Dennis David Coles, better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo career with Ironman, which was well-received by music critics, in 1996. He has enjoyed continued success in the years that have followed, releasing critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and Fishscale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film The Mystery of Chess Boxing. He is the founder of his own record label, Starks Enterprises.
Radio is the debut studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was released on November 18, 1985, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was also Def Jam's first full-length album release.
Christopher Edward Martin, known professionally as DJ Premier, is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr—alongside the rapper Guru—and presently forms half of the hip hop duo PRhyme, together with Royce da 5'9".
Reginald Noble, better known by his stage name Redman, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame in the early 1990s as an artist on the Def Jam label.
Shut 'Em Down is the third album by American hip hop group Onyx, released on June 2, 1998, by JMJ Records and Def Jam. The album was produced by Keith Horne and Self, with help from DJ Scratch of EPMD, Bud'da and Latief. The album features guest appearances from Onyx's affiliate X1, DMX, a then-unknown 50 Cent, Still Livin from Gang Green, All City, Mr. Cheeks, Wu-Tang Clan, N.O.R.E., Big Pun and others.
Australian hip hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and is largely inspired by hip hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of music that is no longer restricted to the creative underground, with artists such as The Kid Laroi, Manu Crooks, Onefour, Iggy Azalea, Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso and Youngn Lipz, having achieved notable fame. Australian hip hop is still primarily released through independent record labels, which are often owned and operated by the artists themselves. Despite its genesis as an offshoot of American hip-hop, Australian hip hop has developed a distinct personality that reflects its evolution as an Australian musical style.
EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is a concatenation of the members' names "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith. During an interview on college radio station WHOV in 1987, Parrish Smith stated that the name evolved from the original: "We were originally known as "EEPMD", but chose to go with EPMD because it was easier to say." He also stated that they dropped the two "E's" because N.W.A.'s Eric Wright was already using "Eazy-E" as his stage name. The group has been active for 36 years.
David Marvin Blake, better known by his stage names DJ Quik or Da Quiksta, is an American rapper and producer, known for his production in the G-funk style of West Coast hip-hop. Blake has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Tupac, Chingy, R. Kelly and Shaquille O'Neal, among others. Blake's stage name reflects his ability to produce songs in a short period of time. Some of his top songs include "Dollaz + Sense", "Tonite", "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Jus Lyke Compton".
The Diplomats is an American hip hop collective formed in 1997 by childhood friends Cam'ron and Jimmy Jones in Harlem, New York. The group was originally composed of Cam'ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Zekey, all of whom grew up together in Harlem. In 1999, fellow Harlem-based rapper Juelz Santana joined the group.
The Demon Boyz were an English hip hop group formed in London by Demon D, Mike J and DJ Devastate. They began rapping whilst in their early teens, performing with Twilight Soul Sound. Their big break came when they won a competition on Dave Pearce’s rap show, their prize being to perform live on stage with Derek B, Faze One and T La Rock at a gig at Camden Palace. Derek B – aka Derek Boland, quasi-A&R man for Music of Life records – was so impressed with the group that he put them in touch with the company’s founder, Simon Harris.
Red Gone Wild: Thee Album is the sixth studio album by rapper Redman. It was released on March 27, 2007 via his own label Gilla House Records in conjunction with Def Jam Recordings.
Def Wish Cast are an Australian hip hop group from Western Sydney.
Resin Dogs is an Australian hip hop group, formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1996. Resin Dogs are a loose collective, a cut and paste sample band who use live drums, live bass, and elements of hip hop via turntables and samplers to create all forms of ritual dance sounds. The Resin Dogs consist of Dave Atkins, DJ Katch, Dennis Kudelka, Jonothan Bolt and Tony McCall, with regular guest appearances in Australia by Hau Latukefu (Koolism), N'Fa Forster-Jones and on their overseas touring they appear with Abstract Rude (ATU) (US), Mystro (UK), and BluRum13 (Canada).
The Hit Squad is an American hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists. Originally formed in the 1990s by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of the rap group EPMD, the group included rap artists such as K-Solo, Redman, Das EFX, Top Quality, and Knucklehedz. When EPMD broke up for the first time in 1993, the collective separated, with Sermon forming Def Squad and Smith retaining the Hit Squad name.
Knights of the Underground Table is the debut album by the Australian hip hop group Def Wish Cast. It was released in 1993 on CD and cassette by Random Records. The album was recorded in St Clair in Western Sydney. Group members Def Wish and Sereck designed the Def Wish Cast logo that appears on the album artwork. It is one of the first full length Australian hip hop albums.
Sound Unlimited, formerly known as Sound Unlimited Posse and Westside Posse, was an Australian hip hop group from Sydney and the first Australian hip hop act signed to a major label during the 1990s. The band's members were: Rosano and Tina Martinez, MC Kode Blue and Vlad DJ BTL.
Hydrofunk Records is an independent Australian hip hop record label that represents a number of Australian acts including the Resin Dogs and Def Wish Cast.
Brethren is an Australian hip hop duo from Sydney formed in 1989. The group comprises Matthew Peet a.k.a. "Mistery" and Claude Rodriguez a.k.a. Wizdm. They have released two albums, two EPs and a number of singles and collaborations. They have performed live locally, notably at festivals including The Big Day Out, Livid and Blackstump Music Festival.
DJ Damage is an Australian hip hop DJ and turntablist from Brisbane, Australia. He started in hip hop culture via breaking and buying records in 1983. DJ Damage was in Brisbane mid 90s hip hop group Towering Inferno, and a member of the Big Rigs six turntable DJ team from the same period. DJ Damage is currently a member of The Optimen. He was a member of the turntablist crew the Terntable Jediz. He is also a member of the Brisbane new jazz and funk band Step It Up.
The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show was an underground hip hop radio show broadcast in New York, originally on 89.9 WKCR-FM, the student radio station at Columbia University, and later on 97.1 WQHT-FM. The show was hosted by Adrian Bartos and Robert "Bobbito" Garcia, and functioned as an alternative to commercial hip hop radio by airing unsigned artists, rarities and B-sides from commercial artists, and live freestyles and DJ scratch sessions. The show has been credited with introducing the world to Biggie Smalls, Eminem, Jay-Z, Big L, Big Pun, Fat Joe, Wu Tang Clan, Fugees and many other names which would rise to prominence in the mid to late 1990s.
5 August 2006