We got your hip-hop hall of fame

LL Cool J was born and grew up in Bay Shore. When he was still young, he and his mother moved to his grandmother's house in Hollis, Queens, to get away from an abusive relative. LL still owns a house in the Dix Hills area.

Central Islip continues to jump, with K-solo, Keith Murry, The LOD and Mama Mystique holding down the beat. JVC Force represented by giving LI its first anthem with the underground classic "Strong Island."

Craig Mack broke onto the Brentwood scene as MC EZ in 1988 and went on to win a Grammy for "Flava in Ya Ear." Hip-hop journalist and media assassin Harry Allen also came from LI.

Das Efx took refuge in Ronkonkoma after its first album. Redman moved here to escape the streets of New Jersey. Chubb Rock owns a home in the Hamptons.

Even Mobb Deep recently moved to the Island, where the group now records in its in-house studio. When the Mobb's Murda Muzik was heavily bootlegged before its release, the act reworked five songs on LI.

Wake up the house again

Long Island has often been slept on, but hip-hop heads know the action is here. LI has given the world its most influential and talented artists, and we're not even counting the ones like RUN DMC who come from Queens. The Hip-Hop Hall of Fame needs to be in a place with enough muscle to hold up the rap heavies and heavy raps. There's no better spot than Strong Island.