Popular Hip Hop Artists

Most MCs are regarded as fads, popular one moment and then forgotten the next. Not many have reached or will reach the kind of fame - and notoriety - of 2Pac. Tupac Amaru Shakur, more popularly known by his numbered nickname, is easily one of the top-selling MCs of all time. From MC Hammer to 50 Cent, countless artists have been credited his work as a major influence for their own art.

Stars in the entertainment industry usually prefer to stick to their art, leaving the business side of things to agents or managers. Birdman is one exception; he has had considerable success with both the microphones and the merchandise. In the industry, Birdman's kind of acumen is often described as the 'Midas touch'.

Despite rejection and career setbacks, Cormega has risen to the top of the rap game with his slice-of-life descriptions of the violent inner city lifestyle. From crime and poverty to feuds with other rappers, his rhymes have so far encompassed a wide spectrum of subject matter.

Rappers are often recognized has performers: they can do well in rap, but not much elsewhere. There are, of course, exceptions. Tupac Shakur (more popularly known as 2Pac), for example, dabbled in everything from poetry to acting, all while managing a successful career. And if there was anyone in the industry whose career most closely followed 2Pac's, that someone would be DMX.

There are those artists that make one-hit wonders, barely making a dent in the books. There are those who have a significant effect on a genre, such that they take the genre in a whole new direction. And then there are acts like Mantronix who are paid homage to even by today's contemporary musicians.

When girls get into the music industry, they most often take one of two routes: as pop stars like Britney and Christina, or as crooners like Michelle Branch and Taylor Swift. Other genres like rock and hip-hop are left largely to male performers. Rasheeda, however, is one femme who has taken on this tough-as-nails industry in her effort to show the world that "she's dat type a gurl".