Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wayne's career began in 1995, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. From then on, he was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records before ending his association with the company in June 2018.
Lamont Coleman, known professionally as Big L, was an American rapper.
Katrina Laverne Taylor, known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s for her collaborations with Trick Daddy on the singles "Nann Nigga", "Shut Up", and "Take It to da House". In 2000, she released her debut album Da Baddest Bitch. Afterwards, she made an appearance on the remix of "One Minute Man" by Missy Elliott and Ludacris. In 2002, she released the Kanye West-produced single "B R Right" featuring Ludacris, from her sophomore album Diamond Princess (2002).
UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop, is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of R&B/Hip-Hop. British hip hop can also be referred to as Brit-hop, a term coined and popularised mainly by British Vogue magazine and the BBC. British hip hop was originally influenced by the dub/toasting introduced to the United Kingdom by Jamaican migrants in the 1950s–70s, who eventually developed uniquely influenced rapping in order to match the rhythm of the ever-increasing pace and aggression of Jamaican-influenced dub in the UK. Toasting and soundsystem cultures were also influential in genres outside of hip hop that still included rapping – such as grime, jungle, and UK garage.
Alan Daniel Maman, professionally known as the Alchemist, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and songwriter. He began his music career in 1991 in the hip hop duo the Whooliganz under the moniker Mudfoot, along with now-actor Scott Caan. He has produced music since the 1990s.
Joseph Anthony Budden II is an American media personality and retired rapper. He first gained recognition as a rapper with his 2003 top 40 single "Pump It Up" and as a member of the hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse. In 2018, he retired from rap, and found success as a broadcaster, having a much publicized run as a co-host on Everyday Struggle for Complex. He currently hosts The Joe Budden Podcast, released twice a week on Patreon and YouTube, and State of the Culture on Revolt. He has been described as "the Howard Stern of hip-hop".
Mario Sentell Giden Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper. In 1996, he released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020) and CM10: Free Game.
Iranian hip hop, also known as Persian hip hop, refers to hip hop music in the Persian language developed in Iran and the Iranian diaspora. It originated from American hip hop culture, but has developed into a distinct rap style that draws on Iranian cultural concepts and engages with the modern issues Iranians are facing today.
Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a form of political activism. Political hip-hop generally uses the medium of hip hop music to comment on sociopolitical issues and send political messages to inspire action, create social change, or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. It was inspired partially by politically-focused 1970s artists such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as the Black Power movement and revolutionary politics of the 1960s and 1970s. Various hip hop artists emerged in the 1980s espousing political messages and providing social and political commentary, with the American group Public Enemy in particular establishing themselves as one of the first predominantly political hip-hop groups. The genre has helped to create a new form of social expression for subordinate groups to speak about their exclusions, injustices and lack of power.
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer and record producer. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons was signed to Jim Jonsin's Rebel Rock Entertainment imprint in 2006. Two years later, Jonsin and Simmons signed a joint venture deal, with fellow rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, under the aegis of Atlantic Records. Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success, when his debut single "Nothin' on You", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2009, and earned a Grammy Award for Record of the Year nomination.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation. Born and raised in Compton, California, Lamar began his career as a teenager performing under the stage name K.Dot. He quickly garnered local attention which led to him signing a recording contract with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005.
Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson, known professionally as Tory Lanez, is a Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. He received initial recognition from the mixtape Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story, released in August 2013. In 2015, Tory Lanez signed to record producer Benny Blanco's Mad Love Records, an imprint of Interscope Records.
Willie Junior Maxwell II, better known by his stage name Fetty Wap, is an American rapper and singer. He rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2015. This helped Fetty Wap secure a record deal with 300 Entertainment. The single was followed up with two top 10 hits in the U.S., "679" and "My Way". All three songs were featured on Fetty Wap's eponymous debut album, released in September 2015, which peaked atop the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.
Nathan John Feuerstein, known by his initials NF, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released two EPs, I'm Free (2012), and a self-titled EP in 2014 with Capitol CMG. His first major-label album, Mansion, was released on March 31, 2015. His second studio album, Therapy Session, was released on April 22, 2016, and peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200. His albums have earned several accolades, some of which include: the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.
Symere Bysil Woods, better known as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape Luv Is Rage (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom they signed under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.
Safaree Lloyd Samuels is an American singer. Samuels started his musical career in the group the Hoodstars in the early 2000s alongside American rapper Nicki Minaj. Samuels is also known as a solo artist. In 2016, he joined the cast of the VH1 reality show, Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. In 2017, he moved back to his hometown of New York City and joined the Love & Hip Hop: New York cast.
Michael Lamar White IV, known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is a member of the SoundCloud rap scene. His debut mixtape, A Love Letter to You (2017), and its lead single, "Love Scars", propelled him to popularity.
Emo rap is a fusion genre of hip hop and emo music. Originating in the SoundCloud rap scene in the mid-2010s, the genre fuses characteristics of hip hop music, such as beats and rapping, with the lyrical themes, instrumentals, and vocals commonly found in emo music. Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, and Juice Wrld are some of the most notable musicians in the genre.
Omar Jeffery Pineiro, known professionally as Smokepurpp, is an American rapper. Originally a record producer, Pineiro later found success on the audio distribution platform SoundCloud in 2017 from his surge in popularity due to his track "Audi".
Nicholas Diego Leanos, better known as Lil Xan or simply Diego, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter from Redlands, California. He is best known for his song "Betrayed", which was certified platinum by the RIAA and peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. On April 6, 2018, Leanos released his debut studio album, Total Xanarchy.
