Time’s annual list of the World’s 100 Most Influential People is out, and Tyler Perry, Jacob Zuma (president of the African National Congress), Chris Rock, Herbie Hancock, Mariah Carey, Mo Ibrahim (Sudanese-British mobile communications mogul), Barack Obama and Oprah Winfrey made the cut. Check out the full list here. Who do you think was overlooked? Who doesn’t belong? All I know is, if one of the world’s most influential people is also the sort of person who marries a two-bit comedic actor/rapper after knowing him for a month, then I’m scared for the world.
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Mo Ibrahim is also a billionare. His is one of two new black African billionares.
I think I would prefer to see Beyonce or Kayne West before Mariah on that list.
Dr. Ben Carson, Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Johns Hopkins.
No wonder our children think the only important people in the world are entertainers.
Wow, I checked the list! I have to say it’s rather disturbing, to say the least, that Nelson Mandela, Maya Angelou,and Muhammad Ali are missing ….I could go on!
I’m good with Mariah because she has had amazing career longevity. And to have the most #1 singles (tied with Elvis) is incredible. Wacky behavior aside- Mariah has sealed the art of the comeback. As many people say they hate her, it’s a wonder that so many folks are buying her CD.
I just scanned it, but I didn’t see Jay-Z’s name whose groundbreaking deal with LiveNation (along with Madonna) should change the way artists are handled by record companies. Also missing was Bono.
The list is based upon influenced this year, Mendela, Mya and Ali have not been in the spotlight that much last year.
Mariah Carey?
Not interested in reading the list, but Mariah seems like a misnomer for sure.
herbie hancock? i don’t get it. anyone care to shed some light on his inclusion on this list?
Herbie Hancock won the grammy for best album of the year I think.
Tyler Perry makes movies playing a minstrel, mocking Black women and that makes him one of the most influential people?
Herbie Hancock is a Jazz/black musical pioneer. He’s probally also an artist that is heavily sampled(break beats/hip-hop producers). He inspires good music and good musicianship. I’d prefer that over Mariah.
@ shakti and BT–Herbie Hancock has had a long and influential career in music, especially jazz. He played with Miles Davis (a musical great unto himself), did some incredible music with hip-hop legend Afrikka Bambata with “Rockit,” (the music video is *still* crazy, though a little dated), and US3 brought him back to pop-music consciousness with “Cantaloop.”
Hell, the man has won 11 Grammys, including the latest one for the tribute album to Joni Mitchell. I’d say he’s influential…
…but I have to co-sign with Chyna Doll. What about Henry Louis Gates? Gwen Ifill? What about bloggers? (Yeah, what *about* bloggers, like Ta-Neshi Coates, and the crew at Jack and Jill Politics, Racialicious, and our own Lauren and Cord?)
It’s just a stupid list to fill empty page space.
Totally meaningless, and is not that serious.
Moving on…
@Monie, they didn’t say POSITIVE influence.
Mariah sells lots of albums. Don’t see that as “influential.” Okay, I have new songs to sing off key too come karaoke night.
Zuma has POTENTIAL influence. He isn’t that influential.
Chris Rock?? Explain please.
Why is Jacob Zuma on this list? If you’ve read about the Zuma rape trial or the Sheik trial, you’ll know that he is a fraud who thinks he can cure aids by showering. He is destroying South Africa. I do not want him to represent me as a South African or as a black person.
I want to know the definition of influence according to Time.