The Lost Tapes is a compilation album by American rapper Nas. It was released on September 23, 2002, by Ill Will Records and Columbia Records, who wanted to capitalize on what was seen in hip hop music as Nas' artistic comeback the year before, and compiles previously unreleased tracks that were discarded from recording sessions for the rapper's previous studio albums I Am... (1999) and Stillmatic (2001). It features production by L.E.S., The Alchemist, Poke and Tone, and Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, among others. With low-key, sparse sounds and observational lyrics about urban life, the songs are largely autobiographical and nostalgic, departing from the thug persona of Nas' previous records.
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.
Illmatic is the debut studio album by the American rapper Nas. It was released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. The album's production was handled by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and Nas himself. Styled as a hardcore hip-hop album, Illmatic features multi-syllabic internal rhymes and inner-city narratives based on Nas' experiences growing up in the Queensbridge Houses in Queens, New York.
Curtis Eugene Cross, better known by his stage name Black Milk, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
Nicholas Marcell Speed is an American rapper, record producer, and disc jockey from Detroit, Michigan, United States. He has produced tracks for 50 Cent, Mopreme Shakur, Lloyd Banks, M.O.P., Talib Kweli, Phat Kat, Musiq Soulchild, Bishop Lamont, Danny Brown and many more.
The discography of American rapper Royce da 5'9" consists of 8 studio albums, 6 collaboration albums, 11 mixtapes and 30 solo singles, including 14 as a featured artist, and 18 music videos.
Fear and the Nervous System was an alternative metal/industrial rock band formed by Korn guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer. The band released one self-titled album in 2012 and disbanded in 2014.
"Scream" is a song by American musician Chris Cornell, from his third solo studio album, Scream. "Scream" is the first official single for the US and was released on September 22, 2008. Timbaland is featured in an interlude of the song, but is not credited as a featured artist.
The Preface is the debut album of rapper eLZhi, released 12 August 2008 on Fat Beats Records. It features many other Detroit's MCs including Royce Da 5'9", Guilty Simpson, Black Milk, Fatt Father, Danny Brown and Phat Kat among others. The album has been critically acclaimed and considered by many professional reviewers as one of the best hip hop albums of 2008.
The R.E.D. Album is the fourth studio album by American rapper Game. It was released on August 23, 2011, by DGC Records and Interscope Records, which serves as Game's first release under DGC and his first album for Interscope since 2005's The Documentary. His previous two, Doctor's Advocate (2006) and LAX (2008), were released under Interscope's subsidiary imprint, Geffen Records.
No Ceilings is the ninth mixtape by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was scheduled to be released on October 31, 2009, but was leaked before the official date. No Ceilings was officially released on October 31, 2009, with 4 additional tracks. The mixtape is available as a free and legal download and it received widespread acclaim from critics. An abridged version was officially released to streaming services on August 28, 2020, excluding ten songs.
Ryan Michael Peters, better known by the stage name Spose, is an American rapper from Wells, Maine.
2AM Club is an American band consisting of vocalists Marc E. Bassy and Tyler Cordy, guitarist Matt Reagan, keyboard player Dave Dalton, and bassist 'Sauce' Matt Warshauer. Ex- drummer Ian O'Neill left the band in June 2011 for "new opportunities" as a drummer for Gavin Degraw. As of late 2012 Patrick Jarrett, professional drummer, has been touring and playing venues with the band. The band came together in Los Angeles in 2007, after Tyler and Dave who are childhood friends and Marc and Reagan who are also childhood friends met Sauce and later Ian. 2AM Club brings a diverse array of genres, including hip-hop, rock, electro, rap, and alternative. The group was named after their favorite bar, the 2 AM Club in Mill Valley, California. They signed with RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment in September 2008. The band announced an indefinite hiatus on June 29, 2015.
Sailing Soul(s) is the debut mixtape by American singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko; it was released on March 16, 2011, her 23rd birthday, & re-released for streaming platforms on March 12, 2021. Aiko began working on the mixtape after she gave birth to her daughter. Aiko wrote all the mixtape's songs except "July," which was written by Micah Powell. Most songs on the mixtape were produced by Fisticuffs, except “July” and “You vs Them” which were produced by Bei Maejor, “Real Now” which was produced by Roosevelt, “Do Better” which was produced by J. Lbs and “Growing Apart” which was produced by Tae Beast. The mixtape featured several guest vocalists, including Miguel, Drake, Gucci Mane, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar as well as others.
The Underachievers are an American hip hop duo from Flatbush, New York. Formed in 2011, the duo is composed of rappers AK the Savior and Issa Gold. American record producer Flying Lotus signed the duo to his Brainfeeder record label in 2012. Following that signing they independently released two mixtapes, Indigoism and Lords of Flatbush in 2013. Their debut studio album Cellar Door: Terminus Ut Exordium was released on August 12, 2014. The Underachievers released their second official album Evermore: The Art of Duality on September 25, 2015. Their third album, Renaissance was released on May 19, 2017. They released After the Rain on November 9, 2018, and Lords Of Flatbush 3 on June 21, 2019.
The Marathon Continues or TMC for short, is the sixth official mixtape by American rapper Nipsey Hussle. The mixtape was released as a free digital download on mixtape hosting websites, and to iTunes on November 1, 2011, via Hussle's All Money In record label. The mixtape featured production by 1500 or Nothin', THC, Wizzo and Mistah Mota, Le-Lo Lang among others. Guest appearances on the mixtape included Dom Kennedy, YG, Cobby Supreme and Yung Brodee among others.
Sail Out is the debut extended play (EP) by American recording artist Jhené Aiko, released on November 12, 2013 through Def Jam Recordings. It was Aiko's first release under the label after leaving her contract with Sony Music in 2003. After leaving Sony Music, Aiko released her first mixtape Sailing Soul(s) (2011), independently; the mixtape featured appearances from well-known artists and was met with generally positive reviews and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. . In 2012, Aiko met with American record producer and vice president of A&R at Def Jam No I.D., who ended up signing Aiko to his Artium Records imprint, through Def Jam.
I Am... is the third studio album by American rapper Nas, released on April 6, 1999, by Columbia Records. Following the commercial and critical success of 1996's It Was Written, Nas put to work on a double album that merged the styles of his first two albums and detailed entire aspects of his life. Although he was able to use most songs, other songs that would have made I Am… a double album leaked onto the internet in MP3 format, forcing him to record new material for two separate single-disc releases. The album features guest appearances from Puff Daddy, Scarface, DMX, and Aaliyah.
But You Caint Use My Phone is a mixtape by American singer Erykah Badu. It was released on November 27, 2015, by Motown and Control Freaq. Following the release of New Amerykah Part Two (2010), Badu embarked on a five-year hiatus, during which she traveled to Africa in an attempt to record new music, though this never surfaced. After receiving a remix of "Bag Lady" from producer Zach Witness, Badu contacted him in order to record with him. Shortly thereafter, the pair met again and went to Witness's home in Dallas, Texas, and worked in his bedroom studio, where they recorded the mixtape in 11 days. The mixtape features appearances from rapper ItsRoutine and André 3000.
Illmatic, the 1994 debut album by Nas, made a significant impact on the hip hop genre. The album has been credited as one of the pivotal works that returned East Coast hip hop, particularly Queensbridge's hip hop scene, to prominence in a time when public attention was focused on West Coast releases. Nas' lyricism and storytelling on Illmatic has been regarded as setting a new standard for lyrical sophistication in major hip hop releases. The production of Illmatic has also been viewed as influential in cementing the characteristic sound of New York hip hop.
