Keith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, known for his surreal, abstract, and often profane or incomprehensible lyrics. Kool Keith has recorded prolifically both as a solo artist and in group collaborations. Kool Keith is generally considered to be one of hip-hop's most eccentric and unusual personalities.
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas and raised there and in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success following the 1990 release of his best-known hit "Ice Ice Baby".
To the Extreme is the major-label debut studio album by American rapper Vanilla Ice, released on September 10, 1990, by SBK Records and EMI Records. Recorded between 1989–90, it contains Vanilla Ice's most successful single, "Ice Ice Baby". It primarily contains hip hop and pop rap tracks produced by Earthquake, Kim Sharp, Khayree, and Darryl Williams.
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.
N.E.R.D. was an American rock and hip-hop band, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1994. Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo were signed by Teddy Riley to Virgin. After producing songs for several artists throughout the late 1990s, Williams and Hugo formed the band with Shay Haley as a side project band of the Neptunes in 1994. N.E.R.D.'s debut album, In Search of..., sold 603,000 copies in the United States and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It was also awarded the second annual Shortlist Music Prize. The band's second album, Fly or Die, sold 412,000 copies in the United States, but shipped at least 500,000 units, certifying it Gold.
The Beatnuts is an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les is a Colombian American from Jackson Heights, Queens. Although only peripheral members, they are routinely acknowledged by Q-Tip as being members of Native Tongues. The Beatnuts were originally a trio before Fashion, now known as Al' Tariq, left the group to start a solo career. V.I.C. was also a member of The Beatnuts' production team for a while.
Bi-Polar is the fourth studio album by Vanilla Ice. Released by Ultrax Records, it is the rapper's second independent release, after Hooked. The song "Unbreakable" was remade for Dance Dance Revolution II as "Still Unbreakable", with additional verses from Vanilla Ice himself and production from Konami in-house artist Des-ROW. As of 2002, the album sold 10,645 copies in the United States.
"Ice Ice Baby" is the debut single by American rapper Vanilla Ice, K. Kennedy and DJ Earthquake. It samples the bassline of the song "Under Pressure" by British rock band Queen and British singer David Bowie, who did not receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit. Released on Vanilla Ice's debut album, To the Extreme (1990), it is his best-known song. It has appeared in remixed form on Platinum Underground and Vanilla Ice Is Back! A live version appears on the album Extremely Live, while a nu metal version appears on the album Hard to Swallow, under the title "Too Cold".
Breaking Atoms is the first album by American/Canadian hip hop group Main Source, released in 1991 on Wild Pitch Records. It was produced by the group, primarily by member Large Professor, with recording sessions taking place during 1990–1991 at Homeboy Studio, Power Play Studios, and Libra Digital in New York City. Breaking Atoms is distinguished stylistically by its incorporation of jazz and soul music samples. The album has been highly regarded by music writers due mostly to its production, whose heavy and original use of sampling influenced hip hop producers for a considerable portion of the 1990s.
Golden age hip hop refers to hip hop music created from the mid or mid-late 1980s to the early or early-mid 1990s, particularly by artists and musicians originating from the New York metropolitan area. A precursor to the new-school hip hop movement, it is characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence on overall hip hop after the genre's emergence and establishment in the old-school era, and is associated with the development and eventual mainstream success of hip hop. There were various types of subject matter, while the music was experimental and the sampling from old records was eclectic.
"The Corner" is the second single released by rapper Common on his sixth album, Be. It features a chorus and production by Kanye West as well as spoken word lyrics by The Last Poets. The song's lyrics deal with street corners in poor neighborhoods. The song's beat contains samples from "You Make the Sun Shine" by The Temprees and "What It Is" by The Temptations. Because of the song's gritty sound, some fans considered it to be a return to Common's Resurrection days. A music video directed by Kanye West was made for "The Corner."
"Testify" is the fourth single from rapper Common's 2005 album Be. Clocking in at just above two and a half minutes, it is the second shortest track on Be. It is produced by Kanye West, whose beat heavily utilizes vocal samples from "Innocent Til Proven Guilty" by Honey Cone. Spence D. of IGN.com comments on this saying: "'Testify' [...] features an intricate layering of vocals which provide such an hypnotic backdrop that you almost forget to listen to Common's compelling storytelling." The song's story is about a woman who manipulates a judge and jury to find her partner guilty of a crime she committed. After the case is settled, she starts laughing that she is the criminal. Sean Malcolm of AllHipHop.com considers Common to have "paint[ed] pictures of extravagant court trials" on "Testify." The song was a critical hit garnering a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards.
"Like This" is a song by American singer Kelly Rowland, featuring vocals by rapper Eve. Recorded late into the production of Rowland's second solo album Ms. Kelly (2007), the song was released on March 13, 2007, as the lead single from the album. The artists co-wrote the song with its producers Sean Garrett, Polow da Don, Blac Elvis, and Jason Perry, with additional production from S-Dot. "Like This" is a R&B song, with its lyrics referring to a woman growing out of a past relationship.
Hard to Swallow is the third studio album by American rapper Vanilla Ice. Released by Republic Records in 1998, the album was the first album Vanilla Ice recorded after a four-year hiatus following the 1994 release of Mind Blowin. Vanilla Ice intended the new musical direction found on the album as an attempt to move away from hip hop music and discard his former pop image. Hard to Swallow instead featured what he described as "skate rock", a fusion of heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop. The album features appearances from Amen vocalist Casey Chaos, Bloodhound Gang vocalist Jimmy Pop, and Insane Poetry front man Cyco. Vanilla Ice employed a full band for the album's sessions, which included members from notable bands such as drummer Shannon Larkin, keyboardist Scott Borland, guitarist Sonny Mayo (Snot/Sevendust), bassist Doug Ardito, and turntablist DJ Swamp (Beck/Ministry).
Mark S. Jordan, better known by his stage name DJ Pooh, is an American record producer, rapper, screenwriter, and film director. He is perhaps best known for his production work on Ice Cube's 1993 single "It Was a Good Day", which remains one of the most popular songs in hip hop music. He was also part of the musical group Uncle Jamm's Army, as well as the West Coast production outfit L.A. Posse.
Padded Room is the fourth studio album by Joe Budden, released February 24, 2009. Recording for the album took place from 2007 to 2008; at Bennett Studios in Englewood, New Jersey, Glenwood Place Studios in Burbank, California and Sundance Studios in Jersey City, New Jersey, and it was mixed and mastered at Cyber Sound Studio in New York City. The record features guest appearances from Emanny, Drew Hudson and The Game. The album's release was supported by the single "The Future" featuring The Game, and two promotional singles – "In My Sleep" and "Exxxes".
"Diva" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. The song was written and produced by Beyoncé Knowles, Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford, and Sean Garrett for the singer's third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008). It was released as the album's third overall single in the United States alongside the third international single "Halo". "Diva" is an R&B song, which is set with a southern hip hop flavored groove, and carries a stuttering beat. Its lyrics deliver messages of independence and female empowerment. The song boasts a beat and a bassline similar to those of another Bangladesh 2008 production, "A Milli" by American rapper, Lil' Wayne; critics coined "Diva" as a "female companion" to the latter.
W.T.F. , also known as W.T.F. or just WTF, is the sixth studio album by American rapper Robert Van Winkle, known as Vanilla Ice. Scheduled for a 2009 release, it was officially released as a digital download on August 30, 2011, through Radium Records, executive produced by Vanilla Ice, Nick DeTomaso and Mark Mehwald.
Luke George Girgis, formerly known by his stage name, Coptic Soldier, is an Australian hip-hop artist, music manager, record label executive, and publisher. He often performed with stage partner, Phatchance and later became his manager.
"Treat 'Em Right" is a 1991 song by rapper Chubb Rock. The song samples "There Was a Time" by Dee Felice Trio and "Love Thang" by First Choice.
