Jeffrey Bruce Atkins Sr., better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known as a leading figure in 2000s hip hop for his blending of gangsta rap with commercially oriented pop sensibilities. He signed with Irv Gotti's Murder Inc Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings to release his debut studio album Venni Vetti Vecci (1999), which spawned his first hit single, "Holla Holla". Ja Rule peaked the Billboard Hot 100 thrice in 2001 with his single "Always on Time" and his guest appearances on Jennifer Lopez's "I'm Real " and "Ain't It Funny". His encompassing singles, "Put It on Me", "Mesmerize", "Livin' It Up" and "Wonderful" have each peaked within the top ten of the chart and spawned from commercially successful album releases.
Earl Simmons, known professionally as DMX, was an American rapper and actor. Regarded as an influential figure in late 1990s and early 2000s hip hop, his music is characterized by his "aggressive" rapping style, with lyrical content varying from hardcore themes to prayers.
...And Then There Was X is the third studio album by American rapper DMX. The album was released on December 21, 1999, by The Island Def Jam Music Group, Def Jam Recordings, and Ruff Ryders Entertainment. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammys.
"Poppin' My Collar" is the second single from Most Known Unknown, an album by hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. The song peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming their second Top 40 hit. The track achieved RIAA platinum certification status on September 6, 2005.
Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood is the second studio album by American rapper DMX. The album was released on December 22, 1998, by Def Jam Recordings and Ruff Ryders Entertainment, over seven months after his debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot.
"Touch It" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes. Released on December 13, 2005, it was the first single from Rhymes' Aftermath/Interscope debut, The Big Bang. The song reached number one in New Zealand, and number six in the United Kingdom. The song features a minimalistic beat provided by Swizz Beatz, and a sample from the song "Technologic" by electronic duo Daft Punk. "Touch It" in turn was incorporated into Daft Punk's live album, Alive 2007.
American rapper DMX released eight studio albums, seven compilation albums, three mixtapes, 47 singles and 24 music videos.
American producer and rapper Swizz Beatz has released two studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play (EP), one mixtape, thirty-nine singles, three promotional singles and thirty-three music videos.
The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter is the first greatest hits album by American rapper DMX. It was released on June 12, 2007, by Def Jam Recordings. Production was handled by Swizz Beatz, Dame Grease, P. Killer Trackz, Black Key, DJ Shok, DJ Scratch, Irv Gotti, Nokio, Self, Shatek King and Tuneheadz. It features guest appearances from The Lox, Drag-On, Jay-Z, Sisqó and Swizz Beatz.
"X Gon' Give It to Ya" is a 2002 song by American rapper DMX, released as the lead single from the soundtrack Cradle 2 the Grave. The song is also a hidden track on DMX's greatest hits album, The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter and is a bonus track on European releases of his then-current album Grand Champ. It was written by DMX and produced by co-soundtrack organizer Shatek. It was his most successful international single.
"Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is a song by American rapper DMX, released on May 5, 1998, as the third single from his debut studio album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998). In 2008, the song was ranked at number 79 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. In the US, upon the song's initial release it had originally peaked at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, before reaching a new peak of number 16 following DMX's death in April 2021.
"Where the Hood At?" is a song by American rapper DMX, released as the lead single from his 2003 studio album Grand Champ. AllMusic stated "The anthemic lead single, 'Where the Hood At,' is precisely modeled after previous DMX rallying calls like 'Ruff Ryders' Anthem', 'What's My Name?', and 'Who We Be.'"
This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2009.
"What's My Name?" is a song by American rapper DMX, released as the first single released from his third album ...And Then There Was X (1999). The single peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. "What's My Name?" was produced by Self and co-produced by Irv Gotti. It went Gold on May 21, 2021 with all of his other Rap Songs.
"Who We Be" is a song by American hip hop recording artist DMX, released as the second single from his fourth album The Great Depression (2001). The song peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, but lost to "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliott. An edited version was featured in the 2002 sports game Street Hoops.
The discography of American hip hop group The Lox, consists of four studio albums, one compilation album, two extended plays, one mixtape and fifteen singles.
"Clap Back" is a song by American rapper Ja Rule, released as the only single from his fifth studio album, Blood in My Eye (2003). It was produced by American producer Scott Storch, who helped write the song along with Ja Rule and Irv Gotti. In the United States, the song was released along with "The Crown" from Blood in My Eye, and in the UK the song was released alongside "Murder Reigns", the final single from Ja Rule's previous studio album The Last Temptation (2002).
Ruff Ryders Entertainment is an American hip hop record label and management company founded by siblings and record executives Joaquin "Waah", Darrin "Dee" and Chivon Dean in 1988. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal, and distributed by Interscope Records, with Def Jam Recordings serving as the distributor for DMX albums. The label went on to launch the careers of several successful artists such as DMX, Eve, The LOX, Drag-On, MC Jin, producers Dame Grease and the Deans' nephew, Swizz Beatz among others. The Ruff Ryders namesake also referred to a loose-knit hip hop collective composed of the core signees of the label. Ruff Ryders and its main studio Powerhouse Studios are headquartered at 33 South Broadway in Yonkers, New York.
Terry Sanchez Wallace Jr., known professionally as Tee Grizzley, is an American rapper. He first began posting music online in 2011; following a two year prison sentence, he released the song "First Day Out" in 2017. It quickly gained viral status—earning two million views on YouTube in under three weeks—due to a social media challenge enacted by basketball player LeBron James, after which the song peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with 300 Entertainment. Its release preceded his debut mixtape My Moment (2017), and was followed by the single "From the D to the A", which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His collaborative mixtape with Lil Durk, Bloodas (2018), was followed by his debut studio album, Activated (2018).
Johnathan Jamall Porter, known professionally as Blueface, is an American rapper. In October 2018, after releasing the music video for his song "Respect My Cryppin'", he became a viral meme due to his offbeat style of rapping. The following month, he was signed to Cash Money West, the West Coast branch of Birdman's Cash Money Records label.
