In the late ’90s, Green Lantern (aka Rochester, New York’s James D'Agostino) was slinging some of the hip-hop underground’s most talked-about mixtapes. It wouldn’t take long before Eminem called, signing him to become Shady Records’ official DJ by the early 2000s. “Hip-hop has done so much for me,” the DJ tells Apple Music. “It’s given me an outlet to be creative and be heard. Seeing that video of Sugarhill Gang perform 'Rapper's Delight' on TV as a kid blew my mind. It was the coolest shit ever.” He also cites Dr. Dre as a huge influence on his sound: “His ear for sonics and his ability to reinvent himself always inspire me,” he adds. Here Green Lantern highlights a bunch of key MCs in hip-hop history, from LL and De La on through Wu-Tang, Biggie, Nipsey, and tons more.