Rahzel

As rap grew into a multinational-corporation-style force in the 1990s, the art of the beatbox, one of early hip hop’s most absorbing inventions, faded into near oblivion. Into that void stepped Rahzel, gravel-voiced MC and part-time Roots “Crew” member, to make the music with his mouth. Although Rahzel is one of the most heralded practitioners of the once-dying art, like Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, and most other beatboxing legends, creative percussion was only one aspect of his game. On solo recordings, he spits fire with Wu-Tang fierceness, dropping sinewy rhymes that stand up as time passes.