1.
Hip hop music
–
It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements, MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, while often used to refer solely to rapping, hip hop more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. Hip hops early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat. The Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight is widely regarded to be the first hip hop record to gain popularity in the mainstream. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles, prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began to spread to scenes in dozens of countries. New school hip hop was the wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D. M. C. The Golden age hip hop period was a period between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Notable artists from this era include the Juice Crew, Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One, EPMD, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that often focuses on the violent lifestyles, in the West Coast hip hop style, G-funk dominated mainstream hip hop for several years during the 1990s. I. G. In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap, at the same time, hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, examples being Neo soul and nu metal. Hip hop became a pop music genre in the mid-1990s. The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s, with hip hop influences also increasingly finding their way into mainstream pop, the United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics. Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, during the mid-2000s, alternative hip hop secured a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast and Kanye West. Creation of the hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was known as disco rap. Cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into a part of his stage performance, the first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop
Hip hop music
–
1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the Bronx, a venue used by Kool Herc that is often considered the birthplace of hip hop in 1973
Hip hop music
–
DJ Kool Herc, recognized as one of the earliest hip hop artists
Hip hop music
–
Grandmaster Flash
Hip hop music
–
Afrika Bambaataa (left)
2.
Rapping
–
The components of rapping include content, flow, and delivery. Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that rap is performed in time to a beat. Rapping is often associated with and an ingredient of hip-hop music. Rapping is also used in Kwaito music, a genre originated in Johannesburg, South Africa. Another form of rap that predates hip hop was boxer Muhammad Alis rhythmic poetry used to taunt his opponents in the 1960s and 1970s, rapping can be delivered over a beat, typically provided by a DJ, turntablist or Beatboxer, or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies an area between speech, prose, poetry, and singing. The word, as used to describe quick speech or repartee, the word had been used in British English since the 16th century. It was part of the African American dialect of English in the 1960s meaning to converse, today, the terms rap and rapping are so closely associated with hip-hop music that many writers use the terms interchangeably. The English verb rap has various meanings, such as to strike, especially with a quick, smart, or light blow, as well to utter sharply or vigorously, to rap out a command. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives a date of 1541 for the first recorded use of the word with the meaning to utter sharply, vigorously and it is these meanings from which the musical form of rapping derives, and this definition may be from a shortening of repartee. A rapper refers to a performer who raps, by the late 1960s, when Hubert G. Brown changed his name to H. Rap was used to describe talking on records as early as 1971, on Isaac Hayes album Black Moses with track names such as Ikes Rap, Ikes Rap II, Ikes Rap III, Hayes husky-voiced sexy spoken raps became key components in his signature sound. Del the Funky Homosapien similarly states that rap was used to refer to talking in a manner in the early 1970s. Back then what rapping meant, basically, was you trying to convey something—youre trying to convince somebody, thats what rapping is, its in the way you talk. Rapping can be traced back to its African roots, centuries before hip-hop music existed, the griots of West Africa were delivering stories rhythmically, over drums and sparse instrumentation. Such connections have been acknowledged by modern artists, modern day griots, spoken word artists, mainstream news sources. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian Elijah Wald and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s, Wald went so far as to call hip hop the living blues. A notable recorded example of rapping in blues music was the 1950 song Gotta Let You Go by Joe Hill Louis, not just jazz music and lyrics but also jazz poetry
Rapping
–
The
Memphis Jug Band, an early blues group, whose lyrical content and rhythmic singing predated rapping.
3.
MC
–
A master of ceremonies, abbreviated M. C. also called compère and announcer, is the official host of a ceremony, a staged event or similar performance. The master of ceremonies sometimes also refers to the officer during an official state function. Today, the term often connotes a master of ceremonies who presents performers, speaks to the audience, entertains people, in addition, the term also exists in various chivalric orders and fraternal orders. The term originated in the Catholic Church, the Master of Ceremonies is an official of the Papal Court responsible for the proper and smooth conduct of the elegant and elaborate rituals involving the Pope and the sacred liturgy. He may also be an involved in the proper conduct of protocols and ceremonials involving the Roman Pontiff, the Papal Court. Examples of official liturgical books prescribing the rules and regulations of liturgical celebrations are Cæremoniale Romanum, the office of the Master of Ceremonies itself is very old. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the most ancient ceremonials and rituals of the Catholic Church are the Ordines Romani, names of Masters of Ceremonies are known since the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. However, copies of books prescribing the forms of rituals, rites and it is reasonable to assume that the ceremonials themselves pre-date Gelasius. However, documentary evidence from the late Roman period is scarce or lost, the ceremonies and practices of the Byzantine emperors are also known to have influenced the papal court. At a large Catholic church or cathedral, the Master of Ceremonies organizes and rehearses the proceedings and he may also have responsibility for the physical security of the place of worship during the liturgy. At major festivities such as Christmas and Easter, when the liturgies are long and complex, the current papal Master of Ceremonies is Monsignor Guido Marini, who succeeded Archbishop Piero Marini. Masters of Ceremonies at weddings and private events also ensure the coordination of their event, became an alternative title for a rapper and for their role within hip hop music and culture. The term is used as a term of distinction, referring to an artist with good performance skills. An MC focuses on skills, lyrical ability, and subject matter, in any comedy show, the compère is the host of the evenings events, but the precise role and responsibilities will vary depending on the country, venue and style of event. The compère will normally do longer bits at the start of the show and after any interval and they may also be required to make announcements, such as birthdays, anniversaries and bar promotions. In some circles the title Master of Ceremonies is also known as Minister of Ceremonies, in the 1940 Disney film, Fantasia, Deems Taylor is the films Master of Ceremonies. Media related to Master of ceremonies at Wikimedia Commons
MC
–
Sunny Chan, seen with local TVB artists, in the UK as guests compère for TVB-Europe's Happy Family Gala promo-event
MC
–
"Master of Ceremonies". from the book Persia by
Frederic Shoberl, 1828
4.
How to Rap
–
How to Rap, The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC is a book on hip hop music and rapping by Paul Edwards. It is compiled from interviews with 104 notable rappers who provide insights into how they write, how to Rap 2, Advanced Flow & Delivery Techniques is a sequel to the book, also on hip hop music and rapping by Paul Edwards. It includes more insights from the interviews done from the first book, how to Rap, The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC was published by Chicago Review Press in December,2009 with a foreword by Kool G Rap. How to Rap 2, Advanced Flow & Delivery Techniques was also published by Chicago Review Press in September,2013 with a foreword by Gift of Gab of Blackalicious. In the sequel, reviewers note that, Edwards asks advanced wordsmiths for advice on rhythm, melody, pitch, timing, enunciation, percussion, playing characters, rhyme schemes, how to Rap is published in the UK by Random House on their Virgin Books imprint. This edition is published by Random House in Australia. It was translated and published in Japanese by P-Vine Books in 2011 and translated and published in Korean by Hans Media, the book is compiled from interviews with rappers, the interviews comprise the majority of the books content. Tupac Shakur The book was received by critics and press outlets. …Edwards has made his bid to become the Aristotle of Hip-Hop poetics”
How to Rap
–
How to Rap series
5.
Hip hop
–
Hip hop is a subculture and art movement developed by African-Americans and Latinos from the inner-city South Bronx neighbourhood in New York City in the late 1970s. Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc also played a key role in developing hip hop music, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Herc mixed samples of existing records and DJed percussion breaks, mixing this music with his own Jamaican-style toasting to rev up the crowd and dancers. These youths mixed these influences with existing musical styles associated with African Americans prior to the 1970s, Hip hop music became popular outside of the African-American community in the late 1980s, with the mainstream commercial success of gangsta rap. Critic Greg Tate described the hip hop movement as the only avant-garde still around, Hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the United States and subsequently the world. These elements were adapted and developed considerably, particularly as the art spread to new continents and merged with local styles in the 1990s. Sampling older culture and re-using it in a new context or a new format is called flipping in hip hop culture. Hip hop music follows in the footsteps of earlier African-American-rooted musical genres such as blues, jazz, rag-time, funk, cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into his stage performance. The group frequently performed with artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them hip hoppers. The name was meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music. The song Rappers Delight, by The Sugarhill Gang, released in 1979, begins with the phrase I said a hip, hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, and you dont stop. Lovebug Starski, a Bronx DJ who put out a single called The Positive Life in 1981, and DJ Hollywood then began using the term when referring to this new disco rap music. Bill Alder, an independent consultant, once said, There was hardly ever a moment when rap music was underground, one of the very first so-called rap records, was a monster hit. Hip hop pioneer and South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa also credits Lovebug Starski as the first to use the hip hop. Bambaataa, former leader of the Black Spades gang, also did much to popularize the term. In the 1970s, an urban movement known as Hip Hop began to develop in the South Bronx in New York City. It focused on emceeing over breakbeats, house parties and neighbourhood block party events, Hip hop music has been a powerful medium for protesting the impact of legal institutions on minorities, particularly police and prisons. Jamaican-born DJ Clive Kool Herc Cindy Campbell pioneered the use of DJing percussion breaks in hip hop music, beginning at Hercs home in a high-rise apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the movement later spread across the entire borough. Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of impromptu toasting, on August 11,1973 DJ Kool Herc was the DJ at his sisters back-to-school party
Hip hop
–
Nas is an
American rapper who is regarded as one of the greatest MCs of all time.
Hip hop
–
DJ Kool Herc is credited as being highly influential in the pioneering stage of hip hop music.
Hip hop
–
Afrika Bambaataa with DJ Yutaka of
Universal Zulu Nation in 2004
Hip hop
–
Rapper
Busta Rhymes performs in
Las Vegas for a
BET party
6.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
–
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were an American hip hop group formed in the South Bronx of New York City in 1976. Composed of one DJ and five rappers, the use of turntablism, break-beat deejaying. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five initially built their reputation performing at parties and live shows in the mid-1970s, by the time the Sugarhill Gangs Rappers Delight was released, the group realized the potential of cutting records and signed with various labels until staying with Sugar Hill Records. Today the groups legacy continues on as Grandmasters Furious Five with only Melle Mel, the group is widely regarded as among the most influential hip hop acts. Their biggest single and acknowledged masterpiece The Message is often cited as one of the greatest hip hop songs of all time, in 2007 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, making them the first hip hop group ever to be inducted. Prior to the formation of the Furious Five, Grandmaster Flash worked with the L Brothers which consisted of Mean Gene Livingston, Claudio Livingston, Flash then recruited his friend Cowboy, Melle Mel and The Kidd Creole. The trio called themselves the Three MCs who are the first emcee group as it relates to rap as we know it today and he then worked the hip hop cadence into part of his performance this evolved into the term Hip Hop that was later adopted by the industry. Melle Mel and The Kidd Creole were the first rappers to call themselves MCs, the 3 emcees worked with Flash, who went on to bring in Mr. Ness/Scorpio and Rahiem. After the formation of the Furious 5, Flash also worked with rapper Kurtis Blow doing parties in Queens. Among the first singles released were We Rap More Mellow which was falsely registered under the name The Younger Generation as the name of the group. In 1979 they released their first single on Enjoy Records, Superappin, afterwards, they switched to Sylvia Robinsons Sugar Hill Records after an agreement that they could perform over a current DJ favorite. In 1980, the group had their Sugarhill Records debut with Freedom, reaching #19 on the R&B chart, the follow-up Birthday Party went on to become a hit as well. It also marked the first time that scratching & turntablism had been recorded on a record. The song peaked at #4 in the R&B chart and #62 in the pop chart, other than Melle Mel, however, no members of the group actually appear on the record. Their debut album was also named The Message, and it went on to become a prominent achievement in the history of hip-hop, in 1983, Grandmaster Flash, who never appeared on any of the groups studio recordings, sued Sugar Hill Records for $5 million in unpaid royalties. This resulted in the single White Lines being credited to Grandmaster & Melle Mel, the song reached #47 in Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Another lawsuit was filed over certain elements of the song being stolen from Cavern by Liquid Liquid, meanwhile, Grandmaster Flash, The Kidd Creole, and Rahiem left for Elektra Records and included to the group three new members The Lord LaVon, Russell Wheeler and Larry-Love. They worked under the name Grandmaster Flash on They Said It Couldnt Be Done, The Source, the additional members The Lord La Von, Larry Love and Mr. Broadway formed the Furious Five but they could not use the name as Sugar Hill Records owned the rights
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
–
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
–
The Kidd Creole
7.
Flavor Flav
–
He is also known for popularizing the role of the hype man and for yelling Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh boyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. and Flavor Flav. during performances. After falling out of the eye for a number of years, Flav reappeared as the star of several VH1 reality series, including The Surreal Life, Strange Love. Drayton was born in Roosevelt, New York and grew up in nearby Freeport and he began playing the piano at age five and is self-taught. A musical prodigy, he sang in the choir at his church and mastered the piano, drums. According to Chuck D, he is proficient in 15 instruments. He set a house on fire as a child while playing with a lighter, by the time he dropped out of high school in the 11th grade, he had been in. Flav graduated from school in 1978, and has cooked in several restaurants. He attended Adelphi University on Long Island where he met Carlton Ridenhour, Flavor Flav took his stage name after his graffiti tag. They first collaborated on Chuck Ds hip-hop college radio show, then began rapping together, the two worked for Chuck Ds fathers delivery service. Flav came to prominence as a member and hype man of the rap group Public Enemy. In 1984, the released a track, Public Enemy #1. Rubin initially did not understand Flavs role in the act and wanted to sign Chuck D as an act, however Chuck D insisted that Flav be signed with them. The groups first album Yo. Bum Rush the Show was released in 1987, Flav served as the comic foil to Chuck Ds serious, politically charged style. The group gained much wider fame with their release, 1988s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. By the time the political single Fight the Power was issued in 1989, the group had become mainstream superstars. The first released track on which Flav rapped solo was Life of a Nigerian on Goat Ju JU, in 2006, Flav put out his first solo album. It was released during the season of Flavor of Love. After a hiatus from the scene, Flavor Flav was invited to participate on VH1 reality show The Surreal Life
Flavor Flav
–
Flav performing in 2011, with his signature massive clock.
Flavor Flav
–
Flav performing at "The Slaughterhouse" in
Malmö /
Sweden 1991
Flavor Flav
–
Flav performing in 2006
8.
Public Enemy (group)
–
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group consisting of Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Professor Griff, Khari Wynn, DJ Lord, and the S1W group. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called them the most influential and radical band of their time, in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Public Enemy number 44 on its list of the Immortals,100 Greatest Artists of All Time, the highest ranking for a hip hop act. The group was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2007, the band were announced as inductees for the 2013 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on December 11,2012, making them the fourth hip-hop act to be inducted. Carlton Ridenhour and William Drayton met at Long Islands Adelphi University in the early-1980s. M. C. Chuck D put out a tape to promote WBAU and to fend off a local MC who wanted to battle him. He called the tape Public Enemy #1 because he felt like he was being persecuted by people in the local scene and this was the first reference to the notion of a public enemy in any of Chuck Ds songs. The single was created by Chuck D with a contribution by Flavor Flav, around 1986, Bill Stephney, the former Program Director at WBAU, was approached by Ali Hafezi and offered a position with the label. Stephney accepted, and his first assignment was to help fledgling producer Rick Rubin sign Chuck D, according to the book The History of Rap Music by Cookie Lommel, Stephney thought it was time to mesh the hard-hitting style of Run DMC with politics that addressed black youth. With the addition of Flavor Flav and another local mobile DJ named Terminator X, according to Chuck, The S1W, which stands for Security of the First World, represents that the black man can be just as intelligent as he is strong. It stands for the fact that were not third-world people, were people, were the original people. Public Enemy started out as opening act for the Beastie Boys during the latters Licensed to Ill popularity, and in 1987 released their debut album Yo. Bum Rush the Show. Over the next few years, Public Enemy released It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, and Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black. In addition to ushering in the age of hip hop, during this time, Public Enemy reached the height of their popularity, adulation. The group then separated from Def Jam and has since been producing, marketing. Their debut album, Yo. Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim, the album was the groups first step toward stardom. In October 1987, music critic Simon Reynolds dubbed Public Enemy a superlative rock band, Nation of Millions. was the first hip hop album to be voted album of the year in The Village Voices influential Pazz & Jop critics poll. In 1989, the returned to the studio to record Fear of a Black Planet. The album was supposed to be released in late 1989, but was pushed back to April 1990 and it was the most successful of any of their albums and, in 2005, was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress. Fight the Power is regarded as one of the most popular and it was the theme song of Spike Lees Do the Right Thing
Public Enemy (group)
–
Public Enemy performing at the
Southbound Festival (2011)
Public Enemy (group)
–
Public Enemy at Vegoose in 2007. From left:
DJ Lord,
Chuck D, and
Flavor Flav.
9.
Chuck D
–
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. As the leader of the rap group Public Enemy, he helped create politically and socially conscious hip hop music in the mid-1980s. About. com ranked him at No.9 on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time, Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York. After graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, he went to Adelphi University on Long Island to study graphic design and he received a B. F. A. from Adelphi in 1984 and later received an honorary doctorate from Adelphi in 2013. He is the son of Lorenzo Ridenhour, upon hearing Ridenhours demo track Public Enemy Number One, fledgling producer/upcoming music-mogul Rick Rubin insisted on signing him to his Def Jam label. Their major label albums were Yo. Bum Rush the Show, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, the Enemy Strikes Black, Greatest Misses, and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age. They also released a full-length album soundtrack for the film He Got Game in 1998, Ridenhour also contributed to several episodes of the PBS documentary series The Blues. He has appeared as a featured artist on other songs and albums, having collaborated with artists such as Janet Jackson, Kool Moe Dee, The Dope Poet Society. Ice Cube, Boom Boom Satellites, Rage Against the Machine, Anthrax, John Mellencamp, in 1993, he executive produced Got Em Running Scared, an album by Ichiban Records group Chief Groovy Loo and the Chosen Tribe. In 1996, Ridenhour released Autobiography of Mistachuck on Mercury Records, Chuck D made a rare appearance at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, presenting the Video Vanguard Award to the Beastie Boys, whilst commending their musicianship. In November 1998, he settled out of court with Christopher The Notorious B. I. G, wallaces estate over the latters sampling of his voice in the song Ten Crack Commandments. The specific sampling is Ridenhour counting off the one to nine on the track Shut Em Down. In September 1999, he launched a multi-format supersite on the web site Rapstation. com, since 2000, he has been one of the most vocal supporters of peer-to-peer file sharing in the music industry. He loaned his voice to Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas as DJ Forth Right MC for the radio station Playback FM, in 2000, he collaborated with Public Enemys Gary G-Whiz and MC Lyte on the theme music to the television show Dark Angel. He appeared with Henry Rollins in a cover of Black Flags Rise Above for the album Rise Above,24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three. He was also featured on Z-Trips album Shifting Gears on a track called Shock and Awe, in 2008 he contributed a chapter to Sound Unbound, Sampling Digital Music and Culture edited by Paul D. Miller a. k. a. DJ Spooky, and also turned up on The Go, teams album Proof of Youth on the track Flashlight Fight. He also fulfilled his dreams of being a sports announcer by performing the play-by-play commentary in the video game NBA Ballers, Chosen One on Xbox 360
Chuck D
–
Chuck D of Public Enemy at
Way Out West 2013 in
Gothenburg, Sweden
Chuck D
–
Chuck D.
Malmö 1991.
Chuck D
–
Gaye Theresa Johnson
10.
Jay-Z
–
Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and investor. He is one of the musicians of all time, having sold more than 100 million records. MTV ranked him the Greatest MC of all time in 2006, Rolling Stone ranked three of his albums—Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album —among the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth at nearly $520 million, Jay Z co-owns the New York 40/40 Club sports bar, and is the co-creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the president of Def Jam Recordings, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records. He also founded the sports agency Roc Nation Sports and is a certified NBA, as an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with 13. He has also had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, in 2009, he was ranked the tenth-most successful artist of the 2000s by Billboard as well as the fifth top solo male artist and fourth top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent. He was also ranked the 88th-greatest artist of all time by Rolling Stone, Jay Z married Singer-Songwriter Beyoncé in 2008. Shawn Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Marcy Houses and he and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter after their father, Adness Reeves abandoned the family. Reeves would later meet and reconcile with Jay Z before dying from liver failure in 2003, Jay Z claims in his lyrics that in 1982, at the age of 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Along with future rapper AZ, Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed down, according to his interviews and lyrics, during this period he sold crack cocaine and was shot at three times. According to his mother, Carter used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table and she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling and writing lyrics, known as Jazzy around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name Jay-Z in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. He would drop the hyphen in 2013, Jay Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-Os early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including The Originators and Hawaiian Sophie. Jay Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s and he first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut Show and Prove on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddys Home. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage. The young Jay Z appeared on a song by Big L, Da Graveyard, and on Mic Geronimos Time to Build. His first official rap single was called In My Lifetime, for which he released a music video, an unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side I Cant Get with That
Jay-Z
–
Jay Z at the Shawn Carter Foundation Carnival, 2011
Jay-Z
–
Jay Z (top) with a friend (bottom) in
Trenton, New Jersey, circa 1988
Jay-Z
–
Jay Z in 2003
Jay-Z
–
Jay Z at a concert in 2006.
11.
Jaz-O
–
As The Jaz, he had success with his 1989 single Hawaiian Sophie from his debut album Word to the Jaz. He has been featured on some of Jay Zs songs, such as Bring it On, Aint No Nigga, and the single Nigga What, Nigga Who from Vol.2, Hard Knock Life, where he was credited as Big Jaz. He also produced the single Aint No Nigga from Reasonable Doubt, the album Kingz Kounty - with The Immobilarie Present marked the last time Jay Z and mentor Jaz-O would ever collaborate. The long-standing feud between him and Jay-Z started when Jay-Z started Roc-A-Fella Records and he tried to convince Jaz-O and it is rumored that they didnt trust Roc-A-Fella Records CEOs Damon Dash and Kareem Biggs Burke. In addition, they werent satisfied with what they were to be receiving had they signed the contract,300,000 dollars in Jaz-Os case. Jay-Z confirms this event on the song What We Talkin About on the Blueprint 3 album when he says Dame made millions, even Jaz made some scraps, he made more. Jaz was an important figure in the Nas vs. Jay-Z feud and it is also speculated that Jaz-O supplied Nas with some of the information he used in his Jay-Z diss track Ether. Jay-Z said on the track, Ima let karma catch up to Jaz-O. O. R. E. s Nothin beat. Despite the long-standing feud between mentor and protégé, Jay-Z still gives Jaz-O credit for his success as heard in the song I Do It For Hip Hop on Ludacriss Theater of the Mind album. Jay-Z says Shout out to Grand Master Flash and to Caz, soon after the I Do It For Hip Hop diss from Jay-Z, Jaz-O responded with a diss record entitled Go Harder where he starts by rapping over his proteges Brooklyn Go Hard beat before the beat changes. In late August 2009, Jaz-O was featured on another song dissing Jay-Z entitled Gangstas Ride with West Coast rapper, Jaz references Ether with the line, Jaz-O, stupid motherfucker, not Shawn, never been bashed on a Tupac song. The song was fueled by the beef between Game and Jay-Z. Besides being an emcee, he has produced songs for several hip hop other than Jay-Z, such as Group Home, M. O. P, Ras Kass, Rakim, Kool G Rap Neilleon
Jaz-O
–
Jaz-O
12.
Big Daddy Kane
–
Antonio Hardy, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and actor who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap collective the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential, the name Big Daddy Kane came from a variation on Caine, David Carradines character from TV show Kung Fu and a character called Big Daddy Vincent Price played in the film Beach Party. In 1984, Kane became friends with Biz Markie, and he would some of Bizs best-known lyrics. Both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl, Kane signed with Tyrone Williams’s and Len Fichtelberg’s Cold Chillin Records label in 1987 and debuted the same year with the 12 single Raw, which was an underground hit. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats and his sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends. The backronym King Asiatic Nobodys Equal is often applied to his moniker and he released his debut album on Cold Chillin Records in the early summer of 1988 called Long Live the Kane, which featured the hit Aint No Half Steppin. He also had a verse on the Marley Marl-produced track The Symphony released in late 1988, which included Juice Crew members Craig G, Masta Ace. Big Daddy Kane appeared on Patti Labelles 1991 effort, Burnin and he provided the rap chorus to the single Feels Like Another One. He also appeared on the video release Live in New York and he contributed the song Nuff Respect to the soundtrack of the film Juice, which starred Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur, further demonstrating his fast lyrical delivery. In 1991, Kane won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his performance on the Quincy Jones collaborative track Back on the Block off Back on the Block. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers during the age of hip hop, Kanes experimentation with R&B beats. Later albums, such as Looks Like a Job For…, were acclaimed, as an actor, he debuted in Mario Van Peebles 1993 western, Posse, and appeared in Robert Townsends 1993 film The Meteor Man. Big Daddy Kane also posed for Playgirl and Madonnas Sex book during the 1990s, in 1996, he collaborated with 2Pac on his song Where Ever U R. During the early 1990s, Jay-Z toured with Kane, and Kane helped him early on in his career - Ice-T says, Kane brought Jay-Z over to my house. Kane himself says that Jay-Z wasn’t technically his hypeman in the sense of the term—he wasn’t a hypeman. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K, Jay-Z was also featured on Big Daddy Kane’s track ‘Show & Prove’ from Daddy’s Home, as well as in the video. In 1995, Kane recorded with MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur on the rap song Too Late Playa and he was also mentioned to signing with Death Row East in 1996. In 1997, Kane team up with Frankie Cutlass on his third single title The Cypher Part 3, in 1998, he released his final solo album Veteranz Day
Big Daddy Kane
–
Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
–
New York 1998
13.
Master P
–
He is the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises, a conglomerate company, and Better Black Television, a short-lived online television network. Miller gained fame in the mid-1990s with the success of his hip hop music group TRU as well as his solo rap album Ice Cream Man. In 1997, after the success of one of his biggest singles to date, Make Em Say Uhh. went double platinum, Miller grew further in popularity. Then Miller released his platinum album Ghetto D. Miller also starred in his own street film, mostly based on his life. In 1998, P. Miller released his most successful album to date, the album was also based on a film that Miller produced, which came out earlier that year with the same name. The album hit number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, the album was certified 4× platinum, with over four million copies sold, making it Millers highest selling album. In 1999, Miller released his album, Only God Can Judge Me. It was not as successful as his previous album, though it reached a gold certification, Miller also starred in the movie I Got the Hook Up, with A. J. Johnson, and created the soundtrack of the same name. On November 28,2000, he released his album, Ghetto Postage, which sold 500,000 copies. In the early 2000s, as No Limit Records popularity was slowly declining, Miller re-launched No Limit Records as New No Limit Records. In 2001 Miller released his album titled Game Face. In 2003, Miller starred in the film Lockdown, in 2004, Miller released his eleventh album, Good Side, Bad Side, it charted number 1 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and sold 300,000 copies. The same year, Miller released his first independent album Living Legend, in 2013 Forbes estimated Millers net worth at nearly $350 million, which put him as the third-richest figure in hip hop at the time. On December 6,2013, Miller released his studio album The Gift on his newly founded label No Limit Forever Records. On November 27,2015, Miller released his album, titled Empire. Percy Robert Miller was born and raised in New Orleans in the Calliope Projects and he is the oldest out of five children. He has one sister, Germaine, and three brothers, Kevin, and platinum-selling rap artists Corey C-Murder & Vyshonne Silkk The Shocker Miller and he attended Booker T. Washington High School & Warren Easton High School. After the death of his grandfather, Miller inherited $10,000 as part of a malpractice settlement, Miller opened a record store in Richmond, California called No Limit Records, which later became the foundation for his own record label of the same name
Master P
–
Master P
14.
No Limit Records
–
No Limit Records is an American record label founded by rapper, entrepreneur and CEO Percy Master P Miller. The labels albums were distributed by Priority Records, Universal Music Group, Percy Master P Miller began his career by distributing his records through a small San Francisco Bay Area record label, No Limit Record Shop, which started out in Richmond, where his mother resided. He maintained connections to rival gang friends despite rivalries, during the early 1990s, Master P released many solo albums with little success. By 1994, the label was on the rise, and Master P decided the time was right to expand the product. In 1995, Master P officially relocated No Limit to New Orleans, while keeping his brothers and several California rappers like TRU member Big Ed, King George and Calli G on board. He then added local talent to his roster such as Mystikal, Mia X, Kane & Abel, Fiend, Tre-8, No Limit then signed a distribution deal with Priority Records, while Master P maintained ownership of his master recordings and recording studio. He also became the main artist, and released Ice Cream Man in 1996. The label also acquired their first marquee name in Snoop Dogg, as No Limits popularity and mainstream coverage increased, so did its roster. Together they would put out a combined 23 albums in 1998, No Limit was also known for having a huge clothing line called No Limit Gear. It was founded in 1999 by Master P, No Limit Sports was also founded in 1999 and was known for having a big sports management from the NBA, NFL and WWE. P. Millers two biggest clients were NBA all-star player Paul Pierce and former NFL all-star Ricky Williams and they also had two other NBA stars Ron Mercer and Derek Anderson signed. No Limit also signed former WWE wrestler Montel Vontavious Porter, whose song was Silkk the Shockers Im Comin. Master P began to expand his horizons beyond music and he wrote, directed and acted in the underground movie Im Bout It and contributed to the soundtrack, as well as two high-budget theatrical releases, 1998s I Got the Hook Up and 1999s Foolish. Bischoff hoped the Soldiers would be embraced by fans as faces and the Rednecks as heels, but he achieved the exact opposite result and the Soldiers were gone after a year. Master P even tried to make it as an NBA player with a brief but ill-fated tryout with the Charlotte Hornets, other performers such as Short Circuit, former Gambino Family members D. I. G. On December 17,2003, the company filed for bankruptcy due to various lawsuits, in 2001, No Limit left Priority Records and signed a distribution deal with Universal. The labels name was changed to The New No Limit, the first release under the New No Limit banner was Master Ps tenth album, Game Face. With Universal, the label also released new albums by the 504 Boyz, Lil Romeo, Magic, in 2004, the reorganized label had moved to Koch Records for distribution
No Limit Records
–
Company logo from 1998-2000
15.
Three 6 Mafia
–
Three 6 Mafia, originally known as Triple 6 Mafia, was an American hip hop group originally from Memphis, Tennessee, signed to Sony Music Entertainment under the Columbia Records imprint. The group was formed by DJ Paul, Lord Infamous, during the groups earlier years they were known as Backyard Posse before becoming known as Triple 6 Mafia and often worked with members of the Prophet Posse and the Gimisum Family. Koopsta Knicca joined the group in 1994, Crunchy Black was at first added to the group as a dancer in 1995 and Gangsta Boo became a full member of the group after the release of the debut album Mystic Stylez. The group released their debut album Mystic Stylez in 1995 through Prophet Entertainment and their musical style—which initially featured dark, menacing beats with equally gritty lyrics—has since moved to a less dark style. The group has also had numerous changes, and now performs under the group name of Da Mafia 6ix. The groups worldwide sales stand at 5.5 million. In 2006 the group won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards for their song Its Hard out Here for a Pimp from the movie Hustle & Flow, Three 6 Mafia have been described as horrorcore, crunk and gangsta rap. The group started in 1991 in Memphis with DJ Paul, Juicy J, Lord Infamous, the original name for the dark hip hop group was Backyard Posse. The group formed through the release of numerous EPs from their own company with Nick Scarfo, Prophet Entertainment, which were sold around Memphis. Later DJ Paul and Juicy J formed their own label, Hypnotize Minds Records, during their early career, they also propelled the careers of several other rappers. Eventually added before the release of Mystic Stylez, rappers Koopsta Knicca, Gangsta Boo, many artists over the years ended up leaving the label over money disputes. The group expanded and help start the careers of notable Mafia affiliates, including Project Pat, Frayser Boy, La Chat, Lil Wyte, T-Rock, Gangsta Blac, Kingpin Skinny Pimp, mack, Scan Man, Chrome Korleone, BoogieMane & Al Kapone among others. The production acumen of Juicy and Paul also brought about a number of projects such as Tear da Club Up Thugs, Hypnotize Camp Posse. At this point in the evolution, having signed to a major label, group leaders DJ Paul. They started by releasing solo albums by their label affiliates such as, Three Six Mafia also originally coined the term Crunk as a description of their Southern type sound. In 2006, Three 6 Mafia became the first hip-hop group to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song with Its Hard out Here for a Pimp as one of the songs for Hustle & Flow. They were also the first hip-hop artists to perform at the ceremony. Right before presenter Queen Latifah announced that they had won, she chuckled, thats how you accept an Oscar
Three 6 Mafia
–
Juicy J performing with DJ Paul in 2009
16.
James Tancred
–
James Charles Tancred, born James Charles Cleghorn, was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He saw service in the First World War, and rose to the rank of vice-admiral and his father was born with the surname Cleghorn, but changed it to Tancred by Royal License in 1885. He married, in 1901, Cecile Margaret Scott, daughter of Walter Scott of Wauchope and his wife died in 1955, aged 75. Cleghorn entered the Royal Navy on 15 January 1878 and he was promoted to commander in 1901, captain in 1908, rear-admiral in 1919 and vice-admiral in 1925. He was included on the retired list by 1931, captain Tancred was in command of HMS Argyll when she ran aground by Bell Rock Lighthouse, off the coast of Angus, Scotland, in 1915, the ship was wrecked, but the crew was rescued without loss. He died on 9 December 1943 and was buried in St Margaret and St Andrew Churchyard, Exmouth and he left an estate worth over £1,100. The Plantagenet Roll of the Blood Royal, Clarence Volume
James Tancred
–
HMS Argyll in 1909.
17.
Danny Boy (rapper)
–
Daniel O’Connor, best known as Danny Boy O’Connor, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group, House of Pain. Danny Boy moved to California in the 1980s where he masterminded House of Pain, while attending William Howard Taft High School in Woodland Hills, California, he met Erik Schrody and asked him to join his now legendary hip-hop group. While in House of Pain, Danny Boy acted as the man, second emcee on stage. After House of Pain disbanded Danny Boy continued to work on projects such as his group Xsupermodels, freelance logo designing, street wear. He is also the producer of the documentary film, Just For Kicks. Danny Boy is currently involved in the hip hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, since House of Pains split in 1996, Danny Boy has not been very active in the public. His musical project A. T. F. broke up before their first release, and he is the featured rapper in Powerman 5000s remake of the Frankie Goes To Hollywood classic and cover, Relax, on the Zoolander soundtrack. In 2006, Danny Boy formed La Coka Nostra with Irish-American rapper and film star Slaine, teaming up with Ill Bill of Non Phixion and fellow House Of Pain members Everlast and DJ Lethal. The supergroups debut album entitled A Brand You Can Trust was released on July 14,2009, Danny Boy is founding member of the Delta Bravo Urban Exploration Team. The Delta Bravo Urban Exploration Team visits and documents culturally relevant sites such as film, television, music, true crime, headquartered in Los Angeles, they also have chapters in Chicago, Boston, Portland and Brooklyn, New York. Danny Boy is a fan of S. E. Hintons book The Outsiders. Danny Boy bought the house where the movie was filmed in Tulsa. Danny Boy appeared on Ken Reids TV Guidance Counselor podcast on March 9,2016, La Coka Nostra at MySpace Daily Dose at MySpace Delta Bravo Urban Exploration Team at Facebook Delta Bravo Urban Exploration Team at TradioV
Danny Boy (rapper)
–
Danny Boy at the Eurockéennes 2011
18.
House of Pain
–
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career. The groups name is a reference to the H. G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, a reference carried further by the naming of their 2011 tour He Who Breaks the Law. The group is best known for its 1992 hit single Jump Around, the group broke up in 1996 but reformed in 2010, after the trio had been members of supergroup La Coka Nostra for several years. Everlast teamed up with DJ Lethal and high school friend Danny Boy in Los Angeles to form House of Pain, the group was signed to Tommy Boy Records and their House of Pain debut album went multi-platinum, spawning the successful DJ Muggs-produced single Jump Around. This song was remixed twice by Pete Rock, one version featuring a verse from him. Fashioning themselves as rowdy Irish-American hooligans, they toured with various rap and they participated together with Helmet, along with several other rap acts, on the 1993 rap rock collaborative Judgment Night film soundtrack. Their follow-up album, 1994s Same as It Ever Was, went gold despite minimal airplay, the first single, On Point, is noted for taking a swipe at another American rapper who claimed Irish heritage, Marky Mark. Like Cypress Hill, who, with House of Pain, were a part of the loosely affiliated Soul Assassins posse, they found urban radio airplay an increasingly closed path, on the release date of the album, Everlast announced his departure from the group. From then on, the members continued their separate careers, Danny Boy founded an art company. DJ Lethal became a member of nu metal band Limp Bizkit, Everlast achieved multi-platinum solo fame in 1998 with his album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. The first single from album was What Its Like. After the sale of the Tommy Boy Records master tapes to Warner Bros, Records, Everlast signed with Island/Def Jam, and released the solo LP White Trash Beautiful in 2004. Before the release, Everlast announced on his message board that he was not endorsing the compilation album. Founded by Danny Boy in early 2006, La Coka Nostra reunited him, Everlast, other group members include Ill Bill of Non Phixion, and newcomer Slaine. House of Pain reunited at an event held by UFC president Dana White in Boston on St. Patricks Day 2009. Though Lethal is still a member of the group, he did not join them on their 2011 reunion tour due to obligations with Limp Bizkit. All three original members of House of Pain Everlast, Danny Boy and DJ Lethal reunited in 2017 for a 25th Anniversary Tour, the tour included shows in DC, OH, PA, NY, MA, and CA. Turbo, War Dogs, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, top o The Morning to Ya is used in Michael Manns 1995 film Heat, and the 2003 film Daredevil
House of Pain
–
Everlast and Danny Boy
19.
Das Racist
–
Das Racist was an American alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, New York City, composed of MCs Heems and Kool A. D. and hype man Ashok Kondabolu. Known for their use of humor, academic references, foreign allusions, Spin picked Das Racist as one of fifty acts to watch at the 2010 SXSW festival, and in April 2010, MTV Iggy selected Das Racist as one of the 25 Best New Bands in the World. Rolling Stone declared the song hahahaha jk. from Sit Down, Spin also featured Das Racist on the cover of its November 2011 issue with an article written by Daps brother, comedian Hari Kondabolu. On November 28,2011, the made their United States television debut on Conan. At the PULS Festival, formerly known as on3-Festival, in December 2012 in Munich, Heems revealed Das Racist is breaking up and were not a band anymore. The next day, Kool A. D. revealed that he had left the band in October 2012, though his reasons for doing so and the status of recorded materials for the groups second album remain unknown. Suri and Vazquez met in 2003 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, however, they formed Das Racist only after both had moved to New York following their graduation from college. Kondabolu, who had met Suri when they were students at New Yorks Stuyvesant High School, soon joined as their hype man. Suri and Kondabolu are both from Queens, New York and of Indian descent, and Vazquez is of Afro-Cuban and Italian descent, Vazquez is also a member of power-pop band Boy Crisis. Himanshu Suri stated in an interview, Das Racist first began attracting attention with their song Combination Pizza Hut, in November 2008, The Guardian called Das Racist a funny and funky duo, placing them on a list of eight bands worth checking out. In March 2009, Baltimore-based electronic musician Dan Deacon referred to Combination Pizza Hut, death & Taxes magazine described the song as an existential meditation on consumer identity in corporate America and both feverishly juvenile and somehow profound. Das Racists first album, the Shut Up, Dude mixtape, was released as a download in March 2010. The mixtape received positive reviews, earning a score of 7, Pitchfork named the video one of the forty best of 2010, and it was selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Six months later, Das Racist released their second mixtape Sit Down, Man on September 14,2010, also as a free download. Sit Down, Man received even better reviews, earning a score of 8 from Spin magazine, as well as an 8.7 and Best New Music from Pitchfork Media, and was downloaded over 40,000 times in the first week. Guests on Sit Down, Man include El-P, Despot, Vijay Iyer and their first commercially released album, titled Relax, was released on September 13,2011, on Suris own Greedhead Music label. The album includes production from Diplo, El-P, Rostam Batmanglij, and Anand Wilder, as well as guest appearances from El-P, Danny Brown, Bikram Singh, and Despot. Das Racist consider Relax to be an accessible album
Das Racist
–
Das Racist performing at Governors Ball in New York City in 2011
Das Racist
–
Promotional poster from the
Sundance Film Festival for the "Who's That? Brooown!" video, in the style of Nintendo-published
NES games.
Das Racist
–
Heems on stage in
Atlanta, GA, 2011.
20.
Fatman Scoop
–
Isaac Freeman III, better known by his stage name Fatman Scoop, is an American hype man, hip hop promoter and radio personality famed for his on-stage rough, raw loud voice. He is known for the song Be Faithful which went to one in the United Kingdom and Ireland in late 2003. He has also collaborated with pop artists, such as Lil Jon, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Pitbull. The song had been a favorite in clubs around the world for years but it took two years to clear the samples from Jay-Z, Black Sheep, Queen Pen, The Beatnuts, Fatman Scoop also has his own sex and relationship show/podcast. All episodes can also be seen on the Man and Wife channel on internet TV network, ONLOQ. com and he also appears as himself on the TV series The Boondocks. Fatman Scoop was interviewed by radio personality Madison Jaye in a YouTube video that was published on March 22,2014. During the interview, Fatman Scoop reveals that he received his name when he was a baby from his Uncle Jack. But Fatman Scoop stated I was already Fatman Scoop on the radio when that came out. On August 27,2015, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother UK house as a contestant, on September 14, he was the third housemate to be evicted on Day 20. In July 2006, a promoter in New Bern, North Carolina sued the Sheriff of Craven County. The suit is asking for more than $10,000 in lost wages, Fatman Scoops Party Breaks, Volume 1 In the Club Party King 2001, Drop 2005, Lose Control 2005, Dance. de Chancers Homepage Discogs Page
Fatman Scoop
–
Fatman Scoop performing in concert
21.
Freaky Tah
–
Raymond Rogers, better known as Freaky Tah, was an MC, hype man and promoter. Freaky Tah was a member of a hip hop group called the Lost Boyz, together with Mr. Cheeks, DJ Spigg Nice, and Pretty Lou. On the night of March 28,1999, on his way to a birthday party, Freaky Tah was fatally shot by Kelvin Jones while he was going towards the exit of Sheraton Hotel in Queens. He was pronounced dead at the nearby Jamaica Hospital, the getaway driver, Raheem Fletcher, was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Freaky Tah was 27 at the time of his death, and is consequently a member of the infamous 27 Club, LB Fam Online Allmusic page Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless music video
Freaky Tah
–
Freaky Tah
22.
The Lost Boyz
–
Lost Boyz is a hip hop group from South Jamaica, Queens, New York City. The original group members were lead MC Mr. Cheeks, backup MC and promoter Freaky Tah, DJ Spigg Nice, in 1995, the group released their debut single Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless, charting on the Billboard Hot 100. The release landed them a deal with Uptown Records. The group contributed a single to the Dont Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood soundtrack, the song became a major hit, breaking into the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart. The single also reached Gold status in 1996, on June 4,1996, they released their debut album Legal Drug Money. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in late 1996 and their second album, Love, Peace & Nappiness, was released on June 17,1997 on Uptown/Universal Records. It featured another Hot 100 hit single, Me & My Crazy World, one of the most famous songs on the album was the posse-cut Beasts From The East, featuring A+, Redman and Canibus. The album wasnt as acclaimed as their debut, but fared well commercially, in 1996, the group appeared on the Red Hot Organizations compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Wu-Tang Clan, Coolio, and Fat Joe, among others. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as a masterpiece by The Source magazine. On the night of March 28,1999, at a party for Mr. Cheeks. Tah was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4,20 am, the getaway driver, Raheem Fletcher, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for Manslaughter. In 2001, Kelvin Jones pleaded guilty to the murder, the three remaining group members finished their third album LB IV Life, released in September 1999. The effort fell short critically and commercially, failing to provide any Hot 100 hits, the two members tried to rob a bank to get enough cash for their next studio album but the robbery went wrong. They were caught and imprisoned for up to 10 years and these circumstances led MC Mr. Cheeks to begin a solo career. He released his first solo effort John P. Kelly in 2001, the album also featured a heartfelt tribute song to Freaky Tah, titled Till We Meet Again, featuring Bob Marleys son Stephen. Cheeks released another album in 2003, titled Back Again, then followed in 2004 with Ladies & Ghettomen. On January 16,2004, DJ Spigg Nice was tried and convicted of bank robberies in New Jersey and was sentenced to 37 years in prison. The group released a compilation album Lost Boyz Forever in 2005, featuring past hits, a new single was released on their website
The Lost Boyz
–
(left to right)
Freaky Tah, Spigg Nice,
Mr. Cheeks, and Pretty Lou.
23.
Jasper Dolphin
–
Davon Wilson, better known by his stage name Jasper Dolphin, is an American actor, comedian, hype man, and occasional rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of the Los Angeles hip hop collective Odd Future. Jasper Dolphin was a member of the Los Angeles hip hop collective, Odd Future. In 2008, Jasper formed the Odd Future sub-group, I Smell Panties, with fellow Odd Future member and leader, Tyler and they released their debut project, I Smell Panties EP, on June 28,2008. Jasper rapped on Lisa off Odd Futures debut mixtape, The Odd Future Tape, Jasper was featured on the track Tina, off Tyler, The Creators debut mixtape, Bastard, released on December 25,2009. It also featured Odd Future member, Taco, Jasper rapped on Double Cheeseburger, Round and Round, and Swag Me Out off Odd Futures second mixtape, Radical, released on May 7,2010. Jasper was also featured on the track Deaddeputy off MellowHypes debut studio album, BlackenedWhite, Jasper was featured on the track Bitch Suck Dick off Tyler, The Creators debut studio album, Goblin, released May 10,2011. On June 19,2011, the track Thisniggaaintfunnyatall, by Tyler, The Creator featuring Jasper Dolphin, on September 8,2011, it was announced that Odd Future would be making a television show called Loiter Squad. The show was announced to be a comedy show featuring various skits and pranks. The show features Jasper, along with Odd Future members Tyler, The Creator, Taco, L-Boy, the program is produced by Dickhouse Productions. Which also is the company for Jackass. Jasper rapped on the tracks We Got Bitches and Oldie off Odd Futures debut studio album, Jasper was featured on the track Trashwang off Tyler, The Creators second studio album, Wolf. It also featured Nakel, Lucas, L-Boy, Taco, Left Brain, Jasper continued to be a regular cast member of Loiter Squad in Season 2, premiered March 10,2013, and Season 3, premiered May 15,2014. Jasper, credited as Demonté, was featured on Tyler, The Creator gangster rap alter-egos, Young Niggas, song I Just Bought a Bugatti, Jasper has been touring with Odd Future members Tyler, The Creator and Taco, and A$AP Mobs A$AP Rocky since September 2015. Other guest appearances on the tour were Danny Brown and Vince Staples, the OF Tape Vol.2 The Odd Future Tape Radical I Smell Panties EP
Jasper Dolphin
–
Odd Future,
Lil Wayne, and
Trash Talk performing together in September 2012.
Jasper Dolphin
–
Odd Future and
Pharrell Williams performing together in April 2011
Jasper Dolphin
–
Tyler, The Creator the de facto leader of Odd Future.
24.
Odd Future
–
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, normally shortened to Odd Future and abbreviated to OFWGKTA, is an American hip hop collective formed in Los Angeles in 2006-07. The collective was formed by Tyler, The Creator with Hodgy, Left Brain, Pyramid Vritra. Later members include Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Domo Genesis, Mike G, Casey Veggies, Syd. Every year since 2012, Odd Future has held the annual Camp Flog Gnaw in Los Angeles where members of Odd Future, as well as supporting acts, perform live. Odd Future formed around 2006–07 in Los Angeles, the original members were founder Tyler, the Creator, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats and Jasper Dolphin. Much of their music was recorded in a room of Syd tha Kyd and Tacos South Central Los Angeles home. 2009–10 saw several new members arrive, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Mike G, and Frank Ocean. Shortly after the 2010 release of his mixtape, Earl, member Earl Sweatshirt was subsequently absent from the group. The group completed a tour, their first outside of Los Angeles, in London, England, on November 5,2010. The concert at The Drop in London sold out within 48 hours of announcement by the group and their concerts have been compared to punk rock shows, with stagediving, moshing, and group members antagonizing the crowd. MellowHype re-released their album BlackenedWhite through Fat Possum Records, Frank Ocean self-released his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra on February 16,2011 after joining Odd Future. Tyler, the Creator also signed a deal with XL Recordings and released his sophomore effort, Goblin. They have collected a following, and have received press attention from blogs. Though they are labeled as horrorcore, the group has universally dismissed it on Twitter, in interviews. Pitchfork Media has labeled the group as indie rap, in April 2011, the group signed a deal with RED Distribution and Sony Music Entertainment to start their own label, Odd Future Records. On August 2,2011, Odd Future announced on their website the Golf Wang Tour 2011, the tour included 27 stops, beginning on September 28,2011 in San Diego, California at the House of Blues. On September 8,2011, it was announced that Odd Future would be making a show called Loiter Squad. The show was announced to be a comedy show featuring various skits and pranks
Odd Future
–
Odd Future,
Lil Wayne, and
Trash Talk performing together in September 2012.
Odd Future
–
Odd Future and
Pharrell Williams performing together in April 2011
Odd Future
–
Tyler, The Creator the de facto leader of Odd Future.
25.
Tyler, The Creator
–
Tyler Gregory Okonma, better known by his stage name Tyler, The Creator, is an American rapper, record producer, and music video director. Okonma creates all the artwork for the releases and designs the groups clothing. After releasing his debut album Goblin under XL Recordings, in April 2011, he signed a joint venture deal for him and his label Odd Future Records, with RED Distribution and Sony Music Entertainment. Following that he released his studio album Wolf, which was met with generally positive reviews. He has his own clothing company, called Golf Wang, started in 2011, and he runs his own streaming service Golf Media, Camp Flog Gnaw streams there yearly and contains original scripted series from Tyler himself. Okonma was born in Ladera Heights, California, to a Nigerian father and he has said that he has never met his father, and spent his early life living in the communities of Ladera Heights and Hawthorne, California. At the age of seven, he would take the cover out of an albums case, at the age of 14, he taught himself to play the piano. In his 12 years of schooling, he attended 12 different schools in the Los Angeles and he worked at FedEx for just under two weeks, and Starbucks for over two years. On December 25,2009, Tyler self-released his first mixtape, the mixtape was eventually ranked 32nd on Pitchfork Medias list of the Top Albums of 2010. On February 11,2011, Tyler released the video for Yonkers, the first single from his second album, Goblin. The video has received attention from online media outlets. An extended version with a third verse can be purchased on iTunes, after the release of Yonkers, Tyler announced that he had signed a one-album deal with XL Recordings. Tyler and fellow OF member Hodgy Beats made their debut on February 16,2011 when they performed Sandwitches on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. On March 16, Tyler and Hodgy performed Yonkers and Sandwitches on the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards, Goblin was released on May 10,2011. During an interview with Tyler for Interview, Waka Flocka Flame expressed his interest in collaborating with the Odd Future frontman to direct a video for him. Tyler first mentioned the album in early 2010 saying that he would have an album titled Wolf, in early 2011 he told fans through his Formspring account that his third album would be called Wolf and it was scheduled to be released in May 2012. The album will continue Tylers sessions with his fictional therapist, Dr. TC, as hinted by the track on his first album, Bastard. Tylers third album Wolf, released on April 2,2013, in August 2011, Tyler said that the album will be more focused on beats and have less rapping
Tyler, The Creator
–
Tyler, The Creator in 2012
Tyler, The Creator
–
Tyler in April 2011.
Tyler, The Creator
–
Tyler The Creator and
Earl Sweatshirt performing at the Pomona Fox Theater in 2013.
26.
Jim Jones (rapper)
–
Joseph Guillermo Jones II, better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American hip hop recording artist. Jones, a member of hip hop collective The Diplomats, is also the co-CEO of Diplomat Records, alongside longtime friend and fellow Harlem-bred rapper. Jones is also a music video director under the pseudonym CAPO, having directed videos for artists including Camron, Juelz Santana, Remy Ma. In 2004, he released his debut album On My Way to Church. The release of his album, Harlem, Diary of a Summer in 2005. A year later he was on his third album Hustlers P. O. M. E, which spawned his biggest single to date, We Fly High. The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, in 2006, Jones also formed the hip hop group ByrdGang and launched ByrdGang Records. The group released their debut album M. O. B, the Album, under the newly found label in 2008. Jones followed up with his solo album Pray IV Reign. The album spawned the hit single Pop Champagne, in April 2011, Jones released his fifth album, Capo, which was supported by the lead single, Perfect Day. Jim Jones was born in The Bronx borough of New York City and was raised in Harlem and his mother, Nancy Jones, is Aruban while his late father, Joseph Guillermo Jones was Puerto Rican. Jim Jones was raised mainly by his maternal grandmother, in an essay for Fader magazine, he stated that his mother would allow him to ride the train from their residence at 176th Street and Jerome Avenue to 110th Street and Lexington Avenue. He attended Catholic school but later began skipping church to loiter, in Jim Jones The Come Up DVD, Vol.19, he tells his story about growing up with fellow rapper Freekey Zekey. On My Way to Church is Jones debut album, the album spawned two singles that made the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, Certified Gangstas, which reached number 80, and Crunk Muzik, which reached number 84. The album peaked at number 18 on the US Billboard 200 chart, Harlem, Diary of a Summer, Jones second album, reached number five on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Independent Albums charts, selling 350,000 copies. Jones third album Hustlers P. O. M. E. was more commercial, the album spawned Jones biggest single to date, We Fly High. Jones introduced a dance move in the We Fly High video. This dance move became so popular that it inspired Michael Strahan, from 2006 to 2008, Jones released a collaborative album with his rap group ByrdGang, titled M. O. B
Jim Jones (rapper)
–
Jim Jones at the 5th Annual Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's Action Awards in
New York City in February 2008.
27.
Lil Jon
–
Jonathan Smith, better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American record producer, rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, DJ and actor from Atlanta, Georgia. He was the frontman of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz, which he formed in 1997, after going solo, he released a new album in 2010 titled Crunk Rock. He was featured on Celebrity Apprentice during its 11th and 13th seasons, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Smith graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta. After working as a DJ for Atlanta night clubs, he worked for So So Def Recordings between 1993 and 2000, Smith took the stage name Lil Jon and formed musical group Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, with rappers Big Sam and Lil Bo. The group signed to the Atlanta-based Mirror Image Records and were distributed by Ichiban Records, in 1997, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz debuted with Get Crunk, Who U Wit, Da Album. It included singles Who U Wit. and Shawty Freak a Lil Sumthin, both singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No.70 and No. In 2000, Jon started up his own label, BME Recordings and he released his breakthrough album titled We Still Crunk. Among the tracks on that project was the hit single I Like Those Girls, Lil Jon was talked about as the new guy by street team people in the markets where he was attracting his biggest audiences – namely Atlanta, St. Louis, Memphis and Dallas. Bryan Leach, A&R at TVT, went to one of Lil Jons Atlanta shows and was blown away by its immense energy. Leach told HitQuarters, It was like early Beastie Boys, when they had the energy of a group but they were rapping. Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz signed to TVT Records in 2001 and debuted there with Put Yo Hood Up, the groups first nationally played single was Bia Bia, which featured rappers Ludacris, Too Short, Big Kapp, and Chyna Whyte. Bia Bia peaked at No.97 on the Billboard Hot 100, in 2002, the group released Kings of Crunk. I Dont Give A. was its first single, it featured Mystikal and Krayzie Bone and peaked at No.50 on the R&B chart. What U Gon Do peaked at No.22 on the Hot 100, No.13 on the R&B chart, Lil Jon has also produced many hit urban singles. From 2003 to 2005, while still with The East Side Boyz, Lil Jon produced hits such as Salt Shaker by Ying Yang Twins, Yeah. By Usher, Freek-a-Leek by Petey Pablo, Shorty Wanna Ride by Young Buck, Shake That Monkey by Too Short, Girlfight by Brooke Valentine, during that same year he produced a song called Go to Church for Ice Cube. In 2006, Lil Jon severed his negotiation with record label TVT and he vowed never to record for TVT Records again, alleging that TVT owner Steve Gottlieb was shortchanging him. He also began recording a music album, Crunk Rock
Lil Jon
–
Lil Jon in 2007.
28.
Memphis Bleek
–
Malik Cox, best known as Memphis Bleek or Bleek, is an American rapper mainly known for his tenure with Roc-a-Fella Records and CEO of his own label Get Low Records. He has released four albums during his career, and had planned to release The Process in 2011, Memphis Bleek was one of the first artists signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, as protégé to Jay-Z. He grew up in Marcy Projects, the neighborhood as Jay-Z. He appears on the Jay-Z albums, Reasonable Doubt, Vol.2, Hard Knock Life, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, The Dynasty, Roc La Familia, and The Blueprint 2, The Gift & The Curse. Bleeks first official appearance was Coming of Age from Reasonable Doubt, after the huge success of Hard Knock Life and the exposure of the Roc-A-Fella camp, the label released Memphis Bleeks debut album, Coming of Age. The album was the weeks Hot Shot Debut on the Billboard 200, the name Memphis, which the rapper explained to pay homage to pimps, was an acronym for Making Easy Money, Pimping Hoes In Style. He has released three albums since his debut, The Understanding, M. A. D. E. and 534. In between the release of The Understanding and M. A. D. E and he took a three-year hiatus, in which time he took care of his older brother, who was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. There are three significant notes to take away from the album 534, which was named after the building number where Memphis, first, it was the first release from the new Roc-A-Fella Records, referring to Jay-Z becoming President of Def Jam. It was also the first official Def Jam recording by label mate turned international star, Rihanna, and lastly, this album marks where Jay-Z released his first song since beginning his brief retirement. The other single being Its Alright, appearing on the Hard Knock Life album by Jay-Z, I feel that if this album Im not recording is a classic, Im not even gonna put it out. I have to do it bigger than anybody has ever done it, I have to make a good record this time, not just talking-junk records. The rapper has worked on the album since 2005 and during that time frame he would release the songs Hustla, Get Ya Money Off and Let It Off. During this time, he would also leave Roc-A-Fella after Jay-Z told him he could run his own company and had the distribution deals to do so. He found a new home in 2009 when he signed to Mass Appeal Entertainment which is where he released his album The Process in 2010, in the summer of 2010, he was on stage with Jay-Z, as a background singer, in the Swedish festival Peace&Love. On June 6,2012 Memphis Bleek working with The Liberty Music Group released KG Vol.2, the release went on to garnish over 59,000 Downloads and get a 3/5 Review from XXL Writer Adam Fleischer. On April 10,2012 Memphis Bleek working with The Liberty Music Group re-released The Movement, the release went on to garnish over 125,000 Downloads. On March 21,2014 Memphis Bleek released The Movement 2 a mixtape for free download, on December 13,2014 Memphis Bleek married longtime girlfriend, Ashley Coombs, in an evening ceremony at The Merion in Cinnaminson, New Jersey
Memphis Bleek
–
Memphis Bleek in 2003 with
Beanie Sigel
29.
Joe C.
–
Joseph Calleja, better known by his stage name Joe C. was an American rapper and musician. His popularity and fame were based on his relationship as hype man, Calleja was born in Taylor, Michigan. He had coeliac disease, a disease that may cause stunting and dwarfism. Because of this, he had a height of 3 ft 9 in at adult age. His dwarfism resulted in medical problems. In 2000, he said in an interview with John Norris from MTV that he had to take 60 pills daily and his Los Angeles Times obituary stated Callejas medical regimen had required taking 65 pills daily, in addition to undergoing daily kidney dialysis. Calleja first met fellow Michigan musician Kid Rock at a concert by the latter in Roseville, Kid Rock said in the interview that he mistakenly thought Joe C. was a child. Calleja asked an acquaintance to tell Rock he wanted to smoke a joint with him, Rock said, after which the pair formally met. Hes talking and Im like, would you like a job, hes like, I cant do anything. Im like, its not important right now, I was like, you got attitude flying all over this room. I was like, Ill teach you everything you need to know, Joe C. was first featured on the demo Cool Daddy Cool in 1995. He appeared on television, including a guest role with Kid Rock on the animated series The Simpsons, Joe C. was a World Wrestling Federation fan and made various references to the WWF stable D-Generation X during concerts. Calleja became good friends with Justin Jardine and Jonathan Cohen by appearing on several Harlequin Kid, in November 1999, Calleja had to leave the tour with Kid Rock, only appearing in a few programs from this issue. On November 16,2000, one week after his 26th birthday, Calleja died in his sleep at his parents home in his hometown of Taylor, no official cause of death was initially announced. A solo album was lined up before his death, at the Internet Movie Database Joe C. at Find a Grave
Joe C.
–
Joe C.
30.
Kid Rock
–
Robert James Ritchie, known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor. His 1998 album Devil Without a Cause sold 14 million copies worldwide and he is a five-time Grammy Award nominee and has sold 25 million albums in the U. S. according to Nielsen SoundScan. The RIAA certified him selling 23.5 million albums and he has sold over 35 million records worldwide and he was Soundscans number-one selling male solo musician of the 2000s, selling 17.6 million albums, he was 17th overall for the decade. Rock performed rap and hip hop with five releases between 1990 and 1997, including a reissue and an EP. After signing a contract with Atlantic Records in 1998, he gained commercial success in the rap rock genre behind the singles Bawitdaba, Cowboy. Rocks follow-up records became more rock-, country-, and blues-oriented and his collaboration with Sheryl Crow on the song Picture was his first country hit and biggest pop hit in the US to date charting at No.4 on the Hot 100. After 2003s Kid Rock and 2006s Live Trucker sales declined from the previous releases, the album featured the song All Summer Long, which charted at No.1 in eight countries across Europe and Australia. Rock released Rebel Soul on November 19,2012 behind the rock hit Lets Ride, the album was certified gold in April 2013. Kid Rock released First Kiss on February 24,2015 behind the hit title track, Ritchie was born on January 17,1971 in Romeo, Michigan to William Bill Ritchie, a car dealer who owned several local dealerships, and Susan Ritchie. His family also owned an orchard and Robert regularly helped pick apples. He has three siblings, the two elder are brother William Billy Ritchie and sister Carol Ritchie, his sister, Jill Ritchie, is an actress. Ritchie found small-town life dull and became interested in rap music, learning how to breakdance, at age eleven, he joined a breakdance crew called the Furious Funkers and taught himself to work a cheap belt-driven turntable. In high school, Ritchie deejayed at parties for beer and he eventually joined Bo Wisdom of Groove Time Productions in Mt. Clemens, Michigan to perform basement parties for $30 a night. He chose his name while performing at these venues, club goers dubbed him Kid Rock after they had enjoyed watching that white kid rock. Ritchie eventually ran away to Mt. Clemens at 15 and stayed with his friend Chris Pouncy and he was forced by a local drug gang known as the Best Friends to sell drugs out of a car wash at which he worked. In an attempt to keep the kids out of trouble, a man in the organized a rap group, composed of its founder The Blackman, Champtown, KDC, Chris Doc Roun-Cee Pouncy. They were known as The Beast Crew, while performing, Rock befriended producer D-Nice of the legendary hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions. When Rock opened for BDP one night, D-Nice invited an A&R representative from Jive Records to see him perform and this meeting led to a demo deal that developed into a full record contract
Kid Rock
–
Kid Rock in Melbourne, December 2013
Kid Rock
–
Kid Rock in concert on September 16, 2006 in Denver, Colorado
Kid Rock
–
Kid Rock performing at
WrestleMania XXV for the Divas Battle Royal on April 5, 2009
31.
Proof (rapper)
–
DeShaun Dupree Holton, better known by his stage name Proof, was an American rapper and actor from Detroit, Michigan. During his career, he was a member of the groups 5 Elementz, Funky Cowboys, Promatic, Goon Sqwad and most notably and he was a close childhood friend of rapper Eminem, who lived on the same block, and was often a hype man at his concerts. In 2006, Proof was shot and killed during an altercation at the CCC nightclub in Detroit, deShaun Dupree Holton was born to Sharallene Pepper Holton, a single mother. His father, McKinley Jackson, was a producer who left to pursue his career prior to Holtons birth. Originally known as Maximum, under the moniker Proof, Holton first rose to prominence as a part of the rap group D12. Early individual accomplishments include being featured in The Sources Unsigned Hype column in 1999 and his first television appearance was in the video for Aaliyahs Age Aint Nothing But a Number. In 2000, Proof toured with Eminem, Dr. Dre and he gained further exposure in 2001 with the release of Devils Night, D12s debut album on Interscope Records. The following year, Proof collaborated with Dogmatic on Promatic and joined Eminems Anger Management tour in support of the release and he appeared in the film 8 Mile along with Eminem and Xzibit, although the character based on him, Future, was portrayed by Mekhi Phifer. Proof appeared as Lil Tic, a rapper who rap battles the lead character, B-Rabbit. To capitalize on the publicity from the film, Proof released a six-song EP called Electric CoolAid, Acid Testing, Proof also starred in a cameo role, alongside the rest of D12, in The Longest Yard, appearing as Basketball Convicts during the credits. Proof released an album featuring collaborations with 50 Cent, Method Man, Nate Dogg, B-Real of Cypress Hill, T3 of Slum Village, Obie Trice, Eminem. The album was released on his own Iron Fist Records label in conjunction with Alliance Entertainments IDN Distribution, Proof said that he did not produce the record with Shady Records or Aftermath because he wanted to build his own thing. Called Searching for Jerry Garcia, the album was released on August 9,2005 on his own Iron Fist Records label, ten years to the day following Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcias death. It contained the prophetic song Kurt Kobain in which he wrote of his own death, Proof has said that he considered Garcia to be a genius who suffered from common character flaws. Proof has stated his admiration for Garcias eclectic style, saying that Garcia went against the grain, Proof stated how he wanted to be remembered in an interview with SOHH. The album received favorable reviews, which commented on its eclectic, despite its list of guest appearances and favorable reviews, the release did not make a significant impact on the charts. Proof also recorded a track, How I Live, with Twiztid for their album Independents Day shortly before his death, besides these, he recorded during his Gold Coast tour in 2006, which was exactly two weeks before his death, a song with Liquidsilva from Australia. A pool game between Proof and Keith Bender turned into an argument and then escalated into a physical altercation
Proof (rapper)
–
Proof in August 2005
32.
D12
–
D12, an initialism for The Dirty Dozen, is an American hip hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, D12 was formed in 1996, and achieved mainstream success after Eminem rose to international fame. The original lineup consisted of the members and their alter egos and this is where Slim Shady came from. D12 released the album Devils Night in 2001 and D12 World in 2004, spawning hits such as Fight Music, Purple Pills, My Band, How Come. Since 2006, Eminems hiatus and the death of the member Proof resulted in them being active in subsequent years. In order to make up the dozen, it was decided the six members at the time would create an alter-ego. Proofs was Dirty Harry, Bizarres was Peter S. Bizarre, Kunivas was Hannz G. Kon Artiss was Mr. Porter, Bugz was Robert Beck, in 1997, they released their debut album, The Underground EP, which was recorded between 1996 and 1997. In 1997 and through 1998, its members began establishing reputations locally, Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainments Flava of the Week and went on to release an album called Attack of the Weirdos. Along with Eminem, Rah Digga and Young Zee, he became a member of The Outsidaz. Proof won a competition run by The Source. In 1999, Bugz released an EP called These Streets EP, D12 went through many changes during the early days even becoming temporarily inactive when, after being heard by Dr. Dre, Eminem left the group to pursue a solo career. Around the time of Eminems first record deal, Proof attempted to bring new life to D12 and he managed to recruit local Detroit hip hop duo Da Brigade, which was composed of Kuniva, a local MC, and Denaun Porter, a longtime friend of Eminem and Proof. At the time, Porter was the producer and later produced Eminems first album Infinite. Later the group was joined by Bugz and needing one more member, Bugz introduced his longtime friend Swift, before a show in Detroit, Bugz attended a picnic where an argument with a man over a water pistol escalated into a fight. The man went to his SUV and retrieved a firearm, which he fired in Bugz direction, Bugz was shot four times and was hit by the assailants vehicle as the suspect fled the scene. The attack, on May 21,1999, was captured on video, members of the group were shaken by the tragedy, darkening the mood within the collective. One of Bugzs final acts had been a request that Swift could join the group, following the death of Bugz, Eminem volunteered as replacement to fulfill the groups forthcoming obligations. This led to Eminem eventually rejoining the group, at the time of his death, Bugz was working on his first solo album, Mr. Obnoxious, which was ultimately released posthumously in February 2000
D12
–
D12 at the Anger Management tour in 2005
33.
Eminem
–
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the 2000s in the United States, throughout his career, he has had 10 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Globally, he has more than 172 million albums, thus being one of the worlds best-selling artists. Rolling Stone ranked him 83rd on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and they were followed by Encore in 2004, another critical and commercial success. Eminem went on hiatus after touring in 2005, releasing Relapse in 2009, both won Grammy Awards and Recovery was the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide, the second time he had the international best-selling album of the year. Eminems eighth album, 2013s The Marshall Mathers LP2, won two Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album, it expanded his record for the most wins in that category and his Grammy total to 15. In addition to his career, Eminem is an original member of the Midwest hip hop groups Soul Intent. He is also known for his collaborations with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 59, Eminem has developed other ventures, including Shady Records, with manager Paul Rosenberg, which helped launch the careers of artists such as 50 Cent. Eminem has also established his own channel, Shade 45, on Sirius XM Radio. In November 2002, he starred in the hip hop film 8 Mile, Eminem has made cameo appearances in the films The Wash, Funny People, The Interview and the television series Entourage. Eminem was born on October 17,1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Debbie was 14 when she met 18-year-old Bruce, at age 17, she nearly died during her 73-hour labor. Eminems parents were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border before their separation, Bruce left the family, moving to California and having two other children, Michael and Sarah. Debbie had son Nathan Nate Kane Samara on February 3,1986, during his childhood, Eminem and Debbie shuttled between Michigan and Missouri, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and living primarily with family members. In Missouri, they lived in places, including St. Joseph, Savannah. As a teenager Eminem wrote letters to his father, according to Debbie, friends and family remember Eminem as a happy child, but a bit of a loner who was often bullied. One bully, DeAngelo Bailey, severely injured Eminems head, Debbie filed a lawsuit against the school in 1982, Eminem spent much of his youth in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood. He and Debbie were one of three white households on their block, and Eminem was beaten by black youths several times, as a child he was interested in storytelling, aspiring to be a comic-book artist before discovering hip hop. Eminem heard his first rap song on the Breakin soundtrack, a gift from Debbies half-brother Ronnie Polkinghorn, when Polkinghorn committed suicide in 1991, Eminem stopped speaking for days and did not attend his funeral
Eminem
–
Eminem performing in June 2009
Eminem
–
Eminem in Germany, 1999
Eminem
–
Eminem and Proof at
Voodoo Experience in October 2000
Eminem
–
On the Anger Management Tour promoting Encore
34.
Puff Daddy
–
Sean John Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur. He was born in Harlem and was raised in Mount Vernon and he worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his label Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993. His debut album No Way Out has been certified seven times platinum and was followed by successful albums such as Forever, The Saga Continues. in 2009 Combs formed the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money and released the critically well-reviewed and commercially successful album Last Train to Paris. Combs has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and is the producer of MTVs Making the Band, in 2016 Forbes estimated Combs net worth at $750 million. Sean John Combs was born on November 4,1969 in Harlem in Manhattan, New York City, and was raised in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother, Janice, was a model and teachers assistant and his father, at age 33, Melvin was shot to death while sitting in his car on Central Park West, when Combs was 2 years old. Combs graduated from the Roman Catholic Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1987 and he played football for the academy, and his team won a division title in 1986. Combs said that he was given the nickname Puff as a child, after dropping out of Howard University in 1990, after two years as a business major, Combs became an intern at New Yorks Uptown Records. While talent director at Uptown, he helped develop Jodeci and Mary J. Blige, in his college days Combs had a reputation for throwing parties, some of which attracted up to a thousand participants. In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser with Heavy D held at the City College of New York gymnasium, the event was oversold, and a stampede occurred in which nine people died. In 1993, after being fired from Uptown, Combs established his new label Bad Boy Entertainment as a joint venture with Arista Records, taking then-newcomer The Notorious B. I. G. with him. Both The Notorious B. I. G. and Craig Mack quickly released hit singles, followed by successful LPs, Combs signed more acts to Bad Boy, including Carl Thomas, Faith Evans,112, Total, and Father MC. The Hitmen, his production team, worked with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, Aretha Franklin. Mase and The Lox joined Bad Boy just as a widely publicized rivalry with the West Coasts Death Row Records was beginning, Combs and The Notorious B. I. G. were criticized and parodied by Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s. During 1994–1995, Combs produced several songs for TLCs CrazySexyCool, which finished the decade as number 25 on Billboards list of top pop albums of the decade, in 1997, under the name Puff Daddy, Combs recorded his first commercial vocal work as a rapper. His debut single, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, spent 28 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his debut album, No Way Out, was released on July 1,1997, through Bad Boy Records. Originally titled Hell up in Harlem, the album underwent several changes after The Notorious B. I. G. was killed on March 9,1997, several of the labels artists made guest appearances on the album. No Way Out was a significant success, particularly in the United States, four other singles, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, Its All About the Benjamins, Been Around the World, and Victory, were also released
Puff Daddy
–
Combs performing in December 2010
Puff Daddy
–
Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide headquarters on
Broadway near
Times Square. A billboard of Combs is in the distance.
Puff Daddy
–
Combs with his sons Christian and Justin at the
Spider-Man 3 premiere (2007)
Puff Daddy
–
Combs' star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
35.
The Notorious B.I.G.
–
Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names The Notorious B. I. G. Biggie, or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper and he is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, the following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M. A. F. I. A. While recording his album, Wallace was heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud. On March 9,1997, Wallace was killed by an assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Wallace was noted for his loose, easy flow, dark semi-autobiographical lyrics, two more albums have been released since his death. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States and his father left the family when Wallace was two years old, and his mother worked two jobs while raising him. Wallace grew up in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn on 226 St. James Place near the border of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, at Queen of All Saints Middle School, Wallace excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed Big because of his size by age 10. He said he started dealing drugs when he was around the age of 12 and his mother, often away at work, did not know of her sons drug dealing until Wallace was an adult. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student, at age seventeen, Wallace dropped out of school and became further involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on charges in Brooklyn. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation, a year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months in jail before making bail, Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He entertained people on the streets and performed with groups the Old Gold Brothers. The tape was made with no serious intent of getting a recording deal. However, it was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had worked with Big Daddy Kane. In March 1992, Wallace was featured in The Sources Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers, the demo tape was heard by Uptown Records A&R and record producer Sean Combs, who arranged for a meeting with Wallace
The Notorious B.I.G.
–
The Notorious B.I.G
The Notorious B.I.G.
–
Wallace attended the
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School before transferring out at his own request
The Notorious B.I.G.
–
Wallace married
Faith Evans in 1994
The Notorious B.I.G.
–
Composite sketch of the suspect in the shooting.
36.
Nicki Minaj
–
Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter and model. Born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, New York and she has been signed to Young Money Entertainment since 2009. In 2010, Minaj became the first female solo artist to have seven singles simultaneously charting on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100. Her third studio album, The Pinkprint, was preceded by its single, Anaconda. Minaj made her debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age, Continental Drift, followed by supporting roles in The Other Woman and Barbershop. In 2013, she was a judge on the season of American Idol. Minaj was the first female artist included on MTVs Annual Hottest MC List, in 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents, early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful costumes and wigs. According to Billboard, Minaj has the most Hot 100 entries for a female artist in the charts history and she has further endorsed Adidas, MAC Cosmetics and Pepsi. She has sold 20 million singles as a lead artist, and 60 million singles as a featured artist worldwide, Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8,1982, in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago. Her father, Robert Maraj, a executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Trinidadian descent. Her mother, Carol Maraj, also a singer, is of Afro-Trinidadian ancestry. Carol worked in payroll and accounting departments during Minajs youth, Minajs father was addicted to alcohol and other drugs, and had a violent temper, burning down their house in December 1987. As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James and her mother, who had moved to The Bronx, New York to attend Monroe College, brought the family to Queens, New York, when Minaj was 5. By then the family had a house on West 147th Street, Minaj recalled, I don’t think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom motivated me, but it wasn’t a strict household, I kind of wanted a strict household. Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, after graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001. At the age of 19, as she struggled with her career, she worked as a waitress at Red Lobster in the Bronx
Nicki Minaj
–
Minaj at the
2010 MTV Video Music Awards in
Los Angeles
Nicki Minaj
–
Minaj at the
2013 BET Awards.
Nicki Minaj
–
Minaj with
Tyga on the
Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour at
The O2 Arena in London (October 30, 2012)
Nicki Minaj
–
Minaj is known for her costumes, cosmetics and wigs.
37.
Joe C
–
Joseph Calleja, better known by his stage name Joe C. was an American rapper and musician. His popularity and fame were based on his relationship as hype man, Calleja was born in Taylor, Michigan. He had coeliac disease, a disease that may cause stunting and dwarfism. Because of this, he had a height of 3 ft 9 in at adult age. His dwarfism resulted in medical problems. In 2000, he said in an interview with John Norris from MTV that he had to take 60 pills daily and his Los Angeles Times obituary stated Callejas medical regimen had required taking 65 pills daily, in addition to undergoing daily kidney dialysis. Calleja first met fellow Michigan musician Kid Rock at a concert by the latter in Roseville, Kid Rock said in the interview that he mistakenly thought Joe C. was a child. Calleja asked an acquaintance to tell Rock he wanted to smoke a joint with him, Rock said, after which the pair formally met. Hes talking and Im like, would you like a job, hes like, I cant do anything. Im like, its not important right now, I was like, you got attitude flying all over this room. I was like, Ill teach you everything you need to know, Joe C. was first featured on the demo Cool Daddy Cool in 1995. He appeared on television, including a guest role with Kid Rock on the animated series The Simpsons, Joe C. was a World Wrestling Federation fan and made various references to the WWF stable D-Generation X during concerts. Calleja became good friends with Justin Jardine and Jonathan Cohen by appearing on several Harlequin Kid, in November 1999, Calleja had to leave the tour with Kid Rock, only appearing in a few programs from this issue. On November 16,2000, one week after his 26th birthday, Calleja died in his sleep at his parents home in his hometown of Taylor, no official cause of death was initially announced. A solo album was lined up before his death, at the Internet Movie Database Joe C. at Find a Grave
Joe C
–
Joe C.
38.
Cypress Hill
–
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino American hip hop recording group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums and they are considered to be among the main progenitors of West Coast rap and hip hop in the early 1990s, being critically acclaimed for their first four albums. The band has also advocated for medical and recreational use of cannabis in the United States, senen Reyes and Ulpiano Sergio Reyes are brothers born in Pinar del Río, Cuba. In 1971, their family immigrated to the United States from Cuba and they initially lived in South Gate, California. In 1988, the two teamed up with New York City native Lawrence Muggerud and Louis Freese to form a hip-hop group named DVX. The band soon lost Mellow Man Ace to a solo career, after recording a demo in 1989, Cypress Hill signed a record deal with the major label, Columbia Records. Their self-titled first album was released in August 1991, the lead single was the double A-side The Phuncky Feel One/How I Could Just Kill a Man which received heavy airplay on urban and college radio. The other two singles released from the album were Hand on the Pump and Latin Lingo, the latter of which combined English and Spanish lyrics, the success of these singles led to the album selling two million copies in the US alone. Cypress Hill contributed the song Shoot Em Up to the soundtrack of the movie Juice, the group made their first appearance at Lollapalooza on the side stage in 1992. Black Sunday, the second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 1993. Also, with their debut still in the charts, they became the first rap group to have 2 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time. With Insane in the Brain becoming a hit, the album went triple platinum in the U. S. The band headlined the Soul Assassins tour with House of Pain and Funkdoobiest as support, then performed on a tour with Rage Against the Machine. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgment Night soundtrack, teaming up with Pearl Jam on the track Real Thing and Sonic Youth on I Love You Mary Jane. The group later played at Woodstock 94, introducing new member Eric Bobo, son of Willie Bobo, rolling Stone magazine named the group as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza for two years, topping the bill in 1995. They also appeared on the Homerpalooza episode of The Simpsons, prior to Bobo joining the crew, Panchito Ponch Gomez sat in as a percussionist when not acting. Their third album III, Temples of Boom was released in 1995, Cypress Hill also contributed a track I Wanna Get High to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML
Cypress Hill
–
Cypress Hill performing at
Bonnaroo in 2006
Cypress Hill
–
Germany 1998
39.
Obie Trice
–
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records, since leaving the label, Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment. He does not use a name, but rather uses his birth name on stage. Obie Trice III was born and raised on the west side of Detroit, Michigan by his mother and he is of African-American and German descent. Trice was given a machine by his mother when he was eleven. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle gatherings around Detroit, including the Hip Hop Shop, the battles were hosted by Proof, from D12. Positive response from watchers encouraged Trice to get into rap music seriously. Trice was calling himself Obie Kadobie at that time, but before Proof introduced him at the Hip Hop Shop, he asked him his name and introduced him as Obie Trice. Trice was introduced to Eminem through D12 member Bizarre, later, Trices manager arranged for him to have dinner and go to a Kid Rock party with Eminem. Trice signed to Shady Records in 2000, later in 2002, Trice rapped on songs for the 8 Mile soundtrack, and also had a cameo appearance in the film as a rapper in a parking-lot. Trices debut album, Cheers, was released on September 23,2003 with its first single Got Some Teeth being well received on radio in a number of countries. The single peaked at number fifty four on the Billboard Hot 100 and he also released the singles The Set Up and Dont Come Down. The album consists of 17 tracks with production from Eminem, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Mike Elizondo, Emile, Fredwreck and Mr. Porter. Artists featured on Cheers include Busta Rhymes, Eminem,50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, D12, Tony Yayo, the album was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA. Trice also featured on the track Hennessey on Tupac Shakurs posthumous album Loyal To The Game, in 2005, Trice began work on his second album, entitled Second Rounds on Me. The album was released on August 15,2006, following the release of Second Rounds on Me, he released a mixtape called Bar Shots with G-Units DJ Whoo Kid. Shortly after his label-mate Proof was shot to death in a Detroit nightclub, the song was dedicated to Proof. He has since given insight as to why he feels the shooting occurred and they want to get that plug and there’s really more to the game than they think it is it’s competition on a real vicious level
Obie Trice
–
Obie Trice in 2006
40.
Busta Rhymes
–
Trevor George Smith Jr. better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American recording artist, actor, record producer and record executive. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, about. com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time, while Steve Huey of AllMusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the 1990s. In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time, MTV has called him one of hip-hops greatest visual artists. Busta Rhymes was an member of Leaders of the New School. He later went on and founded the record label Conglomerate and production crew The Conglomerate, in November 2011, Busta Rhymes signed a deal with Cash Money Records. On July 23,2014, Busta Rhymes announced that he left Cash Money Records due to differences and was no longer on Republic. In 2016 Rhymes signed with Epic for his album due to be released in early 2017. He has so far released nine albums, with the first being the 1996 platinum-selling album The Coming. His list of hit singles include Woo Hah, got You All in Check, Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See, Dangerous, Turn It Up /Fire It Up, Gimme Some More, Whats It Gonna Be. Pass the Courvoisier, Part II, I Know What You Want and Touch It, Busta Rhymes was born Trevor George Smith Jr. in Brooklyn, New York, on May 20,1972 to Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith, who are from Jamaica. The most known story of Bustas tenure at Westinghouse High School was battle rapping his fellow schoolmate Jay Z in the schools cafeteria one day, to whom he ultimately lost. In 1989, Smith, alongside fellow Long Island natives Charlie Brown, Dinco D and Cut Monitor Milo, the groups big break was when they became an opening act for fellow Long Island hip hop group Public Enemy. Public Enemys Chuck D gave Busta Rhymes and Charlie Brown their respective stage names, Leaders of the New School began recording in late 1989 and released their debut album A Future Without a Past. in 1991 on Elektra Records. In early 1992, the group appeared on A Tribe Called Quests posse cut Scenario, soon after, however, internal problems arose because of Busta Rhymess increasing popularity, and the group broke up on the set of Yo. By the summer of 1992, Rhymes began making guest appearances on songs by artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Another Bad Creation. Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, as well on the interludes to Mary J. Bliges debut Whats the 411. and R&B trio TLCs Diamond-certified second album CrazySexyCool. He also appeared on the jacket of fellow hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quests Midnight Marauders. In early 1993, he appeared in a role in Whos the Man
Busta Rhymes
–
Busta Rhymes in 2002
Busta Rhymes
–
Busta Rhymes performing in 2006
41.
Tony Yayo
–
Marvin Bernard, better known by his stage name Tony Yayo, is an American rapper, hype man, and member of the hip hop group G-Unit. Tony Yayo was brought up in South Jamaica, Queens, New York and is friends with 50 Cent. He is signed to 50 Cents record label G-Unit Records and recently signed a deal with EMI to release his second untitled album and he is CEO to the label G-Unit Philly. His stage name is derived from the 1983 film Scarface, referencing the character Tony Montana, G-Unit boss 50 Cent was granted his own record label, G-Unit Records by Interscope after releasing his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin. The album was released whilst Tony Yayo was in serving time. The second G-Unit album T. O. S, Terminate on Sight was released in July,2008, though his appearances on mixtapes announced his return on the street level, it was not until the release of So Seductive that his return received wide recognition. In August 2005, Tony Yayo released his debut, Thoughts of a Predicate Felon, Tony Yayo has confirmed that work is in progress for his second studio album. No official name for the album has been decided yet, the first single off the album is Pass the Patron, and it features 50 Cent. The album will be released with G-Unit Records / EMI who will promote and distribute the album. On March 2,2011 Yayo released the single of off his upcoming album called. The song features Shawty Lo,50 Cent, & Roscoe Dash, the single was released onto Thisis50. com after being premiered on Hot 97 by Funkmaster Flex. The single rapidly started to gain success on the radio charts. A new track leaked recently titled Just Like 50 featuring newly signed G-Unit artists Mike Knox, Yayo of Haitian descent, has taken part in aid to the Haitian people after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Yayo has worked with different charities and events in support of the relief efforts, in 2003 Tony Yayo was signed to Interscope Records, where he released his debut album Thoughts of a Predicate Felon. In 2009, he was dropped from Interscope Records. Lloyd Banks announced this on Friday, August 13,2010 on MTV News, along with 50 Cent, Yayo was arrested on December 31,2002 for weapons possession. He had a Glock 20 handgun and a Colt AR15 in the trunk of his car, when police discovered that Yayo had an outstanding warrant for a previous such charge, Yayo was sentenced for bail jumping and spent all of 2003 in prison. Yayo served time in the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility and was paroled on January 8,2004, the next day, he was arrested for possessing a forged passport and served time in federal prison until May 25,2004
Tony Yayo
–
Tony Yayo performing at Villanova Hoops Mania in 2005.
42.
50 Cent
–
Curtis James Jackson III, known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, businessman, and investor. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of the borough of Queens, although he left drug-dealing to pursue a musical career, in 2000 he was shot nine times. After Jackson released the compilation album Guess Whos Back. in 2002, he was discovered by Eminem and signed by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. With the aid of Eminem and Dr. Dre, Jackson became one of the worlds best selling rappers, in 2003, he founded G-Unit Records, signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Jackson had similar commercial and critical success with his album, The Massacre. He released his studio album, Animal Ambition, in 2014 and is working on his sixth studio album. He executive produces the show Power, which airs on Starz and he has pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave and Righteous Kill. 50 Cent was ranked the sixth-best artist of the 2000s and the third-best rapper by Billboard. Rolling Stone consider Get Rich or Die Tryin and “In Da Club to be in their lists of “100 Best albums of the 2000s”, Jackson was born in the borough of Queens, New York City, and raised in its South Jamaica neighborhood by his mother, Sabrina. A drug dealer, Sabrina raised Jackson until she died in a fire when Jackson was 8. After his mothers death and his fathers departure Jackson was raised by his grandmother and he began boxing at about age 11, and when he was 14 a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local youth. When I wasnt killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip, during the mid-1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics, I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too. I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like theyre the champ, at age 12, Jackson began dealing narcotics when his grandparents thought he was in after-school programs and brought guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School, after I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother, I sell drugs, on June 29,1994, Jackson was arrested for selling four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested three weeks later, when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine. Although Jackson was sentenced to three to nine years in prison, he served six months in a camp and earned his GED. He has said that he did not use cocaine himself, Jackson adopted the nickname 50 Cent as a metaphor for change
50 Cent
–
50 Cent in 2006
50 Cent
–
With
Olivia,
Lloyd Banks and
Young Buck (left to right) in
Bangkok, February 2006
50 Cent
–
50 Cent in
Stockholm, June 2009 (photo by Rikard Westman)
50 Cent
–
With
Val Kilmer at the 2009
American Music Awards
43.
G-Unit
–
G-Unit is an American hip hop group originating from South Jamaica, Queens, New York, formed by longtime friends and East Coast rappers 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. The group released their debut album Beg for Mercy, in 2003, in 2008, the group released their second album T·O·S. During Tony Yayos imprisonment, the group recruited Tennessee-based rapper Young Buck, in late 2004, The Game was also added to the group, a proposition made by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, to promote the Aftermath/Interscope newcomer. However, due to The Games disloyalty in the eyes of 50 Cent, in April 2008,50 Cent revealed Young Buck was no longer a part of the group due to his excessive spending and inconsistent behavior. G-Unit Records rapper Kidd Kidd, was added to the group upon its reformation. In 2017. The groups founding members,50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo all grew up in the same neighborhood rapping together,50 Cent signed to Interscope Records. Due to the success of his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin. This was when G-Unit Records was created, the group continued to work hard and released several mixtape series which earned them a lot of attention in the rap industry. The most prominent of these being 50 Cent Is the Future, Gods Plan, No Mercy, No Fear, G-Unit has also started a mixtape series with their DJ, DJ Whoo Kid, called G-Unit Radio. G-Unit gained more popularity when a remix to 50 Cents P. I. M. P. was released, featuring Snoop Dogg and G-Unit. But before the group had a chance to record its debut album, during Tony Yayos prison sentence,50 Cent signed Tennessee-based rapper Young Buck to G-Unit Records and subsequently added him to the group. In 2003, the debut album Beg for Mercy, was released. However, while the album was being recorded, Tony Yayo was sentenced to jail on charges of gun possession, therefore, he only makes two appearances, both were pre-recorded tracks. His face is seen on the wall of the album cover because he could not be photographed on account of his jail sentence. Beg for Mercy went on to sell 2.3 million copies in the US and 4 million copies worldwide, the only guest appearances on the album were R&B singers Joe and Butch Cassidy. The albums production was handled by producers such as Hi-Tek, Dr. Dre and Scott Storch. 50 Cent also served as the executive producer. West Coast rapper The Game was originally placed into G-Unit by Dr. Dre and their plan was to market The Game as a devotee, or a card-carrying member of 50 Cents camp
G-Unit
–
From left to right:
Tony Yayo,
50 Cent and
Lloyd Banks at the "Rider Pt. 2" video shoot
G-Unit
–
G-Unit logo
G-Unit
–
An anti-
50 Cent billboard in
Tribeca, New York.
G-Unit
–
G-Unit on the set of the "
Rider Pt. 2 " video, a diss track aimed at Fat Joe.
44.
Yolandi Visser
–
YoLandi Visser born Anri du Toit is an actress and the female vocalist in the South African electronic group Die Antwoord. Visser appeared in the 2015 film Chappie, Visser also co-starred in Umshini Wam and Tokoloshe, all three films co-starred bandmate Watkin Tudor Jones. Under her birth name, Visser made two films, Family Picnic and Spook Asem. Visser was a part of the music and art groups The Constructus Corporation, the former was a project that produced a concept album/graphic novel while the latter was a South African corporate hip-hop group in which Vissers role was portraying Max Normals personal assistant. She appeared in several of their music/art videos. is a South African rap group formed in Cape Town in 2008, the group was formed by rappers Ninja and Visser, and producer God. Die Antwoords image is based on a movement known as Zef in South Africa. Die Antwoord released their album, $O$, free online. After briefly signing with Interscope Records, in 2011 they founded their own label Zef Recordz and they released their fourth album, Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid, in 2016. At 16 she was sent to an all girls musical school and she has a daughter with her bandmate and former partner Ninja. Yolandi Visser at the Internet Movie Database Yolandi Visser Discography at discogs. com The Constructus Corporation Discography at discogs. com Zef Recordz
Yolandi Visser
–
Visser at the 2010
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
45.
Die Antwoord
–
Die Antwoord is a South African rap group formed in Cape Town in 2008. The group was formed by rappers Ninja and Yolandi Visser, Die Antwoords image is based on a counterculture movement known as Zef in South Africa, and incorporated elements of the work of photographer Roger Ballen. Die Antwoord released their album, $O$, free online. After briefly signing with Interscope Records, in 2011 they founded their own label Zef Recordz and they released their fourth album, Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid, in 2016. Die Antwoords male vocalist, Ninja, was part of the South African hip-hop scene for years, fronting acts such as The Original Evergreen, MaxNormal. TV. Their debut album $O$ relates to their work, specifically Good Morning South Africa. Ninja told Rolling Stone, Everything I did before Die Antwoord was me experimenting, messing around, Die Antwoord observed that journalists and critics, particularly in the United States, frequently ask if their creative output is a joke or a hoax. When asked if he was playing a character, Ninja said, Ninja is, how can I say, the only difference is I dont take off this fokken Superman suit. They have described their work as documentary fiction and exaggerated experience designed for shock value, Ninja told Spin, People are unconscious, and you have to use your art as a shock machine to wake them up. Some people are too far gone, theyll just keep asking, Is it real. Thats a word we have in South Africa, dwanky and you have to be futuristic and carry on. You gotta be a guide to help people get away from dull experience. Die Antwoord is known for their following, in particular the unusually prolific creation of fan art by their followers. Some of their videos have incorporated artwork by the noted photographer Roger Ballen. Die Antwoords musical and visual style incorporates elements of a zef culture, described as modern and trashy, appropriating out-of-date, yo-Landi said, Its associated with people who soup their cars up and rock gold and shit. Zef is, youre poor but youre fancy, youre poor but youre sexy, youve got style. Their lyrics are performed in Afrikaans, Xhosa, and English and their name is Afrikaans for The Answer Their debut album $O$ was made available as a free download on their official website. $O$ features Cape Flats rappers Garlic Brown, Scallywag, Isaac Mutant, Jack Parow, the album cover was shot by photographer Clayton James Cubitt
Die Antwoord
–
Die Antwoord performing at the
El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, California on 17 July 2010
46.
Sean Combs
–
Sean John Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur. He was born in Harlem and was raised in Mount Vernon and he worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his label Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993. His debut album No Way Out has been certified seven times platinum and was followed by successful albums such as Forever, The Saga Continues. in 2009 Combs formed the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money and released the critically well-reviewed and commercially successful album Last Train to Paris. Combs has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and is the producer of MTVs Making the Band, in 2016 Forbes estimated Combs net worth at $750 million. Sean John Combs was born on November 4,1969 in Harlem in Manhattan, New York City, and was raised in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother, Janice, was a model and teachers assistant and his father, at age 33, Melvin was shot to death while sitting in his car on Central Park West, when Combs was 2 years old. Combs graduated from the Roman Catholic Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1987 and he played football for the academy, and his team won a division title in 1986. Combs said that he was given the nickname Puff as a child, after dropping out of Howard University in 1990, after two years as a business major, Combs became an intern at New Yorks Uptown Records. While talent director at Uptown, he helped develop Jodeci and Mary J. Blige, in his college days Combs had a reputation for throwing parties, some of which attracted up to a thousand participants. In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser with Heavy D held at the City College of New York gymnasium, the event was oversold, and a stampede occurred in which nine people died. In 1993, after being fired from Uptown, Combs established his new label Bad Boy Entertainment as a joint venture with Arista Records, taking then-newcomer The Notorious B. I. G. with him. Both The Notorious B. I. G. and Craig Mack quickly released hit singles, followed by successful LPs, Combs signed more acts to Bad Boy, including Carl Thomas, Faith Evans,112, Total, and Father MC. The Hitmen, his production team, worked with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, Aretha Franklin. Mase and The Lox joined Bad Boy just as a widely publicized rivalry with the West Coasts Death Row Records was beginning, Combs and The Notorious B. I. G. were criticized and parodied by Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s. During 1994–1995, Combs produced several songs for TLCs CrazySexyCool, which finished the decade as number 25 on Billboards list of top pop albums of the decade, in 1997, under the name Puff Daddy, Combs recorded his first commercial vocal work as a rapper. His debut single, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, spent 28 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his debut album, No Way Out, was released on July 1,1997, through Bad Boy Records. Originally titled Hell up in Harlem, the album underwent several changes after The Notorious B. I. G. was killed on March 9,1997, several of the labels artists made guest appearances on the album. No Way Out was a significant success, particularly in the United States, four other singles, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, Its All About the Benjamins, Been Around the World, and Victory, were also released
Sean Combs
–
Combs performing in December 2010
Sean Combs
–
Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide headquarters on
Broadway near
Times Square. A billboard of Combs is in the distance.
Sean Combs
–
Combs with his sons Christian and Justin at the
Spider-Man 3 premiere (2007)
Sean Combs
–
Combs' star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
47.
Swizz Beatz
–
Kasseem Dean, better known by his stage name Swizz Beatz, is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer from New York City, New York. Born and raised in The Bronx, he began his career as a disc jockey and has since added rapper, producer, record executive, creative director and fashion designer. At the age of 16, he gained recognition in the hip hop industry, through his friendship and work with East Coast rapper DMX, Dean later found a protégé in Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, whose success helped the launch of his own label imprint, Full Surface Records. He went on to multiple artists to the label, including Eve and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Dean also went on to two albums under the label, the first was a compilation, titled Swizz Beatz Presents G. H. E. T. T. O. Stories, released in 2002, in conjunction with DreamWorks Records and he later released his debut studio album, One Man Band Man, in 2007. Swizz Beatz has produced hit singles for several prominent artists throughout various music genres, such as hip hop, pop, soul. His catalog includes Ruff Ryders Anthem, Banned from T. V, gotta Man, Jigga My Nigga, Party Up, Check on It, Ring the Alarm, Good Times, Bring Em Out, Hotel, Im a Hustla, Touch It and much more. Swizz Beatz was named the first Producer in Residence at New York University, about. com ranked him number 27 on its list of the Top 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Producers, while The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazines 20-year history. Fellow American rapper and music producer Kanye West has also praised Dean, Dean is married to American singer Alicia Keys, with whom he has two children. Due to his parents separation in his life, Dean did not see much of his father. He spent much of his childhood raised by his mother in the North East Bronx, after obtaining the necessary equipment from his stepfather and uncles, he began deejaying as a teenager and enjoyed a modicum of success. In his early work, he chose not to sample, instead using the Korg Trinity and Triton keyboards. With his uncles Dee and Waah, as well as his aunt Chivon Dean, all involved with the Ruff Ryders Entertainment record label, a year later he sold his first beat to Ruff Ryders artist DMX, which became his chart-topping single Ruff Ryders Anthem. Swizz Beatz then began producing major hip-hop songs released in 1998 such as Banned from T. V. by Noreaga, Money, Cash, Hoes by Jay-Z and more. The following year, he produced most of the songs of the Ruff Ryders compilation album Ryde or Die Vol.1, as well as the bulk of Eves debut album. In 2001, in a joint venture with Clive Davis, Swizz Beatz established his own label, Full Surface Records. The first artist signed was Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, when Swizz Beatz released his first compilation album Swizz Beatz Presents G. H. E. T. T. O
Swizz Beatz
–
Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
–
Swizz Beatz with wife Alicia Keys, in
Cannes,
France, at the
NRJ Music Awards ceremony, January 2013
48.
Jermaine Dupri
–
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin, known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer, songwriter and rapper. He was born in Asheville, NC and was raised in Atlanta, Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23,1972, son of Tina and Michael Mauldin, a Columbia Records executive. Durpris promising musical career began before he was ten years old. His father, also an Atlanta talent manager, had coordinated a Diana Ross show in 1982, to the delight of concert-goers, Dupri managed to get on-stage, Dupri got his start as a dancer for the hip hop group Whodini when he was twelve. He made an appearance in their video for the song Freaks Come Out At Night. He began performing around the country, appearing with Herbie Hancock and Cameo before he opened the New York Fresh Festival, in 1990, he produced his first act- the female hip hop trio Silk Tymes Leather. He later formed the teen duo Kris Kross after meeting the boys at a mall in 1991. The groups first album, Totally Krossed Out, was released in 1992 and went multi-platinum due to their singles Jump and he established his own record label called So So Def Recordings in 1993. Shortly after, he discovered female R&B group Xscape at a festival in Atlanta and their first album, Hummin Comin at Cha, went platinum. During the same year, on Yo, MTV Raps he met Da Brat through Kris Kross, signed her to his label So So Def Recordings, and released her debut Funkdafied which went platinum. So So Def Recordings entered into a partnership with Columbia Records in 1993. In 1995, he collaborated with Mariah Carey for the first time on the one hit single Always Be My Baby. He contributed to Lil Kims 1996 album, Hard Core on the track Not Tonight, in 1997 Jermaine Dupri co-wrote and produced several tracks on Ushers second album, My Way. The lead single, You Make Me Wanna, reached number-one on the Rhythmic Top 40, the follow up single Nice & Slow went to number-one on the Billboard 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and the last single, My Way peaked at number-two on Billboard 100. All three singles have been certified Platinum by Recording Industry Association of America, in 1998, Jermaine Dupri was involved in the release of Destinys Childs eponymous debut album. Dupri renewed the focus on his own career and released The Party Continues. Also that year he met Lil Bow Wow and signed him to So So Def Recordings, the two would later part ways but continued to collaborate on later projects. The deal with Columbia was terminated in 2002 and in 2003 Dupri switched to Arista Records, Jermaine worked on Mariah Careys Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You, as well as with Weezer and Lil Wayne on the song Cant Stop Partying
Jermaine Dupri
–
Dupri in 2009
Jermaine Dupri
–
Jermaine Dupri in 2005
