Kris Kross were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith, formed by record producer Jermaine Dupri. They were the youngest hip-hop group to gain commercial success, with several charting releases by the ages of 12 and 13 years old, respectively. Smith and Kelly were discovered by Dupri in 1991, to whom they signed as the first act on the record label So So Def Recordings, and saw national recognition the following year with their 1992 debut single, "Jump", which remained atop the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They went on to release three studio albums; their debut, Totally Krossed Out (1992) peaked atop the US Billboard 200, while their second and third, Da Bomb (1993) and Young, Rich & Dangerous (1996), both entered the top 20. The duo were also noted for their signature fashion style of backwards-clad attire. Kelly died of a drug overdose on May 1, 2013.
David Marvin Blake, better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and record producer from Compton, California, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Tupac, Chingy, R. Kelly and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. As a recording artist himself, he is perhaps best known for his 1991 single "Tonite", which within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Blake's stage name refers to his ability of producing songs in a short period of time.
Kejuan Waliek Muchita, better known by his stage name Havoc, is an American rapper and record producer. He was one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep with Prodigy.
The Juice Crew was an American hip hop collective made up largely of Queensbridge, New York–based artists in the mid-to-late 1980s. Founded by radio DJ Mr. Magic, and housed by Tyrone Williams' record label Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew helped introduce New School artists MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Masta Ace, Tragedy, Craig G and Kool G Rap. The crew produced many answer records and engaged with numerous "beefs" – primarily with rival radio jock Kool DJ Red Alert and the South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, as well as the "posse cut", "The Symphony".
Tyler James Williams is an American actor and rapper. He began his career as a child actor, making several appearances on Saturday Night Live, Little Bill, and Sesame Street. Williams later rose to prominence for playing the role of Chris Rock on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris (2005–2009). Following this, he starred as songwriter Cyrus DeBarge in the Disney Channel film Let It Shine (2012), and Noah on the AMC drama television series The Walking Dead (2014–15).
Step Up is a 2006 American teen romantic dance drama film directed by Anne Fletcher from a screenplay by Duane Adler and Melissa Rosenberg and a story by Adler. The film stars Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, Mario, Drew Sidora, Damaine Radcliff, and Rachel Griffiths.
Brandon Mychal Smith is an American actor, singer, dancer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Bug Wendal in Gridiron Gang, Sam in You're the Worst, Li'l Danny Dawkins in Phil of the Future, Nico Harris in Sonny with a Chance and So Random!, Stubby in Starstruck, Lord of da Bling in Let It Shine, and Marcus in One Big Happy. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Tayshawn Mitchell in The Ron Clark Story (2006) and Little Richard in the 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up. He voices Michelangelo in the Nickelodeon animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Double Dragon is a Hip-Hop/R&B music production duo consisting of siblings Roy Chong and Elmo Chong also known as the "Funk Seoul Brothers".
Hannah Montana: The Movie is a 2009 American teen musical comedy drama film based on the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana. The film is produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Peter Chelsom and written by Dan Berendsen, the film stars series regulars Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Emily Osment, Moises Arias, Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles, as well as Lucas Till, Vanessa Williams, Margo Martindale and Melora Hardin. The film tells of how Miley Stewart's popularity and alternate celebrity persona begins to take over her life, so her father convinces her to take a trip to her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee to get some perspective on what matters most in life.
Paul Hoen is an American film director and producer. He is best known for his directorial work with Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, especially his direction of Disney Channel Original Movies. He has directed and produced projects such as The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008), Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010), Zombies (2018) and Zombies 2 (2020) and Zombies 3 (2022)
Bling-bling, often shortened to just bling, is "flashy jewelry worn especially as an indication of wealth or status; broadly: expensive and ostentatious possessions" such as grills and designer bags. The term arose as slang, but grew into a cultural mainstay. Prominent examples of bling-bling include a large cross necklace or Jesus piece.
"Hoedown Throwdown" is a song performed by recording artist Destiny Hope Cyrus. It was released as a promotional single on the iTunes Store from the soundtrack for Hannah Montana: The Movie on March 10, 2009. It was also pressed as a promotional single by EMI Records. A karaoke version is available in the soundtrack's karaoke series. "Hoedown Throwdown" is an instructional dance song with a hybrid of country and hip hop. The choreography was designed by Jamal Sims.
When rapping, MCs use braggadocio to boast—to speak about themselves with great pride. Braggadocio may include subjects such as physicality, fighting ability, financial riches, sexual prowess, or "coolness". Often heavily used in battle rap, braggadocio lyrics can range from just saying, "I'm the best MC ever," to using elaborate phraseology and wit.
Year of the Dragon is the ninth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Busta Rhymes, it was released by Google Play as a free release on August 21, 2012. The album features guest appearances from Anthony Hamilton, Cam'ron, Robin Thicke, Maino, Vybz Kartel, J-Doe, Reek da Villian, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Trey Songz and Lil Wayne.
Christopher Lynn Moore, better known by his stage name Lil Twist, is an American rapper from Dallas, Texas. He signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment, an imprint of Republic Records in 2010.
Comedy hip hop or comedy rap is a subgenre of hip hop music designed to be amusing or comedic, compared to artists who incorporate humor into their more serious, purist hip hop styles.
Courtney Michaela Ann "Coco" Jones is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Born in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee, she began auditioning as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. She first appeared on the competition series Radio Disney's Next Big Thing (2010–11), which led to her being cast in other Disney properties such as the film Let It Shine (2012) and the sitcom Good Luck Charlie, where she appeared from 2012 to 2013.
Trevor Howard Lawrence Jackson is an American actor and singer. He is best known for portraying Aaron Jackson on Freeform series Grown-ish, Kevin Blake on Syfy series Eureka, Kris McDuffy on Disney Channel's television film Let It Shine, and Kevin LaCroix on American Crime. Other notable appearances include Broadway musical The Lion King, where he played the Young Simba, and television guest star roles on both Cold Case and Harry's Law. In 2012, he won the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series. In 2018, he starred in the crime drama Superfly.
The soundtrack of the film Let It Shine features 13 original songs and was released on June 12, 2012. The tracks were written by top songwriters and producers in the pop and R&B business.
What I Didn't Tell You is the fifth extended play by American singer and actress Coco Jones. It was released on November 4, 2022, by High Standardz and Def Jam Recordings, marking Jones' second major label release since 2013's Made Of. The EP features the singles "Caliber" and "ICU", the latter of which was her first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100, and won the award for Best R&B Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
