Omari Ishmael Grandberry, better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actor, and dancer. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the early 2000s with their singles "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and the number-one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump".
Christopher Charles Lloyd, better known by his stage name Lloyd Banks, is an American rapper. He began his career as a member of East Coast hip hop group G-Unit, alongside childhood friends 50 Cent and Tony Yayo. After the group released their debut album Beg for Mercy (2003), Banks released his debut solo album, The Hunger for More in 2004. The album was met with positive reception, peaked atop the Billboard 200, and spawned the Billboard Hot 100- top ten single, "On Fire". He followed up with his second album Rotten Apple (2006), which saw mixed reviews and a commercial decline. Banks then left Interscope Records and signed with EMI in 2010—along with his G-Unit cohorts—to release his third album, H.F.M. 2 in November that year, which was met with improved critical reception and moderate commercial response.
Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American media personality, broadcaster, cultural critic, and former rapper. He first gained recognition as a rapper for his 2003 hit single "Pump It Up," which preceded the release of his eponymous debut studio album (2003). The album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and saw positive critical reception, although it would be his only major label project for Def Jam Recordings, thereafter releasing seven studio albums independently. Meanwhile, he performed as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, which were signed to Eminem's Shady Records in 2012; the group released two studio albums.
Pretty Ricky is an American R&B/hip hop group originating from Miami, Florida. The group originally consisted of brothers Diamond Smith and Spectacular Smith, plus Corey Mathis and Marcus Cooper. Pleasure P was the group's main singer, while the other three members performed as rappers. After he departed in 2007 to embark on a solo career, the group shuffled through several replacement vocalists.
Cameron Jibril Thomaz, better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper and singer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His debut studio album, Show and Prove (2006) was released through the local independent label Rostrum Records, and he signed with Warner Bros. Records the following year. His Eurodance-influenced 2008 single, "Say Yeah" received urban radio airplay and entered the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts, becoming his first minor hit.
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, better known by his stage name Wale, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition in 2006 when his song "Dig Dug " became popular in his hometown of Washington D.C., leading to Wale gaining local recognition as he continued recording music for the regional audience. Wale became acquainted with English DJ-producer Mark Ronson in 2006, and signed to his label Allido Records the following year. During this time, Wale released several mixtapes which amassed national attention as he appeared on MTV and various Black America-focused magazines.
Antoine Franklin McColister, better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. He was born in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and raised in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He was signed by record producer DJ Khaled to his label We the Best Music Group in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings in 2008.
Marcus Ramone Cooper Sr, better known by his stage name Pleasure P, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, who experienced success as a member of the group Pretty Ricky before embarking on a solo career in 2007. His debut album The Introduction of Marcus Cooper was released in 2009, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
Chidera Anamege, now known by his stage name Chiddy Bang, is an American rapper from Philadelphia. Prior to its breakup, Chiddy Bang was an American hip hop duo consisting of Anamege, under the stage name Chiddy, and Noah Beresin, under the stage name Xaphoon Jones. The duo was introduced by former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 while the two were studying at Drexel University, in Beresin's hometown of Philadelphia. Anamege's sound is based on the fusion of hip hop and alternative using samples from artists such as Ellie Goulding, Radiohead, Sufjan Stevens, Passion Pit, MGMT, Matt and Kim and Yelle. In 2013, Beresin left the group to focus on producing, and Anamege became a solo artist, with Beresin playing the role as frequent collaborator.
Kyle Alfonso Myricks, better known by his stage name Stalley, is an American rapper from Massillon, Ohio.
Longterm Mentality is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Ab-Soul. It was released on April 5, 2011, by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), exclusively to digital retailers, serving as Ab-Soul's debut retail release. The album features guest appearances from Jhené Aiko, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, Punch, Alori Joh, JaVonté, MURS, BJ the Chicago Kid and Pat Brown, with the production from American hip hop record producers such as Tae Beast, Ayiro, Sounwave, AAyhasis, Context, Alexis Carrington and Tommy Black. Upon its release, the album was highly acclaimed by music critics.
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).
Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott, known by his stage name as Joey Badass, is an American rapper. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro Era, with whom he has released three mixtapes as well as his numerous solo projects.
Tauheed K. Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside fellow hometown rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo was signed to fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label and became best known for their 2007 debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".
Pro Era is an American hip hop collective group from Brooklyn, New York. The group is a collective of rappers and record producers that includes East Coast rappers Joey Badass, CJ Fly, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Dyemond Lewis, Aaron Rose, Dessy Hinds, Dirty Sanchez, Rokamouth, J.A.B. and Jakk Da Rhymer, along with producers Chuck Strangers and Powers Pleasant. The collective was formed in 2011 by Capital STEEZ and Powers Pleasant, with Joey Badass and CJ Fly among its founding members.
Cody Rashad Osagie, better known by his stage name Cozz, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's label Dreamville Records and Interscope Records. His debut studio album Cozz & Effect, was released in October 2014. He has since released other projects, such as his 2016 project Nothin' Personal and in 2018 he released Effected his second Studio Album. He also released his Fortunate EP in 2021.
Instruments of Mercy is the second studio album by Portland, Oregon-based experimental hip hop trio Beautiful Eulogy, released through Humble Beast Records on October 29, 2013, in both free and commercial format. Like its predecessor, the album features a highly eclectic folk-hip hop fusion melded with numerous other styles such as electronic, indie, hymn tunes, and contemporary worship music. Courtland Urbano, the main producer of the trio, eschewed the use of digitally-generated effects and instrumentation in composing the music for Instruments of Mercy, instead relying solely on analog and natural sounds. A single from the album, "Vital Lens", was released as a digital download on September 10, 2013. The album fared well commercially, charting at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart, and was lauded by critics for its diverse and creative sound and deeply theological lyrics. PQ Monthly called the group "one [of] the most innovative hip-hop acts in Portland."
Nathan John Feuerstein, known by his initials NF, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released two EPs, I'm Free (2012), and a self-titled EP in 2014 with Capitol CMG. His second and first major-label studio album, Mansion, was released on March 31, 2015. His third studio album, Therapy Session, was released on April 22, 2016, and peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200. His albums have earned several accolades, some of which include: the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.
Cyntoia Brown Long is an American author and speaker who was convicted of murder and robbery at the age of 16. Brown, who was a victim of child sex trafficking at the time of the incident in 2004, claimed that Johnny Allen had paid her $150 to have sex with him, and that she feared for her life during their encounter, leading her to shoot him. Prosecutors argued that Brown killed Allen while he was sleeping in order to rob him. Brown was found guilty of robbing and murdering Allen and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Spectacular Blue Smith, known by his stage name Spectacular, is an American rapper, entertainer, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, television personality, author, and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of Adwizar Inc. and founder of the record label Mula Music Group.
