Reginald Noble, better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label.
Roc-A-Fella Records, LLC. is an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Damon "Dame" Dash, Kareem "Biggs" Burke, and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter in 1994.
Ernesto Shaw, better known as DJ Clue, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record producer, radio personality and record executive.
M.O.P. is an American hip hop duo. Composed of rappers Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, the duo are known for their aggressive lyrical delivery style. Although they maintain a strong underground following, they are mainly known for the song "Ante Up", released on their Warriorz album in 2000, and with which they have had mainstream success. The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premier. Fame sometimes produces under the moniker Fizzy Womack, and has produced a significant number of tracks on all M.O.P. releases since 1996's Firing Squad, as well as work for other artists including Kool G Rap, Teflon and Wu-Tang Clan.
Rodolfo Franklin Sr., known professionally as Clark Kent or DJ Clark Kent, is an American hip hop record producer, DJ and music executive of Panamanian descent. His crew of DJs is called "The Supermen", and his DJ moniker is derived from the name of Superman's alter ego.
Def Jam Recordings is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly on hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop.
James Savage, better known by his stage name Jayo Felony, is an American rapper from southeast San Diego, California. He was a member of a southeast San Diego gang called Rolling 40's Neighborhood Crips and went by the street name Bullet Loco.
Murder Inc. was a short-lived American hip hop supergroup formed by American music executive Irv Gotti, in 1995. The trio was composed of three of the most prominent rappers in the music industry at the time, East Coast hip hop artists Jay-Z, DMX, and Ja Rule. The trio first appeared on fellow New York-based rapper Mic Geronimo's song "Time to Build". The trio even went on to appear on the cover of the June 1999 issue of American hip-hop magazine XXL. "Murder Inc." was rebranded by Irv Gotti in the namesake record label he co-founded in 1998, in which Ja Rule was signed.
"In My Lifetime" is the debut single by American rapper Jay-Z. It is produced by Ski and contains samples from "Oh Baby" by Aretha Franklin and two Soul II Soul songs: "Back to Life " and "Get a Life". The original white label version of the single was sold by Jay-Z and his friend Damon Dash out of Dash's car in 1994.
Method Man & Redman are an American hip hop duo, composed of East Coast rappers Method Man and Redman. They are signed to Def Jam Recordings both as solo artists and as a duo. While they had been collaborating since 1994, it was not until 1999 that they released a full-length collaborative effort, Blackout!. The follow-up album, Blackout! 2, was released in 2009.
"It's Alright" is the only single by Memphis Bleek and Jay-Z that was released from the Streets Is Watching soundtrack for the film of the same name. It was later featured as a bonus track on Jay-Z's third album, Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life. It is produced by Damon Dash and Mahogany Music, who sample "Once in a Lifetime" by the Talking Heads and "The Hall of Mirrors" by Kraftwerk for the track's beat. Its B-side is "The Doe" by Diamonds in da Rough.
The Professional is the debut studio album by American record producer DJ Clue?. It was released on December 15, 1998 via Roc-A-Fella Records.
Damon J. Blackman, better known by his stage name Dame Grease or simply Grease, is an American record producer from New York City. In 1996, he gained recognition in the hip hop industry through his production work with Bad Boy and The LOX, while also establishing the sound of DMX and Ruff Ryders.
"You and Me" is a song by LL Cool J, released as a single from his ninth album, G.O.A.T.. It was released on October 17, 2000 for Def Jam Recordings, was produced by DJ Scratch and LL Cool J, and featured R&B singer Kelly Price. It peaked at #44 on the Billboard's Hot Rap Singles and #59 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Backstage: Music Inspired by the Film is the soundtrack to the Chris Fiore's 2000 documentary film Backstage. It was released on August 29, 2000 via Roc-A-Fella Records.
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 2 is the second annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released November 10, 1998 and distributed by Polygram Records, Hip Hop Hits Volume 2 features eighteen hip hop and rap hits. It went to number 29 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
The Source Presents: Hip Hop Hits, Volume 3 is the third annual music compilation album to be contributed by The Source magazine. Released November 30, 1999 and distributed by Def Jam Recordings, Hip Hop Hits Volume 3 features seventeen hip hop and rap hits. It went to number 29 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart and peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200 album chart.
Chris Fiore is a US film writer, director and producer.
