Yolanda "Yo-Yo" Whitaker is an American rapper and actress.
Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand, better known by her stage name Foxy Brown, is an American rapper. Upon being signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1996, she released her debut studio album, Ill Na Na, in November of that year to critical and commercial success. It peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), sold over seven million units worldwide, and was supported by the Billboard Hot 100-top ten single "I'll Be".
Reasonable Doubt is the debut studio album by American rapper Jay-Z. It was released on June 25, 1996, by his own record label Roc-A-Fella Records and distributed by Priority Records. The album features production provided by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and also includes guest appearances from Memphis Bleek, Mary J. Blige, Jaz-O, and the Notorious B.I.G., among others. The album features mafioso rap themes and gritty lyrics about the "hustler" lifestyle and material obsessions.
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Harris is credited as one the pioneers of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgia-based rappers Jeezy and Gucci Mane. He first became acquainted with local music executive Kawan "KP" Prather, and joined his company Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment by the late 1990s. He was led to sign a major-label record deal with its parent company LaFace Records, an imprint of Arista Records in 1999. His debut studio album, I'm Serious (2001), was met with lukewarm critical and commercial reception, becoming his only release with the label. He then signed with Atlantic Records, where he soon reached his mainstream breakthrough and co-founded his own label imprint, Grand Hustle Records by 2003.
Rodolfo Antonio Franklin II, known professionally as DJ Clark Kent, was an American hip hop DJ and record producer. His crew of DJs was called "The Supermen", and his DJ moniker was derived from the name of Superman's alter ego.
Grand Hustle Records, also known as Hustle Gang Music, is an American hip hop record label, founded in 2003, by American rapper and record executive T.I. and his manager Jason Geter. The label was distributed by Atlantic Records until December 2012, and has since operated as an independent record label. Its roster has included acts such as 8Ball & MJG, B.o.B, Killer Mike, Young Dro, DJ Drama, Iggy Azalea, Meek Mill, Chip, Travis Scott,The OMG Girlz and Trae tha Truth, the latter of whom also served as the label's vice president. The label also houses a roster of record producers, which has included Lil' C, Mars and Nard & B.
Frazier Othel Thompson III, better known by his stage name Trae tha Truth, is an American rapper. He embarked on a recording career in 1998, and established local prominence in the Texas hip hop scene with his solo debut, Losing Composure (2003). His second and third albums, Same Thing Different Day (2004) and Restless (2006), followed thereafter, the latter of which was his debut on Rap-a-Lot Records.
Kim Osorio is an American journalist, writer, author, TV producer and personality. She was also a cast member on the American reality TV series, "The Gossip Game" on VH1.
"Big Shit Poppin' (Do It)" (edited for radio as "Big Things Poppin' (Do It)") is a song by American hip hop recording artist T.I., released on May 29, 2007, as the lead single from his fifth album T.I. vs. T.I.P. (2007). The song was produced by Mannie Fresh. The song was listed as No. 66 on Rolling Stone's "The 100 Best Songs of 2007" list.
"Can't Knock the Hustle" is the third single from American rapper Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt. The song features a beat produced by Knobody. It is co-produced by Sean C and Dahoud Darien. The chorus is sung by Mary J. Blige.
Jermaine Coleman, better known by his stage name Maino, is an American rapper and radio personality. After an ineffective tenure with Universal Motown Records, he signed with Atlantic Records to release his 2008 debut single, "Hi Hater", which entered Billboard's Hot Rap Songs, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts. His 2009 follow-up single, "All the Above" peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both songs preceded the release of his debut studio album If Tomorrow Comes… (2009), which peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200. Its sequel, The Day After Tomorrow (2012) peaked at number 94 and was supported by the single "Let It Fly".
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta is an American reality television series that premiered June 18, 2012 on VH1. The series chronicles the lives of several people in Atlanta involved with hip hop music, and features appearances from notable figures associated with Southern hip hop.
Love & Hip Hop: New York is an American reality television series that premiered March 6, 2011 on VH1. The series chronicles the lives of several people in New York City, involved with hip hop music, and features appearances from notable figures associated with East Coast hip hop.
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain is an American rapper. He first gained recognition following his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based hip hop collective The House, which he formed with rappers YGTUT, Michael Da Vinci (MikeyD), Chris P, and Brian Brown.
Notorious is a 2009 American biographical drama film directed by George Tillman Jr., and written by Reggie Rock Bythewood and Cheo Hodari Coker. It is based on the life of Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist The Notorious B.I.G. Much of the film dramatizes key events in Biggie's life: his criminal lifestyle, arrest and release from prison, his relationships with Sean Combs, Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim and Faith Evans, his involvement in the East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry and his drive-by-shooting murder on March 9, 1997. The film stars Jamal Woolard as Wallace, with Angela Bassett, Derek Luke, and Anthony Mackie in supporting roles. Biggie's mother, Voletta, served as a producer for the film, alongside his former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts.
Safaree Lloyd Samuels is an American reality television actor and rapper. In the early 2000s, he was a hype man for the hip hop group Hoodstars, which included rapper Nicki Minaj. He later gained public attention for dating and being a hype man for Minaj until 2014. In 2016, he joined the cast of the VH1 reality show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, and then Love & Hip Hop: New York in 2017. He also joined Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and Love & Hip Hop: Miami, making him the only Love & Hip Hop cast member to have appeared in all four shows. As a solo artist, he's released one studio album and five mixtapes.
Erica Banks is an American rapper born and raised in DeSoto, Texas. Following the release of her first three mixtapes, she signed to 1501 Certified Entertainment, who released her self-titled mixtape in June 2020. It spawned her first charting single, "Buss It", which went viral on TikTok. In January 2021, she signed to Warner Records, on which "Buss It" was reissued.
