Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, record executive and actor. His career began in 1993, at the age of 11, when he was discovered by Bryan "Birdman" Williams and joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo The B.G.'z, alongside fellow New Orleans-based rapper B.G.. In 1996, Lil Wayne and B.G. joined the southern hip hop group Hot Boys, with Cash Money label-mates Juvenile and Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live!, that same year. Most of the group's success came with their platinum-selling album Guerrilla Warfare (1999) and the 1999 single "Bling Bling". For many years, he was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records, before ending his long-tenured deal with the company in June 2018.
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His debut album A Sun Came was released in 1999 on the Asthmatic Kitty label, which he cofounded with his stepfather. He received wide recognition for his 2005 album Illinois, which hit number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, and for the single "Chicago" from that album. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media for "Mystery of Love" from the movie Call Me by Your Name.
So Far Gone is the third official mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake; it was released on February 13, 2009, under his October's Very Own label. The mixtape proved to be a major catalyst in the launching of Drake's career on an international scale, and was universally well received by professional critics and hip-hop fans alike.
Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. Drake initially gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation in the early 2000s. Intent on pursuing a career in music, he left the series in 2007 following the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement. He released two further independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.
Thank Me Later is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on June 15, 2010, by Aspire Music Group, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown Records. Production for the album took place at various recording studios during 2009 to 2010 and was mostly produced by longtime collaborators 40 and Boi-1da. It also featured contributions from Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, The-Dream, and Kanye West, among others.
Das Racist was an American alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, composed of MCs Heems and Kool A.D. and hype man Ashok Kondabolu. Known for their use of humor, academic references, foreign allusions, and unconventional style, Das Racist had been both hailed as an urgent new voice in rap and dismissed as joke rap.
Chaz Bear, known professionally as Toro y Moi, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and graphic designer. His music has taken on many forms since he began recording, but he is often identified with the rise of the chillwave movement in 2010 and 2011. His stage name is a multilingual expression consisting of the Spanish words toro and y and the French word moi.
Friday Night Lights is the third official mixtape from Fayetteville, North Carolina rapper J. Cole. It was released on November 12, 2010. The mixtape was to originally be called Villematic and contain J. Cole's previous leaks and freestyles, however, Cole later stated it would have original material. The mixtape became the second most searched and trending topics on Google and Twitter respectively following its release. Most songs on the mixtape were slated to be on his debut album at one point or another. The mixtape has been viewed over 4,470,000 times, streamed over 1,280,000 times, and downloaded over 1,700,000 times on mixtape site DatPiff. On June 26, 2013, Cole announced that he would be re-releasing The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights for retail sale, in order to give them the push they deserved.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most skillful and successful hip hop artists of his generation.
Nostalgia, Ultra is the debut mixtape by American singer Frank Ocean. It was released on February 16, 2011. Ocean was inspired to make the mixtape after Hurricane Katrina in his native New Orleans and his subsequent relocation to Los Angeles. After joining alternative hip hop group Odd Future in 2010, he self-released the mixtape, without initial promotion. Nostalgia, Ultra has a unique R&B aesthetic and features surreal themes and nostalgic lyrics. The songs mostly focus on interpersonal relationships, personal reflection, and social commentary. Following its release, the mixtape received rave reviews from music critics. The cover features a picture of a bright orange 1980s BMW E30 M3, Ocean's "dream car", in plain sight amidst lush greenery.
House of Balloons is the debut mixtape by Canadian singer The Weeknd. It was released as a free download on March 21, 2011, by XO. The mixtape was also released on his official website. Its music incorporates electronic and urban genres, including R&B and soul, along with trip hop, indie rock and dream pop tones. The contributions to the mixtape's production came from Canadian record producers such as Doc McKinney, Zodiac and Illangelo, among others.
Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer, songwriter, music video director, and record executive. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on MySpace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves and parties. In 2010 she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.
Keith Farrelle Cozart, better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Keef's music first became popular among high school students from Chicago's South Side during his teen years in the early 2010s. In 2012, Keef's popular street single "I Don't Like" was remixed by rapper Kanye West, reaching the Billboard Top 10 and further lifting Keef's profile. A bidding war between major labels resulted in Keef signing to Interscope. His debut album Finally Rich was released in December 2012, and featured the singles "I Don't Like" and "Love Sosa", which would popularize the Chicago rap subgenre drill.
"Fuckin' Problems" is a song by American rappers ASAP Rocky, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar and Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on October 24, 2012, as the second single from Rocky's debut studio album Long. Live. ASAP (2013), and was later released to radio on November 27, 2012.
Freebandz is an American record label founded by American rapper Future. The label's releases are distributed through Epic Records.
Jeffery Lamar Williams, known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he first received attention for his collaborations with rappers Rich Homie Quan, Future, Birdman, Cash Out, Shawty Lo and Gucci Mane. Young Thug initially released a series of independent mixtapes beginning in 2011 with I Came from Nothing. In early 2013, he signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, and later that year he released his label debut mixtape 1017 Thug to critical praise.
Gz II Godz is a studio album by American hip hop duo G-Side. It was released on May 15, 2014. The cover art is designed by John Turner Jr.
Kamaiyah Jamesha Johnson is an American rapper and singer from Oakland, California. She released her acclaimed debut mixtape A Good Night in the Ghetto in 2016.
Cloud 19 is the debut mixtape by American singer and songwriter Kehlani, who released it as a free digital download on August 26, 2014, and is widely recognized as launching her music career.
