Patrick Denard Douthit, better known as 9th Wonder, is an American hip hop producer, record executive, and DJ from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who is also teaching faculty at North Carolina Central University and Duke University, where he collaborates with Professor Mark Anthony Neal.
Olubowale Victor Akintimehin, better known by his stage name Wale, is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2006 song "Dig Dug ", which became popular in his hometown of Washington D.C. and led Wale to gain further local recognition as he amassed a number of follow-up releases. Wale signed with English DJ-producer Mark Ronson's Allido Records in 2007, and after a three-label bidding war, he entered a joint venture with Interscope Records for US$1.3 million the following year. During this time, Wale's mixtapes and singles saw national attention as he appeared on MTV and various Black America-focused magazines.
Kenn Starr is an American rapper from Suffolk, Virginia, currently residing in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Starr is a member of the Low Budget Crew and also the duo Isaac Jones. His solo debut album, Starr Status, was released in 2006. His latest album, Square One was released in 2015.
Bobby Ray Simmons Jr., known professionally as B.o.B, is an American rapper. Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Simmons signed with producer Jim Jonsin through his Rebel Rock Entertainment label in 2006. Two years later, he and Jonsin signed a joint venture recording contract with fellow Georgia rapper T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records. Following his major-label deal, Simmons quickly achieved commercial success when his 2009 debut single, "Nothin' on You", peaked the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Best Rap Song, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
Jonathan Ernest Laine is a Washington DC-based Hip hop producer and drummer.
Tyler Gregory Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, record producer, singer-songwriter, music director and fashion designer. Okonma has been praised in the media as one of the most influential figures of pop culture of his generation, thanks to his unique, eclectic and colorful music and fashion styles, popularizing rap music as a "Internet phenomenon" that included a new wave of alternative hip-hop and R&B artists during the 2010s.
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, is an American alternative hip-hop music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The original members were Tyler, the Creator, Casey Veggies, Hodgy, Left Brain, Matt Martians, Jasper Dolphin, Earl Sweatshirt, Travis "Taco" Bennett, and Syd. Later members included brandUn DeShay, Pyramid Vritra, Domo Genesis, Mike G, L-Boy, Frank Ocean, and Na-Kel Smith.
Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, also known by his stage name Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper and record producer. Kgositsile was originally known by the moniker Sly Tendencies when he began rapping in 2008, but changed his name when Tyler, the Creator invited him to join his alternative hip hop collective Odd Future in late 2009.
MellowHype was an American hip hop duo from Los Angeles, California, that consisted of rapper-producer Hodgy and producer-rapper Left Brain. Both were members of hip hop collective Odd Future. They have released two studio albums which both charted on the Billboard 200 albums chart and four mixtapes.
Dee-1 is an American rapper, author, college professor, activist, and public speaker from New Orleans, Louisiana. Dee-1 initially gained attention in 2010 after the release of his single "Jay, 50, and Weezy," which garnered over 1 million views on YouTube. Dee-1 signed to RCA Inspiration in 2013 and went fully independent in 2019. He has released 11 studio albums in his career thus far.
The discography of American rapper Wale consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, ten mixtapes, one extended play, sixty-five singles, two promotional singles and forty-one music videos. In 2005, Wale started his music career by releasing mixtapes in the Washington, D.C. area. His debut mixtape was titled Paint a Picture. Following that, Wale released his second mixtape in 2006, Hate Is the New Love. In the same year, Wale signed with a local record label in Studio 43. In 2007 Wale was discovered by Mark Ronson, and was signed by Allido Records, which released his third mixtape, 100 Miles & Running, featuring artist Daniel Merriweather.
Dominique Marquis Cole, known professionally as Domo Genesis, is an American rapper, DJ, and songwriter. He is best known for being a member of Los Angeles hip hop collective Odd Future. He has since continued his solo career, releasing his debut album Genesis in 2016 and founding his own record label in 2018.
The Jet Age of Tomorrow is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia and a sub-group of hip hop collective Odd Future that consists of producer-singer Matt Martians, and producer-rapper Pyramid Vritra. According to Martians, the group's music originated from instrumentals turned down by Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy, who liked the tracks Martians sent them, but could not use them in their own music. Outside of their work with the Jet Age, Martians is a member of The Internet with Odd Future member Syd, while Vritra is a member of his own Atlanta hip hop collective, NRK.
Michael W. Eagle II, better known by his stage name Open Mike Eagle, is an American hip hop artist and comedian. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, he is now based in Los Angeles, California, where he is a member of the hip hop collective Project Blowed. He has also been a member of Thirsty Fish, Swim Team, and Cavanaugh.
Hip hop music in Washington, D.C., has been an important part of the culture of the area.
Chaine St. Aubin Downer Jr., better known by his stage name CJ Fly, is an American rapper and producer from Brooklyn, New York City. He is a founding member and the oldest member of the hip-hop collective group Pro Era. Throughout 2012 and 2013, he was featured on many of the collective's projects and towards the end of 2013, he released his critically acclaimed mixtape Thee Way Eye See It.
Mello Music Group (MMG) is an American independent record label based in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 2007, Mello Music has released hip hop compilations and albums by producers and rappers such as Oddisee, Apollo Brown, Mr. Lif, Ghostface Killah, Open Mike Eagle, L'Orange, Quelle Chris, Jean Grae, Kool Keith, Nottz, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Pete Rock, and Rapper Big Pooh. In 2012, MTV Hive described MMG as having a "dedication to intelligent, street-wise boom bap", although the label has released a number of purely instrumental albums as well. In 2016, Forbes magazine called Mello Music Group the most successful indie rap label of the decade.
People Hear What They See is a studio album by American hip hop artist Oddisee. It was released via Mello Music Group on June 5, 2012.
HipHopDX is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. HipHopDX is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group.
The Iceberg is a studio album by American hip hop artist Oddisee. It was released via Mello Music Group on February 24, 2017. It is the official follow-up to his 2015 album, The Good Fight. It features guest appearances from Toine and Olivier St. Louis. Music videos were created for "NNGE" and "You Grew Up".
