20 of the Most Opinionated Rappers in Hip-Hop

Chuck D notoriously referred to hip-hop as the ghetto CNN; a voice for the voiceless that puts a magnifying glass over what's going on in the neighborhoods across the country. The culture was once a powerful weapon that received little to no airplay, yet mobilized millions. With the rise of hip-hop as an even bigger business and a corporate entity, the streets slowly lost control, and socio-political raps became harder to market -- and hence all but absent from the mainstream. However, that doesn’t mean that they don't exist.

There are a handful of artists -- both fresh and established -- that refuse to stay idle in the face of injustice. Some refuse to remain silent in the face of perceived disrespect; others just refuse to stay quiet. Regardless, it’s nothing short of inspiring to see artists using their platforms to transcend the everyday ills of society. They’ve built massive followings and are changing the way the industry functions. They’re using not only their music, but their social media profiles, as well taking advantage of high-profile media opportunities to push forward larger social agendas, or in some cases, just say what’s on their mind.

A few examples would be Kanye West declaring that “George Bush hates black people,” Common’s acceptance speech at the 2015 Oscars or the past 365 days on Azealia Banks' Twitter account.

We’ve rounded up more than a few artists that are anything but quiet. They’re attacking the status-quo, fending off trolls, pushing the culture forward and changing the way we look at the world -- and ourselves. If you're not familiar with them, it's time to change that.