Chad Lamont Butler, better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK).
Bernard James Freeman, known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK, a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with UGK, Bun B has released five solo albums, including 2010's Trill OG, which received the rare 5-mic rating from The Source.
Hiplife is a Ghanaian musical style that fuses Ghanaian culture and hip hop. Recorded predominantly in the Ghanaian Akan language, hiplife is rapidly gaining popularity in the 2010s throughout West Africa and abroad, especially in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Germany.
Webster Gradney Jr. who performs under the mononym Webbie, is an American rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He's been signed to the independent Trill Entertainment label since 2003. In 2005 he came into the hip hop scene with "Gimme That" featuring Bun B. His songs "Bad Bitch" and "Swerve" were featured on Gangsta Musik, his 2003 group album with Lil Boosie, and in the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow. Webbie's second album, Savage Life 2, was released in early 2008 with the hit single "Independent" featuring Lil Boosie and Lil Phat.
Torrence Ivy Hatch Jr., better known by his stage name Boosie BadAzz or simply Boosie, is an American rapper. Hatch began rapping in the 1990s as a member of the hip hop collective Concentration Camp, eventually pursuing a solo career in 2000 with the release of his debut album Youngest of da Camp. After leaving the label the following year, he signed with Pimp C's Trill Entertainment to release his second studio album, For My Thugz (2002). One of the most prominent figures of Southern hip hop, Hatch has gone on to release thirteen solo studio albums, as well as seven collaborative albums and 44 mixtapes.
Inetimi Alfred Timaya Odon , better known by his stage name Timaya, is a multiple award-winning Nigerian singer and songwriter. He hails from Odi, Bayelsa state, South-South Nigeria. Timaya became one of Nigeria's most popular performers by combining Nigerian pop with elements of dancehall, hip-hop, and soca. Dubbed the king of the Afro-Soca music genre, Timaya is well known for his blend of Afro-Caribbean/Dancehall music and other music genres. He is the founder of DM Records Limited, which he is also signed to.
The New Classic is the debut studio album by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. It was released on 21 April 2014 by Def Jam Recordings. Primarily a hip hop album, The New Classic features elements of EDM, dance-pop and trap in its production.
Teria Yarhere is a Nigerian rapper from Delta State who performs under the name M Trill. He released his debut studio album Number One in 2008 along with a follow-up mixtape entitled Ladies and Gentlemen (2010). That same year, he won the "Best West African Act" at the Channel O Music Video Awards for his single "Bounce". M Trill has been featured on songs with Timaya, Cyrus da Virus, Ruggedman, Slim Burna, 2shots, A-Q, Kraftmatiks, Modenine, Godwon, Evaezi, and Pyrelli among others. He was ranked by BellaNaija magazine as one of the illest rappers in the game.
Duncan Wene Mighty Okechukwu, simply known as Duncan Mighty, is a Nigerian musician, singer, and music producer from Obio-Akpor, Rivers State. Though his musical style demonstrates a high-level of genre versatility, it is also heavily influenced by the sounds and culture of his people as most of his songs are sung in his native Ikwerre language.
Jesse James Enoch, better known by his stage name Lyrikal, is a Nigerian rapper, record producer, and songwriter. He started his professional music career in 2003 with Port Harcourt city based record label Tuck Tyght, where he released his first official single 'Learn Something'. His second single 'Can U Relate' addressed Socio-political issues in Nigeria. Lyrikal has since become a voice for the gifted and the oppressed.
Port Harcourt, a city of Rivers State located to the south of Nigeria, has a thriving music scene encompassing both native African and foreign-influenced genres. It plays host to numerous radio stations, prominent recording studios, such as the Street Rhymes Studios and other music institutions. As a state capital, Port Harcourt has of one of the liveliest club scenes in the country as well as music venues, bars and restaurants. As of 2015, hip hop, pop, highlife and reggae are most popular music styles among young people in the city.
Street Rhymes Studios is a Port Harcourt-based independent, sound recording studio founded by singer and record producer Slim Burna, after he quit working for record label Grafton Records in late 2008. The studio operates out of Burna's residential building, 10 Railway Close, in D-line. Notable musical acts who have used the facility include award-winning Nigerian rapper M-Trill and pop singer-songwriter Muma Gee. Others are, Bukwild Da Ikwerrian, Knowledge, DJ Joenel, Zubillionaire, Spaceman, and Young Stunna.
Grafton Entertainment, sometimes referred to as Grafton Records, is an artist management company and record label, with dual-headquarters in both United Kingdom and Nigeria.
Igbo rap is a Nigerian style of hip hop music that originated in the Igbo-dominated southeastern region of Nigeria and has become more popular since 2000. The style draws its main influences from Igbo traditional music and African American music. Aside other derived styles, it can be combined with highlife, R&B and afro-soul. Most artists and groups who perform Igbo rap usually deliver their lyrics in the Igbo language, although on some occasions, Igbo is blended with Pidgin English.
Igbo highlife is a contemporary musical genre which combines highlife and Igbo traditional music. It first started off in the southeast region of Nigeria, during the 1920s in Lagos. The genre is primarily guitar-based music, with rare characteristic blend of horns and vocal rhythms. Igbo highlife lyrics are sung mostly in Igbo with occasional infusion of Pidgin English. One of the most influential composers and performers of the music is Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe whose career spanned over 40 years. Osadebe's discography comprises numerous popular songs including the 1984 hit "Osondi Owendi" which launched him on the world stage as a pioneer of the Igbo highlife genre.
Abinye David Jumbo born, known by his stage name Mr 2Kay, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter. He was formally signed Grafton Entertainment, but left the label in 2018 to start his own imprint Better Life Entertainment.
Blackalicious was an American hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California, made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel. They are noted for Gift of Gab's often tongue-twisting, multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's soulful production. The duo released four full-length albums: Nia in 1999, Blazing Arrow in 2002, The Craft in 2005, and Imani Vol. 1 in 2015. Gift of Gab died in June 2021.
Afrobeats, or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a style per se, and more of a descriptor for the fusion of sounds flowing out of Ghana and Nigeria. Genres such as hiplife, jùjú music, highlife and naija beats, among others, were amalgamated under the "Afrobeats" umbrella.
William Orioha, known professionally as 2Shotz, is a former Nigerian rapper and songwriter who is now a US-based photographer and filmmaker. He won the award for Best Collaboration at The Headies 2006. His debut studio album Pirated Copy was released in 2004. It was supported by three singles: "Carry Am Go", "Odeshi" and "Delicious". 2Shotz's second studio album Original Copy was released in 2005. He released his third studio album Commercial Avenue in 2007. His fourth studio album Music Business was released in 2008. 2Shotz released I am William and Loud Silence as his fifth and sixth studio albums in 2010 and 2016, respectively. He is a hip hop artist who raps in English, Pidgin and Igbo.
