Cam'ron Giles,known mononymously as Cam'ron,is an American rapper. Beginning his career in the early-1990s as Killa Cam,Giles signed with Lance "Un" Rivera's Untertainment,an imprint of Epic Records to release his first two studio albums Confessions of Fire (1998) and S.D.E. (2000);the former received gold certification by the RIAA. After leaving Epic,Giles signed with Roc-A-Fella Records in 2001 to release his third studio album,Come Home with Me,the following year. It received platinum certification by the RIAA and spawned the singles "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma",which peaked at numbers four and three on the Billboard Hot 100,respectively. His fourth studio album,Purple Haze (2004) was met with similar success and likewise received gold certification by the RIAA.
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter,Damon Dash,and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994. Carter issued his debut album,Reasonable Doubt (1996) as the label's first release,in a joint venture with Priority Records. The label has signed and released albums for acts including Kanye West,Cam'ron,Beanie Sigel,Memphis Bleek,Juelz Santana,Freeway,Jadakiss,Teairra Marí,State Property,and The Diplomats before its dissolution in 2013.
Purple Haze is the fourth studio album by Harlem rapper Cam'ron. The album was released on December 7,2004,by Diplomat Records,Roc-A-Fella Records and distributed by Def Jam Recordings. The release of this album was delayed several times from November 2003,the first single "Get Em Girls" was released a year prior to the actual album release. The album debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200 with 123,000 copies sold in its first week. The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Touch the Sky" is a song recorded by American hip hop artist Kanye West for his second studio album,Late Registration (2005). The song features Lupe Fiasco on his career debut. It was produced by Just Blaze,standing as the album's only track to not include production from West. The song was released in the United Kingdom as a digital EP through Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam on January 1,2006. On February 14,the aforementioned labels serviced the song to US mainstream radio stations as the album's fourth single. The next month,it was released in various countries for digital download by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam and as a CD single through Universal Music,respectively.
Mason Durell Betha,better known by his mononym Mase,is an American rapper. Best known for his work with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Records,he signed with the label in 1996 and quickly found mainstream recognition as Combs' hype man. He guest appeared on Combs' 1997 single,"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down",which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100,while his singles as a lead artist,"Feel So Good" and "What You Want" both peaked within the top ten of the chart. Released in October of that year,his debut studio album,Harlem World (1997) peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart,received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),and spawned his third top ten single as a lead artist,"Lookin' at Me". Furthermore,his guest performances on labelmate the Notorious B.I.G.'s single "Mo Money Mo Problems" and Puff Daddy's "Been Around the World" peaked at numbers one and two on the Billboard Hot 100,respectively,that same year.
"Knock You Down" is a song by American singer and songwriter Keri Hilson,recorded for her debut album,In a Perfect World.... The song features guest vocals from Ne-Yo and Kanye West. All three artists co-wrote the song with its producer Nate "Danja" Hills,as well as Kevin Cossom and Marcella Araica. The song was released first released to rhythmic and urban airplay in the United States as the album's fourth single in the US,and it would later serve as the third worldwide single.
To the Sky is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Kevin Rudolf. It was released on June 15,2010,in the United States by Cash Money Records,Island Records and Universal Republic Records.
"Erase Me" is a song by American musician Kid Cudi,released August 17,2010,as the lead single from his second studio album Man on the Moon II:The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010). It features a guest appearance by his mentor,fellow American rapper Kanye West,and was produced by Jim Jonsin. The song proved to be another hit single for Cudi,with the song reaching the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Pink Friday is the debut studio album by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 22,2010,by Young Money Entertainment,Cash Money Records,and Universal Motown Records. After signing a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009,Minaj began planning the album that same year and work continued into 2010. Minaj enlisted a variety of producers whose efforts resulted in a primarily hip hop,pop,and R&B album,in which sees additional influences from electronic music. The album features guest vocals from Eminem,Rihanna,Drake,will.i.am,Kanye West,and Natasha Bedingfield. Over a decade since its release,Pink Friday continues to attract wide praise from mainstream and hip hop critics alike and has developed a cult following.
Watch the Throne is a collaborative studio album by the American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West,collectively known as The Throne. It was released on August 8,2011,by Roc-A-Fella Records,Roc Nation,and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release,Jay-Z and West had collaborated on various singles,and with the latter as a producer on the former's work. They originally sought to record a five-song collaborative extended play,which evolved into a full-length album. The album features guest appearances from Frank Ocean,The-Dream,Beyoncéand Mr Hudson. It also features vocal contributions from Kid Cudi,Seal,Justin Vernon,Elly Jackson,Connie Mitchell,Charlie Wilson,and Pete Rock,among others;samples of vocals by soul musicians Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield are both credited as guest features on the album.
"All of the Lights" is a song by American rapper Kanye West,released as the fourth single from his fifth studio album,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). It was produced by West and features additional vocals from several other recording artists,including John Legend,The-Dream,Drake,Alicia Keys,Fergie,Elton John,Ryan Leslie,Charlie Wilson,Tony Williams,La Roux,Alvin Fields,Ken Lewis,Kid Cudi,and Rihanna;the latter two are credited on the official music video and single version,but not on the album version. It is often played along with its accompanying interlude "All of the Lights (Interlude)",which precedes the song on the album's tracklist.
We the Best Forever is the fifth studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on July 19,2011,by We the Best Music Group,Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records. It is his first album to be released on a major label,his first four albums being released on the independent label Koch Records,which later changed its name to E1 Music.
"Marvin &Chardonnay" is a song by American rapper Big Sean featuring fellow American rappers Kanye West and Roscoe Dash,released as the second single from the former's debut studio album,Finally Famous. The song was written by the artists alongside producer Andrew "Pop" Wansel with additional production from Mike Dean. It was sent to urban contemporary radio stations on July 12,2011,and to Rhythmic radio on July 26,2011. In the chorus of the song,Roscoe Dash references late American R&B/soul music singer Marvin Gaye and white wine chardonnay. The song was originally called "Marvin Gaye &Chardonnay".
"Fly Together" is a 2011 song by American rapper Red Café,intended as a promotional single for his debut studio album ShakeDown,which was never released. The song features guest appearances by fellow rapper Rick Ross and American singer Ryan Leslie,the latter of whom produced the song.
"I Do" is the fourth single from Young Jeezy's fourth studio album Thug Motivation 103:Hustlerz Ambition. The single features Jay-Z and André3000. It was produced by M16. It is built around a sample of Lenny Williams 1979 song "Let's Talk It Over". The song was nominated for the Best Rap Performance at the 55th Grammy Awards.
"Gotta Have It" is a song by American hip hop artists Kanye West and Jay-Z from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song was produced by West and The Neptunes,and samples three original compositions by James Brown:"Don't Tell a Lie About Me and I Won't Tell the Truth About You","People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul" and "My Thang". The song explores themes of wealth,decadence and the economic stature in the US. The song received positive reviews from critics who complimented the production and the clever wordplay of the two rappers.
"Mercy" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring fellow American rappers Big Sean,Pusha T,and 2 Chainz. The song was released April 3,2012 through GOOD Music and Def Jam as the lead single from the compilation album Cruel Summer (2012). The song's production was handled by Lifted,with additional production from West,Mike Dean,and Mike Will Made It,and additional instrumentation from Hudson Mohawke. The song heavily samples the dancehall song "Dust a Sound Boy" by Super Beagle. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics who praised the bombastic production,the varying quality of the verses,and the wordplay of the individual rappers. The song was featured on the soundtrack for NBA 2K13.
"Birthday Song" is a song by American rapper 2 Chainz,released on July 24,2012,as the second single from his debut studio album,Based on a T.R.U. Story (2012). The song,which features fellow American rapper Kanye West,was produced by Sonny Digital and co-produced by West and BWheezy,with additional production by Anthony Kilhoffer,Lifted and Mike Dean. The hip hop song is about the rapper's yearning for women with large buttocks.
"Gone" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his second studio album,Late Registration (2005). The song features guest appearances from fellow rappers Cam'ron and Consequence. It was solely produced by West,who served as a songwriter alongside the rappers and Chuck Willis,the latter of which received credit due to having written the sampled work. A hip hop track,it contains samples of Otis Redding's version of "It's Too Late". The song's production is largely orchestral,featuring string arrangements. Lyrically,it sees West speaking of potentially abandoning fame and moving elsewhere for seeking a simpler life.
Teflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross,released on July 20,2010,on Maybach Music Group,Slip-n-Slide Records and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers,including Clark Kent,No I.D.,The Olympicks,J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League,Lex Luger,Danja,The Inkredibles,The Remedy,and Kanye West.
