Dana Elaine Owens, known professionally as Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and producer. Born in Newark, New Jersey, she signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1989 and released her debut album All Hail the Queen on November 28, 1989, featuring the hit single Ladies First. Nature of a Sista' (1991) was her second and final album with Tommy Boy Records.
James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, author and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. With the breakthrough success of his hit single "I Need a Beat" and the Radio LP, LL Cool J became one of the first hip-hop acts to achieve mainstream success along with Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C.
Digable Planets is a Grammy award-winning hip hop trio formed in 1987, in Brooklyn, New York. The trio is composed of rappers Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mariana "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving. The group is notable for their contributions to the subgenres of classic hip hop and alternative hip hop.
Dark Lotus was an American hip hop group based in Detroit, Michigan. Formed in 1998, the group mainly consisted of Insane Clown Posse, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, and Twiztid.
G-Unit is an American hip hop group formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. After releasing a string of mixtapes in the early 2000s, including 50 Cent is the Future, God's Plan and No Mercy, No Fear, the group released their debut album Beg for Mercy in 2003, which went on to ship over 4,000,000 copies in the US and was certified Quadruple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album, which followed the critical and commercial success of 50 Cent's major-label debut Get Rich or Die Tryin', served as a platform for Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and Tony Yayo to release their respective solo debut albums; The Hunger for More (2004), Straight Outta Cashville (2004) and Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (2005). In 2008, the group released their second album T·O·S .
Jayceon Terrell Taylor, better known by his stage name The Game, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene and for being one of Dr. Dre's signees under Aftermath. Born in Compton, California, he released his first mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 1 in 2002; shortly after, he was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label. He rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his major-label debut album The Documentary and found continued success with the 2006 follow-up Doctor's Advocate. The Recording Industry Association of America certified The Documentary Double Platinum in March 2005.
Moses Barrett III, known by the stage name Petey Pablo, is an American rapper from Snow Hill, North Carolina.
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of rhythm and blues, pop, soul, funk, hip hop and electronic music.
Tony Simon, better known by his stage name Blockhead, is an American hip hop record producer and disc jockey from Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing tracks for Aesop Rock. He has been a member of the groups such as Party Fun Action Committee and The Mighty Jones.
La Bella Mafia is the third studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim. It was released on March 4, 2003, by Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over one million copies in the United States and over two million copies worldwide.
James Campbell, better known by his stage names Freddie Foxxx and Bumpy Knuckles, is an American rapper and music producer from Long Island, New York.
Mecca and the Soul Brother is the 1992 debut album from the Mount Vernon, New York hip-hop duo, Pete Rock & CL Smooth. The album contains their best known song, "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)". Mecca and the Soul Brother has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. The album was mostly produced by Pete Rock and executive produced by DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & the Boyz.
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper and actor from the Bronx, New York. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a solo career and set up his own label, Terror Squad, to which he signed Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, Cuban Link, Armageddon, Prospect, Triple Seis and DJ Khaled as well as discover producers Cool & Dre.
Ramon Ibanga, Jr., professionally known as Illmind, is a Filipino American record producer, songwriter, and educator. As of 2012, he lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Tyree Cinque Simmons, professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American DJ, record executive and music promoter originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the co-founder of Generation Now, an Atlantic Records imprint with artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Skeme, and Jack Harlow on the roster. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta rapper T.I. and as a prominent mixtape DJ with his series, Gangsta Grillz. Numerous artists have appeared on DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz tapes, including Lil Wayne, Fabolous, Ludacris, Jeezy, Gucci Mane, and many others. He was a co-founder of the Atlanta-based DJ and artist collective known as the Aphilliates. Drama has also released 5 studio albums, including, most recently, Quality Street Music 2 in 2016.
Kevin Martin is a musician, record producer and journalist, often known under his recording alias The Bug from England, UK. Martin moved from Weymouth to London around 1990 and is now currently based in Berlin, Germany. He has been active for over two decades, in the genres of dub, jazzcore, industrial hip hop, dancehall, and dubstep.
Courtney Smith, professionally known by his stage name C-Note, an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was formerly a member of the Botany Boyz, part of the Screwed Up Click scene first started by DJ Screw.
Authentic is the thirteenth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J. The album was released on April 30, 2013, by S-BRO Music Group, 429 Records. It is his first album since 2008's Exit 13 and his first to not be released on Def Jam. The album features guest appearances from Fitz and The Tantrums, Eddie Van Halen, Snoop Dogg, Fatman Scoop, Seal, Charlie Wilson, Melody Thornton, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bootsy Collins, Travis Barker, Chuck D, Tom Morello, Z-Trip, Mickey Shiloh, Monica and Brad Paisley.
Poor People's Day is a studio album by American hip hop musician Bigg Jus, a former member of Company Flow. It was released on Mush Records in 2005. The album is entirely produced by DJ Gman.
