Phillip Martin III (born January 10, 1968) in San Antonio, Texas, also known by the stage name Nino, is an American rapper, producer, director, screenwriter, film editor, entrepreneur and music distributor. Martin has co-authored two books and directed two movies.
Martin's previous stage names include Pony J and Jake. Martin took on the stage name of Nino as part of the Texas rap group PKO (Pounds, Keys and Ounces).
Martin distributes music under the umbrella of Big Ballin Records [1] and Youngsta Records. He has also used various other outside companies to distribute a series of albums of popular music.
As a teenager, Martin grew up in San Antonio. In the mid-1980s, he made friends with Mark "Magic" Outing and together, along with Robert "AK" Hill and childhood friend Ted "K-Sam" Meadows, they formed the nucleus of the rap group PKO (Pounds, Keys- or kilos, and Ounces, a reference to the weights at which drugs are bought and sold). PKO performed at local nightclubs and parties and developed a strong fan base. They began to release singles under their independent label, Youngsta Records.
In 1992, PKO gained notoriety when CNN interviewed the group about the controversy surrounding their underground hit single Shoot the Police. After the release of the single, PKO recorded their first full length EP, Don't Fuck With Texas. In 1994, they released The Good, the Bad, the Mafia, which has sold 300,000 units to date and peaked at #64 on Billboard's album charts. After their CNN appearance, PKO performed with N.W.A, the Geto Boys and Too Short. Master P invited PKO to contribute a single to the October 31, 1995 release of Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin' . PKO is credited with track #9 on the album, Got It Sowed Up. The album reached #139 on Billboard 200 and #13 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
Martin and fellow PKO member "Magic" Mark recorded a diss towards DJ Quik entitled San Antonio Ain't Shit Like Compton in response to Jus Lyke Compton, a track on which DJ Quik compared San Antonio to Compton. The track San Antonio Ain't Shit Like Compton appeared on 1994's Tha Good, Tha Bad, Tha Mafia.
PKO declined recording deals with major labels and remained an independent label. Throughout the 1990s PKO released their own albums as well as those of other artists on their label, Youngsta Records. Martin later went solo, and his debut album, Nino, sold 100,027 units and hit #84 on the Billboard Rap Charts.
PKO is most remembered as the Southern/Texas group equivalent to NWA.
In 2008 Martin co-wrote two books with real estate agent Mechelle Bower: Faith and Finance and 10 Easy Steps in Creating Success and Wealth as a Real Estate Agent. Martin and Bower collaborated again on the creation of "Born2flyy Ent", based in Atlanta, Georgia. Born2flyy Ent specializes in pop and rhythm and blues artists. One of their former clients is Mika Means of the Universal Motown record label.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music.
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson, better known by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the record label Villain Entertainment.
Straight Outta Compton is the debut studio album by rap group N.W.A, which, led by Eazy-E, formed in Los Angeles County's City of Compton in early 1987. Released by his label, Ruthless Records, on August 8, 1988, the album was produced by N.W.A members Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and Arabian Prince, with lyrics written by N.W.A members Ice Cube and MC Ren along with Ruthless rapper The D.O.C. Not merely depicting Compton's street violence, the lyrics repeatedly threaten to lead it by attacking peers and even police. The track "Fuck tha Police" drew an FBI agent's warning letter, which aided N.W.A's notoriety, with N.W.A calling itself "the world's most dangerous group."
Aaron Tyler, better known by his stage name MC Eiht, is an American rapper and actor. Many of his songs are based on his life in Compton. His stage name was partly inspired by the numeral in KRS-One's name. He chose Eiht for its links to "hood culture", including Olde English 800 and .38 caliber firearms. He is the de facto leader of West Coast hip hop group Compton's Most Wanted, which also included fellow Compton-based rappers Boom Bam, The Unknown DJ, Tha Chill, DJ Mike T, DJ Slip and Ant Capone. He is also known for his role as A-Wax in the 1993 film Menace II Society, as well as playing the character Ryder in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Compton's Most Wanted (C.M.W.) is an American gangsta rap group and part of the early West Coast hip hop scene. The leaders of the group are MC Eiht and Tha Chill.
David Marvin Blake, better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Tupac, Chingy, R. Kelly and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. Blake's stage name reflects his ability to produce songs in a short period of time. Some of his top songs include "Dollaz + Sense", "Tonite", "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Jus Lyke Compton".
Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss is the sixth studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 26, 2002, by his Doggystyle label, alongside Priority and Capitol Records. Following his departure from the No Limit Records, he later signed a recording contract to Capitol through Priority Records. The album was supported by two singles, both featuring Pharrell: "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", the latter also featuring Charlie Wilson.
Dejuan Walker, better known by his stage name Suga Free, is an American rapper from Pomona, California.
Tha Blue Carpet Treatment is the eighth studio album by West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on November 21, 2006, by Doggystyle Records and Geffen Records. It is also the final album to have Nate Dogg featured on it during his lifetime. Recording sessions took place from November 2005 to September 2006 in several recording studios and artists such as Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, DJ Battlecat, DJ Pooh, Timbaland, Danja, Mark Batson, Terrace Martin, and Mr. Porter appear on the album, among others.
Mario Sentell Giden Mims, known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. In 1996, Gotti released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020) and CM10: Free Game.
The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud between artists and fans of the East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States, especially from the mid-1990s. Focal points of the feud were East Coast–based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. with Puff Daddy and their New York City–based label, Bad Boy Records, and West Coast–based rapper Tupac Shakur with Suge Knight and their Los Angeles–based label, Death Row Records. The feud culminated in the murders of both rappers in drive-by shootings. Although several suspects have been identified, both murders remain unsolved.
Slow Pain was an American West Coast hip hop recording artist. He was a former member of chicano rap groups Street Mentality and G'Fellas. In 1994, he released his debut solo studio album called The Baby O.G. through Thump Records with the hit single "Money Maid". Slow Pain died on September 3, 2020. Millions of fans enjoyed his music.
Way 2 Fonky is the second studio album by American hip hop artist and producer DJ Quik, released by Profile Records on July 20, 1992. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1991 and 1992. Production was handled by DJ Quik and was executive produced Courtney Branch and Tracy Kendrick.
Trauma is the seventh album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released in 2005 and sold 100,000 copies through his own independent label Mad Science Records. The album debuted at number forty three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, with 24,000 copies sold in its first-week. An all instrumental version of the album was also released.
Music to Driveby is the third studio album by American gangsta rap group Compton's Most Wanted. It was released on September 29, 1992 through Orpheus/Epic Records. Recording sessions took place at Big Beat Soundlabs in Los Angeles and at Slips X Factor Studios in Inglewood from May 18 to June 9, 1992. Production was handled by members DJ Slip, MC Eiht and DJ Mike T, as well as The Unknown DJ and Ric Roc. It features contributions from William "Willie Z" Zimmerman on background vocals, keyboards, saxophone and harmonica, EMmage on backing vocals, and guest appearance by Scarface of Geto Boys.
This is the discography of rap group Outlawz below:
Penicillin on Wax is the debut studio album by American New York-based rapper Tim Dog. It was released on November 12, 1991 via Ruffhouse Records. Production was handled by several record producers, including Ced-Gee, TR Love and Moe Love from Ultramagnetic MC's, Bobby Crawford, Louis Flores, and Tim Dog himself. Fellow rapper Kool Keith made guest appearances on two tracks.
Somethin' 4 the Riderz is the eight album by rapper, Frost. The album was released in 2003 for 40 Ounce Records. It contained Frost's unreleased and hard to find songs. The album featured many guests including Ice-T, Above the Law, King Tee and DJ Quik.
"Way 2 Fonky" is the second single released off DJ Quik's second studio album, Way 2 Fonky.
Ronald Ray Bryant, better known by his stage name Baby Bash, is an American rapper. From 1995 until 1998, as part of Dope House Records, after which he changed the last part of his stage name to "Bash." His first album Savage Dreams (2001), was followed by On Tha Cool (2002), and his first major label release: Tha Smokin' Nephew (2003). The album included the single "Suga Suga", which peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.