Note the lack of shoes and polka dot clothing:

A serious obsession with the Flintstones television show led to this song.

Thomas Clarkson’s impact on the ending of the slave trade cannot be over stated. The core ideas for the movement actually came from the Quakers who could not be the spokespeople for it, because quite frankly mainstream people thought the Quakers were just too weird. As a result, Clarkson carried the flag and did so in a manner that far exceeded the Quaker’s greatest hopes. So much so, that at Clarkson’s funeral for the first and only time in public, the Quakers in attendance removed their hats. It was one of the great showings of respect in human history.

As a measure of the difference in brutality between the U.S. and the Caribbean, during the African slave trade, 1,000,000 total slaves were brought to the US and 2,000,000 total slaves were brought to the Caribbean. At the end of slavery, there were 4,000,000 slaves in the US and 700,000 in the Caribbean.

Much of this was due to the differences between sugar (the Caribbean crop) and cotton (the US crop), but the slave owner culture in the Caribbean was also far worse.

The great 2Pac demonstrates his thoughtful, poetic side in this classic. On the one hand, you would think that the last person that you should take philosophical advice form is 2Pac. On the other hand, this is brilliant philosophical advice and leadership. He was a true genius. R.I.P.

Ryan Leslie does not have the status of the other rappers on this list, but I wanted to put him on for a few reasons:
1. This a dope song
2. Ryan is a genius and is about to transform the music industry and rebalance it in favor of the artists.
3. Everybody needs to hear the line:
“The campaign is global – the dollar ain’t what it used to be
Switch a franc for a dollar, you get like 1.3”

This was a really unusual song when it came out. Nobody was rapping about their struggles with their own mental illness. I had to listen to it 3 times just to make sure that I was hearing it right. An incredible song. All time great verses from Scarface and Bushwick Bill.

Dr. Dre who completely transformed the music of hip hop samples my favorite song Starchild from my favorite band Pariament. What’s not to like? In addition, the lyrics are totally intense:
“It’s just another mutherfuckin' day for Dreso I begin like this
No medallions, dreadlocks or black fists
It’s just that gangsta glare
With gangsta raps”

The greatest lyricist of all times hits us with a lyrical blizzard a pauses only to sample himself. Wow. I have nothing more to say.