Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She started her career as a backing singer on Uptown Records in 1989. She has released 13 studio albums, eight of which have achieved multi-platinum worldwide sales. Blige has sold over 80 million records, has won nine Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, ten Billboard Music Awards and has also received three Golden Globe Award nominations, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its second original song "Mighty River" for Mudbound; she also received a nomination for the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song, becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
Donnie Lewis, also known as Skillz, or Mad Skillz is an American rapper known for his acclaimed 1996 album From Where???, a reference to his origins in Virginia, not a New York City or Los Angeles rapper. He is also known for his yearly "Rap Ups," which he has done annually since 2002.
Whodini is a hip hop group that was formed in 1981. 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.
Gertjan Mulder, professionally known as Brainpower is a Belgian born Dutch rapper who writes, records and performs in both English as well as his native Dutch. He was born in Belgium and grew up in the Netherlands. He started making music in the eighties, and spent his time making a name for himself in the 1990s. Since 2001, he released six solo studio albums, one live album CD/DVD set, a book/DVD set, a greatest hits box set, and a few other successful side projects.
"Controversy" is a song by American musician Prince, the lead single and title track to his 1981 album. The song addresses speculation about Prince at the time such as his sexuality, gender, religion, and racial background, and how he could not understand the curiosity surrounding him.
"Tha Crossroads" is a song written and performed by hip hop group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, taken from their album E. 1999 Eternal and released in 1996. The song is dedicated to the group's mentor, the late gangsta rap icon Eazy-E, and other family members. The song was the highest-debuting rap single when it debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It is their biggest selling single, reaching number one on the Hot 100, and in 1997, the song won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Mars Ill is an emcee/DJ hip-hop duo from Atlanta, Georgia. The duo consists of Gregory Owens (Manchild) and Nathan Corrona. They are also part of the hip-hop collective and supergroup Deepspace5.
"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" is a 1964 song, that became a 1966 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr., and produced by Whitfield, the song was a number three pop hit and a number one R&B hit in the United States.
Beauty from Pain is the fourth album released by the band Superchick. This is the first CD the band has released with an official drummer, Brandon Estelle. Christian rapper and hip-hop singer tobyMac appears in the song "Stories ", which is also heard on his CD Welcome to Diverse City.
"Unbreakable" is a song by American R&B-soul singer Alicia Keys from her live album, Unplugged (2005). Written by Keys, Kanye West, and Harold Lilly, the track features a Wurlitzer riff, and is built around a sample of Eddie Kendricks' 1977 song "Intimate Friends", written by Garry Glenn. It was released as the album's lead single in 2005 and peaked at number thirty-four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Keys' first single to miss the top twenty since 2002's "How Come You Don't Call Me", and failed to peak inside the top forty on Billboard Pop 100. It was nevertheless a big success on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it landed at number four.
Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em is the third studio album by rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, released on June 19, 1990. The group's sound develops further, with Rakim adopting a deeper, more aggressive tone of voice, and more mature and serious subject matter. Musically, the production ranges from smoother soulful tracks such as "In the Ghetto" to the hard-edged assault of the title track "Let the Rhythm Hit ’Em."
Champion Sound is a studio album by the duo Jaylib. Half of the songs are produced by Madlib and feature J Dilla on vocals, and the other half are produced by J Dilla and feature Madlib on vocals. This album was the first of the Madlib duo collaboration albums made during the 2000s.
Showbiz and A.G. are an American hip hop duo from The Bronx, New York City. Showbiz is a producer and A.G. is a rapper. The two debuted on Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album in 1990. Show and A.G. are members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) along with Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild and the late Big L.
"Just Don't Give a Fuck" is the debut single by American rapper Eminem. The original version appears as the only single on his debut EP, Slim Shady EP. A re-recorded version appeared on his major-label debut album, The Slim Shady LP. According to the book Angry Blonde, this was Eminem's first "real" song, and was when he first came up with the whole "Slim Shady" theme. The song samples the song "Beverly Kills" from Insane Clown Posse's album Beverly Kills 50187 and "I Don't Give a Fuck" by Tupac Shakur.
Jason Powers, better known by his stage name eLZhi, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He is a former member of Slum Village and now records as a solo artist. In his youth, he made numerous visits to the Hip-Hop shop in Detroit, taking advantage of open-mic nights hosted by fellow Detroit rapper Proof. These sessions gave him the opportunity to be surrounded by Detroit's most talented MCs such as Obie Trice, Magestik Legend, Finale, Invincible, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, Royce da 5'9", One Be Lo, J Dilla, Baatin, D12 and Eminem.
Ya-kyim is a Japanese R&B and hip hop group. The group consists of one MC, Miku, and two singers, Alisa and Yurie. Ya-kyim disbanded in 31 December 2012.
Brethren is an Australian hip hop duo from Sydney formed in 1989. The group comprises Matthew Peet a.k.a. "Mistery" and Claude Rodriguez a.k.a. Wizdm. They have released two albums, two EPs and a number of singles and collaborations. They have performed live locally, notably at festivals including The Big Day Out, Livid and Blackstump Music Festival.
Troy Donald Jamerson, better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper from Queens, New York. He is known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.
"Champions" is a collaborative song by hip hop artists Dame Dash, Kanye West, Beanie Sigel, Cam'ron, Young Chris and Twista. It is listed as the first track on the second disc of the Paid in Full soundtrack. The song includes a sped-up sample of "We Are the Champions" by Queen. It was originally scheduled to be a bonus track on West's album The College Dropout (2004).
