Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, is a subgenre of rap music that conveys the culture and values typical of urban gangs, reality of the world and street hustlers. Emerging in the late 1980s, gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles, later expanding in California with artists such as N.W.A and Tupac Shakur. In 1992, via record producer and rapper Dr. Dre, rapper Snoop Dogg, and their G-funk sound, gangster rap broadened to mainstream popularity.
Shad Gregory Moss, better known by his stage name Bow Wow, is an American rapper and actor. His career began upon being discovered by rapper Snoop Dogg in 1993 at the age of six; five years later, he signed with record producer Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings, an imprint of Columbia Records. As Lil' Bow Wow, he released his debut studio album, Beware of Dog (2000) at age 13, and his second album, Doggy Bag (2001) the following year. Both met with critical and commercial success, the albums peaked at numbers ten and 11 on the Billboard 200, respectively.
Percy Robert Miller Sr., better known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record producer, record executive, actor and entrepreneur. He founded the record label No Limit Records in 1991, which was relaunched into the spin-off labels New No Limit Records and No Limit Forever Records. Miller gained fame in the mid-1990s as the lead member and founder of the label's hip hop group TRU, as well as his fifth solo album Ice Cream Man (1996) and its namesake lead single. His 1997 single, "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the early to-mid 1990s with the birth of G-funk and the emergence of record labels such as Suge Knight and Dr. Dre's Death Row Records, Ice Cube's Lench Mob Records, the continued success of Eazy-E's Ruthless Records, Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, and others.
Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, on Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. A double album, it was released sixteen days after his murder. It features collaborations with guest artists such as 112, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Angela Winbush, D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., R. Kelly, the Lox, and Puff Daddy. Life After Death exhibits the Notorious B.I.G. further delving into the mafioso rap subgenre. The album is a sequel to his first album, Ready to Die, and picks up where the last song, "Suicidal Thoughts", ends.
Todd Anthony Shaw, better known by his stage name Too Short, is an American rapper. A pioneer of West Coast hip hop, Shaw was among the first acts to receive recognition in the genre during the late 1980s. His lyrics were often based on pimping and promiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival; exemplified respectively in his most popular singles "Blow the Whistle" and "The Ghetto." He is one of few acts to have worked with both Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. during the height of their respective careers.
Percy Romeo Miller Jr., also known by his stage name Romeo, is an American rapper, actor, and television personality. He gained fame as a rapper in the early 2000s after signing with his father, Master P's record label No Limit Records. His 2001 debut single, "My Baby" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded his debut studio album Lil' Romeo, which peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200.
Cash Money Records is an American record label founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald "Slim" Williams and Bryan "Baby" Williams. The label gained prominence in the late 1990s for having signed and released albums for New Orleans-based musical acts including Lil Wayne, Juvenile, B.G., and Hot Boys. It became an imprint of Universal Records, a division of Universal Music Group in March 1998, and remained so during its following iterations as Universal Republic, Universal Motown and ultimately Republic Records.
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He 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.
Loud Records, LLC. is a record label founded by Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson in 1991. Rifkind served as the chief executive officer while Isaacson served as the president of the label.
Disturbing Tha Peace Records is an American record label founded by Jeff Dixon, Chaka Zulu, and Ludacris in 1998.
M.O.P. is an American hip hop duo composed of rappers Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, best known for their biggest hit in the year 2000 with the song "Ante Up". The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premier and is part of the Gang Starr Foundation. Fame sometimes produces under the moniker Fizzy Womack, and has produced tracks on every M.O.P. release since 1996's Firing Squad. He has also worked for other artists including Kool G Rap and Wu-Tang Clan.
Lloyd Polite Jr. is an American R&B singer. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised in Decatur, Georgia, he began his musical career as a member of the preteen-boy band N-Toon, which was formed by Joyce Irby in 1996. The group disbanded in 2001, and Polite signed with record executive Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2003 to pursue a solo career. His 2004 debut single, "Southside" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and led his debut studio album of the same name (2004), which entered the Billboard 200 at number 11. His second album, Street Love (2007) debuted at number two on the chart and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 singles "You" and "Get It Shawty".
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.
Zane Copeland, Jr., better known as Lil' Zane or simply Zane, is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for his single "Callin' Me" from his debut studio album Young World: The Future (2000).
Brandt Jones, better known by his stage name B-Legit, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California.
Funk Mobb was an American, short-lived rap group composed of Bay Area rappers, K-1, G-Note and Mac Shawn who were signed by Sick Wid It and Jive Records. They were active from 1994 to 1998, first appearing on Little Bruce's debut album, XXXtra Mannish and then releasing their one and only album in 1996, It Ain't 4 Play. It peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 28 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers. After the album the group would disband with Mac Shawn releasing two albums, 1997's Music fo' the Mobb and 2001's Worldwide Bosses and Playas and even joining Death Row Records for a short while. In 1999 G-Note joined No Limit Records and changed his name to Lil Italy. There he released his debut solo album, On Top of da World.
This is the discography of American rapper and actor Romeo Miller, formerly known as Lil' Romeo, Romeo, or Maserati Rome. It consists of three studio albums, one independent album, three soundtracks, five Extended plays, five mixtapes, thirteen singles, two compilation albums, four collaboration albums, and twenty-two music videos. His music has been released on No Limit Records, Soulja Music Entertainment, The New No Limit, Priority Records, Universal Records, Koch Records, UrbanDigital Records, GoDigital Music Group & LPD Music along with his former record labels Guttar Music, Take A Stand, The Next Generation Entertainment and his current label No Limit Forever.
Da Next Level is the second album by the American rapper Mr. Serv-On. It was released on February 16, 1999, as planned, through No Limit Records and Priority Records. It was produced entirely by the label's in-house production team, Beats By the Pound. It was the rapper's last album on No Limit Records.
Little Bruce, is an American rapper from Vallejo, California, best known for this 1994 debut album released on Sick Wid It, now known as Heavy on the Grind Entertainment, and Jive Records, XXXtra Manish.
