A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in St. Albans, Queens, New York in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. The group is regarded as a pioneer of alternative hip hop music.
What's the 411? is the debut album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on July 28, 1992, by Uptown Records and MCA Records.
"Breakdown" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album Butterfly (1997). The song features rap verses by two of the five members of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The song was released on March 22, 1998, by Columbia Records as the fourth single from Butterfly. Similar to the treatments of the "Butterfly" and The Roof", "Breakdown" received a limited worldwide release due to Carey's conflict at the time with Sony. The song's lyrics describe the emotions someone feels when their lover suddenly stops loving and leaves them, and the pain, or breakdown, it causes the person. The song was well received by contemporary music critics.
Leslie Merritt Hall is an American satirical rap artist and front-woman for the band Leslie and the LY's. She also operates a "gem sweater museum". She is best known for the YouTube hits like "How We Go Out" and "Tight Pants/Body Rolls". She is also currently a member of pop duo Neon & Nude.
Leslie & the LY's was a pop music band from Ames, Iowa that began as an open mike trio in 2004.
"Upgrade U" is a song by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé from her second studio album B'Day (2006). The song features additional vocals from American rapper Jay-Z. It was composed by Swizz Beatz, Cameron Wallace, Beyoncé, MK, Makeba, Sean Garrett, Angela Beyincé, Jay-Z, Willie Clarke, Clarence Reid, and Beyoncé's sister, Solange. Columbia Records released "Upgrade U" as a promotional single on 8 October 2006 in the United States only. "Upgrade U" draws from the genres of hip hop and contemporary R&B. The concept of the song is that of a woman describing herself as the key to upgrading a man's lifestyle.
"Addiction" is a song written, produced, and performed by American singer and record producer Ryan Leslie. It features vocals by American singer Cassie and American rapper Fabolous, who wrote his guest rap verse. The song contains elements from the composition "I Can't Help It" written by Stevie Wonder and Susaye Greene, as performed by Michael Jackson. Released as the second single from his self-titled debut album, Ryan Leslie (2009), it was sent to rhythmic and urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on July 7, 2008. The track was made available for digital download the following day through Universal Motown Records and Leslie's NextSelection imprint. A version of the song featuring just Cassie was also included in physical versions of the single.
Afrika Bambaataa is an American disc jockey, rapper, songwriter and producer from the South Bronx, New York. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of hip hop culture. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the originators of breakbeat DJing and is respectfully known as "The Godfather" and "Amen Ra of Hip Hop Kulture", as well as the father of electro-funk. Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and culture-oriented Universal Zulu Nation, he has helped spread hip hop culture throughout the world. On May 6, 2016, Bambaataa left his position as head of The Zulu Nation due to multiple child sexual abuse allegations dating as far back as the 1970s.
"Wet the Bed" is a song by American R&B recording artist Chris Brown featuring American rapper Ludacris, from his fourth studio album F.A.M.E. (2011). It was written by Brown, Kevin McCall, Amber Streeter, and Christopher Bridges, and produced by Bigg D. Lyrically, the song sees Brown and Ludacris exploring ways to leave a woman satisfied. "Wet the Bed" received mixed reviews from most music critics, who were ambivalent towards its lyrics. It was released as a single and has appeared on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number twenty-five. The song has been performed live at the album's listening party, as well as on Brown's F.A.M.E. Tour.
"Beware" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Big Sean taken from his second studio album Hall of Fame (2013). "Beware" was released on June 25, 2013, as the album's third single, through GOOD and Def Jam. The song was written by Sean Anderson, Dwayne Carter, Dwane Weir II, and Alexander Izquierdo, while production was handled by frequent collaborator Key Wane and Mike Dean and features guest appearances from rapper Lil Wayne and singer Jhené Aiko.
Gold Pants is the debut and only studio album by American pop music group Leslie and the LY's, released to iTunes on March 11, 2005. and released in CD format on March 15, 2005. The record serves as front-woman Leslie Hall's first musical project after she became known on the internet for her gem sweater website. Hall then enlisted school friends to form the band. After performing several of the songs at open mic events, the group recorded and released the record.
"Ring A Ding-Ding" is a song recorded by American pop music group Leslie and the LY's for their debut studio album, Gold Pants. Serving as the album's opening track, the track was premiered on November 23, 2004 on Unscrewed with Martin Sargent. It was also supplemented with its own music video.
Back 2 Back Palz is the third studio album by Leslie Hall, released on January 12, 2010. by Hefty Hideaway. The group toured the US in 2010 to promote the album, with Christopher the Conquered serving as the opening act.
Cewebrity is the second studio album by American recording artist Leslie Hall. It was released on February 26, 2008 via Hefty Hideaway. It serves as the follow up to her second studio album, Door Man's Daughter. It was recorded in 2007, and was promoted from 2007 to 2009. Leslie embarked on a tour with her band Leslie and the LY's in 2009. During that time, it was supplemented by the single "Zombie Killer." CeWEBrity is known for its more pop-inspired sound compared to Hall's other music.
Door Man's Daughter is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Leslie Hall. It was released on October 5, 2006 through Hefty Hideaway. Door Man's Daughter serves as the follow-up to her previous album, Gold Pants (2005). The record had two official singles and was promoted by the release of several music videos, all of which can be found online. Hall made an appearance on MTV to promote the album.
Destination Friendship is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Leslie Hall, released on December 1, 2011 via Hefty Hideaway. It was supplemented by the singles "Hydrate Jirate", "Blame the Booty", which was released as a 7" vinyl the day of the album's release, and "You're Not Taken?".
Songs in the Key of Gold is the first remix album and fifth overall by American recording artist Leslie Hall, released on December 14, 2013 via Hefty Hideaway. The album features dance remixes of Hall's songs by Titus Jones. It features songs from each of Hall's previous albums: Gold Pants, Door Man's Daughter, ceWEBrity, Back 2 Back Palz, and Destination Friendship. It also contains four new songs: "Neon Blood", "#1 Cat in America", "Happy Birthday", and "Of Course You Wear Glasses". To promote the album, Leslie Hall embarked on a nationwide tour that lasted from January to March of 2014.
"Blame the Booty" is a song recorded by American rapper Leslie Hall in 2008. It originally appeared on her second studio album, ceWEBrity, and received a music video, which was first uploaded to YouTube on August 24, 2009. "Blame the Booty" has appeared on four of Hall's five albums, and has had two remixes commissioned for the track.
"No Pants Policy" is a song recorded by American rapper Leslie Hall, that appears on her fourth studio album Destination Friendship (2011) and remix album Songs in the Key of Gold (2013). The song was remixed by Titus Jones as released on November 12, 2013 as the lead single from her remix album, Songs in the Key of Gold (2013). It is additionally Hall's first single to not be released as a 7" vinyl.
"I Wonder" is a song by American hip-hop recording artist and record producer Kanye West. It was released as the fourth song on the track-listing of his third studio album Graduation (2007). The track was produced by West and retains influences from stadium rock, alternative music, and a variety of electronic-music subgenres. It contains a sample from "My Song" by British singer-songwriter, musician, and poet Labi Siffre. A key development in the song's creation was West touring the world the year prior with Irish rock band U2 on their Vertigo Tour. Afterwards, he sought out to compose a hip hop-oriented variation of "City of Blinding Lights," the band's 2005 single. The layered arrangement expresses ambitious orchestrations, with distorted electronic synthesizer that act as the driving melodic instrument. The maximalist synths are further supplemented with a sweeping string section as well as winding keyboards. Its experimental musical composition is also notable for West's rapping technique. His lyrical delivery features a fragmented, forceful flow where he raps minimalist verses in an intense staccato vocal style. Lyrically, "I Wonder" is an introspective number, containing a blend of melancholic yet inspirational lines that discuss finding one's dreams.
