Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California, formed in 1988. They have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and they have obtained multi-platinum and platinum certifications. The group has been critically acclaimed for their first five albums. They are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast hip hop and 1990s hip hop. All of the group members advocate for medical and recreational use of cannabis in the United States. In 2019, Cypress Hill became the first hip hop group to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, known commonly as Shaq, is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. He is a 7-foot-1-inch (2.16 m) and 325-pound (147 kg) center who played for six teams over his 19-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a four-time NBA champion. O'Neal is regarded as one of the greatest basketball players and centers of all time.
Warren Griffin III is an American rapper, record producer, and DJ who helped popularize West Coast hip hop during the 1990s. A pioneer of G-funk, he attained mainstream success with his 1994 single "Regulate". He is credited with discovering Snoop Dogg, having introduced the then-unknown rapper to record producer Dr. Dre.
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the early 1990s. The genre was heavily influenced by the synthesizer-heavy 1970s funk sound of Parliament-Funkadelic, often incorporated through samples or re-recordings. It was represented by commercially successful albums such as Dr. Dre's The Chronic (1992) and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle (1993).
The Chronic is the debut studio album by American rapper and record producer Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records along with Interscope Records and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions took place in Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.
Doggystyle is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop Doggy Dogg's appearances on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop contributed significantly. The West Coast style in hip-hop that he developed from Dre's first album continued on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for the lyrical "realism" that he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow.
Delmar Drew Arnaud, known professionally as Daz Dillinger or simply Daz, is an American rapper and record producer. As a member of Death Row Records in the early 1990s, he is credited with the label in pioneering West Coast hip hop and gangsta rap for mainstream audiences. Alongside Kurupt, he formed the hip hop duo tha Dogg Pound in 1992, with whom he has released eight albums.
David Marvin Blake, better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and record producer from Compton, California, 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."
The Documentary is the commercial debut studio album by American rapper the Game. It was released on January 18, 2005, by Aftermath Entertainment, G-Unit Records, and Interscope Records. The record serves as his major-label debut, preceded by his independently released debut Untold Story in 2004. In 2001, while the Game was in hospital recovering from a shooting, he decided to pursue a career in music. He released the mixtape, "Q.B. 2 Compton" under his then record label "Get Low Recordz" in 2002, which was later discovered by Dr. Dre and led to him signing the Game to his label, Aftermath Entertainment. The album includes production from high-profile producers such as Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Scott Storch and Timbaland, among others, and guest appearances from 50 Cent, Eminem, Nate Dogg and Faith Evans, among others. This would be the Game's only album on Aftermath and G-Unit Records, as he left the label later in 2006 after a feud began between him and fellow G-Unit label-mate 50 Cent.
Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz were an American hip hop duo, composed of rappers Sean "Lord Tariq" Hamilton and Peter "Peter Gunz" Pankey, from The Bronx, New York. They are best known for their 1997 single "Deja Vu ", which reached the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The LBC Crew were a hip-hop trio from Long Beach, California. They were the first act to be executively-produced by Snoop Dogg.
The discography of American record producer, sound engineer, and rapper Dr. Dre consists of three studio albums, forty-two singles,, two compilation album, one soundtrack album, and twenty-one music videos.
Shaq Diesel is the debut studio album by American professional basketball player and rapper Shaquille O'Neal. It was released on October 26, 1993, through Jive Records.
Shaq Fu: Da Return is the second studio album by American basketball player and rapper Shaquille O'Neal. It was released on November 8, 1994, via Jive Records. Production was handled by Erick Sermon, LoRider, The LG Experience, Chyskillz, Redman and Warren G. It features guest appearances from Erick Sermon, General Sha, Ill Al Skratch, Keith Murray, Method Man, Mr. Ruffneck, Redman and RZA.
The discography of former professional basketball player, rapper, and DJ Shaquille O'Neal consists of four studio albums, two compilation albums, two soundtracks, one unreleased album, and 19 singles. O'Neal played in the NBA from 1992 until 2011. Around 1993, O'Neal was signed to Jive Records where he released his debut album, Shaq Diesel, in that year. The album peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200, number 10 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Shaq Diesel produced four singles. The first, "What's Up Doc? ", peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 56 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number 22 on Rap Songs, and was certified gold by the RIAA. The second, "(I Know I Got) Skillz", peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 20 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, number 3 on Rap Songs, and was certified gold by the RIAA. It also peaked at number 34 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. The third, "I'm Outstanding", peaked at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 29 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 6 on Rap Songs. Internationally, it peaked at number 43 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and number 70 on the UK Singles Chart. The fourth, "Shoot Pass Slam", did not chart.
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner, better known by his stage name Xzibit, is an American rapper, actor, television presenter, and radio personality. He began his musical career in 1992, and signed with Loud Records, an imprint of RCA Records to release his debut studio album, At the Speed of Life (1996). The album saw positive critical reception, modestly entered the Billboard 200, and spawned the single "Paparazzi," which peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998) was met with similar reception and spawned the single "What U See Is What U Get."
"(I Know I Got) Skillz" is the debut single released from American NBA star and rapper Shaquille O'Neal's debut album, Shaq Diesel (1993). The song, which saw its official release on September 7, 1993 by Jive Records, was produced by Def Jef and Meech Wells and featured a guest verse from Def Jef as well. It samples "It's My Thing" by EPMD and "Large Professor" by Main Source. "(I Know I Got) Skillz" was a success, peaking at 35 and 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, becoming Shaq's only solo top-40 hit in the US, although he managed to avoid one hit wonder status as he previously scored a hit as a featured guest on the Fu-Schnickens hit "What's Up Doc? ". The single was certified gold by the RIAA on December 21, 1993, for shipping of 500,000 copies. The accompanying music video was directed by Scott Kalvert. The song was also featured on Shaq's compilation album, The Best of Shaquille O'Neal and appeared in the film Pineapple Express. Shaq performed the track at Lollapallooza 2019 in Grant Park, Chicago.
"The Way It's Goin' Down" is a hip hop song performed by American rappers Shaquille O'Neal and Peter Gunz. It was released on July 27, 1998 via T.W.IsM. Records as the lead single from O'Neal's fourth studio album Respect. Recording sessions took place at Larrabee Sound Studios and Skip Saylor Recording in Hollywood. Written by O'Neal, Gunz and DJ Quik, it was produced by the latter.
"Man's Not Hot" is a comedy hip hop novelty song by British comedian Michael Dapaah, in character as the fictional UK drill rapper Big Shaq. It samples an instrumental by GottiOnEm and Mazza, which was first used on 86's "Lurk" and later on "Let's Lurk" by 67 featuring Giggs. The song saw commercial success, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart. The song has been certified platinum in the United Kingdom by the BPI, indicating 600,000 combined sales and streams. The music video has gained over 429 million views on YouTube as of June 2024.
Chylow Parker, known by the stage name Chyskillz, was an American record producer, DJ, musician, rapper and a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx.
