As one of rap's pioneering families, the Juice Crew and their Cold Chillin' imprint churned out an improbable run of classic hits which virtually defined late-1980s hip-hop. Boasting a line-up of Craig G, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Kool G Rap, MC Shan, and a young Masta Ace, the loose collective benefited from their contrasting personalities, varying moods, diverse styles, and prodigious output. And oh could they rhyme. Kane ("Ain't No Half Steppin'") and Kool G Rap ("It's a Demo") represented the Crew's grittier persona. With their twin assaults of rapid-fire flows and streetwise boasts, the pair was a heavy counterweight to the booger-picking clowning of Biz Markie, the deft freestyles of Craig G, or the young brashness of Roxanne Shante. With legendary in-house producer (and familial mastermind) Marley Marl behind the mixing board for classics such as "The Symphony," "Ain't No Half Steppin'," and "Droppin' Science," the Juice Crew was truly hip-hop's first "first family." --Hua Hsu