Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), known professionally as Raekwon, is an American rapper. As a member of Wu-Tang Clan, his lyrics contributed to Mafioso rap's global popularity. He released his solo debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995 to universal critical acclaim. He has since recorded numerous solo albums, as well as continuing to work with Wu-Tang and providing an extensive number of guest contributions to other hip hop artists' works (such as his appearance on the first single of the critically acclaimed Outkast album, Aquemini). He is the founder of his own label ICE H2O Records.
Anthony Cruz, better known by his stage name AZ, is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He is known for being a longtime and frequent music partner of East Coast rapper Nas and also a member of hip hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature. Online magazine About.com listed AZ as the "Most Underrated [Rapper] of All Time", and made it onto the sites' "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007)", where he was reiterated as "arguably the most underrated lyricist ever."
Cash Money is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Bryan "Birdman" Williams and Ronald "Slim" Williams. The label is distributed by Republic, which used to be Universal Republic. The label has been home to a roster of hip hop artists, including Lil Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj, and is regarded as one of the most successful in hip-hop history.
Katrina Laverne "Trina" Taylor, is an American rapper, songwriter, television personality and actress. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single "Nann Nigga".
Victor Santiago, Jr., better known by his stage name N.O.R.E., or Noreaga, is an American rapper from Queens, New York. Victor is African American on his mother's side and Puerto Rican on his father side. Santiago first rose to prominence as one half of the East Coast hip hop duo Capone-N-Noreaga (C-N-N), alongside fellow Queens-based rapper Capone. He would also have success as a solo artist with the singles "Superthug", "Banned from T.V.", "Nothin'", "Oye Mi Canto" and "Mas Maiz".
GOOD Music is an American record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label signed an exclusive long-term worldwide label agreement with The Island Def Jam Music Group in 2011. In 2012, the label released its debut compilation album Cruel Summer. In 2015, Pusha T was appointed the president of the label by West, while record executive Steven Victor was appointed COO.
Nappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quartet. The group met in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 while attending Western Kentucky University. They are best known for their hit singles "Po' Folks", "Awnaw", "Roun' The Globe" and "Good Day". They were the best selling hip hop group of 2002. The group consists of Milledgeville, Georgia native Fish Scales and Kentucky natives Skinny DeVille, B. Stille and Ron Clutch.
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a solo career and set up his own label, Terror Squad, to which he signed Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, Cuban Link, Armageddon, Prospect, Triple Seis, and a then-unknown DJ Khaled, as well as discover producers Cool & Dre.
Soroush Lashkari, known professionally as Hichkas, is an Iranian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Credited with popularizing Persian hip hop to the Iranian people and other Persian-speaking countries such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Hichkas's national success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken the barriers that were in place by the Islamic regime for the acceptance of rappers in popular music. Hichkas is considered one of the pioneers of Iranian hip hop and is nicknamed "Father of Persian Rap" by his fans. He became a representation of the Iranian underclass and reflected the angst of the young Iranians. He has been influential for many artists of various genres and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of the Iranian hip hop.
Płomień 81 is a Polish hip-hop group founded in Warsaw. It was formed by the Polish rappers Pezet and Onar in 1998. The group name originates from the school in which the two rappers met.
Kanye West Presents: Good Music – Cruel Summer, commonly referred to simply as Cruel Summer, is a compilation album by recording artists of American record label GOOD Music, released on September 14, 2012, by the label and Def Jam Recordings. American rapper Kanye West, head of the label, first revealed plans for a label collaborative album in October 2011. The album produced four singles—"Mercy", "Cold", "New God Flow", and "Clique"—that charted on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album features West himself, alongside GOOD Music signees Pusha T, Big Sean, Teyana Taylor, Cyhi the Prynce, Kid Cudi, John Legend, Common, D'banj and Malik Yusef, as well as affiliates 2 Chainz, Jay-Z and Travis Scott, among others. Production on the album was primarily handled by members of GOOD Music's production wing, Very GOOD Beats, including West, Hit-Boy, Hudson Mohawke, Travis Scott and Lifted, among others.
Tauheed K. Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition for being one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside his longtime friend and fellow rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo was signed to fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label, and are best known for their debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".
Marcin "Abradab" Marten is a Polish rapper and music producer. Marten is a founding member of Polish hip-hop group Kaliber 44 and, since 2002, a solo artist. He is a member of Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Marten is a winner of two Fryderyk awards. In 2011, Machina magazine placed Marten at No.17 on the list of 30 best Polish rappers. He has also collaborated with artists like Piotr Banach, Bosski Roman, Maciej Maleńczuk, Wojciech Waglewski, Grubson, L.U.C and O.S.T.R..
Migos are an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group is composed of three rappers known by their stage names Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff. They are managed by Coach K, the former manager of Atlanta-based rappers Gucci Mane and Young Jeezy, and frequently collaborate with producers such as DJ Durel, Zaytoven, Murda Beatz, DJ Khaled, and Buddah Bless.
Piotr Kowalczyk, better known under his stage name Tau, and formerly as Medium, is a Polish rapper, vocalist, beatboxer and hip-hop producer. In 2008, he released his underground debut album Seans spirytystyczny (Séance) under the name Medium. His next underground album Alternatywne źródło energii was released in 2010, which helped Medium to be spotted by Marcin "Tytus" Grabski, CEO of Asfalt Records, who offered him a contract.
Graal is the second album by Polish rapper Tau and the last released under the pseudonym Medium. It was released as a double album on November 20, 2012 by Asfalt Records. Recording took place during 2012 at Studio Łukasza Kowalskiego in Kielce with DJ Deszczu Strugi in charge of mixing the album. As with his previous album Teoria równoległych wszechświatów, production and arrangement were overseen by Medium himself.
Bozon Records is a Polish independent record label specialized in hip-hop music. It was founded in 2013 by Piotr "Tau" Kowalczyk after his departure from Asfalt Records. The company was later signed over to Tau's wife Izabela Detka.
Życie po śmierci, stylized as Życie po śmierci) is an album by Polish hip-hop rapper and producer O.S.T.R., released on February 26, 2016 on Asfalt Records. O.S.T.R. said that the main factor that made him record Życie po śmierci was his disease he had at the beginning of 2015. He had to have his lung removed, due to the fact that he had been smoking for most of his life. He also claimed that this album is the most personal project he had ever recorded. The main inspiration for the title of the album was the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 project Life After Death. A special website was created to promote the album. On the website O.S.T.R. left a letter written to his fans, when he recalls a story of his disease and informs that Życie po śmierci is going to be a soundtrack for a "book or rap musical".
Podróż zwana życiem is the thirteenth studio album by Polish hip-hop rapper and producer O.S.T.R., released on February 23, 2015 on Asfalt Records. The album features several guest appearances such by Sacha Vee and Cadillac Dale. The album was promoted with three singles, "Rise of the Sun" features Cadillac Dale, "Podróż zwana życiem" and "Ja ty my wy oni" both features a vocal by Sachą Vee. There was a promotional video clip accompanied to the first single.
Kinematografia is the debut studio album by Polish hip-hop trio Paktofonika, released on December 18, 2000 on Gigant Records. The material for the project was being gathered for over two years from 1998 to 2000. The album was promoted with a single "Ja to ja", released on November 1, 2000.
Poland 