Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known professionally as Common, is an American rapper and actor. He is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. At the age of 20, he signed with the independent label Relativity Records to release his debut studio album Can I Borrow a Dollar? (1992), which was met with critical acclaim along with its follow-ups, Resurrection (1994) and One Day It'll All Make Sense (1997). He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s, and achieved mainstream success through his work with the Black music collective, Soulquarians.
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer, singer, and DJ. Nicknamed the Abstract, he is noted for his innovative jazz-influenced style of hip hop production and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as an MC and main producer of the influential alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his gold-certified solo debut Amplified in 1999. In the following decade, he released the Grammy Award-nominated album The Renaissance (2008) and the experimental album Kamaal the Abstract (2009).
Otis Lee Jackson, Jr., known professionally as Madlib, is an American record producer, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, and rapper. Critically acclaimed for his eclectic and sample-heavy production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern hip hop and alternative hip hop. His frequent collaborators include MF DOOM, J Dilla, Freddie Gibbs, Talib Kweli, and Erykah Badu.
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.
Karriem Riggins is an American jazz drummer, record producer, DJ and songwriter from Detroit, Michigan. He met Chicago rapper Common and fellow Detroit musician J Dilla both in 1996, and served as an extensive contributor for releases by both artists. He produced for Common's 1997 album One Day It'll All Make Sense, did so on much of his further projects, and formed the musical trio August Greene with the rapper alongside fellow jazz instrumentalist Robert Glasper in 2018. Furthermore, he formed the Jahari Massamba Unit with Madlib in 2020, and has also worked with prominent music industry artists including Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Denzel Curry, Earl Sweatshirt, and Norah Jones, among others.
Donuts is the second studio album by the American hip hop producer J Dilla, released on February 7, 2006, by Stones Throw Records. It was released on his 32nd birthday, just three days before his death, making it his final album to be released during his lifetime.
Austin Topper Peralta was an American jazz pianist and composer from Los Angeles, California. He was the son of film director and Z-Boys skateboarder Stacy Peralta.
The Renaissance is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released November 4, 2008, on Universal Motown Records. The follow-up to his solo debut album, Amplified (1999), it was recorded after Q-Tip's Kamaal the Abstract (2009) was initially shelved in 2002 by his former label Arista Records and his proposed effort Open was shelved by Universal Motown, both deemed commercially inadequate by the labels. The Renaissance was produced primarily by Q-Tip and features guest contributions by D'Angelo, Norah Jones, Amanda Diva, and Raphael Saadiq.
Konee Rok is an American music video and documentary director. He has done film and video work with many popular artists in hip-hop, rap music and break dancing culture.
Alternative hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta, bass, hardcore, and party rap. Instead, they blur genres drawing equally from funk and pop/rock, as well as jazz, soul, reggae, and even folk."
Carlos Gabriel Niño is an American music producer, percussionist, performer, arranger, composer, musician, programmer, radio host, DJ, music consultant, poet, and event organizer based in his hometown of Woodland Hills, California. Niño has been involved in the production of more than 150 records and has toured with various bands and as a DJ throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States.
James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged during the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was also a member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He additionally collaborated with Madlib as Jaylib, releasing the album Champion Sound. Yancey's final album was Donuts, which was released three days before his death.
Rogét Lutfi Chahayed is an American record producer and songwriter. Referred to as "one of hip-hop and pop's most dependable hit machines" by Billboard, Chahayed has received nine Grammy Award nominations; in 2022, he was nominated for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.
Lofi hip hop is a form of downtempo, lo-fi music that combines hip hop beats with elements of chill-out. The name refers to the unpolished, low fidelity production techniques common in the style. It was popularized in the 2010s on YouTube.
Kamaal Williams is a British musician and record producer.
Black Focus is the only studio album by English duo Yussef Kamaal, composed of drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist Kamaal Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 under Brownswood Recordings. Characterised by its "spontaneity and flow", the album draws influence from electronic music of British origin. It received universal acclaim from music critics, being described as having a culturally diverse palette.
Wu Hen is the second studio album by English musician Kamaal Williams, released on 24 July 2020 under his Black Focus label. It is considered to define Williams' own genre "Wu Funk", a blend of jazz, hip-hop, contemporary R&B and EDM. Other styles explored include funk, acid jazz, traditional jazz, breakbeat and house music.
Abstract Orchestra are a British hip hop music group, created in 2011 by Rob Mitchell. The group is signed to independent record label ATA Records. Abstract Orchestra have released five studio albums, Dilla (2017), Madvillain Vol. 1 (2018), Madvillain Vol. 2 (2019), Fantastic 2020 Vol. 1 (2019) and Fantastic 2020 Vol. 2 (2019), and five singles, New Day (2017), Fancy Clown (2018), Air ft MF DOOM (2019), Pray (2020), Jealousy (2020). The "ensemble has become renowned for their distinct sound, which reinterprets some of the most famous hip-hop productions of all time into a unique blend of big band jazz and live hip-hop".
Stings is the third studio album by English musician Kamaal Williams, released on 27 September 2023 under Black Focus Records.
Les Jardins Mystiques, Vol. 1 is a 2023 studio album by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. It has received positive reviews from critics.
