Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California, formed in 1988. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and they have obtained multi-platinum and platinum certifications. The group has been critically acclaimed for their first five albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast hip hop and 1990s hip hop. All of the group members advocate for medical and recreational use of cannabis in the United States. In 2019, Cypress Hill became the first hip hop group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Anthony L. Ray, better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot or his CB handle Prime Minista, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Pharcyde is an American alternative hip hop group, formed in 1989, from South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani, Slimkid3, Bootie Brown, and Fatlip. DJ Mark Luv was the group's first disc jockey (DJ), followed by producer J-Swift. The group is perhaps best known for the hit singles "Drop", "Passin' Me By" and "Runnin'", as well as their first album, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992). The group continues to tour and record, both collaboratively and in solo projects—the most recent being Hardson's collaborative EP with DJ Nu-Mark released in 2014 on Delicious Vinyl.
Marcel Theo Hall, known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper and singer. Markie's 1989 single "Just a Friend", became a Top 40 hit in several countries and was named No. 100 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs of all time in 2008. Markie was sometimes referred to as the "Clown Prince of Hip Hop".
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, new jack swing was most popular from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
Anthony Cruz, better known by his stage name AZ, is an American rapper. Best known for his affiliation with hometown native and fellow East Coast rapper Nas, they formed the New York City-based hip hop group the Firm along with Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature in 1996. Cruz first saw recognition for his guest appearance on Nas' 1994 single "Life's a Bitch", from his album Illmatic (1994). Cruz was then signed by EMI to release his debut studio album, Doe or Die (1995), which was met with critical acclaim. Its lead single, "Sugar Hill" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Moreover, The Firm's sole album (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart despite unfavorable critical response; the group disbanded two years later.
Kris Kross were an American hip hop group, consisting of rappers Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith, and producer Jermaine Dupri. Kris Kross was the youngest hip-hop group to gain success, with gold and platinum albums at 12 and 13 years old. Smith and Kelly were discovered by Dupri in 1991 and hit worldwide status the following year with their smash hit debut single, "Jump", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single. They went on to release three studio albums, with their debut album Totally Krossed Out topping the US Billboard 200, and their following albums, Da Bomb and Young, Rich & Dangerous making it into the Top 20. The duo were also noted for their signature fashion style of wearing their clothes backwards. Kelly died of a drug overdose on May 1, 2013.
Anquette is an American contemporary R&B group from Miami, Florida, U.S. They debuted with their answer version of the 2 Live Crew's "Throw the D", titled "Throw the P" (1986). Anquette's debut LP Respect (1988) featured a version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" as well as "I Will Always Be There for You", which peaked at #76 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart in 1989) and a rap track titled "Janet Reno". Other noteworthy tunes include "Ghetto Style" and "Shake It ". Anquette came back in 1997 with the tune "My Baby Mama," an answer rap to B-Rock and the Bizz's "My Baby Daddy".
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 4, 1997, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart and was certified Platinum by the RIAA, selling over 138,000 copies in its first week of release. In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 also served as Jay-Z's first album release following the sudden death of fellow Brooklyn rapper and collaborator The Notorious B.I.G. in March 1997.
It's a Big Daddy Thing is the second full-length album by American rapper Big Daddy Kane. It was released on September 19, 1989, by Cold Chillin' Records and Warner Bros. Records.
"Stay Fly" is the first single from hip hop group Three 6 Mafia's 2005 album Most Known Unknown. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 to become the group's biggest hit. The track, which samples "Tell Me Why Has Our Love Turned Cold" by Willie Hutch, features fellow Memphis rap duo 8Ball & MJG and Young Buck, a member of G-Unit. The single helped propel Most Known Unknown to RIAA platinum status. The single itself achieved 2x multi-platinum RIAA certification status on December 11, 2006.
"It's All About the Benjamins" is a song by American rapper and producer Puff Daddy. It was released as the third single from his debut studio album No Way Out. "Benjamins" is a slang word for money, referring to Benjamin Franklin's image on the US $100 bill. The song featured an uncredited vocal arrangement by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, and featured a signature guitar hook played by Marc Solomon.
Mason Durell Betha, better known by his mononym Mase, is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records, he signed with the label in 1996 and quickly found mainstream recognition as Combs' hype man. He guest appeared on Combs' 1997 single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100, while his singles as a lead artist, "Feel So Good" and "What You Want" both peaked within the top ten of the chart. Released in October of that year, his debut studio album, Harlem World (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart, received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist, "Lookin' at Me". Furthermore, his guest performances on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Mo Money Mo Problems" and Puff Daddy's "Been Around the World" peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively, that same year.
The discography of American rapper Sean Combs consists of five studio albums, two collaborative albums, one remix album and seventy-two singles – including thirty-three as a lead artist and thirty-nine as a featured artist.
CB4 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the official soundtrack to the 1993 comedy film of the same name. It was released on March 2, 1993, through MCA Records. The album has peaked at #41 on the Billboard 200 and #13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album is composed of twelve R&B and hip hop tracks from various artists and producers. It spawned a Blackstreet-performed single "Baby Be Mine", which peaked at #17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Three songs on the album were credited to the fictional CB4 group from the movie, the trio consisted of Chris Rock and rappers Daddy-O & Hi-C.
"My Baby Daddy" is a single by B-Rock and the Bizz from their debut album Porkin' Beans & Wienes. The song used a sample of "Best of My Love" by The Emotions.
"Flava in Ya Ear" is a song by American rapper Craig Mack. It was released as the lead single from his debut studio album Project: Funk da World on July 26, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. It was remixed with the addition of rappers The Notorious B.I.G., Rampage, LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes.
"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" is the debut single by rapper Puff Daddy. It appears on Puff Daddy's debut studio album No Way Out and the song was released to Rhythmic contemporary radio in December 1996 and was physically released on January 7, 1997. The single was released through BMG Music, Arista Records and Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records.
Cordae Amari Dunston, known mononymously as Cordae, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of the hip hop collective YBN.
Johnathan Jamall Porter, known professionally as Blueface, is an American rapper. In October 2018, after releasing the music video for his song "Respect My Cryppin'", he became a viral meme due to his offbeat style of rapping. The following month, he was signed to Cash Money West, the West Coast branch of Birdman's Cash Money Records label.
