Bob Marley’s Influence On Hip-Pop Culture: From The Fugees To Drake (VIDEOS)

It’s been 30 years since his death and Bob Marley is not only still popular, but his influence is alive and well in hip-pop music. When you think about it, Marley’s music broke barriers, so it only makes sense that new artists would not only want to rival his career longevity, but add some of his inspiration to their sound.

From the start, Marley was always in his own lane. His dedication to his Rastafarian faith and his home country spoke to the "flower power" era full of free love and free thinking. There’s no real formula behind how a young singer from Jamaica managed to spread his message across the world picking up fans from Switzerland to Africa, to everywhere in between, but all that matters is that he left a lasting impression.

Marley was an innovator not only in his music, but his physical appearance. His long dreadlocks made the perfect blueprint for the likes of Lauryn Hill, who also proudly rocked her locks at the height of her solo fame. His love for a certain green substance paved the way for rappers like Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa to be open about their weed obsessions; and his music brought reggae to the mainstream, opening the door for Rihanna and Beyonce to add a little island flavor to their singles.

While there’s no telling where his career would be if he were alive today, since his death in 1981, Marley has received several posthumous honors, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In an era when music crazes change like the weather, Marley still remains a pertinent figure in music history and it’s all because he marched (and made fans dance) to the beat of his own drum.

Take a listen to some artists who have been influenced by Marley’s reggae stylings after the jump.