John David Jackson, better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. Raised in Brooklyn, he first gained recognition for his ability upon performing live on DJ Clue's Hot 97 radio show. Jackson then signed to Clue's record label Desert Storm Records, in a joint venture with Elektra Records. He rose to further prominence with his debut studio album Ghetto Fabolous (2001), which spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n ." Adopting a further commercially-oriented approach, his second album, Street Dreams (2003), was supported by the singles "Can't Let You Go" and "Into You" —both of which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.
Tyree Cinque Simmons, known professionally as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter. He initially gained recognition as the DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I., and continued to gain prominence hosting mixtapes for other hip hop artists. His trademark Gangsta Grillz series is present on releases of which he has compiled; it has been popularized by artists including Lil Wayne, Tyler the Creator, Snoop Dogg, Yo Gotti, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Fabolous, Jeezy, Meek Mill, and Gucci Mane, among others. Alongside record producer and fellow Philadelphia native Don Cannon, he co-founded the record label Generation Now in 2015, an imprint of Atlantic Records which has signed artists including Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow.
Justin Lewis Scott, better known by his stage name Big K.R.I.T., is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Meridian, Mississippi, he began his musical career in 2005. He was signed to Def Jam Recordings by Sha Money XL in 2010, and first gained recognition following the release of his single "Country Shit" in September of that year. The following year, he guest appeared on T.I.'s promotional single "I'm Flexin'", which became Scott's first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ariyan Arslani, professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper, record producer, chef, songwriter and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, New York, he released his debut mixtape Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!! in January 2011 and independently released his debut album, Dr. Lecter, in March 2011. In August 2012, Arslani signed his first major-label deal with Warner Bros. Records, but was later moved to the Atlantic Records-distributed label Vice Records.
"In the Morning" is a song by American rapper J. Cole, originally released on his third mixtape Friday Night Lights (2010) and included on his debut studio album Cole World: The Sideline Story (2011). The song, produced by L&X Music, features Canadian hip hop recording artist Drake.
Malcolm James McCormick, known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of 15. In 2010, he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album, Blue Slide Park (2011), became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
Nayvadius DeMun Cash, known professionally as Future, is an American rapper and singer. Known for his mumble-styled vocals and prolific output, Future is considered a pioneer of the use of Auto-Tuned melodies in trap music. Due to the sustained popularity of this musical style, he is commonly regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation.
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain is an American rapper. His mainstream breakthrough followed after his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J, Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based hip hop collective The House, which he formed with rappers YGTUT, Michael Da Vinci (MikeyD), Chris P, and Brian Brown.
Ratking was an American hip hop group from New York City, which consisted of rappers Wiki and Hak, and producer Sporting Life. A leading force in the underground in the early 2010s, their music has been described as "stridently youthful", and the group themselves have stated they wished to reinvent rap music.
So It Goes is the only studio album by New York City hip hop group Ratking, which consisted of rappers Wiki and Hak, and producer Sporting Life. It was released on April 8, 2014 by HXC Recordings. It was entirely engineered by Young Guru. The album's title was inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's novel Slaughterhouse-Five. The album features collaborations with King Krule, Salomon Faye, and Wavy Spice. The album reached #13 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums, #38 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and #21 on Rap Albums.
Maybach Music Group is a record label founded by American rapper Rick Ross in 2008. An imprint of gamma. since 2023, the label was previously an imprint of Def Jam Recordings (2009–2011), Warner Records (2011–2012) and Atlantic Records (2012–2023). The label, having signed artists including Wale, Meek Mill, French Montana, Omarion, Rockie Fresh, and Stalley, has released a total of 29 studio albums, including three compilation albums in its Self-Made series. The "Maybach Music" vocal tag heard in many of the label's recordings is spoken by Australian model Jessica Gomes.
Miles Parks McCollum, known professionally as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He first gained recognition in August 2015 for his viral hit "One Night", the lead single from his debut extended play (EP), Summer Songs. He released his debut mixtape Lil Boat in March 2016, and signed a joint venture record deal with Motown, Capitol Records, and Quality Control Music in June of that year.
Lil Me is the debut mixtape by American rapper Wiki. It was released on December 7, 2015, by Letter Racer Records. The mixtape features guest appearances from his Ratking cohorts Hak and Sporting Life, as well as Skepta, Antwon, Micachu, and Nasty Nigel, among others. The mixtape is supported by three singles, "Livin' with My Moms", "Patience", and "3 Stories".
700-Fill is the only mixtape by New York City hip hop group Ratking, which consisted of rappers Wiki and Hak, and producer Sporting Life. The album was self-released on March 4, 2015 via BitTorrent and was entirely produced by Sporting Life. It features guest appearances from Remy Banks, Despot, and Princess Nokia, among others.
Symere Bysil Woods, known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape Luv Is Rage (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom they signed under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.
Eric Adiele, known professionally as Sporting Life, is an American record producer, rapper, songwriter and visual artist. He is best known for being a member of New York City hip hop group Ratking with American rappers Wiki and Hak. Adiele has since gone on to release several solo albums and extended plays (EPs) under R&S Records.
Hakeem Lewis, known professionally as Hak, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, songwriter and music video director from New York City. He is best known for once being a member of the hip hop group Ratking. Lewis later left Ratking in 2016 and released his first solo album, June, the same year.
No Mountains in Manhattan is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Wiki. It was released on August 25, 2017, by XL Recordings. It features guest verses from Ghostface Killah, Lakutis, ACAB, Slicky Boy and Your Old Droog, and production credits for Wiki, Kaytranada, Earl Sweatshirt and Sporting Life.
Lil Pump is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Pump. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Tha Lights Global and Warner Records. The album features guest appearances from frequent collaborator Smokepurpp, alongside Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross. It also features production from Bighead, Ronny J, TM88, among others. A sequel album, Lil Pump 2, was released six years later on March 17, 2023.
Michael Jordan Bonema, known professionally as Mike, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer based in New York City. Bonema's non-typical upbringing, having experienced life in New Jersey, England, Philadelphia and New York City, has had an audible influence on his diverse and experimental music style.
