Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City in 1992, originally composed of RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. An important act in the East Coast hip hop and hardcore hip hop styles, Wu-Tang Clan are regarded as a highly influential group in hip hop. Their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang , released in 1993, is considered one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.
Prince Rogers Nelson, better known as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. A multi-instrumentalist who was considered a guitar virtuoso, he was well known for his eclectic work across multiple genres, flamboyant and androgynous persona, and wide vocal range which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams.
Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Previous bassist Alec John Such was dismissed in 1994, and longtime guitarist and co-songwriter Richie Sambora left in 2013.
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper and media personality. His fame dates to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's debut solo album, The Chronic. Snoop has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Rooted in the New York rap scene, he is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas has released twelve studio albums since 1994, with seven of them certified platinum and multi-platinum in the US.
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in St. Albans, Queens, New York in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. The group is regarded as a pioneer of alternative hip hop music.
Stevland Hardaway Morris, known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music during the second half of the 20th century, Wonder is one of the most successful songwriters and musicians. A virtual one-man band, his use of synthesizers and further electronic musical instruments during the 1970s reshaped the conventions of R&B. He also helped drive the genre into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive, consistent socially conscious statements with complex compositions. Wonder is often hailed as a "genius", and has been credited as a pioneer and influence to musicians of various genres including rhythm and blues, pop, soul, gospel, funk and jazz.
O'Shea Jackson, better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity. His solo albums of 1990 and 1991 consist of political rap. In 1991 and 1995, entering film, he starred in Boyz n the Hood and cocreated Friday.
Christopher Brian Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. After forming his own label, Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s, Ludacris later signed with Def Jam South and would go on to become one of the first Dirty South rappers to achieve mainstream success with his subsequent releases. For his music, Ludacris has won an MTV Video Music Award and three Grammy Awards.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record executive, entrepreneur, and actor. He is regarded by many contemporaries as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. For many years, Lil Wayne was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records, before ending his association with the company in June 2018.
Stephen Fain Earle is an American rock, country and folk singer-songwriter, record producer, author and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982.
Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler is a Spanish singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer who is known as the King of Latin Pop. He began his career during the mid-1990s on American Spanish-language record label Fonovisa Records under the stage name Enrique Martinez, before switching to his notable surname Iglesias. His father Julio Iglesias was a very successful singer and Iglesias wanted to make it on his own without receiving benefits from his family name. By the turn of the millennium, after becoming one of the biggest stars in Latin America and the Hispanic market in the United States, he made a successful crossover into the US mainstream market. He signed a multi-album deal with Universal Music Group for US$68 million with Universal Music Latino to release his Spanish albums and Interscope Records to release English albums.
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He has been influential in the 21st-century development of mainstream hip hop and popular music in general.
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer, singer, actor and DJ. Nicknamed The Abstract, he is noted for his innovative jazz-influenced style of hip hop production and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as an MC and main producer of the influential alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his gold-certified solo debut Amplified in 1999. In the 2000s, he released the Grammy Award-nominated album The Renaissance and the experimental album Kamaal the Abstract.
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor. He is a founding member of the rap group the Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released twenty-eight studio albums to date, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with more mainstream rappers outside the Bay Area. He rose to even higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go" which was produced by Lil Jon.
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year, which became certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Credited with popularizing hip hop in Middle America, he is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time.
Jason Joel Desrouleaux, better known by his stage name Jason Derulo, is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Since the start of his solo recording career in 2009, Derulo has sold over 30 million singles and has achieved eleven Platinum singles, including "Wiggle", "Talk Dirty", "In My Head", and "Whatcha Say".
Brian Patrick Carroll, known professionally as Buckethead, is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans many genres, including progressive metal, funk, blues, bluegrass, ambient, and avant-garde music. He performs primarily as a solo artist, though he has collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Bill Laswell, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Iggy Pop, Les Claypool, Serj Tankian, Bill Moseley, Mike Patton, Viggo Mortensen, That 1 Guy, and Bassnectar, and was a member of Guns N' Roses from 2000 to 2004. He has released 314 studio albums, four special releases, and one EP. He has also performed on more than 50 other albums by other artists.
Children of Bodom was a Finnish heavy metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho, Jaska Raatikainen (drums), Henkka Seppälä, Janne Wirman (keyboards), and Daniel Freyberg. The band released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD.
