Kafani | |
---|---|
Birth name | Amir Rashad [1] |
Born | Oakland, California | January 1, 1980
Genres | Hip hop, west coast hip hop, hyphy |
Occupation | Rapper |
Years active | 2007 - present |
Labels | Ice King Music, Big Cat Records, Sumo Productions, Thizz Nation, E1 Music |
Amir Rashad, (born April 21, 1980) better known by his stage name Kafani, is an American rapper from the Funktown section of San Antonio, Oakland, California. He graduated from Oakland High School in 1998 where he played varsity baseball for the Wildcats.[ citation needed ] He is one half of the Oakland-based rap group Babyface Assassins. [2] He is also signed to Thizz Nation,[ citation needed ] a subdivision of the late Mac Dre's label Thizz Entertainment.
In February 2008, he was arrested on weapons and drug charges following a high speed car chase. [3]
On August 26, 2011, rumors were that Kafani started a feud with Lil B when he told the rapper in a YouTube video "When I come off house arrest I'm gonna embarrass your bitch ass." [4] However Kafani denied this and police investigators never found evidence of foul play by either party.
In November 2011, the son of Kafani's cousin, a one-year-old boy named Hiram Lawrence, was fatally shot, the victim of a random shooting in West Oakland. [5] Initial reports indicated a crowd was present at the filming of a music video for the Oakland-based rapper. Kafani said the crowd had gathered outside the liquor store to film a music video, but that he was not involved, nor present, during the filming.
On September 28, 2013, Kafani was shot several times in East Oakland after shooting a music video. [2] [6] [7] He was permanently paralyzed from the waist down. [8] On October 18, 2013, he spoke for the first time since the shooting, in which he said "Took 5 shots they say I might not walk again but I'm on God's team so I know I'm going to win.". [9] Kafani has launched a crowdfunding campaign with a concert on Sept 12, 2014 to acquire an assistive robotic device to walk again [10]
On September 13,2022, Kafani was sentenced to 7 years (87 months) in elaborate fraud involving mortgages and gold bars. [11]
Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
2008 | "Cocky" | Philthy Rich, Peanut | Slap House, Vol. 4 |
"East Oakland" | Yukmouth, Bart, The Delinquents, Dru Down, Tuffy the Goon, Richie Rich, Tajai, The Team, Beeda Weeda | Million Dollar Mouthpiece | |
2010 | "Take a Shot (Live By Night)" | Laroo T.H.H., Raw Smooth | Live By Night |
"Da Town" (Remix) | Yukmouth, Richie Rich, Beeda Weeda, London, Agerman, Shady Nate, Lee Majors, G-Stack | Free at Last | |
"Spontaneous" | Big Rich, Laroo T.H.H., P-Child | Built to Last | |
2011 | "Packs on Deck" | Philthy Rich, Hi Rolla | Loyalty B4 Royalty 3: Just for the N****s |
"I'm Just Gettin' Money" | Philthy Rich | ||
"Fresh on the Block" | J. Stalin, Young Doe | Diesel Therapy | |
"They Mad That I'm Icy" | Messy Marv, Philthy Rich, Guce | Neighborhood Supastar Pt. 3 | |
"All In One Night" | Rodney G | Sex Drive | |
2012 | "Touchdown Dance" | Prank, Smoovie Baby | MMXII |
"Who We Are" | Laroo T.H.H., Kali Kash | Take the Stage | |
"Came to Party" | Jinxshame, Rayven Justice | Cosmonauts | |
"Don't Trip" | Laroo T.H.H., Turf Talk, P Child | Block Ops | |
"Yesterday" | Traxamillion, Clyde Carson, Laroo T.H.H., Yukmouth, Balance | My Radio | |
"Balla" | Stevie Joe, Philthy Rich | The Tonite Show with Stevie Joe | |
2013 | "Betta Chick" (Remix) | Nova Boy, Erk tha Jerk | The New Capitol |
2014 | "Gotta Get Mine" | Chop Black, Stevie Joe | Mercenary Mixtape Vol. 3 |
Nivea B. Hamilton, better known by her mononym Nivea, is an American R&B singer. She is notably known for her Grammy-nominated hit "Don't Mess with My Man" as well as "Laundromat" and "Okay" featuring YoungbloodZ & Lil' Jon. She has released three studio albums: her self-titled debut (2001), followed up by Complicated (2005), Animalistic (2006), and an independently released extended play Nivea: Undercover (2011). In 2019, she released her album Mirrors, including the single, "Circles".
Earl Stevens, better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. Stevens is a founding member of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with mainstream rappers outside the San Francisco Bay Area. He rose to higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go", which was produced by Lil Jon.
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., known professionally by the stage names T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is credited as one the pioneers of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgia-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He first became acquainted with local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather, and joined his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment by the late 1990s. He was led to sign a major-label record deal with its parent company LaFace Records, an imprint of Arista Records in 1999. His debut studio album, I'm Serious (2001), was met with lukewarm critical and commercial reception, becoming his only release with the label. He then signed with Atlantic Records, where he soon reached his mainstream breakthrough and co-founded his own label imprint, Grand Hustle Records by 2003.
Joseph Guillermo Jones II, better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and record executive. He is a founding member of the hip hop collective the Diplomats, which he formed in 1997 with fellow Harlem native Cam'ron.
Andre Louis Hicks, known by his stage name Mac Dre, was an American rapper from Vallejo, California. He was an instrumental figure in the emergence of hyphy, a cultural movement in the Bay Area hip hop scene that emerged in the early 2000s. Hicks is considered one of the movement's key pioneers that fueled its popularity into mainstream, releasing songs with fast-paced rhymes and basslines that inspired a new style of dance. As the founder of the independent record label Thizz Entertainment, Hicks recorded dozens of albums and gave aspiring rappers an outlet to release albums locally.
Charles Kente Williams, better known by his stage name Keak da Sneak, is an American rapper from Oakland, California. He is known for his gravelly voice, for coining the term hyphy in 1994, and for his contributions to the hyphy movement.
The term hyphy is an Oakland, California slang meaning "hyperactive". More specifically, it is an adjective describing the hip hop music and the culture associated with the Oakland area. The term was first coined by Oakland rapper Keak da Sneak.
Stanley Petey Cox, better known by his stage name Mistah F.A.B., is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, community organizer and activist.
Christian J. Ward, known professionally as Hitmaka, is an American record producer and former rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Ward was the first artist to sign with American rapper DMX's vanity label Bloodline Records in 2001, at the age of 14. Six years later, he signed with Epic Records and adopted the stage name Yung Berg. His 2007 debut single, "Sexy Lady" peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, while his guest appearance on Ray J's single, "Sexy Can I" and Ward's own follow-up single, "The Business" peaked at numbers three and 33 on the chart, respectively, the following year; all three of which preceded the release of his debut studio album, Look What You Made Me (2008). Despite generally unfavorable critical reception, it peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200. After releasing a number of follow-up mixtapes and singles that failed to chart, he shifted focus away from recording in favor of a career in music production by 2014.
Lawrence Carl Demetrious White, better known by his stage name 40 Glocc, is an American rapper.
"Forever" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, and American rappers Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Written alongside producer Boi-1da, the song was originally released on August 27, 2009, as the third single from the soundtrack to LeBron James's More than a Game documentary, and was placed on the Refill re-release of Eminem's album Relapse (2009).
Brandon Christopher McCartney, professionally known as Lil B and as his alter ego the BasedGod, is an American rapper. He has recorded both solo and with Bay Area group The Pack. His solo work spans several genres, including hip hop, new age, jazz, indie rock and choral music. He describes his work as "based", a term which denotes a lifestyle of positivity and boldness; and is noted for his extensive use of social media to build an online cult following.
Gerald Earl Gillum, better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper, record producer and actor. Based in Oakland, California, he began his career in 2006 and released two independent studio albums until signing with RCA Records to release his third album and major label debut, These Things Happen (2014). It peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 and spawned the single "I Mean It", which received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Phillip Anthony Beasley, known professionally as Philthy Rich is an American rapper and convicted felon from Oakland, California.
"Ball" is a song by American rapper T.I., released on October 16, 2012, as the second official single from his eighth studio album Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head (2012). The song features a guest appearance from fellow American rapper Lil Wayne, as well as production and uncredited vocals from American record producer Rico Love. In 2013, the song was included on the soundtrack to the film Fast & Furious 6.
"Freedom" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj. It was released on November 2, 2012 by Young Money, Cash Money and Universal Republic as the second single from the reissue of Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded – The Re-Up (2012). It was written by Minaj, Matthew Burnett, and Matthew Samuels. Production was helmed by Samuels under his stage name Boi-1da. The song was released for digital download by Cash Money Records in the US and Canada on November 2, 2012 and in other countries on November 6, 2012. It was serviced to US urban radio on November 27 and to mainstream radio in the United Kingdom the following day. "Freedom" is a downtempo hip hop and R&B song that features a "sonically breezy" soundscape, complied with ambient riffs, pop-inspired synths, and soft pop choruses.
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer and convicted felon. First discovered by Sean Kingston, he received initial recognition for his mixtape Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story, released in August 2013. In 2015, Lanez signed with record producer Benny Blanco's Mad Love Records, an imprint of Interscope Records.
Durk Devontay Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a preeminent artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, Banks has been cited as one of its pioneers. He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.
Tione Jayden Merritt, known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2017 single "Resume", and signed with Columbia Records following the success of his 2018 single "Brothers", which received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His guest appearance on Polo G's 2019 single, "Pop Out" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100—peaking at number 11—while his own single, "F.N" became his first to do so as a lead artist. Each preceded the release of his debut studio album, True 2 Myself (2019), which peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2020.
After the shooting the Babyface Assassins co-founder was put in a medically induced coma