Public Enemy is an American hip hop group formed by Chuck D and Flavor Flav on Long Island, New York, in 1985. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as American racism and the American media. Their debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim, and their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), was the first hip hop album to top The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll. Their next three albums, Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991) and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994), were also well received. The group has since released twelve more studio albums, including the soundtrack to the 1998 sports-drama film He Got Game and a collaborative album with Paris, Rebirth of a Nation (2006).
Dead Prez, often stylized as dead prez, is an American hip hop duo composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self-determination, and Pan-Africanism. The duo maintains an ethical stance against corporate control over the media, especially hip hop record labels.
Oscar Jackson Jr., better known by his stage name Paris, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California, known for his highly charged political and socially conscious lyrics. Influenced by the Black Panthers, he was once a member of the Nation of Islam.
Tony Louis Cottrell, better known as Hi-Tek, is an American rapper and music producer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is best known for his work with Talib Kweli. His father is singer Willie Cottrell of the Willie Cottrell Band, whom Hi-Tek featured on his second album, Hi-Teknology 2.
The Devil Made Me Do It is the debut studio album by American rapper Paris. It was released on October 9, 1990, on Tommy Boy Records. Paris toured the US and Europe that year to promote the record. The album eventually sold over 300,000 copies according to the emcee.
Sleeping With the Enemy is the second studio album by American rapper Paris. Released on November 24, 1992, it stimulated much controversy with the songs "Bush Killa" and "Coffee, Donuts & Death". It also featured a young DJ Shadow on production.
The Conscious Daughters (TCD) were an American female hip hop duo from the Bay Area, California, United States, consisting of Carla "CMG" Green and Karryl "Special One" Smith. The duo signed in 1993 to Paris's record label, Scarface Records, after passing him a demo tape at a club. They released their first studio album, Ear to the Street.
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.
"You Know How We Do It" is a song by American rapper, actor and filmmaker Ice Cube, released as the second single from his fourth studio album, Lethal Injection (1993). The song was released on February 2, 1994 by Lench Mob and Priority, and was a No. 30 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. Musically, it is in the G-funk genre, and has the same kind of mood and feeling as "It Was a Good Day". The song samples "The Show Is Over" by Evelyn "Champagne" King, "Summer Madness" by Kool & the Gang, and "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson.
Edutainment is the fourth album from Boogie Down Productions. Released on July 17, 1990, it is an album whose lyrics deal with afrocentricity and socio-political knowledge. It has 6 skits/interludes known as 'exhibits' that all talk about or relate to Black people. Many skits feature Kwame Ture a leader of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 10, 1990. KRS One has stated in interviews that the album has sold over 700,000 copies
The Dope Poet Society is a hip hop group from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Their music is characterized by clever and sometimes controversial lyrics. ProfessorD.us is the lead vocalist of the group. The group has been active since 1995 and has toured around the world. They have also performed and collaborated with artists including Public Enemy, Dead Prez, Jeru the Damaja, and Boot Camp Click.
Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape is the fourth studio album by American soul singer and rapper Meshell Ndegeocello, released on June 4, 2002 by Maverick Records. Following the commercial underperformance of her third studio album, Bitter (1999), her label encouraged her to return to her earlier sound and record an album that sounded more "black". Ndegeocello collaborated with a number of prominent Black musicians, including Talib Kweli, Missy Elliott, and Tweet, as well as her backing band, the Conscientious Objectors, and recorded the album during the summer of 2001. The record, which Ndegeocello modeled on the mixtapes of her childhood, adopted a hip-hop and R&B-influenced sound and political lyrics similar to that of her debut album, Plantation Lullabies (1993), focusing on themes such as consumerism, revolution, religion, and same-sex attraction. Throughout the album, Ndegeocello also features samples of recorded speeches by Black activists, poets, and musicians, such as Angela Davis, Gil Scott-Heron, Countee Cullen, and Etheridge Knight.
"Ain't No Nigga" is the second single from the American rapper Jay-Z's first album, Reasonable Doubt, and is featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor. It was released on March 19, 1996. The track features Foxy Brown, and uncredited vocals by Jaz-O.
Sun Rise Above, also known as Sun R. A., is a hip hop artist, notable for his leftist political views and corresponding lyrics. Described as a "highly politicized rapper who manages to convey his ideological leanings in an approachable fashion", Sun Rise Above has been compared to acts like Public Enemy and the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as contemporary political rappers such as Dead Prez and Immortal Technique.
"Niggas in Paris" is a song by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West from their collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011). The song is built around a synth bell loop from the Dirty South Bangaz music library, and contains vocal samples from "Baptizing Scene" by Reverend W.A. Donaldson, an interpolation of "Victory" by Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, and dialogue excerpts from the 2007 film Blades of Glory. On the week of the album's release, "Niggas in Paris" debuted at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually peaking at number five. Outside of the United States, "Niggas in Paris" peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom. As of 2018, it has sold 6.7 million archetype digital units in the United States. The song won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.
Corey Isiah Christie, better known as Reks, is an American rapper. Reks emerged from Lawrence, Massachusetts' underground rap scene. His debut underground album, Along Came The Chosen, was released on Brick Records in 2001. Reks has released eight additional albums and has appeared on various albums and mixtapes.
"My Nigga" is a song by American rapper YG, released on September 17, 2013, as the lead single from his debut studio album My Krazy Life (2014). The song, produced by frequent collaborator DJ Mustard, features guest appearances from CTE World founder Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan. It interpolates "The Sky is the Limit", as written and performed by Lil Wayne as well as the popular refrain from C-Murder's single "Down for My N's".
Hezekiah Davis III, better known by his stage name Hezekiah, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is founder of the producer showcase, Beat Society. He is lead singer of the band Johnny Popcorn. Hezekiah was born in Chester, Pennsylvania and raised in New Castle, Delaware. He currently resides in Philadelphia.
Chylow Parker, known by the stage name Chyskillz, was an American record producer, beatmaker, DJ, hardcore rapper, and a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx.
