Nu metal is a subgenre of alternative metal that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu metal bands have drawn elements and influences from a variety of musical styles, including multiple genres of heavy metal. Nu metal rarely features guitar solos or other displays of technical competence; the genre is heavily syncopated and based on guitar riffs. Many nu metal guitarists use seven-string guitars that are down-tuned to feature a heavier sound. DJs are occasionally featured in nu metal to provide instrumentation such as sampling, turntable scratching and electronic backgrounds. Vocal styles in nu metal include singing, rapping, screaming and growling. Nu metal is one of the key genres of the new wave of American heavy metal.
The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by American rapper Eminem. After it had originally scheduled for release on June 4, 2002, the album was released on May 26, 2002, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records due to pirating and bootlegging of it. The album saw Eminem take a substantially more predominant production role; most of it was self-produced, with his longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, and Dr. Dre being the album's executive producer. It features guest appearances from Obie Trice, D12, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, Dina Rae and Eminem's daughter Hailie Jade Scott-Mathers.
Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way", a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West, Xzibit, Chali 2na and John Legend appearing in the music video. They reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart with two tracks, "This Way" and "Worst Comes to Worst." Their members include DJ Babu (producer/DJ), Evidence (MC/producer) and Rakaa (MC). The group also received a publicity spike after their songs were featured in the 2003 video games Need for Speed: Underground and NBA Street Vol. 2.
This article is an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 2000s.
Looptroop Rockers is a hip hop group from Västerås, Sweden. The members are rappers Promoe, Supreme, DJ/Producer Embee and CosM.I.C. On their fourth album, Good Things, the group changed its name from Looptroop to Looptroop Rockers, a name used unofficially for some years prior to the change.
Emerging in the first half of the 1980s, Swedish hip hop was first heard from the cities of Stockholm and Malmö. Early on, most rappers in Sweden performed in English. Funkalics and The Latin Kings, two very different acts united by their innovative use of the Swedish language, debuted a decade later and paved the way for a second, and bigger, breakthrough for Swedish hip hop. Today, some of the most popular rappers use Swedish, often in different accents.
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal -- and hardcore punk-oriented influences, respectively.
Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan whose lyrical style has been described as horrorcore, combining influence from horror films and comic books with more personal, introspective lyrics as well as other non-horror themes including smoking marijuana, sex, and politics. Formed in 1997, Twiztid is composed of Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric, who performs under the respective personas of Jamie Madrox and Monoxide. Spaniolo and Methric are former members of the group House of Krazees which disbanded in 1997. They signed to Psychopathic Records in 1997 and released their debut album in 1998, Mostasteless.
Promoe is a Swedish rapper, and member of Swedish hip hop group Looptroop Rockers, formed in Västerås, Sweden, 1992. He released his fourth album in 2009 entitled Kråksången, and later the same year followed up with the mixtape Bondfångeri. Promoe has a background of graffiti-writing and in turn, many of his songs deal with graffiti. He follows a vegan straight edge lifestyle.
Country rap is a fusion genre of popular music blending country music with hip hop–style rapping.
"Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture 8 Mile. The song was written by Eminem and produced by Eminem along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the production duo Bass Brothers, and Luis Resto. It was released on October 28, 2002, as the lead single from the soundtrack. The song's lyrics explicitly sum up the background of Eminem's character in 8 Mile, B-Rabbit, with the first verse summing up much of the plot of the movie. The song incorporates several aggressive themes, largely dealing with the struggles dealt with by B-Rabbit, and how he eventually overcomes his many problems and obstacles to gain the respect of other rappers.
Embee is a Swedish hip hop DJ and producer. He was born Magnus Bergkvist on February 24, 1977 in Badelunda, Västmanland, Sweden. He is best known for his work with Swedish hip-hop group Looptroop Rockers. His first solo album Tellings from Solitaria won a Swedish Grammy Award for best hip hop or soul release of 2005.
Phrenology is the fifth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released on November 26, 2002, by MCA Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during June 2000 to September 2002 at Electric Lady Studios in New York. It was primarily produced by members of the band and features contributions from hip hop and neo soul artists such as Cody ChesnuTT, Musiq Soulchild, Talib Kweli, and Jill Scott.
Get Rich or Die Tryin' is the debut studio album by American rapper 50 Cent. It was released on February 6, 2003, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records and Interscope Records. After signing with Eminem, 50 Cent also worked heavily with Dr. Dre, with the duo acting as the album's executive producers, who worked to combine the gangsta rap and R&B combo prevalent in New York hip hop. Additional production is provided by Mike Elizondo, Sha Money XL, Mr. Porter, Rockwilder, Dirty Swift, Megahertz, and more.
American singer Aaliyah released three studio albums, two compilation albums, and 26 singles. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At age 10, she appeared on Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah was signed to Jive Records and Blackground Records by her uncle, Barry Hankerson. He introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album. Age Ain't Nothing but a Number sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed to Atlantic Records.
Soundism is a group of music producers and sound engineers with music recording studios located in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Västerås (Sweden). They are part of the Swedish hip hop culture. Not only have new artists emerged, but also other actors in the hip hop culture that are less visible to the general public. Soundism has been one of the supporters of hip hop artists in Sweden, which meant that they could put forward recordings to the international scene. Growing out creating music of prerecorded music on vinyl records with the Dj style Turntablism, Soundism understood what sound that was required for hip hop records. Previous music producers and studios in Sweden mainly focused on pop or rock music. Hip hop music has origins in Reggae music, which partially explains Soundism's work within both of these genres.
Fort Europa is the third album by the Swedish hip hop group Looptroop. It was released in 2005 by Burning Heart Records and is entirely produced by Embee. An instrumental version of the album has also been released.
Good Things is the fourth album by the Swedish hip hop group Looptroop Rockers. It was released in 2008 by Bad Taste Records and is entirely produced by Embee. It is the first album released after the retirement of band member CosM.I.C. and also the first one released under the name Looptroop Rockers. Despite leaving the group, CosM.I.C. does make an appearance on the track Al Mazika. Good Things also features the first cover song on any of the group's albums, Livin' on a Prayer, originally performed by Bon Jovi.
English band Sade have released six studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, two extended plays, 23 singles, six video albums, and 20 music videos. Following a brief stint of studying fashion design and modelling, Sade Adu began back up singing for a band named Pride, during this time she attracted attention from record labels and along with other members left Pride and formed the band Sade in 1982. Following a record deal Sade and her eponymous band released their debut album Diamond Life (1984), the album was a commercial success and sold over six million copies, becoming one of the top-selling debut albums of the 1980s and one of the best-selling debuts by a British female-fronted band of all time.
Modern Day City Symphony is the first studio album by the Swedish hip hop band Looptroop. It was released in April 2000 by Burning Heart Records and is entirely produced by Embee.
