The 2017 class of the official Hip Hop Hall of Fame

LL Cool J has 13 albums spanning four decades including sure fire classics "Radio" and "Mama Said Knock You Out." Ladies Love is one of the first emcees to move hip hop forward with his bravado and word play and is one of the genre’s icons.

Kurtis Blow was the first rapper to be signed to a major label and songs like “The Breaks” and “Basketball” belong in conversations about the most iconic songs in hip hop history.

Grandmaster Caz, JDL, Easy A.D., Almighty K.G., DJ’s Tony Tone and Charley Chase are the Bronx based Cold Crush Brothers formed in 1978. They’re best known for their rivalry with The Fantastic Five, which featured street battles in early 80s New York.

The Crash Crew is responsible for the classics “We Wanna Rock,” “Breaking Bells,” and “On The Radio.” The group was born in Harlem and consist of DJ Darryl C, Reggie Reg, E.K. Mike C, Barry Bistro, La Shubee and Gee Man.

Grand Wizzard Theodore was the unquestioned leader of the Fantastic Five, and he is credited with inventing the scratching and needle drop deejay techniques. The group would perform rap battles and dance moves and have a legacy that’s closely tied to the Cold Crush Brothers.

DJ Master Don, female MC Pebblee Poo, Johnnie G, Gangster G and Keith K.C made up the Masterdon Committee. Their biggest contribution to hip hop was “Funkbox,” a straight up party jam that Master P would later remake into one of his biggest hits.

The Disco Four was a group that made music that was all about having fun and partying all the time. Their legacy lives on at Rucker Park, where Kool G. Greg was the president of the Entertainers Basketball League that runs the Rucker tournament every summer.

Afrika Bambaataa and the rest of the Soulsonic Force helped create Electro Funk, heavy on the 808s with deep funk influence. Planet Rock is Soulsonic Force’s biggest hit, but they are the undeniable root of such a specific genre that heavily influenced b-boy culture.

Whodini may have asked the most important question in hip hop history when asked “Friends, how many of us have them?” Five Minutes of Funk and Freaks Come Out at Night are a part of an excellent discography that helped cement them as hip hop pioneers.

The Us Girls are best known for their performance in the classic movie "Beat Street." The group consisted of Sha-Rock, Lisa Lee and Debbie D, a trio of the first women to rock the mic.

The Beastie Boys are already in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and deservedly, so. Mike D and MCA have certified classics to their name and did it all while fighting for their right to party.

Lovebug Starski got his start on the ones and twos in the Bronx and eventually became the DJ of the Disco Fever Club. His biggest contribution could be that he coined the term "hip hop."

DJ Jazzy Jay’s career begins as the humble DJ for Afrika Bambaataa’s Zulu Nation, but he would introduce Russell Simmons to Rick Rubin and help form what is now known as Def Jam. Jazzy Jay also produced for artists like Fat Joe, Brand Nubian and A Tribe Called Quest.

DJ Wanda Dee is the first ever female hip hop DJ and was able to show off her skills in the movie "Beat Street." She would do some work with the Zulu Nation and have a recording career of her own. 

The Lockers are an influential dance group out of Los Angeles from the early 1970s. Their dance style allowed them to perform all over the country and led to what is now known as pop-locking.

Big Daddy Kane, Eric B & Rakim, KRS-One and LL Cool J all went to Daniel Day for their personal styles. While his Harlem boutique was shut down, his style is still influencing rappers like Gucci Mane today.

Sugar Hill Records, led by the mother of hip hop, Ms. Sylvia Robinson, became the first major hip hop label with a worldwide hit. Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rapper's Delight” opened the doors for mainstream hip hop.

A picture is worth a thousand words, or maybe a thousand bars in Joe Conzo’s case. Joe Conzo’s “Born in the Bronx” is a photo book that captures the early days of hip hop with a focus on the Cold Crush Brothers.