Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1978. The group's members were Grandmaster Flash, Kidd Creole, Keef Cowboy, Melle Mel, Scorpio, and Rahiem. The group's use of turntablism, breakbeat DJing, and conscious lyricism were significant in the early development of hip hop music.
"Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released as her solo debut and lead single from The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill on August 10, 1998, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. No commercial release was originally intended for the single in the US, but limited-quantity physical formats were issued two months later, on October 27.
"Can I Kick It?" is a song by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released in October 1990 by Jive Records as the third single from their debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990). The song, which has a call and response chorus, was recorded in 1989, when the group members were aged 18-19. "Can I Kick It?" contains samples of "Walk on the Wild Side" by Lou Reed, "What a Waste" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, "Spinning Wheel" by Dr. Lonnie Smith, "Dance of the Knights" by Sergei Prokofiev and "Sunshower" by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. Phife Dawg has stated that, because of the use of the "Walk on the Wild Side" sample, the group did not receive any money from the single, with Lou Reed instead claiming the profits. The music video for the song was directed by Jim Swaffield and filmed in New York City, featuring among others De La Soul.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored.
"Many Men (Wish Death)" is a song by American rapper 50 Cent from his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003). The song was produced by Darrell "Digga" Branch, and Luis Resto. Despite the song charting and having a music video, it was only released as a promotional single.
Willie Junior Maxwell II, better known by his stage name Fetty Wap, is an American rapper. He quickly rose to mainstream prominence in late 2014, after his single song "Trap Queen" was re-released as his debut single for 300 Entertainment, an imprint of Atlantic Records. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and was followed by the singles "679" and "My Way", both of which saw similar chart success throughout 2015. The trio of hits—along with his single "Again"—preceded the release of Fetty Wap's eponymous debut studio album (2015), which peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart. During this time, he became distinctive for his melodic blending of singing and rapping, lighthearted lyricism, "bouncy" production, and exclamation of various catchphrases such as "1738!"
Trinity Laure'Ale Home , better known by her stage name Tink, is an American rapper and R&B singer from the Chicago area in Illinois. She is best known for the single "Treat Me Like Somebody" and for the collaboration with singer and producer Jeremih on "Don't Tell Nobody". Since 2012, she has released seven mixtapes and has gone independent due to label issues regarding the release of her debut album. Her 2014 mixtape, Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours, was featured as a top 10 R&B album in both Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines.
Marco Anthony Archer, better known by his stage name Phora, is an American rapper and former tattoo artist from Anaheim, California. In 2011, he founded his own record label, Yours Truly. His debut studio album, Yours Truly Forever (2017), peaked at number 44 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Dominique Armani Jones, known professionally as Lil Baby, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence following the release of his 2017 mixtapes Harder than Hard and Too Hard, the former of which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its lead single, "My Dawg." He signed with Quality Control Music, an imprint of Motown and Capitol Records to release his debut studio album Harder Than Ever (2018), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten single "Yes Indeed". He released two additional retail projects that same year: The collaborative mixtape Drip Harder with fellow Georgia-based rapper Gunna—which saw continued success with its singles "Drip Too Hard" and "Close Friends"—and his commercial mixtape Street Gossip, which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200.
Mariah Amani Buckles, known professionally as Mariah the Scientist, is an American singer from Atlanta, Georgia. She signed with Tory Lanez' One Umbrella and RCA Records to release her debut studio album Master (2019) and its follow up, Ry Ry World (2021). She has since parted ways with both labels in favor of Epic Records to release her third studio album, To Be Eaten Alive (2023), which marked her first entry on the Billboard 200.
Coi Leray Collins is an American rapper and singer. The daughter of rapper and media executive Benzino, she began her musical career in 2018 with the release of her debut mixtape, Everythingcoz. She signed with Republic Records to release her second mixtape EC2 (2019) and her debut extended play, Now or Never (2020). In 2021, the Lil Durk remix of her song "No More Parties" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Nau'Jour Lazier Grainger, better known by his stage name Toosii, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Beginning his career in 2017, he rose to mainstream prominence following the release of his 2023 single "Favorite Song", which first gained virality on the social media platform TikTok. The song peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, earned double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and preceded the release of his second studio album, Naujour (2023). The album peaked at number 19 on the Billboard 200, although his debut album, Poetic Pain (2020), reached number 17 on the chart.
Zachary Lane Bryan is an American country music singer-songwriter from Oologah, Oklahoma.
Isis Naija Gaston, known professionally as Ice Spice, is an American rapper. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York City, she began her musical career in 2021 while studying in college after meeting producer RiotUSA. Gaston's rapping style has been noted by music journalists, who have described her as a "breakout star" and "rap's new princess". She has received numerous awards, including the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, the People's Choice Award for "New Artist of the Year," and the Impact Award from the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards. She has received four Grammy Awards nominations, including Best New Artist.
"California Breeze" is a song by American rapper Lil Baby, released from his third studio album It's Only Me with an accompanying music video on October 14, 2022. It was produced by Murda Beatz and MARS.
"From Now On" is a song by American rapper Lil Baby from his third studio album It's Only Me (2022). It features American rapper Future and was produced by Tay Keith and Murda Beatz.
"Forever" is a song by American rapper Lil Baby featuring fellow American rapper and singer Fridayy, from the former's third studio album It's Only Me (2022). It was written by the artists alongside Vory, Bizness Boi, and Fortune, the latter two producing it with Fridayy. The song peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Layia Watkins, known professionally as Lay Bankz, is an American singer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After signing a record contract with Artist Partner Group (APG) in 2022, she released the singles "Left Cheek ", "Na Na Na" and "Ick" the following year. Her 2024 single, "Tell Ur Girlfriend" became popular on TikTok and marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Josiah Gillie, known professionally as J.P. or Jody P, is an American rapper and singer. He released his debut single "Juicey Ahhh" in 2022 and his breakout single "Bad Bitty" went viral on TikTok in 2024.
