Jamiroquai are an English funk and acid jazz band from London, formed in 1992. Fronted by singer-songwriter Jay Kay, the band were a prominent component of the London-based funk/jazz movement of the 1990s. Their sound draws from black music of the 1970s, and their lyrics and visual concepts occasionally deal with social and environmental idealism. They also drew from rock, electronica and Latin music, and on stage perform with several musicians in the band playing live. Over the years, Kay has consistently remained as the leader through several line-up changes.
Public Enemy Radio is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D and DJ Lord. Formed in Long Island, New York, in 1985, they are famous for their music with a heavy political message alongside extreme criticism of the media of the United States, with many of their works also revolving around frustrations and concerns of the African American community.
Eric B. & Rakim are an American hip hop duo formed in Long Island, New York, in 1986, composed of DJ Eric B. and MC 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," while the editors of About.com ranked them as No. 5 on their list of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All-Time.
Digable Planets is a Grammy award-winning hip hop trio formed in 1987. The trio is composed of rappers Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, Mariana "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira, and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving. The group is notable for their contributions to the subgenres of jazz rap and alternative hip hop.
Jazz rap is a fusion of jazz and hip hop music 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. Bands involved in the formation of jazz rap included A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, De La Soul, Gang Starr, Jungle Brothers, and Dream Warriors.
Coccinellidae, commonly known as ladybugs, ladybirds, or luckybirds, are a family of beetles.
Peter O. Phillips, better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early on in his career, he was also famed for his remix work.
Gerrit-Jan Mulder, known professionally as Brainpower, is a Dutch rapper who writes, records and performs in both English as well as his native Dutch. He was born in Belgium and grew up in the Netherlands. He started making music in the eighties, and spent his time making a name for himself in the 1990s. Since 2001, he released six solo studio albums, one live album CD/DVD set, a book/DVD set, a greatest hits box set, and a few other successful side projects.
Charles Stewart, better known as Chali 2na, is an American rapper, associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. He is known for his baritone and quick delivery rapping style.
Om Records is an American record label, established in 1995, which releases electronic music, dance music and hip hop. The label was founded in San Francisco in 1995 by Chris Smith. Om Records releases both artist albums and compilations, including the Om Lounge and Mushroom Jazz series. Om's current roster of artists includes Groove Armada, Underworld, Dirty Vegas, Bassnectar, Indiana Taurus, J Boogie, People Under The Stairs, Samantha James, Amp Live, Greenskeepers, Hot Toddy, and Wagon Cookin. Past artists have included Kaskade, Wolfgang Gartner, Ladybug Mecca, and Juan Atkins.
Reachin' is the debut album by alternative hip hop group Digable Planets released on February 9, 1993, by Pendulum/Elektra Records. The album has been certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
To trip the light fantastic is to dance nimbly or lightly, or to move in a pattern to musical accompaniment
Blowout Comb is the second studio album by American hip hop group Digable Planets, released October 18, 1994, on Pendulum/EMI Records. The album was written and recorded in Brooklyn, New York, where the group moved, with recording sessions beginning in 1993 and finishing in 1994. On Blowout Comb, Digable Planets abandoned the radio friendly style of their debut album and worked with a more ambitious, stripped-down sound. The album features a diverse range of samples and live instruments, and contains lyrical themes of the inner city and black nationalism. It also features guest appearances from Guru of Gang Starr, Jeru the Damaja, and DJ Jazzy Joyce.
From the Corner to the Block is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans-based jazz fusion/funk group Galactic. Unlike the group's other albums, From the Corner to the Block is a collaboration with various alternative hip hop musicians. It was produced by Count, Ben Ellman and Galactic.
DJ Jazzy Joyce on June 20, 1967 is an American hip hop DJ from the Bronx, New York and producer on New York City's radio station Hot 97. She has been considered one of the most prominent female rap DJs, known for her collaboration with rapper Sweet Tee on the 1986 single "It's My Beat". Joyce has performed in many areas across the United States and has also made a name for her mixtapes. She started off as a protege of DJ Whiz Kid before deejaying for artists such as the Bad Girls and Shelly Thunder. She began deejaying for the group Digable Planets in 1994 and was featured on "9th Wonder (Blakitolism)", the first single from "Blowout Comb", the second album from Grammy winning rap group Digable Planets. Not only were her DJ cuts prominent on the hook and the outro, but Joyce also exchanged several ad libbed lines at the end of the song's third verse with group member Ladybug Mecca and she was acknowledged by name throughout the track, although she is referred to as Sweet Lime Pie, a name she used as an online persona, rather than by her own name. DJ Jazzy Joyce went on to tour with Digable Planets following the release of the Blowout Comb album in 1994.
James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer and rapper who emerged in the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as one third of the acclaimed music group Slum Village. His obituary at NPR stated that he "was one of the music industry's most influential hip-hop artists." He is considered by some as the "godfather of lo-fi hip hop".
Shabazz Palaces is an American hip hop duo from Seattle composed of Ishmael Butler a.k.a. Palaceer Lazaro and multi-instrumentalist Tendai "Baba" Maraire, son of mbira master Dumisani Maraire. Active since 2009, they have released four studio albums on Sub Pop. Their most recent album, The Don of Diamond Dreams, was released on April 17, 2020.
Erik Rico is an American musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and DJ.
Ishmael Reginald Butler is an American rapper, record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his work with such groups as Digable Planets and Shabazz Palaces.
Jonathan Hay is an American publicist and record producer. His music career started in the 1990s when he stumbled upon a recording studio while attending college in Louisville, Kentucky. Hay is most known for his work with "Pon de Replay", the debut single from Rihanna. Hay has produced six albums and a single that topped the Billboard Charts in multiple genres including Hip-Hop and Jazz. Hay's jazz album, a re-imagination of Follow the Leader by Eric B. & Rakim ended Michael Bublé's 38 week reign at the top of the Billboard Charts.
