The Big 3: Who Ran Hip-Hop Every Year Since 1979

From Kool Herc’s Kingston-style block parties to Kendrick’s Grammy sweeps and Carti’s moshpit mayhem, who really ran rap every year since 1979? In this definitive timeline, we break down the Big 3 artists of each year, blending mainstream dominance, cultural impact, and lyrical integrity.

Featuring heavyweights like LL Cool J, OutKast, Missy, Future, Nicki Minaj, and J. Cole, this episode challenges revisionist history and makes room for the artists who actually defined the sound, the streets, and the stats.

Was Drake too dominant to leave off 2019? Should LL have been #1 in ’87? Did we underrate Future’s run? Is Kendrick now the GOAT closer? We’ve got facts, footnotes, and a lot of fire takes.

Whether you’re an old-head, new-school, backpacker or trap loyalist, this episode is your hip-hop history cheat code.

Welcome to The Marvyn Harrison Podcast — a story-driven conversation exploring identity, fatherhood, masculinity, relationships, culture, politics, sport, and modern life.

In each episode, Marvyn Harrison sits down with leading thinkers, creatives, athletes, policymakers, and cultural voices to unpack the defining moments that shaped them. Through image prompts, structured storytelling, and revealing game segments, guests explore pivotal memories, career turning points, personal struggles, and the beliefs that guide their decisions today.

Expect honest discussions on mental health, family dynamics, leadership, equity, ambition, resilience, and the realities of navigating success in Britain and beyond.

This is a podcast about clarity, where lived experience meets sharp cultural insight.

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