Reverend Run

Strapped with one of the most instantly recognizable voices in hip-hop, Reverend Run is an undisputable rap legend. He got his start way back in the day, working the decks as a touring DJ for old school superstar Kurtis Blow. In the early 1980s, Run linked up with two friends from Hollis, Queens to form what would become quite possibly the single most influential rap group ever. Alongside D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay, he would release multiple classic albums, full of hit singles that turned an entire generation on to the power of hip-hop. The trio continued recording throughout the 1990s, though they really hit their stride in the mid-to-late-'80s, dropping anthems like "Run's House," "My Adidas" and "Walk This Way." Run-D.M.C. continued to perform sporadically into the new millennium, but Jam Master Jay's murder in 2002 put an end to the group for good. A practicing ordained minister, Run stays busy with his church work and helping his brother (industry bigwig Russell Simmons) with his Phat Farm clothing and shoe lines. Reverend Run reemerged in 2005 with his first solo album, the rock-tinged Distortion, and a new reality show on MTV.