Marley Marl

Masters of production.

In celebration of their contributions to the culture, here are the greatest DJs in hip-hop history that every rap fan should know.

Today, Sept. 30, is the birthday of New York DJ and hip-hop innovator Marley Marl.

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Believe it or not, but there's a host of hip-hop heads still in the game who are 50 years old and some even older. Check out a gallery of the few guys who have surpassed time and still manage to thrive in thing called hip-hop.

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Hip-hop pioneers DJ Kool Herc, Marley Marl and The Zulu Nation along with others are banning together for a month-long event called the 31 Days of Non Stop Hip-Hop. The Queens Library project will run during the month of May allowing fans to meet the some of hip-hop’s founding fathers as well as learn more about the art form...

Previously: Review: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib’s Chemistry Shines On Piñata

Last night, the 2nd Annual Global Spin Awards was underway at the NY Times Center. The awards show serve as a platform to honor all the DJs and their contributions in the game. With familiar faces such as Pete Rock and DJ Premier, A-Trak and Kendrick Lamar coming out to show support, it was all love and respect for hip-hop’s pivotal tastemakers...

One of the most important albums of hip-hop's golden era.

Over the past few years, autobiographies have become a staple in hip-hop side-hustles. Everyone from J-Zone to Jay-Z have penned memoirs, many of which went on to earn acclaim from critics and fans alike. Despite the bevy of autobiographical works available, there's a whole host of artists and industry figures sit down and pen their life stories for the fans...

From the XXL archives, a detailed account of the BDP legend's life and death...