Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid-to late 1980s in Los Angeles as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of urban American gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappers flaunt associations with real street gangs, especially the Crips and Bloods. Gangsta rap's pioneers include Schoolly D of Philadelphia and Ice-T of Los Angeles, later expanding with artists such as N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, and the Notorious B.I.G. In 1992, via record producer Dr. Dre, rapper Snoop Dogg, and their G-funk sound, gangsta rap broadened to mainstream popularity.
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known by his stage name Common, is an American rapper and actor. He debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar?, and gained critical acclaim with his 1994 album Resurrection. He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s. He achieved mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is an American hip hop group composed of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. The group was signed to fellow American rapper Eazy-E‘s Ruthless Records in late 1993, when they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up. The EP included their breakout hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". In 1995, the group released its second album E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "East 1999". Their hit song "Tha Crossroads", a tribute to then-recently deceased mentor Eazy-E, won a Grammy Award in 1997.
Brian Lee Harvey is a British singer from London. He was the lead singer of pop group East 17. The later incarnation of the band, E-17, had two top 20 singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1998 and 1999, with the album Resurrection peaking within the top 50 of the UK Albums Chart. After leaving E-17, Harvey signed a record deal with Edel Records and had two singles released in 2001, "Straight Up " and "Loving You ".
Roc-A-Fella Records was an American hip hop record label and music management company founded by record executives and entrepreneurs Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke in 1994.
Criminal Minded is the debut studio album by hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, released on March 3, 1987 by B-Boy Records. It is considered a highly influential hip hop album and one of the first in the gangsta rap genre.
Resurrection is the second studio album by American rapper Common Sense. It was released on October 4, 1994, by Relativity Records. It was mainly produced by No I.D., who also produced most of Common's 1992 debut Can I Borrow A Dollar? It is the last album to feature the rapper's full stage name, as after this album the "Sense" portion of the name was dropped, making the rapper simply known to this day as "Common".
Acoustic is the second live album to be released by the group Deine Lakaien. It was recorded in 1995 during the sold-out 1995 Acoustic Tour but not released until 2007. The songs were performed unplugged with Alexander Veljanov's vocals backed by Ernst Horn on a prepared piano.
Evel Knievel Factor is the second studio-album by the Finnish rock group Private Line. It was released in Finland on 1 November 2006. Two singles have been released from the album: "Broken Promised Land" on 31 May 2005, and "Sound Advice" on 28 January 2007. The b-side on the "Broken Promised Land" single is the album track "Uniform", while as b-sides to "Sound Advice" are two previously unreleased songs, "Tokyo" and "Criminal". The title is a reference to legendary American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel.
Alien Resurrection: Complete Motion Picture Score is the official soundtrack album of the 1997 science fiction film Alien Resurrection. Composed by John Frizzell, the soundtrack features themes such as romance and eroticism. Taking seven months to write and record, Frizzell included strange sound elements such as a gong and rub rods, to create a unique score. It was released on November 11, 1997.
Trouble in the Hood is the second album released by rap group, Criminal Nation. It was released in 1992 for Nastymix Records and was produced by the group's producers, Eugenius and Mark Womack its lead rapper, MC Deff. Trouble in the Hood peaked at #75 on the Billboard charts' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and featured the bass guitar work of Matt McClinton and also synthesizer and keyboard work of producer/musician M.A.S.. It would also be the group's last album for another eight years until 2000's Resurrection.
King of Pop is a compilation album by American singer and recording artist Michael Jackson, released in commemoration of his 50th birthday in 2008. The album title comes from the honorific title Jackson himself acquired approximately 20 years earlier.
Lawrence "Kris" Parker, better known by his stage names KRS-One and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, which he formed with DJ Scott La Rock in the mid-1980s. KRS-One is known for his songs "Sound of da Police", "Love's Gonna Get'cha ", and "My Philosophy". Boogie Down Productions received numerous awards and critical acclaim in their early years. Following the release of the group's debut album, Criminal Minded, fellow artist Scott La Rock was shot and killed, but KRS-One continued the group, effectively as a solo project. He began releasing records under his own name in 1993. He is politically active, having started the Stop the Violence Movement after La Rock's death. He is also a vegan activist, expressed in songs such as "Beef". He is widely considered an influence on many hip-hop artists.
Robert Rihmeek Williams, known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. In 2008, Atlanta-based rapper T.I. signed Meek Mill to his first record deal. In February 2011, after leaving Grand Hustle Records, Mill signed with Miami-based rapper Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group (MMG). Mill's debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, was released in 2012 under MMG and Warner Bros. Records. The album, preceded by the lead single "Amen", peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200.
"Sleep Like Breathing" is a song by British singer-songwriter Alison Moyet with David Freeman, which was released in 1987 as the fourth and final single from her second studio album Raindancing. The song was written by Freeman and Joseph Hughes, both of whom made up The Lover Speaks, and was produced by Jimmy Iovine, Freeman and Hughes.
Resurrection is the eighth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. Released on October 7, 2014, it is the band's first album recorded as a four-piece since the departure of founding guitarist-lyricist Steve Klein in late 2013. The album also marks their debut release with independent label Hopeless Records, having concluded their previous recording contract with Epitaph Records.
Rare Cult is a limited edition, six-CD box set from British rock band the Cult, released in November 2000. The chronologically-organized set contains 90 tracks of studio B-sides, radio sessions, 12-inch mixes, alternate mixes, demos and the complete then-unreleased Peace album. The set is packaged in a matte black box with gold lettering, containing three 2-disc gatefold digipaks and an extensive 80-page booklet of liner notes and photos.
Kirsnick Khari Ball, known professionally as Takeoff, was an American rapper. He was best known as the youngest member of the hip hop trio Migos along with his uncle Quavo and first cousin once removed Offset. The group scored multiple top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including "MotorSport", "Stir Fry", "Walk It Talk It", and "Bad and Boujee", the latter of which peaked at the top of the chart. He also received two Grammy Award nominations. On November 1, 2022, Takeoff was fatally shot in Houston, Texas.
Welcome to Galvania is the fifth studio album by American rock band Puddle of Mudd. This is their first studio album of new material in a decade since 2009's Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love & Hate, marking the longest gap between two studio albums in Puddle of Mudd's career. It is also their first release of any new material since 2011's re:(disc)overed, a compilation album of covers. Welcome to Galvania was released worldwide September 13, 2019.
"Resurrection" is a song by Queen's guitarist Brian May from the album Back to the Light. It was released as a fourth single from the album in 1993.
