Rap music often revolves around the artist, who gets the accolades, adoration and top billing. But at one time, there was a clear understanding in hip-hop that the DJ was at the top of the food chain. Before the first rap record was recorded, manufactured and distributed, the DJ was on the ground floor of this thing of ours, rummaging through various record crates in search of the perfect breakbeat to move the crowd.

While disc jockeys have been around since the inception of vinyl, the early 1970s saw a new guard emerge that were not satisfied with only keeping the music spinning, but were willing to test the limits of sound and repurpose the old into something new. This trend, which originated in the Bronx with record spinners like DJ Kool Herc, eventually spread across the eastern seaboard and beyond, birthing a generation of DJs that would toil away in private, all for the sake of putting on a unique experience for fans of the culture.

As years passed, innovations were implemented that would change the way we view turntables forever. Scratching, cutting, backspins, needle drops and various other wrinkles were discovered, with each spinner going to extreme lengths on the turntables to prove that they were the undisputed champ when it came to rocking a jam. Over the years, the DJ has often been usurped by the rapper, who are often at the front and center. Those who are aware of hip-hop's history and that when the music stops, the party stops, know that the DJ is invaluable and will always be the glue that holds hip-hop together.

SEE THE LIST AT XXL