Legacy of RZA
Artists and genres RZA directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
Flatbush ZOMBiESartistFlatbush Zombies are an American hip hop group from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 2010. The group is composed of rappers Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott, with Elliott also serving as their regular record producer. The trio are part of the East Coast hip hop supergroup Beast Coast, with fellow Brooklyn-based rap groups The Underachievers and Pro Era.
Handsome Boy Modeling SchoolartistHandsome Boy Modeling School is an American collaborative project between hip-hop producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul. The collaboration originally lasted from 1999 to 2006 and resulted in two albums, featuring a vast cast of guest rappers, singers, comedians and DJs. In February 2018, the duo played a concert in New York City.
Pete RockartistPeter O. Phillips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier, RZA, and Q-Tip as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early on in his career, he was also famed for his remix work.
SZAartist- Ahmed Soultanartist
Ahmed Soultan is a Moroccan singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the leaders of the "Nayda".
SnowgoonsartistSnowgoons is a German underground hip-hop production team composed of DJ Illegal and Det Gunner. In 2011, producers Sicknature from Denmark and J.S. Kuster from Germany joined the group.
BlakrocartistBlakroc is a studio album produced by Damon Dash, co-founder of the Roc-A-Fella Records label, and American rock band The Black Keys, which provides music and vocals. The album features several hip-hop and R&B acts, namely Mos Def, Nicole Wray, Pharoahe Monch, Ludacris, Billy Danze of M.O.P., Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, Jim Jones, and NOE of ByrdGang, as well as Raekwon, RZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard of Wu-Tang Clan.
Jared EvanartistJared Evan Siegel is an American singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer. He signed with Polow da Don's record label Zone 4, an imprint of Interscope Records, in 2009. He wrote and produced the song "Frozen" for the accompanying soundtrack to the 2009 documentary film More Than a Game. The label released his 2010 single "In Love With You".
A-F-R-OartistJames Gutierrez, known professionally as A-F-R-O, All Flows Reach Out, or FRO Thizzle, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and songwriter. He first gained widespread recognition in 2014 after he attracted the attention of rapper R.A. the Rugged Man, who introduced him to a broader audience.
Inspectah DeckartistJason S. Hunter, better known by his stage name Inspectah Deck, is an American rapper and hip hop producer. He is a member of the groups Wu-Tang Clan and Czarface.
Raekwonartist
Kanye Westartist
JAY-ZartistShawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. In 2023, Billboard and Vibe ranked him as the greatest rapper of all time. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, Jay-Z is known for his complex lyricism that often uses double entendres, wordplay, and braggadocio. His music is built on a rags to riches narrative. According to Forbes, he is the wealthiest music artist in history, worth an estimated US$2.8 billion as of 2026.
Nasartist
Busta Rhymesartist
Talib KweliartistTalib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He is one half of the hip-hop duo Black Star, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def. Their 1998 single, "Definition", entered the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded their eponymous debut album (1998), which entered the Billboard 200. The duo then began pursuing solo careers, although one further Black Star album — No Fear of Time (2022) — was released thereafter.
Kool Keithartist
Ghostface Killahartist
Method ManartistClifford Smith Jr., known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip-hop duo Method Man & Redman. His debut solo album, Tical (1994), peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", which won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 38th Annual Grammy Awards. The song also peaked within the top five of the Billboard Hot 100; he and Blige later starred in Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of Power.
Masta Killaartist
Logicartist
The Rootsartist
YeezusartistYeezus is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West began recording it in 2012 and produced it alongside Mike Dean, Daft Punk, Noah Goldstein, Arca, Hudson Mohawke, and Travis Scott. West recruited Rick Rubin as an executive producer 15 days before its release to help strip down the sound for a minimalist approach. Guest appearances include Justin Vernon, Chief Keef, Kid Cudi, Assassin, King L, Charlie Wilson, and Frank Ocean.
Dan Auerbachartist