Percy Robert Miller Sr., known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Universal Records and Koch Records, and again as Guttar Music Entertainment, and currently, No Limit Forever Records. He is also the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises and Better Black Television, which was a short-lived online television network. Miller gained fame in the mid-1990s with the success of his hip hop group TRU as well as his fifth solo rap album Ice Cream Man (1996), which contained his first single "Mr. Ice Cream Man". Miller's popularity grew in 1997 after the success of his Platinum single "Make 'Em Say Uhh!". In total, Miller has released 15 studio albums.
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the west coast of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the early to-mid 1990s with the birth of G-funk and the emergence of record labels such as Suge Knight and Dr. Dre's Death Row Records, Ice Cube's Lench Mob Records, the continued success of Eazy-E's Ruthless Records, Aftermath Records belonging to Dr. Dre, and others.
Jordan Michael Houston III, known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper and record producer. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established in 1991. The group won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for their single "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp". His most notable singles as a soloist are his features on the Top 40 singles: Mike Will Made It's "23", Usher's "I Don't Mind" and his own single "Bandz a Make Her Dance", the last of which served as the lead single for his third album and major label debut Stay Trippy on August 27, 2013. The album was followed up by Rubba Band Business (2017), which was his final project on a major label before independently releasing his most recent album The Hustle Continues (2020).
Australian hip hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and is largely inspired by hip hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of music that is no longer restricted to the creative underground, with artists such as The Kid Laroi, Manu Crooks, Onefour, Iggy Azalea, Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso and Youngn Lipz, having achieved notable fame. Australian hip hop is still primarily released through independent record labels, which are often owned and operated by the artists themselves. Despite its genesis as an offshoot of American hip-hop, Australian hip hop has developed a distinct personality that reflects its evolution as an Australian musical style.
Korean hip-hop, also known as K-hip-hop or K-rap, is a subgenre of Korean popular music.
Penalty is an American record label and entertainment company, founded and run by CEO Neil Levine. The company was founded in 1995 as a record label specializing in hip-hop music.
Blackground Records 2.0 is an American record label founded and owned by Jomo and Barry Hankerson. Initially named Blackground Enterprises, the label switched its name to Blackground Entertainment then later Blackground Records in 2000. In 2021, the label rebranded as Blackground Records 2.0, reviving its company and catalogue onto streaming services, with a partnership with Empire Distribution. It co-operated with a publishing company founded by Hankerson, named Black Fountain Music.
Kasseem Daoud Dean, known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the age of 18, he started to gain recognition in the hip hop industry through his family's record label, Ruff Ryders, as well as his friendship and work with East Coast rapper DMX. Working with DMX as his producer, DJ and hype man, helped Dean gain prominence as a high-profile personality in hip hop.
Faheem Rashad Najm, known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He popularized the creative use of the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect, used with extreme parameter settings to create distinctive vocal sounds. Others followed, including rappers Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Future, and Travis Scott.
Estelle Fanta Swaray is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and radio presenter from West London. She is known for her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R&B, soul, reggae, grime, hip hop, and dance. She has collaborated with artists including John Legend, Robin Thicke, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, will.i.am, Kanye West, Pete Rock, David Guetta and Tyler, The Creator.
Jasiel Amon Robinson, better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2006 hit single "It's Goin' Down", and as a feature on T-Pain's 2007 U.S. number-one single "Buy U a Drank ".
Obese Records was a record label that released music from the Australian hip hop genre. It was the largest Australian independent hip hop label, including performers : Pegz, Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals, Andy Struksha, and Dialectrix. Obese Records also operated two retail stores in Melbourne, a record distribution company, a soul imprint named Plethora Records, and operates the artists' management and touring company Obese Records Artist Management.
Anthony Ryan Leslie is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur from Washington, D.C. He has produced singles for a number of prominent artists in a variety of genres, ranging from R&B, hip hop, pop and gospel. Artists Leslie has worked with include Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Puff Daddy, LL Cool J, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, and Fabolous.
DeAndre Cortez Way, known professionally as Soulja Boy, is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence after his self-released debut single "Crank That " peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven non-consecutive weeks in 2007. He then released his debut album, Souljaboytellem.com (2007), which also included the single "Soulja Girl".
The discography of MC Hammer, or simply Hammer, includes hit records "U Can't Touch This", "Pray" and "2 Legit 2 Quit". Hammer is known for his flashy dance movements, choreography and Hammer pants. His superstar-status and entertaining showmanship made him a household name and hip hop icon. Hammer has sold more than 50 million records worldwide, breaking down numerous doors for rap music and demonstrating that hip-hop had the potential for blockbuster success. A multi-award winner, M.C. Hammer is considered a "forefather/pioneer" and innovator of pop rap, and is the first hip hop artist to achieve diamond status for an album.
Amalgam Digital is an independent record label based in East Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2006 by Anyextee, the privately owned label had been home to a variety of artists throughout the decade before significantly downsizing in its later years. The label's online store was the first genre-specific digital download store specializing in hip hop music. It focuses on independent labels and artists through the implementation of a new user-generated content module that allowed artists to upload content directly to the site for immediate purchase. Amalgam Digital also houses an exclusive independent record label by the same name, specializing in hip hop music and distribution. In an April 2008 issue, The Source proclaimed that Amalgam Digital has "its finger on the pulse of hip-hop's future."
Drew "Dru Ha" Friedman is an American music and marketing executive based in New York City. Friedman is Co-Founder and CEO of Duck Down Music Inc., 3D Consulting & Distribution, General Manager for Cinematic Music Group, and former Director of Urban Music at Cornerstone Promotion. Born and raised in White Plains, New York, he is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he studied advertising.
Port Harcourt, a city of Rivers State located to the south of Nigeria, has a thriving music scene encompassing both native African and foreign-influenced genres. It plays host to numerous radio stations, prominent recording studios, such as the Street Rhymes Studios and other music institutions. As a state capital, Port Harcourt has of one of the liveliest club scenes in the country as well as music venues, bars and restaurants. As of 2015, hip hop, pop, highlife and reggae are most popular music styles among young people in the city.
Neil Levine is an American music industry executive. He is best known as the founder of the hip-hop label Penalty Recordings, and is currently the CEO of its successor company, Penalty Entertainment. Levine helped to launch the careers of artists such as Capone-N-Noreaga, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, and Tha Eastsidaz.
Keshinro Ololade, known professionally as Lil Kesh, is a Nigerian singer and rapper. He rose to limelight after releasing the hit single "Shoki".
