Chuck D is known for giving people their flowers. So was the case when he went on Twitter to make a declaration about the impact and influence of rap legends Rakim and KRS-One.

"Facts RAKIM & KRS ONE CHANGED THE way we all rhymed," he wrote. "They were the FIRST MCS that literally made the beat chase them instead of vice versa. They single-handedly did to RAP what Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington did for jazz w phrasing & composition. If this is too cryptic oh well."

The topic is one that comes up often, and Chuck elaborated on his statement by saying that up until 1986, rappers "attacked the beat," listing Run, Kool G Rap, and LL COOL J as examples. "[Rakim and KRS-One] were the significant 1st to TAME the beat. To them. My Melody ..Soul SouthBx & Poetry are obvious public RECORD," he argued.

Chuck further explained that he's last of an era, and had to adapt to the stylistic changes in lyrical delivery. "I started amateur in 1979," he wrote. "Meaning performing locally across states in front of massive people not basements-corners if the pro ranks mean recordings. I’m last generation of the EmceeIn style of rocking the party over DJ records into ‘records’ you didn’t PICK your beat. I adapted."

Of course, Chuck isn't the first person to point out how Rakim in particular changed Hip-Hop. Earlier this year, Phonte explained to Rock The Bells how Rakim changed emceeing.

"In terms of emceeing, Rakim? He's the Alpha and Omega," Phonte said. "He's very much like a Richard Pryor, or like a J. Dilla in the sense that it's so hard to explain his importance to people who didn't know a world before him. Like, after 'Paid In Full' hit, it was just like, 'Bro, that's it.' Rakim was just a one-of-one. It's just how singular he was. That nasally voice, him using internal rhymes ... Like, a nigga rappin' for five minutes straight? Like what? He didn't really have hooks. Like, if you ask people to sing the hook of 'Paid in Full' they don't sing, 'Because I'm paid in full.' They don't say that, right? Niggas gonna run back the whole: 'Thinkin of a master plan...' Like, you knew the whole record. Whenever people talk about top five MCs or whatever, you know, you can debate it, you can argue it a lot of different ways. But for me, Rakim will always sit at number one. Without a Rakim, you don't get a Nas, you don't get a Jay, you don't get a Snoop. Before him, rappers had to be these big kind of personalities. And he was just like, "Fuck that shit. I'm giving you all these bars, and nigga that's it."

Check out Chuck's posts above.