Mumia Abu-Jamal is an American political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. While on death row, he has written and commented on the criminal justice system in the United States. After numerous appeals, his death penalty sentence was overturned by a federal court. In 2011, the prosecution agreed to a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. He entered the general prison population early the following year.
Christopher Edward Martin, known professionally as DJ Premier, is an American DJ and record producer. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr—alongside the rapper Guru—and presently forms half of the hip hop duo PRhyme, together with Royce da 5'9".
Felipe Andres Coronel, better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper and activist. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics, from a radical left-wing perspective.
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life is the third studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on September 29, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. It went on to become his most commercially successful album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States. In the liner notes of the album, Jay-Z gives his thoughts on various tracks. The lyrics to the fast-paced "Nigga What, Nigga Who " are also included.
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse is the seventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on November 12, 2002, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Island Def Jam Music Group. The album serves as a sequel to his sixth album The Blueprint (2001). Parts of the album were later reissued for his album, titled Blueprint 2.1 (2003). The album debuted at number one, shipping with first-week sales of 545,000 units. The album is certified 3x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA. In 2013, Jay-Z cited this album as his second-worst due to an overabundance of songs on the album.
Rebirth of a Nation is a collaborative studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy and rapper/producer Paris. Its title is a reference to the 1915 white supremacist film The Birth of a Nation as well as one of the group's prior albums, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Despite the Public Enemy branding on the album, many tracks were written and produced by Paris; the album itself was deemed a "special project" by Chuck D in order to differentiate it from other Public Enemy works. It was released on March 7, 2006 through Guerrilla Funk Recordings with distribution via Caroline Distribution. The album was mixed and mastered at Data Stream Studio in San Francisco, California. The album features guest appearances from Dead Prez, MC Ren, Kam, Sister Souljah, The Conscious Daughters, Immortal Technique and Professor Griff. Rebirth of a Nation peaked at number 180 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States and sold 5,592 units in its first week out.
Akir is an American hip hop recording artist, producer, songwriter activist and, teaching artist known for his complex lyrics and social-political content. His name is an acronym for "Always Keep It Real".
All World: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album by American rapper LL Cool J. The compilation was released on November 5, 1996 via Def Jam Recordings, and cover the artist's career from his 1985 debut album Radio to his 1995 sixth studio album Mr. Smith. Production was handled by Rick Rubin, Marley Marl, L.A. Posse, Rashad Smith, Quincy Jones III, Tone, and LL Cool J himself, with Brian Latture and Steve Ett serving as assistant producers on three out of sixteen tracks. It features guest appearances from Boyz II Men and Total.
It Ain't Safe No More... is the sixth studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. The album was released on November 26, 2002, by Flipmode Records and J Records. The album went Gold on January 6, 2003 – and has sold 605,000 copies as of December 5, 2007. It served as his final album for J.
IIcons is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Naughty by Nature. It was released on May 7, 2002 on TVT Records. Production was handled by Naughty by Nature, Da Beatminerz, DJ Twinz and Lil' Jon. It features guest appearances from Rottin Razkals, 3LW, Carl Thomas, Chyna Whyte, Freddie Foxxx, Icarus, Lil' Jon, Method Man, Pink, Queen Latifah, Redman and Road Dawgs. The album was a success, peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and No. 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and spawned the single, "Feels Good " which made it to No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Terrorist Threats is the second and final studio album by American West Coast hip hop supergroup Westside Connection. It was released on December 9, 2003 through Hoo-Bangin'/Capitol Records. Production was handled by Young Tre, Bruce Waynne, Dirty Swift, Pockets, Rashad Coes, Big Tank, Damizza, DJ Jamal, Fredwreck, Megahertz, Neff-U, and Sir Jinx, with Ice Cube and Mack 10 serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from K-Mac, Butch Cassidy, Young Soprano, Knoc-turn'al, Nate Dogg, Skoop Delania, and Keith David, who voiced the intro track "Threat to the World", and parts of "Potential Victims" and "Gangsta Nation". The album debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 136,000 copies sold in the US. It has since sold 679,000 records in the US and has been certified Gold by the RIAA on January 12, 2004.
Scorpion is the second studio album by American rapper Eve. It was released by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records on March 6, 2001, in the United States. The album's title is a reference to Eve's zodiac sign, Scorpio. It features the hit single "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", a duet with Gwen Stefani of No Doubt, which won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, a new category at the time.
Lyricist Lounge 2 is the fourth hip hop compilation album by American record label Rawkus Records. It was released on November 28, 2000, as the second installment of Lyricist Lounge album series, based on New York's Lyricist Lounge showcases.
The 3rd World is the third studio album by American rapper Immortal Technique. It was released on June 24, 2008, through Viper Records, following a five-year absence since Revolutionary Vol. 2. Recording sessions took place at Viper Studios in New York. Production was handled by DJ Green Lantern, SouthPaw, Shuko, Bronze Nazareth, Buckwild, DJ G.I. Joe, Fyre Dept., Metaphysics, Scram Jones, Sick Jacken, Spictacular, and Immortal Technique himself, who also served as executive producer together with Jonathan Stuart. It features guest appearances from Chino XL, Crooked I, Cynic, Da Circle, Diabolic, J.Arch, Maya Azucena, Mojo The Cinematic, Poison Pen, Ras Kass, Sick Jacken, Swave Sevah, Temperamento and Veneno.
Judgment Night is the soundtrack to the 1993 film of the same name. It was released on September 14, 1993, through Immortal Records and Epic Soundtrax and was produced by many of the album's performers. Every song on the soundtrack was a collaboration between hip-hop artists and rock artists. The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 and spawned four singles, "Fallin'" by Teenage Fanclub and De La Soul, "Another Body Murdered" by Faith No More and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., "Just Another Victim" by Helmet and House of Pain, and "Judgment Night" by Biohazard and Onyx.
Blade II: The Soundtrack is the soundtrack to Guillermo del Toro's 2002 film Blade II. It was released on March 19, 2002 via Immortal Records, serving as a sequel to Blade: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture.
A polarizing figure, Mumia Abu-Jamal has attracted widespread attention in popular culture. Since at least 1995, there are examples of references to him in notable popular music recordings and musical performances. He and his case have been the subject of three documentary films and a shorter 20/20 television special which aired shortly after the 27th anniversary of his apprehension.
Foundation is the fifth studio album by the American hip hop duo M.O.P., from Brownsville, New York. It was released on September 15, 2009 via E1 Music. Production was handled by DR Period, Statik Selektah, DJ Green Lantern, DJ Premier, Kil, M-Phazes, Nottz, Ron G, Taylor Made, and member Lil' Fame under his Fizzy Womack alias, with Laze-E-Laze serving as executive producer. It features guest appearances from DeMarco, Redman, Rell, Styles P, Termanology and The Revelations.
Liar & a Thief is the debut album by American rapper Diabolic. It was released by Viper Records on April 6, 2010 and the album peaked on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at #76 on 24 April 2010. The album features guests such as Immortal Technique, Ill Bill, Vinnie Paz, Deadly Hunta, Nate Augustus, and Canibus with production handled entirely by Engineer with the exception of track 3, which is produced by John Otto of Limp Bizkit on live drums. The album won 2010 HHUG Best Album of the Year award.
The Martyr is a compilation album by rapper Immortal Technique, released on October 27, 2011, through free digital download on ViperRecords.com. It is a collection of previously unreleased songs. The Martyr had 200,000 downloads on its first day, and 1,000,000 in its first week through his independent label, Viper Records.
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