Benzino: Long before he earned infamy for his reality TV appearances, being the father of Gen-Z rapper Coi Leray and nearly destroying The Source magazine, Benzino was known as “Ray Dog,” a member of Boston crew The Almighty RSO. Their debut 12-inch, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” sparked years of trying and largely failing to make headway in the rap industry, with the 1992 single “One in the Chamba” as an arguable creative peak.

Black Rock & Ron: The Hollis, Queens trio initially appeared as the Vicious Four when they released “Hard Rap” in 1986. The following year, they scored an underground hit with “That’s How I’m Living”” leading to an RCA deal and 1989’s Stop the World.

Def Jef: As one-half of Defcon II with high-school friend Bilal Bashir, the New York transplant and L.A. rapper released “Have You Seen Her?” (Bashir later joined Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate crew as a producer.) Signing a solo deal on Delicious Vinyl Records, he then issued rap hits like 1989’s “Give It Here” and “Droppin’ Rhymes on Drums,” and landed songwriting and production credits for work with Shaquille O’Neal, Snoop Dogg and many others.

Ed OG: The Boston rapper was a member of the Fresh to Impress (FTI) crew, which issued two cuts in 1986: “Suzi Q” (on the compilation Boston Goes Def!) and the 7-inch “Monsters.” In 1991, he made a bigger impression as the leader of Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs, thanks to memorable singles like “I Got to Have It” and “Be a Father to Your Child.”

Finesse & Synquis: New York duo Finesse & Synquis debuted with “Bass Game,” a track from the Uptown Records compilation Uptown Is Kickin’ It. Two years later, they released Soul Sisters. In the Nineties, Finesse briefly joined the Wu-Tang-affiliated group Venom for their standout single, “Bomb Threat.”

Groove B Chill: The New Jack trio – vocalist Gene “Groove” Allen, rapper Darryl “Chill” Mitchell and “DJ Belal” Miller – also debuted on Uptown Is Kickin’ It and as well as the 1987 all-star single of the same name. In 1990, they dropped another BET Rap City smash, “Hip Hop Music.” However, Groove and Chill are probably best known for their memorable appearances in the classic teen movie House Party.

Ice Cube: As a teenager, Ice Cube and his friend Sir Jinx landed a single deal with Epic Records under the name Stereo Crew. Their resulting 12-inch, “She’s a Skag,” was heavily indebted to the shouting style popularized by Run-DMC. The next year, Cube and Jinx paired with K-Dee for C.I.A. and Cru’ in Action! Produced by Dr. Dre and released by Lonzo of World Class Wreckin’ Cru’s Kru-Cut Records, it precipitated the emergence of the N.W.A posse.

Jay-Z and The Jaz: Brooklyn rapper The Jaz and his protégé Jay-Z premiered as High Potent, a group they shared with rappers EZ El-D and Almond Joy, and issued the 12-inch “H.P. Gets Busy” on Manhattan indie Get Live Records. The next year, Jaz scored a one-off 12-inch with Tommy Boy. By 1989, he had his first real hit, “Hawaiian Sophie,” thanks to an album deal with EMI. Meanwhile, Jay-Z spent nearly a decade mailing demos, working stages with The Jaz, and cobbling together guest appearances for Big Daddy Kane and others before he formed Roc-A-Fella Records with Harlem entrepreneurs Damon Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke in 1994. The rest, as Jay-Z would undoubtedly say, is history.

K-Dee: Originally known as D-Rock-D, K-Dee issued his debut single, “My Fresh Nissan,” on the L.A. label Saturn Records. In 1987, he dropped the underrated jam, “Killer Daytons.” After years of contributing to other West Coast stars’ projects, K-Dee earned a moment of solo shine with 1994’s Ass, Gas or Cash (No One Rides for Free) on Ice Cube’s Lench Mob Records.

MC Serch: Queens rapper and B-boy dancer MC Serch issued an underheard 12-inch, “Melissa,” on Warlock Records. He eventually joined forces with another New York scene regular, Prime Minister Pete Nice, resulting in the gold-certified group 3^rd Bass.

Sam Sever: In 1986, Sam Sever landed credits on Run-DMC’s “Is It Live,” Just-Ice’s Latoya,” and Tricky Tee’s “Leave It to the Drums.” He also mixed British dub-rock-dance ensemble Big Audio Dynamite’s No. 10, Upping Street. In 1989, he produced the majority of 3^rd Bass’s classic debut, The Cactus Album. His standout work earned a deal for Downtown Science, a project with rapper Bosco Money. The duo released an underrated self-titled album in 1991.

Also noted: Biz Markie, D-Nice (Boogie Down Productions), Eric B. & Rakim, Freddie Foxxx (Supreme Force), The Fresh Prince, Heavy D & The Boyz, Just-Ice, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Tragedy (Super Kids), Ultramagnetic MC’s