Related Research Articles
Joseph Lewis Thomas, known mononymously as Joe, is an American R&B singer. He signed to Polygram Records in 1992, and rose to prominence after releasing his debut album Everything the following year. He followed it with a series of successful albums under Jive Records, including All That I Am (1997), the international bestseller My Name Is Joe (2000) as well as the multi-certified albums Better Days (2001) and And Then... (2003). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including the number-one hit "Stutter", the top ten entries "All the Things ", "Don't Wanna Be a Player", and "I Wanna Know" as well as his collaborations "Faded Pictures", "Thank God I Found You" and "Still Not a Player".
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop.
Richard Andrew Thorburn, better known by his stage name R.A. the Rugged Man, is an American rapper and producer. He began his music career at age 12, building a reputation locally for his lyrical skills. Thorburn signed with major label Jive Records at age 18, but his debut album, Night of the Bloody Apes, was never released.
Jason Drew Harrow, better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall, is a Canadian rapper and record producer. Often credited as Canada's "hip hop ambassador", he has been regarded as one of the country's most prominent hip hop producers during the 2000s and is distinctive for his reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip hop.
Kareem Blake, better known by his stage name Choclair, is a Canadian rapper. He was one of the most successful Canadian rappers in Canada in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Choclair has been nominated for six Juno Awards, winning four.
Luke Boyd, better known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian rapper and record producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia.
Rascalz are a Canadian hip-hop group from Vancouver, British Columbia. The group played a crucial role in the artistic and commercial development of Canadian hip hop as well as specifically for the Westcoast scene in Vancouver popularizing the term “Van City”. The group consists of emcees Red1 and Misfit, and record producer DJ Kemo. Breakdancers Zebroc and Dedos were also part of the group.
Karl Amani Wailoo, better known by his stage name Saukrates, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of the hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln. He is also a member of Redman's Gilla House collective.
Ice Cold is the debut studio album of Canadian rapper Choclair, released November 2, 1999 in Canada and March 14, 2000 in the United States. It was released on major label Virgin/Priority Records. The album's early success was driven by the first single, "Let's Ride", which reached #37 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart and #38 on the Canadian RPM Singles Chart. The second single, "Rubbin'", features Saukrates.
Chrisette Michele Payne is an American R&B and soul singer. She won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".
Knee Deep Records was a Canadian independent record label, specializing in hip hop music.
Eye & I is the debut album of Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released independently in December 1997, on Capitol Hill Music, and distributed by St. Clair Entertainment. The album was critically acclaimed. One single, "On wit da Show", was released from the album.
Nahum Thorton Grymes, better known by his stage name J. Holiday, is an American R&B singer and rapper. He is best known for his 2007 single "Bed", which peaked at number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. It preceded the release of his debut studio album Back of My Lac' (2007), which peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200 and number 32 on the UK Albums Chart. His second album, Round 2 (2009) peaked at number four on the former chart and was led by the single "It's Yours". After label changes and several delays, Holiday released his third album, Guilty Conscience (2014) independently, which moderately entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and saw positive critical reception. He released his fourth studio album, Time, on February 7, 2022.
Jason Lee Epperson is an American record producer and DJ from St. Louis, Missouri. He first became known as the primary producer of hometown native Nelly's 2000 debut album Country Grammar, which received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Thereafter, he produced extensively for Nelly and his collaborators, and signed with his record label, Derrty Entertainment as in-house talent. He has since produced songs for other artists including Murphy Lee, St. Lunatics, Justin Timberlake, E-40, Cedric the Entertainer, Lil Wayne, Ron Isley, Three 6 Mafia, and Hilary Duff. Epperson's style is characterized by hip hop mixed with soul, R&B, and pop music. Billboard magazine, in its December 2000 issue, listed Epperson at number 16 on its "Top 100 Producers" list, as well as number 19 on its "Top 100 R&B/Hip Hop Producers of 2000" list. He has received a Grammy Award nomination.
Sylvester Samuel, better known by his stage name Lil Ru, also known as Boobie Samuel, is an American rapper signed to Def Jam Recordings. His debut album, 21 & Up was released on August 25, 2009. After Angie Stone helped him secure a deal with Elektra Records, he became unsigned again after the label merged with Atlantic Records.
The Underground Tapes is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Saukrates, which was released June 22, 1999 in the United States through independent labels Serious Entertainment and Capitol Hill Music. In late summer 1999, the album was re-released in Canada with six additional tracks. Production was handled by Saukrates, Mr. Attic, Mike Caren, and Day. Three songs from the album—"Innovations", "Play Dis ", and "Rollin"—are remixes. The only single from the album was "Money or Love", which was nominated for a Juno Award in 2000.
Fly on the Wall is the fourth album by American R&B singer Bobby V, and his second album released through his own Blu Kolla Dreams label via Capitol Records. It was released on March 22, 2011. The album production from long-time collaborators Tim & Bob, as well as Bryan-Michael Cox, The Pentagon, Jazze Pha, LOS Da Mystro, and Bobby V himself. The album features guest rappers 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Cyhi Da Prynce, Plies & Twista. The album debuted at No. 9 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 38,000 copies in the United States and fell to No. 60 in its following week.
Beautiful Surprise is the fifth studio album by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was released by her own label, Plus One Music Group on August 28, 2012 in the United States, with distribution handled by EMI and Capitol Records. Her first release since 2006's Between Friends following a longer hiatus during which she gave birth and raised her second daughter with husband Grant Hill, much of Beautiful Surprise was produced in the eight months leading up to the release of the album. A breakaway from her previous effort, Tamia consulted a wider range of musicians to work with her, including Claude Kelly, The Runners, duo Carvin & Ivan, Salaam Remi, and frequent collaborator Shep Crawford.
Season One is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Saukrates, released April 24, 2012. It was released independently on FrostByte Media and eOne Music, 13 years after the release of his debut album The Underground Tapes. Singles from the album include "Drop It Down" and "Say I".
Nau'Jour Lazier Grainger, better known by his stage name Toosii, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Beginning his career in 2017, he rose to mainstream prominence following the release of his 2023 single "Favorite Song", which first gained virality on the social media platform TikTok. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and preceded the release of his second studio album, Naujour (2023). The album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200, although his debut album, Poetic Pain (2020), reached number 17 on the chart.
