Name	Heavy D
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dwight Myers
Birth date	May 24, 1967
Origin	Mount Vernon, New York
Genre	Hip hop, New Jack Swing, R&B;
Occupation	Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Actor
Years active	1986–present
Label	Uptown, MCA
Associated acts	Heavy D & the Boyz }}

Dwight Myers (born May 24, 1967), better known as Heavy D, is a Jamaican American actor, rapper, singer and former leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a hip hop group which included G-Whiz (Glen Parrish), "Trouble" T. Roy (Troy Dixon), and Eddie F (born Edward Ferrell). The group maintained a sizable audience in the United States through most of the 1990s. He has recently ventured into reggae music and can now be described as a reggae fusion artist.

Biography

Myers was born on May 24, 1967 in Jamaica. His family moved to Mount Vernon, New York, when he was a young child.

Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown Records; their debut, ''Living Large'', was released in 1987. The album was a commercial success, though ''Big Tyme'' was a breakthrough that included four hits. Trouble T. Roy died at age 22 in a fall on July 15, 1990, in Indianapolis. Dixon's passing led to a tribute on the follow-up platinum album, ''Peaceful Journey''. Pete Rock & CL Smooth created a tribute to Trouble T. Roy called "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" which is regarded as a hip-hop classic.

Heavy D & the Boyz gained even more fame by singing the theme song for the television program ''In Living Color'' and also ''MADtv'', and Heavy D performed the rap on Michael Jackson's hit single "Jam." However, the group's next album, ''Blue Funk'', was not marketed as well as their previous albums, but is widely viewed as an underrated gem. Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in the television shows ''A Different World'', ''Roc'' and ''Living Single'' before returning the music charts with ''Nuttin' But Love''. After appearing in the off-Broadway play ''Riff Raff'' at Circle Repertory Company, Heavy D returned to recording with the hit ''Waterbed Hev''. In 2005, the Will Smith movie ''Hitch'' played the song "Now That We Found Love" during the ending scene where a wedding party does a line dance, and gave Heavy D & the Boyz a lot of exposure, sending many viewers to the web to find out more about the song and the group.

He then appeared in the film ''Life'', before being in the cast of the television show ''Boston Public''. In 2002, Heavy D had a supporting role as an FBI agent alongside Omar Epps in the movie adaptation of Dave Barry's novel Big Trouble. In 2003 he starred in the supporting cast for the sit-com ''The Tracy Morgan Show'' as Bernard. In 1997, Heavy D collaborated with B.B. King on his duets album ''Deuces Wild'' rapping in the song "Keep It Coming." He also has a small role in the 1999 Oscar-nominated movie ''The Cider House Rules''. In 2005, Heavy D appeared as Sid in the hit Fox drama Bones, as the owner and bartender at Wong Fu's. In 2006, he appeared in the motion picture, Step Up, as Omar. Heavy D also appeared as Bo-Kane in the 1995 film ''New Jersey Drive''. Heavy D has now released a new reggae album via iTunes, called ''Vibes''.

Heavy D was referred to in the song "Juicy" by the Notorious B.I.G. and in " Da Girls They Love Me" by underground rapper R.A. the Rugged Man. He also appears as the bouncer in the music video for "One More Chance" by Notorious B.I.G. In the song "Choppa on Da Back Seat" by Lil Wyte he says that " I got Heavy D Tied up on my couch, Face down with a rifle wound bleeding out his mouth".

Heavy D also played a part in the film "Big Trouble" as an FBI agent.

Discography

''Living Large'' (1987)

''Big Tyme'' (1989)

''Peaceful Journey'' (1991)

''Blue Funk'' (1993)

''Nuttin' But Love'' (1994)

''Waterbed Hev'' (1997)

''Heavy'' (1999)

''Vibes'' (2008)

''Love Opus'' (2011)

References

External links

Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:American rappers of Jamaican descent Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:MCA Records artists Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:American film actors Category:American television actors

da:Heavy D & The Boyz de:Heavy D. & the Boyz es:Heavy D fr:Heavy D it:Heavy D & the Boyz

name	Will Smith
birth name	Willard Christopher Smith, Jr.
birth date	September 25, 1968
birth place	Wynnefield, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
other names	The Fresh Prince
occupation	Actor, rapper, film producer, record producer, television producer
years active	1985–present
spouse
children	Trey Smith Jaden SmithWillow Smith
website	http://www.willsmith.com/ }}

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. (born September 25, 1968) is an American actor, film producer and rapper. He has enjoyed success in music, television and film. In April 2007, ''Newsweek'' called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood. Smith has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, two Academy Awards, and has won multiple Grammy Awards.

In the late 1980s, Smith achieved modest fame as a rapper under the name The Fresh Prince. In 1990, his popularity increased dramatically when he starred in the popular television series ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. The show ran for nearly six years (1990–1996) on NBC and has been syndicated consistently on various networks since then. In the mid-1990s, Smith moved from television to film, and ultimately starred in numerous blockbuster films. He is the only actor to have eight consecutive films gross over $100 million in the domestic box office and the only one to have eight consecutive films in which he starred open at #1 spot in the domestic box office tally.

Fourteen of the 19 fiction films he has acted in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over $100 million, and four took in over $500 million in global box office receipts. As of 2011, his films have grossed $5.7 billion in global box office. His most financially successful films have been ''Bad Boys'', ''Bad Boys II'', ''Independence Day'', ''Men in Black'', ''Men in Black II'', ''I, Robot'', ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', ''I Am Legend'', ''Hancock'', ''Wild Wild West'', ''Enemy of the State'', ''Shark Tale'', ''Hitch'' and ''Seven Pounds''. He also earned critical praise for his performances in ''Six Degrees of Separation'', ''Ali'' and ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', receiving Best Actor Oscar nominations for the latter two.

Family and early life

Born and raised in West Philadelphia, Smith also spent time in Germantown in Northwest Philadelphia. His mother, Caroline (née Bright), was a school administrator who worked for the Philadelphia school board, and his father, Willard Christopher Smith, Sr., was a refrigeration engineer. He was raised Baptist. His parents separated when he was 13, and did not actually divorce until Smith was around 30.

It is untrue, though widely reported, that Smith turned down a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); he never applied to the school, although he was admitted to a "pre-engineering program" there. According to Smith, "My mother, who worked for the School Board of Philadelphia, had a friend who was the admissions officer at MIT. I had pretty high SAT scores and they needed black kids, so I probably could have gotten in. But I had no intention of going to college."

Recording and acting career

Early work (1985–1995)

Smith started as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The trio was known for performing humorous, radio-friendly songs, most notably "Parents Just Don't Understand" and "Summertime". They gained critical acclaim and won the first Grammy awarded in the Rap category (1988). He had a line in "Voices That Care", a 1991 Gulf War song by a celebrity group. Smith spent money freely during his early career and underpaid his income taxes. The Internal Revenue Service eventually assessed a $2.8 million tax debt against Smith, took many of his possessions, and garnished his income. Smith was nearly bankrupt in 1990 when the NBC television network signed him to a contract and built a sitcom, ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', around him. The show was successful and began his acting career. Smith set for himself the goal of becoming "the biggest movie star in the world," studying box office successes' common characteristics.

Breakthrough (1996–2000)

In 1996, Smith starred as part of an ensemble cast in Roland Emmerich's ''Independence Day''. The film was a massive blockbuster, becoming the second highest grossing film in history at the time and establishing Smith as a prime box office draw. In 1998, Smith starred with Gene Hackman in ''Enemy of the State''. Smith turned down the role of Neo in ''The Matrix'' in favor of ''Wild Wild West''. Despite the disappointment of ''Wild Wild West'', Smith has said that he harbors no regrets about his decision, asserting that Keanu Reeves's performance as Neo was superior to what he himself (Smith) would have achieved.

International success (2001–present)

In 2005, Smith was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for attending a record breaking three premieres in a 24-hour time span.

He has planned to star in a feature film remake of the television series ''It Takes a Thief''.

On December 10, 2007, Smith was recognized at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Smith left an imprint of his hands and feet outside the world renowned theater in front of many fans. Later that month, Smith starred in the film ''I Am Legend'', released December 14, 2007. Despite marginally positive reviews, its opening was the largest ever for a film released in the United States during December. Smith himself has said that he considers the film to be "aggressively unique". A reviewer said that the film's commercial success "cemented [Smith's] standing as the number one box office draw in Hollywood." On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Smith has been selected as one of America’s top ten most fascinating people of 2008 for a Barbara Walters ABC special that aired on December 4, 2008.

Smith is currently developing a film entitled ''The Last Pharaoh'', in which he will star as Taharqa.

President Barack Obama has stated that if a film were to ever be made about his life, he would have Smith play his part, because "he has the ears". Obama stated that the two have discussed a possibility of a film based on the 2008 election, but this may not happen until the end of the Obama presidency.

He is currently filming ''Men in Black III'' for a 2012 release playing Agent J one of his more popular earlier roles, making this his first major starring role in four years.

On August 19, 2011, it was announced that Smith had returned to the studio with producer La Mar Edwards to make a new album. Edwards has worked with artists such as T.I., Chris Brown, and Game.

Personal life

Smith was raised by his parents in West Philadelphia. Smith credits his father's dedication when discussing his own involvement in the lives of his three children: "I look at my father and how he was able to keep four kids fed and clothed and still managed to find time to spend with us." Smith married Sheree Zampino in 1992. They had a son, Willard Christopher Smith III, also known as "Trey", but divorced in 1995. Trey appeared in his father's music video for the 1998 single "Just the Two of Us". Smith married actress Jada Pinkett in 1997 and practice an open marriage. Together they have had two children: Jaden Christopher Syre (born 1998), his co-star in ''The Pursuit of Happyness'', and Willow Camille Reign (born 2000), who appeared as his daughter in ''I Am Legend''. Along with his brother, Harry Smith, he owns Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills-based company named after his first son. Smith and his family reside on Star Island in Miami Beach, Florida and in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Sweden and Philadelphia.

Smith was consistently listed in Fortune Magazine's "Richest 40" list of the forty wealthiest Americans under the age of 40. He donated $4,600 to the presidential campaign of Democrat Barack Obama. December 11, 2009, Smith and his wife hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway, when Obama had won the prize.

Smith has said he has studied multiple religions, including Scientology, and he has said many complimentary things about Scientology and other faiths. Despite his praise of Scientology, Smith said "I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious" and "Ninety-eight percent of the principles in Scientology are identical to the principles of the Bible.... I don't think that because the word someone uses for spirit is 'thetan' that the definition becomes any different." He has denied having joined the Church of Scientology, saying "I am a Christian. I am a student of all religions, and I respect all people and all paths." Smith gave $1.3 million to charities in 2007, of which $450,000 went to two Christian ministries, and $122,500 went to three Scientology organizations; the remaining beneficiaries included "a Los Angeles mosque, other Christian-based schools and churches, and [...] the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Center in Israel". Smith and his wife have also founded a private elementary school in Calabasas, California, the New Village Leadership Academy, which has attracted controversy and speculation over its use of Study Technology, a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

Discography

With DJ Jazzy Jeff

''Rock the House'' (1987)

''He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper'' (1988)

''And in This Corner...'' (1989)

''Homebase'' (1991)

''Code Red'' (1993)

Solo

''Big Willie Style'' (1997)

''Willennium'' (1999)

''Born to Reign'' (2002)

''Lost and Found'' (2005)

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
	''Saturday Morning Videos''	Host	TV
''ABC Afterschool Special'' – "The Perfect Date"	Hawker	TV
''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''		TV (1990–1996)
		Fresh Prince	TV, Cameo, episode 18 "I'm with the Band"
''Where the Day Takes You''	Manny
		Tea Cake Walters
	Paul
1995		Detective Mike Lowrey
1996		Captain Steven "Steve" Hiller, USMC	MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
			MTV Movie Award for Best FightMTV Movie Award for Best Song From a Movie
''Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child''	Pinocchio	TV Series;Episode 14 of Season 2 which aired on April 13, 1997.Episode also starred Chris Rock and Della Reese
1998		Robert Clayton Dean	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
	''Torrance Rises''		Cameo
''Wild Wild West''	Captain James "Jim" West
	''Welcome to Hollywood''	Himself
''The Legend of Bagger Vance''	Bagger Vance	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
2001		Muhammad Ali	MTV Movie Award for Best PerformanceNominated—Academy Award for Best ActorNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActorNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
	''Men in Black II''		BET Awards
Girlfriend by [[B2K	Himself	Music video
	''Bad Boys II''	Detective Mike Lowrey	Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
''All of Us''	Johnny	TV, 3 episodes (2003–2004); Creator/Executive Producer
	''A Closer Walk''	Narrator	Documentary
	Himself	Uncredited Cameo
''American Chopper''	Himself	TV, Cameo
	Detective Del Spooner	ProducerNominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
''The Seat Filler''		Executive Producer; Independent Film
''Shark Tale''	Oscar	Voice
	''There's a God on the Mic''		Documentary
	Alex "Hitch" Hitchens	ProducerNominated—BET Awards
2006	''[[The Pursuit of Happyness''	Chris Gardner
2007		Dr. Robert Neville
		John Hancock	ProducerNominated – Saturn Award for Best Actor
''Lakeview Terrace''		Producer
		Producer
''Seven Pounds''	Ben Thomas	Producer
2010			Producer
			''Post-production''
''Men in Black III''		''Filming''
2013	''The Last Pharaoh''	Taharqa	''Pre-production''

Box office grosses

! Year	! Title	! Budget	! U.S. gross	! Worldwide gross
1992	''Where the Day Takes You''		$390,152	$390,152
		$44,942,695	$104,942,695
	$6,284,090	$6,284,090
1995		$23m	$65,647,413	$141,247,413
1996		$75m	$306,169,255	$817,400,878
1997			$250,690,539	$587,790,539
1998		$111,549,836	$250,649,836
1999	''Wild Wild West''	$170m	$113,805,681	$222,105,681
2000	''The Legend of Bagger Vance''	$80m	$30,695,227	$39,235,486
2001		$107m	$58,183,966	$84,383,966
2002	''Men in Black II''	$140m	$190,418,803	$441,818,803
2003	''Bad Boys II''	$60m	$138,540,870	$272,940,870
		$120m	$144,801,023	$348,601,023
''Shark Tale''	$75m	$161,192,000	$367,192,000
2005		$70m	$177,784,257	$366,784,257
2006	''The Pursuit of Happyness''	$55m	$162,586,036	$306,086,036
2007			$256,393,010	$585,055,701
		$227,946,274	$624,346,274
''Seven Pounds''	$55m	$69,369,933	$166,617,328

References

Further reading

External links

in 2002 Category:1968 births Category:Actors from Pennsylvania Category:African American film actors Category:African-American film producers Category:African American rappers Category:American beatboxers Category:American hip hop musicians Category:American rappers Category:American television actors Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Interscope Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Rappers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Saturn Award winners

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Name	Kool G Rap
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Nathaniel Thomas Wilson
Alias	Kool G. Rap, G Rap, Giancana
Origin	Corona, Queens, New York, U.S.
Born	July 20, 1968Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop, mafioso rap, hardcore hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, record producer, screenwriter, author
Years active	1987–present
Label	Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. RecordsCold Chillin'Cold Chillin'/Epic Street/SME RecordsKOCH'
Associated acts	DJ Polo, Juice Crew, Marley Marl, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Five Family Click, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, MF Grimm, Mobb Deep, R.A. The Rugged Man
Website	}}

Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage names Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), Kool G. Rap, and Giancana (Meaning of the abbreviation ''"G."''), is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time as he is a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album ''The Giancana Story'', he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana" (after the mobster Sam Giancana), but on other occasions he's stated that it stands for "Genius".

He has also been cited as a major influence to some of hip-hop's most critically acclaimed figures such as Eminem, Nas, Jay Z, Big Pun, RZA and more.

Biography

Early Years

Wilson grew up in the poverty-ridden streets of Corona Queens, New York with legendary producer Eric B. In an interview with The Source he stated;

Around this time, Wilson was looking for a DJ, and through Eric B., he met DJ Polo, who was looking for an MC to collaborate with. In 1986 on Mr Magic's Rap Attack radio show on 107.5, the duo got their first exposure which created more buzz. They eventually released "It's a Demo" as a single with "I'm Fly", along with two more singles. Shortly after this, Kool G Rap appeared on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut 'The Symphony' before they released their debut album, ''Road to the Riches'' in 1989. This album and their two later albums, ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1990) and ''Live and Let Die'' (1992), are highly regarded and considered Hip-Hop classics. Eventually in 1993, Kool G rap parted ways with DJ Polo in pursuit of a solo career.

Solo career

In 1995, G Rap started his solo career with the album ''4,5,6'', which featured production from Buckwild, and guest appearances from Nas, MF Grimm and B-1 – it has been his most commercially successful record, reaching No.24 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. This was followed by ''Roots of Evil'' in 1998. He was then meant to release his next album, ''The Giancana Story'' in 2000, on Rawkus Records, but due to several complications with the label, the album was pushed back several times, and eventually released in 2002. "My Life" the hit single from the album featuring Talk Box legend G-Wise reached No.5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts. In 2008 he released the EP ''Half a Klip'' on Chinga Chang Records, featuring production from, among others, DJ Premier and Marley Marl.

Criticisms of Kool G Rap's solo albums usually focus on the production not being up to the standard of the rapping.

While Kool G Rap has always been popular and well respected in Hip-Hop circles for his lyrical skills, He is known for consistently making records which are hardcore, dark, intelligent, and underground. Kool G Rap is described by Kool Moe Dee as "the progenitor and prototype for Biggie, Jay-Z, Treach, Nore, Fat Joe, Big Pun, and about twenty-five more hard-core emcees", MTV describes Kool G Rap as a "hip-hop godfather", adding that he paved the way for a lot of MCs who we would not have heard of otherwise. Rolling Stone says, "G Rap excelled at the street narrative, a style that would come to define later Queens MCs like Nas (who was hugely influenced by G Rap on his early records) and Mobb Deep".

Other artists who have named Kool G Rap as a major influence include Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Jay-Z, Tajai of Souls of Mischief, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, Steele of Smif-n-Wessun, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Termanology, Black Thought of The Roots, M.O.P., R.A. The Rugged Man, Bun B of UGK, Rah Digga, RZA and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, Adil Omar, Lady Of Rage, Big Pun, O.C. of DITC, Memphis Bleek, Kurupt, Pharoahe Monch, and Twista, among others.

He is also often very highly rated in terms of his technical ability comparing his skill level to that of Kool G Rap. Allmusic calls him "one of the greatest rappers ever", "a master", and "a legend". A number of rappers, such as Ice Cube, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Lloyd Banks, and Nas have put him in their lists of favorite rappers. Kool Moe Dee ranked Kool G Rap at No.14 in his book ''There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs'', sometimes all in the same rhyme scheme for a whole verse, such as on Sway & King Tech's 'The Anthem'.

He has also been cited as one of Hip-Hop's greatest storytellers, alongside Slick Rick and Notorious B.I.G., with "laser-like visual descriptions", also providing insight into his rhyming technique.

Mafioso/Street content

Kool G(Genius)Rap is often credited as the first rapper to include mafioso content, as well as a lot of hardcore street content, into his lyrics. – this was long before albums such as Raekwon's ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…'' (1995), and Jay-Z's ''Reasonable Doubt'' (1996) made such references popular.

Since his debut, he has used various references to mob movies in his lyrics, album covers, and titles. For example, the first line of 'Bad to the Bone' from ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1990) is, ''I'm bad to the bone / with a style like Al Capone'', the album ''Live and Let Die'' (1992) uses samples from the film ''The Untouchables'', the album cover of ''Roots of Evil'' (1998) uses elements from ''The Godfather'' and ''Scarface'' theatrical posters, and ''The Giancana Story'' (2002) album title references Mafia boss Sam Giancana.

Rolling Stone says, "before Kool G Rap, New York didn't really have the street rap that could hold its own against what artists such as L.A.'s Ice-T and N.W.A were churning out" and that "G Rap excelled at the street narrative".

His take on crime, violence, and the mafioso lifestyle ranges from remorse and contemplation (e.g. 'Streets of New York', described by Rolling Stone as "a vivid look inside the misery of the hood"), to glorification (e.g. 'Fast Life' featuring Nas). '''

Personal life

Wilson was once married to Karrine Steffans. They have one son. He also has children with other women.

Discography

with DJ Polo	Year
''Road to the Riches''
Solo Albums	Year
''4,5,6''
''Roots of Evil''
''The Giancana Story''
''Half a Klip''
''Riches, Royalty, Respect''
Compilations	Year
''Killer Kuts''
''Rated XXX''
''Greatest Hits''
''Kool G Rap & Twinn Loco Present - I Live Hip Hop – The Mixtape''

Collaborative Albums	With	Year
''Click of Respect''	''The 5 Family Click''
''Legends Vol. 3'' (digital album – Napster)	''J-love Enterprise''
''The Godfathers''

Featured appearances

1988: "The Symphony" (on the Marley Marl album ''In Control Volume 1'')

1991: "Don't Curse" (from the Heavy D album ''Peaceful Journey")

1991: "The Symphony Vol. II" (on the Marley Marl album ''In Control Volume 2: For Your Steering Pleasure'')

1992: "Death Threat" (from the Brand New Heavies album ''Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1'')

1993: "You Must Be Out of Your Fuckin' Mind" (from the Fat Joe album ''Represent'')

1993: "Pee-Nile Reunion" (from the MC Shan ''Don't Call It Comeback 12"'')

1993: "This Is How We..." (from the Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard album ''Give Em The Finger'')

1996: "Representin'" (Ruffa featuring Kool G Rap)

1996: "Stick To Ya Gunz" (from the M.O.P. album ''Firing Squad'')

1996: "Know Da Game" (from the Frankie Cutlass album ''Politics And Bullshit'')

1998: "Truly Yours 98" (from the Pete Rock album ''Soul Survivor'')

1998: "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)" (from the UNKLE album ''Psyence Fiction'')

1998: "40 Island" (from the N.O.R.E. album ''N.O.R.E.'')

1999: "Friend of Ours" (from the E-Moneybags album ''In E-Moneybags We Trust'')

1999: "The Anthem" Also feat. RZA, Tech N9ne, Eminem, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Jayo Felony, Chino XL & KRS-One and "3 to the Dome" also feat. Big Daddy Kane & Chino XL (from the Sway & King Tech album ''This or That'')

1999: "The Realest" (from the Mobb Deep album ''Murda Muzik'')

2000: "Fall Back" (from the Big L album ''The Big Picture'')

2000: "Ghetto afterlife" (from the Reflection Eternal album ''Train of thought'')

2000: "Legendary Street Team" (from ''Lyricist Lounge 2'')

2001: "Let 'Em Live" (from the Chino XL album ''I Told You So'')

2001: "I Am" (from the G. Dep album ''Child of the Ghetto'')

2001: "Gorillas" (from the Screwball album ''Loyalty'')

2001: "No Surrender" (Shabaam Sahdeeq featuring Kool G Rap)

2002: "Allied Meta-Forces" (from the Canibus album ''Mic Club: The Curriculum'')

2002: "Nuthin Has Changed" (from King Tee album ''The Kingdom Come'')

2003: "Animal Rap" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album ''Visions of Gandhi'')

2005: "AIDS" (from the MF Grimm album ''Scars and Memories'')

2005: "Ghost & Giancana" (from the Ghostface Killah album ''Put It on the Line'')

2006: "We Gone Go Hard" (from the Ras Kass album ''Revenge of the Spit'')

2006: "Reckless Eye-Ballin" (from the VERBAL THREAT album ''The Golden Era'')

2006: "Full Metal Jacket" (from the Molemen album ''Killing Fields'')

2007: "Hood Tales" (from the Marco Polo album ''Port Authority'')

2007: "100 Roundz" (from the Domingo album ''The Most Underrated'')

2007: "Come one, come all" (from the Styles P album ''The Ghost Sessions'')

2007: "Next Up" (from the UGK album ''Underground Kingz'')

2007: "6 in the Morning" (from the Statik Selektah album ''Spell My Name Right: The Album'')

2007: "Buck Buck" (on the Red Cafe and DJ Envy album ''The Co-Op'')

2007: "And Wot (Remix)" (Album "Unified: He Whanau Kotahi Tatou" featuring Sweet Tooth & Carbon Kid)

2007: "Terrorise the City(on the Klashnekoff album ''Lionheart: Tussle with the Beast featuring Kyza'')

2008: "Queens" (from the LL Cool J Exit 13 Promo EP)

2008: "One Shot" (album ''Hood 2 Hood: The Blockumentary Soundtrack, Pt. 1'')

2008: "The Next Step" (from the Big John album ''The Next Step'' featuring R.A The Rugged Man)

2008: "Same Old Hood" (Saul Abraham featuring Kool G Rap & St Laz)

2009: "Das Leid / The Light" Azad featuring Kool G Rap (from Brisk Fingaz album Einzelkämpfer'')

2009: "Gunz From Italy" (from the Club Dogo album ''Dogocrazia'')

2009: "Ill Figures" (from the Wu-Tang Clan compilation album ''Wu-Tang Chamber Music'')

2009: "Legendary" (from the 67 Mob album ''Raising The Bar'')

2009: "ALC Theme" (from The Alchemist album ''Chemical Warfare'')

2009: "KGR & Honda" (from the DJ Honda album ''IV'')

2010: "Cursed" (from the Diabolic debut album "Liar & A Thief")

2010: "Boot Rap" featuring Canibus (from the Mark Deez album "Bootstrap Theory")

2010: "White Sand Part 2" Rick Ross Ft. Triple C's from The Albert Anastasia EP

2010: "Knife Fight" Rick Ross Ft. Kool G Rap from The Albert Anastasia EP

2010: "Ready For War" CHI-ILL Ft. Kool G Rap from The Last Chance Lounge EP.

2010: "Controlling Tha Game" Tyger Vinum FT. Kool G. Rap from "Grindin Muzik" album

2010: "Frozen" (From The Left album "Gas Mask")

2010: "3 Extremes" (from Dusty Philharmonics album "The Audiotopsy", Unexpected Records)

2011: "Kies in tha game" (from Duo Kie album "De Cerebri Mortis")

2012: "Summertime" (from Adil Omar album The Mushroom Cloud Effect)

References

Further reading

Paul Edwards, foreword by Kool G Rap, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC''. Chicago Review Press.

Kool Moe Dee, 2003, ''There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs'', Thunder's Mouth Press.

Brian Coleman, 2007, ''Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies'', Villard, Random House.

Peter Shapiro, 2005, ''The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition'', Penguin.

William Jelani Cobb, 2007, ''To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic'', NYU Press.

Mickey Hess, 2007, ''Icons Of Hip Hop'', Greenwood Publishing Group.

External links

Kool G Rap interview March 5, 2008 – Kool G Rap interview with HipHopDX

Kool G Rap interview 2003 – Kool G Rap interview with MVRemix

Conspiracy Worldwide Radio September 2010 Uncensored Interview

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Cold Chillin' Records artists Category:E1 Music artists Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:People from Corona, Queens Category:Underground rappers Category:Rappers from New York City

da:Kool G. Rap de:Kool G Rap es:Kool G Rap fr:Kool G Rap ko:쿨 지 랩 it:Kool G Rap pl:Kool G Rap pt:Kool G Rap tr:Kool G Rap

Name	Grand Puba
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Maxwell Dixon
Alias	Grand Puba Maxwell, Grand P
Birth date	March 04, 1966
Genre	Hip Hop
Years active	1985–present
Associated acts	Brand Nubian
Label	4th & B'way/Island/PolyGram RecordsElektra RecordsArista//BMG RecordsKoch RecordsBabygrande Records }}

Maxwell Dixon (born March 4, 1966) is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.

Biography

He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album ''Dynamite'' (1988) was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian. After their innovative and versatile debut album ''One for All'' (1990)—covering areas from reggae-influenced hip hop music to new jack swing—Puba left the group after disputes with its other members and embarked on a solo career. He became a member of the group again around 1997, recording a few tracks for various soundtracks leading up to the full-length album ''Foundation'' in '98. In 1999, Puba and group mate Sadat X performed on the track "Once Again" on Handsome Boy Modeling School's concept album ''So... How's Your Girl?'' Following the group's 2004 effort ''Fire in the Hole'', a rejuvenated Puba appeared on tracks with Beanie Sigel ("Bread and Butter," also featuring groupmate Sadat X), Missy Elliott ("My Struggles," featuring his onetime collaborator Mary J. Blige), and Ugly Duckling ("Something's Going Down Tonight").

In 2009, Grand Puba released his fourth solo album, ''Retroactive'', featuring production from hip-hop veterans like Q-Tip, Large Professor, Kid Capri as well as his fellow Brand Nubian's. Puba also appeared on the heavy posse-cut "Fresh" together with Cormega, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, DJ Red Alert and Parrish Smith of EPMD.

On the song "Old School" by Tupac Shakur Grand Puba was sampled and used in the hook. The sample originates from Grand Puba's verse on the song "Dedication" by Brand Nubian.

Discography

1992: ''Reel to Reel''

1995: ''2000''

2001: ''Understand This''

2009: ''Retroactive'' (Babygrande Records)

References

External links

Information about Grand Puba

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:Musicians from New York Category:Elektra Records artists

de:Grand Puba es:Grand Puba it:Grand Puba pl:Grand Puba tr:Grand Puba

name	C.L. Smooth
background	solo_singer
birth name	Corey Brent Penn
alias	Caramel KingThe Mecca DonC.L.El Presidente
birth date	October 08, 1968
origin	New Rochelle, New York, United States
genre	Rap, East Coast hip hop
occupation	Rapper, Producer
years active	1991–present
label	Elektra Records (1991–1995)Shaman Work/Koch (2006–present)
associated acts	Pete RockHeavy DAZPete Rock & C.L. SmoothNujabesDJ Krush }}

CL Smooth (born Corey Brent Penn, Sr., October 8, 1968, New Rochelle, New York) is an American rapper, poet, and is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth.

After the pair split in 1995 Pete Rock, whose work with CL had garnered him a reputation as one of the finest producers in hip-hop, went on to produce (and remix) tracks for dozens of marquee-name and/or well-respected acts, and to release a batch of solo and instrumental albums. C.L. Smooth remained musically inactive.

The pair managed to reconcile their differences only long enough to record five isolated tracks in the ten years since their split: "Da Two," "Back On Da Block," "Fly 'Til I Die," "Appreciate," and "It's A Love Thing." There were talks of a definitive reunion and a new album in 2004; however, the speculation was dismissed by both parties after another fallout.

During his period of hiatus, C.L. Smooth declined even to appear as a guest on other artists' albums, with the exception of "Only the Strong Survive" with DJ Krush in 1996. Recently, however, he has contributed featured guest vocals to songs by AZ ("Magic Hour"), Nujabes ("Sky is Falling") and Dipset affiliate J. R. Writer (the remix of "Mesmerize") or Supafuh ("Act of Faith").

He released his debut solo album, ''American Me'', in 2007. To promote the album, Shaman Work released a promotional mixtape compiled by DJ J Period called ''Man On Fire'' in late April 2006, featuring 36 minutes of freestyles and a remixed version of the track "Impossible". He was also been featured on the DJ Jazzy Jeff album ''The Return of the Magnificent'' on the track "All I Know", which was also featured in the video game NBA Live 08.

In October 2010 C.L. Smooth and Pete Rock headlined the "Clean Energy Tour," which had six shows all over California and focused on voter mobilization leading up to the November mid-term elections. He has developed an interest in climate change and become a vocal opponent of Proposition 23.

Discography

Solo albums

''American Me'' (2006)

''The Outsider'' (2007)

Featurings

Supafuh feat. CL Smooth ''Act Of Faith'' (2011)

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth albums

! Album information
''Mecca and the Soul Brother''	*Released: June 9, 1992	*Billboard 200 chart position: #43	*R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: #7	*Singles: "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)", "Straighten It Out" & "Lots of Lovin'"
	*Released: November 8, 1994	*Billboard 200 chart position: #51	*R&B;/Hip-Hop chart position: #9	*Singles: "I Got a Love", "CL Smooth at [[MySpace.com">Take You There (Pete Rock & CL Smooth song)

References

External links

CL Smooth at [[MySpace.com

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from New Rochelle, New York Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:Pete Rock

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