Nicholas Neil Carter, better known by his stage name Murs, is an American rapper. His name is an acronym for which he himself has created multiple meanings, such as "Making the Universe Recognize and Submit" or "Making Underground Raw Shit."
Daniel Alan Maman, professionally known as the Alchemist, is an American musician, record producer, DJ, rapper and songwriter. He began his music career in 1991 in the hip hop duo The Whooliganz under the moniker Mudfoot, along with now-actor Scott Caan. After rising to prominence in the late 1990s, as a close associate of Dilated Peoples and Mobb Deep, he went on to produce for many of hip hop's leading artists in the 2000s, and has been hailed as one of the genre's leading producers. While he produces for many artists, most of his recent production has been for a close group of frequent collaborative rappers. He focuses on producing entire albums for rappers and instrumental projects of his own. He is currently Eminem's official DJ.
Tariq Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove. Regarded as "one of the most skilled, incisive, and prolific rappers of his time", he is widely lauded for his live performance skills, continuous multisyllabic rhyme schemes, complex lyricism, double entendres, and politically aware lyrics. With the Roots, he is a singer and rapper on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, frequently playing games with Fallon and his guests.
K-Salaam, born Kayvon Sarfehjooy in Montréal, Quebec, 1977, is a Producer, Turntablist, and Educator. At age 3, his family moved to Minneapolis, MN where he was raised for most of his childhood. He then moved to New York City to pursue a career in music. He currently resides in Vancouver, BC. He is of Iranian heritage.
Gregory Skyler Taylor, known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American actor and rapper. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music For My Friends in 2015, and his most recent solo album In Celebration Of Us. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of non-commercial mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career, and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Tyrese, Dr. Dre, Raheem Devaughn, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, and others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.
Slaughterhouse is the self-titled debut studio album by hip hop supergroup, Slaughterhouse, consisting of members Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9". The album was released on August 11, 2009 on E1 Music and sold 18,600 copies in its first week.
Santiago Leyva, known by his stage name Fashawn, is an American hip hop recording artist from Fresno, California. He first gained major attention after releasing his debut album Boy Meets World in 2009, which was produced entirely by Exile. The album received critical acclaim and landed him on the cover of XXL Magazine's Top 10 Freshmen issue in 2010. Since then, Fashawn has collaborated with other artists and producers such as Nas, J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Evidence, Murs, Aloe Blacc, Blu, The Alchemist, and 9th Wonder. In 2014, Fashawn performed the entrance theme to WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley's rematch against Manny Pacquiao.
Boy Meets World is the debut solo album by American rapper Fashawn, with all songs produced by Exile. It was released by the independent record label One Records on October 20, 2009.
In Search of Stoney Jackson is the second studio album by California based hip hop group Strong Arm Steady, released on January 26, 2010 under Stones Throw Records. The album's title is a reference to actor Stoney Jackson. The album, entirely produced by Madlib, features guest appearances from Talib Kweli, Phonte, Fashawn, Evidence, Oh No, Roscoe, Guilty Simpson and a host of underground Los Angeles rappers, as well as former Strong Arm Steady members Planet Asia and Chace Infinite. The rap vocals are mainly performed by Phil Da Agony and Krondon, as Mitchy Slick appears on only two tracks. The album is considered a collaborative album, between Madlib and the L.A. hip hop collective, who chose the beats from 200 potential compositions.
Lord Steppington is the debut studio album by California-based hip hop duo Step Brothers. The album was released on January 21, 2014 by Rhymesayers Entertainment. The record was produced entirely by Alchemist with one track produced by Evidence, and includes guest appearances from Action Bronson, Roc Marciano, Blu, Fashawn, Rakaa, Oh No, Styles P, Domo Genesis and The Whooliganz – Alchemist's old group which included actor Scott Caan.
Heroes in the Healing of the Nation is the second collaborative studio album by Zion I and The Grouch. It was released by Z & G Music on March 22, 2011. It is the follow-up to their 2006 collaborative album, Heroes in the City of Dope. It features guest appearances from Fashawn, Casual, and Freeway, among others. It peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, number 47 on the Independent Albums chart, number 48 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and number 23 on the Top Rap Albums chart.
Noa James is a West Coast rapper based in the Inland Empire region of California.
The Final Adventure is the fifth collaboration album by Murs and 9th Wonder. It was released on November 13, 2012, on Jamla Records. The album features only one guest appearance by Rapsody.
Albert Einstein is the second collaborative studio album by American hip hop recording artist Prodigy of Mobb Deep and American record producer The Alchemist. The album was released on June 11, 2013, by Infamous Records. The album features guest appearances from Roc Marciano, Domo Genesis, The Alchemist, Havoc, Raekwon and Action Bronson.
Population Control is the fourth studio album by East Coast hip hop producer Statik Selektah. The album was released on October 25, 2011. The album features guest appearances from Sean Price, Termanology, Big K.R.I.T., Freddie Gibbs, Mac Miller, Styles P, Saigon, Jared Evan, Action Bronson, Bun B, Talib Kweli, XV, Colin Munroe, Lil Fame, Pill, Reks, Mitchy Slick, Dom Kennedy, Strong Arm Steady, Skyzoo, Chuuwee, Nitty Scott, MC, Rapsody, Smoke DZA, Joell Ortiz, Brother Ali, Lecrae, DJ Premier, DJ Babu and Scram Jones among others. The album debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard Top Heatseekers chart in the first week of its release.
The Block Brochure: Welcome to the Soil 5 is the nineteenth studio album by American rapper E-40. The album was released on December 10, 2013, by Heavy on the Grind Entertainment. The album features guest appearances from 2 Chainz, Young Bari, Roach Gigz, Iamsu!, Kool John, Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, Z-Ro, Big K.R.I.T., Danny Brown, Schoolboy Q, B-Legit, Mike Marshall, Too Short, Work Dirty, Laroo T.H.H., Stressmatic and J. Banks.
Born and Raised is the first extended play by American hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun. It was released on December 3, 2013 through Duck Down Music. Entirely produced by Beatnick & K-Salaam, the six-song EP is a blend between reggae and hip hop music, and includes guest appearances from Jahdan Blakkamoore, Junior Kelly and Junior Reid. The EP was preceded by one single — "Solid Ground" featuring dancehall icon Junior Reid.
Strangeulation is the fourteenth studio album by American rapper Tech N9ne, the fifth in his "Collabos" series. The album was released on May 6, 2014, by Strange Music. The album features guest appearances from the entire Strange Music roster, including its newest signing at the time — Murs, as well as some outside collaborators such as Tyler Lyon, Ryan Bradley, Mackenzie O'Guin, Kendall Morgan, John 5 and Serj Tankian.
¡Mursday! is the self-titled debut album by American hip hop group ¡Mursday!, which consists of the group ¡Mayday! and rapper Murs. The album was released on June 10, 2014, by Strange Music.
The Ecology is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Fashawn. The album was released on February 24, 2015 by Nas' Mass Appeal Records. Nas serves as executive producer for the album, and guest features include Nas himself, Aloe Blacc, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Dom Kennedy. The album's production, similar to Fashawn's debut album Boy Meets World, is handled primarily by Exile, with additional contributions by DJ Khalil, The Alchemist, and more.
