Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr., better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major label joint venture deal with Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records to release his 2008 debut single, "All My Life ". Failing to chart, the mergers fell through and Rock departed from both of the latter labels shortly after. He then signed with Missouri rapper Tech N9ne's label Strange Music in a joint venture deal with TDE in 2011.
Ariyan Arslani, professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper, professional wrestler, chef, songwriter and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, New York, he released his debut mixtape Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!! in January 2011 and independently released his debut album, Dr. Lecter, in March 2011. In August 2012, Arslani signed his first major-label deal with Warner Bros. Records, but was later moved to the Atlantic Records-distributed label Vice Records.
Vincent Jamal Staples is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He first became known for his association with alternative hip hop collective Odd Future, namely Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt. He signed with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records prior to releasing his collaborative mixtape with Mac Miller, Stolen Youth (2013). The following year, he signed with No I.D.'s ARTium Recordings, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings to release his debut extended play, Hell Can Wait (2014)—which marked his first project to chart on the Billboard 200.
Malcolm James McCormick, known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, known professionally as Logic, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He released his debut mixtape, Psychological: The Mixtape in December 2009 under the name Psychological, thereafter shortening his name to Logic. He gained popularity following his Young Sinatra (2011) mixtape series; its third installment, Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever (2013) received critical acclaim and led him to secure a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings. Logic's first two studio albums—Under Pressure (2014) and The Incredible True Story (2015)—both peaked within the top five of the U.S. Billboard 200, while the former received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Flatbush Zombies are an American hip hop group from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York City, formed in 2010. The group is composed of rappers Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice and Erick Arc Elliott, with Elliott also serving as their regular record producer. The trio are part of the East Coast hip hop supergroup Beast Coast, with fellow Brooklyn-based rap groups The Underachievers and Pro Era.
Markel Ni'Jee Scott, better known by his stage name Bishop Nehru, is an American rapper and record producer from Nanuet, New York. He also directs and edits music videos.
Dreamville Records is an American record label founded by American rapper J. Cole and his manager Ibrahim Hamad. The label is currently distributed through Interscope Records, a unit of Universal Music Group. The roster includes Bas, Ari Lennox, Cozz, Omen, Lute, JID, EarthGang, and Cole himself. Dreamville also houses American record producers Elite, Ron Gilmore, and Cedric Brown.
Abbas Hamad, known professionally as Bas, is a French-born Sudanese-American rapper. He signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records to release his debut studio album, Last Winter (2014). It was met with positive critical reception and entered the Billboard 200, along with his second and third albums, Too High to Riot (2016) and Milky Way (2018). His fourth album, We Only Talk About Real Shit When We're Fucked Up (2023) was met with continued praise despite failing to chart.
Dimitri Leslie Roger, known professionally as Rich the Kid, is an American rapper. After a number of independent mixtapes, he signed with Interscope Records in 2017 to release his debut studio album, The World Is Yours (2018). Supported by the singles "New Freezer" and "Plug Walk", the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. His second and third studio albums, The World Is Yours 2 (2019) and Boss Man (2020) peaked at numbers four and 24 on the chart, respectively. He has also released the collaborative mixtapes Nobody Safe (2020) with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Trust Fund Babies (2021) with Lil Wayne. Furthermore, he founded the record label Rich Forever Music in 2016, through which he has signed rappers Famous Dex and Jay Critch.
Marquis Amonte King, better known by the stage name Shy Glizzy, is an American rapper from Southeast, Washington, D.C. He is best known for his guest feature alongside Brent Faiyaz on GoldLink's 2016 single "Crew", which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap/Sung Performance.
Joseph Davis, better known by his stage name Joey Purp, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He is one half of Leather Corduroys. He is one of the founding members of Savemoney.
Jordan Terrell Carter, known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. An influential figure among his generation, he has contributed to the progression of trap music and its rage subgenre. He first signed with local underground record label Awful Records in 2014, and later signed with ASAP Mob's record label AWGE, in a joint venture with Interscope Records two years later. Carter gained mainstream attention following the release of his eponymous debut mixtape (2017), which peaked at number 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-charting singles "Magnolia" and "Wokeuplikethis".
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.
Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Atlanta, he signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscope Records in 2017. He formed the musical collective Spillage Village with EarthGang in 2010, and later formed the hip hop group, Zoink Gang with Smino, Buddy, and Guapdad 4000. His fluent rapping style and usage of wordplay has been highly acclaimed by several music critics.
Lil Pump is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Pump. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Tha Lights Global and Warner Records. The album features guest appearances from frequent collaborator Smokepurpp, alongside Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross. It also features production from Bighead, Ronny J, TM88, among others. A sequel album, Lil Pump 2, was released six years later on March 17, 2023.
Cameron Osteen, better known by his stage name Cam O'bi, is an American record producer, singer-songwriter and audio engineer. He has produced for Chance the Rapper, Vic Mensa, Mick Jenkins, Noname, J. Cole, Bas, Saba, and Isaiah Rashad. His upcoming debut album is titled Grown Ass Kid.
Emmanuel Okanlawon, known professionally as YungManny, is an American rapper from Prince George’s County, Maryland. He has released two albums, OKANLAWON and Confused, as well as 2 mixtapes, Wocko Simone’s Files and Hey Manny 2.
Quantavious Tavario Thomas, known professionally as Young Nudy, is an American rapper. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, he is best known for his collaborations with his cousin and fellow rapper 21 Savage, as well as record producer Pi'erre Bourne. Thomas signed with RCA Records to release his debut studio album Anyways (2020), which was followed up with Dr. Ev4l (2021), Rich Shooter (2021), EA Monster (2022), and Gumbo (2023). The latter spawned the hit single "Peaches and Eggplants", which peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
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.
