C-Note | |
---|---|
Birth name | Courtney Smith |
Born | Houston, Texas, U.S. | December 5, 1974
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper |
Years active | 1992-present |
Labels | Big Shot Records |
Courtney Smith (born December 5, 1974), known professionally by his stage name C-Note, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He is a member of the Botany Boyz, part of the Screwed Up Click scene first started by DJ Screw.
He appeared on a couple of songs with fellow Texas rapper Vanilla Ice on songs recorded between 1997 and 1999. His first solo album, Third Coast Born, was an underground success, eventually reaching #67 on Billboard 's Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. [1] The album was revamped and re-released in 2000, and this also peaked at #91 on the same chart. [1] C-Note has released several albums since then, and made numerous guest appearances (including with Fat Pat, Lil' Flip and Z-Ro). His fourth full-length, Network'n, was released in 2006, [2] and his fifth, Birds Vs Words, in 2016.
Germaine Williams, better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-American rapper. He gained fame in the 1990s for his ability to freestyle, and released his debut album Can-I-Bus in 1998. Canibus has released 13 solo studio albums, as well as multiple collaboration albums and EPs with other rappers as a member of the Four Horsemen, Refugee Camp All-Stars, Sharpshooterz, Cloak N Dagga, the Undergods and one-half of T.H.E.M.
Southern hip hop, also known as Southern rap, South Coast hip hop, or dirty south, is a blanket term for a regional genre of American hip hop music that emerged in the Southern United States, especially in Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Florida—often titled “The Big 5,” five states which constitute the "Southern Network" in rap music.
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre was heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic, often incorporated through samples or re-recordings. It was represented by commercially successful albums such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992) and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle (1993).
Three Times Dope was an American hip hop/rap group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania consisting of EST, Chuck Nice and Woody Wood. 3xD, as they were called for short, were a part of the Hilltop Hustlers Crew. At first, they recorded under the name 3-D.
Crunk is a subgenre of southern hip hop that emerged in the early 1990s and gained mainstream success during the early to mid 2000s. Crunk is often up-tempo and one of Southern hip hop's more nightclub-oriented subgenres. Distinguishing itself with other Southern hip hop subgenres, crunk is marked and characterized by its energetic accelerated musical tempo, club appeal, recurrent chants frequently executed in a call and response manner, multilayered synths, its pronounced reliance on resounding 808 basslines, and rudimentary musical arrangement. An archetypal crunk track frequently uses a dominant groove composed of a nuanced utilization of intricately multilayered keyboard synthesizers organized in a recurring pattern, seamlessly shifting from a lower to a higher pitch that encompasses the song's primary central rhythm, both in terms of its harmonic and melodic aspects. The main groove is then wrapped up with looped, stripped-down, and crisp 808 dance claps and manipulated snare rolls coupled and accompanied by a bassline of thumping 808 kick drums. The term "crunk" was also used throughout the 2000s as a blanket term to denote any style of Southern hip hop, a side effect of the genre's breakthrough to the mainstream. The word derives from its African-American Vernacular English past-participle form, "crunk", of the verb "to crank". It refers to being excited or high on drugs.
UGK was an American hip hop duo from Port Arthur, Texas, formed in 1987, by Chad "Pimp C" Butler and Bernard "Bun B" Freeman. 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.
The Neptunes are an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos, while Hugo tends to stay behind the scenes.
Kevin Danell Mann, better known by his stage name Brotha Lynch Hung, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Sacramento, California who has been described as "the creator of horrorcore rap". He is also a former 24th Street Garden Blocc Crip gang member, which is a Crip-affiliated street gang based in Meadowview, Sacramento.
The Ying Yang Twins are an American hip hop duo consisting of Kaine and D-Roc. Despite the name, the duo are not twins, brothers or related in any way.
Lavell William Crump, better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor.
Donell Jones is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from Chicago, Illinois. He met record producer Eddie F in the mid-1990s and signed with his record label Untouchables Entertainment, beginning his career as a songwriter for its parent label, LaFace Records. He signed with the label as a recording act to release his debut studio album, My Heart (1996), which was met with lukewarm commercial reception despite yielding his first Billboard Hot 100 entries with its singles "In the Hood", and his cover of Stevie Wonder's "Knocks Me Off My Feet."
Farid Karam Nassar, better known by his stage name Fredwreck, is a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop recording artist, DJ and record producer. He got his big break when he became a producer for Dr. Dre's newly founded record label Aftermath Entertainment, and then went on to work with Snoop Dogg's record label Dogghouse Records and became a known producer on Tha Dogg Pound-affiliated material. During this time he also was a producer for Snoop Doggs track: Riders on the storm Ft The Doors on EA's Need for Speed Underground 2. He has produced tracks from Kurupt's Tha Streetz Iz a Mutha and most of his next release, Space Boogie: Smoke Oddessey; both released during the period the rapper had left Death Row Records. He has also produced for other hip-hop and pop artists such as Eminem, Britney Spears, Ice Cube, Westside Connection, Lil' Kim, Hilary Duff, Xzibit, The Game, Nate Dogg, Everlast, Cypress Hill, 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, as well as non-US acts such as Dizzie Rascal, Tamer Hosny, Qusai Kheder and Karl Wolf.
The Screwed Up Click is an American hip hop collective based in Houston, Texas, that was led by DJ Screw. Its most notable members include DJ Screw, Big Hawk, Big Mello, Big Moe, Big Pokey, the Botany Boyz, E.S.G., Fat Pat, Lil' Flip, Lil' Keke, Lil' O, and Z-Ro. In addition, Devin the Dude, K-Rino, Lil' Troy, South Park Mexican and UGK are considered to be "Screwed Up Affiliated". Many of the current and former SUC members come from the neighborhoods of South Park, 3rd Ward, Sunnyside, Cloverland, Hiram Clarke and South Acres.
John Edward Hawkins, better known by his stage names Big Hawk and H.A.W.K., was an American rapper from Houston, Texas and a founding member of the late DJ Screw's rap group the Screwed Up Click.
Milton Jerome Powell Jr., better known by his stage name Big Pokey, was an American rapper from Houston, Texas. Big Pokey was associated with chopped and screwed music, and was one of the original members of the Screwed Up Click.
"I Just Wanna Love U " is a song by American rapper Jay-Z, released as the first single from his 2000 album The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. It was produced by the Neptunes and features a chorus performed by Neptunes member Pharrell and Pennsylvania rapper Omillio Sparks, both of whom remain uncredited. The video for the song, directed by David Meyers, features cameos from rappers Lil' Kim, Lil' Cease, Damon Dash, Beanie Sigel, Memphis Bleek, Jermaine Dupri and actor John Witherspoon.
Botany Boyz are a rap group from Houston, Texas, United States. They are the owners of the labels Big Shot Records and Plat-Num Productions.
Deep, also known as Deep Cold or Deep Da 1, was an American Southern rap artist of Indian origin from Houston, Texas. Raised in the city, Deep attended the same high school as Paul Wall and Chamillionaire. His first interest in music came at a young age when a tight family household income made him seek other avenues of making money.
Goodfellas is the debut studio album by hip hop group 504 Boyz, released on May 2, 2000, by No Limit Records and Priority Records. 504 Boyz consisted of Master P, Silkk The Shocker, Mystikal, C-Murder, Mac, Krazy and Magic. The production was handled by the Neptunes, Carlos Stephens and Donald XL Robertson, while the album features No Limit labelmates Snoop Dogg, Mercedes, Erica Foxx, Samm, Black Felon/X-Con, Ms. Peaches, Mr. Marcelo, Jamo, Traci/Baby Girl, D.I.G. and Ghetto Commission; other guest performers include Pusha T, Pharrell Williams and RBX. A tandem of the songs— such as "Beefing", "I Can Tell", and "No Limit"—were previously released on No Limit's 1999 albums.
J Prince Presents R.N.D.S. is a two-disc compilation album of presented and executive produced by Rap-A-Lot Records CEO J. Prince. It was released on October 5, 1999 through Priority Records.