LaRon Louis James Sr, better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper and member of East Coast hip hop group, the Diplomats. He is best known for his appearances on group cohort Cam'ron's 2002 singles "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma", which peaked at numbers four and three on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. His guest appearance on Chris Brown's 2005 single, "Run It!" peaked atop the chart for five weeks and received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As a lead artist, he is also known for his 2005 single "There It Go ", which peaked at number six on the chart and received platinum certification by the RIAA.
Kevin Jerome Gilyard, better known by his stage name Kevin Gates, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is currently signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records. His debut studio album, Islah, released in January 2016 and peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Prior to Islah, Gates also released a number of mixtapes, including Stranger Than Fiction (2013), By Any Means (2014), and Luca Brasi 2 (2014), all of which peaked in the top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Ackquille Jean Pollard, known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper. Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music. He rose to international fame in 2014 when his single, "Hot Nigga", peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100. Its success led him to sign with Epic Records to release his debut extended play (EP), Shmurda She Wrote, (2014).
Willie Junior Maxwell II, better known by his stage name Fetty Wap, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He quickly rose to mainstream prominence after his 2014 song "Trap Queen" peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with 300 Entertainment, an imprint of Atlantic Records. Two of his 2015 singles, "679" and "My Way", peaked within the top ten of the chart; all three—as well as the top 40 single "Again"—preceded his eponymous debut studio album (2015), which peaked atop the Billboard 200. During this time, he became distinctive for his melodic blending of singing and rapping, lighthearted lyrics, "bouncy" production, and exclamation of various catchphrases such as "1738!"
Durk Devontay Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a pioneering artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, he has been noted as one of the subgenre's most commericially successful rappers. He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.
Bill Kahan Kapri, known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 songs "No Flockin" and "Skrt", both of which led him to sign a recording contract with Atlantic Records. The former received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), while the latter received platinum certification; "No Flockin" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 two years later as a sleeper hit.
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gained a cult following among his young fan base during his short career with his depression- and alienation-themed music. Critics and fans often credit him for his musical versatility, with his music exploring emo, trap, trap metal, nu metal, indie rock, lo-fi, hip hop, R&B, and punk rock. He was considered to be a leading figure in the establishment of the emo rap and SoundCloud rap genres, which garnered mainstream attention during the mid-to-late 2010s.
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From 2015 to 2017, he released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional following for his work. He signed with Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group in the latter year to release the singles "Untouchable" and "No Smoke", both of which marked his first entries on the Billboard Hot 100. Released in January of the following year, his single "Outside Today" became his first to peak within the top 40 of the chart, and received quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It served as both his mainstream breakthrough and the lead single for his debut studio album, Until Death Call My Name (2018), which peaked at number seven on the US Billboard 200 despite mixed critical reception.
Taymor Travon McIntyre, better known professionally as Tay-K, is an American rapper and convicted triple murderer. He is best known for his 2017 song "The Race", which peaked at number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its lyrics detailed criminal activity carried out by McIntyre, and became popular following a nationwide manhunt for his eventual arrest in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Lathan Moses Stanley Echols, known professionally as Lil Mosey, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. His 2017 single, "Pull Up", received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and led him to sign to his first major record label. His 2018 single, "Noticed", became his first Billboard Hot 100 entry and preceded his debut studio album, Northsbest (2018). His second studio album, Certified Hitmaker (2019) peaked at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Stuck in a Dream". The album's 2020 re-issue spawned the single "Blueberry Faygo", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and yielded Mosey's furthest commercial success.
Tyquian Terrel Bowman better known by his stage name Quando Rondo, is an American rapper, and singer-songwriter. He signed with YoungBoy Never Broke Again's namesake record label, an imprint of Atlantic Records shortly after the release of his 2018 single, "I Remember". The song received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and preceded his debut studio album, QPac (2020), which entered the Billboard 200 and contained his second platinum-certified song, "ABG". His second album, Recovery (2023), entered the chart.
Johnathan Jamall Porter, known professionally as Blueface, is an American rapper. In October 2018, after releasing the music video for his song "Respect My Cryppin'", he became a viral meme due to his offbeat style of rapping. The following month, he was signed to Cash Money West, the West Coast branch of Birdman's Cash Money Records label.
Taurus Tremani Bartlett, known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles "Finer Things" and "Pop Out". His debut album Die a Legend (2019) peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA, a feat matched by his two subsequent albums.
Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois, who was affiliated with the Black Disciples gang. He was considered a preeminent figure in the drill genre.
Welcome to O'Block is the debut studio album by American rapper King Von, and the only one to be released during his lifetime. It was released on October 30, 2020 by Only the Family and Empire Distribution. Welcome to O'Block was released a week prior to King Von's murder on November 6, 2020, after the album's official release party. The project features chief production from Chopsquad DJ, and other producers including Hitmaka, Tay Keith and Wheezy; guest appearances include Polo G, Lil Durk, Dreezy, Moneybagg Yo, Fivio Foreign and Prince Dre.
"Crazy Story" is a song by American rapper King Von, released on December 6, 2018, as his debut single through Only the Family and Empire Distribution. The song is one of Von's most popular songs and it is considered his breakout hit. It was followed by two sequels: "Crazy Story 2.0" and "Crazy Story, Pt. 3". All three singles appear on Von's mixtape Grandson, Vol. 1 (2019), while "Crazy Story" was included on Only The Family mixtape Only The Family Involved Vol. 2.
"Took Her to the O" is a song by American rapper King Von released on February 21, 2020, through labels Only the Family and Empire representing the third and last single extracted from his second mixtape Levon James (2020). The song was written by Von and Chopsquad DJ, with the latter solely producing the beat. The song is among Von's most popular. The song is a drill track. The song received positive reviews from music critics, with many praising it for the detail-rich approach to storytelling.
"Armed & Dangerous" is a song by American rapper King Von. It was released on October 30, 2020, as an extract and first track from Von's debut studio album Welcome to O'Block from 2020.
"Demon" is a song by American rapper King Von. It was released on October 31, 2020, as an extract from Von's debut studio album Welcome to O'Block from 2020. The song was certified gold plaque by Recording Industry Association of America on June 3, 2022.
"Wayne's Story" is a song by American rapper King Von as the sixteenth and last track from his debut studio album Welcome to O'Block from 2020. It was released on October 30, 2020.
