Ukoo Flani Mau Mau…
As always, let’s chop it up – Who did I criminally leave out? Who would you have placed differently?
Here we go…
50. Wenyeji [KEN]
49. Beastie Boys [USA]
48. Skwatta Kamp [RSA]
47. dead prez [USA]
46.Klear Kut [UG]
45. Nannoma [KEN]
44. EPMD [USA]
43. 2 Live Crew [USA]
42. Achon Pong Clan [KEN]
41. Hieroglyphics [USA]
40. Swollen Members [CAN]
39. Migos [USA]
38. Onyx [USA]
37. Geto Boys [USA]
36. TMK Wanaume [TZ]
35. Dilated Peoples [USA]
34. Saïan Supa Crew [FRA]
33. Necessary Noize [KEN]
32. Cypress Hill [USA]
31. Wakadinali [KEN]
30. Westside Connection [USA]
29. Little Brother [USA]
28. Goodie Mob [USA]
27. Naughty By Nature [USA]
26. UGK [USA]
25. Mashifta [KEN]
24. Red & Meth [USA]
23. Clipse [USA]
22. Salt-N-Pepa [USA]
21. Blackstar [USA]
20. M.O.P [USA]
19. Mobb Deep [USA]
18. De La Soul [USA]
17. Eric B. & Rakim [USA]
16. G-Unit [USA]
15. K-South Flava [KEN]
14. Army Of The Pharoahs [USA]
13. The Fugees [USA]
12. Public Enemy [USA]
11. Gang Starr [USA]
10. The LOX [USA]
09. Kalamashaka [KEN]
08. Run The Jewels [USA]
07. The Roots [USA]
06. A Tribe Called Quest [USA]
05. Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony [USA]
04. Run-DMC [USA]
03. NWA [USA]
02. OutKast [USA]
01. Wu-Tang Clan [USA]
10 Honourable Mentions
The Streets [UK]
Atmosphere [USA]
The Firm [USA]
The Diplomats a.k.a DipSet
Audio Kusini [KEN]
So Solid Crew [UK]
The Pharcyde [USA]
Gangwe Mobb [TZ]
GidiGidi MajiMaji [KEN]
Heavy D & The Boyz [USA]
