Who else could influence them? Not Jay or Nas
Moe Dee said his fav rapper was Kid Creole at one time
All the other rappers that were around at that time could have influenced them. Why would they just fabricate something for the sake of it? I've seen big famous artists say T La Rock before, that isn't a common or popular choice so I don't see why someone would lie. Plus in certain artists you can hear the influence.