Kurtis Walker, professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout his career he has released 17 albums and is currently an ordained minister.
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella. Their debut album, Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), sold more than 1 million copies in the US, making them the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album included the single, "Push It", which was released in 1987 as the B-side to their single "Tramp", and peaked within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Radio is the debut studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on November 18, 1985, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was also Def Jam's first full-length album release.
The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are is the debut studio album by hip-hop group the 2 Live Crew. It was released in 1986 on Luke Records to a great deal of controversy and promptly was certified gold by the RIAA. It includes the hits "We Want Some Pussy", "Throw the 'D'", and "Cuttin' It Up". Bob Rosenberg, a south Florida DJ who would later form the dance-pop group Will to Power, remixed and edited the song "Beat Box". In Florida, it was deemed obscene, and one store clerk was charged with felony "corruption of a minor" for selling it to a 14-year-old girl. The clerk was later acquitted.
ATLiens is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Outkast. It was released on August 27, 1996, by Arista Records and LaFace Records. From 1995 to 1996, Outkast recorded ATLiens in sessions at several Atlanta studios—Bosstown Recording Studios, Doppler Recording Studios, PatchWerk Recording Studio, Purple Dragon Studios, and Studio LaCoCo—as well as Chung King Recording Studio and Sound On Sound Recording in New York City.
Quality is the debut studio album by American rapper Talib Kweli. The album was released on November 19, 2002, by Rawkus Records. It received wide critical acclaim and had some commercial appeal from the song "Get By", produced by Kanye West. Kludge magazine included it on their list of best albums of 2002.
Donald Lamont, professionally known by his stage name Donald D, is an American rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York. He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation, a former member of the B-Boys, and is best known as a member of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate.
O.G. Original Gangster is the fourth studio album by American rapper Ice-T, released May 14, 1991, by Sire Records. Recording took place from July 1990 to January 1991 in Los Angeles. Its production was handled by seven producers: Afrika Islam, Beatmaster V, Bilal Bashir, DJ Aladdin, Nat the Cat, SLJ and Ice-T himself, who also served as executive producer. It features guest appearances from Body Count, Prince Whipper Whip and various Rhyme Syndicate artists, such as Donald D, Evil E and Randy Mac.
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and "scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop.
Livin' Proof is the debut studio album by the American hip hop duo Group Home. It was released on November 21, 1995, through FFRR/Payday Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York. Production was handled by Gang Starr and Big Jaz. It features guest appearances from Absaloot, Big Shug, Guru, Brainsick Enterprize and Smiley the Ghetto Child.
Likwidation is the third studio album by American hip hop group Tha Alkaholiks. It was released on August 26, 1997 via Loud Records. Recording sessions took place at Enterprise Studio in Burbank, California, at Yo Mama's House and at Sound Castle Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Production was primarily handled by member E-Swift, as well as Madlib, Easy Mo Bee, T-Smoov, and Marley Marl. It features guest appearances from Xzibit, Keith Murray, King Tee, Lootpack, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Phil da Agony, The WhoRidas, with cameos from DeBarge, LL Cool J and Nas. The album peaked at number 57 on the Billboard 200 and number 15 on Top R&B Albums. Its lead single, "Hip Hop Drunkies", became the group's biggest hit in 1997, peaking at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Insomnia is a hip-hop compilation album presented by American rapper and record producer Erick Sermon. It was released on April 23, 1996 via Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place at Mirror Image, at the Music Palace, and at Rockin' Reel Recording Studios in New York, and at Chuck Simone Studio. Production was handled primarily by Sermon, who also served as executive producer, Redman, and co-producers Rockwilder and Ty Fyffe. Beside Sermon, it features contributions from fellow artists affiliated with or discovered by him, such as Calif, Domo, Duo, Jamal, Keith Murray, L.O.D., Passion, Redman, The Wixtons, Xross-Breed, and Thomas "Tommy Gunn" Blincoe, who was murdered shortly before the album's release, and to whom this album is dedicated. The album peaked at number 53 on the Billboard 200 and number 10 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. It spawned three singles: "Funkorama", which peacked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, "It's That Hit" and "I Feel It".
DJ Honda is a Japanese record producer and DJ best known for his 1995 self-titled eponymous debut, DJ Honda.
Terrence "Terry" Ronnie Keaton known by the stage name T La Rock, is an American old-school emcee best known for his collaboration with Def Jam Recordings co-founder Rick Rubin and the 1984 single "It's Yours."
Death Row Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album and second double album released by Death Row Records. Released on November 26, 1996, the thirty-three song compilation contains hits by former and then-current Death Row artists as well as previously unreleased tracks and remixes. The album peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum on August 12, 1999.
Friday (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to F. Gary Gray's 1995 stoner film Friday. It was released on April 11, 1995 through Priority Records and consists of hip hop and R&B music.
Are U Xperienced? is the debut and only studio album by American hip hop duo Yomo & Maulkie. It was named after the Jimi Hendrix 1967 album Are You Experienced. It was released on September 17, 1991 via Eazy-E's Ruthless Records, and was produced by DJ Yella. Though the album was met with some positive reviews, it was a commercial failure and did not appear on any album charts. Three singles were released: "Mama Don't", "Mockingbird", "Glory"/"Are U Xperienced?", but the only single "Glory" made it to the Billboard charts, peaking at number 7 on the Hot Rap Songs. Labelmates Jimmy Z and Jewell Caples were featured on the album.
"Out for the Cash" is a single and posse cut from DJ Honda's eponymous 1996 album. It was released by Relativity Records as a 12 inch in the United States and by Sony Music Entertainment as a CD single in Japan. The song features raps by the three original Beatnuts, as well as Fat Joe and Problemz. The song's lyrics are braggadocios and discuss the pursuit of attaining money. The song's beat, produced by turntablist DJ Honda, is reliant on pounding drums and a mournful soul sample. DJ Honda scratches a vocal sample from his song "Straight Talk from NY" onto "Out for the Cash". "Out for the Cash" is different from the DJ Honda song "Out for the Cash ," also known as "Pre of Cash."
Training Day: The Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to Antoine Fuqua's 2001 crime film Training Day. It was released on September 11, 2001 through Priority Records and contained mostly hip hop music.
h II is the second album by Japanese producer DJ Honda. It was released on November 12, 1997 via Sony Records in Japan and on March 24, 1998 via Relativity Records and Epic Records in North America and Europe. Audio production of the album was solely handled by DJ Honda, except for three tracks of its worldwide version produced by Mista Sinista, Roc Raida and V.I.C. respectively. It featured guest appearances from various hip hop artists, including Camp Lo, Cuban Link, De La Soul, KRS-One, Mos Def and The Beatnuts among others. With DJ HONDA'S production and scratching, other hip hop artists continue to drop verses.
