Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper and songwriter. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap traditions, he is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Wallace became known for his distinctive laidback lyrical delivery, offsetting the lyrics' often grim content. His music was often semi-autobiographical, telling of hardship and criminality, but also of debauchery and celebration.
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut studio album by American hip hop group De La Soul, released on March 3, 1989 by Tommy Boy Records. It is the first of three collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. The album title comes from the Johnny Cash song "Five Feet High and Rising". The album contains the singles "Me Myself and I", "The Magic Number", "Buddy", and "Eye Know".
Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is the debut album of American hip hop group The Pharcyde, released on November 24, 1992 through Delicious Vinyl Records and EastWest Records. The album was produced by former group member J-Swift, and features only one guest appearance, provided by little known Los Angeles rapper Bucwheed. In the years after its release, Bizarre Ride has been hailed by music critics and alternative hip hop fans, as a classic hip hop album along with Souls of Mischief's 93 'til Infinity, and has appeared in numerous publications' "best albums" lists.
Naughty by Nature is an American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey consisting of Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee.
Antonio Hardy is an American rapper and actor known as Henry 'Big Daddy' Kane, who began his career in 1986 as a member of the rapper Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hip hop.
The Beatnuts are a New York-based hip hop group and production duo from Queens, New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights. The Beatnuts are the only Latino members of the Native Tongues collective. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. V.I.C. was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.
Snowflakes is the fourth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton. It was released on October 23, 2001, by Arista Records. Her first Christmas album, it is a follow-up to her 2000 studio album The Heat. Snowflakes consists of 11 tracks, featuring five R&B-led original songs co-penned with her former husband Keri Lewis and longtime collaborator Babyface, as well as several remixes and cover versions of Christmas standards and carols, one of which is a collaboration with Jamaican musician Shaggy. Throughout the creation process, Braxton also collaborated with L.A. Reid, Poke & Tone, Daryl Simmons and her younger sister Tamar Braxton.
Naughty by Nature is the self-titled second album from Naughty by Nature, released on September 3, 1991, through Tommy Boy Records. It was a critical and commercial success, having been certified platinum on February 6, 1992, thanks in large part to the hit single, "O.P.P.," which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991. The album is now out of print.
19 Naughty III is the third album from Naughty by Nature, released on February 23, 1993, through Tommy Boy Records. Three singles were released from the album, the group's second top 10 hit, "Hip Hop Hooray," as well as the minor hits "It's On" and "Written on Ya Kitten."
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.
Poverty's Paradise is the fourth album from Naughty by Nature, released on May 30, 1995 as their final album under Tommy Boy Records. It peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. A single released from the album, "Feel Me Flow", achieved major success, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, two other singles "Craziest" and "Clap Yo Hands, achieved minor success, the former peaking at number 51 on the Hot 100.
"O.P.P." is a song by the American rap group Naughty by Nature. It was released in August 1991 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album Naughty by Nature. The song was one of the first rap songs to become a pop hit when it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart. Its declaration, "Down wit' O.P.P", was a popular catchphrase in the U.S. in the early 1990s.
Above the Rim – The Soundtrack is the official soundtrack to the 1994 film of the same name. The soundtrack, released by Death Row and Interscope Records on March 22, 1994, was executive produced by Suge Knight. Dr. Dre acted as supervising producer on the project.
Looks Like a Job For... is the fifth album by emcee Big Daddy Kane, released in 1993 on Cold Chillin' Records.
Ride is the soundtrack to Millicent Shelton's 1998 film Ride. It was released on January 27, 1998 via Tommy Boy Records, and consists of hip hop and R&B music. The album features performances by the likes of Adriana Evans, Big Mike, Dave Hollister, Eric Benét, Erick Sermon, Mack 10, Mia X, Naughty by Nature, N.O.R.E., Onyx, Raphael Saadiq, Redman, Somethin' for the People, Tha Eastsidaz, The Roots, and Wu-Tang Clan among others.
"Mourn You Til I Join You" is a single by Naughty by Nature from the Ride soundtrack. It was released on October 28, 1997 and was their last release for Tommy Boy Records. The song was dedicated to the group's friend, Tupac Shakur and was about lead rapper, Treach's relationship with Tupac. The song was a minor success, peaking at 51 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 2 on the Hot Rap Singles. The song was originally set to appear on 1997's Nothing to Lose soundtrack, but Tommy Boy instead chose to include it on 1998's Ride soundtrack.
Disturbed is the second album by Coo Coo Cal, released on September 18, 2001, through Tommy Boy Records. Most of the album was produced by Bigg Hank, though Bink, DJ Cipha Sounds, Rated X and Kay Gee of Naughty by Nature also contributed production to the album.
"0 to 100 / The Catch Up" is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on July 15, 2014 by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records. The song was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on January 30, 2015, for selling over 1 million digital copies in the United States.
Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album features productions by Yung Chedder, Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse, among others. It was recorded from 1993 to 1994 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of the rapper's experiences as a young criminal, and was the only studio album released during his lifetime, as he was murdered sixteen days before the release of his second album Life After Death in 1997.
Monica Lynch is a music business executive, record producer, and former President of hip-hop/dance music label Tommy Boy Records. She has hosted radio programs on free-form WFMU since 1997, and worked as an A&R consultant for Queen Latifah and Martina McBride.
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