Hyper-T is the stage name of Adam Tanuyak, a Canadian rapper from Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut whose music blends Inuit music traditions with hip hop. [1] Tanuyak, who struggled with depression in his early teens, began releasing rap singles in 2014. [1] By 2018, he had released seven singles, was working on his debut full-length album, and had songs featured in the soundtracks to the films Iqaluit and The Grizzlies . [2] In addition to studying music production, he has also studied public governance at Carleton University's Nunavut Sivuniksavut program, and business management at Red River College. [2] He won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song for "The Trials", a song from The Grizzlies cowritten with Thomas Lambe and Dan "DJ Shub" General, at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019. [3]
Christopher Brian Bridges, known professionally as Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia, at age nine, where he first began rapping. Starting out with a brief stint as a DJ, he formed his own record label, Disturbing tha Peace in the late 1990s to independently release his debut studio album Incognegro (1999). After its single, "What's Your Fantasy", became a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the album was re-released by Def Jam Recordings as his major label debut, Back for the First Time (2000). The latter album peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned his second top 40 single, "Southern Hospitality".
"Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 film 8 Mile. The song was composed and produced by Eminem, longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the production duo Bass Brothers, and Luis Resto. The lyrics were written by Eminem. It was released on October 28, 2002, as the lead single from the soundtrack. The song's lyrics explicitly sum up the background of Eminem's character in 8 Mile, B-Rabbit, with the first verse summing up much of the plot of the movie. The song incorporates several aggressive themes, largely dealing with the struggles dealt with by B-Rabbit, and how he eventually overcomes his many problems and obstacles to gain the respect of other rappers.
Luke Boyd, better known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian rapper and record producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia.
Shadrach Kabango, known professionally as Shad or Shad K, is a Canadian rapper and broadcaster. Beginning his career in 2005, has released seven studio albums and three extended plays. He won a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 2011 and five of his albums have been shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, the most short-list nominations of any artist in the prize's history. In 2013, CBC Music named Shad the second-greatest Canadian rapper of all time. Shad hosted Q on CBC Radio One from 2015 to 2016, and hosts the International Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution on HBO Canada and Netflix.
Ahmad Balshe, known professionally as Belly, is a Palestinian-Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Jenin, Balshe was raised in Ottawa. His debut mixtape, Death Before Dishonor: Vol. 1 (2005) was followed by eight additional projects until the release of his debut studio album, The Revolution (2007). After an eight-year hiatus in favor of songwriting for fellow Canadian singer the Weeknd, Balshe signed with his record label, XO, as a recording artist in 2015.
"Good Life" is a song by American rapper Kanye West featuring American singer T-Pain from the former's third studio album, Graduation (2007). The song includes background vocals from John Legend and Ne-Yo. West and Toomp handled the production, with additional production from Mike Dean. T-Pain thought of the concept when dining out with West, while he also recorded numerous hooks that the rapper used for his feature. On October 2, 2007, the song was released to US rhythmic contemporary radio stations by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the album's third single. A pop number, it samples Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T. " and features synths. Lyrically, the song sees West celebrating his success and being determined to succeed, and T-Pain also reflecting on his success.
Aubrey Drake Graham is a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor. As a figure in popular music, he has been credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip-hop artists. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008), Drake began his recording career in 2006 with the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement (2006). He followed up with the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment.
Raynford Avery Humphrey, better known by his stage name Preme, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He initially guest appeared on the 2011 singles "Alone Again" by Alyssa Reid and "Invincible" by Hedley. The songs peaked at numbers 11 and nine on the Canadian Hot 100, respectively. He signed with RCA Records to release his debut extended play Dear Summer EP (2014), which contained the singles "DnF", "Chickens" and "We Them Niggas".
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer and DJ. A frequent collaborator of fellow California-based artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign, he began his career producing singles and albums for both rappers, and has since done so for other prominent acts in hip hop and R&B. He first saw recognition for his work on Tyga's 2011 single "Rack City".
Victor Kwesi Mensah, known professionally as Vic Mensa, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, he was a member of the regional hip hop groups Kids These Days and Savemoney prior to releasing his debut solo mixtape, Innanetape (2013). As a solo artist, Mensa has been signed to Virgin EMI Records, Def Jam Recordings, Capitol Records, and Roc Nation.
"I" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar featuring Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers. It was released on September 23, 2014 as the lead single from Lamar's third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly. The song uses music from "That Lady", written by and originally performed by R&B group The Isley Brothers, elements from which were re-recorded rather than being directly sampled from the original record. It won two awards at the 2015 Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.
Khaled Mohammed Khaled, known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry artists to perform on singles and albums, for which he often serves as producer and hype man. Known as the "Anthem King", his distinctions are his booming voice presence, "motivational" abstractions, maximalist production style and numerous catchphrases.
David Orobosa Michael Omoregie, known professionally as Dave or Santan Dave, is a British rapper and actor. He is known for his socially conscious lyricism and wordplay.
DJ Shub is a Mohawk DJ and music producer and member of the Six Nations of the Grand River. He has won numerous awards for his work as a former member of A Tribe Called Red, a DJ, and for solo pursuits.
The Grizzlies is a 2018 Canadian sports drama film, directed by Miranda de Pencier. Based on a true story, the film depicts a youth lacrosse team that was set up to help combat an onslaught of youth suicide in the community of Kugluktuk, Nunavut.
Cordae Amari Brooks, known mononymously as Cordae, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of the hip hop collective YBN.
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.
Paul "Ike" Nutarariaq is a Canadian actor most noted for his performance in the 2018 film The Grizzlies, for which he received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Actor at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019.
Anna Lambe is a Canadian Inuk actress from Iqaluit, Nunavut. She is known for debut role in the 2018 film The Grizzlies, for which she received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019.
Daniel Nwosu Jr., professionally known by his stage name Dax, is a Nigerian-Canadian rapper and singer-songwriter.