by Kevin Lockett

Created on: June 22, 2009   Last Updated: June 23, 2009

Trying to name the best Hip Hop duo like saying what is your favorite song? How do you judge a list like this? Should it based on solely lyrically skill? If so, Eric B. and Rakim would be the favorites. If its based solely on musicality, then it could be Gangstarr, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth or EPMD. Below are the magnificent seven of some of best Hip Hop duos of all time. Some are based on musicality, others on influence, but at the end of the day they are all great Hip Hop artists.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince- Let the debate begin. More than any other Hip Hop duo, Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince influence on Hip Hop is vastly underrated. Will Smith might not have been as lyrically gifted as Slick Rick, he did share the ruler's gift of storytelling, just from a middle class slant. While Jeff Towne's use of jazz rhythms and his unique mixing skills called Transforming, influenced a generation of DJs. While many rappers rep the streets, when they are really from the burbs, Will Smith rapped about his surroundings, which includes his parents, girls, partying and having fun; and unlike a lot of duos like Gangstarr, Eric B & Rakim or even Salt & Pepa, Smith and Townes never broke up or had ill feelings towards each other.

Even when Quincy Jones tapped Smith to become the first Hip Hopper to star in a television show, Smith had to convince Townes to fly to Los Angeles to appear on episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire. Smith's TV success, led the way for Queen Latifah to star in Living Single, LL Cool J to star in In The House (and now NCIS Los Angeles) and to a lesser extent Flavor Flav's reality show 'Flavor of Love.

Musically, the duo is still impacting the music industry. As Smith became the biggest movie star in the world, Jeff returned to Philly, where he revived a music scene that was dormant since the Philly Soul era of the 1970s. Towne's new Philly Soul movement became a breeding ground for talent including The Roots, Jill Scott, Musiq Souldchild, India Aire, Floetry and Jazzy Jeff's A Touch of Jazz production team which included ace producers Vidal Davis and Andre Harris (who produced songs for Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige and others).

The success of all of these artists are due to success of Dj Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince. When you see The Roots perform as the house band for Late Night Night with Jimmy Fallon that is due to Brand New Funk. When you see Jill Scott star in on HBO's No. 1 Ladies Detective

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