Rap's Greatest Trios
Rap has a long history of three heads being better than one.
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Rap's Greatest Trios - Three—that's the magic number. Rick Ross, Dr. Dre and Jay-Z proved this Schoolhouse Rock truism once more when they united on "3 Kings," one of the most memorable moments on Rick Ross's new LP, God Forgives, I Don't. But rap has a long history of three heads being better than one. Click on for a look at hip hop's greatest trios. (Photos from left: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella, Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images, Michael Buckner/Getty Images For BET)
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De La Soul - De La Soul—consisting of MCs Posdnous and Dave (formerly known as Trugoy) and DJ/occasional rapper Maseo—are the definition of longevity. Their quirky late '80s and early '90s work was hugely influential, bringing hip hop way to the left; in this millennium, they won a Grammy in 2006 for their collaboration with the Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc." (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images)
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The Fugees - Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean—oh yeah, and Pras—had one of the best selling rap albums of all time with 1996's The Score, which featured classics like "Ready or Not" and "Fu-Gee-La." (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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Def Squad - After years of collaborating, the Def Squad—Redman, Erick Sermon, Keith Murray—only came with one official album, 1998's gold-selling El Nino, but they had classic, pass-the-mic chemistry and interplay. (Photo: Courtesy of Def Jam)
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The LOX - Every group has its weakest link. The fact that Sheek Louch—who's pretty damn dope—is the LOX's speaks to just how skilled the hard-edged Yonkers trio is on the mic. (Photo: Courtesy of Bad Boy Records)
Photo By Photo: Courtesy of Bad Boy Records
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Run-DMC - As the first rap artists to attain true mainstream success, Run DMC is arguably the greatest and most influential hip hop group—twosome, threesome, foursome, whatever—of all time. R.I.P. Jam-Master Jay. (Photo: PA Photos /Landov)
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Cypress Hill - Years before Wiz Khalifa mixed orange juice and kush, Cypress Hill—B. Real, Sen Dog and beatmaker DJ Muggs—sold more than 18 million records worldwide with their smoked-out anthems. Their double-platinum self-titled 1991 debut, featuring "How I Could Just Kill a Man," is an underrated gem. (Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images)
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Beastie Boys - The iconic Beastie Boys are rap's best-selling group of all time, with a quarter-century worth of hits—including "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," "Intergalactic" and "Sabotage"—to their name.(Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
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Geto Boys - Pioneering Houston trio the Geto Boys were the first Southern rap group to break through nationally, and their gangster-funk blueprint still influences Dixie rappers today. (Photo: Courtesy of WikiCommons)
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Salt N Pepa - Salt N Pepa—and don't forget Spinderella—kicked down doors and moved crowds with their late '80s and early '90s hits, including "Push It" and "Shoop." (Form left-right) Cheryl James, Sandra Denton and DJ Spinderella.(Photo: PA /Landov)