The 20 Best and Most Important Hype Men Ever
If you haven't noticed, there aren't hype men on stage like there used to be back in the day. While the beat-boxer or the two backup dancers like Scoob and Scrap Lover are not completely gone from the stage, they're almost obsolete.
Sure, you might see a rapper's man or his crew jump on stage and mouth a few words, but that's vastly different from what an official hype man does.
A true hype man isn't on stage to get shine for himself. He's there to enhance whatever the main artist is doing. Plus, a real hype man never fails to get the crowd going, whether it's saying different things on the mic, dancing, or stage diving. The best ones also have their own signature moves and phrases.
But there's also been incredibly dope hype men in the past who don't show energy at all because their mere presence ignites the crowd.
Take the late Professor X from X-Clan for example. He didn't have to say anything other than "Vanglorious, this is protected by the red, the black and the green," for the crowd to go wild.
And LL Cool J's right-hand man, E-Love, never even moved or spoke a word and was a huge part of the Queens legend's stage shows in the mid-'80s.
But the people who are probably most remembered in the hype man role are the ones who helped raise the energy level show after show, night after night — like Too Bigg MC did for MC Hammer back in the day.
Sadly, however, just like in many areas of hip-hop, women haven't had many opportunities to shine in this particular area, but today more are getting chances to thrive as rappers and hopefully, that'll continue.
Below we've listed 20 of the best and most important hype men in hip-hop history. And there's no order because saying one person is better than the other isn't the point here. This is to honor what these men have accomplished and to say thank you.