Rapping is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and [commonly] street vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The components of rap include "content", "flow", and "delivery". Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that it is usually performed off-time to musical accompaniment. It also differs from singing, which varies in pitch and does not always include words. Because they do not rely on pitch inflection, some rap artists may play with timbre or other vocal qualities. Rap is a primary ingredient of hip hop music, and so commonly associated with that genre that it is sometimes called "rap music".
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.
Let's Get Free is the debut studio album by hip-hop duo dead prez. It was released February 8, 2000 on Loud Records.
Lamont Coleman, known professionally as Big L, was an American rapper. Emerging from Harlem in New York City in 1992, Big L became known among underground hip-hop fans for his freestyling ability. He was eventually signed to Columbia Records, where, in 1995, he released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous. On February 15, 1999, he was fatally shot nine times in a drive-by shooting in Harlem.
Killarmy is an American hip hop group that is affiliated with Wu-Tang Clan. It is one of the earliest and most successful of the many Wu-Tang affiliates along with Sunz of Man.
Tarik Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove. Regarded as "one of the most skilled, incisive, and prolific rappers of his time", he is widely lauded for his live performance skills, continuous multisyllabic rhyme schemes, complex lyricism, double entendres, and politically aware lyrics. With the Roots, he is a singer and rapper on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, frequently playing games with Fallon and his guests.
RBG: Revolutionary but Gangsta is the second studio album by hip-hop duo dead prez. It was released March 30, 2004 on Sony Records.
Lorenzo Dechalus, known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he discovered Dead Prez and got them signed to Loud Records.
Can't Sell Dope Forever is a collaborative mixtape by American hip hop groups dead prez and Outlawz. It was released in 2006 through Affluent Records. Production was handled by both of dead prez members stic.man and M-1, and Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean, as well as Chuck P, Eddie Coldfingers, New Muzik and Tai Rotan. It features guest appearances from Chae, Erica Fox, Layzie Bone, Malachi, Messy Marv, Scott Lo, and stic.man's mother Ms. Nora. The album did not reach the Billboard 200, however, it peaked at number 99 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States.
Confidential is the debut solo studio album by American rapper M-1. It was released on March 21, 2006 through Sotti/Koch Records as a DualDisc with a DVD side featuring a twenty-minute documentary on the making of the entire album in stereo sound. Production was handled by Fabrizio Sotti, Agallah, Black Jeruz, Butter, Eric "Ibo" Butler, LT Moe, Spoo Noodles and Tahir. It features guest appearances from Raye, Bang Double, Bazaar Royale, Cassandra Wilson, Ghostface Killah, K'naan, Q-Tip, Scrap Daddy, stic.man, Stori James, Styles P and Young Dre the Truth.
Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a form of political activism. Political hip hop generally uses the medium of hip hop music to comment on sociopolitical issues and send political messages to inspire action, create social change, or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. It was inspired partially by politically-focused 1970s artists such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as the Black Power movement and revolutionary politics of the 1960s and 1970s. Various hip hop artists emerged in the 1980s espousing political messages and providing social and political commentary, with the American group Public Enemy in particular establishing themselves as one of the first predominantly political hip hop groups. The genre has helped to create a new form of social expression for subordinate groups to speak about their exclusions, injustices, and lack of power.
Mutulu Olugbala, better known by his stage name M-1, is an American rapper, songwriter, and activist from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for his work as one half of the political hip hop duo dead prez with stic.man.
Soldier 2 Soldier is a collaborative studio album by rappers stic.man and Young Noble. It was released on October 3, 2006.
Manhood is the debut solo album by rapper stic.man. The album was released October 23, 2007.
John R. Austin II, better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop supergroup The HRSMN, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is also a member of the group Golden State Warriors with Xzibit and Saafir. About.com ranked him No. 30 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), while Pitchfork Media called him "one of the best rappers of all time."
Alternative hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip hop groups that refuse to conform to any of the traditional stereotypes of rap, such as gangsta, bass, hardcore, and party rap. Instead, they blur genres drawing equally from funk and pop/rock, as well as jazz, soul, reggae, and even folk."
Ansar El Muhammad, better known by his stage name Askari X, is a hip-hop artist from Oakland, California. He has released 3 albums, is on numerous compilation albums, and has been a guest on several albums. Stic.man and M-1 of Dead Prez refer to Askari X in their music and credit him as one of their main musical influences. Askari X advocates Black Power, Black Liberation, and Islam in his lyrics. His sound is characterized by slow drum beats and a verbal flow similar to Tupac Shakur. Askari X is philosophically aligned with the African People's Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement. His style may be considered as conscious rap.
Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. His most recent album, Gotham, was released in 2020. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
"Hip-Hop" is a song by American hip hop duo Dead Prez, released on March 30, 1999 as a single from their debut studio album Let's Get Free (2000). Produced by production group Hedrush and Dead Prez, it is the duo's best-known song.
