# MediaItems

Name: Jibbs
SortName: Jibbs
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Overview:
St. Louis-based Jibbs began writing raps at an early age in an effort to impress his older brother, DJ Beatz (who was gaining a reputation locally producing tracks for Nelly and Chingy). The results so impressed his brother that he invited Jibbs into the studio to record tracks that would become popular on the local circuit. The tracks started to spread outside St. Louis and found themselves in the hands of industry executives, which resulted in Jibbs opening for several superstars when they performed locally. He later signed to Geffen Records, where his debut single, "Chain Hang Low," was the most popular rap download in August 2006. His debut album, Jibbs Featuring Jibbs, followed in October.

Images:
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Name: Jibbs feat. Jibbs
SortName: Jibbs feat. Jibbs
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Name: Bone Crusher
SortName: Bone Crusher
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Overview:
BoneCrusher (born Wayne Hardnett in Atlanta, Georgia) is a 300lb rapper based out of Atlanta. He debuted in 2003 with his first album AttenCHUN! which featured the single Never Scared. Before his success, Bone Crusher was a part of the Lyrical Giants, a crew that worked with Too Short and Erick Sermon and whose other members were Baby B and Bizar, Both appear on Crusher's debut album. The large 6'1" MC had a tumultuous start to his career, bouncing with the Lyrical Giants from one label to the next before landing on his feet with Jermaine Dupri and his newly reorganized So So Def label. When So So Def moved to Virgin, BoneCrusher left the label along with YoungBloodZ but still remains under LaFace Records. BoneCrusher has been featured in songs with Youngbloodz, David Banner, Young Jeezy, Trillville, and T-Pain. His single, "Never Scared", was included in John Madden's pro football franchise, "Madden NFL 2003", and 2 years later, he appeared as a playable character in Def Jam FFNY.

Images:
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Name: letoya
SortName: letoya
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Overview:
LeToya Nicole Luckett (born March 11, 1981), known professionally as LeToya, is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She was a member of the R&B group Destiny's Child, with whom she won two Grammy Awards and released many successful commercial recordings. Luckett has sold over 25 million records with Destiny's Child as feature vocalist on the group's first two albums and singles.

She began her solo career after signing a record deal with Capitol Records. Her solo debut album, LeToya (2006), topped the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart in July 2006, and was certified platinum by the RIAA in December 2006. The single, "Torn", achieved records on BET's top ten countdown show 106 & Park. She was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL and the "Top Songwriter of 2006" by ASCAP. Luckett released a second solo album, Lady Love on August 25, 2009, which debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and also as No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

Luckett has since become an actress. She was the star of the movie Preacher's Kid. She's part of the cast of the feature films Killers and From the Rough and had a recurring role on the second season of the HBO TV series Treme, and on the third season of the VH1 TV series Single Ladies

Early life and career
Luckett was born on March 11, 1981, in Houston, Texas. She grew up singing in her local Brentwood Baptist Church. She also took vocal lessons to become an opera singer. Her father, who was also a singer, was very proud of his daughter's vocal talents and tried to get her in the music business. Luckett is the older of two children. Luckett was given the chance to sing her first solo at the age of five. "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang," she recalled. Shortly thereafter, she joined the children's choir and began performing in plays at her elementary school. One day, she walked to her desk in class to find a girl sitting in her seat. Luckett asked her teacher to remove the girl from her assigned seat, who turned out to be Beyoncé Knowles. They later became friends and she was invited to join Beyoncé's singing group Girls Tyme, which later became Destiny's Child.

1993–2000: Destiny's Child and departure
Main article: Destiny's Child
In 1993, LeToya Luckett joined Beyoncé Knowles, LaTavia Roberson, and Kelly Rowland to complete the Houston-based R&B group, Destiny's Child. After being signed and later dropped by Elektra Records, the group eventually signed with Columbia Records in 1997, but not before signing with Mathew Knowles the group's manager (and also Beyoncé Knowles' father). According to the E! Television Special, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Knowles forced the girls to sign with him before they could sign with the label. Luckett's mother requested the contracts be reviewed by an attorney, but Knowles denied the request. However, Luckett eventually signed with him and joined the group. After graduating from the Houston club scene, the group opened for established acts such as Dru Hill, SWV, and Immature, and released their 1998 self-titled debut album Destiny's Child. The album spawned two singles: the platinum "No, No, No Part II" (featuring Wyclef Jean) and "With Me". Subsequently the group made it on the soundtrack album of the romantic comedy Why Do Fools Fall in Love with the song "Get on the Bus" (featuring Timbaland), and later toured as an opening act on TLC's "Fanmail Tour" and Christina Aguilera's debut tour.

In 1999, the group released their second album, The Writing's on the Wall. The album became one of the biggest selling albums released by a female group, and was certified eight times platinum in the USA. The album spawned four hit singles: "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name", and "Jumpin' Jumpin'". In late 1999, in the midst of the group's success and rise, Luckett and Roberson asserted that they wanted their own manager because of the increasing lack of communication with manager Mathew Knowles. The pair said they never wanted to fire Knowles, but wanted to secure outside management to represent them. Soon after, Luckett and Roberson found themselves ostracized by the Knowles family and the group's management. When the music video for "Say My Name" debuted in February 2000, they were replaced by two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin. Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland, charging them with breach of partnership and fiduciary duties, and sought unspecified damages. Luckett and Roberson withdrew the case against Beyoncé and Kelly, but continued to sue Mathew Knowles. The case was eventually settled, with Luckett and Roberson receiving royalties for their contributions as founding members of the group. Shortly following the release of Destiny's Child's Survivor, Luckett and Roberson filed another lawsuit against the group in March 2002. They claimed that the album's lead single, "Survivor", violated their previous settlement due to its lyrics.

After several months of media speculation, it was announced via the MTV News website that Luckett and Roberson had created a new group called Anjel. After several auditions, Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin were selected as members. The group recorded a 22-song demo in Atlanta, Georgia, with the help of R&B group Jagged Edge. The group also appeared in Jagged Edge's video for "Where the Party At (Remix)". However, the production company (581 Entertainment) which handled the group collapsed and all the members of Anjel went on to pursue solo projects. Meanwhile, the recorded tracks were leaked onto the Internet.

2001–2008: Solo debut, LeToya
After the Anjel project fell through, Luckett joined with Noontime, an Atlanta-based management/production company. Along with Noontime, she recorded a five song demo and eventually signed with Capitol Records in 2003. Soon after, she began working on her debut solo album. The first promotional song, "You Got What I Need", was released in 2004, followed next year by "All Eyes on Me". She was featured on "My Promise" with her label mate Houston on his debut album It's Already Written, "What Love Can Do" on the Coach Carter soundtrack, and on "This Is My Life" with former boyfriend and rapper Slim Thug on his album Already Platinum. LeToya's self-titled debut album was released in July 2006 and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, outselling the compilation Now That's What I Call Music! and Pharrell Williams's debut album. LeToya was certified gold after one month and by December 2006, the album had been certified platinum. Luckett and Beyoncé Knowles are the only members of Destiny's Child to have an album debut at number one on the Billboard 200 and achieve platinum status in the U.S.

The album is a hip-hop inspired R&B production. Producers included Jermaine Dupri, Scott Storch, Teddy Bishop, B. Cox, and musical guests Slim Thug, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, and Bun B. "All Eyes on Me" was originally chosen as Luckett's debut single, but she selected "Torn" instead. Luckett stated she "had to go against the grain" to get the single released, but it proved to be a good move. The ballad (produced by Teddy Bishop) was released March 2006 and became an R&B hit. The song climbed the Billboard charts, peaking at number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and became the number one song on urban radio.


"Torn" (2006)
MENU0:00
LeToya's most successful single to date.
"She Don't" (2006)
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LeToya's second single from her self-titled debut album LeToya.
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Although Torn was still receiving major airplay, her second single, "She Don't" was released to radio, and the video premiered on BET's Access Granted in July 2006, featuring Luckett's ex-boyfriend, Slim Thug. The single received moderate success, reaching number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart. In November 2006, "Obvious" was selected as the third single. According to Billboard, the song had a 94% chance of becoming a hit, but due to the merger of Capitol Records and Virgin Records, all promotional money was frozen, therefore the single was never officially released. Luckett was also named "One of the Best New Artists of 2006" by AOL Music, number two on Rap-Up magazines' Top 5 Breakthrough Artists of 2006, and had received multiple nominations from the NAACP, the Soul Train Music Awards, and the Teen Choice Awards. BET promoted Luckett on 106 & Park, The Center, The Black Carpet, and with a three-part reality series special called The H-Town Chick which aired from May to July 2006. The series chronicled Luckett's experiences during her summer promotional tour and insight about her life since Destiny's Child. BET also hosted a contest that gave fans the opportunity to decide the final outcome of the "Torn" video. Cingular hosted a lip-sync contest that awarded those who best performed "Torn" in an online submitted video. In addition to a nationwide radio tour, club performances, a brief European and Asian appearances, Luckett participated in the 2006 "Pantene Total You" Tour, the "Cingular Live in Concert" series, and was invited by Mary J. Blige to join her summer tour, The Breakthrough Experience Tour, as her opening act.

2009–2013: Lady Love
Main article: Lady Love (album)
In July 2009, while opening for a Mary J. Blige concert, Luckett announced that her upcoming album was going to be named Lady Love, she then introduced and performed two new songs "Lady Love" and "Don't Let Me Get Away". On 10 December (?), a buzz track, Swagger, that features rappers such as Slim Thug, Killa Kyleon and Bun B leaked onto the Internet. In 2008, Luckett was featured on Webbie's single "I Miss You" which was a moderate success. She did not appear in the video because she was busy acting in the nationwide play Rumors.

Luckett's second solo album was released on August 25, 2009 Production for Lady Love originally began in 2007, with a release scheduled several times in 2008. However this was postponed due to lack of funding related to the Capitol Records and Virgin Records merger that had earlier affected the release of her third single "Obvious". In early 2009, the release date for Lady Love was announced to be May 19, 2009, then pushed to June 16, and finally set to August 24, 2009. Amidst much anticipation for the album release, Luckett released a five-track sampler on May 19, 2009. The sampler features first single "Not Anymore" and 1 minute 30 second snippets of "Regret", "She Ain't Got...", "Lady Love" and "Matter". The album was released to CD and music download on August 25, 2009, in the US and worldwide a day earlier. An explicit version of the album (bearing a Parental Advisory label) was also made available. To celebrate the album's release, LeToya hosted an album-release party at Cain in New York on August 27, 2009. "Not Anymore", the lead single, was produced by Bei Maejor and co-produced and written by Ne-Yo. Released in February 2009, it became the most added song at urban radio, debuting at number ninety-eight on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart before peaking at number eighteen and just missing the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, peaking at number 107. A music video for the single was shot on February 13, 2009. Directed by Bryan Barber, the music video is set in the 1960s and is split into 3 sections/time periods - 1961, 1964 and 1968. The sets, costumes and props change accordingly in each section to show the trends, fashions and styles of those particular years.

The video was released on March 10, 2009, and peaked at number three on the 106 & Park video countdown. "She Ain't Got..." the album's second single, was produced by Cory Bold and written by LeToya, Andre Merritt, Chris Brown and Bold. Chosen by fans, it became the first LeToya single to carry a Parental Advisory label, though a "clean" version was also released. It became the most added song on rhythmic radio, thus peaking at number thirty-nine on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart, while peaking at number seventy-five on the Billboard Pop 100 Airplay chart and number twenty on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. However, the single was most successful in Japan where it peaked at number forty-nine on the Japan Hot 100. A music video, directed by Bryan Barber was shot on June 3, 2009 and premiered on Yahoo Music on June 30, 2009, featuring guest star Major League Baseball players Orlando Hudson and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as Baseball Hall of Fame member Dave Winfield. "Regret", featuring rapper Ludacris, was produced by Tank and Jerry "Texx" Franklin and written by Tank, LeToya, Franklin, K. Stephens, J. Valentine, R. Newt and C. Bridges. Released as the third single - based only on downloads and airplay - "Regret" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and debuted at number one-hundred on the Billboard Hot 100, making it LeToya's first single since her debut; "Torn", to enter the US Hot 100, peaking at number seventy-eight. It also peaked at number forty-two on the Billboard Radio Songs chart and was listed at number six on AOL Music's "Top R&B Songs of 2009" list. The music video for "Regret" was premiered on BET's 106 & Park on November 11, 2009 before being ranked at number twenty-three on BET: Notarized: Top 100 Videos of 2009 countdown. "Good To Me", produced by Tank and Jerry "Texx" Franklin and written by Tank, Franklin, K. Stephens, R. Newt and J. Valentine, was released as the album's fourth and final single. Though the song failed to chart, a music video directed by makeup artist AJ Crimson and co-starring model-actor Keston Karter was released on February 11, 2010.

2014–present: Until Then
Main article: Until Then (album)
In January 2014, Luckett announced the title of her third studio album on The Wendy Williams Show, Until Then, with a planned 2016 release.

On February 11, 2014, Luckett released the first promo single Don't Make Me Wait  from the upcoming album "Until Then". A remix featuring rapper T.I. was released on March 10, 2015. On January 5, 2015, Luckett released a track "I'm Ready" on her YouTube channel. On January 16, 2015, Luckett released "Together" inspired to end illegal gun violence in America in recent partnership with the Caliber Foundation.

Images:
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Name: Juelz Santana
SortName: Juelz Santana
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Overview:
Juelz Santana (born LaRon Louis James on February 18, 1982) is a half African American and half Dominican rapper from Harlem, New York, who first became known for his “featured” status on Cam’ron’s 2002 hits, “Oh Boy” and “Hey Ma”.

Santana began writing rhymes at the age of 12. He was originally signed to Priority Records as one half a duo called Draft Pick. The group had several shows around New York City while together, including Amateur Night at the Apollo Theatre, where they won two weeks in a row. Some time after this, he was introduced to Cam’ron through a cousin; in 1998, he became a member of the group, The Diplomats, whose members include Cam’ron, Jim Jones, 40 Cal, J.R Writer, Hell Rell, Jha Jha, S.A.S, and Freekey Zeekey. He is now signed as a solo artist to Dipset but unlike the rest of The Diplomats, who are signed to Koch Records, Santana is currently signed to Def Jam.

He was voted #2 in the VIBE Vixen top 50 sexiest rappers behind T.I. at #1.

His first album, From Me To You was released by Roc-a-Fella Records in 2003 featuring the singles “Dipset (Santana’s Town)” and “Down”. It was considered a commerical failure when compared to the sucess of Cam’ron’s Come Home With Me and The Diplomats’ Diplomatic Immunity.

Images:
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Name: Britney Spears
SortName: Britney Spears
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Overview:
Die US-Sängerin Britney Spears ist das mittlere von drei Kindern des Bauunternehmers James Parnell Spears und der Lehrerin Lynne Irene Bridges. Der ältere Bruder von Britney ist Bryan, ihre jüngere Schwester ist Jamie Lynn. Pop-Prinzessin Britney wuchs in Kentwood im Bundesstaat Louisiana auf. Hier dreht sie bereits als Kind erste Werbespots und nimmt an Talentwettbewerben teil. Ein Weg, der die Sängerin schnell zu ersten TV-Auftritten bringt. Nach einem rasanten Aufstieg in den Pophimmel und einer glanzvollen aber kurzen Zeit als Erfolgs-Sängerin, folgt dem nachlassenden Erfolg eine private Talfahrt für Britney Spears. Sie heiratet 2004 nach einer durchzechten Nacht in Las Vegas ihren Jugendfreund Jason Alexander. Die Ehe wird nach nur 58 Stunden annulliert. Noch im selben Jahr heiratet sie ihren Backgroundtänzer Kevin Federline. Zusammen mit K-Fed, wie Federline von den Medien gern genannt wird, hat Britney zwei Söhne. Nach einer Trennung vom Vater ihrer Söhne, einer Reihe betrunkener Auftritte und einer öffentlichen Kahlschlag-Frisur wird Britney Spears 2008 erst mit Blaulicht in das UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles eingewiesen und dann per Eilantrag ihrer Eltern entmündigt und ihr das Sorgerecht für die beiden Söhne entzogen. Ihr Vater wird vom Gericht als Vormund eingesetzt und verwaltet gemeinsam mit einem Anwalt das Vermögen von Britney Spears. Seit 2009 findet Britney Spears Stück für Stück ihren Weg in die Normalität zurück. Sie verbringt wieder Zeit mit ihren Kindern, verwaltet ihr Vermögen zumindest ansatzweise wieder selbst und kann und ohne (große) Skandale leben.

Bekannt wurde Sängerin Britney Spears bereits als elfjähriges Mädchen, als sie den New Mickey Mouse Club auf dem amerikanischen Sender Disney Channel moderiert. Dort arbeitete die kleine Britney an der Seite von Christina Aguilera und Justin Timberlake. Wenige Jahre später soll alles sehr schnell gehen – Britney tanzt und singt mit Schulmädchen-Outift und Zöpfen zu ihrem ersten Hit „Baby, one more time“ und die Welt verliebt sich in die neue Pop-Prinzessin. Der Erstlings-Hit der blonden Britney verkauft sich dann auch gleich 25 Millionen Mal. Das Image ist glatt und sauber – Britney das amerikanische Vorzeige-Girl, von dem die Jungen (und deren Eltern) träumen und dem Milliarden von Girls weltweit nacheifern. Nachfolge-Single „Oops! I did it again“ schlägt ebenso rasant ein und krönt Britney endgültig als neue Prinzessin der Musikbranche. Mit einem Erfolg nach dem anderen wird Britney Spears erwachsen und – oops! – das Image der jungfräulichen Sauberfrau passt nicht mehr so ganz zu dem, was die Welt sieht. Bester Beweis dafür sind auch ihre Stücke: Die Single „I’m a slave for you“ geht in die Charts und zeigt Fans und Kritikern eine erwachsene und verruchte Version des ehemaligen Kinderstars. Die Fans verstehen den Wandel und bleiben ihr treu – nur Britney selbst schafft den Absprung nicht ganz. Die Fassade beginnt zu bröckeln, private Aussetzer häufen sich und Britney, die Künstlerin, verschwindet erst einmal von der Bühne des Erfolgs. Nach Hohn und Absturz arbeitet sich die fleißige und zur Besinnung gekommene (inzwischen zweifache Mutter) Britney erneut nach oben. Mit ihrem Album „Circus“ kehrt Britney zurück, strahlt und sahnt direkt wieder Auszeichnungen ohne Ende ab. Die Welt hatte ihre Prinzessin des Pop zurück. Eine Entwicklung mit Auf und Ab, aus der Britney Spears wie Phönix aus der Asche wieder emporstieg.

Ein böses Omen: 2004 verletzt sich Britney Spears bei Videoaufnahmen so stark am Knie, dass sie eine Tour abbrechen muss. Danach wird sie fünf Jahre lang keine richtigen Konzerte mehr geben. 2008 sieht man Britney mit ihren beiden Söhnen in Hollywood in einem Süßigkeiten-Geschäft für insgesamt 2.000 Dollar Süßes einkaufen.

„Baby One More Time“ ist das meistverkaufte Debütalbum einer Künstlerin, das je in den USA erschienen ist. Britney Spears ist die jüngste Sängerin, die einen Stern auf dem Hollywood Walk of Fame erhalten hat. 2002 wird ihr Stern enthüllt.
Britney ist der erste Künstler in der Geschichte der US Charts, der nach Elvis Presley wieder mit fünf Alben nacheinander auf Platz 1 landete.

Images:
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Name: Cam'ron
SortName: Cam'ron
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Overview:
Cameron Ezike Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American rapper. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats (also known as Dipset), and also of The U.N. (Us Now) group. Cameron Giles was born and raised in Harlem, New York. He went to school at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, where he would meet his long time friends Mase and Jim Jones. He was a promising basketball player alongside Mase, however, he was unable to take advantage of various scholarship offers due to a poor academic record. He instead enrolled in a college in Texas, even without graduating from high school, but soon dropped out and returned to Harlem where he began selling drugs before starting his rap career. He began his musical career in the mid 1990s, rapping alongside Big L, Mase and his cousin Bloodshed in a group called Children Of The Corn. However, after Bloodshed's death in a car accident in 1997, the group disbanded and the remaining members continued solo careers.

Images:
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Name: The Game
SortName: Game
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Overview:
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979 in Compton, California, United States), better known by his stage name Game, formerly known as The Game, is an American Grammy Award winning gangsta rapper signed to Aftermath Entertainment through his own label Black Wall Street Records, with which he founded with his half brother Big Fase 100. He rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, and his two Grammy nominations. Since then he has released several other critically acclaimed albums, 2006’s Doctor’s Advocate and 2008’s LAX, which he claimed to be the final album he would release, but in mid-2009 he started recording The RED Album, which was released August 23, 2011. In the near future he also plans to focus on acting and other business ventures. All of his four albums debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 100, and he is widely considered to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts.

Studying various influential rap albums, Game developed a strategy to become a rapper himself and with help from Big Fase, they founded The Black Wall Street Records. The label originally featured such artists as Glasses Malone, Vita, and Nu Jerzey Devil, along with Game himself. His stage name was coined by his grandmother.

Images:
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Name: Bubba Sparxxx
SortName: Bubba Sparxxx
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Overview:
Bubba Sparxxx (born Warren Anderson Mathis on March 6, 1977, in LaGrange, Georgia) is an American rapper. Sparxxx is most notable for his hit singles “Ms. New Booty”, “Ugly” and “Deliverance”, and for being one of the few white rappers to find mainstream commercial success in hip hop.

A native of LaGrange, Georgia, a young Andy Mathis was introduced to hip hop music by a neighbor (his closest at a half mile away) who received mixed tapes mailed from New York City. He began recording with Lil Devil in a group called One Card Shi in 1996, but the partnership did not last. A subsequent release saw some success in Georgia, and the album Dark Days, Bright Nights caught the attention of Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Records. He signed to Interscope after a bidding war and began working with record producers Timbaland and Organized Noize. The major-label version of Dark Days, Bright Nights, which now included five collaborations with Timbaland and two with Organized Noize, debuted at #3 on the Billboard Music Charts. In late 2003, he returned with his sophomore album, Deliverance.

He is currently signed to OutKast’s Purple Ribbon Label, distributed through Virgin Records.

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Name: The Charm
SortName: Charm
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Name: Instrumentals
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Name: Kanye West
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Overview:
Kanye Omari West [ˈkɑːnjeɪ oʊˈmɑri wɛst] (* 8. Juni 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rapper, Sänger, Musikproduzent und Modedesigner. Aufgewachsen ist er im Bezirk South Shore von Chicago, Illinois.

Kanye Wests Karriere begann mit Musikproduktionen für den Rapper Jay-Z, an dessen erfolgreichem Album The Blueprint er maßgeblich mitwirkte. Auch mit dem Sänger John Legend sowie dem Rapper Common, beide bei seinem Plattenlabel GOOD Music unter Vertrag stehend, arbeitete West eng zusammen. Seit Ende 2003 veröffentlicht er zudem eigene Singles und Alben, auf denen er als Rapper und Produzent gleichermaßen in Erscheinung tritt.

West gilt als einer der prägendsten Musiker der Hip-Hop- und Popmusik der 2000er Jahre.[1] Charakteristisch ist vor allem sein oft auf Samples basierender Produktionsstil, der elektronische und akustische Musik kombiniert. Beeinflusst unter anderem von Soul, Klassik und Electronica, war West mit seiner Musik entscheidend an der Entwicklung der Hip-Hop-Subgenres Chipmunk Soul und Hipster-Rap beteiligt. Seine Raptexte sind zumeist selbstbezogen, enthalten aber des Öfteren politische und gesellschaftskritische Anspielungen.

Mit über 21 Millionen verkauften Alben und 66 Millionen digitalen Downloads gilt West als einer der erfolgreichsten Künstler weltweit.[2] Darüber hinaus wurde er mit insgesamt 21 Grammy Awards ausgezeichnet und verfügt über ein Jahreseinkommen von bis zu 35 Millionen US-Dollar.[3] Laut der Time zählte er 2005 zu den einhundert einflussreichsten Menschen der Welt. Neben der Musik ist West bekannt für seine häufig kontroversen Aussagen und Auftritte, die auf eine große öffentliche Resonanz stießen.[4]

Images:
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Name: Jay-Z
SortName: Jay-Z
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Overview:
Früher nannte er sich "Jazzy", doch als er heraus findet, dass es einfach zu viele mit diesem Namen gibt, macht er daraus kurz und bündig Jay-Z. Doch das ist nicht das Einzige, was den Rapper charakterisiert und ihn von der Masse abhebt.

Während sich viele Künstler ihre Lyrics von Experten verfassen lassen oder einfach richtig mies covern, schreibt Jay-Z seine Texte nicht einmal mehr auf. "I don't write Songs, they just form" - es gibt eben Orte, an denen
Stift und Papier nicht am Start sind. Deshalb speichert Jay seine Texte im Kopf ab, geht ins Studio und macht einen Song daraus.

Zusammen mit Damond Dash und Kareem Burke gründete er 1996 das Label Roc-A-Fella Records. Die ersten Singels des Labels etablieren Jay-Z als innovativen Künstler im Rap-Buisness, sein Album "In My Lifetime, Volume 1" sahnt gleich Platin ab. Die erste richtig kommerzielle Single ist "Sunshine" mit Foxy Brown und Babyface.

Sein zweites Album featuret viele bekannte Gesichter wie DMX oder erneut Foxy Brown. Das Instumental der Ghetto-Hymne "It's A Hard Knock Life" von Kid Capri muss Jay unbedingt auf seinem Album haben, natürlich mit seinen eigenen Lyrics versehen. Der Refrain stammt jedoch ursprünglich aus "Annie", einem Broadway-Musical.

Ende 1999 erscheint mit "Vol. 3 ... The Life And Times Of S. Carter" das vierte offizielle Album, unterdessen allerdings macht Jay-Z eher durch rüpelhaftes bis gewalttätiges Benehmen auf sich aufmerksam. Wegen Körperverletzung erwartet ihn bereits ein Verfahren, nun aber kommt es noch dicker.

Nach einer Messerstecherei im New Yorker Kit Kat Club, bei der Labelchef Lance Rivera schwer verletzt wird, gilt Jay-Z als Hauptverdächtiger. Obwohl er seine Unschuld beteuert, wird Jay-Z zunächst verhaftet, kommt aber nach der Anklageerhebung und gegen eine Kaution von 50.000 Dollar wieder auf freien Fuß. Eine Verurteilung kann er vermeiden - somit auch bis zu 25 Jahre Haft wegen schwerer Körperverletzung.

Trägt "The Dynasty: Roc La Familia 2000" eher die Handschrift seines Labelumfeldes, ist das im September 2001 erscheinende sechtse Studioalbum "The Blueprint" wieder ganz auf Jay-Zs eigenem Mist gewachsen. Die Gastkünstler, darunter Slick Rick, Q-Tip und Biz Markie, sind Gäste im Wortsinn und keine Hauptdarsteller. Die Texte drehen sich in erster Linie um den Meister selbst: "Ich wollte einfach nur all das festhalten, das ich erlebt habe", sagt er. "Alles, das mich zu dem gemacht hat, das ich bin. In diesem Album geht es um mich selbst."

Und um andere, wie die Dissattacken gegen Nas und Mobb Deep im Song "Takeover" beweisen. Mitte Dezember werden auch The Roots in den Beef mit hinein gezogen, denn die Live-Hip Hopper zocken mit Jay-Z bei MTV-Unplugged. Die grandiose Session wird auf CD veröffentlicht. Doch Jay-Z bleibt auch im Frühjahr 2002 in den Charts. Mit "Chapter One" steht das erste Best Of-Werk des Rap-Superstars in den Läden.

Im Jahr 2003 kündigt der mit Beyoncé Knowles liierte Jay-Z seinen Abschied vom aktiven Rap und ein letztes Album an. "It's all said and done", er habe keinen Lust mehr, erklärt Jigga (Gerüchte über einen möglichen Rücktritt vom Rücktritt machen trotzdem bald die Runde).

Die Veröffentlichung des 'letzten' Albums "The Black Album" steht unter einem schlechten Stern. Die Tracks kursieren schon Anfang November im Netz, Jay-Z zieht den Release um zwei Wochen vor. Um die Fans dazu zu bewegen, das Album trotzdem auf legale Weise zu erwerben, senkt Roc-A-Fella Records sogar den Handelspreis und bringt "The Black Album" als Low Price-CD auf den Markt.

Die Maßnahme fruchtet, das schwarze Album verkauft sich in den ersten beiden Wochen über 600.000 mal. Als ein Zukunftsprojekt plant Jay-Z unter anderem, sich in ein Basketball-Team einzukaufen (bevorzugt die New Jersey Nets). Doch der Business-affine Rapper betritt erst einmal wieder die Bühne, um die lang angekündigte "The Best Of Both Worlds"-Tour durch 40 Städte mit R. Kelly durchzuziehen. Das zweite Kollabo-Album "Unfinished Business" (nach dem 2001-Release "The Best Of Both Worlds") ergattert parallel zwar die Poleposition der Billboard-Charts (einen Monat später folgt das Linkin Park/Jay-Z-Bastard-Mixalbum "Collision Course"), trotzdem lassen sich die persönlichen Animositäten zwischen den beiden Black Music-Stars nicht mehr verheimlichen.

Anfang November 2004 endet die Zusammenarbeit unrühmlich im New Yorker Madison Square Garden, als Kelly von der Bühne stürmt und Jay-Z die Tournee vorzeitig für beendet erklärt. Kelly reicht daraufhin eine 75-Millionen-Dollar-Klage wegen Vertragsbruchs und Toursabotage ein. Jigga antwortet Ende Januar 2005 zwar mit einer Gegenklage, doch hat er mit dem Fall Kelly innerlich abgeschlossen und Wichtigeres im Sinn.

Ab 2005 darf er sich Präsident des berühmten Rap-Labels Def Jam nennen. Dafür gliedert er Roc-A-Fella in die Island-Def Jam-Group ein und sorgt mit einigen außergewöhnlichen Businessentscheidungen für Aufsehen. Erst verpflichtet er The Roots für Def Jam, was bei einigen Fans der Truppe für schlechte Stimmung sorgt. Immerhin hatten sich die Roots seit jeher gegen die Kommerzialisierung ihres Genres gewehrt. Dass die Okayplayer sich mit dem Schritt zum Major keinen Deut von ihrer Kompromisslosigkeit entfernen, zeigen sie aber im Sommer 2006 auf ihrem bis dato dunkelsten und politisch eindeutigsten Album "Game Theory".

Viel mehr noch überrascht Jigga die Hip Hop-Welt mit der Nachricht, dass zukünftig sein ehemaliger Erzrivale Nas unter seinen Fittichen steht. Der jahrelange Beef wird publikumswirksam bei Jiggas sogenanntem "I Declare War"-Konzert beigelegt, bald steht auf der Def Jam-VÖ-Liste Nas' neuester Streich "Hip Hop Is Dead" ganz oben.

Anscheinend sogar mit einem Auftritt des Chefs persönlich, der sich nach seinem Ausstieg aus dem Game hinter dem Mikrofon rar macht. Wenn er es jedoch nach seinem Rücktritt in die Gesangskabine schafft, dann stets mit einem durch und durch erfolgreichen Ergebnis. Das Jahr 2005 gehört Def Jam-Sprössling Young Jeezy, dank des von Jay-Z veredelten Remix von "Go Crazy". 2006 tanzt ganz Amerika zum "Hustlin'"-Remix des neuen Miami-Aushängeschildes Rick Ross.

Zeichen für den Rücktritt vom Rücktritt? Kann es Hova doch nicht ohne das Mikro aushalten? Im Spätsommer platzt die Bombe: Erst begibt sich Jay-Z auf Welttournee und bestätigt tatsächlich die Veröffentlichung eines neuen Albums für November. Auf der Produzentenliste für "Kingdom Come" stehen unter anderem Timbaland, Kanye West, Dr. Dre und sogar Chris Martin von Coldplay. Die Hip Hop-Welt steht Kopf, obwohl eigentlich nach Jiggas "Black Album" niemand so wirklich an seinen Abgang geglaubt hat.

Da ihm das anscheinend immer noch nicht ausreicht, begibt er sich bald wieder ins Studio. Bereits im November 2007 kommt "American Gangster" in die Regale der Plattenläden und setzt sich bald an die Spitze der US-Charts. Es ist Jay-Zs zehntes Album auf Platz eins, damit zieht der Rapper mit dem bisher alleinigen Rekordhalter Elvis Presley gleich.

Auch eine kleine Tour steht auf dem Plan. Wie groß das Interesse an Jay-Z nach wie vor ist, beweist auch der Vorverkaufgsstart für die Gigs. Ganze 15 Sekunden dauert es, bis seine Fünf-Städte US-Tour zum neuen Album komplett ausverkauft ist.

Mit Kollegen Kanye West, mit dem er bereits auf "The Blueprint" den ersten gemeinsamen Song veröffentlichte, arbeitet Jay-Z über die Jahre immer wieder zusammen. 2011 endlich ist es an der Zeit, Nägel mit Köpfen zu machen und gemeinsam zuzuschlagen. Die Supergroup bekommt den kaum größenwahnsinnigen Namen The Throne verpasst. Eine geplante EP wächst sich zum Album in voller Länge aus.

Images:
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Name: Missy Elliott
SortName: Missy Elliott
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Overview:
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction. Elliott is known for a series of hits and diverse music videos, including "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", "Hot Boyz", "Get Ur Freak On", "One Minute Man", "4 My People", "Work It", "Pass That Dutch", and "Lose Control". In addition, she has worked extensively as a songwriter and producer for other artists, both alone and with her fellow producer and childhood friend Timbaland, with whom she received her first production credit on R&B singer Ginuwine's 1996's album Ginuwine...the Bachelor.
Elliott was born on July 1, 1971, in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is the only child of mother Patricia, a power-company coordinator, and father Ronnie, a Marine. At the age of four in 1975, she wanted to be a performer, though she knew no one took her seriously, as she was always the class clown. While her father was a Marine, the family lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in a mobile home. Elliott enjoyed school for the friendships she formed and had little interest in school work, though an IQ test classified her above average and she was able to jump two years ahead of her class. This made her feel increasingly isolated, so she purposely failed all her classes, eventually returning to her age-appropriate class. When her father returned from the Marines, they moved back to Virginia, where they lived in a vermin-infested shack.
Elliott's childhood was strongly affected by domestic abuse. Elliotts family were strongly affected by her fathers anger. Elliott refused to stay over at any of her friends' homes for the fear that she would return and find her mother dead. When Elliott was fourteen, she and her mother finally escaped from the father. Her mother told her to pack her things and go to the bus stop as usual. When her father drove past on his way to work, her mother picked Elliott up and took her home to where family relatives were loading the family possessions into a U-Haul truck, leaving her father with only a fork, a spoon, a cup and a blanket. Elliott and her father occasionally talk, but she claims she hasn't forgiven him. She later stated "When we left, my mother realized how strong she was on her own, and it made me strong. It took her leaving to realize."

Images:
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Name: Wu-Tang Clan
SortName: Wu-Tang Clan
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Overview:
Wenn sich überhaupt irgendeine Crew mit dem Titel "Supergroup" schmücken darf, dann der Wu-Tang Clan. Neun Herren aus Staten Island und Brooklyn machen sich Anfang der 90er Jahre auf, ein Rap-Imperium aufzubauen, das die Welt aus den Angeln heben soll.

Die Wurzeln des legendären Clans finden sich back in the days des Jahres 1992. RZA, sein Cousin GZA und Ol' Dirty Bastard sind als Force Of The Imperial Master aktiv, eine Truppe, die nach dem Titel ihres populärsten Tracks auch als "All In Together Now Crew" Bekanntheit erlangt. Für einen Plattenvertrag reicht es allerdings nicht. Das Trio trennt sich Anfang der 90er. RZA und GZA suchen ihr Heil in Solokarrieren, GZA veröffentlicht sogar ein Album - der Durchbruch bleibt jedoch aus. Frustriert von diesen ersten Erfahrungen im Musikgeschäft beschließen die beiden, ihr eigenes Ding aufzuziehen.

RZA nimmt die Sache in die Hand und entwickelt ein bis dato einzigartiges Business-Konzept. Innerhalb der nächsten fünf Jahre, so der großspurige Plan, werde man sich die Hip Hop-Welt Untertan machen. Wie? Mit einem Familienunternehmen. Der "Clan" ist durchaus wörtlich zu verstehen: Die drei Gründer greifen tatsächlich auf Verwandte oder engste Freunde zurück. Am Ende bilden neun MCs die legendäre Crew: Neben RZA, GZA und ODB sitzen Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, U-God und Masta Killa an Bord des auslaufenden Wu-Tang-Schlachtschiffes.

Dem Namen werden, je nach Lesart, verschiedene Bedeutungen zugeschrieben: Ob nun "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", "Wisdom, Universe, Truth, Allah, Nation & God" oder "We Usually Take All Niggaz Garments" - das Ergebnis bleibt immer Wu-Tang.

Der Debüt-Track "Protect Ya Neck" schlägt wie eine Bombe ein. Dennoch gestaltet sich die Suche nach einem adäquaten Vertragspartner schwierig. Zur Politik des Clans gehört, dass jedes Mitglied seinen eigenen Style auf Solo- Veröffentlichungen ausleben soll. Um das zu gewährleisten, dürfen sie eben nicht an ein Label gebunden sein. Die wenig später gängige Praxis, Crew und Mitglieder getrennt unter Vertrag zu nehmen: ein Novum, das als Wu-Deal in den Sprachgebrauch eingeht.

Loud/RCA akzeptiert des RZAs Bedingungen und veröffentlicht mit dem ersten Clan-Album "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" einen Klassiker der Hip Hop-Geschichte. Wie bei sämtlichen Wu-Releases der kommenden Jahre, so liegt auch beim Debüt die Produktion komplett in RZAs Händen. Vor allem seine samplebasierten Beats, zusammen mit den stark differierenden Rap-Styles der neun MCs, dem exzessiven Gebrauch von Slang-Ausdrücken und Five-Percenter-Inhalten sowie den immer wiederkehrenden Bildern aus der Martial Arts- und Samurai-Kultur prägen den unverwechselbaren Sound der Crew.

Um die Clan-Mitglieder gruppieren sich eine Vielzahl weiterer assoziierter Künstler und Projekte. Cappadonna, dessen Status auch innerhalb der eigenen Reihen immer wieder zu Diskussionen führt, ist wohl am nächsten dran, als "zehnter Wu-Tang" gezählt zu werden. Ähnliches gilt für den aus der Writer-Szene stammenden Produzenten Mathematics, der mit dem Fledermaus-Logo das Markenzeichen der Gruppe schuf. 1997 prangt es auf dem Cover der Source.

Zusätzlich bewegen sich Killah Priest, die Wu Elements True Master und 4th Disciple, Killarmy (ebenfalls mit 4th Disciple und RZAs Bruder Prince), die Sunz Of Man (mit genanntem Killah Priest), Street Life (ein enger Freund von Meth), ODBs Bruder 12 O'Clock, Brklyn Zu, der britische Produzent Baby J und die Gravediggaz im Umfeld des Wu-Tang Clan.

Bis 1997 behält RZA die Regler vollkommen unter Kontrolle. Method Man und ODB veröffentlichen ihre Solo-Alben. Als erstes Wu-Seitenprojekt legen die Gravediggaz (mit dem RZA persönlich in ihren Reihen) mit "Six Feet Deep" einen Longplayer vor. Auf Raekwons "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx" findet sich mit Nas erstmals ein Nicht-Wu-Tang-Feature. Dieses, des GZAs "Liquid Swords" sowie Ghostfaces Debüt "Ironman" zählen sämtlich zu den Klassikern des Genres.

Auch die assoziierten Mitglieder profitieren von der Umtriebigkeit des Clans: Cappadonna debütiert 1998 mit "The Pillage", Killah Priest wirft "Heavy Mental" ins Rennen. Ebenfalls 1998 präsentiert RZA mit "Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm" einen Sampler, der Solo-Tracks der Kern-Clanmänner sowie diverse Veröffentlichungen aus deren Umfeld zusammenfasst.

Ohne auch nur einen Hauch von Zugeständnis an den Mainstream zu machen, steigt das nächste Album der kompletten Crew, "Wu-Tang Forever", 1999 auf Platz 1 der amerikanischen Charts ein. Die dunklen, von den Ideen der Five-Percent Nation beeinflussten Raps sind geblieben. Der Sound allerdings wird merklich opulenter: Keyboards und Streicher nehmen jetzt mehr Raum ein. Zum ersten Mal tritt RZA Teile der Produktionsarbeit ab, auch True Master und 4th Disciple leisten ihren Beitrag.

Eine gemeinsame Tour mit Rage Against The Machine endet allerdings früher als erwartet: Bereits nach etwa der Hälfte der Live-Shows wird dieses Projekt abgebrochen. In der Presse munkelt man von Reibereien und offenen Streitigkeiten zwischen den einzelnen Mitgliedern. Ganz einfach scheint es eben doch nicht zu sein, einen kompletten Bienenschwarm unter einen Hut zu bekommen.

Die Flut von Veröffentlichungen bringt in den Jahren zwischen 1997 und 2000 allerdings auch eine Menge zweit- bis drittklassiges Material hervor, was am Ruf des Clans nagt. Zudem erweist sich das zunehmend ausgetickte Verhalten Ol' Dirty Bastards als kompliziert zu handhaben, da er neben der Aufmerksamkeit der Medien auch immer wieder die der Behörden auf sich zieht. Er gerät - nicht nur seiner Ausfälligkeiten während der Grammy-Verleihung 1998 wegen - immer wieder in die Schlagzeilen. Diverse Male wird er verhaftet. Nicht eingehaltene Gerichtstermine sorgen für nicht enden wollende rechtliche Schwierigkeiten.

Als einigermaßen profitabel erweist sich allerdings die eigene Designer-Klamotten-Linie Wu Wear - auch wenn Inspectah Deck später im Interview gegenüber der Juice angibt, viele falsch getroffene Business-Entscheidungen hätten den Ertrag doch sehr geschmälert. Der Clan erschließt sich damit ein vollkommen von der Musik abgetrenntes Betätigungsfeld. Zahlreiche Rapper folgen später diesem Vorbild und werfen eigene Modelinien auf den Markt.

Obwohl die Mitglieder ordentlich Endzeitstimmung schüren, geht mit dem Jahrtausendwechsel überraschenderweise nicht die Welt unter. Der Clan erlebt komplett das Jahr 2000. Sehr zur Freude der Kritiker, manchen Kollegen treibt "The W" Tränen der Begeisterung in die Augen. Der Clan verstärkt seine Reihen mit Features von außerhalb: Nas, Redman, Snoop Dogg und Busta Rhymes kommen zu Wort. Die Single "Gravel Pit" gerät zum Hit. Nur einer fehlt: ODB sitzt wieder einmal im Knast. Auch auf "Iron Flag" aus dem Folgejahr ist Dirt McGirt nicht zu hören.

2004 veröffentlicht Masta Killa mit "No Said Date" als letztes Clan-Mitglied sein Solo-Debüt. Hartgesottene Fans jubeln und feiern die Rückkehr zum "echten Wu-Sound". Ghostface präsentiert mit "The Pretty Toney Album" erstmals ein Album ohne Mitwirkung der Familie. Cappadonna und insbesondere U-God beklagen sich lauthals über die Arbeitsbedingungen und die Finanzpolitik innerhalb des Clans.

Nach einer Pressekonferenz erklärt letzterer seinen Ausstieg. Immer schön vor der Nase der Öffentlichkeit wird die Auseinandersetzung weitergeführt. Ein in einer Radio-Show übertragenes Telefonat mit dem RZA führt zu vorläufiger Aussöhnung: U-God tourt gemeinsam mit dem Clan durch Europa und die USA und veröffentlicht 2005 - wieder unter dem Fledermausbanner - seinen zweiten Longplayer "Mr. Xcitement".

ODB hat mittlerweile das Zeitliche gesegnet: Am 14. November 2004 stirbt er während der Aufnahmen zu seinem nächsten Album überraschend im Studio an einer Überdosis. "Disciples Of The 36 Chambers" (auch auf eine DVD gebannt) gerät zum Denkmal für Ol' Dirty Bastard - "live and uncut", ebenso die Hits-Sammlung "Legend Of The Wu-Tang", die ebenfalls 2004 erscheint.

2006 rollt eine neue Welle aus dem Wu-Tang-Camp heran: Ghostface hat den Killah in seinem Namen wieder entdeckt und rühmt sich mit "Fishscale" eines weiteren Klassikers: Produktionen von MF Doom, Pete Rock und J Dilla runden das Werk ab. Masta Killa legt mit "Made In Brooklyn" sein Folgealbum vor, Method Man begeht mit "4:21" den "Day After", und der nimmermüde Ghostface setzt im Dezember mit "More Fish" noch einen drauf. In unsicheren Zeiten bleibt eines gewiss: Der Clan ist am Leben.

Daran ändert auch der Jahreswechsel nichts. Bereits im Januar bekommen Wu-Tang-Fans neue Perlen vorgeworfen. Allah Mathematics wühlt in seinen Schatzkisten und stellt für "Unreleased" einen bunten Strauß bisher unveröffentlichter Tracks aus diversen Album-Sessions zusammen. Abgerundet wird das Ganze durch exklusive Remixe von Hits wie "Da W" oder "Wu Banga".

Etwa zur gleichen Zeit kündigt der Wu-Tang Clan auch ein neues Album an. Wie sie auf ihrer Homepage berichten, handelt es sich dabei um den Soundtrack zu einer Animationsserie, in der Samuel L. Jackson einen zugerauchten, rache-süchtigen Samurai 'spielt'. Mit RZA tritt die komplette Familie an. Ol' Dirty Bastard grüßt mit Vocals aus seinem Nachlass aus der Gruft.

Die tatsächliche Veröffentlichung des ersten gemeinsamen Clan-Albums seit Jahren zieht sich jedoch noch bis zum 07. Dezember 2007 hin. Zuvor gehen die New Yorker noch ausgiebig auf Tour und besuchen dabei auch Deutschland: Neben den MTV Hip Hop Open in Stuttgart bestreiten die Clan-Brüder Auftritte in Offenbach, Berlin und Köln. Allerlei Mixtape- und Sampler-Veröffentlichungen trösten nicht darüber hinweg: "8 Diagrams" ist überfällig.

Die Liste der Feature-Gäste steigert die Vorfreude weiter: Bei dem Beatles-Cover "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" spielen John Frusciante von den Red Hot Chili Peppers und George Harrisons Sohn Dhani die Gitarren. Auch von einem Ol' Dirty Bastard-Tribute und einer Zusammenarbeit mit George Clinton ist die Rede.

Images:
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Name: Memphis Bleek
SortName: Memphis Bleek
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Overview:
Malik Thuston Cox (born on June 23, 1978) better known as Memphis Bleek, is a Brooklyn rapper who made his first appearance in Hip Hop on Jay-Z's debut album, Reasonable Doubt in 1996. Memphis Bleek regularly came in contact with rap legends such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z during his childhood, and has collaborated with artists such as Beanie Sigel, Ja Rule and Missy Elliott, among others. "Memphis" is an acronym for Making Easy Money Pimping Hoes In Style.  Early years  Memphis "One Hit Away" Bleek's first mainstream rap vocals appeared on the Clark Kent produced song "Coming of Age", featured on Jay-Z's classic debut LP Reasonable Doubt. Shortly after, Bleek became the first artist signed to Roc-A-Fella Records.  "Coming of Age", ironiclly, was also the title of Memphis' debut LP, which didn't create massive records sales and chart-topping singles as his labelmate and peers' albums had. The same was the case of his second LP, "The Understanding", and third, "M.A.D.E", though the latter spawned his largest amount of sales yet (900,000).  Get Low label and rivalries  In the time between the releases of his second and third albums, Memphis Bleek started his own label, Get Low, which in turn led to the signing of former Junior MAFIA member Lil' Cease. The name of the label has sparked a hip-hop rivalry, or beef, between Memphis Bleek, JT tha Bigga Figga & The Game, the former of which built an independent record label with the same title.  Memphis Bleek was also caught in the middle of the epic Jay-Z and Nas battle, in which Bleek gained a few enemies, most notably Nas and Mobb Deep. Despite boosting Jay-Z and Nas's careers, the beef did little to help Bleek gain any more popularity than he had already attained.  Later years  Remaining one hit away, on May 17, 2005, Bleek released his fourth album titled "534" , in reference to the building he & mentor Jay-Z grew up in, located in the Marcy housing projects of Brooklyn. However, like many of Bleeks previous releases the album suffered in sales, despite decent exposure of the Swizz Beatz produced single 'Like That'.  In fall 2005, Memphis Bleek told MTV that he was recording an album called "The Process", that he would describe as a make or break album, saying "I want to do an album that's through the roof, I want to do a classic album. I feel that if this album I'm not recording is a classic, I'm 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 proper distribution deals to do so. He found a new home in 2009 when he signed to Mass Appeal Entertainment which is where he will release his long anticipated album The Process is yet.   Albums 1999: The Coming of Age  2001: The Understanding  2003: M.A.D.E.  2005: 534

Images:
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Name: Lil Jon
SortName: Lil Jon
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Overview:
Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and international DJ who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004.

Beginnings
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 (born Sammie Dernard Norris) and Lil' Bo (born Wendell Maurice Neal). 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'", the latter of which came out in 1998. Both singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 70 and No. 62, respectively.

In 2000, Jon co-founded the label, BME Recordings, with his three long time friends,Vince Phillips, Rob Mac and Emperor Searcy. He released his breakthrough album titled We Still Crunk!. Among the tracks on that project was the hit single "I Like Those Girls," which reached No. 55 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.

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 Jon's 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 rock group but they were rapping, and ... that energy is what crunk music is all about."

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz signed to TVT Records in 2001 and debuted there with Put Yo Hood Up, which combined previously released tracks with new ones. The group's 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 and No. 47 on the Billboard R&B chart.

In 2002, the group released Kings of Crunk. "I Don't Give A..." was its first single; it featured Mystikal and Krayzie Bone and peaked at No. 50 on the R&B chart. The group's next single, a collaboration with fellow Atlanta hip hop group Ying Yang Twins titled "Get Low", became popular in nightclubs nationwide; it reached the top ten of the Hot 100. Crunk Juice followed in 2004, led by "What U Gon' Do" featuring Lil' Scrappy. "What U Gon' Do" peaked at No. 22 on the Hot 100, No. 13 on the R&B chart, and No. 5 on the rap chart; its follow-up, "Lovers & Friends" featuring Usher and Ludacris, peaked at No. 3 (Hot 100), No. 2 (R&B), and No. 1 (rap).

Solo career and production
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, "Presidential" by YoungBloodZ. Lil Jon entered the San Francisco Bay Area hyphy music scene in 2006 with his collaborations with Bay Area rapper E-40: Lil Jon produced E-40's single "Tell Me When To Go" and had E-40 and Atlanta rapper, Sean P of the YoungBloodZ, on his own "Snap Yo Fingers". 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. He vowed never to record for TVT Records again, alleging that TVT owner Steve Gottlieb was shortchanging him. He also began recording a rock music album, Crunk Rock.

MTV News reported in March 2008 that Crunk Rock was taking more time to complete than Lil Jon planned. As part of TVT Records' 2008 bankruptcy auction, Lil Jon withdrew his multimillion-dollar objection to the TVT sale proceedings and agreed to TVT's transfer of his artist agreement to The Orchard. In return, The Orchard released Lil Jon from all future obligations and returned the rights to the master recordings of Crunk Rock.

Crunk Rock was released on June 8, 2010, and it features artists such as LMFAO, Soulja Boy, Ying Yang Twins, Waka Flocka Flame, R. Kelly, and many more. In March 2011, Lil Jon took part in the fourth season of Celebrity Apprentice on NBC and was eliminated in the Final Four.

In July 2011, he said that he is working on a new studio album called Party Animal and has released a song with LMFAO called "Drink", which was used in the trailer for the film The World's End. In 2013, Lil Jon partnered with Zumba Fitness to create a new nightclub tour titled "Zumba Nightclub Series". For Zumba Fitness, he released a new song called "Work".

In January 2014, Lil Jon collaborated with DJ Snake and released "Turn Down for What" on Columbia Records. In February 2014, the single entered the top 5 on the Dance/Electronic chart and debuted at number 38 on Billboard's Hot 100. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to be certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.

On July 22, 2014, Lil Jon released a single titled "Bend Ova", featuring Tyga and released on Epic Records. The song reached number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100. His latest single "Take It Off" featuring Yandel and Becky G was released on July 22, 2016.

Musical style and influences
Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic has described Lil Jon's production as "bass-heavy," and his album Put Yo Hood Up as having "a long and varied list of guest rappers to accompany the beats". Describing that album with guest performers, Birchmeier remarked: "The end result is an album that resembles a street-level mixtape rather than a traditional artist-oriented album".

Lil Jon was specifically influenced by 2 Live Crew, 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, OutKast, Geto Boys, UGK, N.W.A, Dr. Dre, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Alex Henderson, also of allmusic, contrasted Lil Jon's style of "rowdy, in-your-face, profanity-filled party music" with other Southern rappers, those who "have a gangsta/thug life agenda" and those who convey "serious sociopolitical messages". Lil Jon has also found influence in rock music, having worked with Rick Rubin and Korn. He expresses this influence in his aggressive delivery and 'yelling' style of rap. He was seen on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time program wearing a Bad Brains T-shirt, and he used to listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd while growing up in the South in the 1970s. For Trick Daddy's "Let's Go", Lil Jon sampled the bass line from Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".

Television
Lil Jon has been a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, finishing 4th in its 11th season and 3rd in its 13th season, The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. While on the show, it was reported that Donald Trump had referred to Lil Jon repeatedly as "Uncle Tom" until confronted by Lil Jon and other members of the crew.

Personal life
Lil Jon married Nicole Smith in 2004. They have a son named Nathan Smith (born 1998).

He was an avid fan of the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers until they relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. He has since become a fan of the NHL's newest franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights. He has recently also become a fan of the University of Tennessee Volunteers, which adopted his hit song "Turn Down for What" on third downs, changing it to "Third Down for What." On October 4, 2014, Lil Jon made an appearance via Jumbotron encouraging the Volunteers to beat the University of Florida Gators.

Lil Jon is a fan of the television show The Walking Dead and has made multiple appearances as a guest on Talking Dead.

Images:
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Name: Young Jeezy
SortName: Young Jeezy
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Overview:
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born October 12, 1977), better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American hip hop recording artist from Atlanta, Georgia. He is a member of Southern hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America (USDA) and a former member of BMF (Black Mafia Family). He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz n da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 was released. Its lead single "Soul Survivor", which featured Akon, became a top-ten hit in the US.
The Inspiration followed in 2006, and The Recession followed in 2008; both albums yielded chart-topping singles. Jeezy has also appeared on numerous other rap and R&B singles such as "Say I" by Christina Milian, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Hard" by Rihanna, and "Love in This Club" by Usher, the latter being a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.

Images:
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Name: Termanology
SortName: Termanology
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Overview:
Termanology is a half Puerto Rican, half French rapper from Lawrence, Massachusetts, who later moved to Haverhill, Massachusetts. He is currently working on a solo album, but has released several mixtapes and a street album. He is gaining much recognition for his lyrical capability and delivering a message through his rhymes[citation needed]. He is most well known[citation needed] for his street anthem "Watch How It Go Down," which was produced by DJ Premier. He has collaborated with artists such as Nas, Royce Da 5'9", Papoose, M.O.P., Akrobatik and Terror Squad. He is a owner of the record label St Records.  Term's first single, "This Is Hip Hop," has reached #3 on the CMJ and Rapattack charts.

Images:
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Name: stat quo
SortName: stat quo
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Overview:
Stanley Benton, better known as Stat Quo, is an American rapper. Benton worked his way to college and attended University of Florida, where he majored in economics and international business in 2000. Benton was contemplating law school, until veteran Southern rapper Scarface encouraged him to rap professionally. After 50 Cent, Stat Quo was the second artist signed to both Shady Records and Aftermath Entertainment and became Dr. Dre and Eminem's newest protégé. Stat Quo was supposed to release his debut album, Statlanta, with Shady/Aftermath but, despite being made three different times, the album was never released by the labels. Statlanta was finally released on July 13, 2010 by Sha Money XL's label Dream Big Ventures.
Stat Quo was discovered towards the end of 2003. Dr. Dre and Eminem individually came to know of the Atlanta-based rapper via his Underground Atlanta mixtapes. After Eminem heard his music, he gained interest and passed it on to Dr. Dre, and a joint deal was reached, resulting in Stat Quo becoming signed.
His debut album Statlanta was originally slated to be released in 2003, but was repeatedly pushed back until finally being released in 2010 but it is not the original Statlanta recorded on Shady/Aftermath. Stat Quo is also featured on Young Buck's Straight Outta Cashville, Eminem's compilation album Eminem Presents the Re-Up (on tracks "By My Side", Tryin' Ta Win", "Get Low", and on the bonus track "Billion Bucks"), and on the track "Spend Some Time" on Eminem's Encore. Stat has also appeared on tracks with artists such as Jermaine Dupri, The Alchemist, The Game, Disturbing tha Peace, and Chamillionaire. Stat Quo has said that his "number one goal is to bring a respect, and bring a voice to this whole southern movement around the world."
In 2005, Stat Quo shot a video for his single "Like Dat". The song was made to be a buzz single, in order to help the artist become more exposed. The video was shot in Atlanta's Zone 3 near the Thomasville Heights projects where Stat Quo was raised and explained his reason for choosing the location in an interview, stating "It's the beginning of my career, so I wanted to start where I began life,  Plus, [the city of Atlanta] is supposed to be tearing the projects down, so I wanted to showcase the area I grew up in and capture it before it was gone forever." 
He was featured on the summer 2005 Anger Management Tour, which also included Eminem, 50 Cent, G-Unit, Obie Trice, D12, and others. On July 13, 2005, a tour bus carrying Eminem's entourage for the summer's Anger Management tour swerved off the road and turned over. Stat Quo was taken to Independence Regional Health Center in Independence, Missouri, where he was treated and released.
In October 2008, he left Shady Records / Aftermath Entertainment, unhappy with the release status of Statlanta. On April 21, 2009, Stat Quo independently released Smokin Mirrors, a street album, through EMI. Stat Quo hoped to release the album in 2009, and promoted the album by releasing multiple mixtapes for free download in 2009, including Quo City, Checks & Balance, and The Invisible Man. It ended up being released on July 13, 2010. He has already started working on an untitled second album.

In 2009, with distribution from The Orchard, producer Sha Money XL founded a new record label, Dream Big Ventures. Quickly upon its creation, Stat Quo was signed to the label. Statlanta was released on the label.
In March 2010, Stat Quo appeared in a HP commercial alongside Dr. Dre promoting HP Beats Audio Laptops. In 2011 Stat Quo was cited at Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment website as a songwriter on Aftermath Entertainment. In late 2012, Stat started a new record label with fellow rapper Game known as Rolex Records. Both artists will use the label to release new music and sign other artists. He also executive produced and appeared on a skit on Jesus Piece, The Game's fifth studio album, and last under the label Interscope Records.

Images:
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Name: Young Bloodz
SortName: Young Bloodz
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Overview:
YoungBloodZ are an American Southern rap duo from Atlanta, Georgia, comprising members J-Bo (born Jeffrey Ray Grigsby on October 4, 1977) and Sean P (born as Sean Paul Henriques II on March 7, 1978. They were signed to LaFace Records. They are one of many commercially successful Atlanta hip hop artists. 

Career:
Jeffrey Ray Grigsby and Sean Paul Henriques II. Sean P in his cousins name Sean Paul, the Jamaican reggae/ dancehall artist of the same name) met at Decatur's Miller Grove Middle School, where they started the Attic Crew with some friends. 
Their debut album was Against Da Grain released in 1999 on LaFace Records. The two are best known for singles such as "U-Way" (1999) and "85" (2000), which featured Big Boi, a well-known member of OutKast and Chris Streng. After a three-year absence, they returned with Cadillac Pimpin' in 2002, scoring a moderate hit. The duo's sophomore effort featured Grammy-nominated single "Damn!", reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming their only Top 10 hit. It was produced by Lil Jon. 
YoungBloodz released Ev'rybody Know Me in 2005, an album that left its own mark on hip-hop with singles like "Datz Me" featuring Young Buck, a then member of G-Unit and another Lil Jon-produced hit "Presidential" and "Chop Chop", produced by Scott Storch. Their song "I'mma Shine" was featured in the 2006 movie Step Up and in its soundtrack. The soundtrack reached number one on the US Billboard Top Soundtracks in 2006. 
YoungbloodZ has made many appearances in a number of hit singles including Cherish's "Do It to It", Sammie's "You Should Be My Girl", both produced by Jazzy Pha. Along with number 1 Billboard song Lil Jon's "Snap Yo Fingers" with E-40. YoungBloodz have also been featured in songs with TI, Nelly, Gucci Mane, Lil Scrappy, Twista, DJ Khaled and T-Pain. The group are working on a new album Back From the Liquor Sto", that is scheduled for release soon. The first official singles from the EP are entitled "Foolish" and "She Drank, She Smoke" both produced by Rawbeatzz. 

Legal issues:
Both members were arrested on June 1, 2006 on drugs and weapons charges in Atlanta after a traffic stop involving a tour bus with an expired license plate. All charges were eventually dropped and bus driver was charged. J-Bo and Sean P never had any trouble with the law before this arrest.

Images:
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Name: Cassidy
SortName: Cassidy
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Overview:
Barry Adrian Reese (born July 7, 1982), better known by his rap name Cassidy (also known as “The Problem” and “The Hustla”) is a popular rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in North Philadelphia. He was in a group called Larsiny together with his home-town-friends Cal Akbar and Shiz Lansky.

Cassidy rose to prominence as a battle rapper and started appearing on mixtapes. Producer Swizz Beatz signed him to his Full Surface label distributed through J Records and featured him on Swizz’s 2002 album Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories. Cassidy has also appeared on tracks by Snoop Dogg and Wyclef Jean.

Cassidy recorded the Split Personality album in the year 2003. The record is divided into three parts: The first is credited to Cassidy and reflects his pop side, the second, credited as “Tha Problem,” aims at fans of his mixtapes. The third is credited to B. Reese from fans from his early days. 

Cassidy recorded the track and lead single “Hotel” with R. Kelly in Kelly’s Chicago studios with a vocal contribution by Kelly - there is also a version featuring vocals by Trina. The song became a hit, reaching the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2004 and the top 5 of the UK charts in May 2004. The song also reached the Australian top 40 in late May 2004.

Split Personality was released on March 16, 2004 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album charts and at #1 on the R&B/Hip Hop albums charts. The second single, “Get No Better”, featured a contribution from labelmate Mashonda but did not do as well on the singles charts, reaching #82 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Images:
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Name: Twista
SortName: Twista
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Overview:
Carl Mitchell grew up in the K-Town area of the North Lawndale neighborhood of western Chicago, Illinois and began rapping when he was 12. In 1991, Mitchell released his first album called Runnin' Off at da Mouth under the name Tung Twista.

His second album, titled Resurrection, was set to be released in 1994, but due to problems with record labels and marketing issues involving fellow Chicago rapper Common's album of the same name, the album was only released in the city of Chicago and thus got little national attention.

In 1996 he teamed with Chicago producer The Legendary Traxster and Cwal's Do or Die on the track "Po Pimp" produced by The Legendary Traxster, which became a hit single. This led to a Cwal's label deal with Atlantic Records, which released Adrenaline Rush in 1997. Twista had by then dropped the "Tung" from his stage name. Adrenaline Rush became Twista's first charting album, as it peaked at #77 on the Billboard Hot 200. The album also spawned a Billboard Hot 100 hit in "Get It Wet" produced by The Legendary Traxster, which peaked at #96.

In 1998 Twista teamed with other Chicago area rappers to form the Speedknot Mobstaz. They released their first album, Mobstability produced entirely by The Legendary Traxster, in 1998. Twista then formed his own Legit Ballin' label, which released two compilation albums: Legit Ballin' in 1999 and Legit Ballin' Vol. 2: Street Scriptures in 2001. The label later released Respect The Game, Vol. 3 in 2002 and Volume 4: Tha Truth in 2006. In 2000, Twista collaborated with Ruff Ryders and Drag-On on the Ruff Ryders: Ryde or Die Vol. 2 album, on the track "Twisted Heat."

Beginning in 2002, Twista began recording his album Kamikaze with rappers like Kanye West and Ludacris. Kamikaze came out in 2004 and debuted at the top spot of the American Billboard 200 album chart. Its first single "Slow Jamz" (also featured on Kanye West's debut album The College Dropout), featured West and Jamie Foxx and became a number-one hit in the US. Other singles included "Overnight Celebrity" and "So Sexy" (featuring R. Kelly); the album sold around two million copies. The remix of the song "Jook Gal" by Elephant Man featured Twista and the YoungBloodZ. The Kamikaze album and its singles gave Twista a new level of success and rose his profile significantly within the rap community.

Twista's album The Day After was released in 2005. It featured the hit singles "Girl Tonite" featuring Trey Songz, "Hit the Floor" featuring Pitbull, and "So Lonely" featuring Mariah Carey. His next album, Adrenaline Rush 2007 came out in 2007. Its singles were "Give it Up" featuring Pharrell and "Creep Fast" featuring T-Pain. This album sold poorly compared to Twista's earlier albums. Twista appeared on the single "Hell No (Leave Home)" from Monica's album fall 2006 The Makings of Me.

In 2008, Twista launched a new record label called Get Money Gang Entertainment and the album Category F5 with the hit, "Wetter". In 2009, Twista appeared on the single "Legendary" with fellow Chicago rappers AK47 of Do or Die and Saurus and Bones.

Twista released his eighth solo album entitled, The Perfect Storm on Nov 9, 2010. The first single from the album, "Make a Movie" produced by The Legendary Traxster, featuring Chris Brown, was released on August 24, 2010. Two buzz singles were released, "I Do" produced by Traxster and "Heat" produced by fellow Chicago producers NO I.D. and The Legendary Traxster. The album features artists such as Waka Flocka Flame, Raekwon, Tia London, Diddy, Ray J, Chief Keef and others. Production on the album is mainly by The Legendary Traxster along with Streetrunner, Twinz, Tight Mike and NO I.D.

In an October 31, 2010 interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Twista discussed his new documentary, directed by Vlad Yudin and the making of The Perfect Storm, including his belief that artists need to do more than just record songs and that they need to become more involved with the community around them.

During the holiday season in 2010, Twista and his GMG team worked together with Chicago Food Bank's Producemobile program to feed hungry people in the community.

In 2013 Twista is working on his 9th studio album entitled The Dark Horse. He also currently struck a deal with Kanye West music label GOOD Music. All of his albums will now be distributed by Def Jam marking his return to a major label since leaving Atlantic Records in 2007. His own label Get Money Gang Entertainment will be distributed by Capital Records.

Images:
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Name: Rhymefest
SortName: Rhymefest
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Overview:
Che Smith (born July 6, 1977 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name Rhymefest, is a Grammy Award winning American hip hop artist signed to Mark Ronson's Allido Records. In 2006 he released his debut album Blue Collar, and released his second album, titled El Che, in 2010. In 2005 he won a Grammy Award for the Best Rap Song, along with Kanye West, for his contribution in writing Jesus Walks.  He gained attention because his lyrics were both witty and honest, and addressed the daily struggles that the average working person goes through, and not the over-glorified life of a drug dealer or clubgoer. He returned to Scribble Jam in 2003, where he defeated Yo Momma's Pimp to capture the title. Rhymefest was born July 6, 1977 on the south side of Chicago in Jeffrey Manor. Although he dropped out of South Shore High School, he would go on to earn his GED and even enroll in college at Columbia College in Chicago to study radio broadcasting at night school. He also worked as a substitute teacher to inner-city preschoolers at the time. In addition to all this, he was also building a reputation as one of the better known freestyle battle rappers in the Midwest. After enrolling at Columbia however, he learned his girlfriend was pregnant. He married her and moved to Indianapolis because she had been attending Purdue University in nearby West Lafayette. His son, Solomon, was born in 1998 and Rhymefest was forced to work various low-paying jobs, including one as a janitor at a university, to support his family while his wife went to school. When his wife graduated and went on to get a job as a chemical engineer, Fest was then able to devote his time to his true passion, music.  While living in Indiana with his cat named Greshy, Rhymefest was introduced to Mark Ronson by then manager Ron "DJ Indiana Jones" Miner. Greshy was later the inspiration for the hit single "Brand New" because Greshy only likes stuff that is brand new, and you would occasionally see Greshy in a whip that is brand new. In February 2003, Rhymefest signed his record contract with producer and DJ Mark Ronson's Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, managed by Clive Davis. This was despite an offer on the table from long-time friend and producer Kanye West to sign with his own record company, GOOD Music. Fest attributes this decision to having a better musical relationship with Ronson and also not wanting to be in an "employer-employee" relationship with West[citation needed], where difficulties in business could lead to a disruption of their musical relationship and even friendship. Fest had a great admiration for Ronson's ability to mesh music of different genres.  Rhymefest was featured on the track "Bout to Get Ugly" on Ronson's album "Here Comes the Fuzz" in 2003 along with Anthony Hamilton. He was also featured on the official soundtrack to the films The Rundown, Take The Lead, and Big Momma's House 2 with the track Private Dancer along with We Got Action. Fest was also a part of the Marc Eckō video game, "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" in 2005 and was most recently featured on the Kanye West track, "We Can Make It Better", on "Hurricane Relief: Come Together Now", a tribute CD for Hurricane Katrina.  A mixtape released in 2001 entitled "Raw Dawg" was largely produced by the then relatively-unknown producer, West. More recently and most notably, he collaborated with West on the record "Jesus Walks", from the ground-breaking album The College Dropout. On February 15, 2005, Rhymefest earned the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, along with West, for co-writing the song. Rhymefest had the initial idea for the song and discovered the sample used in the song, Arc Choir's "Walk with Me." Rhymefest played the song for West and then gave it to him to use for the album West was working on at the time, The College Dropout. Fest didn't have a record contract at that time and he knew that if West could produce it and become famous, he would be able to gain some notoriety from it as well. Fest co-wrote the chorus and first verse with West and even wrote and performed a third verse that did not make the final cut, but is performed on his mixtape, "A Star is Born".  Rhymefest's much-anticipated first album "Blue Collar" was released July 11, 2006. On the album he works closely with long-time collaborator and producer Mark Ronson, as well as with producers Kanye West, No I.D., Just Blaze and Cool and Dre. The first single off the album is entitled, "Brand New", and is produced by and features West with a video featuring renowned Hip hop model Bria Myles. Artists he collaborates with on "Blue Collar" are Citizen Cope, Carl Thomas, Mario and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. Rhymefest's second album is scheduled to be released Spring 2009. The album titled "El Che" is expected to show growth and dynamic talent.  In January 2008, Rhymefest released a mixtape album dedicated to the pop star Michael Jackson. Produced by Mark Ronson, the album was called Man In The Mirror  after the Jackson song of the same name. During the course of the album, which features samples of Jackson's music interspersed with humorous mock-up conversations between Jackson, Ronson and Rhymefest, the latter proclaims himself to be "the world's biggest Michael Jackson fan".

Images:
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Name: Lil' Wayne
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Overview:
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Young Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.

Although his next two albums Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002) were not as successful (only reaching Gold status), Lil Wayne reached higher popularity in 2004 with Tha Carter, which included the single "Go D.J." Wayne also appeared on the Destiny's Child top ten single "Soldier" that year. In 2005, the sequel to Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, was released. In 2006 and 2007, Lil Wayne released several mixtapes and appeared on several popular rap and R&B singles. His most successful album, Tha Carter III, was released in 2008 and sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. its first week of release. It included the number-one single "Lollipop" featuring Static Major. It also includes the singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" featuring T-Pain and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

Lil Wayne released his debut rock album, Rebirth, in 2010 to primarily negative reception from critics. The album eventually went gold. In March 2010, Lil Wayne began serving an 8-month prison sentence in New York after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. While in prison he released another album entitled I Am Not a Human Being in September 2010, featuring Young Money artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Twist. His ninth studio album and first since being released from prison, Tha Carter IV, was released on August 29, 2011. The album includes the songs "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz, "How to Love" and "She Will" featuring Drake. It sold 964,000 copies in the U.S. its first week out.

Images:
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Name: Big Tuck
SortName: Big Tuck
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Overview:
With Humble beginings Big Tuck grew up on the mean streets of South Dallas, Texas. Big Tuck is one of the six members of DSR The Dirty South Rydaz DSR has sold over 350,000 cd's without a major deal all independently. Big Tuck dropped a mix tape called Sgt. Tuck that sold 10,000 copies. Two months before that he dropped The Purple Hulk ,that sold over 70,000 copies in 10 months independently. Now he has comeback with another mixtape giant The Polar Bear, running the streets of Texas and throughout the U.S. T-Town Music, the Indie giant Tuck, and DSR have been featured in The Source Magazine, Mic Magazine, and Murder Dog Magazine and have also been recognized by G-Units very own Lloyd Banks. Big Tuck was one of the first members of DSR. George Lopez CEO of DSR and T-Town Music was breaking acts like Paul Wall, Slim Thug, Mike Jones, and Lil Flip. He thought to himself, "if I can break them, I can start my own group," and DSR was born. He gatherd some of the best rappers in Dallas and with no doubt he got the best - TUM TUM - DOUBLE T, LIL RONNIE, FAT B, ADDICTION AND BIG TITE. 44 MIXTAPES LATER BIG TUCK AND DSR SIGNED WITH UNIVERSAL RECORDS.


Name: Bun B
SortName: Bun B
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Overview:
Bernard Freeman (born March 19, 1973) professionally known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz). He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University, located in Houston, Texas. He released his third official solo album, Trill OG, on August 3, 2010, which received a 5 Mic "Classic" rating in The Source magazine - the first album in over five years to receive the honor.

Images:
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Name: Sleepy Brown
SortName: Sleepy Brown
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Overview:
Patrick "Sleepy" Brown is an R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is one-third of the successful Atlanta-based production team of Organized Noize, which has created hits for acts such as OutKast, Goodie Mob, and TLC. TLC's "Waterfalls", penned by Brown and Organized Noize's Rico Wade and Ray Murray, was a #1 hit single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1995.  Besides his production work, Brown also records as an artist himself, both for his own records (including his popular 2004 single "I Can't Wait" from the Barbershop 2: Back in Business soundtrack), and songs of collaborators such as Beyonce and Big Boi of OutKast (the #1 hit "The Way You Move").  He independently released a solo album in the early 2000s, which remains largely unheard.  He was slated to release an album on the DreamWorks Records label called "For the Grown and Sexy." But the release was scrapped when Dreamworks folded.  He is now signed to Outkast member Big Boi's label Purple Ribbon Records and is working on his album Mr.Brown, which is slated to be released sometime in 2006  Brown is the son of Jimmy Brown, the lead vocalist and saxophonist for the 1970s funk band Brick. [edit]

Images:
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Name: Ciara
SortName: Ciara
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Overview:
Als Tochter eines Offiziers der amerikanischen Armee wuchs sie unter anderem in den Bundesstaaten New York, Kalifornien, Arizona und Nevada auf, lebte eine Zeit lang in Gießen und ging im benachbarten Wetzlar zur Schule. Da ihre Eltern Carlton und Jackie ihr gesangliches Talent früh erkannten, förderten sie es bereits in ihrer Kindheit. Sie verbrachte ihre Jugendzeit vor allem mit Studioaufnahmen oder kleineren Bühnenauftritten. Für einige Zeit war sie Mitglied einer dreiköpfigen Girlgroup. Von 2004 bis 2006 war sie mit Rapper Bow Wow liiert, Von 2007 bis Ende 2009 mit dem Musiker 50 Cent. Zu Ciaras musikalischen Vorbildern zählen Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson und Destiny’s Child. Ab Ende 2012 war Ciara mit dem Rapper Future zusammen. Im Mai 2014 wurden sie Eltern eines Sohnes, im August 2014 trennte sich das Paar. Sie ist seit Juli 2016 mit dem Footballspieler Russell Wilson verheiratet.

Images:
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Name: Kelis
SortName: Kelis
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Overview:
Kelis Rogers (born August 21, 1979), better known mononymously as Kelis, is an American singer-songwriter and certified chef. She has won Brit Awards, Q Awards, and NME Awards, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Outside her native United States, she has had nine top ten singles in the United Kingdom alone. Kelis appeared on Moby's Area One Tour, supported U2 on the European leg of their Elevation Tour and headlined her own All Hearts Tour with Robyn. Kelis was born and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Her first name is a portmanteau of her father's name, Kenneth (1944–2000), and her mother's name, Eveliss. Her father Kenneth was an African American jazz musician and Pentecostal minister, and was formerly a professor at Wesleyan University. Her mother Eveliss is a Afro-Puerto Rican and Chinese fashion designer who inspired Kelis to pursue her singing career. She has three sisters, Kelis being the third born of the four girls.
As a child, Kelis sang in church choirs and played violin, piano, and saxophone while attending Manhattan Country School, a private school. At the age of 13, Kelis shaved off all of her hair. In an interview with Charlotte Roche, Kelis says she was kicked out of her parents house at the age of sixteen for having bad behavior stating that she would sometimes clash with her mother, but continued her education at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where she formed the R&B trio BLU (Black Ladies United). Kelis was also a bartender and a sales associate at a clothing store before graduating high school saying that she stole certain items from her job to get by from living out o

Images:
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Name: Morgan Heritage
SortName: Morgan Heritage
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Overview:
Morgan Heritage formed in 1994 made their first appearance at Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica. They were subsequently signed by MCA and released their debut album Miracles the same year. They have since criticized the Miracles album as being overly pop-influenced.
After the release of Miracles, the family moved to Denroy's homeland of Jamaica. In this period, three family members left the group. Once in Jamaica, Morgan Heritage began working with famed reggae producers Bobby Dixon and Lloyd James, resulting in the release of their critically acclaimed second album Protect Us Jah (1997), followed by One Calling (1998), and the spiritually-inclined Don't Haffi Dread (1999). They have released three compilation albums by "The Morgan Heritage Family and Friends", and a live album, Live in Europe!, recorded on their 2000 tour. Following the release of their 2001 album More Teachings... Morgan Heritage toured Europe again, and they have returned several times since.
Their sixth studio album, Three in One, came out in 2003. They have released two successful DVDs, "Live In London" and "Live Over Europe 2003", and their seventh studio album Full Circle was released in 2005. Their latest album, Mission In Progress, was released on April 15, 2008. It includes the singles "Faithful" and "Raid Rootz Dance".
After several years working on solo projects, they released the single "The Return" in 2012, and indicated that a new album would be recorded after their 2012 European tour. The album, Here Come the Kings was released by VP Records in June 2013, followed by a tour of Europe.
They have worked with many of the top reggae bands and DJs of today including Capleton, Junior Kelly, Luciano, Gentleman and Beres Hammond.

Images:
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Name: Notorious B.I.G.
SortName: Notorious B.I.G.
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Overview:
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again) and Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York).
Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.

Images:
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Name: The Notorious B.I.G.
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Overview:
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 - March 9, 1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again) and Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York).
Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.

Images:
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Name: Master P.
SortName: Master P.
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Overview:
Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1970), better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, producer, and former professional minor league Basketball player. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch Records, followed by Guttar Music Entertainment, and No Limit Forever Records. He is the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises, an entertainment and financial conglomerate and Better Black Television.

Miller gained fame in the late 1990s with the success of his group TRU and his fifth album Ice Cream Man, which contained his first single "Mr. Ice Cream Man". In 1997, after the success of one his biggest singles to date, "Make 'Em Say Uhh!," went 2x platinum, Miller grew further in popularity. Then Miller released his second platinum album Ghetto D. Miller also starred in his own street film, mostly based on his life, I'm Bout It which was very successful.

In 1998, P. Miller released his most successful album to date MP Da Last Don. The album was also based on a film that Miller produced, which came out earlier that year with the same name. The album hit #1 on the Billboard Top 200 charts, selling over 400,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified 4x platinum, with over four million copies sold, making it Miller's best-selling album. In 1999, Miller released his eighth album, Only God Can Judge Me. It was not as successful as his previous album, though it still managed to reach a gold certification. Miller also starred in the movie, I Got the Hook Up, with A.J. Johnson which was a huge success. P. Miller also launched a clothing line called No Limit Gear and launched No Limit Sports. In the early 2000's he formed a popular rap group called 504 Boyz which is No limit's biggest selling group with its huge chart single called Wobble Wobble.

In the 2000s, as No Limit Records' popularity was slowly declining until the debut self titled album Lil Romeo made No Limit's popularity as well as Silkk The Shocker and C-Murder's albums. P.Miller re-launched No Limit Records as New No Limit Records and released an album. On November 28, 2000, he released his ninth studio album, Ghetto Postage; with found success but not compared to earlier releases, selling 500,000 copies; critics ravaged the album. 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 Independent Billboards and sold 300,000 copies. The same year Miller released his first independent album Living Legend: Certified D-Boy on his new label Guttar Music, and the album only sold 75,000 copies.

In 2011, Miller and Gucci Mane produced and were featured in a new soundtrack entitled "Get Money" which was produced by Drumma Boy.

Images:
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Name: Silkk The Shocker
SortName: Silkk The Shocker
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Overview:
Vyshonn King Miller, who records under the stage name Silkk The Shocker, is an American rapper and actor. He originally went under the stage name Silkk, but later adopted The Shocker after the release of his first album and a cIouple successful releases from No Limit Records in the late 90's and early 2000's. He is now signed to Romeo Miller's label No Limit Forever.
Vyshonn King Miller was born on June 18, 1975, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised in the Calliope Projects, which is located in the 3rd Ward of Uptown New Orleans, along with his two brothers Percy "Master P" Miller, Corey "C-Murder" Miller and three other siblings. He relocated to Richmond, California at the age of 13, and graduated from De Anza High School in 1994.
Silkk The Shocker rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s, releasing his first record The Shocker in August 1996 using the alias "Silkk". After changing his name to Silkk The Shocker, he went on to appear on numerous albums from TRU's Tru 2 da Game, Mia X's Unlady Like, and Mystikal's Unpredictable. He had a brief feud with veteran rapper L.L. Cool J in the 90's.
Shorty after the release of The Shocker, Silkk changed his name from Silkk to acquire a new name based on his first album. He used the alias as just The Shocker on a few No Limit albums in 1997. Silkk would feature on Master P's 1997 hit "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" which is featured on Master P's 1997 album Ghetto D, but also released as a single in early 1998. Continuing on the success of the hit single, Silkk would release his next single with label-mate Mystikal as a featured artist on "It Ain't My Fault" off his second album Charge It 2 Da Game under his final stage name Silkk the Shocker. "It Ain't My Fault" gained popularity and became the trademark song for Silkk The Shocker. In that same year Silkk the Shocker would feature on, at that time a new group, Destiny's Child's single "Just Be Straight with Me", as well as, R&B singer Mýa's "Movin' On", the second single released from Mýa, her self-titled debut album.
In 1999, Mýa and Silkk collaborated on the lead single from his album Made Man. The track, titled "Somebody Like Me", became one of the year's top-selling singles on the Billboard charts. He also collaborated with Trina on "That's Cool". Since then, Silkk has released two solo albums: My World, My Way in 2001 and Based on a True Story in 2004. Neither release generated the same publicity he enjoyed in the late 1990s, but the former still managed to sell very well.
On June 3, 2010, a video of Silkk freestyling over DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win" was posted to YouTube. Silkk released his first mixtape called All I Do Is Win on August 21, 2010. This mixtape marks Silkk's return to hip-hop. It was confirmed that Silkk signed with his nephew Romeo's new record label, No Limit Forever Records and is working on his return album called "Incredible" . Some of the producers on this album is Manny Streetz, Marvz, Mike Bangum of Da Beat Kadetz and JoJo Ryder. It is also confirmed that Silkk the Shocker is going on a new tour with his brother Master P & nephew Romeo Miller the tour is entitled ”No Limit Forever International".
Silkk was featured on World Wrestling Entertainment's Wreckless Intent album, which was released on May 23, 2006. The song he performed on the album, "I'm Comin'", has since been used as the theme song for WWE Smackdown wrestler Montel Vontavious Porter until his release in late 2010. Silkk also performed former SmackDown! wrestler Orlando Jordan's theme song, "Do It Big". In June 2010 Silkk also co-starred in the upcoming horror film "Reservation", produce by Sedona Studios the film is due for exhibition Fall 2011.
Silkk The Shocker's Older Brother, Kevin Miller, was killed during a robbery. He has one sister, who owns a beauty salon. Miller has 6 nephews "Romeo Miller", "Valentino Miller", "Lil' D", "C-Los", "Young Trump", and Veno Miller, also, one niece, singer Cymphonique Miller. He has two children, a son named "Lil King" (born 2001), and a daughter named "Jianna".

Images:
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Name: Snoop Dogg
SortName: Snoop Dogg
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Overview:
Snoop Dogg (* 20. Oktober 1971 in Long Beach, Kalifornien; bürgerlich Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rapper und Schauspieler. Zu seiner Anfangszeit nannte er sich Snoop Doggy Dogg. 2012 gab er bekannt, von nun an Reggae anstatt Rap zu machen und sich Snoop Lion zu nennen. 2013 veröffentlichte er als Snoopzilla zusammen mit Dâm-Funk unter dem Bandnamen 7 Days of Funk ein Funk-Album mit dem gleichnamigen Titel 7 Days of Funk. 2015 veröffentlichte er – wieder unter dem Namen Snoop Dogg – ein neues Album namens Bush. 2018 vollführte er mit der erstmaligen Veröffentlichung eines Gospel-Albums (Bible of Love) einen radikalen Stilwechsel. Mit einem Vermögen von 150 Millionen US-Dollar gilt Snoop Dogg als einer der reichsten Rapper.

Images:
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Name: Fiend
SortName: Fiend
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Overview:
There are multiple artists which use this name:
1. A melodic death metal band from Russia
2. A rapper from the United States
3. A stoner metal band from France
4. A hardcore techno producer
5. An experimental/ambient side project from Scotland
6. A grindcore band from Fresno, CA
7. A dubstep producer from Manchester, UK

1) Fiend is a Melodic Death Metal band formed in Moscow, Russia, in December of 2007, which also touches other metal genres such as Gothic. Fiend are inevitably one of their own kind in Russia. They have put out 3 CD’s as of yet, one being an EP “The Ghost”, followed by greatly acclaimed LP “The Blooming Tremble” on January 30th 2009, and another LP, "Before my Eyes", in 2011. The band’s linup is as follows: 

 Leos Hellscream - vocals guitars.
 Aira Deathstorm - drums (2009-)
 Smile - Bass (2010-)
 Mr. Born - Guitars(2011-)

 They have announced on their Facebook page and website that their new album will shortly be available in 2011, named “Before My Eyes”. They have entered recording process on January 24th 2011. They have also given multiple studio updates and video updates on their Facebook page.

 2) Ricky Jones, better known as Fiend is an American rapper, producer, and former industry A&R, hailing from New Orleans. He is best known for his time spent with Master P’s No Limit Records. Fiend was also briefly a member of DMX’s label, Ruff Ryders Entertainment. The recent rumors has Fiend signed with Jay-Z’s RocNation label. Fiend, himself, told the online Hip Hop news that he and Jay-Z has not confirmed as of now. They are toying with the idea to ink the deal.

 He debuted with I Won’t Be Denied in 1995 on Big Boy Records. He signed to No Limit in 1997 and released two albums on the label, There’s One In Every Family and Street Life. He contributed heavily to the work of other No Limit artists, including Master P’s multi-platinum Ghetto D. 

 Fiend has released 7 solo albums in total and since his departure from No Limit. Fiend currently runs his own record label, named Fiend Entertainment or simply F.E… 

Now he's part of the Currensy JETS movement, and he's known as Fiend - International Jones. He has released 3 mixtapes, and he's preparing his next album.

 3) Also a French stoner/doom/psyche band from Paris featuring British singer Heitham Al-Sayed (Senser, Lodestar, Entronaut, In The Guise Of Men, The Operators, The Guild), Michel Bassin (Treponem Pal, Ministry, Kanaan), Nico Zivkovich (13 Zealots) and Simon Doucet (Kickback, Casanova Frankenstein, 13 Zealots).

4) Steven Vasquez, a Hardcore producer who has had releases on Industrial Strength, The Third Movement & Pacemaker amongst others.

 5) Fiend was the alias of Scottish musician Brendan O’Hare, a well-traveled member of the 1990s alternative pop scene. O’Hare first garnered notice as the drummer of the great Teenage Fanclub, exiting the group in the wake of their 1993 LP Thirteen; he released the experimental ambient albums Caledonian Gothic, Caledonian Cosmic and Caledonian Mystic under the name of Fiend. These albums featured a handful of recordings involving other members of Telstar Ponies, of whom he was still a member when the material was recorded. Next, followed by a stint in Mogwai. In addition to Fiend — a moody space-rock solo project first heard on 1997’s Caledonian Gothic - he also concurrently led his own band, Macrocosmica.

6) Fiend is a grindcore band from Fresno, CA formed in the summer months of 2012 through a local DIY community. They released a demo in 2013, an EP in 2014, and a split with Dead Issue in 2015.

7) Fiend is a dustep producer from Manchester, UK. His first track called "Gully" was released on soundcould on October 12, 2012. He has a digital LP titled The Seven Deadly Dubs (DTR016) which was released July 12 2016 on Juno.

Images:
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Name: 504 Boyz
SortName: 504 Boyz
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Overview:
504 Boyz was a hip hop group led by Percy Miller, aka Master P. The group's name is a reference to the area code 504. Originally the group consisted of Master P, Mystikal and Silkk The Shocker (under the aliases Nino Brown, G. Money, & Vito respectively). Right before the release of their first album C-Murder & Krazy were added to the lineup. This lineup was intact on their debut, 'Goodfellas' which contained the hit "Wobble Wobble" produced by Carlos Stephens , which peaked at #17 in the U.S..

After No Limit Records moved over from Priority Records to Universal Records, their lineup was altered from the first album Goodfellas, C-Murder was incarcerated, Mystikal who had left the label not long after the Goodfellas album was released was also incarcerated so the only returning members were Magic, Krazy, Master P & Silkk The Shocker. Their new line up consisted of Choppa, Curren$y, Krazy, Magic, Master P, Silkk The Shocker & T-Bo for their second album, Ballers, which includes the hit Tight Whips. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, 504 Boyz released their third and currently their final studio album, We Gon Bounce Back.

Images:
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Name: Mystikal
SortName: Mystikal
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Overview:
Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American rapper, and actor from New Orleans. A Persian Gulf war veteran who rose to stardom as a protégé of the rap impresario Master P, Tyler combined powerful, passionate vocals that would range from a conspiratorial whisper to vein-popping screams in the course of a few words, and was constantly accelerating and decelerating his delivery. The sound was new, but not unprecedented, as Tyler's vocals were reminiscent of R&B screamers like Little Richard and James Brown, using piano and saxophone sounds to accentuate the delivery.

Mystikal's debut album, Mystikal, was released on New Orleans-based independent record label Big Boy Records in 1994. He found himself in conflict with fellow New Orleans rappers signed to Cash Money Records including U.N.L.V., Lil Wayne and B.G.. They dissed him on tracks like "Drag 'Em in Tha River" by U.N.L.V. and "Fuck Big Boy" by The B.G.'z. He struck back with the diss "Beware" which was on his sophomore effort Mind of Mystikal. Mystikal's sister, Michelle Tyler (whom he had close ties with), sang the chorus on "Not That Nigga" and her fate became a major influence on Mystikal's music after her untimely death. The songs "Dedicated To Michelle Tyler", "Murderer" (both on Mind of Mystikal), "Murder 2", "Shine" (both on Unpredictable) and "Murder III" (on Let's Get Ready) refer to her murder.

Mystikal signed to Jive Records and released Mind of Mystikal in 1995. He signed to Master P's No Limit Records in 1996 and released Unpredictable in 1997. He appeared on many of the No Limit albums in 1997-1998. In 1998 he released Ghetto Fabulous. That was his last album with the label, and he left in early 1999 to go on his own.

In 1999 he began recording his album after leaving No Limit. Let's Get Ready was released in 2000 and contained "Danger (Been So Long)", which featured rising pop star Nivea, and was the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one single in June 2001. Let's Get Ready debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200, making it Mystikal's only chart-topping album to date. The album also featured the popular, Neptunes-produced hit "Shake Ya Ass". The song retained cult-like popularity and can be heard in the background of numerous movies.
Mystikal's most recent solo release was the 2001 album Tarantula, which contained the hit single, "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against The Wall)". Though it presented Mystikal's typical and unique flow style, the song also saw a blending of jazz and swing elements with hip-hop. The well received album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2003, and Mystikal was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance that same year. Mystikal was also featured prominently in the single, "Move Bitch" by Ludacris as well as "I Don't Give a Fuck" by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz along with Krayzie Bone, both in 2002. In 2003 he starred in the film 13 Dead Men. In 2003, Mystikal was indicted on charges of sexual battery and extortion. On January 15, 2004, he was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to forcing his hairstylist to perform sex acts. He served the full six years and was released on January 14, 2010.

Mystikal headlined a concert at the Mahalia Jackson Theater of the Performing Arts on Mardi Gras, February 16, 2010. Mystikal's first song after being released from prison was an underground track with former No Limit labelmate Fiend entitled "I Don't Like You". A few weeks later, Atlanta-based, New Orleans-born R&B artist Lloyd released "Set Me Free" featuring Mystikal. The music video for "Set Me Free" was released on May 18, 2010 and was shot in New Orleans, primarily from the Calliope Projects.
In an interview in May 2010, he stated that he was still obligated to Jive Records for one more album and alluded to the fact that he would be taking the necessary time to ensure the album would be his best to date. He also stated that he had not come up with a name for the album, but stated that he was considering The Big Shake Back. He made a promo song called "Papercuts" featuring once again Fiend and the unexpected Lil Wayne. In 2011, He performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos. Mystikal and Busta Rhymes were signed to Cash Money Records by Birdman on November 16 the same year. His first single for the label, "Original", was released shortly thereafter and featured new label-mates Birdman and Lil Wayne.

On June 26, 2003, Michael "Mystikal" Tyler pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion. On January 15, 2004, Tyler was sentenced to 6 years in state prison after pleading guilty to forcing his hairstylist to perform sex acts. He also admitted to extortion. The rapper and two bodyguards forced the woman to perform oral sex, and accused her of stealing $80,000 in checks. Tyler initially held firm that the incident was consensual. A videotape of the incident was found at his home shortly after the charges were initially made. Negotiations during the trial held the videotape from being entered as evidence and Tyler agreed to the plea bargain offered by the prosecution, avoiding the mandatory life sentence for sexual battery in Louisiana and expecting to receive probation. The case took a twist when the judge viewed the videotape at the sentencing, took into account Tyler's two prior arrests (for drug and gun possession) and had him remanded into custody to begin serving a six-year sentence immediately. Bodyguards Leland "Pokie" Ellis and Vercy "V" Carter also pleaded guilty to sexual battery.
In August 2005, while incarcerated on the state sexual battery and extortion charges, Mystikal was charged federally with two misdemeanor counts of failing to file tax returns for 1998 and 1999. On January 12, 2006, he was convicted in federal court of the tax offenses, but was allowed to serve the one-year federal sentence concurrent with his six-year state sentence. Mystikal was incarcerated at Louisiana's Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. On January 19, 2006, Mystikal was denied parole at a parole board hearing. On January 11, 2007, Mystikal was released from custody on the federal misdemeanor tax convictions (as his one-year sentence had expired), but he remained in custody on the six-year sentence for the Louisiana state felony convictions. The news of his release caused confusion among fans who heard the news and mistakenly thought he had been released on parole. He was released January 14, 2010. After his release, Mystikal was registered as a sex offender. He currently resides in Prarieville, Louisiana.
After his release Mystikal stated:
â€œ	I was gone so long, all the things I achieved, all the accolades I attained, it felt like it was a dream. It felt like I'd never done that stuff. But watch how I shake this world up now - I want reparations.	â€
On February 22, 2012, Mystikal was arrested again following a dispute with his domestic partner and was later given a misdemeanor charge of domestic abuse battery. He was detained for nine days and then released on bail. On April 16, he was given a three-month jail sentence for violating the terms of his probation that he was given following his release from prison in January 2010. He was given credit for the nine days already served reducing his confinement from 90 days to 81 days. He began serving his sentence on May 14 at the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail. During his incarceration, he appeared in court to be heard on the actual domestic abuse battery charges as well as for a hearing to determine child support payments for his two youngest children. Mystikal was released from jail in mid-August 2012.

Images:
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Name: Silk The Shocker
SortName: Silk The Shocker
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Overview:
Vyshonn King Miller, who records under the stage name Silkk The Shocker, is an American rapper and actor. He originally went under the stage name Silkk, but later adopted The Shocker after the release of his first album and a cIouple successful releases from No Limit Records in the late 90's and early 2000's. He is now signed to Romeo Miller's label No Limit Forever.
Vyshonn King Miller was born on June 18, 1975, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised in the Calliope Projects, which is located in the 3rd Ward of Uptown New Orleans, along with his two brothers Percy "Master P" Miller, Corey "C-Murder" Miller and three other siblings. He relocated to Richmond, California at the age of 13, and graduated from De Anza High School in 1994.
Silkk The Shocker rose to fame in the mid-late 1990s, releasing his first record The Shocker in August 1996 using the alias "Silkk". After changing his name to Silkk The Shocker, he went on to appear on numerous albums from TRU's Tru 2 da Game, Mia X's Unlady Like, and Mystikal's Unpredictable. He had a brief feud with veteran rapper L.L. Cool J in the 90's.
Shorty after the release of The Shocker, Silkk changed his name from Silkk to acquire a new name based on his first album. He used the alias as just The Shocker on a few No Limit albums in 1997. Silkk would feature on Master P's 1997 hit "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" which is featured on Master P's 1997 album Ghetto D, but also released as a single in early 1998. Continuing on the success of the hit single, Silkk would release his next single with label-mate Mystikal as a featured artist on "It Ain't My Fault" off his second album Charge It 2 Da Game under his final stage name Silkk the Shocker. "It Ain't My Fault" gained popularity and became the trademark song for Silkk The Shocker. In that same year Silkk the Shocker would feature on, at that time a new group, Destiny's Child's single "Just Be Straight with Me", as well as, R&B singer Mýa's "Movin' On", the second single released from Mýa, her self-titled debut album.
In 1999, Mýa and Silkk collaborated on the lead single from his album Made Man. The track, titled "Somebody Like Me", became one of the year's top-selling singles on the Billboard charts. He also collaborated with Trina on "That's Cool". Since then, Silkk has released two solo albums: My World, My Way in 2001 and Based on a True Story in 2004. Neither release generated the same publicity he enjoyed in the late 1990s, but the former still managed to sell very well.
On June 3, 2010, a video of Silkk freestyling over DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win" was posted to YouTube. Silkk released his first mixtape called All I Do Is Win on August 21, 2010. This mixtape marks Silkk's return to hip-hop. It was confirmed that Silkk signed with his nephew Romeo's new record label, No Limit Forever Records and is working on his return album called "Incredible" . Some of the producers on this album is Manny Streetz, Marvz, Mike Bangum of Da Beat Kadetz and JoJo Ryder. It is also confirmed that Silkk the Shocker is going on a new tour with his brother Master P & nephew Romeo Miller the tour is entitled ”No Limit Forever International".
Silkk was featured on World Wrestling Entertainment's Wreckless Intent album, which was released on May 23, 2006. The song he performed on the album, "I'm Comin'", has since been used as the theme song for WWE Smackdown wrestler Montel Vontavious Porter until his release in late 2010. Silkk also performed former SmackDown! wrestler Orlando Jordan's theme song, "Do It Big". In June 2010 Silkk also co-starred in the upcoming horror film "Reservation", produce by Sedona Studios the film is due for exhibition Fall 2011.
Silkk The Shocker's Older Brother, Kevin Miller, was killed during a robbery. He has one sister, who owns a beauty salon. Miller has 6 nephews "Romeo Miller", "Valentino Miller", "Lil' D", "C-Los", "Young Trump", and Veno Miller, also, one niece, singer Cymphonique Miller. He has two children, a son named "Lil King" (born 2001), and a daughter named "Jianna".

Images:
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Name: C-Murder
SortName: C-Murder
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Overview:
Corey Miller (born March 9, 1971), better known by his stage name C-Murder, is an American rapper and actor who is now serving life in prison for murder. C-Murder is the brother of both Master P and Silkk the Shocker, and uncle of rapper-actor Romeo. C-Murder has released eight albums altogether on three different labels, No Limit Records, Tru Records, and Asylum Records. His first platinum album was Life or Death, which was released in 1998. C-Murder is an uncle of Romeo Miller and Cymphonique Miller.
In 1998, C-Murder made his solo debut with Life or Death. C-Murder's debut topped the Billboard R&B albums chart. Bossalinie followed in 1999. He was also a member of the supergroup 504 Boyz, which had a hit in 2000 with "Wobble Wobble". The same year, C-Murder released his third album, Trapped in Crime, which included the hit "Down 4 My Niggaz" featuring Snoop Dogg and Magic. C-Murder's next album Tru Dawgs was released in 2002. During a life sentence imposed by court starting October 2003, C-Murder recorded The Truest $#!@ I Ever Said in 2005. His seventh studio album Screamin' 4 Vengeance, was finally released in stores on July 1, 2008.

Images:
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Name: Cash Money Millionaires
SortName: Cash Money Millionaires
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Overview:
The Cash Money Millionaires included whatever rappers happened to rap for Cash Money Records at the given moment. During the label's initial breakthrough and golden era, the group included Baby, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, B.G., Turk, and Lil' Wayne. The group issued the Baller Blockin' collection (2000), which also included contributions from some of the group's inspirations, namely Eightball & MJG, E-40, Nas, and Rappin' 4-Tay. The album accompanied the straight-to-video film of the same name.

Images:
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Name: Hot Boys
SortName: Hot Boys
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Overview:
The Hot Boys (sometimes Hot Boy$ or Hot Boyz) were an American  rap group active from 1997 to 2003. Currently there is talk of the group reuniting for another album, however nothing has yet been released. The group consists of rappers formerly on the New Orleans-based record label, Cash Money Records. The members were Juvenile, Lil' Wayne, B.G. and Turk (Often called "Young Turk" or "Lil Turk"). Rapper Bulletproof was an original member, but left the group before they released their first album.  The Hot Boys were originally based loosely on a group of hustlers and gangsters that ran uptown New Orleans in the late 80's and early 90's. The original Hot Boys were Terrence "Gangsta" Williams (Brother of Cash Money CEO Bryan "Birdman" Williams) Sterling, Mosquito, and Dooney. The only surviving Hot Boy is Gangsta, who is currently serving three life sentences in Ohio. Bryan "Birdman" Williams has always maintained a close relationship with the remaining Hot Boy, which has fueled rumors that the Cash Money CEO may be involved in illegal activities, including the 1996 murder of Cash Money rapper Yella Boy of U.N.L.V.. The later Hot Boys group on Cash Money took this name, but had no connection with this earlier group.  Throughout the year of 2001, there was a lot of controversy surrounding legal issues within members of the group. Juvenile, B.G., and Turk felt like they weren't getting their "fair share" in their money from Baby and Slim, the owners of Cash Money Records. This led to the three departing from Cash Money Records in 2002. After some time away from the label, they resigned in 2003 and the group released their third and to date last album, titled Let 'Em Burn. Following this album more issues with the label ensued, and the three again left Cash Money. From then until 2010, Lil Wayne was the only former Hot Boys member still on Cash Money. However, this changed in 2010 when B.G. & Turk resigned with the label.  In 2007, B.G. and Lil Wayne announced that the Hot Boys would reunite for another album in 2010. To further the announcement, on a televised interview promoting Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne stated to the public, "this was going to happen, and not just a rumor, but that some things needed to be taken care of before the album is a possibility". This led to a surprise track on a Lil Wayne mixtape with the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh called "Money All Around Me" which also promoted their reunion. On B.G.'s album Too Hood to Be Hollywood, Ya Heard Me with B.G., Juvenile, and Trey Songz debuted as a possible single for their upcoming album.The Hot Boys officially reunited on stage at a concert.

Images:
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Name: Big Tymers
SortName: Big Tymers
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Overview:
The Big Tymers were an American rap duo active from 1997 to 2005 from New Orleans, Louisiana. The Big Tymers consisted of Cash Money Records co-founder, Baby and former Cash Money in-house producer, Mannie Fresh. Baby later changed his stage name to Birdman after the duo was dissolved. The Big Tymers released their debut album in 1998 titled How You Luv That, and a re-release version of their debut album, How You Luv That Vol. 2 which gave them an abundant amount of publicity afterwards. They recorded their first platinum selling album in 2000 titled I Got That Work. The lead single from I Got That Work, "Number One Stunna" peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. The group released its most successful album in 2002 titled Hood Rich. The album reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 and spawned a major hit in "Still Fly" which reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later in 2002, Mannie Fresh resigned from Cash Money Records because of financial dispute with Birdman, and his brother Slim. The group later reunited again in 2003 for their final album titled Big Money Heavyweight.

Images:
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Name: Mack 10
SortName: Mack 10
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Overview:
Dedrick Rolison, (born August 9, 1971), better known by his stage name Mack 10 is an American rapper and actor. He was a member of hip hop trio Westside Connection, along with Ice Cube and WC. He is of African-American descent. He gets his nickname from the MAC-10 submachine gun.
Mack 10 made his first appearance on Ice Cube's "Bootlegs & B-Sides" compilation on the track "What Can I Do? (Remix.)"
Rolison married Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, from R&B trio TLC in August 2000. They have one daughter named Chase Anela Rolison, born on October 20, 2000. In 2004, T-Boz filed for divorce.
Rolison is also the founder of independent record label Hoo-Bangin Records, and has sold nearly 11 million records independently combining his solo and group works with Westside Connection. During the mid-'90s, when West Coast rap reigned supreme, Mack 10 emerged as a close associate of Ice Cube he debuted on the Friday soundtrack (1995) with "Take a Hit" and enjoyed several years of considerable commercial success before his popularity faded toward the end of the decade. The Los Angeles-area rapper's greatest success came early in his career, on the albums Mack 10 (1995) released by Priority Records, Bow Down (1996) with the supergroup Westside Connection a collaboration with Ice Cube and WC (of WC and the Maad Circle). Based On A True Story (1997), and The Recipe (1998), which between them included a string of notable hits ("Foe Life," "On Them Thangs," "Bow Down," "Gangstas Make the World Go Round," "Backyard Boogie," "Money's Just a Touch Away"). Mack 10's fortunes began to fade with The Paper Route (2000), his first album to fall short of either platinum or gold sales status, and his first to not spawn a significant hit. Bang Or Ball (2001), released by Cash Money Records, signaled a new direction for Mack 10, the album performed fairly well, going certified gold but did not quite match the commercial success of his mid- to late-'90s output. In subsequent years, he jumped back and forth from independent to major-label status and although not performing at his best on the charts, managed to stay relevant in the industry.

Images:
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Name: Mannie Fresh
SortName: Mannie Fresh
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Overview:
Byron O. Thomas, (born March 20, 1969) professionally known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is a rapper and hip-hop producer who is best known for his work with Cash Money Records from 1993 to 2005 and one half of the hip-hop duo Big Tymers. Mannie Fresh is currently signed to both Def Jam South and his own division company, Chubby Boy Records.

Images:
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Name: B.G.
SortName: B.G.
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Overview:
B.G. (born Christopher Dorsey on September 3rd, 1980 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American rapper. Short for “Baby Gangsta” or “B. Gizzle”, The rapper is often referred to as simply B.G…

Christopher “Doogie” Dorsey was a normal kid growing up in the 13th Ward of New Orleans which is Uptown. In elementary school, young Dorsey rapped as a hobby. When Dorsey was 12, his father was murdered in a robbery, and young Dorsey drifted into street life. Dorsey began selling marijuana, cocaine, and eventually heroin — to which he later became addicted.

This time, local independent rap label Cash Money Records was looking for new talent, and Dorsey was recommended to the label by his barber, who also happened to cut the hair of the Cash Money CEO brothers Brian “Baby” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams. After an impromptu audition, Dorsey was signed to the budding label. His first effort was True Story, album as a part of The B.G.’z, group whom he formed with another preteen rapper, Baby D (who will later become Lil Wayne). Originally his moniker was “Doogie” or “Gangsta D”, but since “True Story” was considered his solo CD, pseudonym B.G. stuck to him.

The second youngest artist signed to Cash Money Records, Dorsey, given the stage name “B.G.” (“Baby Gangsta”), released his debut LP, True Story, in 1992 at the young age of 12. (Lil Wayne signed at 11) As the only Cash Money artist to survive several roster purges, B.G. was instrumental in helping carry Cash Money to regional fame. Multi-millionaire label head Brian Williams, who also became an artist for the label under the name “Baby”, allowed B.G. to catapult to success.

Images:
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Name: K. Moore
SortName: K. Moore
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Overview:
Keb’ Mo’ (* 3. Oktober 1951 in Los Angeles, Kalifornien; eigentlich Kevin Moore) ist ein US-amerikanischer Blues-Sänger, Gitarrist und Songschreiber. Sein großes Vorbild ist die Blues-Legende Robert Johnson.

Obwohl er sich auf Robert Johnsons Musik beruft, bearbeitet er sie auf zeitgenössische Weise, indem er Elemente des Soul und Folk in seine Musik einfließen lässt. Bereits früh hatte Moore seine eigene Calypso-Band. In den 1970ern und 1980ern spielte er bei verschiedenen Blues-Bands, u. a. in der Begleitband von Papa John Creach. Ein 1980 aufgenommenes Soloalbum floppte. 1983 wurde er Gitarrist in Monk Higgins Band. Hier lernte er verschiedene Bluesmusiker kennen, die seinen Gitarrenstil beeinflussten. Keb' Mo' selbst bezeichnet diese Zeit als die wichtigste in seiner musikalischen Entwicklung.

Erst 1994 erschien sein nächstes Soloalbum Keb’ Mo’, das den Beginn seiner Solokarriere unter diesem Namen markiert. Seitdem bekam er fünf Grammys (Best Contemporary Blues Album) für Just Like You, Slow Down, Keep It Simple, TajMo (zusammen mit Taj Mahal) und 2020 für Oklahoma in der Kategorie (Best Americana Album).

Bereits 1990 hatte Keb' Mo' eine Rolle als Blues-Musiker in einem Theaterstück. 1997 spielte er Robert Johnson in dem Film Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?, 2007 in Honeydripper. 
(Wikipedia)

Images:
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Name: BG
SortName: BG
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ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=137604|MusicBrainzArtist=435837d0-9896-48f1-a80f-66579628ca06|AudioDbArtist=116911
Overview:
B.G. (born Christopher Dorsey on September 3rd, 1980 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American rapper. Short for “Baby Gangsta” or “B. Gizzle”, The rapper is often referred to as simply B.G…

Christopher “Doogie” Dorsey was a normal kid growing up in the 13th Ward of New Orleans which is Uptown. In elementary school, young Dorsey rapped as a hobby. When Dorsey was 12, his father was murdered in a robbery, and young Dorsey drifted into street life. Dorsey began selling marijuana, cocaine, and eventually heroin — to which he later became addicted.

This time, local independent rap label Cash Money Records was looking for new talent, and Dorsey was recommended to the label by his barber, who also happened to cut the hair of the Cash Money CEO brothers Brian “Baby” Williams and Ronald “Slim” Williams. After an impromptu audition, Dorsey was signed to the budding label. His first effort was True Story, album as a part of The B.G.’z, group whom he formed with another preteen rapper, Baby D (who will later become Lil Wayne). Originally his moniker was “Doogie” or “Gangsta D”, but since “True Story” was considered his solo CD, pseudonym B.G. stuck to him.

The second youngest artist signed to Cash Money Records, Dorsey, given the stage name “B.G.” (“Baby Gangsta”), released his debut LP, True Story, in 1992 at the young age of 12. (Lil Wayne signed at 11) As the only Cash Money artist to survive several roster purges, B.G. was instrumental in helping carry Cash Money to regional fame. Multi-millionaire label head Brian Williams, who also became an artist for the label under the name “Baby”, allowed B.G. to catapult to success.

Images:
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Name: Talib Kweli
SortName: Talib Kweli
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Overview:
Talib Kweli Greene (October 3, 1975) is an American rapper who performs under the name Talib Kweli. His first name, Talib (طالب), in Arabic means "student" or "seeker"; his middle name in Swahili means "true". Kweli gained prominent recognition through Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def.

Images:
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Name: Common
SortName: Common
PresentationUniqueKey: d2fb877f58494a7397e8918abf482f56
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Overview:
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is an American hip-hop artist and actor.
Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major-label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success. His first Grammy award was in 2003 for Best R&B Song for "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" with Erykah Badu. Its popularity was matched by May 2005's Be, which was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his July 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released on November 27, 2007.
Common has also initiated a burgeoning acting career, starring significant roles in such films as Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, and New Year's Eve. He also narrated the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, about one man's efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture. Common currently appears in Hell on Wheels, a dramatic television series on AMC that debuted in November 2011.

Images:
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Name: Foxy Brown
SortName: Foxy Brown
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Overview:
Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand (born September 6, 1978), better known by her stage name Foxy Brown, is an American rapper, model, and actress. She was best known for her solo work, as well as numerous collaborations with other artists and her brief stint as part of hip hop music group The Firm. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, her father Keith Stahler abandoned the family at a young age to pursue his career at ERAC records. Her albums include Ill Na Na in 1996, followed by Chyna Doll in 1999, and Broken Silence in 2001. She also performed on the 1997 self-titled album by the Firm, the only album to be released by that group to date. Throughout her career, Brown has held an extensive arrest record and served some time in jail.
After 2002, she continued recording verses for herself and other artists but did not release any albums; she left the Def Jam label in 2003, thus canceling the release of her Ill Na Na 2 album. However, she returned to the label in January 2005 after then-Def Jam president and CEO Jay-Z signed her back to begin work on her new album Black Roses. In December 2005, she began suffering from hearing loss, which put her career on hiatus until the next summer, a few months after surgery. A fourth studio album, which originally was a mixtape, was released in May 2008 following many delays spawned by a jail sentence that Brown served for assault.

Images:
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Name: Beanie Sigel
SortName: Beanie Sigel
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Overview:
Dwight Grant (born March 6, 1974),  better known by his stage name Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers Jay-Z, Freeway and other former and current artists on the Roc-A-Fella roster. His stage name comes from a street in South Philadelphia, the rapper's former stomping grounds where he worked alongside Senior Durham in the projects. He has sold more than two million albums worldwide. During a controversial period, Beanie Sigel recorded a song dissing his former boss and mentor Jay-Z on the track "I Go Off" with 50 Cent who had signed Grant to his G-Unit Records label in 2009.In early 2011 Grant appeared in Travis Barker's album Give the Drummer Some, saying that it was the end of his career. In May 31, 2011 Grant apologized to his former boss Jay-Z. But in an interview with DJ Green Lantern, he said that he had never "apologized" to Jay-Z, and that he was still making music.

Images:
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Name: Shyne
SortName: Shyne
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Overview:
Shyne (real name Moses Michael Leviy (born Jamal Barrow) is a rapper born on November 18, 1978 in Belize City, Belize to a Belizean Creole politician and a Garifuna mother.

As a child, he was spurned by his father due to his illegitimacy and mixed ethnicity. Shyne is said to be a practicing Jew. Born in Belize, Barrow relocated with his mother to Brooklyn, in New York’s Flatbush district at about age 13. Despite some time on the streets in his early teens, Shyne subsequently held down a steady job while continuing his education and pursuing his interest in music. He was fortuitously overheard rhyming in a barbershop by producer DJ Clark Kent, who, noting the young rapper’s vocal similarity to the late Notorious B.I.G., steered him towards Combs and Bad Boy.

A protégé of P. Diddy who had been touted as the new star of Bad Boy Entertainment following the Notorious B.I.G.’s death, Shyne’s career was left in the balance by his indictment on an attempted murder charge in January 2000. His involvement in the previous month’s notorious nightclub incident (at Club New York on December 27, 1999), in which his mentor was also embroiled, hampered the promotion of his debut album. At the same time, however, the encounter raised Shyne’s street credibility.

In 1998, Shyne signed a lucrative deal with the company, making low-key appearances on various Bad Boy compilations and solo albums while working on his own debut album. Immediately following the nightclub fracas, Shyne was brought center stage in the ensuing media circus. He was freed on bail in time for the release of his debut single “Bad Boyz”, which featured vocal contributions from Barrington Levy. His self-titled debut, a gangsta rap album generally panned by the media as an uninspiring and mediocre, was eventually released in September. Shortly thereafter, on June 1, 2001, Jamal Barrow was charged in a New York court with first-degree assault, gun possession, and reckless endangerment. The trial was presided over by New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon, who commented that Shyne was intelligent and talented, but nevertheless guilty. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a sentence that Shyne is still serving at Clinton Correctional Facility as of 2005.

Meanwhile, Puffy and his bodyguard, Anthony “Wolf” Jones, were acquitted of all charges. The seeming abandonment or betrayal of Shyne (some fans and journalists have labelled him as Puff Daddy’s “fall guy”) has driven a wedge between them, with Shyne leaving Bad Boy Records for Def Jam.

Since his imprisonment, Shyne has gone on to release his sophomore album, Godfather Buried Alive. On the album he dissed various artists, namely 50 Cent (on the track For the Record) The album has been criticised as being incomplete and underpromoted by his label, with several tracks having been literally “phoned in” from prison. He did enjoy one modest hit from the album: Jimmy Choo, a song that featured the vocal stylings of R&B singer Ashanti. He is now signed to his own Gangland imprint on Def Jam Records.

2005 continued Shyne’s fall out of the limelight and into bad luck. In March, Justice Michael Garson ordered that any revenue generated under Shyne’s contract with Island Def Jam would be held in a bond until verdicts have been reached in the civil suits filed against him by the shooting victims. Garson cited the state’s revised “Son of Sam Law”, barring inmates from profiting from their crimes. Also up for a possible review in 2005, Shyne’s motion was rejected by a panel from a New York State Appeals Court. In addition, in April, Shyne’s remaining assets were frozen by the Brooklyn Supreme Court.

Shyne is still signed to Def Jam, but after the release of Goodfather Buried Alive tanked at over 100,000 units sold. Shyne now protest disent towards Def Jam and now in searching other record labels to release his music. The Black Wall Street Records and Death Row Records have persued interest in the rapper.

Images:
https://www.theaudiodb.com/images/media/artist/thumb/vpqsxx1390426071.jpg*638431915466667754*Primary*0*0*null


Name: Knoc-Turnal
SortName: Knoc-Turnal
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Overview:
Royal Harbor, known by stage name Knoc-turn'al, is a songwriter and rapper.
He recorded what would have been his debut album, entitled Knoc's Landin, but it remains unreleased. His first release was the EP L.A. Confidential presents: Knoc-turn'al. His official debut album, The Way I Am, with only the title track being released as a single. His third is to be titled The Book of Knoc. It will be released on Equity Records. The bulk of Knoc's exposure has come in the form of feature spots, most notably on Dr. Dre's album 2001, on the tracks "Some L.A. Niggaz" and "Bang Bang", and also on the single "Bad Intentions" from The Wash also with Dr. Dre. He also performed on another track from the soundtrack called "Str8 West Coast".
In the early 90's Knoctunal recorded records and toured under the name Nature-Boy with his long time DJ and friend Gary Zee opening up for acts such as the Beastie Boys and Cypress Hill.Their first EP was reported to have sold 200,000 copies underground on the label Blunt Room Records.
Knoc has released three singles, "The Knoc" featuring Missy Elliott and Dr. Dre (who also produced it), and his second was "Muzik" featuring Samuel Christian and produced by Kanye West. The third single was "The Way I Am" featuring Snoop Dogg and produced by Scott Storch. The forthcoming single off his next album will be entitled "Ya Boy Is Back" and is produced by Scott Storch.
Despite having close ties with Dr. Dre, he signed with Elektra Records which offered him his own label: L.A. Confidential. He has released some albums but has never reached the mainstream. His single "The Way I Am" has seen moderate airplay.

Images:
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Name: Mobb Deep
SortName: Mobb Deep
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Overview:
As golden age rap suddenly gave way to West Coast gangsta in the early '90s, an East Coast variety of hardcore rap arose in turn, with Mobb Deep initially standing tall as one of New York's hardcore figureheads on the basis of their epochal album The Infamous. Released in April 1995, The Infamous was released almost exactly a year after Illmatic and about a half year after Ready to Die -- the debut masterpieces of Nas and the Notorious B.I.G., respectively, both albums likewise of momentous significance for East Coast hardcore rap. On The Infamous, Mobb Deep (comprised of Prodigy and Havoc) set the tone for future generations of hardcore New York rappers, from G-Unit to Dipset. Subsequent releases from the duo were likewise influential, especially Hell on Earth (1996). However, by the late '90s, Mobb Deep was no longer setting trends; in fact, they seemed to be following them, and they lost some of their stature as subsequent generations of hardcore rappers arose. For a few years, Mobb Deep struggled to reclaim their commercial standing, until they eventually drifted into the G-Unit camp, where they signed a lucrative deal to join 50 Cent and company. Blood Money (2006), Mobb Deep's first release under the G-Unit banner, rekindled interest in the veteran duo, who enjoyed a substantial uptick in sales and airplay.

Prodigy (Albert Johnson, born November 2, 1974) and Havoc (Kejuan Muchita, born May 21, 1974) grew up in Queens, specifically the Queensbridge area, yet met in Manhattan, where both were students at Graphic Arts High School. Their shared love of hip-hop resulted in a natural companionship, and while they were still teens, the two young men had themselves a record deal with 4th & Broadway, a major rap label affiliated with Island Records. In 1993, the label released Juvenile Hell, a confrontational album featuring noteworthy production work by DJ Premier and Large Professor, who both within a year's time would move on to produce the debut of another young Queensbridge rapper, Nas. Not much came of Juvenile Hell, however, and it would be two more years before Mobb Deep would return.

When they did return in 1995, it was on a different label, Loud Records, and with a significantly developed approach. The Infamous featured a mammoth street anthem, "Shook Ones, Pt. 2," but it was a solid album all around, featuring also the in-house production work of Havoc and a couple high-profile features (Nas, Raekwon). The Infamous was more hardcore than its two key stylistic predecessors, Illmatic and Ready to Die; the beats were darker and harder-hitting while the rhymes were downright threatening yet still inventive and crafty. Moreover, there were no crossover hits like "Big Poppa" or "Juicy." In fact, there were no light moments at all. The Infamous was an uncompromising album for the streets, and it was championed as such.

A year later, in 1996, Mobb Deep returned with a follow-up, Hell on Earth, which was a little slicker than The Infamous yet still emphasized hardcore motifs. It spawned a couple hit singles that were given appropriately theatrical videos. At this point, hardcore rap was at its peak, with Death Row Records flourishing on the West Coast and a legion of New Yorkers jumping into the scene, following the lead of Nas, the Notorious B.I.G., and Mobb Deep. So when it took over two years for Mobb Deep to return with a new album, Murda Muzik, not released until April 1999, the rap landscape had changed significantly. Mobb Deep now had significant competition, and since Murda Muzik offered few innovations and lacked the spark of the duo's past two albums, it was met with some disappointment. By and large, fans enjoyed it, yet the album didn't appeal beyond the already established fan base, as the album only offered one major hit, "Quiet Storm." The following year, Prodigy released a solo album, H.N.I.C. (2000). It got a lukewarm reception, appealing to the duo's fan base yet spawning no hits.

When Mobb Deep resurfaced, in December 2001 with Infamy, they showcased a new willingness to reach beyond their fan base. "Hey Luv" was issued as a single, and it was the first Mobb Deep song to flirt with R&B crossover, or even to mention love, for that matter. The song got some airplay, thanks in part to its hook, which is sung by the R&B act 112, and its video, which played up the song's air of seduction. Nonetheless, Infamy proved to be a relative disappointment commercially, and it seemed like Mobb Deep was beginning to see their popularity erode with each passing year. It didn't help, either, that around this time the duo -- and Prodigy, in particular -- had been attacked by Jay-Z on "Takeover." And too, that Loud Records would go out of business, leaving Mobb Deep without a label deal. For the next few years, from roughly 2002-2005, Prodigy and Havoc tried to regain their footing. There were one-off albums released via various label arrangements -- Free Agents: The Murda Mix Tape (Landspeed, 2003), Amerikaz Nightmare (Jive, 2004), and The Mix Tape Before 9/11 (X-Ray, 2004) -- that made minimal impact. By this point, not even the fan base was all that interested; it had been eroded with each passing year, leaving few faithful.

Then came a surprise announcement that 50 Cent had signed Mobb Deep to his G-Unit family and that an album would be forthcoming. First came a quick remix featuring the latest G-Unit signing, "Outta Control," which supplanted the original version when 50's The Massacre was reissued in 2005 as a CD/DVD. Too, Mobb Deep had become omnipresent on the New York mixtape scene, releasing all kinds of streets-only material in attempt to re-establish themselves. It evidently worked, as Blood Money debuted in the Top Ten of Billboard's album chart and brought more exposure to Mobb Deep than the duo had enjoyed since their late-'90s heyday. Not everyone was convinced by the group's makeover, however, as the G-Unit approach was substantially more polished than the Mobb Deep of The Infamous. Still, Mobb Deep found a new generation of younger listeners -- the large G-Unit market base, in particular -- who were mostly unfamiliar with them. It had been over a decade since The Infamous, after all, and Mobb Deep had been out of the spotlight for years. Then, in early 2008, Prodigy went away to prison to serve a three-year sentence, putting Mobb Deep's future in question.

Images:
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Name: Shawnna
SortName: Shawnna
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Overview:
Rashawnna Guy (born October 1, 1979 in Chicago, Illinois), better known simply as Shawnna, is a rapper, singer and daughter of the legendary blues musician Buddy Guy signed to Ludacris' label Disturbing Tha Peace. She is also a former member of the rap group Infamous Syndicate, who released one album, 1999's Changing The Game. She released her debut solo album, Worth Tha Weight, in 2004 and her second album, Block Music, was released in 2006. Her upcoming projects include a collab album with Ludacris titled Battle of the Sexes and recording her third album. She is known for her rapid fire delivery and her sexual themes, and is one of only three female rappers, along with Lil' Kim and Remy Ma, to ever have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with 2003's "Stand Up" with Ludacris.

Images:
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Name: Field Mob
SortName: Field Mob
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Overview:
Field Mob is a US hip hop duo originally from Albany, Georgia composed of artists Shawn Timothy Johnson (aka. Shawn Jay, Kalage, The Fleetwood Mack) and Darion Crawford (aka. Smoke, Boondox Blax, Chevy Pendergrass). They have been signed with Ludacris on his Disturbing tha Peace (DTP) imprint since August 2005.


Name: Bobby Valentino
SortName: Bobby Valentino
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Name: Dj Premier
SortName: Dj Premier
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Overview:
Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), better known by his stage name DJ Premier (also known as Preem, Premo, or Primo for short), is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru. Born in Houston and raised in Prairie View, Texas, and Brooklyn, New York during his teen years, he has lived in Brooklyn for much of his professional career. Rolling Stone identified Premier as arguably hip hop's greatest producer of all time.

The Source placed DJ Premier on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's twenty-year history, while the editors of About.com ranked him #1 on their Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers list. He also made the finals in Vibe magazine's search for the greatest hip-hop producer of all time. He attended Prairie View A&M University where he honed his DJ and musical skills as the campus DJ and occasional performance with the famous Marching Storm band.

Images:
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Name: Rick Ross
SortName: Rick Ross
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Overview:
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known by his stage name Rick Ross (often stylized as RICK RO$$), is an American rapper. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap (2009) Teflon Don (2010) and God Forgives, I Don't (2012). Ross was also the first artist signed to Diddy's management company Ciroc Entertainment. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC In The Game.

Images:
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Name: UGK
SortName: UGK
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Overview:
UGK (short for Underground Kingz) was an American rap duo from Port Arthur, Texas formed in 1987 by the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler. He then joined with Bernard "Bun B" Freeman, who became his longtime partner. They released their first major label album, Too Hard to Swallow, in 1992, followed by several other albums charting on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, including the self-titled Underground Kingz album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in August 2007. The group has been featured on hit singles by other artists, such as on "Big Pimpin'" by Jay-Z and "Sippin' on Some Syrup" by Three 6 Mafia. Pimp C founded UGK Records in late 2005.

On December 4, 2007, Pimp C was found dead in a West Hollywood, California hotel room.

Images:
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Name: Young Dro
SortName: Young Dro
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Overview:
D'Juan Hart (born January 15, 1979 in Bankhead, Atlanta), better known by his stage name Young Dro, is an American rapper signed to T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records. He released his debut album, I Got That Dro, independently in 2000 under the name Dro before signing with Grand Hustle in 2005. His major label debut, Best Thang Smokin', was released in 2006, and his second album, P.O.L.O (Playas Only Live Once) will be released sometime in 2010.   Born in the notorious Bankhead Court housing project, Young Dro grew up the second oldest of his mother's five boys and somewhere amongst the middle seven of his father's 21 children. Although his mother did the best that she could to keep a roof over their heads, Young Dro spent much of his childhood drifting from one housing complex to the next.  At the age of 16, he was shot in the stomach and the back and required almost a year to recover. Dro says of the incident "I had to wear a bag for like a year... I was traumatized from that. I couldn't laugh. I couldn't walk or nothing". He spent his late teens and early 20s in and out of jail. He has been writing raps since 9th grade. T.I. said of Dro, "I had been trying to sign Dro since like '97, before I was even trying to get a deal for myself. Anyone with ears can hear he got talent. He knows how to express himself. And while that may sound innocent, he's also comfortable around killers. There's something so human yet unsettling about that.".   It was during these many moves in his teen years that he befriended the now Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I.; neither of the two took music seriously at the time. Young Dro never considered a career in music until another one of his friends, Chris "Daddy Mack" Smith, scored platinum success as one half of early 90s duo Kris Kross.  To make his dream a reality, hem first met pioneering southern rapper Raheem the Dream in the late 90s, who at the time had Pastor Troy and D4L front man Fabo signed to his local label. By the end of 2002, Young Dro's independent single "Yes Sir" and regional hit album "I Got That Dro" became fairly successful.  Around the same time, T.I. was preparing for his debut album I'm Serious. While he was promoting the album during a radio interview, Young Dro called the station and asked to talk to the fellow rapper. "I was like, 'That sounds like my homeboy,'" Dro recalls, "he was like, 'You the one who sings "Yes Sir"? Man, meet me at the Bounce...We went up there and performed."  That reuniting of two longtime friends evolved into Young Dro signing with Grand Hustle, T.I.'s record label and his major label debut, "Best Thang Smokin'." Among the tracks featured on the album, "Shoulder Lean" was chosen to be the lead single. Through the summer of 2006, the track gained momentum through out the South, and then nationally, as it was well-received among the hip-hop community. It received a decent amount of airplay on BET, and managed to climb to #3 spot in the U.S. Rap chart. On the 27th July 2006, Young Dro reached the #1 spot on both the Billboard Urban Monitor chart as well as the R&B Urban Mainstream chart. Simultanouesly, the video hit #1 during the previous week's "106 & Park" countdown on BET, in addition to securing the top spot on MTV2 where it's currently in "ELITE 8". Amazingly on top of that, Warner Music Group announced that the ringtone for Dro's single 'Shoulder Lean' had sold over 500,000 units.

Images:
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Name: DJ Drama
SortName: DJ Drama
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Overview:
DJ Drama (born Tyree Cinque Simmons on April 22, 1978 in Philadelphia) is the DJ wtih wide experience in the mixtape game, perhaps best known for the "Gangsta Grillz" series.  He has worked with a wide range of acts including T.I., Jime Jones, Saigon, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Webbie, Little Brother, and the Pimp Squad Click (P$C). He's also one third of the highly productive Aphilliates Music Group with DJ Don Cannon and DJ Sense. On January 16, 2007, DJ Drama, along with DJ Cannon, were arrested on RICO charges for selling CDs that did not have a publisher's address. As of March 2007 they are preparing their legal defense and have hired attorneys to represent them.  Drama's fourth album is titled Quality Street Music. The We In This Bitch Songfacts  explains that concept for the record is one that Drama says he came up with while hosting Young Jeezy's Trap or Die mixtape back in 2005.

Images:
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Name: Dem Franchize Boyz
SortName: Dem Franchize Boyz
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Overview:
Dem Franchize Boyz was a Southern Rap group from Atlanta signed to E1 Music. The group had four members: Parlae (born Maurice Gleaton), Pimpin' (Jamal Willingham), Jizzal Man (Bernard Leverette), and Buddie (Gerald Tiller). 

History:
The group was signed to Universal Records in 2004 after performing unsigned. Universal released the group's self-titled debut album in September of that year with hit single "White Tee", which BET featured for some time. In 2005, record producer Jermaine Dupri signed Dem Franchize Boyz to his label So So Def after transferring it from Arista Records to Virgin Records. Dem Franchize Boyz' remix of their earlier track "Oh I Think They Like Me" was retitled simply "I Think They Like Me" and featured Dupri, Bow Wow, and Da Brat and topped the Billboard R&B chart. So So Def released On Top Of Our Game in 2006, and single "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" followed. "Lean Wit It" was among several "snap music" singles popular in early 2006, such as "Laffy Taffy" by D4L and "Play" by David Banner. 
Dem Franchize Boyz collaborated with Korn to produce a mash-up of "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" and "Coming Undone" called "Coming Undone wit It". They are also featured in Monica's single "Everytime tha Beat Drop". They released their third album, Our World, Our Way on Koch Records on September 30, 2008. 

Personal life:
Parlae was arrested on June 13, 2006 after police raided a studio and found drugs, weapons, and money. All charges were later dropped.

Images:
https://www.theaudiodb.com/images/media/artist/thumb/yvpsvv1393522656.jpg*638431915878471547*Primary*0*0*null


Name: Three 6 Mafia
SortName: Three 6 Mafia
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Overview:
Three 6 Mafia are a rap group originally from Memphis, Tennessee, signed to Sony Music Entertainment under the Columbia Records imprint. Formed in 1991 as Backyard Posse then later Triple 6 Mafia, by DJ Paul, Lord Infamous, Juicy J and Koopsta Knicca, the group later included two more members including; Crunchy Black and Gangsta Boo (who were both added shortly before the release of their debut album Mystic Stylez). The group has also collaborated with many rappers on their own label; Hypnotize Minds, where they have kick started the careers for many Memphis rappers, such as; Frayser Boy, Gangsta Blac, Lil Wyte and Indo G. The group frequently collaborates with Project Pat (Juicy J's older brother). Their 2005 song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" from the film Hustle and Flow won Best Original Song at the 78th Academy Awards.
The group released their debut underground album Mystic Stylez in 1995 through Prophet Entertainment, a record label they created but have since relinquished control of. Their musical style—which initially featured dark, menacing beats with equally gritty lyrics—has since moved to a more mainstream sound. The group has also had numerous lineup changes, and now consists of original members Juicy J and DJ Paul. Nonetheless, they have cultivated a sizable and diverse cult following that has only increased since their Oscar win. They have released two RIAA rated platinum albums; When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1 and Most Known Unknown, the latter featured their well known single "Stay Fly", which is said to be the kick start of their rise to fame and the mainstream. The group's worldwide album sales stand at 5.5 million. In 2013, five of the original members reunited, performing under the name Da Mafia 6ix, and are planning to release a new album in March 2014.

Images:
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Name: Chamillionaire
SortName: Chamillionaire
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Overview:
Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire was also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click until the group split in 2005. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Chamillionaire has an estimated net worth of $15,000,000.

He began his career independently with local releases in 2002, including collaboration album Get Ya Mind Correct with fellow Houston rapper and childhood friend Paul Wall. He signed to Universal Records in 2005 and released The Sound of Revenge under Universal. It included hit singles "Turn It Up" featuring Lil' Flip and the number-one, Grammy-winning hit "Ridin'" featuring Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Ultimate Victory followed in 2007, which was notable for not containing any profanity. The first single Chamillionaire released for this album was Hip Hop Police, this featured Grammy-nominated British- American rapper; Slick Rick.

In early 2011, he left his Universal Records, which would lead to his would-be third album, Venom, to go unreleased. Chamillionaire released his first independent extended play; Ammunition in March 2012 and was noted as his first major release since he left the label. Chamillionaire announced that he is working on another EP, titled Elevate which is going to be one of several to be released before his third studio album; Poison.

Images:
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Name: Lil' Flip
SortName: Lil' Flip
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Overview:
Wesley Eric Weston, Jr. (born March 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. He is best known for his singles "Sunshine", "Game Over", "The Way We Ball", "I Can Do Dat" and "Rollin on 20's" from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack.

Wesley Eric Weston, Jr.(born March 3, 1981),went to Worthing High School (Houston, Texas). He is known for his freestyle ability and claims to have been on 1000 mixtapes.

Lil' Flip, amid the growing underground rap scene in Houston, Texas, quickly rose to fame after independently releasing the 2000 album titled, The Leprechaun, which broke through to a national audience. Flip, as a teenager (he was 19 when he released the album) won the attention of the highly respected DJ Screw, who added the rapper into his loose-knit rap group called the Screwed Up Click, an affiliation that brought instant respect for Flip throughout Texas as well as the greater South. Later on before his untimely death, DJ Screw pronounced Lil Flip, "The Freestyle King."

In 2002 Columbia Records offered Flip a contract and Suckafree a distribution deal. Flip stated "We felt that they not only respected what we'd already accomplished on our own, but they also saw the big picture of what me as an artist, and Hump and I as Suckafree's CEOs were all about." Lil Flip released his debut studio album Undaground Legend on August 27, 2002. The album was certified Platinum in December 2002. It contained his hit single "The Way We Ball". In 2003 Lil' Flip was also featured in David Banner single "Like A Pimp". Then he also made featured appearance on Yung Wun's charting single "Tear It Up". He also made another appearance on Three 6 Mafia single "Ridin' Spinners" that made the charts. In 2003, he also did a track with Ludacris called "Screwed Up". In 2004 Flip released his second album U Gotta Feel Me it was his most successful album to date. Lil' Flip's label Columbia restructured Flip ended up at Sony Urban Music which could promote his work better. The first single from the album was "Game Over (Flip)". After that he quickly released his second single, "Sunshine" featuring Lea Sunshine. This album sold 198,000 domestic copies in its first week and was certified double Platinum by August, 2004. Lil' Flip also made an appearance on the "Naughty Girl (Remix)" with Beyoncé in 2004. He was also featured on Chingy's Powerballin' on the remix of Chingy's successful hit single "Balla Baby". In 2004 he also made a remix to his hit single "Game Over (Flip)" which featured Young Buck and Bun B. He also made a guest appearance on Nelly's successful 2004 album "Sweat". He also collaborated with Jim Jones and The Game on the "Certified Gangstas (Remix)" in 2004. In 2005 Lil' Flip & Z-Ro made a collaboration album entitled Kings of the South. Also in 2005 Lil' Flip was featured in Chamillionaire's first single "Turn It Up". He was also featured in the remix of Bun B's single "Draped Up".

Ahead of My Time was originally set to be released as early as 2007, but was pushed back many times and was finally released on July 6, 2010. Lil' Flip released two "album-before-the-album's" in 2009 to help promote the release of Ahead of My Time. The two albums were: Respect Me and Underground Legend 2.

Images:
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Name: Lil' Keke
SortName: Lil' Keke
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Overview:
Lil' Keke (born Marcus Lakee Edwards, October 31, 1976) is a rapper from Houston, Texas who is an emcee and member of the Screwed Up Click. Lil' Keke proved himself to be one of the Houston collective's strongest artists, strongly himself with the city's underground rap don of the south. Not only by appearing on countless "Screwed" DJ mixes but also a seemingly endless number of other albums to come out of the South, he also became one of Houston's most visible rappers, releasing solo albums for Jam Down Entertainment. Lil' Keke has become a well known rapper in Houston and continues to record albums annually. His song Southside was a success in 1998. In 2006 he came out with his single "Chunk Up The Deuce" which features Paul Wall and UGK, but in the video it only features Bun B not Pimp C. He currently is signed to Swishahouse Records.


Name: Yo Gotti
SortName: Yo Gotti
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Overview:
Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper. In 1996, he released his debut album Youngsta's On a Come Up under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to release From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000), Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003), Back 2 da Basics (2006), Live from the Kitchen (2012), I Am (2013), The Art of Hustle (2016), I Still Am (2017), Untrapped (2020) and CM10: Free Game.

Gotti founded the record label Collective Music Group (CMG) in 2012, which has went on to sign successful acts including Moneybagg Yo, 42 Dugg, Blac Youngsta, GloRilla, EST Gee, and Mozzy, among others.

Images:
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Name: D4L
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Overview:
D4L was an American rap group. They were composed of Fabo (now known as 2$ FABO), Mook-B, Stoney and Shawty Lo. They are best known for their hit song "Laffy Taffy," which reached number-one in the U.S. in 2006.  Rapper Shawty Lo self-funded the group in its early days. He explained that the group's name stands for "Down for Life". D4L signed to the independent Dee Money Entertainment, which released the group's debut in conjunction with Asylum Records.The group debuted with "Betcha Can't Do It Like Me", which Billboard claimed to have popularized snap music. In January 2006, D4L's single "Laffy Taffy" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. According to columnist L. Brent Bozell III, the song contained references to oral sex; Bozell considered the song "infected with a serious case of stupid".  As was another Atlanta rap group Dem Franchize Boyz, D4L was part of the snap music trend in 2006 and later then rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em came out with the #1 hit song Crank That in 2007.After D4L's debut album, Shawty Lo embarked on a solo career. He released his solo debut Units in the City in 2008, with the single "Dey Know".

Images:
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Name: Lil' Jon
SortName: Lil' Jon
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Overview:
Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and international DJ who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004.

Beginnings
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 (born Sammie Dernard Norris) and Lil' Bo (born Wendell Maurice Neal). 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'", the latter of which came out in 1998. Both singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 70 and No. 62, respectively.

In 2000, Jon co-founded the label, BME Recordings, with his three long time friends,Vince Phillips, Rob Mac and Emperor Searcy. He released his breakthrough album titled We Still Crunk!. Among the tracks on that project was the hit single "I Like Those Girls," which reached No. 55 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.

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 Jon's 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 rock group but they were rapping, and ... that energy is what crunk music is all about."

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz signed to TVT Records in 2001 and debuted there with Put Yo Hood Up, which combined previously released tracks with new ones. The group's 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 and No. 47 on the Billboard R&B chart.

In 2002, the group released Kings of Crunk. "I Don't Give A..." was its first single; it featured Mystikal and Krayzie Bone and peaked at No. 50 on the R&B chart. The group's next single, a collaboration with fellow Atlanta hip hop group Ying Yang Twins titled "Get Low", became popular in nightclubs nationwide; it reached the top ten of the Hot 100. Crunk Juice followed in 2004, led by "What U Gon' Do" featuring Lil' Scrappy. "What U Gon' Do" peaked at No. 22 on the Hot 100, No. 13 on the R&B chart, and No. 5 on the rap chart; its follow-up, "Lovers & Friends" featuring Usher and Ludacris, peaked at No. 3 (Hot 100), No. 2 (R&B), and No. 1 (rap).

Solo career and production
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, "Presidential" by YoungBloodZ. Lil Jon entered the San Francisco Bay Area hyphy music scene in 2006 with his collaborations with Bay Area rapper E-40: Lil Jon produced E-40's single "Tell Me When To Go" and had E-40 and Atlanta rapper, Sean P of the YoungBloodZ, on his own "Snap Yo Fingers". 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. He vowed never to record for TVT Records again, alleging that TVT owner Steve Gottlieb was shortchanging him. He also began recording a rock music album, Crunk Rock.

MTV News reported in March 2008 that Crunk Rock was taking more time to complete than Lil Jon planned. As part of TVT Records' 2008 bankruptcy auction, Lil Jon withdrew his multimillion-dollar objection to the TVT sale proceedings and agreed to TVT's transfer of his artist agreement to The Orchard. In return, The Orchard released Lil Jon from all future obligations and returned the rights to the master recordings of Crunk Rock.

Crunk Rock was released on June 8, 2010, and it features artists such as LMFAO, Soulja Boy, Ying Yang Twins, Waka Flocka Flame, R. Kelly, and many more. In March 2011, Lil Jon took part in the fourth season of Celebrity Apprentice on NBC and was eliminated in the Final Four.

In July 2011, he said that he is working on a new studio album called Party Animal and has released a song with LMFAO called "Drink", which was used in the trailer for the film The World's End. In 2013, Lil Jon partnered with Zumba Fitness to create a new nightclub tour titled "Zumba Nightclub Series". For Zumba Fitness, he released a new song called "Work".

In January 2014, Lil Jon collaborated with DJ Snake and released "Turn Down for What" on Columbia Records. In February 2014, the single entered the top 5 on the Dance/Electronic chart and debuted at number 38 on Billboard's Hot 100. The song peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went on to be certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.

On July 22, 2014, Lil Jon released a single titled "Bend Ova", featuring Tyga and released on Epic Records. The song reached number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100. His latest single "Take It Off" featuring Yandel and Becky G was released on July 22, 2016.

Musical style and influences
Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic has described Lil Jon's production as "bass-heavy," and his album Put Yo Hood Up as having "a long and varied list of guest rappers to accompany the beats". Describing that album with guest performers, Birchmeier remarked: "The end result is an album that resembles a street-level mixtape rather than a traditional artist-oriented album".

Lil Jon was specifically influenced by 2 Live Crew, 8Ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, OutKast, Geto Boys, UGK, N.W.A, Dr. Dre, and Sir Mix-A-Lot. Alex Henderson, also of allmusic, contrasted Lil Jon's style of "rowdy, in-your-face, profanity-filled party music" with other Southern rappers, those who "have a gangsta/thug life agenda" and those who convey "serious sociopolitical messages". Lil Jon has also found influence in rock music, having worked with Rick Rubin and Korn. He expresses this influence in his aggressive delivery and 'yelling' style of rap. He was seen on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time program wearing a Bad Brains T-shirt, and he used to listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd while growing up in the South in the 1970s. For Trick Daddy's "Let's Go", Lil Jon sampled the bass line from Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".

Television
Lil Jon has been a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice, finishing 4th in its 11th season and 3rd in its 13th season, The All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. While on the show, it was reported that Donald Trump had referred to Lil Jon repeatedly as "Uncle Tom" until confronted by Lil Jon and other members of the crew.

Personal life
Lil Jon married Nicole Smith in 2004. They have a son named Nathan Smith (born 1998).

He was an avid fan of the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers until they relocated to Winnipeg in 2011. He has since become a fan of the NHL's newest franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights. He has recently also become a fan of the University of Tennessee Volunteers, which adopted his hit song "Turn Down for What" on third downs, changing it to "Third Down for What." On October 4, 2014, Lil Jon made an appearance via Jumbotron encouraging the Volunteers to beat the University of Florida Gators.

Lil Jon is a fan of the television show The Walking Dead and has made multiple appearances as a guest on Talking Dead.

Images:
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Name: E-40
SortName: E-40
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Overview:
Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967, better known by his stage name E-40) is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with mainstream rappers outside the San Francisco Bay Area. He rose to higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go", which was produced by Lil Jon.

Images:
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Name: Project Pat
SortName: Project Pat
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Overview:
Of the many hardcore rappers to emerge from Memphis during the late '90s, Project Pat stood tall amid his peers. His affiliation with the Three 6 Mafia collective introduced him to many listeners, especially after he was featured on the group's hit song "Sippin' on Some Syrup" in 2000. Yet Project Pat (born Patrick Houston, brother to Three 6 Mafia founder Juicy J) made his mark on much of America with a hit song of his own a year later, "Chickenhead." The song -- which features production by Juicy J and DJ Paul along with vocals by La' Chat -- became a Dirty South anthem in 2001 and propelled Pat's third album, Mista Don't Play: Everythangs Workin, into the Top Five.

Rap music had long been a part of Pat's life before he soared to national fame in the early 2000s. His brother, Juicy J, co-founded influential Memphis hardcore rap group Three 6 Mafia during the early '90s. Though never an official member of the group, Pat affiliated himself with the Mafia, appearing on such albums as Crazyndalazdayz (1998) and Indo G's Angel Dust (1998). A year later, Pat recorded a solo album of his own for Hypnotize Minds/Loud, Ghetty Green. Though the solo debut didn't propel Pat to superstar status, it did establish him within the growing Dirty South scene, and his follow-up album, Murderers & Robbers (2000), did much the same; though this second album was released independently rather than through Loud. Next came Pat's high-profile appearance on Three 6 Mafia's "Sippin' on Some Syrup," and when that song became a huge hit, the stage was set for one of his own. That hit would be "Chickenhead," a song also featuring La' Chat, the successor to Gangsta Boo's position as the token female member of Three 6 Mafia. The song pitted the two against one another in typical Dirty South style: La' Chat talking badly about Pat, he calling her a "chickenhead."

Pat's longtime legal skirmishes then began to catch up with him. During the interim period following the success of "Chickenhead," Pat struggled with legal problems stemming from a January 2001 parole violation, when police pulled him over for speeding and discovered two revolvers. On March 13th of that same year, a federal jury found him guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He had been on parole for aggravated robbery. Meanwhile, Loud continually pushed back the release date for Pat's fourth album, Layin' da Smack Down, until it finally arrived in the summer of 2002. Mixtape appearances and work with Three 6 Mafia bridged the four-year gap before Crook by da Book: The Fed Story (2006) arrived, followed by Walkin' Bank Roll (2007) on Koch. His 2009 effort Real Recognize Real was his first for the major label Asylum. The album featured the hit single "Keep It Hood" with special guest OJ da Juiceman.

Images:
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Name: Playaz Circle
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Overview:
is a rap duo that has joined the Disturbing tha Peace family.  The duo was formed in 1997 by two childhood friends: Tity Boi and Dolla Boy in College Park, GA. They created the acronym Playaz which stands for Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A-Z. The duo put all their money together to release their independent album United We Stand, United We Fall. The album features tracks from Lil' Fate, I-20 and others from the Disturbing tha Peace family. They were introduced to Ludacris by Lil Fate and soon became good friends as they all shared the same dream.  Unfortunately, Playaz Circle ran into bad luck. Tity Boi was shot and Dolla Boy incarcerated. Their career was at a standstill. After hearing their misfortune Ludacris reached out and then signed them. They have also been in a commercial with Ludacris for the Two Miles an Hour video.  They are featured on the upcoming DTP compilation album titled "Strength in Numbers", scheduled to be released September 18th, 2007.


Name: Christina Milian
SortName: Christina Milian
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Overview:
Christina Milian is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Cuban parents. At the age of 19 Milian signed a contract with Def Jam which she then left to sign with Interscope. Milian is now signed to Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records.

In 2001, Christina Milian released her self-titled debut album, which featured the singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me"; "AM to PM" charted with in the Top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and both peaked in the top three on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, Milian released her second studio album It's About Time which provided her first major US hit. "Dip It Low" which reached number 5 on the US Billboard, "Whatever U Want" was released as the album's second single, both singles charted within the Top 10 of the UK chart. In 2006, Milian released her third studio album So Amazin'. The album produced one single only "Say I" which peaked in the Top 30 of the US Billboard. A month after the release of So Amazin', Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island Records due to creative differences. Milian signed with Interscope Records in 2009. A single, ballad "Us Against the World", was released in October 2008. In 2012, Milian signed to Young Money Entertainment, which she will release her fourth studio album.

Although Milian is best known for her singing career, she originally wanted to be an actress. Her first lead role was in the 2003 film Love Don't Cost a Thing, and subsequently had main roles in Be Cool and the horror film Pulse. Milian had a minor role in Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and starred as the lead role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: Fight to the Finish. On September 4, 2009, Milian and R&B singer/songwriter The-Dream eloped in Las Vegas, and she gave birth to their daughter, Violet, on February 26, 2010. Milian and The-Dream announced their separation on July 12, 2010. Milian has since been cast in the ABC Family Original Movie Christmas Cupid, alongside Ashley Benson and Chad Michael Murray.

Images:
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Name: Cherish
SortName: Cherish
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Overview:
Cherish is an American R&B and soul quartet consisting of the sisters Farrah King (born February 17, 1984), Neosha King (born January 26, 1986) and twins Felisha and Fallon King (born June 5, 1987). Originally from Maywood, Illinois, the four sisters moved to Atlanta to begin their musical career. Both their parents are musicians, their father having been in the band Professions Of Sounds, who frequently toured across the South West with classic acts like The Emotions and Earth, Wind & Fire. The group is signed to Capitol Records and Sho'nuff Records. They were a big success with the hit song "Do It to It".

The group first rose to fame in 2003, when they were featured on the single "In Love wit Chu", by Da Brat. They quickly followed up with their official debut single, "Miss P.", which had minor success on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart in the US. After the failure of the single, their initial debut album was cancelled. However, they continued recording music, and lent their vocals to the soundtrack for The Powerpuff Girls Movie. In 2006, they released their second official single, "Do It to It". The single was met with critical commercial success, and was followed up with their debut album, Unappreciated, which reached number 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the US. 2008 saw the release of the group's second studio album, The Truth. The album didn't fare as well as their previous, failing to reach the top 20 on the Billboard 200 album's chart. It was, however, preceded by the release of their second Top 40 hit, "Killa", which peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Images:
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Name: Dr. Dre
SortName: Dr. Dre
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Overview:
Dr. Dre (* 18. Februar 1965 in Compton, Kalifornien; bürgerlich André Romell Young) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rapper. Er gilt als bedeutender Hip-Hop-Produzent und als Begründer des G-Funk. Neben dem früheren Engagement bei der World Class Wreckin’ Cru und bei N.W.A war er als Solokünstler aktiv. Seine Produktionen gelten als verantwortlich für den Durchbruch von Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar und weiteren.
Andre Romell Young wurde 1965 als erstes Kind von Verna und Theodore Young geboren. Sein Mittelname Romell leitet sich von dem Namen der ehemaligen Band seines Vaters The Romells ab. Die Eltern ließen sich scheiden als Andre drei Jahre alt war. Er wuchs bei seiner Mutter auf, die mit ihrem zweiten Mann drei weitere Kinder hat. Durch die dritte Ehe seiner Mutter mit Warren Griffin wurde er der Stiefbruder von Warren Griffin III., der später unter dem Namen Warren G Rap-Alben veröffentlichte.[1]

Nach der Grundschule besuchte Young 1979 die Centennial High School in Compton, wechselte aber wegen schlechter Leistungen zur Fremont High School. Young konzentrierte sich mehr auf seine Musik als auf seine Schule. Mit 16 Jahren wurde er 1981 Vater eines Sohnes Curtis, der bei dessen Mutter aufwuchs und Young erst 20 Jahre später kennenlernte.[1] Curtis Young ist unter dem Künstlernamen Hood Surgeon als Rapper aktiv.

Von 1990 bis 1996 war er mit der ebenfalls bei Death Row unter Vertrag stehenden Sängerin Michel’le liiert. Mit ihr bekam er 1991 einen Sohn. Im Mai 1996 heiratete er Nicole Threatt, mit der er zwei weitere Kinder hat.[1]

Im August 2008 starb Youngs zweiter Sohn, den er mit einer ehemaligen Freundin hatte, Andre Young Jr., im Alter von 20 Jahren. Er wurde von seiner Mutter tot in deren gemeinsamer Wohnung aufgefunden.[2] Der Abschlussbericht der Gerichtsmedizin gibt als Todesursache eine Überdosis von Heroin und Morphin an.[3]

Images:
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Name: The Firm
SortName: Firm
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Overview:
The Firm were a British rock supergroup comprising former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Uriah Heep drummer Chris Slade and bass player Tony Franklin. Page and Rodgers originally wanted former Yes drummer Bill Bruford and fretless bassist Pino Palladino in the group; however, Bruford was contracted to another label and Palladino had tour commitments with singer Paul Young.

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Name: 213
SortName: 213
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Overview:
213 was an American hip hop group from Long Beach, California consisting of Snoop Dogg, Warren G and Nate Dogg. The name "213" comes from Los Angeles' original telephone area code.

Their first appearance on a commercially released song was "Deeez Nuuuts", from Dr. Dre's multi-platinum solo debut album The Chronic. Each member had minor roles in the song, with Warren G, Snoop Dogg, and Nate Dogg appearing on the intro, chorus, and outro of the song respectively. Their breakthrough song was the minor hit "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" from Snoop Dogg's solo debut Doggystyle, which also featured Kurupt of Tha Dogg Pound.

In 2004 they released the album The Hard Way, which reached #4 in the U.S. Billboard 200 charts. It featured the singles, "Groupie Luv" and "So Fly".

On March 15, 2011, Nate Dogg died in Long Beach, California, from complications of multiple strokes.

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Name: Busta Rhymes
SortName: Busta Rhymes
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Overview:
Busta Rhymes (* 20. Mai 1972 in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York als Trevor Smith Junior) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rapper.

Busta Rhymes startete seine Karriere 1991 als Teil der Leaders of the New School (MC Charlie Brown, MC Dinco D, MC Busta Rhymes, und Cut Monitor Milo) mit deren Debütalbum A Future without a Past. Zur Entstehung seines Namens gibt es verschiedene Behauptungen und Vermutungen: Er hat ihn entweder vom ehemaligen NFL- Spieler George „Buster“ Rhymes oder aber er benannte sich in Anlehnung an einen Boxer namens Buster. Der Name ist aber auch als Wortspiel zu verstehen: „to bust a rhyme“ bedeutet sinngemäß einen guten HipHop-Reim abzuliefern. 1993 erschien das zweite und letzte Album der LOTNS namens T.I.M.E…

Bustas Solokarriere begann mit Features wie beim 7 MCees-Remix von A Tribe Called Quest’s Scenario oder auch Craig Macks Flava in ya ear. Als eigenständiger Künstler erreichte er in der Hip Hop-Szene seit seinem Debütalbum The Coming (Elektra Records) aus dem Jahre 1996 einen hohen Bekanntheitsgrad. Es war ein beachtlicher, aber dennoch kleiner Erfolg, lediglich die Singleauskopplung Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check war in den USA und in Großbritannien ein Top10-Erfolg.

Das folgende Album When Disaster Strikes… war in den USA weniger erfolgreich, konnte sich jedoch in Europa durchsetzen und machte Busta Rhymes dadurch auch dort bekannt, mit den Singles Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See, Dangerous und Turn It Up. Bald darauf veröffentlichte er als Teil der Flipmode Squad das Album The Imperial. Zur Gruppe gehörten neben ihm die Musiker Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Spliff Star, Rah Digga und Baby Sham.

Das nächste Album Extinction Level Event: The Final World Front, dessen Titel vom Film Deep Impact inspiriert war, enthielt die Single Gimme Some More, die im Januar 1999 Platz 5 der britischen Charts belegte. Mit Janet Jackson sang er außerdem den Erfolgshit What’s It Gonna Be?!.

2000 veröffentlichte er sein letztes Album bei der Plattenfirma Elektra Records mit dem Namen Anarchy. Anschließend wechselte er zu J Records, einer neuen Firma vom ehemaligen Arista Records-Gründer und -Vorstand Clive Davis. 2001 veröffentlichte er die Platte Genesis mit den Hits Break Ya Neck, As I Come Back und Pass the Courvoisier die von Dr. Dre und The Neptunes produziert wurden.

Am 26. November 2002 veröffentlichte Busta Rhymes sein sechstes Studioalbum It Ain’t Safe No More. Die Singles Make It Clap (mit Sean Paul) und I Know What You Want (mit Mariah Carey) wurden sehr erfolgreich, sowohl in den USA als auch in Europa. In Deutschland war er schon bei zwei Nummer-Eins-Hits beteiligt. Zum einen 2003 mit Never Leave You (Uh Oooh) von Lumidee (zusammen mit Fabolous) und des weiteren 2005 mit „Don’t Cha“ von den Pussycat Dolls.

2005 unterschrieb er einen Vertrag bei Dr. Dres Aftermath Entertainment, auf welchem sein Album „The Big Bang“ am 13. Juni 2006 erschien.Die ersten beiden ausgekoppelten Singles sind „Touch It“ und „I Love My Bitch“ feat. Will.i.am & Kelis. Produzenten sind unter anderem Dr. Dre, Hi-Tek, Just Blaze, DJ Green Lantern, Swizz Beatz und Timbaland.

Busta Rhymes kündigte ein neues Album namens „Back on my BS“ an. Anfänglich sollte sein 8. Soloalbum den Namen „ Before Hell freezes“ tragen. Nach aktuellen Berichten ist die Neuerscheinung für 2008 geplant. Unter anderen werden bekannte Künstler, wie zum Beispiel Linkin Park, auf dem Album mitwirken.

Seinen ersten Auftritt als Schauspieler hatte er 1993 in dem Film Who´s the Man. Von da an spielte er immer wieder kleine Rollen in Filmen wie Higher Learning, Forrester - Gefunden! oder Serien wie der Bill Cosby Show. 2000 spielte er in der Neuauflage des Klassikers Shaft mit. In dem Film Halloween: Resurrection hatte er sogar eine Hauptrolle.

In der Nacht vom 4. auf den 5. Februar 2006 wurden beim gemeinsamen Videodreh zur Single Touch It mit Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, DMX, Papoose, Sean Paul, Lloyd Banks und einigen anderen Mitgliedern der G Unit in einer Lagerhalle in Brooklyn Schüsse abgefeuert. Dabei wurde der 29-jährige Leibwächter von Busta, Israel „Izzy“ Ramirez, durch einen Schuss in die Brust tödlich getroffen. Zu Beginn des „Touch it“-Videos ehrt Busta Rhymes diesen mit einigen persönlichen Worten. Der Tathergang ist nicht bekannt. Nach einigen Medienberichten kam es kurz zuvor im Studio zu einem Streit innerhalb bzw. mit der G Unit-Crew und Swizz Beatz, der jedoch von Busta Rhymes beendet wurde. Ebenso ist bis jetzt unklar, ob der Anschlag Busta Rhymes galt oder ob der Leibwächter das anvisierte Ziel des Anschlages war. Letzterer hatte zum Todeszeitpunkt den Schmuck von Busta Rhymes in Verwahrung. Busta Rhymes verweigerte alle Gespräche mit der New Yorker Polizei zu diesem Vorfall, deshalb wurde er von der Polizei und der Familie des ermordeten Leibwächters stark kritisiert.

Im März 2007 wurde er während eines Filmdrehs in New York von der Polizei aufgesucht, welche ihn aufforderten den Ort zu seiner eigenen Sicherheit zu verlassen.

2008 wurde Busta Rhymes zu gemeinnütziger Arbeit und drei Jahren auf Bewährung verurteilt. Rhymes hatte 2007 seinen Chauffeur attackiert und war betrunken Auto gefahren.

Images:
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Name: Obie Trice
SortName: Obie Trice
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Overview:
Obie Trice III (born November 14, 1977) is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.
Obie Trice III was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan by his mother, along with three brothers. He is of African American and German descent. Trice was given a karaoke machine by his mother when he was eleven and he used it to rhyme over instrumentals from artists such as N.W.A. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle spots around Detroit, notably including the Hip Hop Shop, on which Trice commented,
“	There was a place called the Hip-hop Shop. We'd go up there on Saturday afternoons for the battles. They were hosted by Proof, from D12. I got a response every time I went. That's when I said, 'OK, I wanna get into this music.' Really, I didn't have a backup plan...	”
Obie Trice went by the name of Obie 1 during this time, but when he first met Proof, who was about to introduce him at the Hip Hop Shop, Proof asked him, "What's your name? Your real name, no gimmicks." He was then introduced as Obie Trice, and has kept his real name as his rap name. Trice was introduced to Eminem through D12 member Bizarre. Hot Rapper: Obie Trice. Rolling Stone. Accessed January 22, 2008. Later, Trice received a call from his manager informing him that he would be having dinner with Eminem, and later that night they went to a Kid Rock party.

Images:
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Name: G-Unit
SortName: G-Unit
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Overview:
G-Unit (short for Guerrilla 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, which went on to sell over 2,000,000 copies in the US and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album, which followed the success of 50 Cent's major-label debut Get Rich or Die Tryin', served as a platform for Banks, Buck and Yayo to release their respective debut solo albums, The Hunger for More (2004), Straight Outta Cashville (2004) and Thoughts of a Predicate Felon (2005). In 2008, the group released their second album T·O·S (Terminate on Sight).

During Tony Yayo's imprisonment, the group recruited Tennessee-based rapper Young Buck, who was featured throughout the Beg for Mercy album. In late 2004, California-based rapper 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 Game's "disloyalty" in the eyes of 50 Cent, he was soon removed from the group. In April 2008, 50 Cent revealed Young Buck was no longer a part of the group due to his "excessive spending" and "inconsistent behavior". In early 2014, after Yayo and 50 Cent separately stated G-Unit was no more, the original members of the group reconciled and reunited at Summer Jam 2014, along with Young Buck after his six year departure from the group. G-Unit Records rapper Kidd Kidd was also added to the group upon its reformation.

Images:
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Name: Warren G
SortName: Warren G
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Overview:
Warren G (eigentlich Warren Griffin III; * 10. November 1970) ist ein US-amerikanischer Rapper und Musikproduzent. Der Stiefbruder von Dr. Dre begann seine Karriere auf Dres Album The Chronic.

Warren G wuchs in Long Beach, Kalifornien auf und war gut befreundet mit Nate Dogg und Snoop Dogg. Die drei schlossen sich 1991 zu der Rap-Gruppe 213, die damalige Telefonvorwahl (Engl.: Area Code) ihres Herkunftsortes Long Beach, zusammen.

Seine bekannteste Single als Solokünstler ist Regulate feat. Nate Dogg aus dem Album Regulate... G Funk Era (1994), für welche er ein Sample von Michael McDonalds Keep Forgettin’ verwendete.

Für sein Album Take a Look Over Your Shoulder coverte er I Shot The Sheriff von Bob Marley sowie What’s Love Got To Do With It von Tina Turner.

Aktuell ist er beim Plattenlabel Peppermint Jam unter Vertrag. Außerdem ist er im Produktionsteam von Dr. Dres Aftermath Entertainment.

Warren G’s Sohn, Olaijah Griffin, spielte von 2018 bis 2020 College Football für die USC Trojans auf der Position der Cornerbacks. Im April 2021 wurde Olaijah von den Buffalo Bills der National Football League (NFL) als Undrafted Free Agent unter Vertrag genommen.

Images:
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Name: Eminem
SortName: Eminem
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Overview:
Ist er nun Amerikas Alptraum, ein neuer Elvis Presley oder einfach nur ein verdammt guter Rapper? Es treffen wohl die meisten Urteile über Eminem irgendwie zu. Der Hollywood'schen Selbstinszenierung seiner Persönlichkeit sei Dank.

Wenn zum Beispiel konservative Politiker den Detroiter Superstar auf eine Stufe mit Bin Laden stellen, so zeigt dies nur, dass Slim Shadys mediale Selbstdarstellung mehr als erfolgreich war. Mit Videos voll schwarzen Humors und aufhetzenden Totschlag-Texten schockt er von Anfang an bewusst die strenge US-Öffentlichkeit. Er schlüpft dazu in verschiedene Rollen, um die falschzüngige Doppelmoral Amerikas widerzuspiegeln.

Außerhalb der USA verliert der Schrecken stark an Wirkung. Von der Basis ertönen indes andere Anschuldigungen. Wie einst Elvis den Rock'n'Roll entreiße Eminem den Afroamerikanern ihre Hip Hop-Kultur. Zwar drängelt er sich schon sehr offensiv in den Mittelpunkt, doch vor ihm hatte auch noch nie ein so talentierter Weißer zum Mikrofon gegriffen. Weder Vanilla Ice, noch Fred Durst, die Beastie Boys oder Everlast können ihn das Wasser reichen. Klasse kennt eben keine Rasse. Gewiss aber treffen Eminems böse und vielschichtigen Provokationen ihre Ziele mindestens ebenso hart und genau wie Elvis' Hüftschwung den Otto-Moral-Verbraucher der frühen sechziger Jahre.

Eminem erblickt 17. Oktober 1972 in St. Joseph, Vorort von Kansas City, als Marshall Bruce Mathers III das Licht der Welt. Er wächst bei seiner alleinerziehenden Mutter auf, die alle drei Monate ziellos von einem Ort zum anderen zieht. Für seinen abwesenden Vater hat der spätere Rap-Superstar auch heute noch nur einen kurzes "Der Wichser kann mich am Arsch lecken" übrig, und das Verhältnis zu Mama Mathers sollte sich im Laufe der Jahre dank Klagen und Hasstexten ebenfalls arg verschlechtern.

Wegen der ständigen Umzugsquälereien sind Schulfreunde für den kleinen Marshall natürlich Mangelware, und so widmet sich der kleine Steppke bereits mit zehn Jahren der Rap-Musik. Besonders Ice Ts "Reckless" begeistert den einsamen Jungen in den Hip Hop-Kindertagen. 1985 findet die kleine Familie im Trailerpark der sozial schwachen und von Schwarzen dominierten Detroiter Eastside ein längeres Zuhause.

"Als Kind bin ich von meinen Mitschülern derart gehänselt worden, dass ich nur zu gerne mit einer Maschinenpistole durch die Klassen gezogen wäre", legt Eminem im taz-Interview seine Seele offen. Nach dem Eistee wandern nun verstärkt die Beastie Boys und N.W.A. in den Teenie-Walkmann, "da die sich einfach trauten, alles zu sagen". Doch nur Rap zu konsumieren, genügt dem Jungen nicht. Mit 14 beginnt er im Keller eines Freundes als Manix bzw. M&M zu reimen. Freestyle-Battles in der Aula oder auf dem Schulhof bestimmen seine Tagesordnung.

Kurz entschlossen schmeißt er die Schule und schlägt sich mit schlecht bezahlten Jobs als Lagerarbeiter durchs Leben. Seine eigentliche Passion gilt jedoch den lokalen Reim-Wettkämpfen. Trotz weißer Hautfarbe errappt er sich als Eminem schnell den Respekt der Detroiter Hip Hop-Szene. Er profitiert davon, dass sich seine Skills in der Rap-Provinz besser entwickeln als im hart umkämpften Mekka New York.

Das Hip Hop-Element der "Competition" spielt in Eminems weiterer Rap-Karriere eine große Rolle. Diss-Tracks und Business-Beefs ersetzen nach dem großen Durchbruch die regionalen Freestyle Battles. Jetzt muss er sich nicht nur Detroit, sondern landesweit behaupten, und da kann einen die eigene große Klappe schon in Verlegenheit bringen. Nicht jeder Streit läuft nur lyrisch auf Platte ab wie die Duelle KRS-One vs. MC Shan, LL Cool J vs. Canius oder Jay-Z vs. Nas. Wenn Millionen im Rapgame zirkulieren und Mafiosi mitmischen, kann die Auseinandersetzung schnell eskalieren, so geschehen bei den Morden an 2Pac und Notorious BIG.

Natürlich rasselt auch Eminem des öfteren mit Kollegen zusammen. Glimpflich, sprich auf sportlicher Ebene läuft der Stress mit Underground-Emcee Cage, Evidence von den Dilated Peoples und Ford City-Nachbar Royce Da 5'9 ab. Giftpfeile in Richtung Fred Durst, Moby oder Britney Spears bleiben unbeantwortet. Härter geht es dagegen bei der Fehde mit Everlast zur Sache. Der Ex-House Of Pain-Mann prügelt sich mit Eminems D-12-Freunden während seiner Show in Detroit. Auch Ray Benzino, Chef des Hip Hop-Magazins The Source, würde gerne mal die Fäuste gegen Eminem schwingen, wie er in Interviews und Songs ankündigt. Noch gefährlicher könnte der Beef mit Murder Inc und Suge Knight enden, in den er durch seine Geschäftsfreunde 50 Cent und Dr. Dre hineingezogen wird.

Erstgenannter Feind besitzt enge Verbindungen zu New Yorker Drogenbossen und letzterer spielte angeblich schon bei den Attentaten auf 2Pac und Notorious B.I.G. eine dubiose Rolle. Nach unzähligen Freestyle-Fights in Detroit schließt sich Eminem 1994 zwecks Gruppenstärke der New Jack-Crew an, wechselt aber schon bald zu Soul Intent, die 1995 seine erste Single veröffentlichen. Auf der B-Seite tritt ein gewisser Proof als Gastrapper in Erscheinung. Dieser ist von Eminem so angetan, dass er mit ihm die Clique D-12 gründet. Vier weitere Mitglieder stoßen zu D-12, die sich jedoch nicht als strenge Band verstanden wissen wollen sondern eher ein loses Kollektiv bilden, um sich gegenseitig zu unterstützen.

Nach der Geburt von Tochter Hailie am 25. Dezember 1995 sieht sich der junge Vater gezwungen, seine Rap-Leidenschaft in wirtschaftliche Stabilität umzumünzen. 1996 darf Eminem endlich ein paar Demos im Studio eines Kumpels aufnehmen. Das Albumergebnis "Infinite" erscheint in geringer Stückzahl als Tape auf dem Independent-Label Web Entertainment. Ems Style klingt auf der Scheibe noch wie eine unausgegorene Mischung der angesagten New Yorker-Emcees Nas und AZ. "Auf 'Infinite' habe ich noch versucht herauszufinden, wie mein eigener Rap-Style klingen soll", gesteht der talentierte Nachwuchskünstler. Durch die neuen Aufnahmen angestachelt, lässt er Werbeposter für Plattenläden drucken und versucht, seine Platte auf der Straße zu verchecken. Noch zeigt niemand größeres Interesse. Doch das eiserne Durchhaltevermögen des Hip Hop-Freaks öffnet ihm schließlich die Tür einer Radiostation, die einen seiner Songs ins Programm nimmt. Die Sendung wird landesweit ausgestrahlt und festigt Eminems Ruf als talentierter Mass Controller.

Auf seinen steigenden Bekanntheitsgrad bauend, händigt er Konzertveranstalterin Wendy Day eine Kopie des "Infinite"-Albums aus. Daraufhin sichert sie ihm die Teilnahme an den 97er MC Battles bei den Rap-Olympics. Eminem liefert eine Top-Leistung ab und muss sich erst im Finale geschlagen geben. "Für mich ging es irgendwie um Leben oder Tod", erinnert sich der bis in die Haarspitzen motivierte Vize. Nach dem erfolgreichen Event drückt sein Manager Paul Rosenberg den anwesenden Talentscouts vom Interscope-Label zudem sein Demo in die Hand.

Parallel dazu wirft Web Entertainment das Demo als "Slim Shady"-EP auf den regionalen Markt. Das Werk wimmelt nur so vor krassen Texten von Ems neuem Alter Ego Slim Shady. Er rappt sich hier förmlich den Frust von Seele und zeigt erste Anzeichen seines heutigen Rüpel-Status': "Auf der 'Slim Shady'-EP schlug ich gegen jeden zurück, der jemals Scheiße über mich erzählt hatte."
Ein paar Wochen später findet Produzentenlegende Dr. Dre jenes legendäre Tape auf dem Büroboden von Interscope-Präsident Jimmy Iovine. Der Hip Hop-Veteran kann sich vor Begeisterung kaum auf den Beinen halten. Nachdem er Eminem auch noch in der Los Angeles' Radiosendung von Sway und Tech reimen hört, setzt der G-Funk-Boss alle Hebel in Bewegung, um den weißen Wahnsinns-Emcee ins Studio zu locken. Dr. Dre im Rolling Stone-Magazin vom April 1999: "Wenn er die gleiche Person bleibt, die damals zum ersten Mal in mein Studio kam, dann wird er garantiert größer als Michael Jackson." Klar, dass Eminem sofort zu Dre in die Beat-Werkstatt eilt, denn "es war eine Ehre für mich, Lob aus dem Mund meines Jugendidols zu hören". Die Chemie zwischen den beiden stimmt sofort, und flugs kreiert das neue Paar diverse Songs für Eminems richtiges Debüt. Der Doktor nimmt ihn sogar als ersten Weißen für sein Aftermath-Label unter Vertrag. Der Grundstein für Ems Weltkarriere ist gelegt.

Kurz vor Albumveröffentlichung heizt der kommende Superstar auf der Lyricist Lounge-Tour den Hype weiter an. Der deutsche Rapstar Curse war damals während der ersten Eminem-Vorbeben hautnah dabei: "Ich weilte 1998 zu Besuch in New York und traf mich mit Ill Bill von der Hip Hop-Crew Non Phixion. Ich fragte Bill nebenbei, was es denn so Neues in Sachen Rap gäbe. Er antwortete verschwörerisch: 'Pass mal auf mein Freund. Ich habe hier ein Demotape von einem weißen Rapper aus Detroit, der jetzt gerade in LA bei Dr. Dre ist. Hör dir dieses Demo mal an. Wenn der Typ herauskommt, werden sich viele Emcees Gedanken machen müssen, ob sie noch auf dem gleichen Level sind.'"

Ein dreiviertel Jahr später überschwemmt das Eminem-Fieber angeheizt von Video "My Name Is ..." den ganzen Erdball. Während die deutschen Hip Hop-Kollegen Bauklötze über seinen nasalen, hyperschnellen Flow staunen, stehen die Münder der weltweiten Musikfans ob dieses blondierten, rotzfrechen Punks, der als Marilyn Manson und Bill Clinton auftritt, offen wie ein Scheunentor. Die geschickte Selbstinszenierung des bürgerlichen Rebellen mit seelischen Abgründen treibt das "Slim Shady"-Album zu vier Millionen verkauften Einheiten. Im Herbst 1999 folgt zudem die Heirat mit Langzeitfreundin Kim.

Trotz zunehmenden Erfolges und privater Bürgerlichkeit weht ihm aber in den USA der Wind weiter scharf ins Gesicht. Besonders nach dem Massaker von Littleton stellen konservative Politiker Eminem an den Pranger. Seine Provokationen zeigen also Wirkung, denn tatsächlich sieht sich der Künstler nur als Rollenspieler, der gesellschaftliche Schattenseiten anprangert. Nur einmal scheint der Rapper die Grenze zwischen Darstellung und Anwendung von Gewalt zu überschreiten: Im Frühjahr 2000 teilt er nicht nur verbal Prügel aus. Einstecken muss Douglas Dail von der Insane Clown Posse, da der Eminems Frau geküsst haben soll. Im Verlauf des Streites zieht Eminem sogar eine Handfeuerwaffe. Der Staatsanwalt droht ihm eine mehrjährige Haftstrafe an, die der Rapper aber im letzten Moment noch abwenden kann, indem er sich teilweise schuldig bekennt.

Im Juli überlebt seine Frau Kim Scott Mathers einen Selbstmordversuch und reicht im August die Scheidung ein. Kurz darauf lässt sie ihre Klage wegen der bösen Texte in "97 Bonnie and Clyde" jedoch wieder fallen. Eminem verspricht Kim und Tochter Hailie Jade Scott finanzielle Unterstützung, das Paar kommt sich wieder näher. Auch die Zehn-Millionen-Klage seiner Mutter verläuft im Sande. Dieses Verhältnis bleibt jedoch unterkühlt bis feindlich.

Im Milleniumsjahr steht die Veröffentlichung von Eminems drittem Studioalbum "The Marshall Mathers LP" an. Der Rapper reagiert ziemlich sauer, nachdem die Scheibe bereits Tage vor dem Release-Datum im Internet kursiert. Zudem wird auf Napster sogar Eminems angebliche Privatadresse mit Telefonnummer vertrieben. Aus dem Verantwortlichen würde er am liebsten "die Scheiße herausprügeln", erklärt der Rapper. Dennoch wird das Album dank der bekannt provokanten Videos und Lyrics zu "The Real Slim Shady", "Stan" und "The Way I Am" zum Kassenschlager und verkauft sich allein in Amerika knapp acht Millionen Mal. Es hagelt Grammys und MTV-Awards ohne Ende.

Anlässlich der Grammy-Verleihung 2001 gehen gerade die Schwulen auf die Straße, um gegen die Diskriminierung in seinen Texten zu demonstrieren. Zudem tritt er mit dem bekennenden Homosexuellen Elton John auf die Bühne und performt mit ihm den Song "Stan". Zum Unverständnis der amerikanischen Schwulen- und Lesbenvereinigung natürlich. John selbst nimmt den Rapper zusätzlich in Schutz, indem er sich als großer Eminem-Fan outet. Eminem stellt daraufhin in der taz richtig: "Das Schimpfwort 'Schwuchtel' (Faggott) heißt für mich einfach so etwas wie 'Verlierer, Weichei'. Es hat nichts zu tun mit Homosexuellen." Elton John: "Sein 'Marshall Mathers'-Album ist frisch, kontrovers, kurz: ein Meisterwerk."

Nach erfolgreicher Welttournee, die ihn mit Bühnenmotorsäge auch nach Deutschland führt, steht im Mai 2002 "The Eminem Show" in den Läden. Das vierte Studioalbum Eminems sorgt wieder schon im Vorfeld für Schlagzeilen: Da es bereits Wochen vor dem offiziellen Release-Datum illegal im Netz erhältlich ist, veröffentlicht Interscope die Platte früher als geplant. Trotzdem erobert der weiße Rapper die Charts diesseits wie jenseits des Atlantiks erneut im Sauseschritt. In einer Zeit, in der die meisten Künstler Einbußen bei den Verkaufszahlen hinnehmen müssen, bildet alles, was Eminem anfasst, die Ausnahme von der Regel. Selbst auf der Kinoleinwand machte der Rapper ein sehr gute Figur.

"8 Mile" heißt sein autobiographischer Film, bei dem Eminem selbst die Hauptrolle des Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith übernimmt, Kim Basinger seine Rabenmutter spielt, und Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential", "Wonder Boys") die Regie führt. Eminem ist Jimmy Rabbit. Jimmy Rabbit ist Eminem. Realistisch und stilecht setzt Hanson Ems Aufstieg während der Detroiter Freestyle-Battles in Szene. Nur die wütende Schattenseite des Superstars fällt dem Hollywoodprinzip zum Opfer. Dafür stimmt jedoch die Intention von "8 Mile": Nicht die Hautfarbe ist entscheidend sondern die Skills, wie der traurig-komische White Trash-Charakter des naiven Cheddar Bob zeigt. "Nie wieder", lautete am letzten Drehtag Eminems kurzer Kommentar auf die Frage, ob er weiter schauspielern wolle. Doch das offene Ende erzwingt eine Fortsetzung förmlich, die sicherlich von seinen weiteren Schritten im Musikgeschäft handeln wird.

Nach dem sich das Enfant Terrible also auf dem Thron des Rap eingenistet hat, erweitert er seine künstlerischen und wirtschaftlichen Fähigkeiten, um vollkommen autark arbeiten zu können. Bereits für die "The Eminem Show" kreiert er eigene Beats, die später auch bei Künstlern wie Nas oder Jay-Z hoch im Kurs stehen. Dr. Dre fungiert nur noch als Mentor im Hintergrund. Ähnlich verhält es sich auch auf Label-Ebene. Eminem gründet Shady Records als eigenständiges Subunternehmen von Dres Aftermath-Firma. Neben seiner Detroit-Crew D-12 nimmt er noch Obie Trice sowie 50 Cent und dessen G-Unit unter Vertrag. Wie nicht anders zu erwarten, landet auch das erste 50 Cent-Album für Shady Records auf Platz eins der Billboard Charts.

Ein Album ("Encore") und zwei DVDs später vervollständigt er seinen Backkatalog mit der obligatorischen Greatest Hits. "Curtain Call" erscheint am 6. Dezember 2005 und enthält neben den Hits auch persönliche Lieblingstracks des Rapstars sowie eine Reihe unveröffentlichter bzw. neuer Tracks. Damit nährt der mittlerweile 33-Jährige erneut Gerüchte, er wolle sich auf's Altenteil zurück ziehen und seine Sporen in Zukunft lieber als Produzent als an der Bühnenfront verdienen.

Weltweit hat Em bis 2009 über 75 Millionen Platten verkauft und auch den ein oder anderen Skandal (Rassismus-Vorwürfe vom Hip Hop-Magazin The Source, ein Beef mit Ja Rule oder das Eingestehen seiner Tablettenabhängigkeit) überstanden. Den Sound verliert er dennoch nie aus den Augen und kümmert sich beispielsweise im Auftrag von Tupacs Mutter erneut um dessen musikalisches Erbe.

An Irritationen mangelt es im Leben des Marshall Mathers auch weiterhin nicht. Ab Sommer 2005 kursieren wieder einmal Gerüchte, Eminem wolle seine Rap-Karriere nun endgültig an den Nagel hängen. Obwohl Em bei einer Show in Kalifornien darauf gepflegt einen fahren lässt, bekommen die Unkenrufe doch Substanz: Wegen Erschöpfung sagt der Detroiter sämtliche Europatermine seiner "Anger Management"-Tour ab.

Statt auf die Bühnen in Übersee begibt sich der Rap-Star in Behandlung, um seiner Tablettensucht Herr zu werden. Mit Entspannung ist es allerdings im Therapiezentrum nicht weit her: Eminem führt von hier aus eine Klage gegen Klingelton-Anbieter: Er besteht darauf, ihm stehe ein Teil des mit seinen Songs erwirtschafteten Kuchens zu.

Im Sinne seiner von ihm vergötterten Tochter söhnt sich Eminem mit seiner Ex-Frau aus. Die beiden wagen einen weiteren Anlauf und heiraten erneut. Auch dieser Bund soll nicht fürs Leben sein: Nach nur drei Monaten liegt die zweite Ehe von Marshall und Kim Mathers in Trümmern. Privat ohnehin schon arg gebeutelt, trifft Em der Tod seines Freundes Proof, der im April 2006 bei einer Schießerei in Detroit eine Kugel in den Kopf bekommt, doppelt hart.

Dennoch: Eminem lässt sich nicht unterkriegen. Im Dezember 2006 meldet sich der Boss von Shady-Records zurück. "Eminem Presents The Re-Up" featuret das komplette Line-Up seines Labels und überbrückt die Zeit zu seinem Album-Comeback mit "Relapse" im Mai 2009.

Ist Eminem nun der neue Elvis? Seine rasante Entwicklung von Nobody zum Superstar zum Produzenten verbildlicht die Beschleunigung aller gesellschaftlichen Prozesse. Anders als Elvis oder auch dessen Nachfolger Michael Jackson scheint Eminem sich kaum nach der Liebe der Massen zu sehnen. Als Künstler muss Eminem sich aber trotzdem hinter niemandem verstecken.

Auch wenn die Gewalt-Exzesse des Alltags in seinen Texten recht eindeutig auf Missstände im eigenen Land abzielen - andere Ebenen seiner ungezügelten Aufmüpfigkeit bewegen die ganze Welt. Nichts gegen Filz und Fett. Als aber der bekennende Homo Elton John Eminem öffentlich den Rücken stärkte, irritierte dies vermutlich mehr Menschen in ihrer Weltanschauung, als beispielsweise die gesammelten Werke des großartigen Joseph Beuys.

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Name: Eve
SortName: Eve
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Overview:
Eve Jihan Jeffers (born November 10, 1978) is an American Grammy Award winning rapper-songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have sold over 8 million copies worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion with her clothing line, Fetish. She is the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2002 for the song "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", with Gwen Stefani. Eve was number 48 on VH1's "50 Greatest Women Of The Video Era" list.
As an actress, Eve is best known for her roles as Terri Jones in the films Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and as Shelley Williams on the UPN television sitcom Eve.

Eve was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Julie Wilch, a publishing company supervisor, and Jerry Jeffers, a chemical plant supervisor. She adopted the name Gangsta in high school as part of an all-female group called EDGP (pronounced "Egypt")

During her early years in Philadelphia, she was educated at Martin Luther King High School. Eve's first musical interest was singing. She sang in many choirs and even formed an all-female singing group (Dope Girl Posse or D.G.P.) with a manager. This group covered songs from En Vogue and Color Me Badd. The group's manager suggested that the group should rap after seeing ABC, and Eve stuck with it. She then went on to form a rapping group. After the group split, Eve began working on a solo career under the name "Eve of Destruction." Eve has lived in Los Angeles, New York City, and most recently has resided in London.

In 1999, she was featured on Prince's album Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, and she was to co-star on the eventually cancelled Hot Wit' U single from that same album. Eve is featured (along with Erykah Badu) on the song "You Got Me" by The Roots, from their 1999 album Things Fall Apart. The song won a Grammy Award in 2000, which should have been Eve's first. She stated on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in 2009 that she did not receive a Grammy for the track. Questlove, from The Roots, had brought his Grammy to the show that night and showed she's not even credited on the award plaque. She also provided background vocals on the song "Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New" from the same album. In the album's liner notes, she is referred to as Eve of Destruction.

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Name: 50 Cent
SortName: 50 Cent
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Overview:
50 Cent wurde am 6. Juli 1976 im New Yorker Stadtteil Queens als Curtis Jackson geboren.

Aufgewachsen ist er in ärmlichen Verhältnissen in einem Viertel namens "South Jamaica". Seine Mutter wurde erschossen, als er gerade acht Jahre alt war. Wenig später starb sein Vater und Curtis wuchs bei seinen Großeltern auf. Im Alter von zwölf Jahren viel er erstmals wegen Drogendealerei auf. Die folgenden Jahre waren von Kriminalität und mehreren Haftaufenthalten geprägt.

Ersten Kontakt zur Rap-Szene hatte 50 Cent durch Jam Master Jay von Run DMC, der ihn unter seine Fittiche nahm und ihm das Produzentenduo Trackmasters vorstellte. Die befanden sein Talent als förderungswürdig und vermittelten ihn schließlich an Columbia Records. Unter dieser Zusammenarbeit entstand im Jahr 2000 das Debütalbum "Power of the Dollar". Noch vor der Veröffentlichung geriet 50 Cent in eine Schießerei, bei der ihn neun Kugeln trafen. Aufgrund der Vorkommnisse trennte sich Columbia von 50 Cent und löste den Vertag.

Die Veröffentlichung des Albums wurde auf unbestimmte Zeit verschoben. Nach seiner Genesung rutschte er erneut in das Drogenmilieu ab, bekam aber eine zweite Chance. Diesmal wurde er von Eminem und Dr. Dre gepuscht, die eigens zu diesem Zweck das Label Shady / Aftermath gründeten und 50 Cent unter Vertrag nahmen. 2003 wurde das Album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin" veröffentlicht, welches seinen internationalen Durchbruch markierte. Weltweit verkaufte es sich 11 Mio. Mal. Im März 2005 folgte "The Massacre", welches an den Erfolg seines Vorgängers anknüpfte.

Mit diesem Album gelang es 50 Cent gleichzeitig vier Singles in den amerikanischen Billboard Charts zu listen. 50 Cent ist Mitglied der Rap-Gruppe G-Unit (Gangsta- oder Guerilla Unit), die durch seinen Solo-Erfolg auch an Aufmerksamkeit gewann. Den Namen 50 Cent übernahm Jackson als Hommage an einen in den 1980er Jahren aktiven Gangster namens Kelvin Martin. Der war damals unter dem Pseudonym 50 Cent bekannt für Raubüberfälle und Schießereien. Nach eigener Aussage wählte Curtis Jackson diesen Namen, da er heute all das verkörpert, was Kelvin Martin zu seiner Zeit war.

Im Dezember 2005 kam das Drama "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" in die Kinos, welches das Leben das Rap-Stars auf Leinwand bannt; 50 Cent spielt sich darin selbst. Außerdem brachte er ein Video-Spiel auf den Markt, in dem man das gefährliche Leben auf den Straßen der Ghettos erleben kann.

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Name: Mary J. Blige
SortName: Mary J. Blige
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Overview:
Mary J. Blige ( /ËˆblaÉªÊ’/; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B.
Blige started her musical career in 1992, releasing her debut album, What's the 411? on MCA Records and Uptown. With her tenth album, My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011), she had ten consecutive albums debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. Blige's work has defined the course of R&B/Hip-Hop music. My Life, in particular, is considered among the greatest albums ever recorded according to Rolling Stone (279/500), Time, and Vibe. For her part in combining hip hop and soul in the early 1990s and its subsequent commercial success, Blige received the World Music Awards "Legends Award". In 2007 the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers awarded her its "Voice of Music" Award. ASCAP official Jeanie Weems stated that " music has been the voice of inspiration to women worldwide in both struggle and triumph." That same year, Time included her in its "Time 100" list, a collection of the year's 100 most influential individuals around the world. In a documentary by BET television, Mary J. Blige said that when she hears music, she sees colors. In other words she has Synesthesia.
As of 2011, Blige has sold over 50 million albums and 15 million singles worldwide. Billboard Magazine ranked Blige as the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years. The magazine also lists her 2006 song "Be Without You" as the top R&B song of the 2000s, as it spent an unparalleled 15 weeks atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In 2011, VH1 ranked Blige as the 80th greatest artist of all time. Moreover, she is ranked number 100 on the list of "100 greatest singers of all time" by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2012, VH1 ranked Blige at number 9 in "The 100 Greatest Woman in Music."
Blige also earned high remarks for her work in film and fragrance. She starred in the 2009 Tyler Perry box-office hit I Can Do Bad All By Myself and played a role in the film Rock of Ages, which was released to theaters in 2012. She is a recipient of two Golden Globe Awards nominations for her musical contributions to the films Bobby and The Help. She is named to play music icon Nina Simone in the upcoming biopic Nina. In partnership with the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and Carol's Daughter, Blige released her "My Life" perfume. The perfume broke HSN records by selling 65,000 bottles during its premiere. The scent went on to win two FiFi Awards, including the prestigious "Fragrance Sales Breakthrough" award.

Images:
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Name: Bilal
SortName: Bilal
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Overview:
Bilal Sayeed Oliver (born August 23, 1979), better known mononymously as Bilal, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is currently an independent artist residing in New York City.
Bilal is noted for his wide vocal range, his work across multiple genres, and his live performances. He has been well received, both nationally and internationally, with an extensive list of collaborations including Common, Erykah Badu, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Guru, J Dilla, Robert Glasper, The Roots, and many more.
Bilal was born Bilal Sayeed Oliver in northwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a religiously mixed household, his mother being a devout Christian and his father, a Muslim. He regularly attended church with his mother in a small church that consisted of mostly family members. It was there that Bilal grew an interest in music and singing. Bilal attended The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Attended and Graduated from the creative and performing arts high school of Philadelphia in 1998.
Career
1999–2002: Beginnings and debut album
Bilal began to familiarize himself with the music scene in New York City, meeting big talents such as Common, The Roots, and Erykah Badu. Eventually, he was discovered by Aaron Comess from the Spin Doctors during an after-school jam session. It was with him that Bilal recorded his demo that landed him a record deal with Interscope.
In 2001, he released his debut album 1st Born Second, which featured contributions from the Soulquarians as well as high profile producers such as Dr. Dre and J Dilla. The album showcased a wide variety, from the emotionally charged fan-favorite Soul Sista, which peaked at No. 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts, to the political viewpoints of Fast Lane and Second Child. Bilal managed to gain a sizable following and high attendance at his live shows, as well as much acclaim and respect from his peers, many whom noted his range and ability to sing in a freeform style, and his classically trained falsetto. The soulful feel of the album caused Bilal to be labeled as "neo-soul." Bilal stresses that this term does not fit, and throughout his career, his expansion in music and pushing of boundaries proved his point.
2003–11: Unreleased album "Love for Sale" and Airtight's Revenge


Bilal performing in Budapest, Hungary, in 2008.
In the following years Bilal continued to appear on projects by other artists of both high profile and avant garde, while recording and developing his follow-up set to be released on Interscope Records and featuring contributions primarily from producers Dr. Dre and J Dilla (as heard by Dilla himself). These plans proved to be changeable and the final result, Love for Sale, was an album that appeared to be built around Bilal's own musicianship. A forever evolving artist, Bilal switched it up on Love For Sale, which includes live instrumentation and a vibe completely new and different from its predecessor. However, his anticipation was shot down after receiving disapproval from Interscope. Unwilling to start from scratch, Bilal continued to push his LP. However, near the album's completion, the album was leaked in its entirety on the Internet. Interscope shelved the album indefinitely, hinting that it saw little commercial potential in it. The event sent Bilal into a period of distress, and was considering quitting music; however, Love for Sale received over half a million downloads on the Internet, and Bilal began touring, despite a proper release of the album.
After nine years without a properly released album, Bilal made a comeback on 14 September 2010 with Airtight's Revenge, a sophomore LP released under independent record label Plug Research. Bilal describes the album as a retrospective album: an album that explores his experiences and things that he's learned since his last release. An experimental album, Airtight's Revenge blends jazz, hip-hop, electronic, rock, soul, and blues into one raw, genuine collection of music.
2012–present: A Love Surreal
In 2012, Bilal revealed plans for a new album under a new label, eOne Music.During several interviews, Bilal described the new project as "a lot warmer and  sensual" than its conceptual predecessor. The new album, titled A Love Surreal, has a more acoustic sound, as Bilal worked very closely with his entire band. To set up the album's release, on 5 December 2012, Bilal released a mixtape titled The Retrospection via Facebook.
Six days after the release of The Retrospection, Bilal released "Back to Love," the first single off A Love Surreal. A video was released for the song on 8 January 2013, telling the story of a drug-addicted love doctor who ironically uses the advice he gives to his patients to help his own relationship. The song sets the tone for the album, which Bilal says embodies "the whole process : meeting, the break-up,  the get-back-together." A Love Surreal was released on 26 February 2013.
With the release of A Love Surreal, Bilal immediately achieved commercial success, debuting at No. 1 on iTunes' R&B Chart. On Billboard, the album debuted at No. 17 on the Independent Albums Chart, No. 19 on the R&B Albums Chart, and No. 103 on the Billboard 200, ranking higher than its predecessor, Airtight's Revenge. The album also received numerous high reviews, including an 8/10 from SPIN Magazine, a 4.5/5 stars from Allmusic, and a 4/4 stars from USA Today.

Images:
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Name: Smitty
SortName: Smitty
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Overview:
Varick D. Smith, better known as Smitty, is a Haitian-American rapper and hip-hop ghostwriter from Little Haiti, Miami, Florida.  While growing up in Little Haiti, Smitty came home one day to see a friend fatally shot due to involvement in the drug game. The incident made him more aware of his future. In 1997 he decided to enroll at Florida A&M University to major in journalism. However, his aspiration to become a full-fledged artist led him to switch coasts after only two and half years of school. He would eventually, through a friend, get the opportunity to start in the hip-hop industry by flying out to meet with legendary producer Dr. Dre while he was filming The Wash. After many hours waiting around on set, Smitty finally got the chance to rap in front of Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre was impressed and Smitty was asked to work on a few tracks for The Wash soundtrack.  In addition to working on the soundtrack, Smitty has also worked on several songs, including two chart hits - 'Shake Ya Tailfeather' by P. Diddy, Nelly & Murphy Lee and 'Bump, Bump, Bump' by B2K. He has collaborated with fellow hip-hop artists such as Trick Daddy, Scarface and Kanye West.  An opportunity to sign with Aftermath Records, Arista Records, Capitol Records, Def Jam, Elektra Records, and Jive Records were all offered, but were turned down in lieu of creative freedom. Smitty eventually signed with Clive Davis's J Records.  In July of 2005, Smitty released his debut single effort Diamonds on my Neck, a moderate success on the Billboard charts, the video for which was directed by Hype Williams. His album Life of a Troubled Child was supposed to be released in fall 2005 but was shelved for unknown reasons. He released two mixtapes, The Voice of the Ghetto and Heart Of The South.


Name: Scarface
SortName: Scarface
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Overview:
Brad Terrence Jordan (born November 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Scarface, is an African-American rapper from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston. In 2012, The Source ranked him #16 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time, while About.com ranked him #10 on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987-2007).

Images:
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Name: TI
SortName: TI
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Overview:
Wenn sich Kritiker in Lobeshymnen überschlagen und Hip Hop-Magazine von New York bis Tokio ihren neuen König gefunden zu haben glauben, muss an einem Hype etwas dran sein. Oder nicht?

Ein junger Herr namens Clifford Harris Jr., besser bekannt unter seinem Rap-Alias T.I., räumt jedenfalls 2006 mit seinem vierten Album "King" die Szene auf. Der Süden hat Hochkonjunktur, und T.I. gibt den selbsternannten Monarchen.

Doch zum Hype existiert natürlich eine Geschichte. Am 25. September 1980 geboren, durchlebt Clifford die Jugend eines kämpfenden Heranwachsenden zwischen delinquenten Straßenjobs und dem Traum von einer Rap-Laufbahn.

In Atlanta haben bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt lediglich Outkast, Goodie Mob und Jermaine Dupri etwas zu sagen. Daran ändert 2001 auch T.I.s Debüt "I'm Serious" trotz Unterstützung von Pharrell Williams, Beenie Man, der Youngbloodz und Jazze Pha nicht viel. Die Scheibe entwickelt sich eher zum Ladenhüter als zum Verkaufsschlager - ein harter Dämpfer für die noch junge Laufbahn.

Doch der hoch motivierte T.I. arbeitet in Bankhead in Atlanta eifrig zweigleisig an den Karrieren - in der Musik und in der Kriminalität. Zwei Lebensentwürfe, die er im Song "T.I. Vs. T.I.P." von seinem zweiten Album "Trap Muzik" beim Namen nennt: T.I. ist der Rapper, T.I.P. (sprich: Tip) der Hustler auf den Straßen Atlantas. Ein Anflug von Schizophrenie ist nicht von der Hand zu weisen. Laut Eigenaussage gerät der kriminelle T.I.P. jedoch mit dem steigenden Erfolg in der Musik zwangsläufig immer mehr in den Hintergrund.

Diesen Erfolg läutet der zweite Longplayer "Trap Muzik" mit über 900.000 verkauften Einheiten ein. Großen Anteil daran hat "Rubberband Man", eine Single, die aus der vergangenen Existenz als Drogendealer keinen Hehl macht. Rubberbands, also Gummibänder, tragen die Hustler auf der Straße an Fuß- und Handgelenken, um ihre Dollarscheine damit sicher am Körper zu verstauen. Die Single chartet, T.I. macht sich auf den Weg, das neue große Ding des Südens zu werden.

Der Arm des Gesetzes schiebt der Karriere jedoch vorerst einen Riegel vor. T.I. wird wegen Verstoßes gegen seine Bewährungsauflagen zu mehreren Jahren Zuchthaus verurteilt. Diese gehen auf eine Verurteilung aus dem Jahr 1998 zurück, als die Polizei T.I., besser T.I.P., beim Drogenhandel erwischt hatte. Glück im Unglück: T.I. darf das Gefängnis gelegentlich verlassen, um weiter Musik zu machen, Videos zu drehen und Auftritte zu absolvieren.

Ein freundliches Entgegenkommen der Behörden, das sich für T.I. mit dem 18 Monate später erscheinenden Album "Urban Legend" auszahlt. Die Platte verkauft sich wie geschnitten Brot und avanciert mit über einer Million abgesetzter Einheiten zu einem der am schnellsten verkauften Alben des Dirty South-Raps. Eine ganze Meute von Hip Hop-Vertretern aus dem Derrty Derrty unterstützt T.I. bei seinem bis dato erfolgreichsten Longplayer.

Der Süden freut sich im Großen und Ganzen über so viel Aufmerksamkeit, jedoch gönnt nicht jeder T.I. den Erfolg. Es folgen ausufernde Diss-Geschichten mit Lil' Flip und Ludacris, die im ersten Fall sogar in einer handfesten Auseinandersetzung enden.

Abgesehen davon kann sich T.I. nicht beschweren. Die Karriere geht steil, das eigene Label Grand Hustle floriert. Ein gutes Dutzend Künstler findet dort seinen Broterwerb, darunter DJ Drama, der die überaus erfolgreiche "Gangsta Grillz"-Reihe zu verantworten hat. Außerdem erscheint auf Grand Hustle der Soundtrack zum Hollywood-Blockbuster "Hustle & Flow" mit dem Oscar-vergoldeten Three 6 Mafia-Track "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp".

Die Motivation steigt ins Unermessliche. T.I. will der erste Rapper sein, der mit seinem Album auf Platz eins der Charts steht und gleichzeitig als Schauspieler die Kinohitliste anführt. "King" und der Hollywood-Streifen "ATL" sollen es möglich machen.

Der Coup gelingt nicht ganz. Grund dafür liefert jedoch nicht das Album, eher der Film, der an "Ice Age 2" und Spike Lees "Inside Man" scheitert. Dagegen stilisieren Kritiker und Medien "King" augenblicklich zum Klassiker hoch. Nach Ansicht der Gazetten habe der dreckige Süden Vergleichbares selten bis gar nie hervorgebracht. Unterstützend legen Common, Pharrell, Just Blaze, Young Jeezy, Jamie Foxx, UGK und Young Buck Hand an und sorgen dafür, dass "King" allein in der ersten Woche 500.000 Mal über die Ladentische wandert.

Wirklich darüber freuen kann sich T.I. jedoch nicht. Wenige Wochen vor dem Release von "King" ereignet sich ein Zwischenfall mit weitreichenden Konsequenzen. T.I. und seine Truppe geraten nach einer Party in Cincinnati mit Gästen des Nachtclubs in einen Streit. Die Auseinandersetzung endet in einem Scharmützel, bei dem vier Kollegen T.I.s angeschossen werden. Einer davon stirbt an den Folgen seiner Verletzungen. Der Beginn seiner Regierungszeit als König des Südens steht somit unter einem denkbar schlechten Stern. Seine Untertanen stehen dennoch bedingungslos hinter ihrem Regenten.

Das Jahr 2007 lässt sich zunächst wesentlich besser an. T.I. heimst in den Kategorien "Best Rap Solo Performance" und "Best Rap/Song Collaboration" gleich zwei Grammys ein. Inzwischen besitzt er neben seinem Label eine Baufirma und ein Autohaus.

Das nächste Studio-Album greift die alte Persönlichkeitsspaltung wieder auf: "T.I. Vs. T.I.P." erscheint im Juli 2007 und konfrontiert den Hustler früherer Tage mit dem erfolgreichen Geschäftsmann von heute. Verschiedene Produzenten, darunter einmal mehr Just Blaze, sorgen für Abwechslung. Am Mikrofon unterstützen den König des Südens unter anderem Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Jay-Z und Wyclef Jean.

Mit dem Herbst allerdings kommen die Schwierigkeiten, an denen T.I. nicht gerade unschuldig ist: Wer in einer Größenordnung Waffen kauft, in der man das komplette A-Team hätte ausrüsten können, muss damit rechnen, die Quittung zu kassieren. Nachdem eine Hausdurchsuchung so Einiges zutage förderte, wird der König des Südens im Oktober wegen illegalen Waffenbesitzes verhaftet. Bis zur Verhandlung wird er unter Hausarrest gestellt.

T.I. nutzt die unfreiwillige Auszeit, um an seinem neuen Album "Paper Trail" zu 
werkeln, dessen Veröffentlichung er für 2008 ankündigt. Zudem lässt er seine Fans wissen, er werde auf Freispruch plädieren. Angesichts einer drohenden hohen Haftstrafe schließt er im März 2008 dann einen Deal mit der Justiz, bekennt sich schuldig und stimmt unter anderem einer einjährigen Haftstrafe sowie knapp 1.500 Stunden sozialer Arbeit zu.

Im März 2010 hat T.I. seine Strafe abgesessen und stürzt sich unmittelbar wieder in die Arbeit. Ein ursprünglich sinnig als "King Uncaged" angekündigter Longplayer erscheint im Dezember, trägt dann aber doch den Titel "No Mercy". T.I. nämlich atmet zu diesem Zeitpunkt bereits wegen Verstoßes gegen seine Bewährungsauflagen für weitere elf Monate gesiebte Luft.

Den Höhenflug bremst das nicht. T.I. kündigt sein nächstes Studioalbum an, für dessen Titel "Trouble Man" er sich von Marvin Gaye inspirieren lässt. Er kollaboriert mit den unterschiedlichsten Kollegen, zwischenzeitlich machen auch Gerüchte von einem Kollabo-Album mit B.o.B. die Runde.

Mit den Neuzugängen Iggy Azalea, Chipmunk und Trae Tha Truth baut er den Künstlerbestand seines Labels Grand Hustle aus. Zudem schreibt T.I. Bücher und flimmert als Star einer Doku-Soap über die Bildschirme.

Die Singles, die vorab an die Öffentlichkeit gelangen, entpuppen sich durchwegs als Erfolge. "Trouble Man" erscheint im Dezember 2012. Der Zusatz "Heavy Is The Head" im Titel lässt schon ahnen: Hier wurde das letzte Wort noch nicht gesprochen. Kurz nach der Veröffentlichung verrät T.I., er arbeite längst am zweiten Teil: "Trouble Man II: He Who Wears The Crown".

Den Sitz der Krone haben die mannigfaltigen Konflikte mit dem Gesetz offenbar nicht beeinträchtigt. In einem Business, das unermüdlich nach Authentizität kräht, bedeutet ausgiebige Knasterfahrung eben noch lange nicht das Karriereende.

Images:
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Name: Lil Wayne
SortName: Lil Wayne
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Overview:
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Young Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.

Although his next two albums Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002) were not as successful (only reaching Gold status), Lil Wayne reached higher popularity in 2004 with Tha Carter, which included the single "Go D.J." Wayne also appeared on the Destiny's Child top ten single "Soldier" that year. In 2005, the sequel to Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, was released. In 2006 and 2007, Lil Wayne released several mixtapes and appeared on several popular rap and R&B singles. His most successful album, Tha Carter III, was released in 2008 and sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. its first week of release. It included the number-one single "Lollipop" featuring Static Major. It also includes the singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" featuring T-Pain and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.

Lil Wayne released his debut rock album, Rebirth, in 2010 to primarily negative reception from critics. The album eventually went gold. In March 2010, Lil Wayne began serving an 8-month prison sentence in New York after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. While in prison he released another album entitled I Am Not a Human Being in September 2010, featuring Young Money artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Twist. His ninth studio album and first since being released from prison, Tha Carter IV, was released on August 29, 2011. The album includes the songs "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz, "How to Love" and "She Will" featuring Drake. It sold 964,000 copies in the U.S. its first week out.

Images:
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Name: Mr. Criminal
SortName: Mr. Criminal
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Overview:
Roberto Fabian Garcia, stage name Mr. Criminal, is a Mexican-American recording artist and rapper from Southern California, signed to Hi-Power Entertainment Music Group in addition to being a Rapper he is a Songwriter/Producer/Videographer and is the Creator and Owner of gdupclothing.com which sells his exclusive clothing line worldwide. He is also a member of the 'Varrio Silver Lake 13' Gang.
Creating music with strong narratives that reflect his life struggles, Mr. Criminal earned his first break when he met rapper Mr. Capone-E in 2001 at a low-rider car show. The two artists recorded a track called "Criminal Mentality", released on Capone-E’s Thump Records Music Group that gained widespread international popularity in 2003.
Since then Mr. Criminal has been working with notable recording artists and producers including Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Nate Dogg, Fingazz, Fat Joe of Terror Squad, Twista, Lil Flip, Glasses Malone, Suga Free, Mr. Capone-E, Spider Loc of G-Unit, Kokane, Roscoe, Triple C, Lil Cuete, DTTX, Shade Sheist and others.
In 2006, the release of Mr. Criminal's most anticipated album, Stay On The Streets, with the hit single "We Ride", featuring Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, gained national radio success throughout the United States, providing the opportunity for Mr. Criminal to tour with Hip-Hop group G-Unit.
However, his fame had been shortly sidetracked after multiple charges with the law, most notably in 2008 when state troopers searched his vehicle in Arizona and was charged with possession of illegal firearms and illegal substances.
After being released from confinement, Mr. Criminal worked hard to get his life back on track by continuing to create and write music about his experiences with crime and the law. On Billboard Music, Mr. Criminal’s track, "Death Before Dishonor" was charted #31 in the Heatseekers Album category and #64 in the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums category; Rise 2 Power was charted #37 in the Heatseekers Album category and #65 in the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums category and Criminal Mentality 2 was charted #47 on the Heatseekers Album category. As of 2012, Mr. Criminal has 250 tracks and 16 albums available for purchase.

Images:
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Name: Bizzy Bone
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Overview:
Bryon Anthony McCane II (born September 12, 1976), better known by his stage name Bizzy Bone, is an American rapper and the youngest member of the Cleveland rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.

Bryon Anthony McCane was born to a Native American and an African American father and a mother of Italian descent. At the age of 5, Bryon and his two sisters were abducted by his stepfather. Both his sisters were natural children of Bryon's stepfather. He lived in many homes, apartments, cars and motels and was unaware at first that he had been abducted. He was told his mother had died. In 1983, he was living at a reservation in Oklahoma where his stepfather had dropped him off. A neighbor saw his photo at the end of the made-for-TV movie, Adam, and called the police, resulting in his return to his family.

When he was thirteen, Bryon went to live with his sisters and their father in Cleveland, Ohio. During this period he met Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone and Flesh-n-Bone. Bizzy Bone started in hip hop as a founding member of the group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, which was formed in 1993. This Cleveland-based crew first got the ear of N.W.A. founder Eazy-E. In 2002, he appeared on the FOX series America's Most Wanted (hosted by John Walsh, Adam's father) and he revealed his abusive childhood and molestation. Bryon also wrote and performed a song on the show entitled "A.M.W." in which he thanks Walsh and encourages abused children to come forward.

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Name: Mr. Capone-E
SortName: Mr. Capone-E
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Overview:
Mr. Capone-E is Southern California Rapper and owner of Hi-Power Entertainment. He was also signed with Thump Records, where he released his 2003 album Dedicated 2 the Oldies in which he interpolated songs like "Angel Baby" by Rosie & the Originals .Even though, Mr.Capone-E has described his music as "Sureño hip hop. 

In 2006,Mr.Capone-E collaborated with Twista for the single "Don't Get It Twisted". The song charted at #40 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart


Name: Gang Starr
SortName: Gang Starr
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Overview:
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and the DJ/producer DJ Premier.
The group was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985 by Keith Elam (then known as Keithy E. The Guru) and DJ 1, 2 B-Down (also known as Mike Dee) with various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out. In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on Wild Pitch Records.
In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with Houston native DJ Premier (then known as Waxmaster C) who sent him a beat tape, which Guru liked. He forced DJ Premier to join Gang Starr and in that same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" along with the album No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989). In 1990, the group was signed to the Chrysalis record label by then A&R director Duff Marlowe, a former DJ and Los Angeles Times rap music critic. The London-based label offered Guru and Premier unlimited artistic license and major-label distribution worldwide, a platform the group used to become one of the most influential hip hop acts of that decade. During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York City hardcore hip hop sound. The entire Gang Starr catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1990), Daily Operation (1992), Hard to Earn (1994) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well respected among underground rap fans and critics. Gang Starr provided a track, Battle, for the sound track of the 2002 movie 8 Mile. Their track "Jazz Thing" was featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues. 
Guru was involved in a European Gang Starr tour in 2003-04 with an alternate DJ after DJ Premier's return to the United States. In 2006, Guru indicated in several interviews that Gang Starr had reached its end.
DJ Premier recently stated that there is a posthumous Gang Starr CD/DVD project in the works, most likely to be released in 2013
n February 2010, Guru suffered a heart attack, went into a coma, and died on April 19, 2010. Solar, a long-time collaborator of the artist, said Guru chose not to go public with the diagnosis of myeloma that was made in 2000. According to a statement released by his PR company upon his death, Guru appeared to have fallen out with DJ Premier seven years prior to his death and did "not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name, likeness, events, tributes, etc." The validity of the statement continues to be heavily questioned by Guru's family and many of his contemporaries within the Hip-Hop culture. 
Both members of Gang Starr had roots in the New York hip hop scene, despite hailing from Boston (Guru) and Houston (DJ Premier), and have each worked with several artists.
The Gang Starr Foundation was a loose collective of various people who have worked closely with the group, through either Guru's now defunct Ill Kid label, DJ Premier's production work or the management company that Gang Starr was represented by, Empire Management. The founding member was Vikar. Another member of the legendary Gang Starr Foundation is Big Shug, alongside rappers like Afu-Ra, Jeru the Damaja, and Group Home.

Images:
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Name: The Ownerz (The Instrumentals)
SortName: Ownerz (The Instrumentals)
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Name: Gangstarr
SortName: Gangstarr
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ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=29058|MusicBrainzArtist=9ef8042a-2528-4f5c-b7c1-5e72b1efe170|AudioDbArtist=114669
Overview:
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and the DJ/producer DJ Premier.
The group was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985 by Keith Elam (then known as Keithy E. The Guru) and DJ 1, 2 B-Down (also known as Mike Dee) with various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or DJ Mark the 45 King helping out. In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12" vinyl singles on Wild Pitch Records.
In 1989, the group split and the only member willing to continue under the name Gang Starr was Guru. He soon got in touch with Houston native DJ Premier (then known as Waxmaster C) who sent him a beat tape, which Guru liked. He forced DJ Premier to join Gang Starr and in that same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" along with the album No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989). In 1990, the group was signed to the Chrysalis record label by then A&R director Duff Marlowe, a former DJ and Los Angeles Times rap music critic. The London-based label offered Guru and Premier unlimited artistic license and major-label distribution worldwide, a platform the group used to become one of the most influential hip hop acts of that decade. During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York City hardcore hip hop sound. The entire Gang Starr catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1990), Daily Operation (1992), Hard to Earn (1994) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well respected among underground rap fans and critics. Gang Starr provided a track, Battle, for the sound track of the 2002 movie 8 Mile. Their track "Jazz Thing" was featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues. 
Guru was involved in a European Gang Starr tour in 2003-04 with an alternate DJ after DJ Premier's return to the United States. In 2006, Guru indicated in several interviews that Gang Starr had reached its end.
DJ Premier recently stated that there is a posthumous Gang Starr CD/DVD project in the works, most likely to be released in 2013
n February 2010, Guru suffered a heart attack, went into a coma, and died on April 19, 2010. Solar, a long-time collaborator of the artist, said Guru chose not to go public with the diagnosis of myeloma that was made in 2000. According to a statement released by his PR company upon his death, Guru appeared to have fallen out with DJ Premier seven years prior to his death and did "not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name, likeness, events, tributes, etc." The validity of the statement continues to be heavily questioned by Guru's family and many of his contemporaries within the Hip-Hop culture. 
Both members of Gang Starr had roots in the New York hip hop scene, despite hailing from Boston (Guru) and Houston (DJ Premier), and have each worked with several artists.
The Gang Starr Foundation was a loose collective of various people who have worked closely with the group, through either Guru's now defunct Ill Kid label, DJ Premier's production work or the management company that Gang Starr was represented by, Empire Management. The founding member was Vikar. Another member of the legendary Gang Starr Foundation is Big Shug, alongside rappers like Afu-Ra, Jeru the Damaja, and Group Home.

Images:
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Name: Keith Elam
SortName: Keith Elam
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Overview:
A rapper from the United States and member of alternative hip-hop duo Gang Starr (July 17, 1961 – April 19, 2010) was one half of the legendary hip hop duo Gang Starr and an accomplished solo artist. Guru, an acronym for Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, originally began his hip hop career in Boston but due to lack of local support moved to New York where Gang Starr then blew up. Guru was well known for his smooth voice; socially conscious and hardcore lyrics; and an effortless, confident delivery.

Founded in 1987, Gang Starr built a sizable following in the early 90’s, releasing classic albums like Step In The Arena (1991) and Daily Operation (1992). Guru’s lyrical style was based on battle rhymes delivered smoothly, modestly, and with sly wit; he typically avoided using overwhelming charisma, focusing instead on his rhyming ability. Over the years he even took on younger rappers, including Jeru The Damaja, as proteges. He is credited, along with DJ Premier, for the executive production of Jeru’s debut, The Sun Rises In The East (1994).

In 1993, he released his first solo album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. The album featured collaborations with Donald Byrd, N’Dea Davenport, Dee C. Lee, and Roy Ayers, whilst his second LP, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, featured Ramsey Lewis, Branford Marsalis, and Jamiroquai. The Jazzmatazz albums have been met with mixed reviews, Guru continued with Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul (2000) and Baldhead Slick & da Click (2001).

Moreover, recent Gang Starr albums have continued to garner Guru critical acclaim. Prominent Boston underground rapper Mr. Lif frequently cites Guru as a major stylistic influence; he appears as a guest with Lif on the Perceptionists’ debut album, Black Dialogue (2005).

Besides Gang Starr, his Jazzmatazz and solo albums, Guru collaborated with countless artists since the early 90s. Not only in hip-hop, but also with artists from various genres such as pop, electronica/dance, acid jazz, and even brass bands.

His “first proper solo album”, in his own words, was Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures (2005), released with the help of producer and new backup MC/producer Solar. The album reached #1 on the college hip-hop charts, but was a failure with both fans and critics. It still managed to sell relatively well for an independent release.

Guru’s latest project is the fourth installment in the Jazzmatazz series, entirely produced by Solar. It was released in early June 2007 and received good reviews and comments from fans.

In 2007 Guru was ranked at 45 for the Top 50 MCs of our time: 1987-2007

On February 28th 2010, Guru suffered a severe heart attack and was in a coma. He passed away on April 19, 2010 at the age of 49 after a long battle with cancer.

Images:
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Name: B. Strong
SortName: B. Strong
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Overview:
Barrett Strong (* 5. Februar 1941 in West Point, Mississippi; † 29. Januar 2023 in Detroit, Michigan) war ein US-amerikanischer Songwriter und Sänger. 

Am 12. Januar 1959 hatte Berry Gordy Jr. das unabhängige Plattenlabel Tamla Records gegründet und war auf der Suche nach Talenten. Er fand zunächst Marv Johnson, der auch die erste Single im Tamla-Katalog herausbrachte. Der 18-jährige Barrett Strong spielte Klavier und konnte durchschnittlich singen. Er wurde von Jackie Wilson dem Labelgründer Berry Gordy vorgestellt, der für Wilson ab 1957 einige Hits komponiert hatte. Barrett Strongs erste Single für das neue Tamla-Records-Label war im April 1959 Let’s Rock / Do the Very Best You Can (Tamla 54022), die vierte Single im Label-Katalog.

Im August 1959 improvisierte Berry Gordy im in der Garage neu errichteten Heim-Tonstudio von „Hitsville, U.S.A“ gerade am Klavier, als er die zuhörenden Barrett Strong und Janie Bradford aufforderte: „Los, denkt an etwas, das jeder braucht!“ – „Geld!“ antwortete Bradford. Spontan entstand ein Text, und Barrett Strong, der besser Klavier spielte als Gordy, setzte sich ans Klavier. Es handelte sich um den Titel Money (That’s What I Want), gesungen von Barrett Strong, veröffentlicht am 10. August 1959. Mit einem 2. Platz in den R&B-Charts war er der bisher erfolgreichste – übrigens vom Firmen-Chef Berry Gordy Jr. zusammen mit Janie Bradford geschriebene – Hit. Gordys Bedenken gegen die Veröffentlichung inmitten des Payola-Skandals wurden durch den Erfolg widerlegt. Der gute Plattenverkauf brachte ausreichend Kapital zur Vergrößerung der aufstrebenden Tamla-Motown-Labels.

Strong brachte bei Tamla noch vier weitere, allerdings erfolglos gebliebene Singles heraus, und zwar You Know What to Do / Yes, No, Maybe So (Mai 1960; 54029), I’m Gonna Cry / Whirl Wind (31. August 1960), You Got What It Takes / Money and Me (8. Februar 1961; 54035) und Misery / Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right (3. Juni 1961; 54043) und hatte damit sechs Singles bei Tamla besungen.

Karriere als Komponist:
Erster Erfolg als Komponist (zusammen mit William Stevenson) war für Strong im Januar 1962 für den Noch-Sänger Eddie Holland (später Teil des Autoren-Produzenten-Teams Holland–Dozier–Holland) der Top-30-Song Jamie. Es dauerte jedoch bis 1966, bevor Strong – der meist die Texte schrieb – mit Norman Whitfield die erste gemeinsame Komposition erarbeitete. Es entstand I Heard It Through the Grapevine zunächst für The Miracles im Juni 1966, das zunächst nicht veröffentlicht wurde. Im Juni 1967 wurde es von Gladys Knight & the Pips aufgegriffen (US-Pop Nr. 2), bevor der Song durch Marvin Gaye (Oktober 1968) sogar zur Nr. 1 der Popcharts wurde. Diese Version war für 20 Monate die umsatzstärkste Single des Motown-Konzerns. Inzwischen konnten The Temptations mit dem romantischen I Wish It Would Rain vom Dezember 1967, versetzt mit echten Regen- und Donnergeräuschen, einen 4. Rang in der Pophitparade erreichen. Strong und Whitfield benutzten die Temptations fortan als Vehikel für ihre experimentellen, vom sog. „Motown-Sound“ stark abweichenden Konzepte. Erstes Beispiel war das drogenverherrlichende Cloud Nine über die Schwierigkeiten armer Leute, veröffentlicht am 25. Oktober 1968. Verzerrte Wah-Wah-Gitarren, ganz im Stil von Sly & the Family Stone, unterlegt mit einem schnellen Beat, sorgten für die psychedelische Atmosphäre.

Der neue Sound kam an, denn der Song kletterte bis Platz 6 der Popcharts. Der Hit wurde Vorbild für weitere, ähnlich konzipierte Songs über entlaufene Kinder (Runaway Child Running Wild, Januar 1969), Nachbarnstreit (Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down, Mai 1969) oder die Welt als Ball der Verirrungen mit einer Aufzählung aktueller politischer Probleme (Ball of Confusion, Mai 1970). Die Zeit der beziehungs- und liebesorientierten Texte bei Motown war spätestens mit dem Anti-Kriegs-Epos War für Edwin Starr (Juli 1970, US-1 Pop) beendet. Die Sozialkritik, unterlegt mit orchestralen und zugleich überlangen Soundmischungen, erreichte mit Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone ihren Höhepunkt. Für diese, am 6. September 1972 veröffentlichte und an Nr. 1 notierte Soundcollage über einen Umhertreiber erhielt Strong 1973 einen Grammy für den besten R&B-Song. Insgesamt war Strong als Texter an 21 großen Hits beteiligt.

Als Motown im Juni 1972 nach Los Angeles umzog, verließ Barrett Strong den Konzern und wechselte zu Capitol Records, um sich wieder seiner Gesangskarriere zu widmen. Dort veröffentlichte er die zwei Alben Stronghold (1975) und Live & Love (1976), die jedoch nicht erfolgreich waren. Danach zog er sich beruflich zurück und arbeitete gelegentlich als Songwriter für Fernsehserien.

Im Jahr 2010 wurde das Video des Songs Misery veröffentlicht, co-produziert von Eliza Neals und Martin „Tino“ Gross – das erste Musikvideo in seiner fünfzigjährigen Karriere.

Strong starb am 29. Januar 2023 im Alter von 81 Jahren in Detroit.
(Wikipedia)

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Name: Norman Whitfield
SortName: Norman Whitfield
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Name: C. Mayfield
SortName: C. Mayfield
PresentationUniqueKey: 27534710dd6a454490688067e123d5ec
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Overview:
Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music. He was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums. Mayfield is a winner of both the Grammy Legend Award (in 1994) and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (in 1995), and he was a double inductee into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted as a member of The Impressions into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and again in 1999 as a solo artist. He is also a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

Images:
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Name: J. Cartagena
SortName: J. Cartagena
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Overview:
Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad

Fat Joe's first album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing in 2005. Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a highly publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent, who attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank". His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma duet "Lean Back" with Terror Squad. The song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004.

Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment. His follow up album wasThe Elephant in the Room, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2), the sequel to Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in October 2009. His tenth album The Darkside Vol. 1 was released on July 27, 2010.

Images:
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Name: Three
SortName: Three
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Overview:
3, also known as Three, is an American rock band formed in Woodstock, New York in the early 90s. The band was founded in 1994 as a three piece: Joey Eppard on guitar and lead vocals, Josh Eppard on drums and Chris Bittner on bass. They came to the attention of Universal Records after well-received performances at the Woodstock festival in 1994, eventually getting signed in 1998, but following an unstable relationship with the label through its series of corporate mergers, the band was left with little prospect of releasing their album. Eventually, the band decided to release it on Planet Noise Records, a small indie label, and thenceforth managed themselves independently, until their 2005 signing with Metal Blade, on whose label they re-released Wake Pig in late 2005. Their career has been marked by several line-up changes, most notably Josh Eppard's departure to join Coheed and Cambria; the two bands used to be regular touring partners. The band has toured nationally several times, and have appeared on radio stations throughout the United States. Joey Eppard also has an active solo career and released a solo album, Been to the Future, in 2002.

When questioned about the band's name in an interview with Rock Something, Joey Eppard stated that they considered changing the name of the band several times, but always decided to keep the name 3. According to the same interview, the name of the band originally stems from Joey Eppard's own "fascination" with the number: "It is a reference to the construct of our reality as having predominantly 3 aspects. For example, we live in a 3 dimensional universe on the 3rd planet from the sun, experiencing time as past, present and future in a form that consists of mind, body and spirit."

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Name: Ol' Dirty Bastard
SortName: Ol' Dirty Bastard
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Overview:
Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 - November 13, 2004) was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard, ODB, Ason Unique, Osirus, and Big Baby Jesus. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily from Staten Island, New York that first rose to mainstream prominence with their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol' Dirty Bastard went on to pursue a successful solo career. However, his professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including incarceration. He died in late 2004 of a drug overdose, two days before his 36th birthday. Prior to his death, Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to record his third solo album, which has been repeatedly delayed and as of 2012 has not been released.
Jones was often noted for his trademark microphone techniques and his "outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style". His stage name was derived from a childhood nickname given by RZA, the relevance of which was articulated by Method Man's statement that there was "no father to his style".

Images:
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Name: ODBEP
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Name: Instrumentals
SortName: Instrumentals
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ProviderIds: MusicBrainzAlbum=7081d4d2-a9d4-4c84-9458-6352d1fcc87b|DiscogsRelease=16280070
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Name: Ol Dirty Bastard
SortName: Ol Dirty Bastard
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Overview:
Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 - November 13, 2004) was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard, ODB, Ason Unique, Osirus, and Big Baby Jesus. He was one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan, a rap group primarily from Staten Island, New York that first rose to mainstream prominence with their 1993 debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
After establishing the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol' Dirty Bastard went on to pursue a successful solo career. However, his professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including incarceration. He died in late 2004 of a drug overdose, two days before his 36th birthday. Prior to his death, Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to record his third solo album, which has been repeatedly delayed and as of 2012 has not been released.
Jones was often noted for his trademark microphone techniques and his "outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style". His stage name was derived from a childhood nickname given by RZA, the relevance of which was articulated by Method Man's statement that there was "no father to his style".

Images:
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Name: RZA
SortName: RZA
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Overview:
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs (born July 5, 1969), better known by his stage name RZA (pron.: /ˈrɪzə/ RIZ-ə; usually styled RZA), is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, MC, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in hip hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost all of Wu-Tang Clan's albums as well as many Wu-Tang solo and affiliate projects. He has also released solo albums under the alter-ego Bobby Digital, along with executive producing credits for side projects. In addition to the Wu-Tang Clan and his solo releases, RZA was also a founding member of the horrorcore Hip Hop group Gravediggaz where he used the name The RZArector. Furthermore, he has acted in several movies, including Coffee and Cigarettes, American Gangster, Gospel Hill, Life Is Hot in Cracktown, Ghost Dog, Funny People, Derailed, Due Date and Repo Men. He also appears in the Showtime TV series Californication. His directorial debut is for the film he co-wrote and in which he plays the title role, The Man with the Iron Fists, starring Russell Crowe. On November 1, 2012, he introduced the movie at a preview screening in the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, the evening before the Universal picture opened nationwide.

In 2008, Rza was ranked #4 on About.com's list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, while The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's twenty-year history. He also made the "Elite 8" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe.

Images:
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Name: Clipse
SortName: Clipse
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Overview:
Clipse is a critically acclaimed hip hop duo that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 1992. The duo is made up of brothers Gene “Malice” Thornton and Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton, who is also currently signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label. They met Pharrell, of the producing duo, The Neptunes, in 1993, he formed a working relationship with the duo and helped them secure a contract with Elektra Records. Early mixtape success on Clinton Sparks’ Exclusive Audio Footage increased their fan-base, but the group’s major debut single flopped. Williams resuscitated their careers by signing them to his Star Trak Label. The Clipse’s debut album, Lord Willin’, was released in 2002. Label woes delayed the release of their sophomore effort, Hell Hath No Fury, which was released in 2006, to much critical acclaim. During this gap, they released three We Got It For Cheap mixtapes with Ab-Liva and Sandman, the other members of the Re-Up Gang. Their third studio album, Till The Casket Drops, was released in 2009. Their songs have been remixed and mashed up on countless mixtapes, and the unreleased songs they recorded while still on Startrak are out as a mixtape called The Lost Tracks. Pusha-T released his first solo album, Fear of God, in 2011, around the same time that Malice published the book “Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind, & Naked”.

Images:
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Name: Pharrell
SortName: Pharrell
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Overview:
Stil-Ikone in T-Shirt, Trucker-Cap und Camo-Short? Gestatten, Pharrell Williams. Der erste selbsternannten Nerd auf dem GQ-Cover und wahrscheinlich die coolste Sau der Welt.

Am 05. April 1973 in Virginia Beach beginnt die eindrucksvolle Geschichte vom durchschnittlichen Mittelklassekind, das dank kompromisslosem Style zu einem der einflussreichsten Musikschaffenden des 21. Jahrhunderts avanciert. Den Grundstein für seine musikalische Karriere, an die sich der Werdegang zum Superstar und zur Stil-Ikone anschließt, legt das Zusammentreffen mit dem aus den Philippinen stammenden Chad Hugo in einem Workshop für hochbegabte Jugendliche an der High School von Virginia. Eigentlich die ganz klassische Story: Zwei Musikverrückte treffen sich und bugsieren sich gegenseitig in neue Dimensionen. Wo die einen jedoch Grenzen erkennen müssen, beginnt bei Chad und Pharrell die gegenseitige musikalische Befruchtung erst.

In der High School zimmern Pharrell und Chad ihre ersten Beats. Pharrell rappt außerdem und kann sich schon in jungen Jahren über eine akzeptable Singstimme freuen. Was in rückblickender Betrachtung dem schieren Wahnsinn gleicht, soll Pharrell sogar eine zeitlang mit Produzentengott Timbaland und dem Rapper Magoo ein und derselben Band angehört haben. Unter dem Namen Surrounded by Idiots treiben die Jungs für kurze Zeit in Virginia ihr Unwesen. Wer einmal in den Genuss dieser raren Tracks kommt, sollte sich jedoch nicht über fehlende Synthesizer wundern. Pharrell hatte sich Anfang/Mitte der Neunziger voll und ganz den Tönen von A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, De La Soul und Rakim verschrieben. Dementsprechend klingt auch der Sound der heutigen Meisterriege des elektronischen Hip Hops. Surrounded by Idiots trennen sich jedoch, und Pharrell widmet fortan seine gesamte Zeit der Teamarbeit mit Chad Hugo.

Trotz des schwierigen Standortes Virginia Beach - die Neptunes-Rapper Clipse sprechen einmal von "not low enough to be Dirty South and not high enough to be East Coast" - bekommen Pharrell und Chad den Fuß in die Business-Tür. Tatkräftige Unterstützung leistet hierbei der New Jack Swing-Pionier Teddy Riley, der die Neptunes unter seine Fittiche nimmt. Nach der gemeinsamen Arbeit für die R'n'B-Truppe SWV kommt es zum Kontakt mit Sean "Diddy" Combs, der die Jungs auf der Stelle für die Produktion von Total und Ma$e verpflichten will.

Dem zuvor kommt jedoch der Track "Superthug" von Noreaga - die ersten Neptunes'schen Synthiewalzen rollen über die Hip Hop-Welt hinweg. Begeisterung macht sich breit, die Übernahme erst des Genres, dann der ganzen Musikwelt kann beginnen. Es folgen Produktionen für so ziemlich jeden Artist, der sich im Laufe der Zeit einen Namen machte. Ein kleiner Auszug: LL Cool J, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Babyface, Busta Rhymes, Kid Rock, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Mystikal, Nas, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Common, Guru, Prince, Snoop Dogg, Nelly und so weiter und so fort.

Damit nicht genug. Die Produktion der Single "Girlfriend" für die Boygroup *N Sync eröffnet den Neptunes das Tor zur weiten - und vor allem goldenen - Welt des Pops. Und dort warten schon die hungrigen Sängerinnen und Sänger auf eine Produktion. Der Grund liegt nahe: Sie haben sich zum sicheren Hitgaranten gemausert. Am eigenen Leib dürfen das Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Destiny's Child und viele andere mehr spüren. Weichei-Pop heißt das aber noch lange nicht für das Duo. Als Gegengewicht für die Pop-Produktionsarbeit gründen Pharrell und Chad mit Shay am Mikro das Trio N.E.R.D. Und hier werden musikalisch gar keine Gefangenen gemacht. Auf der ersten Scheibe "In Search Of ... ", 2001, schlackern den Hörern vor lauter Synthie-Geballer nur noch so die Ohren. Auf der Zweitauflage "In Search Of ... (New Version)" spielen die Jungs das komplette Album mit Live-Instrumenten nach und ziehen schließlich sogar die Riege der Gitarrenfreunde auf ihre Seite.

Der Rummel um die Neptunes steigt ins Unermessliche, verbeißt sich aber zum größten Teil an der Person von Pharrell Williams. Der lässt sich davon jedoch nicht verunsichern und hält sich überzeugt weiterhin für nicht viel mehr als einen Nerd. Seine außergewöhnliche Stimme, die er größtenteils im Falsett-Style zum Besten gibt, spricht dahingehend jedoch eine ganz andere Sprache. Nach zahlreichen Hooklines gönnt sich Pharrell auf der Label-Compilation des eigenen Labels Star Trak Music, die 2003 erscheint, schließlich seinen ersten eigenen Song. Und prompt stolziert auch "Frontin'" mit 16 Zeilen vom Jiggaman in vorderen Chartsregionen.

Spätestens jetzt setzt die Öffentlichkeit das Produzententeam Neptunes mit 
Pharrell Williams gleich und lastet dem Styler vor dem Herren - zugegebenermaßen meistens zu Recht - jede Synthieline an, die sich in den oberen Regionen der Charts tummelt. Nachahmer gibt es viele, aber keiner lässt es so krachen, wie die Neptunes. Der Erfolg steigert weiterhin das öffentliche Interesse, 2005 adelt das Modemagazin Esquire den selbsternannten Nerd schließlich zum "best dressed man in the world".

Und Pharrell? Der macht weiterhin in Camo-Short, T-Shirt und selbstdesignten Sneakers Musik und veröffentlicht Ende 2005 die Single "Can I Have It Like That" als Teaser für sein Solo-Debüt "In My Mind". Die Single funktioniert. Nicht zuletzt wegen der Zusammenarbeit mit Gwen Stefani, mit der Pharrell zu Beginn des Jahres ja schon mit "Hollaback Girl" einen der Hits des Jahres hatte. Was vielmehr verwundert ist, dass sich Pharrell auch als respektabler Rapper behaupten kann. Sein Album besteht nämlich zu 50 Prozent aus Rap-Tracks und zur anderen Hälfte aus R'n'B-Stücken. Das reimende Alter Ego Lil' Skateboard P wechselt sich also mit Falsett-Pharrell ab und zaubert einen gelobten Einstand für die Solo-Karriere. Was als nächstes kommt, ist genauso unabsehbar wie der Einfluss, den Pharrell mit seinem Partner Chad Hugo für die kontemporäre Musikentwicklung tatsächlich geleistet hat.

Fakt ist: Pharrell hat sich, von seiner teils umstrittenen musikalischen Genialität einmal abgesehen, als Stil-Ikone etabliert. Designeraufträge für Louis Vuitton, Jacob The Jeweler, etliche eigene Klamottenmarken (Billionaire Boys Club, Ice Cream) und Fotoshoots in edelstem Zwirn für die Hochglanzmagazine der Welt sind dafür Beweis genug.

Images:
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Name: J.R. Writer
SortName: J.R. Writer
PresentationUniqueKey: 1f02dcfe1eb5416f8b89505c9ff9c8b3
ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=243806|MusicBrainzArtist=a111c7e6-bbb7-43bc-a2dd-f0aee3a592c1|AudioDbArtist=153759
Overview:
Juan Rusty Brito (born May 28, 1984) better known by his stage name J.R. Writer, is a Dominican American rapper and freestyle champion. He is from Harlem, New York. He was also a member of East Coast hip hop group The Diplomats. On March 18, 2014, J.R. Writer began a prison sentence at Ulster Correctional Facility, in New York State.


Name: Akon
SortName: Akon
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Overview:
Akon (* 16. April 1973 in St. Louis, Missouri als Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam) ist ein US-amerikanischer Musiker, Songwriter und Musikproduzent senegalesischer Herkunft. Seine Musikrichtungen basieren auf Hip-Hop, Rap , Contemporary R&B, Pop und traditioneller afrikanischer Musik. Er ist außerdem Gründer der Musiklabel Konvict Muzik und Kon Live Distribution.
Akon wurde als Sohn des bekannten Percussionisten und Jazzmusikers Mor Thiam geboren und verbrachte die ersten Jahre im Senegal. Im Alter von sieben Jahren kam Akon mit seiner Familie nach New Jersey in die USA. Dort kam er erstmals mit R'n'B in Berührung und geriet nach einiger Zeit in kriminelle Kreise.

Eigenen Angaben zufolge inspirierte ihn eine mehrjährige Gefängnisstrafe zu seiner Single Locked Up. Des Weiteren soll sein Stiefbruder, der Choreograph Divine Stevens, der ihn aus der Kriminalität holen wollte, sein Talent als Musiker entdeckt und heimlich dessen Demoaufnahme an Plattenfirmen verschickt haben. Schließlich bekam er Antwort von Street Records Corporation, die Akon einen Plattenvertrag anboten. Im Juni 2004 veröffentlichte der Senegalese sein Debütalbum Trouble. Die erste Singleauskopplung Locked Up erreichte die Top Ten der US-amerikanischen Billboard-Charts. Mit einigen Monaten Verzögerung stieg er im März 2005 auch in Großbritannien bis auf Platz fünf der Singlecharts und kam unter die 20 meistverkauften Singles in Deutschland. Im Mai 2005 erreichte er mit Lonely Platz 1 der deutschen und der britischen Single-Charts. In dem Lied verwendet er ein gepitchtes (in der Tonhöhe verändertes) Sample aus Mr. Lonely von Bobby Vinton.

Außerdem gründete Akon 2005 zusammen mit Melvin Brown ein eigenes Musiklabel namens Konvict Muzik. In fast allen seinen Songs kommt das Wort „convicted“ (auf Deutsch: „verurteilt“) vor, meistens sogar zu Beginn des Liedes, welches eine Art Markenzeichen von Akon ist. Zu diesem Musiklabel gehören unter anderem Jeffree Star, Lady GaGa und T-Pain.


Unterschrift des Musikers
Ende 2009 wurde bekannt gegeben, dass im folgenden Jahr sein viertes Studioalbum Stadium erscheinen werde. Die Fertigstellung verzögerte sich jedoch aufgrund Arbeiten mit anderen Künstlern und auch der Titel des Albums wurde mehrmals geändert: von Stadium zu Akonic, zu Konkrete. Im September 2010 erschien dann die erste Single Angel, die Akon zusammen mit seinem Freund David Guetta produzierte.

Images:
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Name: Bubba Sparxx
SortName: Bubba Sparxx
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Overview:
Bubba Sparxxx (born Warren Anderson Mathis on March 6, 1977, in LaGrange, Georgia) is an American rapper. Sparxxx is most notable for his hit singles “Ms. New Booty”, “Ugly” and “Deliverance”, and for being one of the few white rappers to find mainstream commercial success in hip hop.

A native of LaGrange, Georgia, a young Andy Mathis was introduced to hip hop music by a neighbor (his closest at a half mile away) who received mixed tapes mailed from New York City. He began recording with Lil Devil in a group called One Card Shi in 1996, but the partnership did not last. A subsequent release saw some success in Georgia, and the album Dark Days, Bright Nights caught the attention of Jimmy Iovine of Interscope Records. He signed to Interscope after a bidding war and began working with record producers Timbaland and Organized Noize. The major-label version of Dark Days, Bright Nights, which now included five collaborations with Timbaland and two with Organized Noize, debuted at #3 on the Billboard Music Charts. In late 2003, he returned with his sophomore album, Deliverance.

He is currently signed to OutKast’s Purple Ribbon Label, distributed through Virgin Records.

Images:
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Name: Ghostface
SortName: Ghostface
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Overview:
Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career with Ironman in 1996, which was well received by music critics. He has continued his success over the following years with critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and FishScale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing. He is the founder of his own label Starks Enterprises.
Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his emotional stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs. In 2006, MTV included him on their honorable mention list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, while the editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), praising him as "one of the most imaginative storytellers of our time." Ghostface's storytelling abilities have widely been praised, with Q magazine calling him "rap's finest storyteller."

Images:
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Name: Ne-Yo
SortName: Ne-Yo
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Overview:
"Ich glaube, der schwierigste Teil ist, sich daran zu gewöhnen, dass man bekannt ist. Ich war bisher immer der Texter, der Typ im Hintergrund. Jetzt nach vorne zu treten, auf der Bühne zu stehen und der eigentliche Künstler zu sein, ist eine völlig neue Erfahrung für mich." Ne-Yo wagt im März 2006 den Schritt aus dem Schatten ins Rampenlicht und meistert die Herausforderung mit Bravour.

Shaffer Chimere Smith kommt am 18. Oktober 1982 in Arkansas zur Welt. Er wächst bei seiner Mutter auf, die allerdings in der Provinz keine Chancen für ihren Sprössling sieht. Um ihm das bieten zu können, das sie für "ein besseres Leben" hält, ziehen sie schon bald nach Las Vegas um.

Hier geht die Saat auf, die Marvin Gaye, Prince, Stevie Wonder und zahllose andere, deren Musik Shaffer von klein auf begleitet und begeistert, sähen: Der Knabe entdeckt sein Songwriter-Talent. "Ich will mit meinen Texten die Seelen der Leute erreichen, egal, welchen Weg Gott für mich wählt." Der Allmächtige scheint es gut mit Shaffer zu meinen, seine Rechnung geht auf: Schon 2002 hat er einen Plattenvertrag mit Columbia Records in der Tasche.

Das Glück ist allerdings nicht von Dauer, musikalische Differenzen machen eine Zusammenarbeit unmöglich. Im Jahr darauf steht Shaffer wieder ohne Deal auf der Straße. Ein gefundenes Fressen für Def Jam Records: Hier verpasst man dem jungen Künstler den schnittigen Alias Ne-Yo und gibt ihm eine neue Heimat.

Ne-Yo schreibt für Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Musiq, Christina Milian und Jamie Foxx. 2005 verhilft er gemeinsam mit Scott Storch und Kam Houf dem R'n'B-Kollegen Mario mit "Let Me Love You" zum Durchbruch. Die Nummer zählt zu den größten Radio-Hits aller Zeiten in den USA und wird von Ne-Yo später als "perfekte Vorbereitung" auf sein eigenes Album bezeichnet.

Dafür wird es höchste Zeit. Ne-Yos Debüt-Single "Stay" landet 2005 zwar lediglich in den R'n'B-Charts, der Nachfolger "So Sick" sorgt dann aber mächtig für internationalen Wirbel. Wochenlang wird die Ballade rauf- und runtergespielt und trägt Ne-Yo eine von zwei Grammy-Nominierungen ein (Kategorie "Best Male R'n'B Vocal Performance").

Die zweite gibt es als "Best Contemporary R'n'B Album" für "In My Own Words". Der Longplayer erscheint im März 2006, verbindet R'n'B mit klassischen Elementen aus Soul und Pop und erreicht mehrfachen Platin-Status.

Ne-Yo avanciert unterdessen zum gefragten Feature-Künstler. Unter anderem ist er auf Ghostface Killahs "Back Like That" und im Remix zu Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" mit von der Partie. Seine Songwriter-Aktivitäten ruhen ebenfalls nicht. Sowohl Rihannas "Unfaithful" als auch Beyoncés "Irreplaceable" entstammen Ne-Yos Feder. Zudem arbeitet er neben etlichen anderen Künstlern weiterin mit Mario, Jennifer Hudson, Usher aber auch Britney Spears an neuen Songs.

Im November 2006 beehrt Ne-Yo seine deutschen Fans mit einigen Live-Shows. Als Support-Act holt er sich den Berliner Reggaeton- und Hip Hop-Newcomer Lucry ins Boot. Daneben wartet bereits die neueste Herausforderung: 2007 steht mit "Steppin' Up: Save The Last Dance 2" und "Stompin'" Ne-Yos Leinwand-Debüt auf dem Plan.

Bevor neben den Herzen der Fans auch noch die Kinos erobert werden, gibts allerdings erst mal neues Horch-Material. Gemeinsam mit Sarah Connor versucht sich Ne-Yo an Marvin Gayes Klassiker "Sexual Healing". Fabolous stattet er für dessen Album "From Nothin' To Somethin'" einen Besuch ab und nimmt "Make Me Better" auf.

Anfang Juni erscheint die Single "Because Of You", die Appetit auf das eine Woche darauf veröffentlichte gleichnamige Album machen soll. Zumindest auf Kanye West verfehlt der Track seine Wirkung nicht: Er quirlt die Nummer umgehend durch seine Remix-Mühle. Auf "Because Of You", dem Longplayer, mischen neben verschiedenen Produzenten Jay-Z und Jennifer Hudson mit.

Die mannigfaltigen Tätigkeiten halten Ne-Yo nicht davon ab, die eingeschlagene Solo-Karriere weiter zu verfolgen. Nachdem der Knoten erst einmal geplatzt und das Debüt veröffentlicht ist, erscheint in schöner Regelmäßigkeit Album um Album. Ne-Yo arbeitet sich beharrlich und beständig zu einer fixen Größe hoch, die aus der R'n'B-, Pop- und Hip Hop-Landschaft des angebrochenen 21. Jahrhunderts vor nur schwer wegzudenken ist - und das vor wie hinter den Kulissen.

Images:
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Name: LL Cool J
SortName: LL Cool J
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Overview:
Ladies Love Cool James, und nicht nur die. Alle miteinander haben sie gute Gründe dafür. James Todd 'LL Cool J' Smith zählt fraglos zu den Pionieren seines Fachs, lange Zeit zu den kommerziell erfolgreichsten Rappern aus den Staaten, und erfreut sich darüber hinaus einer florierenden Karriere als Schauspieler.

"The Greatest Of All Time" nennt er, entsprechend selbstbewusst, sich selbst und betitelt so und im Jahr 2000 auch ein Album.

Sein Vater sucht schon frühzeitig das Weite. Die Musikbegeisterung bekommt Klein-James von seinem Jazz-verrückten Opa in die Wiege gelegt. Er übernimmt die Vaterrolle und übt erheblichen Einfluss aus: Statt eines Fahrrads schenkt er dem Enkel das erste DJ-Set-Up zu Weihnachten.

James, gerade 13 Jahre alt, packt der Ehrgeiz. Neben dem DJing versucht er sich an eigenen Tracks. Seine Demo-Bänder schickt er an alle erdenklichen Labels. Rick Rubin, der zu dieser Zeit seine Plattenfirma Def Jam aus der Taufe hebt, bekommt wenig später eins in die Finger.

Auch sein Kompagnon Russell Simmons zeigt sich überzeugt von den Fähigkeiten des jungen Talents. Def Jam nimmt den mittlerweile 16-Jährigen unter Vertrag. Die erste Produktion dort, "I Need A Beat", ebnet LL Cool J den Weg zum Debüt-Album "Radio". Die New Yorker Village Voice wittert darin das "beste und originellste Rap-Album des Jahres".

Der Nachfolger "B.A.D. - Bigger And Deffer" klingt größtenteils ähnlich rau. Den kommerziellen Durchbruch beschert LL Cool J aber die smoothe Kuschelnummer "I Need Love". Die New Yorker Hip Hop-Gemeinde zerreißt sich munter die Mäuler. Der Spagat zwischen Rough und Soft, den LL Cool J auch auf seinen kommenden Alben vollzieht, erweist sich aber als mit Gold gepflasterter Mittelweg.

"Walking With A Panther" befördert LL Cool J Ende der 80er erneut in die oberen Regionen der Charts. Den Vogel schießt er allerdings erst 1990 mit "Mana Said Knock You Out" ab. Die gleichnamige Single samt zugehörigem Video rotiert bei MTV und beschert LL Cool J Kultstatus und einen Grammy.

Noch Jahrzehnte später dient die Nummer manchem Boxer als Aufmarsch-Melodie. MTV lädt LL Cool J 1991 ein, das zugehörige Album in einer "Unplugged"-Session zu spielen - als ersten Hip Hop-Künstler überhaupt.

Nachdem "14 Shots To The Dome" mehr Rügen als Lorbeeren einfährt, besinnt sich LL Cool J 1995 mit "Mr. Smith" wieder auf seine früheren Stärken. Eine weise Wahl: Im Zuge des Hip Hop- und R'n'B-Booms, der die US-amerikanischen Charts beherrscht, verkauft sich auch das 1997er-Album "Phenomenon" wie geschnitten Brot.

Doch LL Cool J gehört nicht zu den Typen, die sich auf erreichtem Ruhm ausruhen. Er verfasst Bücher, macht sich als Schauspieler in TV-Serien und Kinofilmen einen Namen und veröffentlicht daneben immer wieder einträgliche Platten.

2006 prangt erstmals sein bürgerlicher Name auf einem Plattencover: Von "Todd Smith" ist auf seinem mittlerweile zwölften Album allerdings wenig zu hören. Die Hauptarbeit leisten Kollaborationspartner, darunter Juelz Santana, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, 112, Jennifer Lopez, Ginuwine und ,Jamie Foxx.

"Don't call it a comeback! I've been here for years!" Noch nach Jahrzehnten kündigt dieser Schlachtruf wieder und wieder die Wiederkehr eines Veteranen im Geschäft an. "Authentic" verrät 2013 zumindest eins der Geheimnisse des Erfolgs: "Never try to sound like a rapper I raised."

LL Cool J muss sich nicht bei Trends und Moden anbiedern. Er lädt sich von Seal über Fitz and the Tantrums bis hin zu Bootsy Collins, Earth, Wind & Fire, Snoop Dogg, Fatman Scoop und Eddie Van Halen genau die Gäste ein, auf die er Lust hat. "Wir sind vielleicht keine Teenager mehr. Aber wir haben immer noch Spaß."

Images:
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Name: Chris Brown
SortName: Chris Brown
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Overview:
Chris Brown (* 5. Mai 1989 in Tappahannock, Virginia; eigentlich Christopher Maurice Brown) ist ein US-amerikanischer Hip-Hop-, Contemporary-R&B- und Popmusiker, Songwriter, Tänzer, Schauspieler und Rapper. Außerdem tritt er zeitweise auch als Regisseur von Musikvideos sowie Musikproduzent in Erscheinung. Bekanntheit erlangte er 2005 durch seine Debütsingle Run It!, welche Rang eins in den USA erreichte. Im Juni 2012 erschien sein fünftes Album Fortune. Neben seiner Tätigkeit als Musiker war er auch in einigen Filmen und Fernsehsendungen zu sehen.
Chris Brown wurde am 5. Mai 1989 in der Kleinstadt Tappahannock im US-Bundesstaat Virginia als Sohn von Joyce Hawkins, einer ehemaligen Leiterin einer Kindertagesstätte, und Clinton Brown, einem Justizvollzugsbeamten eines lokalen Gefängnisses, geboren. Zudem hat er eine ältere Schwester namens Lytrell Bundy, welche in einer Bank arbeitet.[1] Seine Eltern ließen sich scheiden, als Brown sechs Jahre alt war. Der Musiker sagte später in einem Interview, dass er mit Gewalt aufwuchs. Der neue Freund seiner Mutter sei ihm gegenüber gewalttätig gewesen, was ihn als Kind „entsetzt“ hätte.[2]

Brown sagte in verschiedenen Interviews, dass er mit der Musik von Michael Jackson, Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder und Sam Cooke aufgewachsen ist, zudem bezeichnete er auch den Sänger Usher als Inspiration.[3][4]

Bis zum Frühjahr 2005 besuchte er die Essex High School in seiner Heimatstadt, anschließend bekam er Privatunterricht.

Von Ende 2007 bis Februar 2009 führte Brown eine Beziehung mit dem karibischen Popstar Rihanna. Im März 2011 wurde bekannt, dass Brown sich in einer Beziehung mit dem Model Karrueche Tran befindet.[5] Anfang Oktober 2012 gab er die Trennung von Tran bekannt, als Gründe hierfür nannte er seine Freundschaft mit Ex-Freundin Rihanna.[6] Nach der Trennung von Tran wurde bekannt, dass Chris Brown mit dem ehemaligen Modell Nia Amey-Guzman eine Tochter hat. Das Mädchen heißt Royalty und ist Ende Mai 2014 geboren worden. [7]

Images:
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Name: Fabolous
SortName: Fabolous
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Overview:
John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is a Grammy award nominated American rapper, actor and designer signed to Def Jam Records. He released his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous in 2001 and has since released 2003’s Street Dreams, 2004’s Real Talk and 2007’s From Nothin’ To Somethin’, all of which have collectively sold over four million copies in the United States. His fourth studio album, Loso’s Way, was released in July of 2009 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

It takes talent to make the struggle to succeed seem effortless, but that is the gift that separates artists like Brooklyn’s John Jackson, aka Fabolous, from the everyday MC. While most rappers spend more and more time convincing the masses of their “hustle,” Fabolous lets his work speak for his effort. With two platinum albums (2001’s Ghetto Fabolous and 2003’s Street Dreams) and one Gold (2004’s Real Talk) to his credit, the veteran hitmaker still exudes a rookie-of-the year swagger. After recording for both Elektra and Atlantic Records, Fab is enjoying a home coming with the legendary Def Jam label. His first recorded song was “If They Want It” from DJ Clue’s The Professional, which was released by Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam in 1998.

“I had people in my corner already over there,” Fab says of DJ Clue and A&R Skane, the Desert Storm duo who discovered Fabolous. “So it wasn’t like I was coming to a new neighborhood.”

Images:
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Name: Keyshia Cole
SortName: Keyshia Cole
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Overview:
Keyshia Myeshia Cole (born October 15, 1981) better known as Keyshia Cole is an American R&B/Soul/Hip-Hop recording artist. She released her platinum selling debut album The Way It Is in June 2005, and her sophomore platinum album Just Like You in September 2007. Cole’s third studio album, A Different Me was released on December 16, 2008, and is also certified platinum. A fourth album, Calling All Hearts was released on December 21, 2010 becoming her fourth consecutive top ten album. Songfacts reports that Enough Of No Love, the first single From Cole’s fifth album Woman To Woman was released on July 3, 2012.

Cole is also known for her popular reality/documentary series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is which aired on BET from 2006 to 2008, depicting Keyshia navigating both her career and strained relationships with her biological mother and sister. Keyshia cites Mary J. Blige and Brandy as her biggest influences and inspirations. Cole’s first experiences with the music industry began at age 12, when she recorded with MC Hammer and 2Pac.

Inspired by her grandmother to further pursue her career, Keyshia left the Bay Area with a rented car and a thousand dollars and moved to Los Angeles, California. Keyshia had written an early version of “Love” and performed it in front of record executives Ron Fair and Jimmy Lovine in June/July 2002. She was then signed by the president of A&M Records, Ron Fair in December 2002. Cole then started to record her debut album.

Images:
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Name: Dilated Peoples
SortName: Dilated Peoples
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Overview:
Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. They achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way", a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West, Xzibit, and John Legend appearing in the music video. They reached the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart with two tracks, "This Way" and "Worst Comes to Worst." Their members include DJ Babu (producer/DJ), Evidence (emcee-producer) and Rakaa Iriscience (emcee) The group also received a publicity spike after their track "Who's Who" appeared on the racing video game, Need for Speed: Underground in 2003.

Images:
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Name: Yung Joc
SortName: Yung Joc
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Overview:
Jasiel Amon Robinson (born September 20, 1980), better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2006 hit single "It's Goin' Down", and as a feature on T-Pain's 2007 U.S. number-one single "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')".

Images:
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Name: Paul Wall
SortName: Paul Wall
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Overview:
Paul Michael Slayton (born March 11, 1981), better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as collaborating with other rappers signed to the label. He was formerly musical partners with rapper Chamillionaire releasing several collaborative albums including the independently released Get Ya Mind Correct. In 2005, he was signed to Atlantic Records and became successful with his major-label debut The Peoples Champ. Get Money, Stay True followed in 2007.

Images:
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Name: YoungBloodz
SortName: YoungBloodz
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Overview:
YoungBloodZ are an American Southern rap duo from Atlanta, Georgia, comprising members J-Bo (born Jeffrey Ray Grigsby on October 4, 1977) and Sean P (born as Sean Paul Henriques II on March 7, 1978. They were signed to LaFace Records. They are one of many commercially successful Atlanta hip hop artists. 

Career:
Jeffrey Ray Grigsby and Sean Paul Henriques II. Sean P in his cousins name Sean Paul, the Jamaican reggae/ dancehall artist of the same name) met at Decatur's Miller Grove Middle School, where they started the Attic Crew with some friends. 
Their debut album was Against Da Grain released in 1999 on LaFace Records. The two are best known for singles such as "U-Way" (1999) and "85" (2000), which featured Big Boi, a well-known member of OutKast and Chris Streng. After a three-year absence, they returned with Cadillac Pimpin' in 2002, scoring a moderate hit. The duo's sophomore effort featured Grammy-nominated single "Damn!", reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming their only Top 10 hit. It was produced by Lil Jon. 
YoungBloodz released Ev'rybody Know Me in 2005, an album that left its own mark on hip-hop with singles like "Datz Me" featuring Young Buck, a then member of G-Unit and another Lil Jon-produced hit "Presidential" and "Chop Chop", produced by Scott Storch. Their song "I'mma Shine" was featured in the 2006 movie Step Up and in its soundtrack. The soundtrack reached number one on the US Billboard Top Soundtracks in 2006. 
YoungbloodZ has made many appearances in a number of hit singles including Cherish's "Do It to It", Sammie's "You Should Be My Girl", both produced by Jazzy Pha. Along with number 1 Billboard song Lil Jon's "Snap Yo Fingers" with E-40. YoungBloodz have also been featured in songs with TI, Nelly, Gucci Mane, Lil Scrappy, Twista, DJ Khaled and T-Pain. The group are working on a new album Back From the Liquor Sto", that is scheduled for release soon. The first official singles from the EP are entitled "Foolish" and "She Drank, She Smoke" both produced by Rawbeatzz. 

Legal issues:
Both members were arrested on June 1, 2006 on drugs and weapons charges in Atlanta after a traffic stop involving a tour bus with an expired license plate. All charges were eventually dropped and bus driver was charged. J-Bo and Sean P never had any trouble with the law before this arrest.

Images:
https://www.theaudiodb.com/images/media/artist/thumb/yssuxw1483604072.jpg*638431917966622286*Primary*0*0*null


Name: Trick Daddy
SortName: Trick Daddy
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Overview:
Trick Daddy, born Maurice Young in 1973, also known as Trick Daddy Dollars or T Double D is a Dirty South rapper from Miami, of Slip-N-Slide Records. Trick Daddy grew up in the Liberty City section of Miami, arguably the city’s roughest area.

Trick Daddy built a substantial following in the south, with the regional hits “Nann Nigga” and “Shut Up” (both featuring fellow Slip-N-Slide rapper Trina) before breaking through to achieve national prominence in 2001 with his hit singles “Take It To Da House” and “I’m A Thug.”

Trick Daddy has since had hit singles in “In Da Wind,” “Sugar (Gimme Some)” and “Let’s Go,” which featured Twista & Lil Jon and production by Jim Jonsin that was highlighted by a crunked up version of Ozzy Osbourne staple “Crazy Train.” “Let’s Go” is Trick Daddy’s most successful hit to date, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Images:
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Name: P$C
SortName: P$C
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Overview:
Unveiled in a national sense on the Hustle & Flow soundtrack (with "I'm a King" and "Murder Game"), P$C (short for Pimp Squad Click) -- an Atlanta rap crew featuring T.I., A.K., C-Rod, Big Kuntry, and Mac Boney -- released the album 25 to Life in September 2005. They had been together for several years prior to that and cut their teeth by touring across the South.


Name: Purple Ribbon All Stars
SortName: Purple Ribbon All Stars
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Overview:
Purple Ribbon All-Stars were a southern hip-hop supergroup under the Purple Ribbon Records (distributed through Virgin Records) label. The group consisted of Big Boi, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, Konkrete, BlackOwned C-Bone, Rock D and Vonnegutt.


Name: Bow Wow
SortName: Bow Wow
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Overview:
Shad Gregory Moss (born March 9, 1987), better known by his stage name Bow Wow (formerly Lil' Bow Wow), is an American rapper, actor and television host. As Lil' Bow Wow, he released his first album, Beware of Dog in 2000 at age 13, which was followed by Doggy Bag 2001. In 2003, Bow Wow released his third album Unleashed, which was the first album released without using Lil' in his name.
Bow Wow made his first movie appearance in All About the Benjamins, in 2002 as a cameo. In the same year, Bow Wow made his debut as the lead role in Like Mike. He later began to undertake lead roles in movies, such as Johnson Family Vacation in 2004 and Roll Bounce in 2005. He also played a supporting role in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006. Bow Wow also appeared in five episodes of the television series Entourage.

Images:
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Name: Nelly
SortName: Nelly
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ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=689796|MusicBrainzArtist=811900b2-68fc-4d41-8bad-69b7a1f4d628|AudioDbArtist=112448
Overview:
St. Louis, in Musikkreisen bisher nur eingefleischten Blues-Freunden ein Begriff erhält durch Cornell Haynes alias Nelly ein neues Kapitel Musikgeschichte. Als erster Rapper der lokalen Hip Hop Szene schafft er den Sprung über den Tellerrand und erregt mit seinem Debütalbum "Country Grammar" weltweit Aufsehen. In der ersten Woche nach Veröffentlichung der Scheibe gehen mehr als eine Million Exemplare über die Ladentische und Nelly gelingt der Sprung an die Spitze der US-Album Charts. Dabei sieht Nellys Weg zunächst nicht so aus als strebe er eine Karriere im Hip Hop an. In Texas geboren lebt er zunächst für drei Jahre in Spanien wo sein Vater für die Air Force arbeitet. Schließlich landet er am Mississippi in St. Louis, wohnt bei verschiedenen Familienmitgliedern und wechselt häufig die Schule. Zu dieser Zeit hat der junge Cornell viel Ärger auf der Straße. Das ändert sich, als er mit seiner Mutter in eine Vorstadt von St. Louis zieht. Dort entdeckt man sein Talent für Baseball und er erhält einige Angebote professionell zu spielen. Doch zur gleichen Zeit lernt der Fan von Rakim, LL Cool J und Run DMC einige Rapper aus St. Louis kennen, was seinen Weg entscheidend verändern soll. Mit fünf Freunden gründet er die St. Lunatics. 1996 gehen sie ins Studio und produzieren ihre erste Single "Gimme What Ya Got". Der Song ist in St. Louis unheimlich populär und wird von den lokalen Radiostationen rauf und runter gespielt. Als die St. Lunatics jedoch nach einigen Jahren immer noch keinen Plattenvertrag an Land ziehen, versucht es Nelly auf eigene Faust und bekommt prompt den Deal mit Universal Records. Dennoch sieht sich der Rapper nicht als Solo-Artist, sondern als Musiker aus der Familie der St. Lunatics, der als erster ein Album veröffentlicht. Nebenbei erreicht er auch gleich ein weiteres Ziel: "Ich will, dass man St. Louis Respekt erweist. Ich will, dass man diese Stadt nicht weiter ignoriert." Und das hat er mit Sicherheit geschafft. Sein Debut verkauft sich weltweit über zehn Millionen mal und mit Free City" kann er auch seine Musikerfamilie St. Lunatics zu Ruhm führen. Die Mainstream-Massen stehen hinter ihm, doch in der Hip Hop-Szene macht er sich keine Freunde. Er gilt als bestes Beispiel für die kreative Stagnation im Rapgame, denn bei ihm verschwimmen die Grenzen zwischen Pop und Hip Hop. Wer großmäulig nur über Frauen, Geld usw. rappt, darf sich dann auch nicht wundern, wenn er nicht wirklich respektiert wird. Da zeugt es sicherlich nicht von gesundem Menschenverstand, Beef mit dem legendären Krs-One herauf zu beschwören. Zwar gibt es für Nelly kaum eine bessere Möglichkeit, um sein neues Album "Nellyville" zu promoten, und mutig scheint der Junge auch zu sein. Doch in Sachen Battle-Lyrics geht er gegen den Teacher unter wie die Titanic. Nachdem es wegen indirekter Disse in den Songs "Hot" (Krs-One) und "1" (Nelly) zu Unstimmigkeiten zwischen den Rappern kommt, feuern beide Seiten kontinuierlich weitere verbale Freestyle-Schüsse via Radio und Mixtapes ab. Nelly wirft Krs vor, durch ihn seine Verkaufszahlen hoch zu schrauben. Krs dagegen hält Nelly für keinen "Real Hip Hop" und kritisiert zudem seine frauenfeindlichen, oberflächlichen Texte. Gleichgültig wie die Auseinandersetzung auch endet, Nelly bleibt im Gespräch. Seine zweite Platte geht in den USA während der ersten zwei Wochen rund eine Million mal über die Ladentische. 2004 meldet er sich mit einem Paukenschlag zurück. Weniger in qualitiativer denn in quantitativer Hinsicht. Mit "Sweat" und "Suit" lässt der mittlerweile zum Superstar avancierte Pop-Rapper aus St. Louis gleich zwei Alben an einem Tag auf die Menschheit los. Mit Erfolg: In den USA belegen die Alben auf Anhieb Platz eins und zwei der Billboard Charts. 2005 wird weiterhin kontrovers über Nelly diskutiert: Vor einem Auftritt in Arkansas protestieren Wortführer mehrerer religiöser Vereinigungen gegen die expliziten Texte des Rappers. Der stört sich daran aber wenig und bringt ein Jahr später zusammen mit seinen St.Lunatics "Who's The Boss" heraus. Gleichzeitig arbeitet er an "Brass Knuckels", das im August 2008 erscheint. Mit Gastbeiträgen von u.a. Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Fergie, Lil Wayne etc. erreicht er immerhin noch Platz drei der US-Charts. Im Sommer 2009 belegt er im Billboard-Ranking der besten Musiker des Jahrzehnts den dritten Platz. Ein tragischer Zwischenfall lässt ihn den Veröffentlichungstermin von "Nelly 5.0" jedoch auf Ende des Jahres verschieben: Nellys Cousin und enger Freund Michael Johnson wird ermordet. Das Album erreicht für seine Verhältnisse nur durchschnittliche Chartplatzierungen, in der ersten Woche landet es aber noch unter den Top 10. Die Gästeliste des Albums ist wieder einmal gespickt mit Hochkarätern. In der kommenden Zeit fokussiert Nelly sich auf Nebenprojekte. Er veröffentlicht eine erfolgreiche Mode-Kollektion sowie eine Fitness-DVD mit dem Namen "Celebrity Sweat". Parallel ruft er die zwei wohltätigen Stiftungen "4Sho4Kids" und "Jes Us 4 Jackie" ins Leben. 2013 widmet sich Nelly wieder der Musik, sein neues Album "M.O." erscheint am 30. September. Eine erste Singleauskopplung ("Hey Porsche") erscheint bereits Anfangs des Jahres, eine zweite ("Get Like Me") featured Pharrell Williams und Nicki Minaj. Mittlerweile sind die Grenzen zwischen Hip Hop und Pop aber nicht nur verschwommen, er scheint ganz angekommen zu sein in den Pop-Mainstream-Gefilden.

Images:
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Name: Dem Franchise Boyz
SortName: Dem Franchise Boyz
PresentationUniqueKey: 7421e4e3ce35464b9bcc32051f307ab0
ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=470620|MusicBrainzArtist=f67ade4c-3b10-497d-a6a7-1f9f05772439|AudioDbArtist=117962
Overview:
Dem Franchize Boyz was a Southern Rap group from Atlanta signed to E1 Music. The group had four members: Parlae (born Maurice Gleaton), Pimpin' (Jamal Willingham), Jizzal Man (Bernard Leverette), and Buddie (Gerald Tiller). 

History:
The group was signed to Universal Records in 2004 after performing unsigned. Universal released the group's self-titled debut album in September of that year with hit single "White Tee", which BET featured for some time. In 2005, record producer Jermaine Dupri signed Dem Franchize Boyz to his label So So Def after transferring it from Arista Records to Virgin Records. Dem Franchize Boyz' remix of their earlier track "Oh I Think They Like Me" was retitled simply "I Think They Like Me" and featured Dupri, Bow Wow, and Da Brat and topped the Billboard R&B chart. So So Def released On Top Of Our Game in 2006, and single "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" followed. "Lean Wit It" was among several "snap music" singles popular in early 2006, such as "Laffy Taffy" by D4L and "Play" by David Banner. 
Dem Franchize Boyz collaborated with Korn to produce a mash-up of "Lean wit It, Rock wit It" and "Coming Undone" called "Coming Undone wit It". They are also featured in Monica's single "Everytime tha Beat Drop". They released their third album, Our World, Our Way on Koch Records on September 30, 2008. 

Personal life:
Parlae was arrested on June 13, 2006 after police raided a studio and found drugs, weapons, and money. All charges were later dropped.

Images:
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Name: Pitbull
SortName: Pitbull
PresentationUniqueKey: c20004dbbbd745a29d1677ea5855bba9
ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=671884|MusicBrainzArtist=d262ea27-3ffe-40f7-b922-85c42d625e67|AudioDbArtist=113324
Overview:
Lyrik wird Armando Perez bereits in frühester Kindheit eingetrichtert: Seine Eltern, beide Exil-Kubaner, lassen ihren Sohn Gedichte des kubanischen Poeten Jose Martí auswendig lernen. Dies sieht der Rapper rückblickend als Grundsteinlegung einer Musikkarriere an, die ihm inzwischen eine Platzierung in den Top Ten der amerikanischen Billboard-Charts eingebracht hat.

Aufgewachsen in Miami pflegt der junge Mann schon früh den Umgang mit fremden Kulturen. Während die breite Masse Atlanta als Hauptstadt der Dirty South-Bewegung ansieht, sieht er die Roots allerdings in Florida: "Crunk hat ganz unten in Miami angefangen. Es ist nichts anderes als verlangsamte Bass Music, und deren Wurzeln liegen in Miami."

Dass ein anderer den Crunk aus den Kinderschuhen hievt, nämlich Lil' Jon, stellt sich für den Pitbull allerdings nicht als Nachteil heraus. Während des Megahypes um "Kings Of Crunk" erweist er sich als der richtige Mann am richtigen Ort: Er bekommt einen Freestyle-Part auf der Platte und schwimmt so im Fahrtwasser bis an die Spitze. Die Debütsingle "Culo", produziert von Lil' Jon, reicht als Aushängeschild locker aus, um das folgende Debütalbum "M.i.a.m.i. - Money Is A Major Issue" dick in die Charts zu katapultieren.

Zu diesem Zeitpunkt reicht die Karriere des 1981 geborenen US-Kubaners allerdings schon einige Jährchen zurück. Beeinflusst von Meisterwerken von Ost- (Nas' "Illmatic") und Westküste (Dres G-Funk-Meisterwerk "The Chronic" und Snoop Doggs "Doogystyle") feilt er an seinen Freestyle-Skillt und überschwemmt Miami mit Mixtapes. Ein erstes Licht am Horizont, die Begegnung mit Produzent Irv Gotti (unter anderem Ashanti, Ja Rule und DMX) endet ergebnislos. Erst die Zusammenarbeit mit den Diaz Brothers, die Kontakte zu Lil' Jon unterhalten, erwies sich als das richtige Rezept, richtig durchzustarten.

2005 erscheint sein zweites Album "Money Is Still A Major Issue", ein Jahr darauf veröffentlicht Pitbull "El Mariel". Innerhalb der nächsten vier Jahre fügen sich mit "The Boatlift" (2007), "Rebelutions" (2009) und dem ganz in spanisch gehaltenen "Armando" (2010) drei weitere Longplayer in die Pittbulsche Diskografie ein, ehe der Rapper im Jahr 2011 mit "Planet Pit" das halbe Dutzend voll macht.

Hochrangige Kollegen betteln förmlich um Mitwirkung, und so finden sich letztlich so illustre Zeitgenossen wie Enrique Iglesias, Sean Paul, Kelly Rowland, Crystal Waters, Jamie Foxx und David Guetta an der Tür von Pitbull ein, um sich am "Planet Pit"-Schaffen zu beteiligen. Die Single "Give Me Everything" schafft es in England und den USA gar an die Spitze der Charts.

Bereits vor der Veröffentlichung des nächsten Albums "Global Warming" im November 2012 macht Pitbull bereits mit der Single "Back In Time" von sich reden, die als Soundtrack zu "Men In Black 3" in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz die Top 10 der Single-Charts erreicht. Auch zwei weitere Singleauskopplungen ("Get It Started" featuring Shakira und "Don't Stop The Party" featuring TJR) sind international erfolgreich. Auf dem Album sind zudem Featurings mit Künstlern wie Christina Aguilera, Usher, Chris Brown, Jennifer Lopez und Enrique Iglesias vertreten.

Vor allem der stetig wachsende Zuspruch aus der Heimat seiner Eltern bedeutet dem Hip Hop-Maestro viel: "Ich glaube die Leute mögen mich, weil ich sie repräsentiere, ich rede über uns, über mich und meine Leute. Es ist mir eine Ehre meine Kultur so einfließen lassen zu können und so viele andere Kulturen damit zu begeistern."

Images:
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Name: Ying Yang Twins
SortName: Ying Yang Twins
PresentationUniqueKey: 1ba8820d60724e7b88b133a4924aa19c
ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=165375|MusicBrainzArtist=2e80ba15-ec0f-4bd4-b263-7e0671f38255|AudioDbArtist=117700
Overview:
The Ying Yang Twins are an Atlanta-based American hip hop duo consisting of Kaine (born Eric Jackson on December 16, 1978) and D-Roc (born De'Angelo Holmes on February 23, 1979). The group debuted in 2000 and rose to mainstream popularity in 2003 collaborating with Lil Jon in his single "Get Low". In 2004 and 2005, Ying Yang Twins became more popular with party singles "Salt Shaker", "What's Happnin", "Shake", and "Badd". They have received notoriety for their song "Halftime (ft. Homebwoi)" which is played at New Orleans Saints homegames after most touchdowns.

Images:
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Name: Slim Thug
SortName: Slim Thug
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Overview:
Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1980), better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Sheffield Wednesday, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'".
Slim Thug grew up in Houston's Northside neighborhood of Homestead/Scenic Woods. Slim says that his rap name come from the fact that as a teenager, he was very tall and lanky before he filled out. He stands 6'6" tall. The Thug part comes from people's assumptions of him due to his fresh braids and sunglasses. At age 17, he performed freestyle raps at local high school parties. He began his rap career with Swishahouse in the late 1990s. After realizing how much money he could make distributing his own mixtapes, he parted ways with Swishahouse on good terms and formed his own independent label, Boss Hogg Outlawz. Thomas bought two record stores and worked in real estate.

Images:
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Name: Lil Flip
SortName: Lil Flip
PresentationUniqueKey: 7b8e939ec1b4463cb7efab8e2012b1bb
ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=111506|MusicBrainzArtist=981d39fc-bd00-4cc6-ac67-6410f8b89098|AudioDbArtist=125565
Overview:
Wesley Eric Weston, Jr. (born March 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. He is best known for his singles "Sunshine", "Game Over", "The Way We Ball", "I Can Do Dat" and "Rollin on 20's" from the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack.

Wesley Eric Weston, Jr.(born March 3, 1981),went to Worthing High School (Houston, Texas). He is known for his freestyle ability and claims to have been on 1000 mixtapes.

Lil' Flip, amid the growing underground rap scene in Houston, Texas, quickly rose to fame after independently releasing the 2000 album titled, The Leprechaun, which broke through to a national audience. Flip, as a teenager (he was 19 when he released the album) won the attention of the highly respected DJ Screw, who added the rapper into his loose-knit rap group called the Screwed Up Click, an affiliation that brought instant respect for Flip throughout Texas as well as the greater South. Later on before his untimely death, DJ Screw pronounced Lil Flip, "The Freestyle King."

In 2002 Columbia Records offered Flip a contract and Suckafree a distribution deal. Flip stated "We felt that they not only respected what we'd already accomplished on our own, but they also saw the big picture of what me as an artist, and Hump and I as Suckafree's CEOs were all about." Lil Flip released his debut studio album Undaground Legend on August 27, 2002. The album was certified Platinum in December 2002. It contained his hit single "The Way We Ball". In 2003 Lil' Flip was also featured in David Banner single "Like A Pimp". Then he also made featured appearance on Yung Wun's charting single "Tear It Up". He also made another appearance on Three 6 Mafia single "Ridin' Spinners" that made the charts. In 2003, he also did a track with Ludacris called "Screwed Up". In 2004 Flip released his second album U Gotta Feel Me it was his most successful album to date. Lil' Flip's label Columbia restructured Flip ended up at Sony Urban Music which could promote his work better. The first single from the album was "Game Over (Flip)". After that he quickly released his second single, "Sunshine" featuring Lea Sunshine. This album sold 198,000 domestic copies in its first week and was certified double Platinum by August, 2004. Lil' Flip also made an appearance on the "Naughty Girl (Remix)" with Beyoncé in 2004. He was also featured on Chingy's Powerballin' on the remix of Chingy's successful hit single "Balla Baby". In 2004 he also made a remix to his hit single "Game Over (Flip)" which featured Young Buck and Bun B. He also made a guest appearance on Nelly's successful 2004 album "Sweat". He also collaborated with Jim Jones and The Game on the "Certified Gangstas (Remix)" in 2004. In 2005 Lil' Flip & Z-Ro made a collaboration album entitled Kings of the South. Also in 2005 Lil' Flip was featured in Chamillionaire's first single "Turn It Up". He was also featured in the remix of Bun B's single "Draped Up".

Ahead of My Time was originally set to be released as early as 2007, but was pushed back many times and was finally released on July 6, 2010. Lil' Flip released two "album-before-the-album's" in 2009 to help promote the release of Ahead of My Time. The two albums were: Respect Me and Underground Legend 2.

Images:
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Name: T-Pain
SortName: T-Pain
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Overview:
Im Hip Hop-Geschäft gibt es sie immer wieder, die Hookmaschinen. Wenn die Rapper zwischen ihren Strophen Verschnaufpausen brauchen, übernehmen sie das Mikro und geben dem Song das gewisse Etwas.

T-Pain ist einer dieser Sänger, die die Refrains der Rap-Songs wie am Fließband abarbeiten. Als Faheem Najm im Jahr 1985 in Tallahassee, Florida geboren, schlägt der Heranwachsende recht früh den Weg des Musikers ein. Schon in jungen Jahren baut er das Kinderzimmer in ein Studio um, trällert Songs und begleitet sich selbst auf dem Keyboard. Er schließt die Schule ab und gründet die Band Nappy Heads. Die Jungs machen Rap, haben aber mit ausbleibendem Erfolg zu kämpfen. Nichtsdestotrotz erlangen sie einen gewissen Bekanntheitsgrad in der Nachbarschaft, sowie eine gewisse musikalische Expertise, die sich im Fall von T-Pain noch bezahlt machen sollte.

Denn all das liefert Voraussetzungen für eine kleine Hollywood-Story. 2003 erlaubt sich der Sänger und Rapper einen Spaß und produziert eine Coverversion des äußerst erfolgreichen Akon Songs "Locked Up". Er nennt seine Version "I'm Fucked Up" und dudelt sich so in die lokalen Radiostationen. Akon, der sich gerade selbst als Hookmaschine etabliert, hört den Song und findet Gefallen daran. Er macht den gerade Volljährigen ausfindig. Denn Akon ist gerade dabei, mit seinem eigenen Label Konvict Music durchzustarten. Die Beiden einigen sich und fortan ist T-Pain für das Jive-Imprint unter Vertrag.

Akon lässt seine weitreichenden Kontakten zu allerlei Rappern spielen und verschafft T-Pain für sein Debüt "Rappa Ternt Sanga" Gastauftritte etlicher namhafter Rapper: Mike Jones, Styles, Trick Daddy, die YoungBloodz und BoneCrusher. Als Chef und Freund ist er natürlich auch selbst von der Partie. Besonders die erste Single "I'm Sprung" schießt ohne Vorwarnung in die amerikanischen Charts. Der Grund ist leicht erklärt: Neben dem simplen R'n'B/Hip Hop-Mix sticht T-Pains Stimme aus dem Rest der Konkurrenz heraus. T-Pain gibt seiner Stimme mit technischer Hilfe eine etwas andere Note. Mit der Unterstützung eines Vocoders verzerrt er stellenweise seine Stimme und setzt somit die Klangqualität des eigenen Organs herunter. In ähnlicher Weise hatte Cher vor einigen Jahren mit ihrem Song "Believe" die weltweiten Charts regiert.

Sowohl "I'm Sprung" als auch der Nachfolger "I'm N Luv (Wit A Stripper)" katapultieren T-Pain in die erste Riege einer neuen R'n'B-Generation, die simple Instrumentals mit Hilfe von bekannten Rappern bearbeitet. Zusätzlich kümmert sich T-Pain um große Teile der Produktion und hat somit großen Einfluss auf das eigene Soundbild.

Die Erfolgssträhne bricht auch mit dem zweiten Album "Epiphany" nicht ab, das Mitte 2007 erscheint. Insbesondere die Tracks "Buy U A Drank" und "Bartender" laufen in jedem Club der Welt rauf und runter. "Buy U A Drank" landet schließlich auf Platz Nummer Eins der amerikanischen Charts. T-Pain ist der neue Star und jeder will ihn für eine Kollaboration buchen. Auf "Epiphany" erweist er u.a. Yung Joc, Akon, Shawnna und Kardinal Offishall die Ehre. Darüber hinaus kollaboriert T-Pain mit Kanye West auf dessen Gassenhauer "Good Life", die dritte Single seines Albums "Graduation". Außerdem veredelt er die Raps von Rick Ross, Fabolous, Plies, E-40, Birdman & Lil Wayne und den Gesang von R. Kelly und Chris Brown. Um die eigene Karriere noch besser selbst in die Hand zu nehmen und an die finanzielle Zukunft der Familie zu denken, startet T-Pain schließlich 2007 mit seinem eigenen Label Nappy Boy Entertainment.

Images:
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Name: Mariah Carey
SortName: Mariah Carey
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ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=33534|MusicBrainzArtist=494e8d09-f85b-4543-892f-a5096aed1cd4|AudioDbArtist=111260
Overview:
Mariah Carey (* 27. März 1969 in Huntington, Long Island, New York) ist eine US-amerikanische Pop-, Hip-Hop- und R&B-Sängerin, Songschreiberin, Produzentin und Schauspielerin. Mit 18 Nummer-eins-Hits in den USA, fünf Grammys und mehr als 200 Millionen verkauften Tonträgern zählt sie zu den erfolgreichsten Sängerinnen der Gegenwart. Bei den World Music Awards im Jahr 2000 wurde Mariah Carey mit dem „Millennium Award“ als Künstlerin mit den meisten Verkäufen in den 1990er Jahren ausgezeichnet. Carey wurde 2003 bei den World Music Awards mit dem Chopard Diamond Award für über 100 Millionen verkaufte Alben ausgezeichnet. Laut der Recording Industry Association of America ist Mariah Carey mit über 63 Millionen verkauften Alben nach Madonna und Barbra Streisand die dritterfolgreichste Künstlerin in den USA. Das U.S. Nielsen SoundScan erklärte Mariah Carey zur erfolgreichsten Künstlerin in den USA seit Beginn der SoundScan Era 1991. Mit einem Vermögen von 520 Millionen US-Dollar gehört sie zu den reichsten Musikern der Welt. Bereits als Zweijährige, so die Legende, soll die kleine Mariah ihrer Mutter, einer Opernsängerin, bei Textproblemen zu Verdis "Rigoletto" auf die Sprünge geholfen haben. Wundert es da, dass aus diesem Wunderkind dank über 100 Millionen verkaufter Tonträger die erfolgreichste R'n'B-Sängerin der 90er Jahre werden sollte? Das Pop-Märchen der besonderen Art nimmt 1970 mit der Geburt in New York seinen Anfang. Von der Mutter gibts Gesangsunterricht, während der Schulzeit versucht sich Mariah als Backgroundsängerin. Mit 16 verlässt sie die Schule und arbeitet kurzzeitig als Kellnerin. Schon jetzt schreibt sie gemeinsam mit Ben Margulies, einem Freund ihres Bruders, Songs und verschickt Demobänder. Eines dieser Tapes gelangt über Brenda K. Starr, eine befreundete Sängerin, zum Columbia-Manager Jimmy Mottola. Von der wandlungsfähigen, technisch perfekten Stimme Mariahs beeindruckt, nimmt er ab 1988 ihre Karriere in die Hand. Zunächst verpflichtet er mit Narada Michael Walden, Rie Wake und R. Lawrence drei ausgesprochene Soul-Experten als Produzenten und schickt sie zusammen für ein Jahr in Studio-Klausur. Anschließend folgt ein Auftritt vor dem Kongress der US-Schallplattenhändler sowie diverse Fernsehauftritte - und los gehts mit dem kalkulierten Verkaufserfolg. Bereits die drei ersten Singles landen auf Platz Eins der US-Charts, die LP "Mariah Carey" verkauft sich sechs Millionen Mal und heimst zwei Grammys ein. Auch bei den folgenden Platten liegen die Umsätze in ähnlicher Größenordnung. Tommy Mottola, der zwischenzeitlich zum Präsidenten von Sony Music aufgestiegen ist, wird 1993 Mariahs Ehemann. Die Schattenseiten des Erfolges lassen nicht lange auf sich warten: Zunächst präsentiert Ben Margulies einen von Mariah früher unterschriebenen Vertrag, der ihm fast die Hälfte aller Einnahmen an den Songs garantiert. Außerdem wird sie als billiger Abklatsch von Whitney Houston bezeichnet, da ausgestattet mit dem gleichen süßlichen Timbre und einem ähnlichen Songaufbau. Ihre vierte LP "Music Box" verunglimpft der Melody Maker als "schmalzigen Rock für Erwachsene". Im Frühjahr 1997 lässt sich Mariah von Tony Mottola scheiden, was ihrer Karriere nicht allzu viel anhaben kann. Seither versucht sie, das Image des konturlosen Pop-Püppchens abzustreifen und zum begehrenswerten Weibsbild zu avancieren. Die phototechnische Verlängerung ihrer Beine auf neueren Bildern zeugt ebenso hiervon, wie einige kleinere öffentliche Affären. Ende 1998 kommt es dann zum "Duell der Giganten": Zusammen mit Whitney Houston singt Mariah den Track "When You Believe" ein, der auf dem Soundtrack zum Film "Prinz von Ägypten" erscheint (und auf ihrem #1's-Album). Angeblich haben die Produzenten der jeweils anderen erzählt, dass die andere bereits zugesagt habe - wer weiß ... Das Lied gewinnt den Oscar 1999 für den besten Filmsong. Allerdings geht die Trophäe nicht an die Interpretinnen, sondern an den Komponisten und Texter Stephen Schwarz.
Als Person der Zeitgeschichte wird Mariah Carey von lästigen Reportern immer wieder zu den unmöglichsten Themen befragt. So kommentiert sie den Tod des jordanischen Königs Hussein: "Ich bin untröstlich, er war ein guter Freund von mir und der beste Basketballspieler, den dieses Land je gesehen hat." Für 2000 kündigt Mariah an, Schauspielerin werden zu wollen; ein Unterfangen, das Whitney Houston 1992 mit "Bodyguard" bereits hinter sich gebracht hat. Nach eineinhalb Jahren Schauspielunterricht fühlt sie sich in der Lage, in dem Streifen "All That Glitters" (US-Kinostart: 31. August 2001) eine Sängerin in den 80ern darzustellen. Aus Angst vor Verletzungen während der Dreharbeiten kommt sie auf die Idee, ihren Körper für schlappe zehn Millionen Dollar versichern zu lassen, was ihr den Nickname "Ten Million Dollar Babe" einbringt. Knapp drei Jahre nach ihrer Trennung von Mottola verlässt sie Anfang 2001 Sony, um von nun an für Virgin zu trällern. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt hat sie weltweit etwa 120 Millionen Platten verkauft. Dann wird bekannt, dass Carey für ein weiteres Filmprojekt, die Mafia-Komödie "Wisegirls", zugesagt hat. Sie spielt eine Kellnerin. Im Juli 2001 erscheint die neue Single "Loverboy", deren Hookline an den Cameo-Hit "Candy" aus den Achtzigern angelehnt ist, ein Vorgeschmack auf ihr zunächst für Ende August angekündigtes Album. Dessen Veröffentlichung wird dann aber wegen eines unvorhergesehenen Klinikaufenthaltes der Diva verschoben. Zunächst ist von einem Schwächeanfall die Rede, dann kursieren sogar Gerüchte über einen Selbstmordversuch - bis die Sprecherin von Mariah Carey vor die Presse tritt. Cindi Berger dementiert den angeblichen Selbstmord und gibt an, die 31-Jährige Sängerin sei nach einem schweren Nervenzusammenbruch zur Behandlung in einer psychiatrischen Anstalt. Damit die Carey ihrer neuen Scheibe trotzdem den gehörigen Promo-Schub geben kann, erscheint "Glitter" erst am 10. September.
Wer hoch fliegt, fällt tief. Für die schöne Popdiva bedeutet das Sprichwort den zeitweisen Absturz vom zweistelligen Millionenseller zum Beinahe-Ladenhüter. Denn auf Grund von weltweit nur zwei Millionen verkaufter Exemplare des Albums "Glitter" sowie des grandios-gefloppten gleichnamigen Films wird Mariah von Virgin Records nach einem Jahr wieder auf die Straße gesetzt. Trotz der hohen Abfindung geht die Gute durch ein depressives Jammertal, das mit psychologischen Beratungen nur so gespickt ist. Erst im Mai 2002 findet Carey in dem Branchenriesen Universal Records einen neuen Partner. Dieser bringt sie in Amerika sofort stilsicher beim renommierten Rap-Label Def Jam unter. Ähnlich wie ihre neuen Kollegen Cam'ron oder Ghostface Killah gründet sie als eine Art unabhängige Unterabteilung ihre eigene Firma MonarC Music, und bringt mit "Charmbracelet" alsbald ihr Comeback-Album heraus. Da der erhoffte Erfolg weitgehend ausbleibt, versucht sie es drei Jahre später erneut. "The Emancipation Of Mimi" ist der Ausdruck eines persönlichen Reifungsprozesses, den sie auf "E=MC²" fortsetzt. Mariah Carey ist wieder oben auf und spielt ganz vorne mit. Mit der ersten "E=MC²"-Singleauskopplung, "Touch My Body", landet die Sängerin ihren 18. Nummer-Eins-Hit. Damit ist sie nur noch einen Fingerbreit davon entfernt, die Beatles von ihrem Allzeitthron für die meisten Number Ones, der bei 20 liegt, zu stoßen.

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Name: Big Syke
SortName: Big Syke
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Overview:
Tyruss Gerald Himes (November 22, 1968 – December 5, 2016), better known by his stage names Big Syke and Moozaliny, was an American rapper. His stage name is a revision of his childhood nickname, "Little Psycho". On December 5, 2016, Syke was found dead at his home in Hawthorne; reports indicate natural causes.

Images:
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Name: The Outlawz
SortName: Outlawz
PresentationUniqueKey: 76febcbf9d57467796aed64650565b14
ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=694829|MusicBrainzArtist=44d58b8a-def1-494b-8daf-aa2def5476b6|AudioDbArtist=123509
Overview:
Rufus Cooper III, also known by his stage name Young Noble, is an American rapper. Best known for being part of Tupac Shakur's rap group Outlawz. Noble joined the Outlawz in the early summer of 1996, and was also the last member to be added to the group by Tupac himself, before the late rapper's passing.
Noble made his debut on Shakur's album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory on the songs "Bomb First (My Second Reply)", "Hail Mary", "Life of an Outlaw", and "Just Like Daddy".
On December 21, 1999, Shakur's album Still I Rise was released which consisted of material recorded with 2Pac and one solo song. Noble replaced Hussein Fatal's vocals on the songs.
Through the Outlawz and Young Noble's Twitter pages, together they announced the release of two volumes of mixtapes titled Outlaw Rydahz Vol. 1 and Outlaw Nation 'Outlaw Rydaz Volume One' was released in March 2012, and Outlaw Nation on October 2012. He also said it would feature some of his mentor's Tupac Shakur's old affiliates, including Thug Life which was 2Pac's group before he created The Outlawz, Money B (who was a member of Shakur's old group Digital Underground) and B-Legit who featured on Shakur's 1996 album on Death Row Records, All Eyez on Me, on the track "Aint Hard 2 Find".

Images:
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Name: Spice 1
SortName: Spice 1
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Overview:
Robert L. Green, Jr., better known by his stage name Spice 1, is an American rapper born in Corsicana, Texas. He has consistently been releasing solo and group albums since 1992. Spice 1 was ranked number 56 in The Source magazine's Top 115 Hip-Hop Artists from 1988–2003. His self-titled debut was also listed in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.
His rap name is an acronym for "Sex, Pistols, Indo, Cash, and Entertainment". He was first discovered by rapper Too Short. His first release, Let It Be Known EP, was not well known or widely released, and included seven old-school style tracks. His self-titled debut album Spice 1 was a very vivid and fatalistic gangsta rap album, and his angry, edgy, and pessimistic rapping style and tone only added to the despair emanating from the disc. He followed it with an even more bitter and nihilistic release, 187 He Wrote in 1993, complete with simulated gunfire. Spice 1 managed to release six albums under Jive records along with one greatest hits album. It was reported by Jive that he has an album called "Full Metal Jacket", which was supposed to release under Jive. However, Spice 1 stated in many interviews that this information was false. It was something Jive wanted to push him into releasing, but he never agreed to do so. Therefore, the album was never released and it is uncertain whether or not songs for this album were used for future albums or if any songs were even recorded for this project.
In 1996, Spice 1 appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, Organized Konfusion, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine.
While Spice 1 was signed to Jive, three of his albums reached Gold status. According to the RIAA, these albums were Spice 1, 187 He Wrote and AmeriKKKa's Nightmare. He continued to have success on later albums as well, though he never managed receive further certificates for selling over 500,000. Despite this he never changed his image, continuing to retain a gangster image throughout his career on Jive Records. The biggest song in his career was "Trigga Gots No Heart" from the Menace II Society soundtrack. However, at the same time he released "Trigga Gots No Heart", which also served as a first single for his album, fellow rap artist MC Eiht also had a hit single from the soundtrack which took the number one spot called "Streiht Up Menace". After 8 years, Spice 1 released his last album with the label, Immortalized. Though it received good reviews, it was not well promoted and didn't sell as expected. According to Spice 1, he left Jive Records because they wanted him to clean up his image.

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Name: Curtis Jackson
SortName: Curtis Jackson
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ProviderIds: DiscogsArtist=79578|MusicBrainzArtist=8e68819d-71be-4e7d-b41d-f1df81b01d3f|AudioDbArtist=111985
Overview:
50 Cent wurde am 6. Juli 1976 im New Yorker Stadtteil Queens als Curtis Jackson geboren.

Aufgewachsen ist er in ärmlichen Verhältnissen in einem Viertel namens "South Jamaica". Seine Mutter wurde erschossen, als er gerade acht Jahre alt war. Wenig später starb sein Vater und Curtis wuchs bei seinen Großeltern auf. Im Alter von zwölf Jahren viel er erstmals wegen Drogendealerei auf. Die folgenden Jahre waren von Kriminalität und mehreren Haftaufenthalten geprägt.

Ersten Kontakt zur Rap-Szene hatte 50 Cent durch Jam Master Jay von Run DMC, der ihn unter seine Fittiche nahm und ihm das Produzentenduo Trackmasters vorstellte. Die befanden sein Talent als förderungswürdig und vermittelten ihn schließlich an Columbia Records. Unter dieser Zusammenarbeit entstand im Jahr 2000 das Debütalbum "Power of the Dollar". Noch vor der Veröffentlichung geriet 50 Cent in eine Schießerei, bei der ihn neun Kugeln trafen. Aufgrund der Vorkommnisse trennte sich Columbia von 50 Cent und löste den Vertag.

Die Veröffentlichung des Albums wurde auf unbestimmte Zeit verschoben. Nach seiner Genesung rutschte er erneut in das Drogenmilieu ab, bekam aber eine zweite Chance. Diesmal wurde er von Eminem und Dr. Dre gepuscht, die eigens zu diesem Zweck das Label Shady / Aftermath gründeten und 50 Cent unter Vertrag nahmen. 2003 wurde das Album "Get Rich Or Die Tryin" veröffentlicht, welches seinen internationalen Durchbruch markierte. Weltweit verkaufte es sich 11 Mio. Mal. Im März 2005 folgte "The Massacre", welches an den Erfolg seines Vorgängers anknüpfte.

Mit diesem Album gelang es 50 Cent gleichzeitig vier Singles in den amerikanischen Billboard Charts zu listen. 50 Cent ist Mitglied der Rap-Gruppe G-Unit (Gangsta- oder Guerilla Unit), die durch seinen Solo-Erfolg auch an Aufmerksamkeit gewann. Den Namen 50 Cent übernahm Jackson als Hommage an einen in den 1980er Jahren aktiven Gangster namens Kelvin Martin. Der war damals unter dem Pseudonym 50 Cent bekannt für Raubüberfälle und Schießereien. Nach eigener Aussage wählte Curtis Jackson diesen Namen, da er heute all das verkörpert, was Kelvin Martin zu seiner Zeit war.

Im Dezember 2005 kam das Drama "Get Rich Or Die Tryin'" in die Kinos, welches das Leben das Rap-Stars auf Leinwand bannt; 50 Cent spielt sich darin selbst. Außerdem brachte er ein Video-Spiel auf den Markt, in dem man das gefährliche Leben auf den Straßen der Ghettos erleben kann.

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