N.W.A was an American hip hop group formed in Compton, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music.
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson, known professionally as MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the record label Villain Entertainment.
Eric Lynn Wright, known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".
The Chronic is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place in Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is an American hip hop group composed of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. Formed in 1991 in Cleveland, Ohio, the group signed to fellow American rapper Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in late 1993, on which they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up the next year. The EP included their breakout hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". In 1995, the group released its second album E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "East 1999". Their hit song "Tha Crossroads", a tribute to then-recently deceased mentor Eazy-E, won a Grammy Award in 1997.
Death Row Records is an American independent record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and 2Pac, during the 1990s. At its peak, Death Row was making over US $100 million a year.
Delmar Drew Arnaud, known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz, is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label in pioneering West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap for mainstream audiences. Alongside Kurupt, he formed the hip hop duo tha Dogg Pound in 1992, with whom he has released eight albums.
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Music Group and Interscope Communications, it differed from most record labels by letting A&R staff control decisions and allowing artists and producers full creative control. Interscope's first hit records arrived in under a year, and it achieved profitability in 1993. Chair and CEO until May 2014, Iovine was succeeded by John Janick.
Nathaniel Dwayne Hale, known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American singer and rapper. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals for a multitude of hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning the nickname "King of Hooks".
James Iovine is an American entrepreneur, former record executive, and media proprietor. He is best known as the co-founder of Interscope Records. He became chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, an umbrella music unit formed by Universal Music Group in 1999.
Tha Dogg Pound is an American hip hop duo made up of rappers Kurupt and Daz Dillinger. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success.
Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams. In its early years, Cash Money Records released albums for Juvenile, B.G., and Hot Boys. Distributed by Republic Records, the label has since been home to a roster of mostly hip hop artists, including Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga. The company is regarded as one of the most successful record labels of the 2000s–2010s; due to Wayne founding Young Money Entertainment, they were known together as YMCMB until 2018.
Bryan Christopher Williams, better known by his stage names Birdman or Baby, is an American rapper and record executive. He is the co-founder and public face of Cash Money Records, which he co-founded with his older brother Ronald "Slim" Williams in 1992. Birdman released his eponymous debut studio album in 2002, and released three follow up albums—Fast Money (2005), 5 * Stunna (2007), and Priceless (2009)—to moderate commercial success and mixed critical reception; in 2020, he announced the latter as his final. Along with his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop duo Big Tymers with producer Mannie Fresh, as well as the supergroup Cash Money Millionaires.
Full Surface is a record label founded in 2001, by American hip hop recording artist and record producer Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean. With the help of his protégé, Cassidy, who was the 1st artist signed, the label was established. The label used to operate through Sony's J and through Universal's Interscope, Motown and Universal Motown. However, the label also had released material through joint ventures with other companies outside the Sony BMG group.
Torence Ivy Hatch Jr., better known by his stage name Boosie BadAzz or simply Boosie, is an American rapper. Hatch began rapping in the 1990s as a member of the Southern hip hop collective Concentration Camp, eventually pursuing a solo career in 2000 with the release of his debut album Youngest of da Camp. After leaving the label the following year, he signed with Pimp C's Trill Entertainment to release his second studio album, For My Thugz (2002). One of the most prominent figures of Southern hip hop, Hatch has gone on to release thirteen solo studio albums, as well as seven collaborative albums and 44 mixtapes.
Good Side Bad Side is the second album by the Chicago hip hop group Crucial Conflict. It was released on November 3, 1998, through Pallas Records, Raw Dope Productions and Universal Records. Recording sessions took place at the Barn, Chicago Recording Company and Neighbourhood Watch Studios in Chicago. It features a couple of diss tracks towards Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and guest appearances from Tear Da Club Up Thugs, Do Or Die and R. Kelly.
The Final Tic is the debut full-length album by American hip hop group Crucial Conflict from Chicago, Illinois. It was released on July 2, 1996 through Pallas Records and Universal Records, and was entirely produced by member Ralph "Wildstyle" Leverston. The album was a success due in large part to the group's breakthrough single "Hay", peaking at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The album itself also found success in the United States charts, peaking at number 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and at number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. "Hay" was certified gold on July 19, 1996, and The Final Tic was also certified gold on September 4, 1996 by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Planet Crucon is the third full-length album by American hip hop group Crucial Conflict from Chicago, Illinois. It was released on January 15, 2008 through Buckwild Records. It is the group's first studio album in ten years, their last being 1998's Good Side Bad Side. It features guest appearances from George Clinton, Kendra Foster, Sonny Cool and Teddy Kane. The album peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
"Hay" is a song written and performed by American hip hop group Crucial Conflict, released as the lead single from their debut full-length album The Final Tic. It was recorded at The Barn in Chicago, Illinois and produced by member Wildstyle, who used a sampled of Funkadelic's "I'll Stay". "Hay" became the group's breakthrough hit, peaking at number 18 in the United States and number 3 in New Zealand. The single was certified gold by the RIAA on July 18, 1996, and helped the album reach gold status less than two months later. Complex placed the song at number 4 on their 50 Greatest Chicago Rap Songs.
Leland Tyler Wayne, known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer. Noted for his critically-acclaimed dark production style, he is regarded as among the most influential producers in modern hip hop and trap music. His frequent collaborators include Future, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, 21 Savage, Nav, and Gucci Mane.
