Greatest Groups Of All Time

by Wes Jackson

Wheels are turning this morning and got me thinking about the greatest Hip-Hop groups of all time. Having managed groups and solo artists, released solo and group albums, and promoted and produced for the same I truly appreciate the delicate balance needed to keep a group of artists thriving and active.

Put simply group dynamics can be a b*tch. Egos, money, stage time, interview time – these and other factors almost spell certain doom for any group. This is why they are only a small handful of groups have been able to simply remain intact over the course of more than five years. So with that being said here are some of the greatest groups of all time.

1. De La Soul – Perhaps the only group who has truly survived the test of time. They have never ‘broken up.’ Never released full solo projects. The three L.I. brothers have remained at the cusp of innovation and creativity since 1987. Many of our readers were not even born when ‘Potholes In My Lawn’ was recorded but still rock to ‘Rock Co.Kane Flow’ or ‘Feels Good.’ Whatever internal disputes between Pos, Dove and Mase have been kept in house while productivity has remained steady. Even without a major deal De La remains one of the most sought after and profitable operations in Hip-Hop. Plus they are my personal favorite.

2. Wu Tang – No other group has had a run like the members of Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game. ‘Protect Ya Neck’ dropped in 1993. 16 years later the influence of the Clan still, in many ways, drives the industry. The entrepreneurial spirit of The Wu have changed the way deals are done. Prior to their Loud deal, artists were locked into iron clad contracts to the point of servitude. The RZA, Ghostface, Divine and Power, the brain trust of the Wu changed that forever. Now it is expected that individual artists of a group will work collaboratively then spin off individually. And while Wu Tang is not truly together, they also have never broken up. Their albums have steadily declined in sales and acclaim since the iconic ‘Forever’ but Rae, Ghost, Meth, and the RZA are still some of the most valuable commodities in the game.

3. EPMD – This is a classic example of a group rising to the top then allowing internal strife to tear the brand down, only to realize the error of their egotistical ways. When Erick and Parrish reunited in the late 90’s it was truly a day to rejoice. Those post ‘Business Never Personal’ albums were forgettable for the most part but EPMD should be remembered for incubating some of the best artists in Hip-Hop. Redman, Das Efx, Keith Murray and K-Solo expanded the EPMD in ways Hip-Hop have never seen. Now, it is expected that once an artist blows up he will ‘put his mans’ and them on.’ Before EPMD launched Redman that was not the case. Extending your brand a feat that some of the greats could never accomplish. KRS ONE, in my humble opinion, the greatest of all time has never been able to replicate his genius. Nor has LL Cool J, the aforementioned De La Soul. Other greats like Common have never even tried. Titans like Kanye repeatedly try but often fail (Kid Cudi) or never get the project off the ground (Really Doe, GLC).

4. Hieroglyphics – This may be the tightest crew of all time. Large as the Wu, consistent as De La, and as pioneering as anyone. Starting with Del, Domino, the business brain behind Hiero, was able to churn that buzz into launching the careers of Souls Of Mischief, then Casual, Pep Love and more. Then the branches of the tree extended as members of Souls spun off a la Wu Tang. Opio, A Plus, Tajai and Phesto all have established their own brands somewhat independent of Souls. Hiero also wrote the manual for independent success. After being signed then dropped by Jive they went on to garner more commercial and critical success as independent artists. That inspired a whole generation of entrepreneurs, including myself. Almost 20 years after “I Wish My Brother George Was Here” Del and the West Coast solders still tour incessantly and have sales well over the six figure mark.

More to come…