Jason Terrance Phillips, better known by his stage name Jadakiss, is an American rapper from Yonkers, New York. He began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy Records, an imprint of Arista Records to release their debut studio album, Money, Power & Respect (1998); their second album, We Are the Streets (2000) was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, an imprint of Interscope Records. Both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and yielded critical praise; their two subsequent albums, Filthy America... It's Beautiful (2016) and Living Off Xperience (2020) were both released by Jay-Z's Roc Nation and met with continued praise.
Rate Your Music is an online encyclopedia of music releases and films. Users can catalog items from their personal collection, review them, and assign ratings in a five-star rating system. The site also features community-based charts that track highest-rated releases.
Shamele Mackie, known professionally as Papoose, is an American rapper. Well known for his freestyles and prolific mixtape output, Papoose has released four studio albums and 29 mixtapes since 1998.
D'Juan Montrel Hart, better known by his stage name Young Dro, is an American rapper. Best known for his association with fellow Atlanta-based rapper T.I., Dro signed with his label, Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records in 2004. His debut studio album, Best Thang Smokin' (2006), peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was led by the single "Shoulder Lean", which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. After several mixtapes, he released his second album High Times (2013), in a joint venture with Grand Hustle and independent distributor Entertainment One Music; its lead single, "FDB", peaked at number two on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
Donald Cannon is an American DJ, record producer, and record executive who served as Vice President of A&R at Def Jam Recordings from 2012 to 2018. With DJ Drama, he is the co-founder of the record label Generation Now, an imprint of Atlantic Records that has signed artists including Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow. Furthermore, Cannon and DJ Drama are members of the Atlanta-based mixtape collective, Aphilliates Music Group.
Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for having written or co-produced songs for artists in R&B and hip hop, often in tandem with production partner Tricky Stewart. Beginning with I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), he has been credited on each of American singer Beyoncé's subsequent albums.
Nostalgia, Ultra is the debut mixtape by American singer-songwriter 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 2009, 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 BMW E30 M3, Ocean's "dream car", in plain sight amidst lush greenery.
"Novacane" is the debut solo single by American singer Frank Ocean. It was released as the lead single from his mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra. The song was written by Ocean, Tricky Stewart and Victor Alexander, and produced by Stewart. Lyrically, the song narrates a young female dental student who makes a living doing porn and who recreationally uses local anesthetic drugs which she acquires from her place of study. The song explores themes of isolation, loneliness and a lack of feeling caused by numbness. The song received highly positive reviews from music critics and was listed as one of the best songs of the year by publications such as The New York Times, Spin, Ology, Zimbio and Pitchfork. Reviews praised the dark subject matter of the song, and praised Ocean's ability to create narratives and the sonic atmosphere of the track. The cover for Novacane is similar to the Roxy Music album Stranded.
Markese Money Rolle, known professionally as SpaceGhostPurrp, is an American rapper and producer from Miami, Florida. He is the founder of the now-defunct American hip hop group Raider Klan, as well as a co-founder of the Black Money Boys.
Alejandra Ghersi Rodríguez, known professionally as Arca, is a Venezuelan musician and record producer based in Barcelona, Spain. She initially began releasing music under the name of Nuuro. After attending the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Ghersi first released the EP Baron Libre (2012) under the name Arca and subsequently released the EPs Stretch 1 and Stretch 2; the latter experimented with hip hop and brought her attention from prominent music publications.
August Anthony Alsina Jr. is an American hip hop and R&B singer. He released his first mixtape The Product in 2012, which was followed by The Product 2 the following year; he signed with The-Dream's Radio Killa Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings to release his debut commercial extended play (EP), Downtown: Life Under the Gun (2013). The EP marked his first entry on the Billboard 200 and was preceded by his debut single "I Luv This Shit", which peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2014 follow-up single, "No Love (Remix)" was met with similar commercial success, likewise receiving double platinum certification.
Kelela Mizanekristos is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023.
Cut 4 Me is the debut mixtape by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 1, 2013, by Fade to Mind for free download on SoundCloud. Seeking to make the mixtape sound like a remix album, Kelela sang over instrumental tracks by producers from the Fade to Mind and Night Slugs record labels, whose sound has been described as "one of the most distinctive sounds in UK dance music, a mutable hybrid of grime, house, electro, R&B, techno, hip hop, and dubstep."
Richard Welton Morales Jr., better known by his stage name Gunplay, is an American rapper from Carol City, Florida. He is best known for his association with fellow Florida-based rapper Rick Ross, with whom he formed the hip hop group Triple C's in 2005, along with rappers Torch and Young Breed. Following their debut album, Custom Cars & Cycles (2009), Morales signed a solo recording contract with Ross' Maybach Music Group, which entered a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings in July 2012. His debut studio album, Living Legend (2015), narrowly entered the Billboard 200 and served as his only release on a major label.
DonChristian Jones, also known as DonChristian, is a New York-based is a multi-media, artist, musician, and director. His work spans musical and visual performances, installations, and community murals, blending both genres of painting and hip-hop and referencing classical and contemporary styles. Jones is a founding member and creative director of Public Assistants, a design and production lab focused on mutual aid, programming, and worldbuilding nestled in between Bed-Stuy and Bushwick, Brooklyn.
Classical Curves is the debut studio album by British producer Jam City. It was released on 28 May 2012 by Night Slugs. It received critical praise, and has since been acclaimed as an influential release in UK dance music by publications such as The Quietus and Fact.
Dream a Garden is the second studio album by British producer Jam City. It was released on 24 March 2015 by Night Slugs to positive reviews.
Hallucinogen is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 9, 2015, by Warp Records and Cherry Coffee Music.
Take Me Apart is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Warp. Combining electronic music and R&B, the album was noted for its futuristic sound and its incorporation of various musical styles. Kelela worked on the album for four years with producers she had previously collaborated with on her previous releases, Cut 4 Me (2013) and Hallucinogen (2015).
"LMK" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on August 1, 2017 through Warp Records as the lead single from her debut studio album, Take Me Apart (2017).
