Billboard’s Top 5 Rap Groups: Charting Hip-Hop’s Evolution Through the Decades

Hip-hop was born in August of 1973 at a back-to-school party in the Bronx borough of New York City. DJ Kool Herc began playing with turntables while Coke La Rock grabbed a mic to MC, and hip-hop was born. The Billboard's chart-topping rap groups have mirrored the evolution of hip-hop culture over the decades, forming a road map of the genre's progression. Hip-hop has sparked cultural conversations and given a voice to marginalized communities more than any other art form throughout the years.

Eazy-E, one of seven eventual members, formed the rap group N.W.A. in 1987 in Compton, California. He also launched the Ruthless Records label that year, giving the group instant access to publishing opportunities. Though their first songs were released on the collaborative album N.W.A. and the Posse in 1987, it was their debut album, Straight Outta Compton that vaulted them into mainstream success.

Released in 1988, Straight Outta Compton went triple platinum and heralded the age of gangsta rap, a hardened rap genre that reflects the violent and often poverty-stricken lifestyle in the inner city. Though Ice-T and Schooly D had previously ventured into the genre, Straight Outta Compton took gangsta rap mainstream and shook up the industry with incendiary commentary and explicit language. N.W.A. unapologetically shined a spotlight on the issues of gang violence, police brutality, and racial profiling, blazing the trail for future rap artists to do the same.

In the mid-90s, the Wu-Tang Clan was instrumental in making rap relevant in New York. The East Coast Renaissance was driven by a new generation of rappers who had grown up during the 1980s crack epidemic and ensuing crime wave. The city was ready for a reemergence into the rap scene, and the Wu-Tang Clan was perfectly positioned to execute. The group epitomized the new sound of rap, emphasizing gritty production and using hardcore instrumentals with intricate wordplay.

The Wu-Tang Clan's debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), dropped in 1993, and it was steeped in raw emotion and ruthless energy. The album's popularity skyrocketed, putting New York at the center of the rap scene again. 

OutKast won the Best New Group of the Year award at the 1995 Source Awards in New York City, but they were so out of place at the time that they were nearly heckled offstage by the city's rap elite, who were immersed in an East Coast/West Coast war at the time. André 3000 planted a flag for rap in the South and stated, "It's like we got a demo tape and don't nobody wanna hear it. But it's like this, the South got somethin' to say.” By the time OutKast released Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in 2003, the South was being heard. 

OutKast proved that the South had more than country music in its roots. Their lyrical hip-hop explored cultural issues of the South and boldly confronted the duo's position as southern blacks on the fringes of society, both in the hip-hop scene and in the post-civil rights South. OutKast helped put the production duo Organized Noize on the map, paving the way for other southern hip-hop artists. Organized Noize also produced southern artists such as Ludacris, Mista, and Goodie Mob.

In the mid-2000s, rap and hip-hop took on a new sound, being influenced by the popularity of pop music. This shift is epitomized by the evolution of the Black Eyed Peas. The group started in 1995, performing rap and hip-hop with smooth flows and powerful social commentary. Their first two albums, Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap, stood out from the gangsta rap of the time by incorporating jazz and neo-soul influences. 

By the release of their third album, Elephunk, in 2003, the group had shifted to embrace the pop-centric inspiration that helped the Black Eyed Peas achieve their mainstream success. The global hit "Where Is the Love?" cemented their place in the music industry. Black Eyed Peas have maintained their celebrity status by continuing to evolve and incorporating everything from R&B to EDM into their sound.

Progressing through the 2010s and 2020s, hip-hop music welcomed a new influence in the form of trap music. This hip-hop subgenre takes a minimalist approach to music, putting heavy emphasis on rhythmic lyrics driven by synthesized drum beats. Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Post Malone are just some of the chart-topping artists to embrace this genre.

The Atlanta trio Migos enjoyed a significant rise to fame in the trap genre. Their catchy and distinctive flows characterize their brand of music, with songs such as "Fight Night" and "Stir Fry" topping the charts. They're best known for the "Migos flow" which combines three beats into one.

Hip-hop has been one of the most dominant forces in American culture for years, but it was often subdued by radio stations and record labels that shied away from the raw and abrasive nature of many rap lyrics. In the streaming age, hip-hop is finally empowered to come into its own. Hip-hop and rap artists have always made a deep cultural impact since their earliest days, and their influence will only increase as music access is democratized throughout the country.