Todd Anthony Shaw, better known by his stage name Too Short, is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late 1980s. His lyrics were often based on pimping and promiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival; exemplified respectively in his most popular singles "Blow the Whistle" and "The Ghetto." He is one of few acts to have worked with both Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. during the heights of their respective careers.
UGK was an American rap duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Mitchell “Big Mitch” Queen who would eventually leave the group to pursue a football career and Chad "Pimp C" Butler with Bernard “Bun B” Freeman replacing Big Mitch who would still make guest appearances on UGK songs. They released their first major-label album, Too Hard to Swallow, in 1992, followed by several other albums charting on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, including the self-titled Underground Kingz album, which contained their single "International Players Anthem " and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, in August 2007. The duo has also been featured on hit singles by several other artists, such as "Big Pimpin'" by Jay-Z and "Sippin' on Some Syrup" by Three 6 Mafia. Pimp C founded UGK Records in late 2005. On December 4, 2007, Pimp C died in his West Hollywood, California hotel room.
Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York–based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, a.k.a. Grandmaster Dee.
Andre Louis Hicks, known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper from Vallejo, California. He was an instrumental figure in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement in the Bay Area hip hop scene that emerged in the early 2000s. Hicks is considered one of the movement's key pioneers that fueled its popularity into mainstream, releasing songs with fast-paced rhymes and basslines that inspired a new style of dance. As the founder of the independent record label Thizz Entertainment, Hicks recorded dozens of albums and gave aspiring rappers an outlet to release albums locally.
The term hyphy is an Oakland, California slang meaning "hyperactive". More specifically, it is an adjective describing the hip hop music and the culture associated with the Oakland area. The term was first coined by Oakland rapper Keak da Sneak.
My Ghetto Report Card is the ninth studio album by American rapper E-40. It was released on March 14, 2006, by BME Recordings, Sick Wid It Records, Reprise Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album was supported by two singles: "Tell Me When to Go" featuring Keak Da Sneak, and "U and Dat" featuring T-Pain and Kandi Girl.
"Tell Me When to Go" is the first single from E-40's BME/Warner Bros. debut, My Ghetto Report Card. Keak da Sneak is also featured on the track. It was produced by Lil Jon, and one of the first singles to kick off the hyphy movement on a national level and popularized the phrase "ghost ride the whip". The song reached number 35 in the U.S. and eventually was certified Platinum by the RIAA on February 2, 2024. The song first premiered online on the MySpace.com homepage and it was the first hip hop single to premiere online before being released.
The Pack was an American hip hop group formed in Berkeley, California in 2004, composed of rappers Lil B, Young L, Stunnaman, and Lil Uno. They recorded in tandem for over a year at Young L's home studio, during which they released their first two mixtapes: Wolfpack Muzik Vol. 1 (2005) and Wolfpack Muzik Vol. 2 (2006).
Sultan Banks, better known as Traxamillion, was an American hip hop producer. He produced records such as Keak da Sneak's "Super Hyphy" and Dem Hoodstarz "Grown Man Remix". His first album, The Slapp Addict, was a compilation of Bay Area hyphy artists and was released August 22, 2006.
"Vans" is the debut single by American hip hop group the Pack, released in 2006 as the lead single from their EP Skateboards 2 Scrapers (2006). It is their most successful song, peaking at number 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. The title references the skate shoe brand of the same name.
Get Off the Stage is the seventeenth studio album by American rapper Too Short. It was released on December 4, 2007 by Jive Records, making it his fourteenth and final release with the label. Recording sessions took place at Blue Basement Recordings and at PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta and Young L Productions Studio. Production was handled by Traxamillion, Cooly C, DJ Kizzy Rock, Spec, Anthony Taylor, Gennessee and Young L, with Too Short serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Dolla Will, E-40, Ginger, Kool-Ace, Mistah F.A.B., Ms. Hollywood, and the Pack.
Three Ringz is the third studio album by American singer and rapper T-Pain. It was released on November 11, 2008, by his record label Nappy Boy Entertainment, an imprint of Akon's label Konvict Muzik, Jive Records, and Zomba Label Group. It was supported by three singles: "Can't Believe It" featuring Lil Wayne, "Chopped 'n' Skrewed" featuring Ludacris, and "Freeze" featuring Chris Brown.
Wolfpack Party is the second and final studio album by the Bay Area rap group the Pack. It was released on August 24, 2010, through SMC Recordings/Indie Pop.
Brandon Christopher McCartney, known professionally as Lil B and as his alter ego the BasedGod, is an American rapper. He has recorded both solo and as a member of the Berkeley, California-based hip hop group the Pack. His solo work spans several genres, including hip hop, new age, jazz, indie rock and choral music. He describes his work as "based"—a term which denotes a lifestyle of positivity and boldness—and is noted for his extensive use of social media to build an online cult following.
History: Function Music is a collaborative studio album by American rappers E-40 and Too Short. The album was released on November 6, 2012, by Heavy on the Grind Entertainment and EMI. The album was released in two pairs: History: Mob Music and History: Function Music. The album features guest appearances from Tyga, Travis Porter, Turf Talk, Wiz Khalifa, Suga Free, Jeremih, and Ice Cube among others.
Free (Based Freestyles Mixtape) is a collaborative mixtape by American rappers Lil B and Chance the Rapper. It was self-released for free download on August 5, 2015.
Black Ken is a mixtape by American rapper Lil B. It was self-released on August 17, 2017. Black Ken was self-produced by Lil B, and was dedicated to Diddy, Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, among others. It was first announced in 2010, with the release of singles and a 26-track preview to DatPiff.
Dominique Armani Jones, known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes Harder than Hard and Too Hard — the former of which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single, "My Dawg." He signed with Quality Control Music, an imprint of Motown and Capitol Records to release his debut studio album Harder Than Ever (2018), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten single "Yes Indeed". Later that year, he released the collaborative mixtape Drip Harder with fellow Georgia-based rapper Gunna, and his solo mixtape Street Gossip; the former spawned his second top-ten single "Drip Too Hard", while the latter peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.
Jackboys is a collaborative compilation album by American record label Cactus Jack Records, under the name Jackboys, led by American rapper and singer Travis Scott. It was released through Cactus Jack Records alongside Epic Records on December 27, 2019. The album features guest appearances from Rosalía, Lil Baby, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, Quavo, Offset, Young Thug, and Pop Smoke. Jackboys is a hip hop collective of rappers signed to Scott's Cactus Jack imprint, including Scott himself, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, SoFaygo, and Scott's DJ Chase B. Upon debut, Jackboys opened atop the US Billboard 200 on January 11, 2020, becoming the first number one album of the 2020s. It was Scott's third album to debut atop the chart after his third studio album, Astroworld (2018).
"Squabble Up" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar from his sixth studio album, GNX. It was released alongside "TV Off" by pgLang and Interscope Records on November 26, 2024, as the lead singles from the album. Initially teased in the music video for Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us", released on July 4, 2024, a 15-second snippet of the song appeared as Lamar walked through a dark hallway. Lamar produced the song with Sounwave, Jack Antonoff, and Ruchaun "Bridgeway" Akers, with additional production by Matthew "M-Tech" Bernard. The track gained additional attention after being featured in promotional material for Mercedes AMG's Formula One campaign and during an NBA broadcast, eventually going viral on TikTok.
