House of Pain was an American hip-hop trio that released three albums in the 1990s. The group consisted of DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, and Everlast. The group's name is a reference to the H. G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, a reference carried further by the naming of their 2011 tour He Who Breaks the Law. The group is best known for its 1992 hit single "Jump Around", which reached number 3 in their native United States of America, number 6 in Ireland and number 8 in the United Kingdom. The group broke up in 1996 due to what Everlast described as a toxic environment fueled by Danny Boy's drug addiction. Lead rapper Everlast eventually went on to pursue a solo career as a Blues Rock artist and member of the supergroup La Coka Nostra which also featured DJ Lethal. House of Pain reunited briefly in 2010 for a world tour.
The Rising Tied is the only studio album by Fort Minor, the hip hop side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005, through Warner Bros. Records and Shinoda's label Machine Shop Recordings.
C! True Hollywood Stories is the third studio album by the rapper Canibus, released through Archives Music on October 30, 2001. The album is Canibus' first release on an independent record label. The album was named after the television show E! True Hollywood Story. This album sets itself apart from his first two albums by seemingly being a concept album, some songs rapped from the perspective of Stan, the fan from the Eminem song "Stan". It can also be noted Canibus' rhyme style and flow resemble more that of Eminem than the style presented on his first two albums, which led to mixed reviews from the public.
Dr. Octagonecologyst is the debut solo studio album by American rapper and Ultramagnetic MCs member Kool Keith, released under the alias Dr. Octagon. Originally titled Dr. Octagon, it was released on May 7, 1996, on Bulk Recordings in the United States and Mo' Wax in the United Kingdom. The album was later reissued with a different track listing by DreamWorks Records in 1997 under the title Dr. Octagonecologyst. The album was produced by Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and featured the work of turntablist DJ Qbert. KutMasta Kurt provided additional production work. The artwork for Dr. Octagonecologyst was drawn by Brian "Pushead" Schroeder.
T.I.P. is the second independent album by rapper Young Buck. It was released on November 8, 2005, through the independent label, Mass Appeal Entertainment. Guest appearances on the album include D-Tay, Rizin Sun, First Born and Bun B.
Violent by Design is the second album by underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. Despite never reaching any Billboard album chart, the album sold 50,000 copies in its first week on shelves. The album was originally released on JMT's self-run Superegular Records on October 3, 2000. JMT's previous label, Babygrande Records, re-released the album on May 25, 2004. The original vinyl release featured twenty tracks, while the original CD release featured two extra tracks: the "Heavenly Divine Remix", originally released on the B-Side to JMT's "Heavenly Divine" single, and "War Ensemble", originally released as the B-Side of the Army of the Pharaohs Five Perfect Exertions EP. Babygrande's Deluxe Edition featured three more bonus tracks: "Untitled", "Retaliation Remix" and "Blood Runs Cold", the latter two originally featured on the "Retaliation" single. The Deluxe Edition also included a bonus DVD, featuring a video scrapbook from their Visions of Gandhi tour, and the music video for the group's 1997 track "I Who Have Nothing".
The Unseen is the debut studio album by Quasimoto, a hip-hop duo composed of Madlib and his animated alter ego Lord Quas. It was released under Stones Throw Records on June 13, 2000. It was re-released in 2005 as a deluxe edition with a bonus CD containing the instrumental version of the album.
Organized Konfusion is the debut album by Queens Hip Hop duo Organized Konfusion. The album was released on October 29, 1991 under Hollywood BASIC. The album and the group have received a large cult following throughout the years. The record was originally given a rating of 4 out of 5 in The Source in January 1992. The effort has received perfect ratings from many sources, including Allmusic and RapReviews. Group members Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po were praised for their highly skilled lyrical ability, making use of intelligent vocabulary and metaphors. The content on the album ranges from light-hearted tales, to extreme, politically influenced songs, to religious influence. AMG writer Stanton Swihart wrote in All Music's album review:
The inspired debut album from the duo of Prince Poetry and Pharoahe Monch was arguably the underground rap album of the 1990s...Organized Konfusion may be, alongside Main Source's Breaking Atoms, the quintessential cult hip-hop album from a decade full of forward-looking efforts.
Long Beach 2 Fillmoe is the first collaborative album by American rappers Daz Dillinger & JT the Bigga Figga. It was released on January 16, 2001 via D1A Records/Get Low Recordz/D.P.G. Recordz. The album was a minor success, making it to #70 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #30 on Independent Albums, however no charting singles were released from the album.
Distortion is the first solo studio album by American musician Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons from hip hop group Run–D.M.C. It was originally scheduled to be released in 2003, but was delayed until its release date of October 18, 2005. Production was handled entirely by Whiteboy and Rev Run, who also served as executive producer together with his brother Russell Simmons. The album debuted at 78 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States. Its lead single "Mind on the Road" peaked at 98 on the Pop 100.
La Coka Nostra is an American hip hop group composed of DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, Ill Bill and Slaine.
The Giancana Story is the third solo album by American rapper Kool G Rap, released by Koch Records on November 26, 2002. Its producers included Bink, Buckwild, Jaz-O, Knobody, Rockwilder and V.I.C., while AZ, Capone-N-Noreaga, Havoc, Joell Ortiz and Prodigy were amongst the guest vocalists.
Juggaknots is an American hip hop group from New York City. It consists of siblings Breeze Brewin, Queen Herawin, and Buddy Slim. The group has collaborated with Mr. Len, Sadat X, and Prince Paul.
Firestarr is the debut studio album by American hardcore rapper Fredro Starr, best known as a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx, released on February 13, 2001 by Koch Records.
Ross Rowe, known professionally as Senim Silla, is a hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan, best known for his role in the rap duo Binary Star.
George Carroll, better known as Slaine, is an American rapper and actor. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, where he spent his childhood and teenage years. Carroll moved to New York City in the mid-1990s, where he adopted the moniker of Slaine and started to rap and record hip-hop. In the early 2000s, Carroll became a growing figure in the Boston hip-hop scene, releasing several mixtapes, and the LP Stereotypez (2007) with his group Special Teamz. Later, A Brand You Can Trust (2009) was released, by the rap supergroup La Coka Nostra, where Carroll is joined by Ill Bill, and House of Pain. Carroll’s first solo album A World With No Skies 2.0. (2011) peaked at 33 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums it, 22 on the Top Rap Albums, 29 on US Independent Albums, and 4 on Top Heatseekers.
Ghetto Dope is the debut studio album by American hip hop group 5th Ward Boyz. It was released in May 1993 through a joint venture between O.G. Dewey Forker's Underground Records and J. Prince's Rap-A-Lot Records with distribution via Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at Jungle Style Studios and at Digital Services in Houston. Production was handled by John Bido, Mike Dean, N.O. Joe, and J. Prince, who also was serving as executive producer together with Edward Russell and O.G. Dewey. It features guest appearances from Bushwick Bill, Devin the Dude and Scarface. Member Richard "Lo Life" Nash was absent on the project due to his imprisonment.
Brad Strut is an Australian hip hop emcee and singer based in Melbourne. Strut has performed and released material as a solo artist, and is also a member of hip hop group Lyrical Commission.
For the Record is the debut studio album by American rapper Torae, released on November 1, 2011 via his own imprint Internal Affairs Entertainment, in conjunction with Fat Beats Distribution. It was preceded by the collaborative project Double Barrel in 2009 with producer Marco Polo.
The Night We Called It a Day is the debut studio album by underground hip hop supergroup Deepspace5, released on January 8, 2002, through Uprok Records. It was recorded in Dallas, Texas.
