Though there are five core elements to hip-hop, it's emceeing that has catapulted the most practitioners to mega-fame. And New York City, where hip-hop was born, lays claim to many of the top rappers of all time. Biggie. Nas. Big Pun. The members of Wu-Tang Clan. Their names are practically synonymous with the streets of their respective boroughs—which is where you can go to view their likenesses on walls and buildings: bold, colorful street art that consecrates their places in hip-hop history and celebrates their importance to the local community. In some cases, the pieces are on the very streets these musicians frequented as aspiring artists.Seeing these murals is a great introduction to understanding the genre's influence on the culture of New York City. Scroll down for nine of the top public hip-hop artworks across the boroughs.Notorious B.I.G.Location: Bedford Avenue and Quincy Street, Bedford-Stuyvesant, BrooklynArtists: Naoufal "Rocko" Alaoui and Scott "Zimer" Zimmerman, Spread Art NYCOl' Dirty BastardLocation: 448 Franklin Ave., Bedford-Stuyvesant, BrooklynArtist: Vic Goldfield, repainted by Ibrahim El-BaaithBig PunLocation: 910 Rogers Pl., Longwood, BronxArtist: Tats CruThe Lox Location: 944 Rogers Pl., Longwood, BronxArtist: Andaluz The ArtistKRS-OneLocation: Northeast corner of East 2nd Street and First Avenue, East Village, ManhattanArtist: Jorit AgochDMXLocation: Uptown Grandscale, East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue, Harlem, ManhattanArtist: Blazay NYNasLocation: 13-17 40th Ave., Long Island City, QueensArtists: Jorit Agoch and Eli Salome-Diaz, assisted by Benny Guerra and Lawrence "Myse" HossanahA Tribe Called QuestLocation: Linden Boulevard and 192nd Street, St. Albans, QueensArtist: Vincent BallentineWu-Tang ClanLocation: 112 Canal St., Stapleton, Staten IslandArtist: Will Power
