The Groove

The greatest conscious hip hop artists of all time

26 artists ranked by the Groove — music.nw’s own measure of renown. Not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. Why?

No. 1

Kendrick Lamar

United States of America · 1987– · hip hop

23.172

Why this number?

The full board

United States of America · 1977– · hip hop 9.093

3 Public Enemy

United States of America · 1985– · hip hop 4.100

Eminem

United States of America · 1972– · hip hop 3.890

5 A Tribe Called Quest

United States of America · 1985–2017 · hip hop 3.024

2Pac

United States of America · 1971–1996 · hip hop 2.980

7 The Roots

United States of America · 1987– · hip hop 2.963

Nas

United States of America · 1973– · hip hop 2.561

9 Yasiin Bey

United States of America · 1973– · hip hop 1.942

10 Common

United States of America · 1972– · hip hop 1.803

OutKast

United States of America · 1991– · hip hop 1.040

T.I.

United States of America · 1980– · hip hop 1.030

Gorillaz

United Kingdom · 1999– · electronic 0.845

14 Aesop Rock

United States of America · 1976– · hip hop 0.800

15 Fugees

United States of America · 1992– · hip hop 0.767

16 Coolio

United States of America · 1963–2022 · gangsta rap 0.716

17 JID

United States of America · 1990– · hip hop 0.691

18 De La Soul

United States of America · 1987– · hip hop 0.676

19 Joey Bada$$

United States of America · 1995– · hip hop 0.667

JAY‐Z

United States of America · 1969– · hip hop 0.633

21 Doechii

United States of America · 1998– · hip hop 0.607

22 Arrested Development

United States of America · 1988– · hip hop 0.533

J. Cole

United States of America · 1985– · hip hop 0.468

24 Black Eyed Peas

United States of America · 1995– · hip hop 0.439