Life After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper the Notorious B.I.G., released on March 25, 1997, on Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. A double album, it was released sixteen days after his murder. It features collaborations with guest artists such as 112, Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Mase, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort, Angela Winbush, D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C., R. Kelly, the Lox, and Puff Daddy. Life After Death exhibits the Notorious B.I.G. further delving into the mafioso rap subgenre. The album is a sequel to his first album, Ready to Die, and picks up where the last song, "Suicidal Thoughts", ends.
Digital Underground is an American alternative hip hop group from Oakland, California. Its lineup changed with each album and tour.
Me Against the World is the third studio album by American rapper 2Pac. It was released on March 14, 1995, by Interscope Records and Out da Gutta Records and distributed by Atlantic Records. 2Pac draws lyrical inspiration from his impending prison sentence, troubles with the police, and poverty.
Gregory Edward Jacobs, known professionally as Shock G and by his alter ego Humpty Hump, was an American rapper and musician who was best known as the lead vocalist of the hip hop group Digital Underground. He was responsible for Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance", 2Pac's breakthrough single "I Get Around", and co-producer of 2Pac's debut album 2Pacalypse Now.
40 Dayz & 40 Nightz is the second studio album by American rapper Xzibit. It was released on August 25, 1998, through Loud Records and RCA Records. Recording sessions took place at Sound Castle and at Area51 in Los Angeles, at N-House Studioz and at Record One in Studio City, at Track Record, Inc. in North Hollywood, and at The Enterprise in Burbank. Production was handled by Sir Jinx, Bud'da, A Kid Called Roots, DJ Pen One, E-Swift, Jesse West, Mel-Man, Montage One, Soopafly, The Glove and Xzibit himself. It features guest appearances from fellow Likwit Crew teammates Montage One, Defari, King Tee and Tha Alkaholiks, and the Golden State Project members Ras Kass and Saafir, as well as West Coast rapper Jayo Felony and Staten Island rapper Method Man of the Wu-Tang Clan. The album debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States, and at number 32 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart.
112 is the debut album from the American R&B group 112. It was released on August 27, 1996, as one of the first R&B records on Sean Combs' Bad Boy label. The majority of the album was produced primarily by Combs, Tim & Bob and one of the first Hitmen, Stevie J. It also included contributions from group member Daron Jones, Al B Sure!, Kyle West, Arnold Hennings and Boyz II Men vocalist Wanya Morris. The album features label mates the late The Notorious B.I.G., Mase and Faith Evans. Three singles were released from the album: "Only You", "Come See Me" and "Cupid". All of the singles had music videos released.
Money, Power & Respect is the debut album by hip hop group The Lox. It was released on January 13, 1998, through Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The album featured production from the Hitmen, Dame Grease and Swizz Beatz. The album found huge success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and spawned two charting singles, "Money, Power & Respect" and "If You Think I'm Jiggy". In 2008, the title track was ranked number 53 on Vh1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.
Reggie Gibson, better known as Saafir, is an American rapper, producer, and actor. He is also a member of the rap group "Golden State Project" with Ras Kass and Xzibit. Born in Oakland, California, he lived with Tupac Shakur and became a dancer for Digital Underground.
"I Get Around" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his second studio album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... (1993). It was released on June 10, 1993 by Interscope Records as the album's second single and features Shakur's mentor Shock G and Money-B of Digital Underground, Shakur's old group. It was produced by Shock G, who produced it under the alias, The D-Flow Production Squad. AllMusic notes that in the song, Shakur "brags about his sexual conquests". Chart-wise, it was the album's most successful single, reaching numbers eleven and nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100.
Rasassination is the second studio album by American rapper Ras Kass. It was released on September 22, 1998 via Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at Stu's Kennel, at Audio X Recording Studios and Enterprise Recordings in Burbank, at PatchWerk Recording Studios in Atlanta, at Henchmen Recording Studio and Unique Recording Studios in New York, at Echo Sound in Los Angeles, and at Creator's Way Recording Studio in Chicago. Production was handled by Stu-B-Doo, Klev, Easy Mo Bee, Flip, Jaz-O, Toxic, Twelve, and Ras Kass himself. It features guest appearances from Bad Azz, Dr. Dre, El Drex, Jah-Skillz, Jazze Pha, Kurupt, Mack 10, Phil Da Agony, RZA, Saafir, Twista and Xzibit. The album peaked at number 63 on Billboard 200 and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. Its only single, "Ghetto Fabulous", made it to number 56 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Sons of the P is the second studio album by American hip hop group Digital Underground. It was released on October 15, 1991 via Tommy Boy Records. Main recording sessions took place at Starlight Sound in Richmond, with additional recordings done at Unique Recording Studios in New York, Axiom Recorders in Tampa and The Disc Ltd. in Detroit. Production was handled by D.U. in-house production team credited as The Underground Production Squad, with Atron Gregory and member Shock G serving as executive producers. It features contributions from George Clinton, Stretch and Treach.
The Body-Hat Syndrome is the third full-length studio album by American hip hop Digital Underground. It was released on October 5, 1993 via Tommy Boy Records. Production was handled by Digital Underground inner production team, the D-Flow Production Squad. The album peaked at number 79 on the Billboard 200 and number 16 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States.
"So Many Tears" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album, Me Against the World (1995). It was released on June 13, 1995, as the album's second single. It was produced by Shock G, who used a sample of Stevie Wonder's That Girl, and is often described as one of the album's best. A music video was made for "So Many Tears" and there were also numerous live performances of this song on Saturday Night Live and on Shakur's House of Blues concert, his last recorded show.
This Is an EP Release is the first extended play by American hip hop group Digital Underground. It was released on January 15, 1991 through TNT Recordings and Tommy Boy Records. Production was handled by Digital Underground themselves. The EP peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and number 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States. It was certified gold on March 18, 1991 by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 units.
"I Can Love You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige along with her sister LaTonya Blige-DaCosta, Rodney Jerkins, and Lil' Kim for her third album, Share My World (1997), with Jerkins producing the song and Lil Kim having featured vocals. The contains elements of the song "Queen Bitch," a track from Kim's debut album Hard Core (1996), co-written by Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick. Due to the inclusion of the sample, they are also credited as songwriters.
Boxcar Sessions is the debut studio album by American rapper Saafir. It was released in 1994 via Qwest Records. The recording sessions took place at Pajama Recording Studios in Oakland, California. The production was handled by DJ Jay-Z, J Groove and Big Nose, with Sleuth and Saafir serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Big Nous, King Saan, Poke Martian and Rashinel.
Trigonometry is the second album by American rapper Saafir and his only project released under the alias Mr. No No. It was dropped on January 20, 1998, via Hobo/Wrap Records. Production was handled by DJ JZ, J Groove, Shock G and the Porch Monkeys.
Training Day: The Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to Antoine Fuqua's 2001 crime film Training Day. It was released on September 11, 2001 through Priority Records and contained mostly hip hop music.
I Told You So is the second studio album by American rapper Chino XL. Originally it was slated to be released via Warner Bros. Records, and the catalogue number 47710 was assigned to the release, but Chino XL was dropped by the label shortly after the promotional single "Let 'Em Live" was released. It was released on August 21, 2001 through Metro Records.
"Ghetto Fabulous" is the lead single released from Ras Kass second album, Rasassination. Produced by Stu-B-Doo, the song featured a verse from Dr. Dre and a chorus by Mack 10. Though "Ghetto Fabulous" had a more commercial sound to it than his previous singles, it was not a commercial success, only making it to 56 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. The video also features Ice-T.
