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.
Slim Shady EP is the only extended play by American rapper Eminem, released on December 10, 1997, through the Detroit-based record label Web Entertainment. Unlike his debut album Infinite, Slim Shady EP helped Eminem gain the interest of CEO Jimmy Iovine and West Coast hip-hop rapper and producer Dr. Dre, who subsequently signed Eminem to his Aftermath Entertainment record label, and served as executive producer on his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP (1999).
Bernard James Freeman, known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK, a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with UGK, Bun B has released five solo albums, including 2010's Trill OG, which received the rare 5-mic rating from The Source.
Shady Records is an American record label founded by rapper Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg in 1999, following the commercially successful release of The Slim Shady LP that same year.
Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Malice was originally known as Malicious, then changed his stage name to Malice soon after the group's formation, before changing it again to No Malice in 2012 following a conversion to Christianity. The duo were based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and were heavily affiliated with producer and fellow Virginia Beach native, Pharrell Williams, who convinced the two in 1992 to be a rap duo instead of solo artists. Williams would go on to serve as their label head, main producer and frequent guest artist through most of their career. The duo frequently rapped about the drug dealing they had done in their youth. Clipse was integral in establishing Virginia as one of the East Coast's strongholds in hip hop.
Vincenzo Luviner, better known as Vinnie Paz, is an Italian-born American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. He is also the frontman of the hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs.
Michael Wayne Atha, better known by his stage name Yelawolf, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, and raised in Antioch, Tennessee, he embarked on his recording career in 2005, releasing four mixtapes to positive local reception. His debut extended play (EP), Trunk Muzik gained Yelawolf mainstream recognition, leading him to sign a recording contract with Interscope Records. He re-worked the EP as his first major label release, Trunk Muzik 0-60 (2010).
Malcolm James McCormick, known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
Casey Joseph Jones, better known by his stage name Casey Veggies, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. Prior to his solo career, he was a founding member of the Los Angeles-based hip hop collective Odd Future. He signed with Epic Records to release his debut studio album, Live & Grow (2015); its lead single, "Tied Up" received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Organic (2019) followed thereafter.
Kids These Days was a hip hop band from Chicago, Illinois. The band formed in 2009 while the members were teenagers and their debut album Traphouse Rock was released in 2012. Their split in May 2013 served as a launch pad for Vic Mensa and Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment, among others.
Horst Christian Simco, better known by his stage name Riff Raff, is an American rapper from Katy, Texas. He was originally managed by Swishahouse co-founder OG Ron C in 2011. After initially signing with rapper Soulja Boy's record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment, Simco signed with producer Diplo's record label Mad Decent to release his debut studio album, Neon Icon (2014). Despite lukewarm critical and commercial response, it mildly entered the Billboard 200 along with his second album Peach Panther (2016), which was released by Warner Records. Prior to its release, Simco entered a US$4 million joint partnership with Stampede Management and BMG for his Neon Nation label and production company. The joint deal fell apart in the wake of legal disputes with the publication of the 2012 film Spring Breakers.
La'Reonte Wright, known professionally as Dizzy Wright, is an American rapper and record producer.
Dequantes Devontay Lamar, known professionally as Rich Homie Quan, is an American rapper. Beginning his career in 2011, Lamar first saw mainstream success with his 2013 single "Type of Way", which peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2015 single, "Flex " saw further success at number 26 on the chart. Alongside fellow Atlanta rapper Young Thug, Lamar was a member of Cash Money Records' spin-off project Rich Gang, who found success with their 2014 single "Lifestyle".
Pro Era is an American hip hop collective group from Brooklyn, New York. The group is a collective of rappers and record producers that includes East Coast rappers Joey Badass, CJ Fly, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Dyemond Lewis, Aaron Rose, Dessy Hinds, Dirty Sanchez 47, and Rokamouth, along with producers Chuck Strangers and Powers Pleasant. The collective was formed in 2011 by Capital STEEZ and Powers Pleasant, with Joey Badass and CJ Fly among its founding members.
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain is an American rapper. His mainstream breakthrough followed after his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based hip hop collective The House, which he formed with rappers YGTUT, Michael Da Vinci (MikeyD), Chris P, and Brian Brown.
Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
LaPreston Porter, better known by his stage name Snootie Wild, was an American rapper and singer. He was best known for his first single, "Yayo", which success helped launch his career. The song charted in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In October 2013, it was announced that a fellow Memphis-based rapper, Yo Gotti, had signed Wild to his Collective Music Group (CMG) imprint. In September 2014, Wild released his only extended play, Go Mode. The EP's second single, "Made Me", peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the highest-charting single of his career. Snooty Wild signed to Epic Records/CMG with Yo Gotti.
Trinity Laure'Ale Home , better known by her stage name Tink, is an American rapper and R&B singer from the Chicago area in Illinois. She is best known for the single "Treat Me Like Somebody" and for the collaboration with singer and producer Jeremih on "Don't Tell Nobody". Since 2012, she has released seven mixtapes and has gone independent due to label issues regarding the release of her debut album. Her 2014 mixtape, Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours, was featured as a top 10 R&B album in both Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines.
Gavin Christopher Tennille, known as Quelle Chris, is an American record producer, rapper and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He has released over 15 albums as a solo act and with his collaborative projects. He has been described as a student of Detroit hip hop.
Shoreline Mafia is an American hip hop group based in Los Angeles, that was originally active from 2016 until 2020. Their debut mixtape, ShorelineDoThatShit (2017) garnered local success, leading to a commercial re-issue by Atlantic Records in May 2018. In August of that year, they released the extended play (EP) Party Pack, and its sequel, Party Pack Vol. 2 in September 2019. Their debut album, Mafia Bidness (2020) peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200. In April of that year, one of the group's founding members, Fenix Flexin announced his departure, leading its remaining members to disband. In May 2024, members OhGeesy and Fenix Flexin reunited and released the song "Heat Stick" under the Shoreline Mafia name, confirming the group is back as a duo.
