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. After gaining recognition with his regional hit song "Yes Sir", from his 2002 independent album I Got That Dro, Young Dro aligned himself with fellow Atlanta-based rapper T.I. and signed to his label, Grand Hustle, in 2004. Young Dro's debut Best Thang Smokin', was released in August 2006, under Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records. The album was preceded by his debut single "Shoulder Lean", which served as the album's lead single and proved to be a hit in the urban community and Billboard charts. After amassing an abundance of mixtapes, Young Dro released his second album High Times, 7 years later on October 15, 2013, under Grand Hustle, Atlantic and E1. It spawned the single "FDB", his highest charting single since "Shoulder Lean".
Donald Cannon is an American DJ, record producer, songwriter, and record executive. Cannon is a co-founder of the Atlantic Records imprint, Generation Now. He was also a member of the prominent Atlanta mixtape collective, Aphilliates Music Group, with his long-time collaborator and fellow Generation Now founder, DJ Drama. Over the course of his career, Cannon has produced tracks and albums for artists like Jeezy, Logic, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, 50 Cent, and numerous others. He also served as the Vice President of A&R at Def Jam Recordings.
Terius Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. Beginning his career in 1995, The-Dream is known for his songwriting on numerous hit records for prominent artists in R&B and hip hop, often in tandem with production partner Tricky Stewart.
Tyrone William Griffin Jr., known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign, is an American singer. He first gained recognition for his guest appearance on rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 as his first minor hit. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year.
"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.
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 singer-songwriter. 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.
Destiny Nicole Frasqueri, known professionally as Princess Nokia, is an American rapper and songwriter. She released her debut studio album, Metallic Butterfly, in 2014, followed by the 2015 mixtape Honeysuckle. As Princess Nokia, she rose to prominence for her 2017 studio album 1992 Deluxe. She released another mixtape, titled A Girl Cried Red, in 2018, followed by the release of two studio albums, Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful, in 2020.
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).
Arabella Latham, known professionally as Baby Queen, is a South African singer based in London. Born and raised in Durban, South Africa, she moved to London at 18 to pursue a career in music and signed a recording contract with Polydor Records in 2020.
