Kool G Rap is one of the most well-known names of hip-hop’s golden age. Known as a New York City legend who advanced the culture, the emcee (real name Nathaniel Wilson) is often cited as one of the most influential figures of the late 1970s and early ’80s.
Kool G Rap was a member of the legendary Juice Crew, one of the first crews to have a commercial radio show. Furthermore, they were involved in the legendary ‘Bridge Wars’ against South Bronx duo Boogie Down Productions (BDP). That said, Wilson has contributed a lot to hip-hop and, in a 2014 interview, unveiled the emcee he believes was a “hero to hip-hop.”
In the interview with Montreality, Wilson gave tonnes of praise to the iconic Yonkers rapper DMX. Speaking about the late Grand Champ emcee, Kool G Rap stated “he’s one of the main contributors in hip-hop. He’s a hero to hip-hop. I got love for DMX. And I got a lot of respect for my homie. He’s somebody big in hip-hop to me. He contributed a lot to hip-hop.”
As well as praising DMX, he cited Jay Z, Raekwon, and Styles P as significant contributors to New York hip-hop but admitted that the South is currently dominating and gave the region credit for doing so.
Speaking about the decline of New York rap, Wilson explained, “I think New York is just affected by what’s going on in general like a lot of places might be, and that’s the total domination of the South sound. A lot of dudes might be mad at that. I’m not mad at that. Everything evolves. Everything changes. You know what I’m saying?”
He continued, “There was a time when it was just a New York sound that was dominant throughout the genre of hip-hop. And then it kinda switched over. And the cats from the South was struggling during the times of Run DMC, LL Cool J…When Hip Hop was a New York sound.”
The Juice Crew rapper and producer never got to collaborate with DMX before he died of an overdose in 2021, but he still holds him in high respect. You can watch Wilson’s interview in the video below.
