Fat Joe

2PacOne of the most idolized and imitated figures in the rap game, the legacy of Tupac Shakur is truly monumental. The Oakland emcee got his start as a dancer with Digital Underground before making his mark as a top-notch actor and hugely successful solo artist. He released his first album 2Pacalypse Now in 1991, followed by starring roles in the films Juice and Poetic Justice. His second album contained the player anthem "I Get Around" and the ode to struggling sisters "Keep Your Head Up." In addition to his rising celebrity status, Tupac also saw numerous run-ins with both sides of the law. In 1994 he released Thug Life, was shot several times in NYC, and was convicted of sexual assault. Me Against The World (1995) debuted at No. 1, while Pac was sitting in jail. Bailed out by Suge Knight, his Death Row premiere All Eyez On Me -- the first hip-hop double album -- featured the hit "California Love" and easily went multiplatinum. On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot repeatedly in Las Vegas and died six days later. Numerous theories continue to surround his murder; some blame Bad Boy, others think Suge set him up, while legions of believers think he is still alive. Many new albums and compilations have continued his career posthumously, with "Changes" getting massive airplay in 1999. Tupac's murder remains unsolved.
- Brolin Winning

Rage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine's militant political stance straddles an equally militant sound. Furious riffs churn out of Tom Morello's guitar and dive into grinding psychedelics -- the American music of opposition. But these are the sounds of a culture that is too angry for '60s passive resistance. The wah-wah pedal is a call to action. The urgency of Zack de la Rocha's frantic podium rants are taken out of the riot directing bullhorn and put into percussive rap poetics. Key to RATM's appeal is their fusion of some of America's most political musical movements: the liberation sounds of funk, the anarchistic resistance of punk, the angry alienation of metal, and the urban exasperation of hip-hop creating a revolutionary synergy on all four studio albums. De La Rocha left the band in 2000 to pursue a solo career while his bandmates went on to form Audioslave with Chris Cornell of Soundgarden on vocals. In 2007, Rage were received with open arms as they re-grouped and returned to performing and politicking.
- Marc Kate

C-Murder Pleads No Contest In Attempted Murder CaseC-Murder pleaded no contest to two counts of attempted second-degree murder Wednesday (May 27).