2. Jay-Z
With only two spots left in this Top 8 and not even so much as a how do you do to Jay-Z, you must have at least had an inkling of what was coming. Jay is pretty much the boss of everyone and everything rap-related - owner of Roc Nation and former CEO of Def Jam Recordings, husband of one of the most beautiful women in the world and creator of some of the most iconic rap records of this or any generation, you have to admit that the man has got it made. He's achieved thirteen #1 albums on the Billboard 200 and much of his work is considered world-leading in the genre. He's one of the most renowned and respected rappers on the planet, and his traditional, yet innovative, Brooklyn-tinged rapping style has become one of the most easily recognised across the globe. Hov's career has spanned almost 25 years and during that time, he's built an empire bigger than most of us could even dream of. As well as an incredibly talented and creative musical force, having contributed to both the making and production of amazing hip-hop music, he's a celebrated entrepreneur and philanthropist and has donated more money in his time to worthy causes than most earn in a lifetime. With such mammoth projects to his name as Kanye West collaboration 'Watch The Throne', album series 'The Blueprint' and this year's massively successful 'Magna Carta... Holy Grail' under his belt, not to mention some true rap classics in his back catalogue ('99 Problems', and the more recent but equally prominent 'Paris', to name just two), it's plain to see that Jay-Z is a rap superpower and we'd be silly to kid ourselves otherwise.