Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known by his stage name Common, is an American rapper and actor from Chicago, Illinois. He is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He first signed with the independent label Relativity Records to release his debut studio album Can I Borrow a Dollar? (1992), and gained further critical acclaim with its follow-ups, Resurrection (1994) and One Day It'll All Make Sense (1997). He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s, and achieved mainstream success through his work with the Black music collective, Soulquarians.
Erik Francis Schrody, known by his stage names Everlast and Whitey Ford is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter who was the frontman for hip hop group House of Pain. His breakthrough as a solo artist came in 1998 with his album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, which blended rock and hip-hop and garnered him his first Grammy Award nomination for the song "What It's Like". The album peaked at number 9 on the Billboard 200 album chart, while the single peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. As of 2023, they remain his highest mainstream chart positions for an album and single respectively.
Victor James Santiago, Jr., better known by his stage names N.O.R.E. and Noreaga, is an American rapper and broadcaster. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga (C-N-N), which he formed in 1995 with fellow Queens-based rapper Capone. The duo released five studio albums, briefly disbanding after their second to pursue solo careers.
Joseph Guillermo Jones II, better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and record executive. He is a founding member of the hip hop collective the Diplomats, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Harlem native Cam'ron.
Reason is the analytic faculty of the human mind that maintains objectivity unto inspecting and organizing perceptions.
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Fiasco was the chief executive officer of 1st and 15th Entertainment.
Trap Muzik is the second studio album by the American rapper T.I., released on August 19, 2003, by Atlantic and his newly founded record label Grand Hustle. Due to the poor sales on T.I.'s first album, I'm Serious (2001), T.I. asked for a joint venture deal with Arista Records or to be released from his contract; he was subsequently dropped from the label. In 2002, T.I. launched Grand Hustle with his longtime business partner Jason Geter and signed a new deal with Atlantic Records.
Gregory Fernard Hutchison, known as Big Hutch and Cold 187 um, is an American rapper and producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law. He currently records for his self-founded label.
A diss track, diss record or diss song is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the two people; for example, the artists involved may be former members of a group, or artists on rival labels.
Troy Donald Jamerson, better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.
Deja Monét Trimble, known professionally as Dej Loaf, is an American rapper and singer from Detroit, Michigan. She is best known for her 2014 single, "Try Me" and its 2015 follow up, "Back Up". The latter received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and served as the lead single for her debut extended play ...And See That's the Thing (2015), which was released by Columbia Records. Both songs, along with her guest appearance on Kid Ink's 2015 single "Be Real", peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut studio album, Sell Sole II (2020) was met with positive critical reception, although it failed to chart.
Durk Derrick Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He first garnered a regional following with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to his signing of a recording contract from Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015) and its follow up, Lil Durk 2X (2016) to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the artist in 2018.
Symere Bysil Woods, known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape Luv Is Rage (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom they signed under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.
Artist Julius Dubose, known professionally as A Boogie wit da Hoodie, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. His stage name is derived from the character "Ace Boogie" from the 2002 film Paid in Full, and because he frequently wore hoodies, friends gave him the nickname "A Boogie wit da Hoodie".
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again, also known as NBA YoungBoy, or simply YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From 2015 to 2017, he released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional following for his work. He signed with Atlantic Records in the latter year to release the singles "Untouchable" and "No Smoke", both of which marked his first entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Released in January of the following year, his single "Outside Today" became his first to reach the top 40 of the chart, and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It served as both his mainstream breakthrough and the lead single for his debut studio album Until Death Call My Name (2018), which peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception.
Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois. He is largely considered one of the most preeminent figures of the drill genre.
Jeremy Biddle, known professionally as Yung Bleu or Bleu, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2020 single "You're Mines Still", which peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 after it was remixed by Canadian rapper Drake.
Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind is the tenth studio album by American rapper the Game, released on August 12, 2022, by 100 Entertainment and Virgin Music Label & Artist Services. It consists of collaborations with Kanye West, Big Sean, Drake, Ice-T, Fivio Foreign, Roddy Ricch, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, Moneybagg Yo, ASAP Rocky, Jeremih, Pusha T, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Dreezy, G Herbo, Blxst, French Montana, Tory Lanez, Rick Ross, Nipsey Hussle, Chris Brown, Blueface, Twista, Cam'ron, Chlöe, Cassie, and DJ Khaled across its other 30 tracks, and production from high-profile producers, such as Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Mike Dean and Hit-Boy, among others.
Abhi vs the Universe is the third studio album by Indian rapper, singer, and songwriter Abhi the Nomad, released on 12 September 2021 by UnderCurrent and Riptide Music. It is an upbeat alternative hip hop record that features elements of pop and jazz music.
Charlie Curtis-Beard is an American rapper, singer, and social media personality. He joined TikTok in March 2020 and became popular on the platform, reaching 1.7 million followers as of April 2023. As a rapper, he has released three EPs and four studio albums, receiving praise from the Chicago Reader and Ones to Watch, and has opened for Ella Mai, Abhi the Nomad, and Stacey Ryan.
