"California Love" is a song by American rapper 2Pac featuring fellow American rapper-producer Dr. Dre and American singer Roger Troutman. The song was released as 2Pac's comeback single after his release from prison in 1995 and was his first single as the newest artist of Death Row Records. The remix is featured on the UK version of his fourth album, All Eyez on Me (1996), and is one of 2Pac's most widely known and most successful singles. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks and also topped the charts of Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden. The song was posthumously nominated Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 1997.
American singer Mariah Carey has released 86 official singles, 22 promotional singles, and has made 30 guest appearances. Her self-titled debut album in 1990 yielded four number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, the first being "Vision of Love", a song credited with revolutionizing the usage of distinguished vocal stylings, predominantly the practice of melisma, and effectively influencing virtually every female R&B performer since the 1990s. Subsequent singles "Emotions" (1991) and Carey's cover of the Jackson 5 track, "I'll Be There" (1992) continued the singer's streak of US number-one singles, with the latter becoming her fourth chart-topper in Canada and first in the Netherlands. With the release of Carey's third studio album, Music Box (1993), the singer's international popularity surged upon release of "Hero" and the album's third single, her cover of Harry Nilsson's "Without You", which became the singer's first number-one single in several countries across Europe.
Ill Na Na is the debut studio album by American rapper Foxy Brown. It was released on November 19, 1996, by Def Jam Recordings. It was reissued on September 29, 1997, in the UK with an addition of the song "Big Bad Mamma". Brown began working on the album after being discovered by the production team Trackmasters and appearing on a number of singles by other artists, such as LL Cool J, Case and Jay Z. The immediate success of the singles led to a bidding war at the beginning of 1996, and in March, Def Jam Recordings won and signed the then 17-year-old rapper to the label. Mostly produced by Trackmasters, Ill Na Na features guest appearances from Blackstreet, Havoc, Method Man, Kid Capri and Jay Z. Lyrically, the album mainly focuses on themes of fashion, sex and mafia.
"Incomplete" is a song by American R&B singer Sisqó. It was released on June 13, 2000, as the third and final single from his first solo album, Unleash the Dragon (1999). Written by Def Soul artist Montell Jordan and Anthony "Shep" Crawford, and produced by Crawford, the song was Sisqó's biggest solo single and his only number-one hit in the US, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. "Incomplete" is also Sisqó's third and most recent Hot 100 top-40 hit; within two years of its release, Sisqó would return to his role as Dru Hill's lead singer.
"I Think They Like Me" is a song by American hip hop group Dem Franchize Boyz. It was released in August 2005 as a single from their self-titled debut album Dem Franchize Boyz. The song's chorus is sampled from their debut single "White Tee".
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.
"How Deep Is Your Love" is an R&B single by group Dru Hill. It is the first single from the group's second album, Enter the Dru. The song was released on September 22, 1998. It spent three weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart, and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song, in its single version with rapper Redman, was also used in the end credits and is featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film Rush Hour. To date, this is Dru Hill's highest charting hit.
"Never Make A Promise" is a number-one R&B song by group Dru Hill, released in 1997. It is the third single from their eponymous debut album. With a lead by Larry "Jazz" Anthony, the single spent four weeks at number one on the US R&B chart and peaked at number seven on the US pop chart. Although it was a hit, sales of the "Never Make A Promise" single were mainly driven by the popular So So Def Remix of their previous hit "In My Bed" only being available on its B-side.
"In My Bed" is a song by American R&B group Dru Hill. It is the second single from their eponymous debut album. The single spent three weeks at number-one on the US R&B chart and peaked at number four on the US pop chart. The song is performed by group leader Mark "Sisqó" Andrews. The music video focuses on Sisqó's girlfriend, who possibly cheats on him with another man, but Sisqó doesn't know anything about it. At the end of the video, Sisqó goes to his house with a bouquet of flowers for his girlfriend when he sees a guy walking out. He goes inside and sadly finds her in bed with a woman and drops the flowers in heartbreak. He leaves the house for a few seconds and goes back in. The remix features Jermaine Dupri, who also produced the track, and Da Brat. It was a hit single. The remix sampled Le Pamplemousse's "Gimme What You Got" (1976). The song appears in 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.
"Pony" is a song by American singer Ginuwine, released as the debut single from his first album, Ginuwine...The Bachelor (1996). Ginuwine co-wrote the song with Swing Mob associates Static Major and Timbaland; the latter made his breakthrough as a producer with the song. It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"You Remind Me of Something" is a song by American R&B singer R. Kelly. Released as the lead single from his self-titled album (1995), it became the fourth song from Kelly to reach number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, where it stayed for a week, and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, it peaked at number 13 in New Zealand and found moderate success in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
"I Got 5 on It" is a Mobb Music single by the American rap duo Luniz. It was released in May 1995 as the lead single from their debut album, Operation Stackola. It features R&B singer Michael Marshall. The track reached number 2 in Germany, number 3 in the United Kingdom and number 8 in the United States. The track is a drug anthem about the consumption of marijuana; its title and chorus refer to the practice of splitting the cost of a marijuana purchase and claiming five dollars' worth of it. The single was certified Platinum by the RIAA on October 31, 1995 and sold one million copies domestically.
American R&B singer Monica has released 8 studio albums, one extended play, and 35 singles. Since the beginning of her career in 1995, she has sold 5.3 million albums in the United States, In 1999, Billboard included her among the top twenty of the Top Pop Artists of the 1990s, and in 2010, the magazine ranked her 24th on its list of the Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists of the past 25 years. With a career lasting over 20 years, Monica became the first artist to top the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s.
The discography of the Notorious B.I.G., an American rapper, consists of two studio albums, three posthumous albums, two compilation albums, one soundtrack and 27 singles.
The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by Billboard. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 positions but was shortened to 50 positions in October 2012.
American rapper Will Smith has released four studio albums, one compilation album, 18 singles, one video album and 20 music videos. After working in the late 1980s and early 1990s with Jeff Townes as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Smith began his solo career in 1997 with the release of "Men in Black", the theme song for the film of the same name, which topped singles charts in several regions across the world, including the UK. "Men in Black" was later included on Smith's debut solo album Big Willie Style, which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200 and was certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The third single from the album, "Gettin' Jiggy wit It", became Smith's first Billboard Hot 100 number one when it was released in 1998.
"Big Bad Mama" is a single by American rapper Foxy Brown and American R&B group Dru Hill from the soundtrack to the 1997 film, How to Be a Player. The song also appeared on the European re-issue of Foxy Brown's debut album, Ill Na Na.
Rapper Nicki Minaj has released four studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, 123 singles, and 20 promotional singles.
"These Are The Times" is the second single released from Dru Hill's second album, Enter the Dru. The single reached number 21 on the Hot 100 and number 5 on the R&B chart, staying on the chart for 21 weeks. The song reached the UK Top 5, peaking at number 4, being Dru Hill's highest and last charting hit in that country to date.
"We're Not Making Love No More" is a song performed by American contemporary R&B group Dru Hill, released as a single from the soundtrack to the film Soul Food. The song peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #2 on the Billboard R&B chart.
