We The Best Music Group is an American record label founded by DJ Khaled. Previously We The Best operated as an imprint of IDJMG's division Def Jam South, and afterward as an imprint of the Universal Records division Cash Money Records. As of November 2018 until January 2023, We The Best Music Group operated as an imprint of Epic Records. As of February 9, 2023, We The Best currently operates as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. Current artists signed to We the Best include Khaled, Mavado, Steph Lecor, Kent Jones, Flipp Dinero, and Vado among others. In February 2023, DJ Khaled Announced that We The Best would be starting a partnership with Def Jam Recordings.
Drew "Dru Ha" Friedman is an American music and marketing executive based in New York City. Friedman is Co-Founder and CEO of Duck Down Music Inc., 3D Consulting & Distribution, General Manager for Cinematic Music Group, and former Director of Urban Music at Cornerstone Promotion. Born and raised in White Plains, New York, he is a graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications where he studied advertising.
Christopher Darnell Cook, professionally known as Sonaro, is an American music producer from Far Rockaway, New York. He is perhaps best known for producing songs for Brooklyn-bred rapper Fabolous. He has also produced for several other rappers, such as French Montana, Jeezy, Jadakiss, Styles P, Flipp Dinero, Lloyd Banks, Paul Cain, Prodigy, Jim Jones, and Meek Mill.
Cinematic Music Group is an American record label, management, publishing & touring company distributed by Geffen Records founded in 2007 by Jonny Shipes. Their roster as of 2020 consists of Joey Bada$$, Pro Era, T-Pain, Smoke DZA, Va$htie, Mick Jenkins, G Herbo, Caveman, Public Access TV, Flipp Dinero, and others.
Jonny Shipes is an American music entrepreneur and producer. Credited with discovering Nipsey Hussle, Joey Bada$$, Sean Kingston, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and Druski, he is the founder and CEO of GoodTalk, an independent record label, artist management, merchandise and music publishing company, and the successor to his earlier company Cinematic Music Group.
American singer Teyana Taylor has released three studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, and fifteen singles. In 2009, Taylor released her first mixtape, From a Planet Called Harlem, which included her debut single "Google Me". It debuted at its peak of number ninety on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Around this time, Taylor featured on songs with the likes of Trey Songz, Missy Elliott, and Kanye West. Taylor has spoken about her inspiration from fellow female musician Lauryn Hill, which was noted with the release of her second mixtape in 2012. The mixtape, entitled The Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor, takes its name from Hill's album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Twenty88 is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Twenty88. It was released on April 1, 2016, by Def Jam Recordings with licensing to GOOD Music and ARTium Recordings. The album features guest appearances from the R&B group K-Ci & JoJo, and recording artist and producer Detail. This project includes production from Detail, KeY Wane, Tommy Brown, Sidney Swift, Cam O'bi, Steve Lacy, Flippa and Jproof. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.
Rap or Go to the League is the fifth studio album by American rapper 2 Chainz. It was released on March 1, 2019, through Gamebread and Def Jam Recordings. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers, including 9th Wonder, Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Mike Dean, Mustard, Pharrell Williams, Terrace Martin, and WondaGurl, among others. LeBron James also served as executive producer. The album features guest appearances by Young Thug, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Wayne, Kodak Black and others.
Reckless is the debut studio album by Canadian rapper Nav. It was released on May 18, 2018 by XO Records and Republic Records. The album features guest appearances from Quavo, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and Gunna. It features production from Nav himself, Wheezy, Ben Billions, Rex Kudo, Charlie Handsome, Foreign Teck, OZ, and Turbo, among others.
Everything Is Love is the debut studio album by American musical duo the Carters, consisting of spouses Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. It was released on June 16, 2018, by Parkwood Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, S.C Enterprises, and Roc Nation. Beyoncé and Jay-Z produced the album alongside a variety of collaborators, including Cool & Dre, Boi-1da, and Pharrell Williams. Additional vocalists recorded for the album include Williams, Quavo, Offset, and Ty Dolla Sign, among others. The hip hop and R&B album explores themes of romantic love, fame, wealth, and black pride.
Love Me Now? is the third studio album by Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. It was released on October 26, 2018, through Mad Love Records and Interscope Records. This is the follow-up release to his second album Memories Don't Die which was released seven months prior. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Foreign Teck, OZ, Smash David, Cassius Jay, CashMoneyAP and NES among others. The album also features guest appearances by Chris Brown, 2 Chainz, Meek Mill, Rich the Kid, Lil Baby, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Trippie Redd, Nav, Gunna and Bryson Tiller among others.
"Leave Me Alone" is a song by American rapper Flipp Dinero. It was released as a single on September 4, 2018. The song was produced by Young Forever Beats and Cast Beats. The song received a boost from Odell Beckham Jr. dancing in an Instagram video. It was then featured in NBA Live 19, released in 2018. The song soon started to gain traction in September 2018 when it became the most added song on rhythmic radio on the week of September 11, 2018. It was named one of the five hip hop singles to watch of fall 2018 by Forbes.
Christopher Saint Victor, better known by his stage name Flipp Dinero, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his 2018 single "Leave Me Alone", which is certified 4× platinum by the RIAA, and has since received over 600 million plays on Spotify. Being from Brooklyn, New York, he was later able to connect with another Brooklyn, New York rapper, Joey Badass who later co-signed him along with the record labels Cinematic Music Group, Epic Records, and We the Best Music group.
Dying to Live is the second studio album by American rapper Kodak Black. It was released on December 14, 2018, via Atlantic Records. It follows his Heart Break Kodak mixtape, released earlier in 2018, as well as his previous mixtape, Project Baby 2: All Grown Up, the deluxe edition of his mixtape Project Baby 2, released in 2017. The album features guest appearances from Lil Pump, Travis Scott, Offset and Juice Wrld.
Street Gossip is a commercial mixtape by American rapper Lil Baby. It was released on November 30, 2018, by Quality Control Music, Motown, Capitol Records and Wolfpack Music Group. It features guest appearances from Meek Mill, Gunna, 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane, Rylo Rodriguez, Offset, Young Thug, and NoCap.
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2019.
1UP is the sixth studio album by American rapper T-Pain, released on February 27, 2019. It is the follow-up to his 2017 album Oblivion. It was a surprise release, as T-Pain had not announced a release date prior; its release date coincided with the season finale of The Masked Singer, where T-Pain was revealed as the champion. 1UP was preceded by the release of the singles "Getcha Roll On", "All I Want" and "A Million Times" and features appearances from Lil Wayne, Boosie Badazz, O.T. Genasis, Russ, Profit Dinero, Tory Lanez and Flipp Dinero.
Baby on Baby is the debut studio album by American rapper DaBaby. It was released on March 1, 2019, by Interscope Records and South Coast Music Group. It features guest appearances from fellow rappers Offset, Rich Homie Quan, Rich the Kid and Stunna 4 Vegas.
We Love You Tecca is the debut mixtape by American rapper Lil Tecca. It was released on August 30, 2019, through Republic Records. The mixtape contains a sole guest appearance from Juice Wrld. It features Tecca's breakout hit, "Ransom", which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the remix is with the guest.
Curtis Anthony Jackson II, known professionally as Capella Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York. He is the founder of Allepac the Family and signed a joint venture with Capitol. He released two mixtapes in 2020 and received widespread recognition in 2021 with his breakout single "Gyalis".
