Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics. He signed to Universal Records in 1999, releasing his solo debut album Country Grammar in June of the following year. Its title track and follow-up single "Ride wit Me" peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200; it became Nelly's best-selling album to date, selling over 8.4 million copies in the United States. His second album, Nellyville (2002) spawned two consecutive number-one hits, "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma", along with the top-five single "Air Force Ones".
Todd Anthony Shaw, better known by his stage name Too Short, is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on pimping and promiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival. This is respectively exemplified in his most popular songs "Blow the Whistle" and "The Ghetto".
"P.I.M.P." is a song recorded by American rapper 50 Cent for his debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003). It features production from Mr. Porter of D12 and was mixed by Dr. Dre. The song was released as the third single from Get Rich or Die Tryin' alongside its remix, featuring American rappers Snoop Dogg, Lloyd Banks and Young Buck, on June 24, 2003, by Interscope Records, Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment.
Chad Lamont Butler, better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).
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.
Kevin Brereton, better known by his stage name k-os, is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later adopted.
Patrick Dhane Lanshaw, better known by his stage name Lil Wyte, is an American rapper. He is a member of the rap collective Hypnotize Minds and owner of the independent label Wyte Music.
Otis Jackson Jr., known professionally as Madlib, is an American DJ, music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. He is widely known for his collaborations with MF DOOM, J Dilla, and Freddie Gibbs. Madlib has described himself as a "DJ first, producer second, and MC last." His stage name is an acronym for "Mind Altering Demented Lessons In Beats".
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse is the seventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 12, 2002, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album serves as a sequel to his sixth album The Blueprint (2001). Parts of the album were later reissued for his album, titled Blueprint 2.1 (2003). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. The album is certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. In 2013, Jay-Z cited this album as his second-worst due to an overabundance of songs on the album.
Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss is the sixth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 26, 2002, by his Doggystyle label, alongside Priority and Capitol Records. Following his departure from the No Limit Records, he later signed a recording contract to Capitol through Priority Records. The album was supported by two singles, both featuring Pharrell: "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", the latter also featuring Charlie Wilson.
Joyful Rebellion is the second album of alternative hip hop artist k-os. It was released 13 August 2004 in Canada by EMI and 21 September 2004 in the United States by Virgin Records. It debuted at number 7 on the Canadian Albums Chart, and went platinum in Canada, selling over 100,000 units.
Do or Die is an American rap trio originally from the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago, consisting of N.A.R.D., Belo Zero, and AK-47. The group experienced mainstream success with the platinum single "Po Pimp", which peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Karl Amani Wailoo, better known by his stage name Saukrates, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of the hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln. He is also a member of Redman's Gilla House collective.
Yes! is the fourth album of alternative hip hop artist k-os, released in Canada on April 14, 2009 in Canada by Universal Music Canada. The first single, "4 3 2 1", was released to radio in December 2008 and peaked at #98 on the Canadian Hot 100, also the video premiered on February 17, 2009. "Burning Bridges" and "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" are the second and third singles respectively. The album also debuted at #9 on the Canadian Albums Chart. On November 17, Yes! was released on iTunes in the United States, with a physical release in the US on February 23, 2010, and in the UK on May 3. The video for "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" was released on November 23 as promo for the US physical release in February 2010. The video for "Zambony" was released on July 14, 2010, as promo for the US and UK physical releases as well.
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, better known by his stage name Xzibit, is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. He began his musical career in 1992, releasing his debut studio album, At the Speed of Life (1996) through Loud Records, an imprint of RCA Records. The album was received positively and entered the Billboard 200; it spawned the single "Paparazzi," which peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998) was met with similar reception, spawning the single "What U See Is What U Get."
Collected is a compilation album by Canadian rapper k-os. The album contains recent tracks from the first three albums, the hit singles, and remixes of a couple singles. The album also contains three new tracks, two of which were leftovers from Atlantis: Hymns for Disco.
Ritchie Acheampong, better known as Rich Kidd, is a Canadian hip hop recording artist, record producer and film/video director from Toronto, Ontario. He is a two-time nominee for the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year as a solo artist, garnering nominations at the Juno Awards of 2013 for The Closers and at the Juno Awards of 2014 for In My Opinion. In 2013, he formed the project Naturally Born Strangers with collaborators Tona and Adam Bomb. That group's debut release, The Legends League Presents: Naturally Born Strangers, won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2015.
To Pimp a Butterfly is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with production from Sounwave, Terrace Martin, Taz "Tisa" Arnold, Thundercat, Rahki, LoveDragon, Flying Lotus, Pharrell Williams, Boi-1da, Knxwledge, and several other high-profile hip hop producers, as well as executive production from Dr. Dre and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Guest appearances include Thundercat, George Clinton, Bilal, Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, and Rapsody.
"Without Me" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his fourth studio album The Eminem Show (2002). "Without Me" was released on May 15, 2002, as the lead single from the album, and re-released on his greatest hits compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits (2005). "Without Me" is one of Eminem's most successful singles, reaching number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and number one in fifteen countries.
"Father Stretch My Hands" are songs by American rapper Kanye West from his seventh studio album, The Life of Pablo (2016). They are split into two parts on the album: "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2". "Pt. 1" contains vocals by American rapper Kid Cudi and American R&B singer Kelly Price, while "Pt. 2" includes vocals from American rapper Desiigner and American musician Caroline Shaw. Prior to release, the latter was played by West for Desiigner when the two met.
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