Ya Heard’s own top 10 of all time

With all the "greatest of all time" and "hottest in the game" lists going on right now, I've decided to touch on a list that fans seem to ignore…The Ya Heard Top 10 Hip-Hop Groups of All Time!

A lot of time and arguments have gone into the greatest emcee of all time, now let's throw some fuel on the flames and see what groups rank among the best, and which do not.

Let's go…

10. UGK. Comprised of Bun B and the late Pimp C, the Underground Kings are the epitome of persistence and patience. Long before the South began to gain notoriety, this Texas duo was riding dirty. Following a sting of solid albums, the group gained millions of new fans when they were invited to perform on Jay Z's smash hit "Big Pimpin."

Unfortunately, Pimp C met his untimely demise late last year when he passed away in his sleep. Nevertheless, history was made and UGK ranks No. 10.

9. Mobb Deep. Say what you will about Prodigy's shenanigans, but he and Havoc have contributed some of the greatest music ever to the hip-hop genre. Classic cuts like "Shook Ones," "Quiet Storm," "Drop a Gem on Em," etc., etc. have for-ever carved these Queens emcees into hip-hop history. Whether it was Prodigy's dunn lingo or Havoc's paralyzing beats, the Mobb never lets you down.

8. Gang Starr. After more than two decades in the game, Gang Starr still doesn't get the credit they rightfully deserve. DJ Premier has crafted hits for a number of hip-hop's greatest stars; i.e. "Nas is Like" (Nas), "Kick in the Door"(Biggie) and "A Million and One" (Jay Z), just to name a few. However, even with hip-hop's brightest stars spitting lyrics over Premo beats throughout the years, Guru's flow and superior skills always seem to butter the bread.

7. Eric B. and Rakim. Arguably the greatest emcee of all time, with the help of Eric B., Rakim went on to influence everyone from Nasty Nas to Lil' Wayne. Whether or not today's art-ists realize that is a different story. Since dropping their debut album, "Paid in Full," in 1987, Eric B. and Rakim went on to influence a whole generation of emcees and deejays to follow. Their followups, "Follow the Leader" and "Don't Sweat the Tech-nique," proved this combination was ahead of its time. To this day, with maybe the excep-tion of Nas, whom was very influenced by Rakim, no other group has had as much of a lasting impact on the game.

6. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Mind you, most of the harmony was done in the studio, as these guys broke it off more times than J. Lo. Even so, these Cleveland, Ohio guys made an immediate im-pact on the game when they hit the scene in 1994. By blending harmonious lyrics with rhythmic sounds, Bone has become the most distinct hip-hop group, with a style was so unique no one has dared to duplicate Bone's formula, even in this copy cat industry.

5. Public Enemy. Controversial, candid, and in your face. Public Enemy was one of the first hip-hop groups to use its art as a platform to launch political views. Led by Chuck D's views on race relations in America during the late '80s and early '90s, Public Enemy became a household name for different reasons. Flavor Flav's energy and excitement was masterfully integrated into the group to take the edge off of the group's politically charged message. Although, the group received a lot of criticism, the music was nothing short of superb.

4. NWA. Talk about bringing the hood to your living room! Coming out of the belly of

Compton, Calif., in the late '80s, when territorial gang fights seemed to rival Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, NWA provided the industry with the West Coast's point of view…and scaring the mess out of America while doing so. Easy E, Dre, Ren, DOC, and Ice Cube all went on to become platinum selling solo artists.

3. Outkast. Andre and Big Boi have displayed a chemistry that is unmatched in hip-hop. Even though they hailed from the south when hip-hop was still New York, their presence on the mic could not be ignored. Outkast is arguably the only hip-hop group to put out albums that are all better than the previous. Even after 15 years in the game, Outkast is still a force to be reckoned with…including Soundscan numbers!

2. Wu Tang Clan. Rza, Gza, Ghostface, Raekwon, Method Man, ODB, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa—the Wu did it like none other. Mixing their love for marital arts and Chinese phi-losophy with brutally raw tales of inner-city living, the Wu Tang Clan is the most talented group in music history from top to bottom; besides the Beatles. Eighty percent of the group proved suc-cessful as solo artists, yet they were best as a collective. As a fan, you had to love the fact that each solo album was actually just a Wu Tang album with one of their names on the cover. During the group's heyday, the two group albums were incredible, but let's not forget about "Only Built for Cuban Linx," "Liquid Swords," "Return to the 36 Chambers," "Ironman," etc. oh my…

1. Run DMC. This group pioneered the modern day hip-hop culture. They designed the blueprint of the hip-hop swagger as well as the first hip-hop act to sell 500,000, 1 million and beyond. They were also the first hip-hop group to have a video aired on MTV. In a nutshell, Run DMC, and Jam Master Jay took hip-hop from New York to the world. Without Run DMC, the hip-hop culture we have grown to love, hate, love again and hate again would not have existed. Growing up watching this group gracefully represent hip-hop when many people were trying to shun it, was something truly amazing to watch. Without this No. 1, forget about 2 through 10!

HONORABLE MENTIONS

» Tribe Called Quest

» Hot Boy

» Dead Prez

» EPMD

» CNN

» Dogg Pound

» Boot Cam

» Naughty By Nature

» Clipse

» The Lox

So there it is, the Ya Heard Top 10 Hip-Hop Groups of all time. I believe the list is justified, but feel free to express your thoughts. And just for arguments sake, my no. 11 was the Geto Boys; get at me!

AREA TALENT

Not Liable is a rock band with a hip-hop twist. The group has been performing shows around the area and gaining fans with its unique style and sound. Not Liable will be performing Saturday in D.C. at the Watts Park in Northeast for the Marvin Gaye Festival. The show is free, so don't worry about your pockets. Please check them out at Myspace.com/notliable1 to hear music, find other upcoming shows and a plethora of more information about this up and coming band. Until next week, peace!!!

Dennis Winn can be reached at 703-400-8301 or .