A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985, originally composed of rapper and main producer Q-Tip, rapper Phife Dawg, DJ and co-producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and rapper Jarobi White. The group is regarded as a pioneer of alternative hip hop and merging jazz with hip hop, influencing numerous hip hop and R&B musicians.
Trevor George Smith Jr., known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations for his work, making him one of the most-nominated artists without winning.
Eric B. & Rakim are an American hip hop duo formed on Long Island, New York, in 1986, composed of DJ Eric B. and rapper Rakim. AllMusic wrote that "during rap's so-called golden age in the late '80s, Eric B. & Rakim were almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop." Tom Terrell of NPR called them "the most influential DJ/MC combo in contemporary pop music period." The editors of About.com ranked them as No. 5 on their list of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All-Time, and Rolling Stone ranked them No. 5 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.
Jazz rap is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music, as well as an alternative hip hop subgenre, that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. AllMusic writes that the genre "was an attempt to fuse African-American music of the past with a newly dominant form of the present, paying tribute to and reinvigorating the former while expanding the horizons of the latter." The rhythm was rooted in hip hop over which were placed repetitive phrases of jazz instrumentation: trumpet, double bass, etc. Groups involved in the formation of jazz rap included A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Gang Starr, The Roots, Jungle Brothers, and Dream Warriors.
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.
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American rapper, record producer, singer, and DJ. Nicknamed the Abstract, he is noted for his innovative jazz-influenced style of hip hop production and his philosophical, esoteric and introspective lyrical themes. He embarked on his music career in the late 1980s, as an MC and main producer of the influential alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. In the mid-1990s, he co-founded the production team The Ummah, followed by the release of his gold-certified solo debut Amplified in 1999. In the following decade, he released the Grammy Award-nominated album The Renaissance (2008) and the experimental album Kamaal the Abstract (2009).
Rebirth is the fourth studio album by American singer Jennifer Lopez. It was released on February 23, 2005, by Epic Records. Following the release of her third studio album This Is Me... Then (2002), which was dedicated to her fiancé at the time Ben Affleck, Lopez decided to focus on her film career. After her engagement to Affleck ended, Lopez put her career on hiatus, as she felt that it had been on a "roller-coaster" ride for years. She soon married fellow Hispanic recording artist Marc Anthony, and professed that she had entered "phase two" of her life, signifying a new beginning.
The Big Bang is the seventh studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on June 13, 2006, by Aftermath Entertainment, Flipmode Records and Interscope Records. Production for the album took place during 2005 to 2006 at several recording studios and was handled by Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Mark Batson, DJ Scratch, J Dilla, Timbaland, Mr. Porter, will.i.am, Sha Money XL, JellyRoll, Black Jeruz, Nisan Stewart and DJ Green Lantern. The official cover artwork was revealed on May 7, 2006. The tracklisting was released on the 15th.
When Disaster Strikes... is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer Busta Rhymes, released by Elektra on September 16, 1997. The album follows the same theme as The Coming, the apocalypse. The album, upon its release, received mostly positive reviews, debuted at number three on the official US Billboard 200 album chart, and peaked at the top spot on the Top R&B Albums chart.
Nahshid Sulaiman, better known by his stage name One Be Lo, is an alternative hip hop artist from Pontiac, Michigan. He is well respected for being one half of the rap duo Binary Star, and has released a number of well-received solo albums. He is a member of Massive Monkees, a world-champion B-boy crew.
Masters of the Universe is the second and final studio album from American hip hop duo Binary Star, released on October 31, 2000. The release is largely a remixed and rearranged version of their 1999 debut Waterworld. The album was one of the most acclaimed underground hip hop releases of 2000, though it only sold around 20,000 copies.
Dominick J. Lamb, better known by his stage name Nottz, is an American hip hop producer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia. Nottz has produced for some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, Cassidy, Ghostface Killah, Kardinal Offishall, Royce da 5'9", Little Brother, The Game, Dwele, Termanology, Bilal, Asher Roth, Slaughterhouse, Pusha T, Torae, Rapsody, Shateish and Talib Kweli among many others.
Back on My B.S. is the eighth studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on May 19, 2009 through Flipmode and Universal Motown.
We Global is the third studio album by Miami based mixtape DJ and Terror Squad member, DJ Khaled. The album was released on September 16, 2008. This was his third album distributed by Koch Records, and the first released on his We the Best Music Group label. The album's guest appearances from Game, T-Pain, Bun B, Rick Ross, Ace Hood, Plies, Akon, Trick Daddy, Lil Boosie, Nas, Kanye West, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Sean Paul, Busta Rhymes, Pitbull, Casely and Flo Rida among others.
Asleep in the Bread Aisle is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Asher Roth. It was released on April 20, 2009, by School Boy, SRC and Universal Motown Records. The production on the album was largely contributed by Oren Yoel, while the album features guest appearances from CeeLo Green, Busta Rhymes, Keri Hilson, Jazze Pha, pop duo Chester French, and the hip hop group New Kingdom.
Victory is the fourth studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on March 2, 2010, under his imprint, We the Best Music Group and E1 Records.
James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, drummer, rapper, and songwriter. He emerged during the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was also a member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Welcome to: Our House is the second and final studio album by hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse, consisting of Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9". The album was released on August 28, 2012 via Shady Records and Interscope Records. This would also be their only major label album before disbanding on April 26, 2018.
Rich Gang is the debut studio album by American record labels Young Money and Cash Money as the supergroup Rich Gang. The album was released July 23, 2013, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Motown Records. The album contains contributions from several YMCMB members, including Birdman, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, Mack Maine, Limp Bizkit, Bow Wow, Ace Hood, Jae Millz, Cory Gunz, Gudda Gudda, Caskey, Detail, Busta Rhymes and Mystikal. The compilation also features guest appearances from artists outside the labels, including Future, Meek Mill, French Montana, T.I., Yo Gotti, Flo Rida, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, The Game, Kendrick Lamar, and R. Kelly. The album was supported by the three singles "Tapout" which peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, along with the R. Kelly featured "We Been On" and "50 Plates" by Rick Ross. The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics and sold 40,000 copies in the US after three weeks of sale.
PRhyme 2 is the second studio album by American hip hop duo PRhyme, consisting of Royce da 5'9" and DJ Premier. Produced entirely by DJ Premier, the album features samples composed by producer AntMan Wonder. It was released on March 16, 2018 via their own record label PRhyme Records and INgrooves Music Group, and is a sequel to the eponymous album PRhyme. The album features guest appearances from rappers 2 Chainz, Big K.R.I.T., Dave East, Rapsody, Roc Marciano, Yelawolf, Chavis Chandler, bassist Brady Watt and singers Novel, CeeLo Green and Denaun Porter.
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