Lonnie Corant Jaman Shuka Rashid Lynn, better known by his stage name Common, is an American rapper, actor, writer, philanthropist, and activist. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained an underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians.
Three 6 Mafia is an American hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground rap group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album Mystic Stylez would go on to become an influential cult classic. They have released music on independent labels such as Prophet Entertainment and their own Hypnotize Minds label, as well as Relativity, Loud, and Columbia Records.
Jordan Michael Houston, known professionally as Juicy J, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee. He is a founding member of the Southern hip hop group Three 6 Mafia, established in 1991. In 2002, he released his solo debut album Chronicles of the Juice Man, in between Three 6 Mafia projects. In 2011, Juicy J announced that he was a part-owner and A&R rep for Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records, and the following year, he signed a solo deal with Columbia Records and Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records. Juicy J released Stay Trippy, his third studio album under the aforementioned labels on August 27, 2013. He is the younger brother of frequent collaborator and fellow rapper Project Pat.
Anthony Cruz, better known by his stage name AZ, is an American rapper from East New York, Brooklyn, New York. He is known for being a longtime and frequent music partner of Nas and also a member of hip hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature. In a countdown of the 10 Most Underappreciated Rappers—Most Underrated Rappers of All Time, the editors of About.com listed AZ as #1 on the list. He was also included on About.com's list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), where he was described as "arguably the most underrated lyricist ever."
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label founded by rapper/entrepreneur Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1995. It was operated as a division of Def Jam Recordings.
WHPK is an American radio station based in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago, established in 1968. The station is owned by the University of Chicago, and operated by volunteer students and community members. WHPK's station manager and program director are elected by the station's student members and must be students themselves. The station's broadcast engineer is paid by the university.
Kasseem Dean, known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American DJ, record producer, art collector, and entrepreneur from New York City. Born and raised in The Bronx, Dean began his musical career as a disc jockey (DJ). At the age of 18, he gained recognition in the hip hop industry through his friendship and work with East Coast rapper DMX and his family's Ruff Ryders Entertainment record label. Dean later found a protégé in Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, whose success helped the launch of his own label imprint, Full Surface Records in 1999. He went on to sign multiple artists to the label, including Eve, Mashonda, and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Dean also released two albums under the label; the first was a compilation, titled Swizz Beatz Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories, released in 2002, and later his debut studio album, One Man Band Man in 2007. In November 2018, Dean released his second studio album, Poison, featuring collaborations with multiple hip hop artists.
Ernest Dion Wilson, professionally known as No I.D., formerly Immenslope, is an American hip hop and R&B music producer from Chicago, Illinois. Wilson is also a disc jockey (DJ), music arranger and rapper, having released an album in 1997, titled Accept Your Own and Be Yourself , under Relativity Records. He is perhaps best known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper Common. He has since become a heavily sought-out and high-profile producer, producing hit singles such as "Smile" by G-Unit, "Outta My System" and "Let Me Hold You" by Bow Wow, "Heartless" by Kanye West, "D.O.A." by Jay-Z and "My Last" by Big Sean.
The hip hop scene in Chicago, Illinois, has produced many artists of various styles. Famous rappers in Chicago include Twista, Lupe Fiasco, SEVENSIXX, Bump J, Rhymefest, Chief Keef, Cupcakke,Chance the Rapper, Lil Durk, King Louis, Da Brat, Qualo (group), Shawnna, Kanye West, Noname, Fredo Santana, LA Capone, Rondonumbanine, 600Breezy, Young Pappy, Calboy, Common, G Herbo, Lil Bibby, Crucial Conflict, Do or Die, Open Mike Eagle, Jeremih, Juice WRLD, Psychodrama, Juice, Saba, Lud Foe, Smino, Lil Zay Osama, Polo G, and Juice Wrld.
Midwest hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music performed by artists from the Midwestern United States. In contrast with its East Coast, West Coast and Southern counterparts, Midwest hip hop has very few constants in style or production.
Grand Hustle Records, also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an Atlanta, Georgia-based hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American hip hop recording artist T.I. and his business partner Jason Geter. Up until December 2012, the label was distributed by Atlantic Records. It currently operates as an independent record label. The label is home to artists such as B.o.B, Young Dro, Travis Scott and Trae tha Truth, the latter of whom also serves as the label's vice president. The label also houses a roster of record producers, including DJ Toomp, Lil' C, Mars, Nard & B, TrackSlayerz and more.
Aldrin Davis, professionally known as DJ Toomp, is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ. DJ Toomp received his start in 1985, with Atlanta MC Raheem the Dream, producing Raheem’s self-titled record when he was only 16 years old. In the late 1980s, he was MC Shy-D's DJ and toured with him and the 2 Live Crew, as they performed at various venues across the country with other hip hop acts such as N.W.A. and Ice-T. After MC Shy-D left Luke Records, Toomp went on to DJ for JT Money and the Poison Clan. When the 2 Live Crew broke up he worked on an album with former group member Brother Marquis, called Indecent Exposure, under the moniker 2 Nazty; the cover billed him as a member of the Poison Clan. In 2006, Toomp partnered with hip hop veteran Bernard Parks, Jr., to launch NZone Entertainment, their very own record label.
DeVon “Devo” Harris, also known as Devo Springsteen, is an entrepreneur and Grammy Award-winning producer and songwriter. Harris launched the career of EGOT winner John Legend by signing him to Kanye West’s GOOD Music in 2003. Harris produced and co-wrote many songs from Legend's first albums as well as songs for Nas, Britney Spears, Aretha Franklin, Ol' Dirty Bastard, The Last Poets and more in addition to DJing around the world. Devo won the Best Rap Song Grammy in 2006 for his production of "Diamonds " with Kanye West and Jay-Z. After earning his MBA from Columbia Business School in 2011, Devo turned to technology where he became an award-winning media entrepreneur and inventor.
"Big Brother" is a song by American hip-hop artist Kanye West. It was released on his 2007 studio album, Graduation. The song was produced by Atlanta record producer DJ Toomp. "Big Brother" is a tribute by Kanye dedicated to Jay-Z, containing lyrics that discuss the ups and downs of their friendship. The song received very positive reviews from music critics, who praised West's lyricism and storytelling ability. Though not released as a single, "Big Brother" managed to enter and peak at number nineteen on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.
Randy Ellis, better known as DJ Fokis "Bull Of Tha Industry" is a hip hop turntablist/producer and owner of PPEG a music/marketing consulting firm from Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Antoine 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 to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Epic Records. His song "Top of the World", from his debut studio album Gutta, was featured in the basketball simulation game, NBA 2K10. He has released four studio albums with his most successful being his last two albums, Blood, Sweat & Tears (2011) and Trials & Tribulations (2013). He is best known for the hit singles "Hustle Hard" and "Bugatti". In 2016, McColister announced his departure from We the Best Music.
"Go Hard" is the second single from DJ Khaled's third studio album, We Global. The track features American rappers Kanye West and T-Pain. They both used the auto-tune effect. The song is produced by The Runners and it samples Madonna's 1985 song "Angel". It first charted on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip Hop chart on September 9, 2008, debuting at #25, where it peaked at #15, and has started chart on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs debuting at #85 and then rising to #53 so far. It also debuted at #69 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same week the album We Global was released due to digital downloads, also at #19 on the Hot Rap Tracks.
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop or rap music, is a genre of popular music developed in the United States by inner-city African Americans and Latino Americans in the Bronx borough of New York City in the 1970s. It consists of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, and rhythmic beatboxing. While often used to refer solely to rapping, "hip hop" more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. The term hip hop music is sometimes used synonymously with the term rap music, though rapping is not a required component of hip hop music; the genre may also incorporate other elements of hip hop culture, including DJing, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks.
"Rap Song" is a song by R&B singer T-Pain. The song features rapper Rick Ross and originally served as a single off T-Pain's fourth studio album RevolveЯ, but never made it on the track list.
Anthony Johnson better known by his stage name Slim The Mobster is a Los Angeles-based rapper signed to Gang Module Records and formerly Aftermath Entertainment. Slim The Mobster was known as Dr. Dre's new protégé. Johnson's manager is John Monopoly, who ushered in Kanye West's rapping career. His influence includes gangsta rap acts like The D.O.C and The Notorious B.I.G. He took his rap name from notorious pimp Fillmore Slim and from being in the trap having the mindset of a Mobster.
