Regarded as the most talented rapper alive, Jay-Z has reigned over hip-hop since the 90s, building up a dynasty and selling millions of albums. He started out in the ghetto in Brooklyn as a drug dealer and turned his life around to become a multimillionaire and global superstar. The classic Jay-Z albums are The Blueprint (2001) and The Black Album (2003), which includes my all-time favourite Jay-Z track, “Public Service Announcement”. He also released the ultimate collaboration album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne, which was No 1 on iTunes in 23 countries Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images
Eminem was one of the biggest-selling artists of the last decade and made a huge contribution to taking hip-hop mainstream and making it one of the biggest selling genres. A skilled lyricist, his rhymes are clever, funny, dark and incredibly intricate - just listen to “Cleanin’ Out My Closet”, which is from his third album, The Eminem Show. He got lost to drugs in the middle of the last decade when he lost his childhood friend Proof - a fellow rapper who was shot in a club in Detroit in 2006. But he managed to come back from that, and he came back strong Photograph: PR
I knew Biggie Smalls, as people called him, well. When I joined Radio 1 in 1994, he came over to do my launch party at the Hammersmith Palais in west London. He was very charismatic and his lyrics were the most fly of all time. When he was murdered [in a drive-by shooting in 1997], it felt like it was the end of hip-hop. His style of rapping – celebrating success and life – still dominates hip-hop today. Before him, East Coast rap was grimy, but he brought hip-hop back into the clubs and introduced bling into the game. Fourteen years after his death, he’s still the king of New York Photograph: Everett Collection / Rex Feature/Everett Collection / Rex Feature
Kanye is a breath of fresh air in the rap game. His beats are incredible and his rhymes are intelligent and uplifting, as well as emotional. He is rare in that he’s a great producer and lyricist, which means that he’s totally in control of his material and that allows him to make his music so personal and to express his emotions to the fullest. He definitely has his demons, but who doesn’t? 2007’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing”, the first single from his third album, Graduation, is one of his most powerful records, and 2008’s Glow in the Dark tour was the greatest live performance I have ever seen Photograph: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Lil Wayne is currently the hottest rapper in hip-hop and he’s at the centre of a movement that defines the genre in 2011. His YMCMB (Young Money Cash Money Billionaires) crew is the most powerful in the game, and includes Drake, Nicki Minaj and Birdman - in hip-hop terms the most talented and creative artists on the planet right now. He comes from New Orleans but relocated to Miami after hurricane Katrina. His rapping style – a kind of fluid, laid-back drawl – defines what’s so great about southern hip-hop. “A Milli” is one of his tracks that makes dancefloors go crazy whenever I play it Photograph: Jim Cooper/AP
Part of the aforementioned YMCMB crew, his style of rapping and singing is defining hip-hop in 2011. His lyrics are so fly and his music works in clubs, in the car, in the bedroom. Born Aubrey Drake Graham, he comes from a middle-class Canadian family and started out on TV (playing one of the characters in a teenage drama series) rather than drug dealing, but that hasn’t been an obstacle to his success... which is a positive thing for hip-hop. He’s just dropped the hottest album of the year, Take Care, which has a track “Headlines” that is taking over the clubs. This is rap for the next generation of hip-hop fans Photograph: PR
Without doubt, Nicki is the greatest female rapper of all time. She’s an exceptionally talented artist with an incredibly powerful image based on the Japanese Harajuku Barbie (Harajuku is an area in Tokyo). Every time she touches the mic she spits fire, sometimes switching to rap as her male alter ego known as Roman Zolanski. She has devoted passionate fans known as barbz (short for Barbies) who copy her look with skin-tight clothes and different styled and coloured wigs. Her new album is the most anticipated of 2012. My favourite track is “Moment 4 Life”, and meeting her was definitely the moment of my life Photograph: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
East Londoner Dizzee came out of the UK grime scene a decade ago – the only one to really break through from that era. His early grime music has evolved, resulting in a number of dancefloor hits such as “Bonkers” (2009) and “Dance Wiv Me” (2008), both of which went to No 1. Dizzee delivers a great stage show, which has made him very successful on the summer festival circuit. For me, the defining Dizzee Rascal record is “I Luv U”, his debut single from 2003, which summed up the hardcore UK grime scene. He’s one of the great UK artists, still relevant today, and we should celebrate his success Photograph: Don Arnold/WireImage
In the past few years there have been a number of London urban artists who have come out of the grime scene and achieved success by making pop records. Tinie, along with producer Labrinth, managed to come up with music that didn’t compromise his street sound and the pair of them single-handedly changed the game overnight. “Pass Out” the big hit from his debut album Disc-Overy, was his defining moment. Now he’s selling out 20,000-capacity arenas and recording with US acts such as Wiz Khalifa. He is a hard worker and very focused so there is definitely more great music to come Photograph: Tom Oldham/Rex Features
Tupac was the greatest artist ever [he died in a drive-by shooting in 1996]; a legend in the game. The power of his music is undeniable to this day as he carries on speaking to people from beyond the grave. I’ve seen the emotion and pain in his lyrics make grown men cry. He became an icon of west coast rap at the height of the east coast/west coast beef. I don’t think I’ve ever DJed at a club where I haven’t played his music. “Hail Mary” is my favourite joint Photograph: Chi Modu/Redferns
