Yasiin Bey, previously known by his stage name Mos Def, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. Bey began his hip hop career in 1994, alongside his siblings in the short-lived rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics (UTD), after which they appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. He subsequently formed the duo Black Star, alongside fellow Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli, and in 1998 they released their eponymous debut album, featuring the singles "Definition" and "Respiration". He was featured on the roster of Rawkus Records and in 1999 released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides. His debut was followed by The New Danger (2004), True Magic (2006), and The Ecstatic (2009). The editors of About.com listed him as the 14th greatest rapper on their "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time" list. Some of his top hits include "Oh No", "Ms. Fat Booty" and "Mathematics".
The Native Tongues were a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members were the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. The collective was also closely tied to the Universal Zulu Nation. Rolling Stone cites the track "Doin' Our Own Dang" as "the definitive Native Tongues posse cut".
Organized Konfusion (OK) is an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York, composed of Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch.
Rawkus Records was an American hip hop record label known for starting the careers of many rappers. Rawkus started in 1995 with releases in hip-hop, drum and bass and fun-dustrial.
Lamont Dorrell, known as Ayatollah, is a hip-hop record producer from Queens, New York was born in March 8, 1971. Who has produced for predominantly New York-based rappers including Mos Def, Talib Kweli, R.A. the Rugged Man, Tragedy Khadafi, Wordsworth, Vast Aire, Afu-Ra, Guru, M.O.P., Inspectah Deck, Cormega, Ghostface Killah as well as many others. R.A. the Rugged Man had said in an interview that he was the first person to ever buy a beat from Ayatollah. Broadly speaking Ayatollah's production encompasses a soulful, authentic east coast hip-hop sound which has brought him steady success and acclaim since the late 1990s.
Ambushed is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Da Bush Babees, with members Mr. Man, Babe-B-Face Kaos and Y-Tee. It was released on December 6, 1994, under Reprise Records. It peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. "We Run Things " and "Remember We" peaked at number 41 and 34, respectively, on the Hot Rap Songs chart.
Gravity is an album by the hip hop group Da Bush Babees, released in 1996. The crew got help from a number of fellow Native Tongues members, including the Ummah, Mos Def and De La Soul's Posdnous. The lead single "The Love Song" received strong airplay prior to the album's release. Along with De La Soul's Stakes Is High, Gravity is notable for jump-starting the hip-hop career of Mos Def, who is featured on three tracks on the album. Warner Bros. released the group from its contract after the album ran its course.
Lyricist Lounge 2 is the second installment in Rawkus Records Lyricist Lounge album series. The release was one of Rawkus' most commercially successful releases, featuring the hit crossover singles, "Oh No" and "Get Up", the former charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Billboard Rap chart. Despite its success, Lyricist Lounge 2 drew criticisms from underground fans, mainly due to the album's more commercial sound, and also because of its focus on established artists, unlike the first installment, which largely featured up-and-coming MC's.
Soundbombing III is the third installment of the Rawkus Records Soundbombing series. The album was not nearly as critically acclaimed as its predecessor Soundbombing 2, but was able to sell moderately well, led by the single "The Life", featuring Styles P and Pharoahe Monch which was sent to radio during the week of April 29, 2002. Taking after 2000's Lyricist Lounge 2, Soundbombing III furthers the label's transition to a more commercial sound, which caused harsh criticisms from die-hard Rawkus fans. The album features Styles P, Pharoahe Monch, Mos Def, Skillz, Missy Elliott, Kool G Rap, Capone-N-Noreaga, Hi-Tek, Jonell, Method Man, Zap Mama, Talib Kweli, Common, Q-Tip, The Beatnuts, DJ Quik, Novel, The Roots, Cocoa Brovaz, Dawn Penn and R.A. the Rugged Man. The compilation is hosted by Cipha Sounds and Mr. Choc. The compilation contains many remixes of tracks already having appeared on earlier released albums, however the album does contain singles.
Anwar Superstar, born Anwar Khalil Prescott, is an American hip hop artist. He began rapping at the age of 14 on the streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Anwar has battled MCs from across the US and abroad.
The discography of Yasiin Bey / Mos Def, an American rapper, consists of four solo albums, two compilation albums, and several singles. Mos Def began his hip hop career in 1994 in the underground rap group UTD alongside his sibling group members DCQ and Ces, after which he pursued a solo career. In 1998, he made his mainstream debut on Rawkus Records in the trio Black Star with rapper Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. "Definition", the lead single from Black Star's self-titled debut album, reached No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.
Marcus Vialva, better known by his stage name Shabaam Sahdeeq, is an alternative hip hop artist from Brooklyn, New York. He first reached fame with Rawkus Records and was featured alongside artists including Busta Rhymes, Redman, Method Man, Kool G Rap, Common, Mos Def and Eminem. Shabaam Sahdeeq is notable for his work on the Soundbombing and Lyricist Lounge series in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. In 1998, Sahdeeq collaborated with DJ Spinna, Mr. Complex and Apani B to form the hip-hop collective Polyrhythm Addicts, a supergroup renowned for its pivotal role in the explosion of late 1990s indie hip-hop. The single "Not Your Ordinary: gained a positive critical and commercial reception, which paved the way for their first album, Rhyme Related, released in 1999, and widely regarded as a hip-hop classic. After this success, the group disbanded to focus on their individual careers. Sahdeeq's distinct voice and unique delivery catapulted him to mainstream stardom on the "Simon Says" Remix alongside label mate Pharoahe Monch. He is currently releasing music independently. Shabaam Sahdeeq's recent work has been receiving rave reviews in some of the biggest hip-hop publications.
The Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival (BHF) is an annual celebration of Hip-Hop music and culture. It is produced The Bodega Agency a wholly owned subsidiary of Brooklyn Bodega, Inc.
W.A.R. is the third studio album of American hip hop artist Pharoahe Monch released on March 22, 2011 under Duck Down Records. Producers include Lion's Share Music Group, Exile, Marco Polo, M-Phazes, Mike Loe, Fatin "10" Horton, Diamond D, Samiyam, and Fyre Dept.'s Adam Deitch and Eric Krasno, while vocal features are contributed by Idris Elba, Immortal Technique, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Showtyme, Styles P of The LOX, Phonte, Mela Machinko, Mr. Porter, Jean Grae, Royce da 5'9", Citizen Cope and Jill Scott. Scratches are provided by DJ Boogie Blind of The X-Ecutioners.
D. (Derick) Prosper began his career as a poet on the NPS National Poetry Slam circuit. He won several regional competitions and featured on the 1994 Providence Poetry Slam Team. D. Prosper was the youngest poet featured on the tour. He ranked fourth in the nation at the NPS finals in Asheville, North Carolina. Prosper was also featured in respected publication Fast Folk Music Magazine. He eventually earned a coveted spot on the 1994 Lollapalooza Tour D. Prosper's love of spoken word poetry ignited his passion for hip-hop music.
Troy Donald Jamerson, better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. He is known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.
"Oh No" is a song by American rappers Mos Def and Pharoahe Monch featuring American singer Nate Dogg. It was released in 2000 by Rawkus Records, as a single from the compilation album Lyricist Lounge 2 (2000). The song was produced by Rockwilder.
