Def Squad

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Busta Rhymes - Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad

Keith Murray - Yeah Yeah U Know It ft. Def Squad

Flip Mode Squad meets Def Squad (Music Video)

06. Redman -FT- Def Squad - Dont Make No Sense

( Flipmode Squad meets Def Squad - Jamal, Redman, Rampage, Lord Have Mercy ) 1996

Open Collage in a new Window

Email the Collage

Loading suggestions ...

Brooklyn
Coordinates: 40°41′34″N 73°59′25″W / 40.69278°N 73.99028°W / 40.69278; -73.99028
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with approximately 2.5 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, after New York County (Manhattan). It is also the westernmost county on Long Island.
Brooklyn was an independent city until it was annexed by New York City in 1898. It continues to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves where particular ethnic groups and cultures predominate.
Brooklyn's official motto is Eendraght Maeckt Maght. Written in the (early modern spelling of the) Dutch language, it is inspired by the motto of the United Dutch Provinces and translated "Unity makes strength". The motto is displayed on the borough seal and flag, which also feature a young robed woman bearing fasces, a traditional emblem of republicanism. Brooklyn's official colors are blue and gold.

wn.com/Brooklyn
Brooklyn, New York
Coordinates: 40°41′34″N 73°59′25″W / 40.69278°N 73.99028°W / 40.69278; -73.99028
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with approximately 2.5 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, after New York County (Manhattan). It is also the westernmost county on Long Island.
Brooklyn was an independent city until it was annexed by New York City in 1898. It continues to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves where particular ethnic groups and cultures predominate.
Brooklyn's official motto is Eendraght Maeckt Maght. Written in the (early modern spelling of the) Dutch language, it is inspired by the motto of the United Dutch Provinces and translated "Unity makes strength". The motto is displayed on the borough seal and flag, which also feature a young robed woman bearing fasces, a traditional emblem of republicanism. Brooklyn's official colors are blue and gold.

wn.com/Brooklyn,_New_York
Dubai
Dubai (/duːˈbaɪ/ doo-BY; Arabic: دبيّ‎ Dubeii; IPA: [du'beii]) is an emirate within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A city within the emirate is also named Dubai. The emirate is located south east of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. Dubai City is located on the emirate's northern coastline.
The earliest mention of Dubai is in 1095, and the earliest settlement known as Dubai town dates from 1799. Dubai was formally established in 1833 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Buti al Maktoum when he persuaded 800 members of the Bani Yas tribe, living in what is now part of Saudi Arabia, to follow him to the Dubai Creek by the Al Abu Falasa clan of Bani Yas. It remained under clan control when the United Kingdom assumed the protection of Dubai in 1892. Its geographical location made it an important trading hub and by the beginning of the 20th century, it was an important port.

wn.com/Dubai
France
France (English ⁱ/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km² (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km² / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

wn.com/France
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City (Queens and Brooklyn), and two of which are mainly suburban (Nassau and Suffolk). The term "Long Island" often refers only to Nassau and Suffolk counties in order to differentiate them from New York City, though all four counties are on the island and part of the New York metropolitan area.
As of the 2010 census, Long Island had a population of 7,568,304, making it the most populated island in any U.S. state or territory. It is also the 17th most populous island in the world, ahead of Ireland, Jamaica and the Japanese island of Hokkaidō. Its population density is 5,402 inhabitants per square mile (2,086 /km²). If it were a state, Long Island would rank 13th in population (after Virginia) and first in population density.
Both the longest and the largest island in the contiguous United States, Long Island extends 118 miles (190 km) eastward from New York Harbor to Montauk Point, and has a maximum north-to-south expanse of 23 miles (37 km) between the northern Long Island Sound coast and the southern Atlantic coast. With a land area of 1,401 square miles (3,629 km²), Long Island is the 11th largest island in the United States and the 148th largest island in the world — larger than the 1,214 square miles (3,140 km²) of the smallest state, Rhode Island.

wn.com/Long_Island
Manhattan
Manhattan (/mænˈhætən/) is the most densely populated and the oldest of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the U.S. state of New York. The borough and county consist of Manhattan Island and several small adjacent islands: Roosevelt Island, Randall's Island, Wards Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, part of Ellis Island,Mill Rock, and U Thant Island; as well as Marble Hill, a very small area on the mainland bordering the Bronx. The original city of New York began at the southern end of Manhattan, expanded northward, and then between 1874 and 1898, annexed land from surrounding counties.
The New York County is the most densely populated county in the United States, and one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with a 2010 population of 1,585,873 living in a land area of 22.96 square miles (59.5 km²), or 69,464 residents per square mile (26,924/km²), more dense than any individual American city. It is also one of the wealthiest counties in the United States, with a 2005 per capita income above $100,000. Manhattan is the third-largest of New York's five boroughs in population, and its smallest borough in land area.

wn.com/Manhattan
New York
New York (/njuː ˈjɔrk/; locally IPA: [nɪu ˈjɔək] or [nuː ˈjɔɹk] ( listen)) is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. New York is the 27th most extensive, the 3rd most populous, and the 7th most densely populated of the 50 United States. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the west and north, and Quebec to the north. The state of New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.
New York City, with a population of over 8.1 million, is the most populous city in the United States. Alone, it makes up over 40 percent of the population of New York state. It is known for its status as a center for finance and culture and for its status as the largest gateway for immigration to the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, New York City is also a destination of choice for many foreign visitors. Both the state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, future James II and VII of England and Scotland.

wn.com/New_York
Red Hook, Brooklyn
Coordinates: 40°40′35″N 74°00′41″W / 40.676520°N 74.011373°W / 40.676520; -74.011373
Red Hook is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 6. It is also the location where the transatlantic liner, the RMS Queen Mary 2, docks in New York City.
Red Hook has been part of the Town of Brooklyn since it was organized in the 1600s. It is named for the red clay soil and the point of land projecting into the Upper New York Bay. The village was settled by Dutch colonists of New Amsterdam in 1636, and named Roode Hoek. In Dutch "Hoek" means "point" or "corner" and not the English hook (i.e., not something curved or bent). The actual "hoek" of Red Hook was a point on an island that stuck out into Upper New York Bay at today's Dikeman Street west of Ferris Street. In the 1880s to the present time, people who live in the Eastern area of Red Hook refer to their neighborhood as "The Point". Today, the area is home to about 11,000 people.

wn.com/Red_Hook,_Brooklyn
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates ⁱ/juːˌnaɪtɨd ˌærəb ˈɛmɪrɨts/ (Arabic: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة‎, Al Imārāt al ‘Arabīyah al Muttaḥidah), sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE, is a country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing sea borders with Qatar to the west and Iran to the north.
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates (equivalent to principalities), each governed by a hereditary emir, with a single national president. The constituent emirates are Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. The capital is Abu Dhabi, which is also the state's center of political, industrial, and cultural activities.
Prior to independence in 1971, the UAE was known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference to a 19th-century truce between the local sheikhs, hereditary rulers of the territories, and the United Kingdom. The term Pirate Coast was also used by some to refer to the emirates from the 18th to the early 20th century, owing to the preponderance of pirates operating from Emirati ports.

wn.com/United_Arab_Emirates
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.

wn.com/United_Kingdom

Ace Hood
Antoine McColister, (born May 11, 1988), better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. Originating from Broward County, Florida, he is signed to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Cash Money Records. he is formerly signed to Def Jam Recordings. His song "Top of the World", from his debut studio album Gutta, was also featured in the basketball simulation game, NBA 2K10.
In 2007, he met DJ Khaled outside the offices of WEDR 99 Jamz, a South Florida radio station that mainly plays hip hop and contemporary R&B music. After Ace gave him an autobiography and demo tape, Khaled asked Ace to rap over the instrumental of "I'm So Hood" and later signed Hood to his label, We the Best. Ace was named with several others to the Freshmen of 09 by XXL magazine.
His first album, Gutta, was released in 2008. Singles included "Cash Flow" featuring T-Pain and Rick Ross, and "Ride" featuring Trey Songz. Hood also released mixtapes called Ace Won't Fold and All Bets On Ace. He made a guest performance among several rappers on DJ Khaled's single "Out Here Grindin'", also featuring Akon, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Trick Daddy and Plies, which peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ace Hood's biggest hit. It is from Khaled's third studio album We Global, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. Ace Hood appeared on Wildstyle Radio with Rome and Hoss on WUAG 103.1FM in Greensboro, North Carolina, on September 7, 2008, to promote his album, Gutta, along with DJ Khaled. The album debuted at #36 on the Billboard 200, selling 25,000 copies its first week.

wn.com/Ace_Hood
Alyson Williams
Alyson Williams (born May 11, 1962 in New York City, NY) is an R&B singer.
The daughter of bandleader / trumpeter Bobby Booker, she began her career by singing background vocals for various artists including, Curtis Hairston, Melba Moore ("Love's Coming At Ya"), B. B. & Q. Band, Cashflow, Unlimited Touch, Bobby Brown and Barbara Mitchell before joining the group High Fashion, which also featured Meli'sa Morgan. After they disbanded, Alyson sang with the group The Affair before moving onto a solo career.
Her first single, "Yes We Can Can", was first released on Profile Records in 1986; a release on the Def Jam label followed in 1987. At the label, she established herself as an in demand vocalist, duetting with many of her label mates including Chuck Stanley ("Make You Mine Tonight") and Oran "Juice" Jones ("How To Love Again").
Her first album release and the first R&B female singer signed to Def Jam, she released the album Raw in 1989. The album produced the singles "My Love is So Raw", featuring female rapper Nikki D,and "Sleep Talk". In addition, the single "Just Call My Name" was a hit on the Billboard R&B charts reaching number #4. The song, picked up by many "Quiet storm" formats, is now considered a cult classic and is still played. The album included a duet with the Blue Magic vocalist Ted Mills on "We're Gonna Make It". Her single "I Need Your Lovin'" was also a #8 success in the UK, as well as another R&B hit for her.

wn.com/Alyson_Williams
Ameriie
Amerie Mi Marie Rogers (born January 12, 1980), known professionally as Amerie or Ameriie, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison, and was well received in the urban market. In 2005, Ameriie released her biggest hit to date, "1 Thing", the lead single from her second album, Touch, which garnered her crossover recognition and earned two Grammy Award nominations. Her third album, Because I Love It, achieved moderate international success in 2007, although it was not released in North America, and she subsequently left her label Columbia Records. Amerie released her fourth studio album, In Love & War, in 2009, her first album under Island Def Jam.
Ameriie was born to Korean mother, artist Mi Suk, and African American father, Charles. A few months after she was born, the Rogers family moved to her mother's native Korea, where Ameriie lived for three years. Her father, Charles, was a chief warrant officer, so Ameriie traveled to and lived in many different places, including South Korea, Alaska, Texas, Virginia, and Germany. He now works for the U.S. Intelligence Division United States military. She has a younger sister, Angela, who is now her lawyer. Amerie describes her parents as conservative, protective, traditional Christians. Growing up, she and her sister were forbidden to leave the house or use the phone on school days. The singer enrolled at Georgetown University to study literature, and was in Navy ROTC: "I was in the Navy ROTC. My dad didn’t force me into it or anything. I joined so I could afford an education." She quit ROTC after her sophomore year, and graduated with a BA degree in English and Fine Arts minor in design. Amerie's first language is Korean.

wn.com/Ameriie
Asher Roth
Asher Paul Roth (born August 11, 1985) is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Roth is signed to Schoolboy Records, SRC, and Def Jam.
Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth (née McConnell), is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm. His mother has Scottish ancestry and his paternal grandfather was Jewish. Roth does not consider himself Jewish, although his name often leads people to believe he is. He attended Pennsbury High School. Growing up, Roth was exposed to little hip hop in his family, with his parents preferring "The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire ... Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits." According to Roth:
The first CD I ever bought was Dave Matthews Band's Crash ...That is how suburban I am...I finally got into hip hop in '98 when I heard the Annie sample with Jay-Z....When I wrote my 'A Milli' freestyle, that was me listening to 10 years of hip hop and not relating to it at all. Like, Damn I don’t sell coke. Damn, I don’t have cars or 25-inch rims. I don't have guns. I finally got to a point where I had the confidence to do this thing myself, and I was making music for me. And it turns out, a lot of people feel the same way I do.

wn.com/Asher_Roth
B.G. Knocc Out
Al Hasan Naqiyy (born Arlandis Hinton; January 23, 1975), better known by his stage name B.G. Knocc Out, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is also the younger brother of rapper Dresta, who also collaborated in the song.
Arlandis Hinton was born and raised in Compton, California. He and his brother Andre Wicker became Crips gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set.
Eazy-E, rapper from Compton eventually discovered the brothers, met up and recorded songs with them. B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) and Dresta (Wicker) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy-E's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (~~Dr. Dre~~) 187^um Killa on the single "Real Muthaphukkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic.
In 1995, B.G. Knocc Out and Dresta released their debut album Real Brothas, which remains their only album to date. At end of the same year, they made three guest appearances in Eazy-E's posthumous album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton. The following year in 1996 he appeared on DJ Yella of N.W.A's debut solo album One Mo Nigga Ta Go.

wn.com/B.G._Knocc_Out
Beanie Sigel
Dwight Grant, (born March 6, 1974), also known as 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. He decided to end his career in middle 2010 when he made his last song, "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.
In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc roster starred in a Dame Dash-produced movie entitled State Property. Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of artists signed to Roc-A-Fella that hailed from Philadelphia and organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz Chris,Neef, Oschino and Omilio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. They followed up with 2003's The Chain Gang Vol. 2, featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz; the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.

wn.com/Beanie_Sigel
Big Boi
Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André 3000 each announced plans to release a solo album. Big Boi's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim.
Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School before moving to Atlanta with his Aunt Renne. Eventually he decided to pursue his interest in music at Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School.
He had a strong interest in hip-hop music, and met André "3000" Benjamin while attending Tri Cities High School in the early-1990s. The two eventually joined forces as OutKast and signed with LaFace Records.

wn.com/Big_Boi
Bobby V
Bobby Wilson (born on February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (previously known as Bobby Valentino), is an American recording artist (his nickname being "Valentino" because he was due to be born on Valentine's Day). He is now known as Bobby V due to a lawsuit involving an English singer, song writer and musician who has been recording and performing under the name Bobby Valentino for over 35 years.
Bobby V was born Robert Wilson on February 27, 1980, in Jackson, Mississippi. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended North Atlanta High School. Growing up V listened to Michael Jackson, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Marvin Gaye, Jodeci, and The Isley Brothers. Those were the artists that inspired him to become a R&B singer. He later returned to his old high school appearing on the debut episode of MTV's Once Upon A Prom, which aired on May 19, 2007. V entered the music scene in 1996 as a member of the R&B youth quartet Mista, at this time using his real name, Bobby Wilson. Under the production of Organized Noize (TLC’s "Waterfalls"), the group released their self-titled debut album, which produced the chart topping single, "Blackberry Molasses". Unfortunately, the album did not follow in the same success and despite a second album being produced by Tim & Bob, it was never released. Due to management issues the group split in 1997. Bobby later enrolled at Clark Atlanta University majoring in Mass Communications.While in school, Bobby V continued to record in his free time in hopes of one day returning to the stage. In the spring of 2002 he auditioned for season one of American Idol, but did not make the cut.

wn.com/Bobby_V
Cam'ron
Cameron 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.

wn.com/Cam'ron
Capone-N-Noreaga
Capone-N-Noreaga was an American hip hop duo that consisted of Capone and Noreaga.
In 1996 the duo signed with Penalty Records; it also appeared in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column. In 1996, before the group’s debut album was completed, Capone was imprisoned for a parole violation, and Noreaga finished the debut album, The War Report, with the help of various other QB/NY hip-hop acts. The album was met with critical and commercial acclaim; it saw the group partake in the conflict between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment, making it a more widespread East Coast/West Coast rivalry, responding to Tha Dogg Pound's single " New York, New York" with its own "L.A L.A"
In 2000, the group released its sophomore effort, The Reunion, on Tommy Boy Records. Similarly star-studded, the album went platinum, but suffered from mixed reviews. Additionally, Capone was once again sent to prison before its release for violating a probation sentence on gun possession, which undermined promotion of the album. Soon after, in 2001, Capone-n-Noreaga jumped ship to prominent label Def Jam. As Tommy Boy retained the rights to the names Capone-n-Noreaga and Noreaga because the company claimed that the duo owed it more recordings, the group shortened its name to CNN, and Noreaga billed himself as N.O.R.E. (or NORE) for his solo work. The duo recorded a new album in 2003 called What up 2 Da Hood, with a lead single, "Yes, Sir," which was issued on mixtapes and promoted by a video. The single failed to make an impact, and the album was shelved. It was released later in 2004 as a mixtape (What Up 2 Da Hood Thugged Out).

wn.com/Capone-N-Noreaga
Case (singer)
Case Woodard, stage name Case, is an American R&B singer who was born in New York City.
After stints with R&B group 'Future' and a duo called 'Black', Case got work co-writing and singing background for artists including Usher, Christopher Williams and Al B. Sure. Case finally felt close to achieving his dream of becoming a solo artist, and he was. Armed with a song written by Faith Evans, Case was discovered by Russell Simmons who signed him to Def Jam Records. “Everything changed with this deal,” says Case, “I was in heaven, on cloud nine.”
Case’s solo career took off in 1996 with the release of "Touch Me, Tease Me" (with rapper Foxy Brown and R&B singer Mary J. Blige) from The Nutty Professor soundtrack, going gold and reaching #4 on the R&B charts and #14 on the Hot 100. His self-titled debut Case soon followed along with the minor R&B hit singles "More to Love" and "I Gotcha."
Case followed the success of his first album with the release of Personal Conversation in 1999. The album featured the hits "Happily Ever After" (which reached #3 on the R&B charts and #15 on the Hot 100) and "Faded Pictures," (released April 20, 1999), which featured R&B singer Joe and reached #3 on the R&B charts and #10 on the Hot 100. "Happily Ever After" featured Beyoncé in the video as Case's love interest. The album's third single, "Think Of You" failed to do well, managing to only reach #50 on the R&B charts. Personal Conversation achieved platinum status.

wn.com/Case_(singer)
Chrisette Michele
Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She is signed to the Island Def Jam Music Group and won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".
Michele was born in Central Islip, New York, and grew up in Patchogue. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.
Michele has been featured on several hip hop albums. She is on The Game's album LAX on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z's Kingdom Come she was featured on the second single "Lost One", while on Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You", the Kanye West-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track "Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah's The Big Doe Rehab.

wn.com/Chrisette_Michele
Cormega
Corey McKay (born April 26, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an African-American rapper best known for his narratives about inner-city life, having been born in Queensbridge, Queens. McKay is notable for consistently producing as an independent artist, refusing to go mainstream.
Cormega was raised in Long Island City, Queens, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas, AZ, Nature and Capone-N-Noreaga. When he was 4, he witnessed his mother's murder. After that, he moved in with his father and stepmother who had recently returned from Dallas, Texas and moved back to New York City.
Cormega is known and praised for his intricate, complex, multi-syllabic lyricism and raw, straight delivery. Despite being an underground artist he has gained considerable acknowledgement in the rap community and is regarded as one of the best lyricists to grace the mic. McKay often reflects about the hardships of inner-city life and succeeding in a world where we are very much on our own.

wn.com/Cormega
Dave Hollister
Dave Hollister (born August 17, 1971) is an American R&B vocalist who found fame during the 1990s as one quarter of the Platinum-selling R&B quartet Blackstreet before going on to a solo career.
Hollister is cousin of musical artists act K-Ci & JoJo. He started developing fame as a musician in the early 1990s. Some of his biggest early appearances were with 2Pac on tracks like "Brenda's Got a Baby" and "Keep Ya Head Up" where he was credited on both as "The Black Angel" as well as the original version of "Don't You Trust Me." The remake of which was released on Loyal to the Game.
His next big move was when he was signed to Teddy Riley's R&B group Blackstreet in 1994. He worked with the group on their first album and then left the group to pursue his own solo career. He was signed to DreamWorks Records and began working on an album.
In 1999, Hollister released his first album, Ghetto Hymns. The album was successful, going gold, and creating one hit single, "My Favorite Girl". "My Favorite Girl" reached #10 on the R&B charts.

wn.com/Dave_Hollister
Davy DMX
Davy DMX is the stage name of David Reeves, a figure in hip-hop music. His career began in his hometown of Queens, New York as a DJ in the late 1970s. He is mostly known for his popular single "One for the Treble" released in 1984. This song was also included on the rap station in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Davy DMX was a member of Orange Krush along with Larry Smith. They are credited with a few singles in their own right such as "Action" (1981), but their chief credit was providing all the music for Run DMC's first two albums. Orange Krush are also credited on Lovebug Starski's "You Gotta Believe" and Sweet G's "Games People Play", both on Fever 1983.
Davy DMX went on to replace DJ Run as Kurtis Blow's DJ (including a Madison Square Garden performance opening for The Commodores). He was also writing songs and playing guitar for some of Blow's tracks.
As contemporaries, Run DMC, Davy DMX, and Kurtis Blow were all involved in the early development of sampling in hip hop^{[citation needed]} during the early 1980s.

wn.com/Davy_DMX
DJ Clue?
Ernesto Shaw (born January 8, 1975) better known as DJ Clue?, is a mixtape DJ.
Shaw began his interest in music as an aspiring rapper by the name of MC Drama. During one recording session in 1989, an anxious Shaw decided to pass time by using a DJ's turntable set. After that session, he developed a greater interest in DJing.
Now known as DJ Clue, he broke ground by releasing his first tape in 1990, "Clue #24", which was given that name in order for him to appear more experienced than he actually had been at the time. Through the years, Clue built a following in the mixtape game (which at the time was dominated by the likes of DJ Kid Capri and others). As the mid-1990s approached, Clue became known for not only the quality of his tapes, but for having exclusive songs not found on tapes by other DJ's. One mixtape in the summer of 1994, featured two unreleased songs by The Notorious B.I.G. from his forthcoming album, Ready To Die, which drew the ire of not only B.I.G., but CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean "Puffy" Combs. This move, however, turned out to prove beneficial to Clue's rise. Upon meeting Combs, Clue began establishing a relationship with Bad Boy Records, resulting in what would be his most popular mixtape to date (at the time), "Bad Boy Mixtape Vol. 1", hosted by Combs.

wn.com/DJ_Clue?
DJ Richie Rich
DJ Richie Rich (born Richard Lawson in Jamaica), is a former record producer and turntablist who was best known as a member of the New York-based rap trio 3rd Bass. He was also known as Daddy Rich. He was part of The "Supermen" DJ crew which also included other top DJs such as Scratch, Clark Kent, Miz, Supreme, and Alladin. Rich also appeared in the movie "Juice" in the DJ battle scene, and recorded the scratches for the soundtrack. While working with Third Bass, he was one of the first DJs ever to do a DJ trick routine on TV when they appeared on the Arsenio Hall show.
Lawson did it with MC Serch and Pete Nice in 1987 to form the rap group 3 the Hard Way, which later became 3rd Bass. After releasing two albums in 1989 and 1991, the group split in 1992. Rich and Pete Nice collaborated on their only release together, the 1993 album Dust to Dust, which peaked at #171 on the Billboard 200, #50 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #3 on the Top Heatseekers.
Rich produced the track "I'm Kurious" for Kurious Jorge's 1994 debut, A Constipated Monkey, before leaving the music business. He resurfaced briefly in 1999 on The Madd Rapper's album Tell 'Em Why U Madd, providing scratches for the single "Dot Vs. TMR."

wn.com/DJ_Richie_Rich
DJ Scratch
DJ Scratch (born George Spivey) is an American hip hop DJ and producer.
DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ Champion, Grammy nominated, Multi Platinum Producer & The 2010 Master Of The Mix World Champion.
For over two decades, DJ Scratch has been everyone’s favorite DJ's favorite DJ. Acknowledged as one of the greatest DJs of all time and honored in The Source Magazine as a Hip Hop Icon. On July 2, 2010 DJ Scratch was crowned the title "Jam Master" by DMC of RUN DMC.
Scratch is the man who provided the flamboyance to EPMD, Jay Z & P Diddy's stage shows. Throughout the years, Scratch drove audiences into frenzies with visual and technical routines far beyond mortal DJs. One of his most famous routines is cutting Big Daddy Kane's "Friday the 13th Imma Play Jason" line as he emerges from beneath the turntable set wearing a hockey mask. Various DJ routines & turntable tricks created by Scratch over the past 20 years are still being done in honor of DJ Scratch by some of the biggest DJs today like Kid Capri & Funkmaster Flex.

wn.com/DJ_Scratch
Domino (rapper)
Shawn Antione Ivy, known as Domino, is an American rapper born in 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Long Beach, California. Being a Crip himself, he auditioned for the Bloods & Crips project in the early 1990s. He is the first rapper, in order of appearance, in the title track Bangin' on Wax on the album of the same name. His debut album, Domino, spawned two major hits in the United States, including the Top 10 hit "Getto Jam", which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Several further albums were released, and Domino continued to score hits on the R&B charts into the 2000s (decade).
In 1996, Domino appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, 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 his self-titled debut album was critically and commercially well-received, many were quick to point out that his style was similar to that of fellow Long Beach resident and up-and-coming Dr. Dre protege, Snoop Doggy Dogg. He is the first hip-hop artist to perform a No. 1 rap single which contained melodic hip-hop throughout the entire song. Three years later, Domino released his second album, Physical Funk, which failed to become as successful as its predecessor due to corporate moves. The video "Physical Funk" was a No. 1 video on MTV and the album was defected^{[clarification needed]} before its release due to Def Jam (Russell Simmons record label) dropping Outburst Records (the record label Domino was released on) before the album was released.^{[citation needed]}

wn.com/Domino_(rapper)
Dresta
Andre DeSean Wicker (born April 18, 1971), better known by his stage name Dresta, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is also the older brother of rapper B.G. Knocc Out, who also collaborated in the song.
Andre DeSean Wicker was born and raised in Compton, California. He and his brother Arlandis Hinton became Crips gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set. He was convicted of assaulting another gang member in Compton in 1985 or 1986, and was incarcerated at the California Youth Authority in Camarillo.
While Wicker was serving his ten-year sentence, he started writing lyrics and rapping. After Wicker's release, Eazy-E eventually discovered Wicker and Hinton, met up and recorded songs with them. Dresta (Wicker) and B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (~~Dr. Dre~~) 187^um Killa on single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic.

wn.com/Dresta
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon (born November 25, 1967, Bay Shore, New York, United States) is an American rapper, musician, and producer.
Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s–1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.
The Green-Eyed Bandit also made multiple solo recordings and albums. He began recording solo albums for Def Jam in 1993; in 1997, he rejoined EPMD. The following year, Sermon, Murray and Redman recorded a cover version of "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, the first hit hip hop record. EPMD disbanded a second time in 1999.
In 2000, Sermon moved over to J Records, and released the album Music the following year. The title track (a Top 40 pop hit that also made it to #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart), featured guest vocals from Marvin Gaye, culled from unreleased recordings which Sermon reportedly found in a small record shop in London.
Sermon continued working on an album. React was released in 2002. The title track became a major hit song, though the album still had disappointing sales. In 2003, J Records dropped Sermon due to poor record sales. However, he still went on to establish his Def Squad imprint with Motown Records. At this time, he recorded an album, Chilltown, N.Y., which was released a year later in 2004. The album was powered by the single "Feel It" (which contained a sample of reggae/R&B singer Sean Paul), a song which became a success in the United States.

wn.com/Erick_Sermon
Fabolous
John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. His first music appearance was with his 2001 release Ghetto Fabolous. He is also known for his hit singles "Can't Deny It", "Young'n (Holla Back)", "Breathe", "Make Me Better" and "Throw It in the Bag". Fabolous is also signed to Diddy's Ciroc Management company.
Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977 of Dominican and African American descent. He grew up in Brevoort Houses in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
While in high school in twelfth grade, Fabolous began to pursue a rap career. He was invited to rap live on DJ Clue's radio show and on WQHT Hot 97, where he was signed to Desert Storm Records. He was featured on several DJ Clue mixtapes and mixtapes with Roc-A-Fella artists.^{[citation needed]} This earned Fabolous and Desert Storm a distribution deal with Elektra Records.
Fabolous released his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous, on September 11, 2001. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling over 143,000 copies in its first week. The album's first single, "Can't Deny It", was produced by Rick Rock and features a chorus by Nate Dogg interpolating Tupac Shakur's song "Ambitionz Az a Ridah". It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, along with two of the subsequent singles. The other charting singles were "Young'n (Holla Back)", which is produced by The Neptunes and "Trade It All", which features vocals from Jagged Edge and is produced by DJ Clue and Duro.

wn.com/Fabolous
Fam-Lay
Nathaniel Johnson, also known as Fam-Lay (born May 28, 1974)^{[citation needed]} is an American rapper from Norfolk, Virginia. Signed to The Neptunes' Star Trak imprint, he first gained notoriety through several guest appearances he made on various Neptunes-related projects, including the Clipse's debut album Lord Willin' in 2002. He also later appeared on The Neptunes' compilation The Neptunes Present... Clones in 2003, which featured his song "Rock 'N Roll". Then in 2004 he had the single and video "Rock N Roll (Remix)" featuring Lil Flip. It gained heavy rotation on MTV Jams.
He planned to release his debut album, titled Traintogo, in March 2004, through a joint venture between Star Trak and Def Jam Recordings. Unlike most Neptunes-helmed projects, where Pharrell and Chad Hugo handle almost all of the production duties, Traintogo was unique in that it was to feature production from outside producers, including Lil' Jon and David Banner. After suffering several delays, Traintogo failed to meet its scheduled release date. To further complicate matters, Fam-Lay's deal with Def Jam fell through, and he was dropped from the label in July 2004. Traintogo still has yet to be released.

wn.com/Fam-Lay
Flatlinerz
Flatlinerz was a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. The group was one of the early acts involved in the horrorcore genre of Hip-Hop, along with The Gravediggaz.
The group was led by Jamal "Redrum" Simmons (nephew of Russell Simmons) and two other emcees named Gravedigger and Tempest. The strategy thought up by Def Jam and Flatlinerz was that the group was to create a style of hip hop music that moved away from the popular gangsta style at the time and deal with darker subjects such as Satanism, horror movies, and gruesome murder. The group was heavily promoted as the next big thing by Def Jam after it signed with Def Jam by Jam Master Jay (contrary to belief, Russell Simmons apparently didn't sign the group because he couldn't take the concept seriously) and released its only album, U.S.A (which stood for Under Satan's Authority) and was produced by Tempest, Rockwilder, Russell Simmons and DR Period. However, the album was not released by Jay's JMJ imprint.
The album didn't sell well, and there was a lot of controversy surrounding the videos for "Live Evil" and "Satanic Verses" (it featured things like frontman Redrum rhyming while hanging from a noose and Gravedigger rhyming from a crucifix), and the group was later dropped, since no one seemed to understand the concept of horrorcore at the time, and the group was seen by many as a facsimile of The Gravediggaz, who explored many of the same concepts, albeit in a more tongue-in-cheek (And arguably skillful) manner. The failure of the group derailed several side projects, such as a Comic book, and two of Flatlinerz's associates (namely the Headless Horsemen and Omen, who were featured on the debut album) who had been promised releases were also dropped.

wn.com/Flatlinerz
Flesh-n-Bone
Stanley Howse, better known as Flesh-n-Bone, (born June 10, 1973) is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio and is known as a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He is the older brother of Layzie Bone and cousin of Wish Bone.
Flesh n Bone is best known as one of the five members of top-selling rap group, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He was the first member of the group to release a solo album entitled T.H.U.G.S. (Trues Humbly United Gatherin' Souls) on November 19, 1996, on Mo Thugs Records and Def Jam Recordings. In 1999, he released an underground album called From Cleveland 2 Cali to display the artists signed to his label Flesh Bone Incorporated. In 2000 he released From Cleveland 2 Cali: Day 2. On October 10, 2000 he released his second solo album, 5th Dog Let Loose, on Koch Records. Flesh-N-Bone released his first solo single in 10 years since his incarceration in 2000 with "Heartaches", released on iTunes November 30, 2010. His third solo album "Blaze Of Glory" was released September 13, 2011. In addition, Flesh is presently working on his mixtape; Hip Hop Royalty, clothing designs, real estate ventures, and a record company; FBG.

wn.com/Flesh-n-Bone
Foxy Brown (rapper)
Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand (born September 6, 1978), better known as Foxy Brown, is an American rapper 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 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.

wn.com/Foxy_Brown_(rapper)
Funkmaster Flex
Aston George Taylor, Jr. (born August 5, 1968) better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle.
Funkmaster Flex (Aston George Taylor Jr.) was born in the Bronx borough of New York City with music flowing through his veins thanks to his father Aston George Taylor Sr., a sound system DJ for local clubs throughout the city. By 16, Flex began DJing at local nightclubs a perfecting his mixing and turntable talents. At 19, he got his first job as a record boy for fellow Bronx native, Chuck Chillout for WRKS 98.7 Kiss-FM in New York. One evening, Chillout was late for his show and Funkmaster Flex got his big break and was allowed to stand in, thus beginning his career in radio.
He later left KISS for a brief stay at 107.5 WBLS-FM, meanwhile Flex kept up his club appearances at many of Vito Bruno's operated nightclubs including The Tunnel, Home Bass and Mecca. Bruno helped convince Joel Salkowitz, a regional vice president of Hot 97, to begin airing live broadcasts from clubs where Flex was performing like The Tunnel. He called the hours of Saturday evening programming the "Saturday Night House Party". When they realized the resurgence of Hip Hop was coming fast from its fallout in the eighties they increase the hours and days of these style of shows.

wn.com/Funkmaster_Flex
Hit Squad
The Hit Squad was a 1990s hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists formed by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith better known as EPMD. The collective separated when EPMD broke up for the first time in 1993, later reforming as Def Squad.
After the success of their debut album Strictly Business, EPMD sought to mentor new artists. The first artist to make a guest appearance on an EPMD album was K-Solo. Solo was featured on their second album Unfinished Business on the song "Knick Knack Patty Wack". The first mention of "Hit Squad" appeared on EPMD's third album Business as Usual on the track "Hit Squad Heist". The lyrics mention Redman, K-Solo and Tom J of Knucklehedz. Redman is also featured on two tracks of that album.
In 1993, EPMD released the single "Headbanger" from their fourth album Business Never Personal. The single featured K-Solo and Redman and the music video features appearances by most of the Hit Squad. The single reached #11 on Billboard's Hot Rap Tracks chart. The single's success made "Head Banger" the Squad's "signature song". The album also features Das EFX on the track "Cummin' At Cha".

wn.com/Hit_Squad
Hurricane G
Gloria Rodríguez, better known by her stage name Hurricane G, is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. Her 1997 single release "Somebody Else" charted at #10 by Billborad Magazine on Hot Rap Singles, and at #54 on their Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
She was born in Brooklyn, New York. She was the Hit Squad's first female member, and made guest appearances on albums by Keith Murray, Redman, Xzibit, Delinquent Habits, Funkdoobiest, the Cocoa Brovaz, and others. She also appeared on Puff Daddy's track "P.E. 2000". Her much-delayed debut album, All Woman, appeared in 1997.
Hurricane G has a daughter by Erick Sermon (of EPMD fame) named Lexus.

wn.com/Hurricane_G
Ja Rule
Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule or Mockaveli, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City.
Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla". From 2000 to 2004, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Between Me and You" with Christina Milian, "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" with Jennifer Lopez, "Always on Time" with Ashanti, "Mesmerize" also with Ashanti, and "Wonderful" with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. Ja Rule has sold over 30 million records worldwide and was the fastest selling rapper in 2001^{[citation needed]}. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in-particular 50 Cent and Eminem).
Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He has said got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he has described as a "white school".

wn.com/Ja_Rule
Jadakiss
Jason Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. (a member of the hip hop collective Ruff Ryders) Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.
By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle rapper. He and some of his friends were given the opportunity to compete in the "Jack the Rapper Competition" in Florida, where Jadakiss had been noticed for his battle rap ability. He met Dee and Wah of the Ruff Ryders (then a management company), and began hanging out and battling outside of the Ruff Ryders' studio where artists such as DMX made their first hits.
Jason Phillps founded the rap group The Warlocks in 1994 with friends, Chris "Lil Mac" Pelkey, and Styles P. They later signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, where it was suggested that they change their name simply to "The LOX", which came to stand for Living Off eXperience. They made their first appearance on The Main Source's 1994 LP Fuck What You Think on the track "Set it Off".

wn.com/Jadakiss
Jamal Phillips
Jamal Phillips (born April 26, 1979), who performs under the mononym Jamal, is an American rapper and music producer. He started his career as one-half of rap duo Illegal, the rap act formed by Dallas Austin in the early 1990s.
Phillips' tenure with Illegal was short-lived; following the lukewarm response to 1993's The Untold Truth — the group's full-length debut — Phillps embarked on a solo career. He teamed up with Erick Sermon of the Def Squad to release 1995's Last Chance, No Breaks, his debut release.
The album (produced by Easy Mo Bee, Redman, Rockwilder and Sermon) peaked at #10 and #37 on Billboard magazine's Heatseekers and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively. The album also spawned a pair of hit singles — "Fades Em All", which sampled The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Ready To Die' and "Keep It Real", which sampled Stevie Wonder's 'Ribbon In The Sky'.
In 2006, Jamal signed a deal with rapper Yukmouth to be a part of his Smoke-A-Lot Records label. An as yet to be titled album is due out in the near future.

wn.com/Jamal_Phillips
Jayo Felony
James Savage, better known by his stage name, Jayo Felony is a rapper from southeast San Diego, California. He is known for being the first San Diego rapper to be signed to a major label.^{[citation needed]} Jayo Felony was a member of the Neighborhood Rollin 40's, a Crip gang stretching from the Chollas View to the Mount Hope neighborhoods of Southeast San Diego.
In 1994 Jayo Felony was signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay called Jam Master Jay Records. That year Jayo released his debut album, Take a Ride. In 1998, Jayo released his follow-up album, Whatcha Gonna Do? on Def Jam. It featured rappers like Method Man, DMX, Mack 10, WC, Redman, Kokane, Ice Cube, E-40 and 8 Ball & MJG.
In 1999, he released Underground. He was due to release his fourth album, Hotter Than Fish Grease, in 2000, but for legal reasons the album was never released.^{[citation needed]} Jayo Felony also is now working on his next album called "Don't Get MeatBalled" under his new label Loco Records.
Jayo is looking to sign with Priority Records / Doggystyle Records.

wn.com/Jayo_Felony
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. Often referred to as J.Lo, she is reportedly the highest earning actress of Latin descent. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, she enrolled in singing and dancing classes as a child and grew up in a musically influenced household. She started her career as a fly girl on the television comedy program In Living Color and a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson. Lopez gained recognition in the action-thriller Money Train (1995). Her first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), which was her breakthrough role, earning her an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress and Golden Globe nomination. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in Out of Sight (1998), which made her the highest-paid Latin actress. She has since appeared in various films including The Cell (2000), The Wedding Planner (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), Monster-in-Law (2005), The Back-up Plan (2010) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012).

wn.com/Jennifer_Lopez
Jeremih
Jeremy Felton (born July 17, 1987), who performs under the mononym Jeremih ( /ˈdʒɛrɨmaɪ/), is an American recording artist and producer signed to Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's debut single, "Birthday Sex" (which was also recorded in French), peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. His first and self-titled album, Jeremih, debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. On September 9, 2010, he released his second album, All About You.
Born into a musical family, he began playing instruments at the age of three and taught himself how to play several, including drums, piano and the saxophone. Jeremih attended Morgan Park High School, where he was part of the marching band as well as a Latin jazz band, where he learned to play percussion instruments like congas and timbales. He graduated at the age of 16 and enrolled into the University of Illinois to pursue a career in engineering. Having graduated from high school at an early age, he said in an interview that he found himself "getting in a lot of trouble" while attending the university and plans on returning to earn his degree. After performing a tribute for Ray Charles at one of the campus's talent shows, he received positive feedback and realized his vocal ability, saying that the "music was just taking over". In 2007, he enrolled in Columbia College Chicago to pursue a degree in music business.

wn.com/Jeremih
Joe Budden
Joe Budden (born August 31, 1980) is an American rapper from Jersey City, New Jersey.
In the year 2003, Budden released his debut solo studio album, Joe Budden. It included Budden's 2003 Grammy-nominated summer hit "Pump It Up", and was also featured in the soundtrack for the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious and the video games Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight for NY, and Madden NFL 2004. The song "Focus" was also featured in the game and Joe Budden was also a character. Its second single was "Fire" featuring Busta Rhymes, which was in the movie Mean Girls. The song "Drop Drop" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Cradle 2 the Grave. Joe has hinted in many songs that he was a recovering drug addict and has reaffirmed his position several times through multiple outlets.
After his debut album, Budden's sophomore release titled ‘The Growth’ was hampered due to the label's problems with Joe and his Def Jam seniors not happy with the direction of his music. The production of the album appeared to end up in a development hell and was ultimately not released. Continued disagreements between Budden and Def Jam forced the two sides to part ways. However, Budden managed to release the first and second installments of his Mood Muzik mixtape series while on Def Jam, and the series has been met with critical acclaim.

wn.com/Joe_Budden
Jonell
Jonell is an American R&B singer, born Shannon Jonell Showes in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
In 2003, Jonell introduced with her first hit Round and Round on producer Hi-Tek's album Hi-Teknology. Later that year Jonell intended to release her debut album on the Def Soul label. Her first single "So Whassup" featured a guest appearance by Redman. However, the album was never released. In 2005 her webpage on the Def Soul website was no longer accessible.
The remix of Round and Round featuring Method Man on the How High soundtrack was also a commercial hit.
Jonell is currently working on music, as evident on her Myspace page.

wn.com/Jonell
Joseph Simmons
Joseph Ward Simmons (born November 14, 1964), known by the stage name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C.. He is also a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. He is the brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons, Jr. and Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Records.
He found new popularity in 2005 with his family's MTV reality show Run's House.
Before Run–D.M.C., Simmons was the lead vocalist in the hip-hop group called "The Force." He founded Run-D.M.C. as a lead vocalist along with friend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and the late DJ Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell.
Run began using the stage name of "Rev. Run" after he was ordained as a Pentecostal minister by E. Bernard Jordan, Simmons spiritual mentor. Jordan also named him "Protege of the Year Award" in 2004. The same day, symbolic of his "Prosperity Ministry", there was a "Rolls Royce parade outside the Plaza Hotel in New York City, " featuring Jordan's Phantom Rolls Royce. The new $325,000 Phantom had been a gift from Reverend Run as a "thank you" for Jordan's mentoring support.

wn.com/Joseph_Simmons
Juelz Santana
LaRon Louis James (born February 18, 1983), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, actor and member of group Dipset. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma". In 2003, his debut album From Me to U was released by Def Jam Recordings; his next album What the Game's Been Missing! contained the top-ten single "There It Go (The Whistle Song)". He is currently working on his long awaited third studio album Born to Lose, Built to Win set to be released in the 4th quarter of 2012.
LaRon James was born in New York City and raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. He is of African American and Dominican descent. He began rapping at the age of five and at age twelve started duo Draft Pick, which was signed to Priority Records. In 2000, at the age of 17, he made a guest performance on a track on Cam'ron's album S.D.E. and eventually joined The Diplomats.
After the signing of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset, to Roc-a-Fella Records in 2002, there was an influence of mixtapes, features on other artists' records, television and radio interviews, in which Juelz achieved mainstream recognition not previously gained through the various Diplomat mixtapes, and his solo mixtape Final Destination, that was sold in late 2002. After being featured on fellow Diplomat member Cam'ron's two singles, "Hey Ma" and "Oh Boy". Juelz started working on his debut album. In the summer of 2003, Santana released his debut album, From Me To U, which peaked at #8 in the Billboard 200. "Dipset (Santana's Town)" peaked #70 in the U.S. Billboard.

wn.com/Juelz_Santana
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West ( /ˈkɑːnjeɪ/; born June 8, 1977) is an American musician, film director and fashion designer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synthpop, and classical music.
West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, and his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. West released a collaborative album, Watch the Throne with Jay-Z in 2011, which is the duo's first collaborative album. His five solo albums, all of which have gone platinum, have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. As of 2012, West has won a total of eighteen Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time. All albums have been very commercially successful, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy becoming his fourth consecutive No. 1 album in the U.S. upon release. West has had 5 songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of July 2011, with "Gold Digger" selling 3,086,000, "Stronger" selling 4,402,000, "Heartless" selling 3,742,000, "E.T." selling over 4,000,000 and "Love Lockdown" selling over 3,000,000 placing him third in overall digital sales of the past decade. He has sold over 30 million digital songs in the United States making him one of the best-selling digital artists of all-time.

wn.com/Kanye_West
Karina Pasian
Karina Pasian (born July 18, 1991) is a Grammy Award nominated recording artist and pianist.
Karina Pasian was born in New York City, of Dominican and Armenian descent. Her first language was Russian, and she can sing in six other languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Turkish, and French. She first began taking piano lessons at the age of three from her babysitter, and began classical piano training while in kindergarten. She began working with a vocal coach at the age of eight, and attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City alongside Taylor Momsen and Mark Indelicato.
In 2003, Pasian met Quincy Jones, who invited her and her family to his home in Bel Air, California. Soon after this, Pasian performed and won on Star Search. She also performed at Quincy Jones' We Are The Future concert in Rome. On June 22, 2007, Pasian performed at the White House for President George W. Bush, in celebration of Black Music Month, making her the first person of Dominican descent to perform there.

wn.com/Karina_Pasian
Kelly Price
Kelly Price (born April 3, 1973) is an American R&B and soul singer, formerly on the Def Soul label.
Kelly Cherelle Price was born in Queens, New York. She began singing in church as a toddler. Her first professional engagement was with George Michael at Madison Square Garden in January 1992. As destiny would have it Price was over heard singing by Mariah Carey who after arriving to her own rehearsal late for the Grammys walked into a room where Price was singing in the rehearsal hall while everyone else was on a meal break. Carey subsequently introduced Price to Sony Columbia's then CEO Tommy Mottola. She made a name for herself as a backing and guest vocalist, appearing on a number of hit singles such as Mariah Carey's "Fantasy", The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money Mo Problems", and Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel". She has also sung background vocals for Faith Evans, Aretha Franklin, Brian McKnight, SWV and R. Kelly.
Prior to becoming a recording artist Price's career as a writer flourished. She collaborated and performed with and for well-known artists such as Brian McKnight, Faith Evans, The Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Mase, Faith Evans, Mic Geronimo, Da Brat, Jermaine Dupree, SWV, Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J, Wynona Judd, Mariah Carey, Ronald Isley, The Isley Brothers, Angela Winbush, Karen Clark Sheard, Yolanda Adams, Whitney Houston, Dallas Austin, MC Lyte, The Lox, ScarFace, Will Downing, Mary J. Blige, Gerald Levert, JOE, Angelique Kidjo, Coco Lee, KeKe Wyatt, Tamia, R. Kelly and Elton John.

wn.com/Kelly_Price
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (/ˈstɛfəniː dʒʌrməˈnɑːtə/ STE-fə-nee jurr-mə-NAH-tə; born March 28, 1986), known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, and was signed with Streamline Records by the end of 2007. During her employment as a songwriter for the record company, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who signed her to his label Kon Live Distribution.
Lady Gaga came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success that topped charts around the world and included the international number-one singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". After embarking on the The Fame Ball Tour, she followed the album with The Fame Monster (2009), which spawned the worldwide hit singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro". The album's success allowed her to embark on the eighteen-month long Monster Ball Tour, which later became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Her most recent album Born This Way (2011) topped the charts of most major markets and generated more international chart-topping singles, including "Born This Way", "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory". Besides her musical career, she involves herself with humanitarian causes and LGBT activism.

wn.com/Lady_Gaga
Lady Luck (rapper)
Lady Luck (born 1982) is the stage name of rapper Shanel Jones.
Luck signed a five-album record deal with Def Jam worth between half a million and a million dollars at the age of 17 on the strength of several freestyles that she did for New York radio station WQHT-FM. Luck was the subject of a feature in The New Yorker and a series of articles in The Source, which ran monthly installments on her career.
Lady Luck was featured in the 2000 documentary film of Jay-Z's 1999 tour, Backstage.

wn.com/Lady_Luck_(rapper)
Lil Ru
Sylvester Samuels better known by his stage name Lil Ru, is an American rapper from Columbia, South Carolina currently signed to Def Jam Recordings. His debut album, 21 & Up was released on August 25, 2009. The Ridgeway native was 16 when he made his professional foray into the music business. Inspired by New Orleans’ innovative Cash Money Crew, Ru began making a name for himself on his local music scene, doing live shows and pressing up his own CDs. His hard-hitting lyrics and entrepreneurial spirit caught the attention of fellow South Carolinian Angie Stone. Shortly after the neo-soul songstress helped him secure a deal with Elektra Records, Ru found himself unsigned again, among the artists lost in the shuffle after the label merged with Atlantic Records. Music fans first got a taste of Ru’s wrath on his 2001 debut single “Will Destroy.” The buzz on the promising new lyricist continued with the release of his 2002 follow up, “Shawty What You Doin’.” Both songs reached the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts and helped land him at his next label home, Capitol Records.

wn.com/Lil_Ru
Lil Scrappy
Darryl Kevin Richardson II (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.
Richards was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar, when a fight broke out during his set in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Along with labelmates Trillville, Lil Scrappy was one of the first signings to Lil Jon's BME Recordings.
Lil Scrappy built a strong reputation and eager following throughout the Southeastern United States through mixtapes and his 2003 song "Head Bussa", which was used as the theme for the 2004 Atlanta Braves.
Lil Scrappy released his debut album Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live on December 5, 2006 on BME Recordings/Reprise Records/G-Unit Records and G-Unit South now Cashville Records. The album features appearances by Yung Joc, Three 6 Mafia, Lil Jon, Young Buck, 50 Cent, Olivia, Young Dro, and Bohagon. It was produced by Lil Jon and 50 Cent. The first single Money in the Bank features Young Buck and became Lil Scrappy's second Top 30 single. Money in the Bank peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart trajectory, becoming his biggest solo hit and most commercially successful single to date in the U.S. as it surpassed the peak position of "No Problem" by one position. The second single from the album is called Gangsta Gangsta and features Lil Jon. "Oh Yeah (Work)" is the third single from Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live and features E-40 and Sean P (formerly Sean Paul) of YoungbloodZ He also has one son named Rashaud Archie.

wn.com/Lil_Scrappy
Mally G
Jamal Phillips (born April 26, 1979), who performs under the mononym Jamal, is an American rapper and music producer. He started his career as one-half of rap duo Illegal, the rap act formed by Dallas Austin in the early 1990s.
Phillips' tenure with Illegal was short-lived; following the lukewarm response to 1993's The Untold Truth — the group's full-length debut — Phillps embarked on a solo career. He teamed up with Erick Sermon of the Def Squad to release 1995's Last Chance, No Breaks, his debut release.
The album (produced by Easy Mo Bee, Redman, Rockwilder and Sermon) peaked at #10 and #37 on Billboard magazine's Heatseekers and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively. The album also spawned a pair of hit singles — "Fades Em All", which sampled The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Ready To Die' and "Keep It Real", which sampled Stevie Wonder's 'Ribbon In The Sky'.
In 2006, Jamal signed a deal with rapper Yukmouth to be a part of his Smoke-A-Lot Records label. An as yet to be titled album is due out in the near future.

wn.com/Mally_G
Megan Rochell
Megan Rochell (born August 19, 1985) is an American contemporary R&B singer, who was formerly signed to Def Jam Records.
At the age of 11, Megan was a 5-time winner on Showtime at the Apollo. Several years later, she met Philadelphia International's Leon Huff and started working on her recording career. One day outside of Philadelphia International, Megan met Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris and sang for him which prompted Morris to sign her to his management company. Then Megan secured herself a deal with Def Jam Records.
Megan's debut album, "You, Me and the Radio" featured collaborations from Rodney Jerkins, Ne-Yo, Fabolous, the Underdogs, and Stargate. The album was scheduled for release in 2006, but was never released.

wn.com/Megan_Rochell
Method & Red
Method & Red, sometimes written Meth and Red, is a short lived television program that ran on Fox TV from June 16 to September 15, 2004. It starred hip hop recording artists Method Man & Redman, portraying fictionalized versions of themselves who move to a predominately white upper-class suburb in New Jersey.
Fox cancelled the show in September 2004 with 4 of the 13 produced episodes remaining unaired after heated meetings with Method Man & Redman, who were not pleased with the show. The duo publicly criticized Fox several times after this.
Method Man was disappointed about the series for having a laugh track and Fox doing a bad job on editing. He had wanted it to be in the vein of Arrested Development, of which he is a fan.

wn.com/Method_&_Red
Method Man
Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman. He won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige. In 2007, the writers of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).
Method Man appeared in the motion pictures Belly, How High, Garden State as well as a minor role in The Wackness. More recently, he appeared as a crewman in George Lucas' film Red Tails. On television, he and hip-hop collaborator Redman co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom Method & Red, and he had a recurring role on HBO's Oz as Tug Daniels and as Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the acclaimed HBO drama series The Wire.
Born in Staten Island, New York, on April 1 , 1971, Clifford Smith divided his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and his mother's home in the Park Hill section of Staten Island aka Killa Hill. He has two sisters, Terri and Missy.

wn.com/Method_Man
Montell Jordan
Montell Jordan (born December 3, 1968) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003. During his live performances he generally gave more of a rock-oriented performance, with Jordan even going as far as to wear sunglasses while on stage. As of 2010, Jordan has left the music business to become the worship leader at Victory World Church in Atlanta.
Jordan attended Pepperdine University in California, where he received a bachelor's degree in communications and became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Jordan graduated summa cum laude and was a state finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
Jordan's first single was the 1995 #1 hit "This Is How We Do It," which sampled Slick Rick's earlier Def Jam hit "Children's Story". This success would not happen for a male act again until Chris Brown's debut single "Run It!" topped the chart in 2005. Jordan followed up his success with "Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz", which peaked at #21. Later hits would include "Let's Ride" with Master P and "Talk Show" with Shae Jones in 1998 and "Get It on Tonite" in 1999.

wn.com/Montell_Jordan
Musiq Soulchild
Musiq Soulchild or Musiq ( /ˈmjuːsɪk/; born Taalib Johnson on September 16, 1977) is a American R&B/soul singer-songwriter whose style blends contemporary R&B, soul, funk, alternative, blues, jazz, some gospel influences and hip hop.
Musiq was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the oldest of nine children. At an early age, Musiq decided he would drop out of high school, and left home at 17. It was during that time Musiq started to sell dope in the hood and build a reputation for being musically gifted, beat boxing for MC's, free styling on the open mic circuit, scatting at a jazz club, or just performing a cappella in the streets of Philadelphia, which is where he got the name "Musiq" and later added "Soulchild", which is intended to respect and represent the legacy and traditions of past soul artists. We all know how hard it can be for an African American to get by and Muisq protected his dream with a compact 9mm. He cites as his inspiration such icons as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Billie Holiday, Sly & the Family Stone and Ray Charles.

wn.com/Musiq_Soulchild
N.O.R.E.
Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga (born September 6, 1976), is an American rapper. He is one half of the group Capone-N-Noreaga.
Santiago's career gained fame in 1996 when he used the stage name Noreaga (after Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega) as part of the duo Capone-N-Noreaga with rapper Capone (whom he met while serving time in prison). They signed to Penalty Recordings in 1996 and released their debut album as a group, The War Report, in 1997. The War Report was a commercial and critical success which made the group well known among rap audiences. The album received praise for using the traditional grimey boom-bap sound of classic New York City hip hop, which at that time was falling out of favor to a more futuristic sound. The album peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the singles "Illegal Life", "Closer", and "T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)" all charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart.

wn.com/N.O.R.E.
Nas
Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones ( /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas ( /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0.
His rise to fame began in 1991 with his feature on hip hop group Main Source's debut album on the track "Live at the Barbeque". In the years that followed, Nas garnered attention from music industry A & R's and record labels with more impressive features and a solo single "Halftime". His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994 by Columbia Records, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community and would go on to be widely hailed as a musical landmark and a classic in the genre and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest LP's of all time. His follow up album It Was Written debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks and went platinum twice in only two months, propelling Nas to worldwide notoriety.

wn.com/Nas
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. (born October 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario. The single's successful release in the United States prompted an informal meeting between Ne-Yo and Def Jam's label head, and signing a recording contract.
In 2006, he released his debut album, In My Own Words, which contained the US number one hit "So Sick", as well as the top 10 hit "Sexy Love". Then in 2007, he released his second album, Because of You, which contained the US top 3 hit, "Because of You". In 2008, he released his third album, Year of the Gentleman, which contained the top 10 hits "Closer","Mad" and "Miss Independent". His fourth studio album, Libra Scale, was released on November 22, 2010.
In 2009, Billboard ranked him as the 57th Artist of the 2000s decade. In addition to a successful recording career, Ne-Yo has amassed a catalog of chart-topping songs that he has written for other artists.

wn.com/Ne-Yo
Nicole Wray
Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1981), also known as simply Nicole, is an American R&B and hip hop singer. Her 1998 debut single "Make It Hot" was certified gold.
Wray was born in Salinas, California on May 2, 1981, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. After being introduced to Missy Elliott, Wray was featured on Missy's platinum certified debut Supa Dupa Fly. When Elliott started her own label, The Goldmind, the then 17-year-old Wray was the first artist signed.
In 1998, her debut album Make It Hot was released. Heavily criticized for Elliott's heavy-handed involvement (she produced, wrote, and performed on much of the album) the first single, "Make It Hot", peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold. Her second single, "I Can't See", reached #36 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.Make It Hot peaked at number nineteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (number 42 on The Billboard 200) and dropped off by the end of the year. The third single, "Eyes Better Not Wander", peaked at #71 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Later that year, Wray would sing the hook to "All n My Grill" on Missy Elliott's platinum certified second album, Da Real World.

wn.com/Nicole_Wray
Nikki D
Nichelle "Nikki D" Strong is an American female rapper. Nikki D was the first female rapper signed by Def Jam Recordings.
She signed with Def Jam in 1989, and released her debut single "Lettin' Off Steam" the same year. It was produced by Sam Sever. The single's video featured Flavor Flav. Later Nikki D released the more commercially acceptable song, "Daddy's Little Girl" some two years later, which reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
Prior to releasing "Daddy's Little Girl", Nikki D was on tour in Europe for a year with fellow R&B artist Alyson Williams. Nikki D has recorded songs with Moby, Queen Latifah on the Set It Off soundtrack, with Redman for his Muddy Waters album, EPMD, Naughty By Nature, Flavor Unit and Suzanne Vega.
In 1998, Nikki D became the vice president of A&R at Flavor Unit Records, a position she held for two years. Today she is the marketing manager at "Phat Fashions", the apparel company that houses Phat Farm, Baby Phat, and Atman.

wn.com/Nikki_D
Oran "Juice" Jones
Oran "Juice" Jones (born 1959), often incorrectly cited as Orange "Juice" Jones^{[by whom?]}, is a retired American soul and R&B singer.
Jones was born in Houston, Texas and was raised in Harlem, New York City, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981.^{[citation needed]} He was the second African-American Brigade Commander in Naval Academy history.^{[citation needed]}
He served his commitment as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps until 1986.^{[citation needed]}
He was the first musician signed to OBR Records, a subsidiary of Def Jam.^{[citation needed]} He was also the first R&B artist on the hip hop record label. His song "The Rain" became a hit in 1986, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart in December that year. He followed it with "How to Love Again", a duet with labelmate Alyson Williams.
After Jones failed to have significant follow-up success, he left the music industry to tend to his terminally ill mother and raise his family. He helps his son Oran II, better known as Mookie, and his daughter, Perri Jones, with their music careers. In addition to producing and scoring music for commercials and independent movies, Jones also contributes to a number of hip hop blogs, including Houston's jusflippin.com and Global Grind.

wn.com/Oran_"Juice"_Jones
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards (born May 24, 1944), better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry. LaBelle spent 16 years as lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, who changed their name to Labelle in the early 1970s and released the iconic disco song, "Lady Marmalade".
LaBelle started her solo career shortly after the group disbanded in 1977 and crossed over to pop music with "On My Own", "If Only You Knew", "If You Asked Me To", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude". She has also recorded R&B ballads such as "You Are My Friend" and "Love, Need and Want You".
LaBelle possesses the vocal range of a soprano.
Patricia Louise Holte was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 24, 1944 . Her father, Henry Holte (alternatively, Holt), was a railroad worker and lounge singer. Her mother, Bertha Holte, was a domestic and housewife. Holte was one of four daughters (Vivian, Barbara, Patricia and Jacqueline). Holte recalls having a happy childhood but said being sexually molested at the age of seven led her to be shy and withdrawn. Holte's parents had an unhappy marriage. When Holte was twelve, her parents split up and Bertha Holte raised her daughters as a single mother. Holte's mother later adopted Claudette Grant, who would become one of Holte's closest friends.

wn.com/Patti_LaBelle
Pete Nice
Prime Minister Pete Nice (born Peter J. Nash in Floral Park, Long Island, New York) is a former hip hop MC who was most noted as a member of the group 3rd Bass.
After graduating from Bishop Ford High School in 1985, Nash majored in English at Columbia University, where he hosted a hip hop radio show. This led to the creation of the hip hop group 3 the Hard Way, which later changed its name to 3rd Bass, where he adopted the stage name Prime Minister Pete Nice. The group released two gold-selling albums before disbanding in 1992. Nice teamed up with group DJ Richie Rich, and the pair released their only collaboration, Dust to Dust, in 1993.
Pete Nice and author-radio jock Bobbito started their own label, Hoppoh Records, under the aegis of Columbia Records. The first release was Kurious Jorge's 1994 album A Constipated Monkey; Nice co-produced the album and the single "I'm Kurious." Nashville artist Count Bass D's debut Pre-Life Crisis followed in 1995, distributed by Columbia sister label Chaos Recordings, but those would be the only records released before the label folded because of creative differences with Columbia.

wn.com/Pete_Nice
Pusha T
Terrence Thornton (born May 14, 1977) better known by his stage name Pusha T is an American recording artist, occasional actor and one half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Clipse. Along with No Malice, his brother and fellow member of Clipse, he released the album Hell Hath No Fury, which was praised by critics, many of whom consider it to be a cornerstone in Hip-Hop and one of the best rap albums ever made. He is also the co-founder and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Re-Up Records along with his aforementioned brother. In September 2010 he announced his signing to Kanye West's GOOD Music label and on March 21, 2011, released his first solo project, a mixtape titled Fear of God.
Pusha T was born Terrence Thornton on May 13, 1977, in The Bronx borough of New York City. Thornton and his family soon relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he and his brother, Gene 'No Malice' Thornton, grew up. In 1992 Terrence and his brother Gene formed the duo now internationally known as Clipse. With help from Pharell Williams the group eventually signed to Elektra Records in 1997 and released Exclusive Audio Footage, their only album under that label. Of the two brothers, Terrence was more open to features, appearing on Kelis' 1999 single "Good Stuff" and Nivea's 2001 single "Run Away (I Wanna Be with U)", respectively. In 2004, he and his brother launched their record label, Re-Up Records and formed hip hop group Re-Up Gang along with rappers Ab-Liva and Sandman. After four albums as the Clipse, under various record labels both Malice and Pusha T announced that they were taking time off from the duo to focus on their own respective solo projects.

wn.com/Pusha_T
Rell
Gerrell Gaddis (born October 18, 1974), known by his stage name Rell, is an American R&B singer. He was the first male R&B singer signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, where he recorded with artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Consequence, and Young Gunz.
Rell grew up in Bowman, South Carolina, and is a former South Carolina State pre-med student. He signed to Roc-A-Fella Records in 1997, and began work on his debut album which was tentatively titled, Medicine. Rell got his break in 1998, appearing in Jay-Z's rap cult flick Streets Is Watching and contributing the club banger "Love for Free" to the movie's soundtrack and would later be featured on his debut album. Within the latter part of 1998, Rell renamed his debut, The Remedy, and re-released, "Love for Free" as the lead single. In 1999, two other singles ("When Will U See" and "Darlin'") were released as radio buzz singles for the album, however, within the first quarter of that year, Remedy was shelved due to the failed charting of his album's singles. Still signed to the Roc, Rell went on to sing hooks for nearly every Roc-a-Fella MC since, including Jay-Z's "It's Obvious" and Freeway's "Victim of the Ghetto", and appearing on "The Message" featuring Mary J. Blige, from Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001.

wn.com/Rell
Richie Rich (rapper)
Richard Serrell, better known by his stage name Richie Rich, is a rapper from Oakland, California.He is currently signed to Mack 10's Hoo-Bangin' Records.
His rapping style had an influence on Snoop Dogg. In Snoop's own words

Richie Rich first entered music in the late 1980s with the group 415. With D-Loc, DJ Daryl, and JED, Rich crafted a Bay Area album in 1989 called 41Fivin, which sold well around the Bay Area and spawned a Richie Rich solo album in 1990, titled Don't Do It.
As the group was ready to sign a major-label contract with Priority Records in 1990, however, Richie Rich was arrested for possession of cocaine. 415 released its next album and faded from the scene soon after, while Rich sat in jail; he was released a year later, and began appearing on tracks by 2Pac and the Luniz. Richie Rich soon found himself being in the middle of a bidding war between Def Jam Records and Relativity Records. He choose to go on Russell Simmons' label Def Jam. Before forming his own label Oakland Hills 41510 he released his second solo album in 1996, Half Thang, which peaked on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number 57.

wn.com/Richie_Rich_(rapper)
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin is the founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings. With the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Run–D.M.C., Rubin helped popularize hip hop music.
Rubin has worked with artists as varied as Tom Petty, Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slipknot, Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mars Volta, Danzig, Dixie Chicks, Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Weezer, Linkin Park, The Cult, Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Audioslave, The Avett Brothers, Adele and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In the 1990s and 2000s, he produced the "American Recordings" albums with Johnny Cash. MTV called him "the most important producer of the last 20 years." In 2007, Rubin was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Rubin was born in Long Beach, New York and grew up in Lido Beach, New York, in a Jewish family. His father was a shoe wholesaler and his mother a housewife. While a student at Long Beach High School he befriended the school's AV Director Steve Freeman who gave him a few lessons in guitar playing and songwriting and helped him create a punk band called "The Pricks". Their biggest claim to fame was being thrown off the stage at CBGB after two songs for brawling with the heckling audience. These hecklers were friends of the band instructed to instigate a confrontation so as to get the show shut down and create a buzz. Although he had no authority in New York City, Rubin's father traveled all the way from Nassau county to Manhattan wearing his Lido Beach auxiliary police uniform as he attempted to "shut down" the show.

wn.com/Rick_Rubin
Rocko (rapper)
Rodney Hill, better known by his stage name Rocko, is an American rapper.
Rocko released his first studio album, Self Made, on March 18, 2008. The album peaked at number twenty-one on Billboard 200, number six on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums und number four on Top Rap Albums. It spawned the single "Umma Do Me", which peaked at number sixty-six on Billboard Hot 100.
Rocko started his career as a ghostwriter and producer somewhen around 1999. In 2002, he established his own label Rocky Road Records and began working with artists like Young Dro and Dem Franchize Boyz. He released several mixtapes before being signed by Def Jam Records in October 2006.
He released his first studio album, Self Made on March 18, 2008. It featured production from Drumma Boy, Cool & Dre, The Runners and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and contributions came from guest artists Lloyd, Dre, Kevin Cossom as well as Monica. The album spawned the single "Umma Do Me, his first song that had managed to get on the Billboard Hot 100.
His second studio album One of One was originally supposed to be released on Def Jam but never did after parting ways wit Def Jam Looking for better label situations & forming his newly founded label A-1 Recordings. His recent mixtapes are Rocko Dinero, Swagga Session, Gift of Gab & Wild Life. His upcoming mixtape to be hosted by DJ Drama is entitled Seeing is Believing.

wn.com/Rocko_(rapper)
Ron Isley
Ronald Isley ( /ˈaɪzliː/; born May 21, 1941) is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. Isley is better known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.
Ronald Isley was born the third of six brothers (O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley, Ronald, Vernon Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley) to Sallye Bernice (Bell) and O'Kelly Isley, Sr. Ronald, like many of his siblings, began his career in the church. He began singing at the age of three, winning a $25 war bond for singing at a spiritual contest at the Union Baptist Church. By the age of seven, Ronald was singing onstage at venues such as the Regal Theater in Chicago, alongside Dinah Washington and a few other notables.
By his early teens, he was singing regularly with his brothers in church tours. In 1957, sixteen-year-old Ronald and his two elder brothers Kelly, 19 and Rudy, 18, moved to New York, recording doo-wop for local labels before landing a major deal with RCA Records in 1959, where the trio wrote and released their anthemic "Shout." By the summer of 1959, the Isley family had moved from Cincinnati to a home in Englewood, New Jersey.

wn.com/Ron_Isley
Selan Lerner
For the fictional character from the Al-Qadim campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons, see Selan (Dungeons & Dragons).
Selan (born Selan Lerner in Queens, New York, United States) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, musical director and producer who is known for combining electronic, pop, and soul music. He possesses perfect pitch and musical total recall, also known as eidetic memory. He is of Trinidadian and Jewish heritage.
Selan has collaborated extensively with "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzales of the house music production team Masters at Work. Notably he plays the extended keyboard improvisation on the Masters at Work remix of Nina Simone's "See-Line Woman" which appears on the highly successful 2002 Verve Remixed collection. He also plays the extended keyboard solos on the DJ Spinna remix of Betty Carter's "Naima's Love Song" which appears on the 2003 follow-up Verve Remixed 2 collection. Selan co-wrote the music for most of DJ Spinna's Intergalactic Soul album, which was released in 2006 on Shanachie Records. He also co-produced, co-wrote and was a featured artist on "Back 2 U", a standout track on that same album.

wn.com/Selan_Lerner
Shareefa
Shareefa Faradah Cooper (born March 12, 1984), professionally known as Shareefa, is an R&B singer. Shareefa has also lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. She signed with Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam Recordings in 2005. Her debut single, "Need a Boss", featuring rapper and labelmate Ludacris, was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album Point of No Return was released in October 2006 and charted at #25 on the Billboard 200.

wn.com/Shareefa
Shawnna
Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chicago rap duo Infamous Syndicate and she is also the daughter of the blues musician Buddy Guy.
She is known for her rapid fire delivery and her sexually explicit image and lyrics. She is one of only four female rappers (others being Lauryn Hill, Lil' Kim and Remy Ma) to ever have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with 2003's "Stand Up" with Ludacris.
An MC from the south side of Chicago and the daughter of blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Shawnna began writing rhymes while in high school. She caught her first break in 1996, when her duo Infamous Syndicate opened for Junior M.A.F.I.A. in Chicago. Infamous Syndicate signed to Relativity a year later and released "Changing the Game" in 1999. The album did not live up to its title, despite production help from No I.D. and Kanye West, the duo was dropped and eventually split. She then went on to team with Ludacris where she was featured on his song "What's Your Fantasy". Before she recorded her first album, Shawnna was featured on the remix to the song "Loverboy" by Mariah Carey for the album and movie Glitter. She was featured in the video along with Ludacris, Da Brat, and Twenty II.

wn.com/Shawnna
Sheek Louch
Sean Divine Jacobs, November 9, 1976. better known as Sheek Louch (also known as Donnie Def Jam and "Donnie G"), is an African American rapper and member of The LOX (aka D-Block), along with Styles P and Jadakiss.
At around the age of 12, he was inspired to rhyme by his friend Jason Phillips (Jadakiss). He and Jason would later form The LOX with Styles P. Mary J. Blige "discovered" the trio, and they would soon be signed to Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records. Their first album, Money, Power & Respect, was released on January 13, 1998.
Sheek and his fellow LOX members later parted ways with Bad Boy Records, and joined the Ruff Ryders group, which included DMX. Their second album, We Are the Streets, was released on January 25, 2000. Meanwhile, Sheek, an aspiring entrepreneur, began working on their D-Block brand, building a studio, and looking for new talent to join their roster. He also opened a D-Block car wash and D-Block "fitteds" around the same time.
Sheek released his solo debut Walk Witt Me on Universal Records through D-Block Records. Early promotional material, such as within the liner notes of Styles P's album A Gangster and a Gentleman, indicate that the album's original title was Walk With Me.

wn.com/Sheek_Louch
Shyne
Moshe Levi Ben-David (born Jamal Michael Barrow; November 8, 1978), better known by his stage name Shyne, is a Belizean rapper.
Shyne was born in Belize City, Belize, the son of Dean Barrow, the current Prime Minister of Belize. Shyne's once estranged father was first to welcome him back to their home country upon his return in 2009. His mother is the sister of Michael Finnegan, one of Barrow's long-time political colleagues. Shyne remained behind with his uncle in Belize City when his mother moved to the US. It was not until the age of 13 when she was able to bring him with her to Brooklyn's Vanderveer Estates in East Flatbush (now known as 'Flatbush Gardens').
In 1998 hip hop producer Clark Kent discovered Shyne, noticing something unique in his voice. He sounded to him very similar to the late Notorious B.I.G.. At the time, Clark Kent was working on B.I.G.'s posthumous "Born Again" album.
Not long after, Shyne started making appearances on recordings made by Bad Boy Records artists. He notably featured on a remix of Total's "Sittin At Home" track and on Mase's second album Double Up, on the track entitled "From Scratch". In the same year he featured on Bad Boy Records' chief executive Sean Combs' Forever, as well as on a remix of P.E. 2000.

wn.com/Shyne
Sisqó
Mark Althavean Andrews (born November 9, 1978), known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actor. He is lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and has also released solo material, including his successful first solo album Unleash the Dragon which included the single "Thong Song". Sisqó also calls himself "The Dragon".
Andrews attended Mervo, graduating 1994. He has a daughter, Shaione, who was born in 1995.
After Woody Rock left Dru Hill in 1999 to pursue a solo career, it was decided that the other three members would do the same. Sisqó's solo debut, Unleash the Dragon, was released on Def Soul Records in November 1999. Unleash the Dragon sold moderately at first, until the February 2000 release of its second single, the novelty "Thong Song". A runaway hit, "Thong Song" and its follow-up, "Incomplete", were major hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Thong Song" making it to number three, and "Incomplete" going to #1. The success later got Sisqó a doll made of himself by Play Along Toys in 2001.^{[citation needed]}

wn.com/Sisqó
South Central Cartel
South Central Cartel is a Los Angeles-based gangsta rap group. Some of their popular songs include "U Gotta Deal Wit Dis", "Pops Was a Rolla", "Ya Getz Clowned", "Gang Stories", "Servin 'Em Heat", "Knocc on Wood" (Remix), and "All Day Everyday" & "Eastside-Westside" & "It's an S.C.C Thang" .
As one of the original early-'90s West Coast gangsta collectives to follow N.W.A.'s lead, South Central Cartel first appeared with their debut album South Central Madness in 1991, before releasing a succession of albums throughout the remainder of the decade. After their follow-up, 1994s 'N Gatz We Truss, generated a sizable amount of attention in the gangsta rap underground. Def Jam Recordings signed the group, eventually resulting in their most commercially successful album, 1997s All Day Everyday.
During this same era, group leaders Havoc & Prodeje together released a string of albums on Pump Records as well, helping garner a small yet healthy cult audience. Despite their lack of mainstream success, the group does stand alongside fellow early-'90s West Coast colleagues such as N.W.A., Compton's Most Wanted, and Above the Law as gangsta rap pioneers.

wn.com/South_Central_Cartel
Sugarhill Gang
The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group, known mostly for its 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight," the first hip hop single to become a Top 40 hit. The song uses an interpolation of the instrumental track from the classic hit "Good Times" by Chic as its foundation.
The members, all from Englewood, New Jersey, called themselves Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank, and Master Gee. The three were assembled into a group by producer Sylvia Robinson, who also founded Sugar Hill Records along with her husband, the record mogul Joe Robinson. "Rapper's Delight" used a track cut from a Sugar Hill house band called Positive Force with Chip Shearin on bass and Brian Morgan on guitar. The track interpolated "Good Times" by Chic. Big Bank Hank's verses were written by Grandmaster Caz. However, despite the record's success, Caz did not receive any royalties for his contribution. Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement over "Rapper's Delight," the first of many such legal battles for hip hop. It was settled out of court, leaving Rodgers with a large cut of all future royalties.

wn.com/Sugarhill_Gang
Terri Walker
Terri Walker (born Chanelle Gstettenbauer, 14 April 1979) is an English R&B and soul singer–songwriter. Walker has released three albums in the United Kingdom, Untitled, L.O.V.E, and I Am. She also provided the majority of the vocals for Shanks & Bigfoot's debut album Swings & Roundabouts. Walker's fourth studio album Walk with Me is due for release in 2011.
Walker, born in the Wimbledon district of London, England, to Jamaican parents, moved to Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany, when she was four. She speaks fluent German. In a 2007 interview with Soul Culture, Walker stated that "I love Deutschland, it’s moulded me into what I am. I love here [London] too and I came back to go to boarding-school in London when I was 11. The thing is I still lived in Germany and didn’t actually come back proper till I was 17″. At the age of seventeen, Walker moved back to the UK permanently to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, which is a performing arts centre of excellence. Here, she she began to study and sing opera. Walker stated that "I started to study opera when I was about 15 and I started to sing it professionally from about 18. It was always a life-long ambition of mine. I think classical training is the best kinda training you can get."

wn.com/Terri_Walker
The Dove Shack
The Dove Shack was a G-funk group from Long Beach. Consisting of C-Knight, Bo-Roc and 2Scoops, the group made their debut with the song "This Is the Shack" on Warren G's album Regulate...G Funk Era. Under the same name they released their first album back in 1995 with the substantial hit single "Summertime in the LBC" featuring Arnita Porter. They later contributed to a few compilations, and released Reality's Got Me Tied Up in 2006.

wn.com/The_Dove_Shack
The-Dream
Terius Youngdell Nash (Born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing chart topping hits such as "Baby" for Justin Bieber, "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs. Money, and Love King.
Terius Nash was born in Rockingham, North Carolina and moved with his mother, Reva Nash, to Atlanta at the age of 3. He played trumpet, drums, and guitar as a child. His mother died in 1992 when Nash was fifteen years old, an event which would inspire him to write songs. He states that the death of his mother gave him a "soft spot" for women, which he credits to his desire to write songs about female empowerment such as Rihanna's "Umbrella". He moved in with his grandfather, a concrete mason who instilled a strong work ethic in young Nash. Of his grandfather, Nash recalls "He came out of a bad time for blacks in the South, but even though we lived in the hood, we had a boat, some cars and a house that was paid for. So I’ve always had a different outlook on life. There’s nothing I can’t do."

wn.com/The-Dream
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan /ˈwuːtæŋ/ is an American rap group from Staten Island, New York that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi-member of the group. They were formed in (and are associated with) the New York City borough of Staten Island (U-God, Method Man, RZA, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) (referred to by members as "Shaolin"), though some of their members are from Brooklyn (Ol Dirty Bastard, GZA and Masta Killa) and one is from The Bronx (Inspectah Deck).
They have introduced and launched the careers of affiliated artists and groups, often collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees, and in 2008, About.com ranked them the No. 1 greatest hip hop group of all time, and stated "No weapon in hip-hop history can rival the chaotic cohesion of the Wu-Tang Clan. The Clan had so many characters, each with his own eccentricities. They were fearless in their approach. There's a good reason no group has been able to successfully recreate their sound. The crew spawned countless loosely associated acts. Their classic albums spawned classic albums." Kris Ex of Rolling Stone called Wu-Tang Clan "the best rap group ever." In 2004, NME hailed them as one of the most influential groups of the last ten years.

wn.com/Wu-Tang_Clan
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born October 12, 1977), better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is a member of the 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 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.
Jay Wayne Jenkins was born in Columbia, South Carolina and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia when he was a toddler. Because his parents were separated, custody of him transferred between family members frequently. In an interview with XXL magazine, he described his childhood as "empty". In 1994, he spent nine months in YCA (Youth Challenge Academy), a boot camp in Fort Stewart, Georgia, for narcotics possession.

wn.com/Young_Jeezy

Def Squad - Countdown ft. Jamal

published: 08 Oct 2009

author: DefSquadVEVO

DEF SQUAD - RAPPERS DELIGHT

CLASSIC TRACK AND NICE VIDEO FROM BACK IN THE DAY...ENJOY WHAT WE ARE MISSING TODAY...

published: 22 Aug 2006

author: MosiStyle

Def Squad - The Game

published: 08 Oct 2009

author: DefSquadVEVO

def squad - full cooperation ( HQ )

el nino!...

published: 03 Nov 2007

author: dougpark17

Busta Rhymes - Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad

Busta Rhymes featuring Jamal, Redman, Keith Murray, Rampage The Last Boy Scout & Lord Have...

published: 18 May 2008

author: toxicofera

Keith Murray - Yeah Yeah U Know It ft. Def Squad

published: 08 Oct 2009

author: KeithMurrayVEVO

Def Squad - Can U Dig It?: El Niño

Track 10 from the Def Squad *El Niño* Album. The 4 Pictures are from the original German-C...

published: 16 Sep 2009

author: Traumacode

Def Squad "Full Cooperation"

Full Cooperation...

published: 04 Dec 2008

author: purplecowpost

Flip Mode Squad meets Def Squad (Music Video)

Busta Rhymes Song : Flipmode Squad meets Def Squad Featuring: Lord Jamal, Redman, Keith Mu...

published: 02 Jan 2012

author: TheHipHopSyko

06. Redman -FT- Def Squad - Dont Make No Sense

Redman - Funk From Hell (2010) Download Redman's New Mixtape Album Here : funkfromhell.blo...

published: 05 Jan 2010

author: FunkFromHell

Def Squad - Dont Make No Sense

SMACK Redman, Keith Murray & Erik Sermon...

published: 12 May 2008

author: Exorcistunizmene

( Flipmode Squad meets Def Squad - Jamal, Redman, Rampage, Lord Have Mercy ) 1996

BumTerror...

published: 17 Nov 2009

author: BumTerror

Def Squad "Full Cooperation" (Explicit)

Official HQ Video of "Full Cooperation" by Def Squad (Reggie/EMD/Keith). Track is produced...

published: 02 Jul 2011

author: N1RapTubeRadio

Def Squad Presents Erick Onassis ft Slick Rick Why Not

...

published: 22 Dec 2010

author: TheOldhhshit

Absolute Body Control

Epopoeia of the Food and Drink of the United States (A Dream in Hell) 1 Beautiful like a ...

published: 08 Sep 2010

author: soonaspossible

Homework: I Got One (You're It) | Exploited

Label: Exploited Artist: Homework Title: Fissa Tune LC: 15799 Releasedate: 02.07.2010 Digi...

published: 21 Jul 2010

author: exploited records

Homework: Fissa Tune | Exploited

Label: Exploited Artist: Homework Title: Fissa Tune LC: 15799 Releasedate: 02.07.2010 Digi...

published: 30 Jun 2010

author: exploited records

Malente&Dex;: Habibi | Exploited

Label: EXPLOITED Artist: MALENTE&DEX; Title: HABIBI-EP Format: EP" Vinyl + Digital LC: ...

published: 05 Apr 2010

author: exploited records

GULLY TV LIVE REDMAN "STILL DEF SQUAD" 9 min. interview

LEGENDARY MC REDMAN ITS DOWN WITH GULLY TV...

published: 12 Jan 2012

author: GULLY1723

((Vybe Check)) Keith Murry (of Def Squad) Live @Jamaican Gold in Hollywood Ca June 17th 2011

Keith Murry (of Def Squad)Live inside Jamaican Gold International Sundays In Hollywood CA....

published: 18 Jul 2011

author: LAReggaeclub

Def Squad - Survival Of The Illest (nyc 1998) pt.1

Un exelente concierto Greetings from Chile!!! Peace!!!...

published: 30 Jul 2008

author: sebarap18

Def Squad - Survival Of The Illest (nyc 1998) pt.2

Un exelente concierto Greetings from Chile!!! Peace!!!...

published: 30 Jul 2008

author: sebarap18

KEITH MURRAY ( DEF SQUAD / NEW YORK ) LIVE IN ATHENS !!! GOLDEN ERA IS BACK !

Video By Blaze Video Productions...

published: 01 Oct 2012

author: BlazeProductionsGr

Def Squad - Countdown ft. Jamal

published: 08 Oct 2009

author: DefSquadVEVO

def squad - full cooperation ( HQ )

el nino!...

published: 03 Nov 2007

author: dougpark17

((DEF SQUAD)) Twone Gabz - "Rush Hour" Freestyle

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @twonegabz & GO TO www.twonegabz.com...

published: 18 Jun 2012

author: TheGiftofGabz

Rapper's Delight-Sugarhill Gang/Def Squad Cover (The Crossover).m4v

Juan-Chang Walls and Rory O'Hearn perform a dynamic version of "Rapper's Delight", the cla...

published: 27 Dec 2011

author: roryohearn

Def Squad "Full Cooperation"

Full Cooperation...

published: 04 Dec 2008

author: purplecowpost

Re: Busta Rhymes - Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad

Video Cam Direct Upload...

published: 01 Jun 2010

author: sonatra27

Cormega Recalls his first tour w/ DMX, Def Squad, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti

Cormega Speaks on Def Jam The Survival of The Illest Tour [1998] Starring DMX, ONYX, DEF S...

published: 20 Apr 2011

author: LEGALHUSTLERECORDS

Def Squad "Full Cooperation" (Explicit)

Official HQ Video of "Full Cooperation" by Def Squad (Reggie/EMD/Keith). Track is produced...

published: 02 Jul 2011

author: N1RapTubeRadio

Def Squad - The Countdown (Instrumental) Erick Sermon

Released in 1998...

published: 01 Aug 2011

author: dopewhiterapper

Absolute Body Control

Epopoeia of the Food and Drink of the United States (A Dream in Hell) 1 Beautiful like a ...

published: 08 Sep 2010

author: soonaspossible

Homework: I Got One (You're It) | Exploited

Label: Exploited Artist: Homework Title: Fissa Tune LC: 15799 Releasedate: 02.07.2010 Digi...

published: 21 Jul 2010

author: exploited records

Homework: Fissa Tune | Exploited

Label: Exploited Artist: Homework Title: Fissa Tune LC: 15799 Releasedate: 02.07.2010 Digi...

published: 30 Jun 2010

author: exploited records

Malente&Dex;: Habibi | Exploited

Label: EXPLOITED Artist: MALENTE&DEX; Title: HABIBI-EP Format: EP" Vinyl + Digital LC: ...

published: 05 Apr 2010

author: exploited records

<li class="playlistitemli thumbnail border_color">
        <div class="video_facebook">
            <a href="http://web.archive.org./web/20121129123804/http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://wn.com/def_squad&t=<%= title %>" title="Share this video" data-title="Share this video" target="_blank" style="target-name: new; target-new: tab;"></a>
        </div>

photo: AP / Sepahnews

This photo released on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, claims to show US RQ-170 Sentinel drone which Tehran says its forces downed earlier this week, as an unidentified colonel, right, talks to the chief of the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, in an undisclosed location, Iran

American Drones Ignite New Arms Race From Gaza To Iran To China

Huffington Post

27 Nov 2012

WASHINGTON -- The drone wars are here. While President Obama ponders new legal and moral guidelines to govern America's growing use of armed robot aircraft, the world outside the White House is engaged in a revolutionary frenzy of building, arming and flying killer drones ... More than 50 countries operate surveillance drones and, increasingly, are fitting them with weapons. The U.S ... spy drone was shot down last December ... On Oct ... 988 miles ... ....(size: 8.4Kb)

photo: AP / Jerome Delay

Congolese government soldiers (FARDC) patrol the streets of Minova under their control Sunday Nov. 25, 2012.

DR Congo rebels dispute deal on Goma pullout

Al Jazeera

27 Nov 2012

M23 rebels controlling the eastern city of Goma in the DR Congo have said they are not about to withdraw as demanded by regional leaders. The rebels said on Tuesday there were still in charge of Goma, just hours after General Aronda Nyakairima, the head of the Ugandan military, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that their leader, Sultani Makenga, had told him he would pull out of Goma and Sake ... 276 Source . ... Share ... News ... ;">....(size: 17.7Kb)

photo: UN / Jan Golinski

UN: methane released from melting ice could push climate past tipping point

The Guardian

27 Nov 2012

Doha conference is warned that climate models do not yet take account of methane in thawing permafrost. Frozen ground in Siberia. Permafrost covers nearly a quarter of the northern hemisphere. Photograph. Francis Latreille/Corbis. The United Nations sounded a stark warning on the threat to the climate from methane in the thawing permafrost as governments met for the second day of climate change negotiations in Doha, Qatar ... ....(size: 5.3Kb)

photo: UN / Rick Bajornas

The Security Council held a meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Riyad H. Mansour (left), Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, at the meeting, 27 November, 2012.

Palestinian "state" vote a crisis moments

Asia Times

28 Nov 2012

By Victor Kotsev. Thursday is shaping up as a big day in Palestinian history. Exactly 65 years after the United Nations resolution partitioning British Mandatory Palestine was adopted (and rejected at the time by the Arabs), the General Assembly will vote on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's proposal for non-member state status for Palestine within the borders of the period between the 1948 and the 1967 wars ... Â. Palestinian horizon....(size: 16.8Kb)

photo: AP

Thousands of Turks demonstrate to condemn terrorism and Kurdish rebels in Ankara, Turkey, Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012. Mostly nationalist Turks shouted: "We don't want The PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) at the parliament."

Turkey confronts a resurgent Kurdish threat

The Independent

26 Nov 2012

This town of 19,000 nestled in an idyllic mountain pass of impossibly green pastures and golden autumn trees is on the front lines of Turkey's rapidly escalating guerrilla war. In a struggle for autonomy as well as independent language and education rights, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has waged a low-grade conflict in Turkey for decades ... 4 just as a Turkish army tank rolled by ... "The violence is getting worse....(size: 8.8Kb)

timeline:
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001

It'll take Superman to pull Shannon away from theater

Chicago Tribune

18 Nov 2012

What does Oscar-nominated actor and former Evanston Township High School student Michael Shannon plan on doing as the most high-profile film of his career, "Man of Steel" — which co-stars Russell Crowe, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner and, in the role of Superman, Henry Cavill — hits theaters June 14? ... Celebrity dish ... … Former NFL Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb was on hand for Def Squad's performance Friday at The Shrine ... ....(size: 5.7Kb)

Interview: Chicago Hip Hop artist Twone Gabz

The Examiner

26 Sep 2012

Related topics. music newship hopChicago Artistrap. Advertisement ... Those words are the motivation for Southside Chicago artist Twone Gabz who is now a member of Erick Sermon’s Def Squad roster that introduced us to lyrical monsters like Redman & Keith Murray ... Video ... Redman - "Def Jammable" & "All I Do" (Bonus)Method Man, Howard, Ne Yo fight for Red TailsErick Sermon gives words of advice to hip hop community ... ....(size: 9.0Kb)

Boston Celtics Daily Links 9/4

Houston Chronicle

04 Sep 2012

Posted on September 4, 2012 at 10.49 am by FLCeltsFan in General. Comments(). .. E-mail. .. Print. Celtics Green Auerbachian – Good or Lucky?. Rajon Rondo Angers Fans in Taiwan. Celtics Life Boston Celtics 1957-2012 “Live Forever” Mix. Rondo wanted to be Brett Favre growing up. Lex Nihil Novi Fernsten, Bird, and Robey Lead C’s to W. Larry Lights Up the Pacers. Last But Not Least. Larry Lights up the Lakers ... Def Squad ... 2 ... 0 1....(size: 3.9Kb)

New Website, Upload Demo, Gives New Artists Music Industry Access

PR Newswire

13 Aug 2012

After hearing Cordero's song, Awadisian shared it with Upload Demo reviewers including Smith, Walter Millsap III, who has served as producer for Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Timbaland, Mindless Behavior and Keri Hilson; 23-year music veteran Bernard Alexander, who has worked with Akon, 50 Cent, The Fugees, the Hit Squad and Def Squad; and Bu Thiam, senior ......(size: 5.9Kb)

Free & Cheap in New York: Tues., July 31

New York Daily News

31 Jul 2012

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSS’. Miami rapper Rick Ross will autograph copies of his new album, “God Forgives, I Don’t,” at J&R Music World. Ross, who founded the Maybach Music Group record label, has collaborated with hip-hop and R&B notables, such as Jay-Z and R. Kelly ... 6 p.m ... There, Keith Murray, a member of the legendary rap trio Def Squad, will perform a SummerStage concert, joined the Beatnuts, a Latin hip-hop duo from Queens ... ....(size: 3.0Kb)

Joey Elgersma and Lee Stuart Speak on Bread & Butter's Sport & Street

The Source

15 Jul 2012

Nikeisha Nelson had the pleasure of speaking with Joey Elgersma and Lee Stuart of Bread & Butter's Sport & Street Festival. ... . Joey. The association goes from a long time ago ... ... . Lee ... ... My favorite cover was with Def Squad the background was white and a lot of florescent colors and the one with Lauryn Hill where she looked absoulty beautiful, the one with Death Row and the Dipset one. ....(size: 3.6Kb)

Shaun White headliner at historic 30th annual U.S. Open Snowboarding event

The Examiner

08 Mar 2012

Hard to believe that this event had its beginnings three decades ago at a time when snowboarders were using ropes to steer their boards and many ski resorts refused to even allow the rebel riders to use their mountain ... Doug Bouton emerged as the winner in this very obscure event ... The U.S ... And Saturday night, hip-hop superstars Method Man (of Wu-Tang Clan) and Redman (of Def Squad) will perform at the ‘30th Love’ party, powered by Nokia....(size: 8.3Kb)

New York Songs

The Examiner

01 May 2011

NANCI HUGHESJanuary 16, 2010  This series is not hard for me to write because of the abundance of talent in soaps ... Samantha G.March 03, 2009 It's been such a long time since we have heard from the dynamic duo known as Method Man (formerly of the Wu Tang Clan) and Redman (formerly of Def Squad) but they are apt to make a...Tags.album release dateship hop musicHip-HopMethod ManMusicNew MusicRappersRedmanSongs Pages....(size: 7.1Kb)

The Doctors Orders & Dephect Present Keith Murray Live! listings

Skiddle

23 Nov 2010

Keith Murray first came to prominence through battling Big Daddy Kane which brought him to the attention of the Def Squad’s Eric Sermon, of which Keith was soon to become a member featuring on their cover of “Rappers Delight” and “El Nino” album ... On leaving Jive Records he signed for the legendary Def Jam and now at ......(size: 3.0Kb)

The calendar for Oct. 27, 2010

The Miami Herald

27 Oct 2010

HIP-HOP. 8 p.m. Rap duo Method Man (Wu-Tang Clan) and Redman (Def Squad) team up, with local DJ Immortal of Scratch DJ Academy, plus DJ I-Cue and DJ K-Razor opening ... Revolution Live, 200 W ... ....(size: 1.1Kb)

Method Man and Redman to perform in Tampa

The Examiner

26 Oct 2010

Method Man from the Wutang Clan and Redman from Def Squad are known for their crazy and funky stage shows which have them playing up characters that are fun and over the top acts which creates chemistry between each other and their audience they perform for ... Jannus Live is located 1st Ave. North and 2nd St. North St ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)

Mini Review - Def Jam Rapstar

The Examiner

21 Oct 2010

Def Jam RapStar ... 4mm Games, Terminal Reality, Def Jam Interactive ... This game is based on the most successful Hiphop label in existence , home to some of Hiphop's all time greatest artists , and we only have 2 public enemy tracks , 1 LLCOOLJ song , 1 song from the Beastie Boys , 1 from Red and Meth and that’s it? What about Joe Budden , Def Squad , EPMD , Foxy Brown , M.O.P....(size: 3.6Kb)

timeline:
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001

Def Squad
Origin	New York City, USA
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Def Jam DreamWorks Universal Motown Records Group
Associated acts	EPMD, DJ Scratch, Hit Squad, Dave Hollister
Members
Redman Keith Murray Erick Sermon
Past members
Mally G Hurricane G

Album information
El Niño Released: June 30, 1998 Billboard 200 chart position: #2 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #1 Last RIAA Certification: Gold Singles: "Full Cooperation"

For the former American Football player, see Buster Rhymes.

Busta Rhymes

Background information
Birth name	Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr.
Born	(1972-05-20) May 20, 1972 (age 40)
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, actor
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Conglomerate, Cash Money
Associated acts	Leaders of the New School, A Tribe Called Quest, Flipmode Squad, Spliff Star, Dr. Dre, N.O.R.E., The Notorious B.I.G., Pharrell, Swizz Beatz, DMX, Mystikal, Wu-Tang Clan, M.O.P.,

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., (born May 20, 1972),^[1] better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. Early in his career, he was known for his wild style and fashion, and today is best known for his intricate rapping technique, which involves rapping at a fast rate with lots of internal rhyme and half rhyme, and to date has received eleven Grammy nominations for his musical work. About.com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007),^[2] while Steve Huey of Allmusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the '90s.^[3]

1 Early life
2 Music Career
3 Acting Career
4 Personal life
- 4.1 Religion
- 4.2 Legal issues
5 Discography
6 Awards and nominations
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Early life [link]

Busta was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith, Sr. in 1972. Smith attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, alongside Jay-Z, DMX and The Notorious B.I.G.^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7] He went to Uniondale High School on Long Island, graduating in 1990.

Music Career [link]

Leaders of the New School and rising popularity: 1990–1993 [link]

Hip-hop crew Leaders of the New School began recording in 1989 and released their debut album A Future Without a Past... in 1991 on Elektra Records. In early 1992 the group appeared on A Tribe Called Quest's posse cut "Scenario," in which Busta's climactic verse propelled him into the cultural consciousness.^[8] In 1993, they released T.I.M.E. (The Inner Mind's Eye). Soon after, however, internal problems arose because of Busta's increasing popularity, and the group broke up on the set of Yo! MTV Raps.

After LONS broke up, Busta Rhymes began making guest appearances on several hip-hop and R&B artists singles such as R&B group Boyz II Men, he appeared on the track "Intro Talk" on Mary J. Blige's landmark debut album, What's the 411?, he also appeared on the album jacket of fellow hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders, with a host of other fellow hip-hop pioneers. In 1993, he appeared in a cameo role in Yo! MTV Raps hosts Doctor Dré and Ed Lover's film, Who's the Man?, and in the HBO film, Strapped, and co-starred alongside Ice Cube and Omar Epps in the John Singleton film, Higher Learning (which was in post-production until it was released in 1995). The following year, he teamed up with Puff Daddy, LL Cool J, and future Flipmode Squad member, Rampage and former classmate The Notorious B.I.G., on a remix to Craig Mack's "Flava In Ya Ear", soon after he would team up again with The Notorious B.I.G. among a plethora of rappers such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and Coolio on the single, "The Points" which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1995 film, Panther.

[edit] The Coming and When Disaster Strikes: 1995–1997

In the summer of 1995, Busta Rhymes started work on his first album The Coming, and a month after recording the album, he released it in March of 1996. A month before the album was released, he broke out with a solo hit single, "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check". Later, he started work on his second album, When Disaster Strikes, which would not be released until September 1997. It produced the hit singles "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" and "Fire It Up".

[edit] Extinction Level Event (Final World Front): 1998–1999

In 1998, Busta recorded Extinction Level Event (Final World Front). Its lead single, "Gimme Some More" — which sampled Bernard Herrmann's theme from Psycho — reached number 6 in the UK singles chart in January 1999. Busta enjoyed further transatlantic success in April when the single "What's It Gonna Be?!", featuring Janet Jackson, reached the US and UK Top 11. The album received prominent notice for featuring the fastest rapping Busta has ever performed, particularly on a song called "Iz They Wildin Wit Us?", featuring a guest appearance by Mystikal.^[1]

J/Arista/BMG [link]

Busta Rhymes performing in 2006

Anarchy & Genesis (2000-2001)

In 2000, Busta recorded his final album for Elektra, entitled Anarchy. After Busta signed to J Records, a label started by the then recently ousted Arista Records chief and founder Clive Davis, he released a greatest hits collection^{[citation needed]} alongside a new album of original work. Continuing the Biblical theme of his previous albums, he titled his record Genesis. The album featured collaborations with Mary J. Blige, P. Diddy, Kelis, and others. Genesis was powered by the hit single with Kelis, "What It Is", and his solo single released in November 2001, "Break Ya Neck". The final single was the summer smash "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II", which featured Pharrell and P. Diddy. Despite the success of the two singles, this album did not sell as well as previous releases.

It Aint Safe No More (2002-2004)

In 2002, Busta released his sixth studio album It Ain't Safe No More. The album was moderately successful, with a hit song featuring Mariah Carey and the Flipmode Squad called "I Know What You Want". Another hit song was "Make It Clap", featuring Spliff Starr. The remix of "Make It Clap" featured Sean Paul. After its release, he left J Records. In 2004, he signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.

Aftermath/Interscope [link]

The Big Bang (2006)

His seventh studio album, The Big Bang, became the first #1 album of his career. The CD sold over 209,000 copies in its first week to earn the top spot on The Billboard Top 200.^[9] The album also became his highest charting album in the UK, peaking at #19. Some of the album was leaked on the Internet, and as a result several songs were left off the album and new ones added. The Big Bang featured more production by Dr. Dre than Busta's previous releases, as well as appearances by Raekwon and Nas. The singles that have been released from the album are, "Touch It", "I Love My Bitch", featuring Kelis and Will.I.Am, "New York Shit", featuring Swizz Beatz and "In The Ghetto". Busta also had a stint opening for Mariah Carey's The Adventures of Mimi Tour. Also, Busta performed with Eminem on "Touch It Remix Part 5" and performed a verse on the aforementioned rapper's song, "I'll Hurt You". On July 17, 2008, Busta left Interscope/Aftermath due to a creative clash with Interscope head Jimmy Iovine.

Universal Motown [link]

Back on My B.S. (2007-2009)

He also made a song featuring Linkin Park called "We Made It". It was later revealed that Busta inked a deal with Universal Motown, who released his eighth studio album, Back on My B.S., on May 19, 2009.^[10] He also appeared on Asher Roth's debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, selling 56,000 copies, and was his first album to not receive an RIAA certification, selling 122,000 copies to date. The singles that have been released from the album are, "Arab Money", featuring Ron Browz, "Hustler's Anthem '09", featuring T-Pain and "Respect My Conglomerate". The song "World Go Round", featuring British singer Estelle, was released in France on April 6, 2009 due to the heavy rotation of a leaked version. The single was released in the UK on July 13, 2009. Due to controversial content, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has banned the album. Back on My B.S. was released internationally, but because of one song, "Arab Money", it is not available to buy as a CD there (however, the album can still be purchased via iTunes). According to the National Media Council, the lyrics were considered to be offensive to Arabs and to Islam, and permission for distribution was therefore denied. Some DJs, artists and fans have lambasted the track, saying it portrayed Arabs in a stereotypical way. The first part out of three of the remix by Rhymes contains verses from the Quran. In November, when "Arab Money" was released as a single, DJ Dany Neville and the Iraqi rapper The Narcicyst responded by recorded a reply. Busta later apologized. DJs in the country said they had not received an order banning the record from being spun in nightclubs, and they had mixed feelings on whether the record was offensive or not.^[11] DJ Saif of Dubai said:

“

I don't play 'Arab Money' because it's disrespectful on Arabs. I don't think there is a ban on playing it in clubs, but many here don't play it anyway.^[11]

”

2002

Emirati DJ DJ Bliss, refused to play the Busta Rhymes' single called Arab Money on Radio 1 in Dubai after it was banned in the UAE for offense to Arabs along with many other Dj's in the United Arab Emirates that also took a stand. He added:

“

I used to play the original version in the club, but out of respect for the laws here in my country, I haven’t played it since.^[11]

”

[edit] Conglomerate Records / Cash Money Records & Extinction Level Event 2 (2010-present)

Busta announced that he was working on his tenth studio album, alongside Canadian producer Boi-1da, entitled The Chemo. He says that his next project is 80 percent finished.^[12] Busta has reportedly changed the title of his forthcoming Chemo album to Extinction.Level.Event.2 (E.L.E. 2).^[13] Some new songs are being considered for the album, including "C'mon (Catch 'Em By Surprise) by Tiësto and Diplo and "Look at Me Now" alongside Chris Brown and Lil Wayne. The trend of album sequels continues with Busta adding another chapter to his 1998 opus E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front. Busta's manager Chris Lighty sent out the message via Twitter. He said; "Extinction.Level.Event 2 ......prepare yourself." Like the first, E.L.E. 2 is inspired by movies of impending destruction on planet Earth, Lighty said; "From the Intro of the new Busta Album you're going to know you're in trouble and you just turned on 2012 the movie on warp speed,".

DJ Premier, in an August 6, 2010 interview on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio said Busta Rhymes has received over eight beats which he didn't want to use but Premier hoped his next beat would be chosen for inclusion on the album.^[14] On DJ Premier's Live From Headqcourterz radio show Premier confirmed that one of his beats were to be included in E.L.E. 2. In 2010, Busta Rhymes formed his new label Conglomerate Records (With later on having rosters such as N.O.R.E., and Spliff Star). He was featured on C'mon (Catch 'Em By Surprise) by Tiësto and Diplo.

In 2011, Rhymes recorded "Look at Me Now" with Chris Brown and Lil Wayne on Brown's fourth album, F.A.M.E., the song has received favorable reviews regarding Rhymes guest verse on the song, and is his highest chart entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number six, while reaching number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming his first #1 on that chart. On September 7, 2011, Rhymes received six nominations for the BET Hip Hop Awards, held on October 11, 2011.

On May 1, 2011 Rhymes appeared on the launch show for MNET's Big Brother Africa 6: Amplified and performed some of his songs.

In 2011, Busta Rhymes performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos.^[15]

Rhymes contributed to the 2011 Tech N9ne album "All 6's and 7's". The single "Worldwide Choppers" was released on May 31st, 2011.^[16]

Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber will feature Busta on a song called "Drummer Boy" off Bieber's sophomore studio album, Under the Mistletoe, released on 1 November 2011.^[17]

On November 11, 2011, a Heavy D tribute song titled "You Ain’t Gotta Wait Till I’m Gone" was leaked.^[18]

On November 16, 2011, it was announced that Busta Rhymes and Mystikal signed to Cash Money Records.^[19] On June 08, 2010, way before he was signed by Birdman, he released "Stop the Party (Iron Man)" which featured Swizz Beatz. For his debut single on the Cash Money label and his Conglomerate Records, he reunites with Chris Brown to make the aggressive single known as Why Stop Now.

In 2012, Busta collaborated with Jodie Connor, featuring on her single "Take You There", however he did not appear in the music video.

A song with Twista, titled "Can You Keep Up" was leaked.

Acting Career [link]

Busta has appeared in a number of films (including Shaft, The Rugrats Movie, Halloween: Resurrection, and Higher Learning) and TV shows (including Cosby, The Boondocks, and The Steve Harvey Show).^[20]^[21]^[22]^[23]^[24]

Personal life [link]

Busta has three children with his ex-girlfriend, Joanne Wood: T'Ziah (born 1993), T'Khi (born 1999), and Trillian (born 2000).

Religion [link]

On September 2, 2007, a video was uploaded on Liveleak.com about Rhymes having converted to Islam.^[25] He himself has said that he lives his life by Islam, stating he is Muslim and loves Allah.

Legal issues [link]

On August 20, 2006, he was arraigned for charges of third-degree assault after attacking a man who reportedly spat on his car in New York City on August 12 after the AmsterJam Music Festival on Randall's Island.^[26]

On October 24, 2006, he appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court as the district attorney's office attempted to amend previous charges against him to include weapons possession for a machete found in his car. The judge refused to add the charge and adjourned the case.^[27]^[28]

On February 20, 2007, Busta refused a plea deal offered by the prosecutors office for the assault of his former driver, Edward Hatchett. The deal would have entailed six months in jail and pleading guilty to two assaults, the attack on Hatchett, and the attack on the former fan. The dispute with Hatchett is believed to have originated over back pay Hatchett felt he was owed. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Becki Rowe offered Busta another option, pleading guilty to third-degree assault. The conditions of the proposed sentence would include five days of community service, two weeks of youth lectures and six months of anger management classes, as well as three years of probation. On March 18, 2008 a judge in New York City sentenced Busta to three years' probation, 10 days' community service, $1250 in fines (plus court costs), and to enroll in a drunken driving program.^[28]^[29]^[30]^[31]

On September 25, 2008, he was temporarily refused entry to the United Kingdom due to "unresolved convictions".^[32]

On October 14, 2009, a Brooklyn judge ordered Busta to pay a concert goer $75,000 in compensation for an assault which occurred in 2003.^[33]

Discography [link]

Main article: Busta Rhymes discography

The Coming (1996)
When Disaster Strikes... (1997)
E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front (1998)
Anarchy (2000)
Genesis (2001)
It Ain't Safe No More... (2002)
The Big Bang (2006)
Back on My B.S. (2009)
E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) 2: End of the World (TBA)

Awards and nominations [link]

Busta Rhymes has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards during his 16-year solo career.

Grammy Awards

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1997	"Woo-Hah! Got You All in Check"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
1998	"Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
1999	"Dangerous"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
2000	"Gimme Some More"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
2000	"What's It Gonna Be?"	Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group	Nominated
2000	E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front	Best Rap Album	Nominated
2001	"Fire"	Best Music Video, Short Form	Nominated
2003	"Pass the Courvoisier Pt. 2"	Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group	Nominated
2007	"Touch It"	Best Rap Solo Performance	Nominated
2012	"Look At Me Now"	Best Rap Performance	Nominated
2012	"Look At Me Now"	Best Rap Song	Nominated

Busta Rhymes has been nominated for 10 MTV Video Music Awards during his 16-year solo career, but has yet to win one.

MTV Video Music Awards

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1996	"Woo-Hah! Got You All in Check"	Best Breakthrough Video	Nominated
1998	"Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"	Best Rap Video	Nominated
1998	"Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"	Best Male Video	Nominated
1998	"Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"	Best Breakthrough Video	Nominated
1999	"What's It Gonna Be?"	Best Hip-Hop Video	Nominated
1999	"Gimme Some More"	Best Breakthrough Video	Nominated
2002	"Pass the Courvoisier Pt. 2"	Best Hip-Hop Video	Nominated
2003	"I Know What You Want"	Best Hip-Hop Video	Nominated
2006	"Touch It"	Best Rap Video	Nominated
2006	"Touch It"	Best Male Video	Nominated

References [link]

^ ^a ^b Bush, John (1972-05-20). "allmusic Biography". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p61282/biography. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
^ "Top 50 MCs of Our Time: 1987 - 2007 - 50 Greatest Emcees of Our Time". Rap.about.com. 2012-01-26. http://rap.about.com/od/toppicks/ss/Top50Emcees_3.htm. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
^ Huey, Steve (2000-06-20). "Anarchy - Busta Rhymes". AllMusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/anarchy-r486345/review. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
^ [1]^{[dead link]}
^ "Busta Rhymes Biography". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/61/Busta-Rhymes.html. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
^ Century, Douglas (January 26, 2002). "Rhymes and reason". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2002/jan/26/weekend7.weekend2. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
^ "Mom of star rapper Busta Rhymes loses 145 pounds, shows there's hope for others fighting obesity". Jet. 2004. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_21_106/ai_n7580052/.
^ Young, Kevin. Unwrapping the Message. Bookforum. Accessed November 16, 2010.
^ "All Music - The Big Bang". http://www.allmusic.com/album/r834513/charts-awards.
^ Exclusive: Busta Rhymes Signs with Universal Motown. Rap-up.com.'.' Retrieved September 17, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Busta Rhymes album banned over track that quotes Quran - The National Newspaper". Thenational.ae. 2009-05-28. http://www.thenational.ae/article/20090529/NATIONAL/705289848/1010. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
^ "Busta Rhymes Brings Chemo To Hip Hop | Busta Rhymes". Rap Basement. 2009-09-02. http://www.rapbasement.com/busta-rhymes/090209-busta-rhymes-says-hes-80-percent-done-with-new-the-chemo-album.html. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
^ "Busta Rhymes Changes Title Of New Album | Busta Rhymes". Rap Basement. 2010-05-10. http://www.rapbasement.com/busta-rhymes/051010-busta-rhymes-changes-title-of-new-album-from-chemo-to-extinction-level-event-2-watch-here.html. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
^ "DJ Premier talks of Busta Rhymes on Conspiracy Worldwide Radio Aug 6th 2010". Conspiracyworldwide.podomatic.com. 2010-08-07. http://conspiracyworldwide.podomatic.com/entry/index/2010-08-07T11_24_08-07_00. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
^ "Video: 2011 Gathering Of The Juggalos Infomercial". Ilpvideo.com. 2011-06-18. http://ilpvideo.com/video.php?v=MjQ5NjA. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
^ ""Worldwide Choppers" single on iTunes". http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/worldwide-choppers-feat-d/id438708422. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
^ "Justin Bieber Unwraps ‘Mistletoe’ Tracklisting with Mariah Carey, Usher, & Busta Rhymes". Rap-Up.com. http://www.rap-up.com/2011/10/05/justin-bieber-unwraps-mistletoe-tracklisting-with-mariah-carey-usher-busta-rhymes/. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
^ "You Ain't Gotta Wait Til I'm Gone (Heavy D Tribute)". HipHopDX.com. 2011-11-11. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/singles/id.17612/title.busta-rhymes-you-aint-gotta-wait-til-im-gone-heavy-d-tribute. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
^ "New Music: Busta Rhymes x Chris Brown 'Why Stop Now'". RapRadar.com. 2011-11-16. http://rapradar.com/2011/11/16/new-music-busta-rhymes-x-chris-brown-why-stop-now/. Retrieved 2011-11-16.
^ http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426758/busta-rhymes-expands-film-resume-with-shaft-madonna-projects.jhtml
^ http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2004/4/28/o-busta-where-art-thou-in/
^ http://www.bet.com/topics/b/busta-rhymes.html
^ http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,322706,00.html
^ http://bossip.com/100124/busta-rhymes-would-gladly-trade-rap-for-tv-career
^ "Busta Rhymes Converts to Islam". liveleak.com. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c68_1188723453&c=1. Retrieved 2007-09-02.
^ P-I staff, news services (2006-08-21). "People in the News: Busta Rhymes busted". Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Hearst Corporation). http://www.seattlepi.com/people/281942_people21.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11.
^ Hartocollis, Anemona (October 25, 2006). "Rappers Come and Go, Serving Justice and Their Fans". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/nyregion/25rap.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Rapper Busta Rhymes considers judge’s plea offer". Boston Herald. February 20, 2007. http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=183987. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Rapper Busta Rhymes considers plea deal for misdemeanor assault with no jail time". Court TV. February 21, 2007. http://www.courttv.com/people/2007/0220/busta_rhymes_ap.html.
^ Gregorian, Dareh (February 21, 2007). "Rhymes Could 'Beat' The Rap". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/seven/02212007/news/regionalnews/rhymes_could_beat_the_rap_regionalnews_dareh_gregorian.htm.
^ Woo Hah! Judge's Got Busta All in Check! - TMZ.com - Entertainment News, Celebrity Gossip and Hollywood Rumors
^ "Rapper Rhymes detained at airport". BBC. September 25, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7635992.stm. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
^ Demarche, Edmund; Sanderson, Bill (December 4, 2009). "Busta fined 75G for fan assault". New York Post. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/busta_fined_for_fan_assault_hzaq1jj4lxauqfulTytkuI.

External links [link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Busta Rhymes

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes at MTV
Busta Rhymes at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Busta Rhymes

Albums	The Coming When Disaster Strikes E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front Anarchy Genesis It Ain't Safe No More The Big Bang Back on My B.S.

Compilations	Flipmode Remixes Total Devastation Turn It Up The Artist Collection

Solo singles	"Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" "It's a Party" "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" "Dangerous" "Turn It Up (remix)/Fire It Up" "Gimme Some More" "What's It Gonna Be?!" "Get Out!!" "Break Ya Neck" "Make It Clap" "Pass the Courvoisier, Part II" "I Know What You Want" "Where's Your Money?" "Touch It" "I Love My Bitch" "New York Shit" "In the Ghetto" "Don't Get Carried Away" "Watch Ya Mouth" "Don't Touch Me (Throw da Water on 'em)" "We Made It" "Arab Money" "Hustler's Anthem '09" "Respect My Conglomerate" "World Go Round" "Stop the Party" "Why Stop Now"

Featured singles	"Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" "Wild for the Night" "Rumble in the Jungle" "Victory" "Shorty" "Fire" "What's Happenin'" "Don't Cha" Come Thru' (Move) "Hurt" "Run the Show" "Peace Sign/Index Down" "Rotate" "Love You" "C'mon (Catch 'em by Surprise)" "Look at Me Now" Welcome to My Hood (remix) "Worldwide Choppers" "The Woman You Love"

Other songs	"We Are the World 25 for Haiti"

Related articles	Discography Leaders of the New School Native Tongues The Conglomerate Conglomerate

v t e Cash Money Records

Artists	Ace Hood · Bangladesh · B.G. · Birdman · Brisco · Bow Wow · Busta Rhymes · Chris Richardson · Christina Milian · Cool & Dre · Cory Gunz · DJ Khaled · Drake · Glasses Malone · Israel Cruz · Jay Sean · Kevin Rudolf · Lil Wayne · Limp Bizkit · Mack Maine · Mystikal · Nicki Minaj · Shanell · T Lopez · Tyga

Former artists	2 Pistols · All Star Cashville Prince · Big Tymers · Boo & Gotti · Cash Money Millionaires · Curren$y · Dunk Ryders · Freeway · Hot Boys · Jazze Pha · Juvenile · Keke Wyatt · Lil' Mo · Mack 10 · Mannie Fresh · Stacks · Teena Marie · Tha Dogg Pound · The B.G.'z · TQ · Turk · U.N.L.V. · Young Buck

Record labels	Young Money Entertainment · We the Best Music Group

v t e Aftermath Entertainment

Founder	Dr. Dre

Current artists	Eminem 50 Cent Slim the Mobster Kendrick Lamar Black Hippy

Former artists	Bishop Lamont Busta Rhymes Eve Game Hittman King Tee Joell Ortiz Marsha Ambrosius Raekwon Rakim RBX Stat Quo The Firm The Last Emperor Truth Hurts

Related articles	Interscope Records

Persondata
Name	Busta Rhymes
Alternative names	Smith, Trevor Taheim, Jr.
Short description	Rapper, hip hop musician
Date of birth	5/20/1972
Place of birth	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Date of death
Place of death

http://wn.com/Busta_Rhymes

http://it.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://cs.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://es.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://ru.wn.com/Баста Раймс

http://nl.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://pt.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://pl.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://fr.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

http://de.wn.com/Busta Rhymes

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busta_Rhymes

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2011)

Erick Sermon
Also known as	Erick Onassis The Green-Eyed Bandit E-Dubble EMD
Born	(1967-11-25) November 25, 1967 (age 44)
Origin	Brentwood, New York
Genres	Hip hop East Coast hip hop
Years active	1987-present
Labels	Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records Priority/EMI Records BCM Records Def Jam/PolyGram Records Dreamworks/Interscope/Universal Records J/RCA/BMG Records Motown/Universal Records
Associated acts	EPMD, Def Squad, Keith Murray, Too $hort, PMD (rapper), Redman
Website	www.TheGreenEyedBandit.com

Erick Sermon (born November 25, 1967, Bay Shore, New York, United States)^[1] is an American rapper, musician, and producer.

Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s–1990s hip hop group EPMD^[2] and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.

1 Career
2 Discography
3 References
4 External links

Career [link]

The Green-Eyed Bandit also made multiple solo recordings and albums. He began recording solo albums for Def Jam in 1993; in 1997, he rejoined EPMD. The following year, Sermon, Murray and Redman recorded a cover version of "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, the first hit hip hop record. EPMD disbanded a second time in 1999.

In 2000, Sermon moved over to J Records, and released the album Music the following year. The title track (a Top 40 pop hit that also made it to #2 on the US Billboard R&B chart), featured guest vocals from Marvin Gaye, culled from unreleased recordings which Sermon reportedly found in a small record shop in London.

Sermon continued working on an album. React was released in 2002. The title track became a major hit song, though the album still had disappointing sales. In 2003, J Records dropped Sermon due to poor record sales. However, he still went on to establish his Def Squad imprint with Motown Records. At this time, he recorded an album, Chilltown, N.Y., which was released a year later in 2004. The album was powered by the single "Feel It" (which contained a sample of reggae/R&B singer Sean Paul), a song which became a success in the United States.

In an interview, he stated that he was going to step aside and try to get upcoming artists in the spotlight. However, Sermon has not stopped in the music industry, as he produced the song "Goldmine" on Busta Rhymes' album, The Big Bang in 2006. Soon after, Sermon has recorded "Don't Make No Sense" with Def Squad. He also collaborated with Redman and produced a few songs on the album Red Gone Wild while also making an appearance with Def Squad member Keith Murray.

Sermon was also heavily involved in Method Man's 2006 album 4:21... The Day After as well as the 1999 platinum Blackout! album by Method Man & Redman.

In early 2008, Sermon and EPMD started their own record label called EP Records, distributed by RBS/Universal Music Group. The seventh EPMD album, We Mean Business, came out in December 2008.

Sermon was featured in the final episode of Yo! MTV Raps in a freestyle session featuring artists such as Rakim, KRS-One, Chubb Rock, MC Serch and Craig Mack.

On November 12, 2011, Sermon suffered a heart attack from which he recovered.^[3]

Discography [link]

Main article: Erick Sermon discography

References [link]

^ "Erick Sermon". Rapaholic. 4 January 2007. http://rapaholic.blogspot.com/2007/01/erick-sermon.html. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
^ "http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2010/11/22/101122goni_GOAT_nightlife". The New Yorker. 22 November 2010. http://www.newyorker.com/arts/events/nightlife/2010/11/22/101122goni_GOAT_nightlife. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
^ Markman, Rob (2011-11-15). "Erick Sermon Recalls 'Pains' Before Heart Attack - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1674407/erick-sermon-heart-attack-recall.jhtml. Retrieved 2012-03-30.

External links [link]

Erick Sermon at the Internet Movie Database
Erick Sermon on Myspace

v t e Erick Sermon

Studio albums	No Pressure Double or Nothing Erick Onasis Music React Chilltown, New York

Other albums	Insomnia El Niño

Singles	"Hittin' Switches" "Stay Real" "Bomdigi" "Welcome" "Full Cooperation" "Focus" "Get Da Money" "Why Not" "Music" "I'm Hot" "React" "Love Iz" "Relentless" "Feel It"

Featured artist	"The Weekend" "Got Me a Model" "Yeah Yeah U Know It"

Related articles	Discography EPMD Def Squad Hit Squad

v t e EPMD

Erick Sermon PMD

Studio albums	Strictly Business Unfinished Business Business as Usual Business Never Personal Back in Business Out of Business We Mean Business

Other albums	Greatest Hits

Singles	"It's My Thing" "Strictly Business" "You Gots to Chill" "I'm Housin" "The Big Payback" "So Wat Cha Sayin'" "Gold Digger" "Rampage" "Give the People" "Crossover" "Head Banger" "The Joint" "Richter Scale" "Right Now" "Symphony 2000" "Pioneers"

Related articles	Discography Hit Squad

Persondata
Name	Sermon, Eric
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	November 25, 1968
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death

http://wn.com/Erick_Sermon

http://fr.wn.com/Erick Sermon

http://pt.wn.com/Erick Sermon

http://de.wn.com/Erick Sermon

http://it.wn.com/Erick Sermon

http://es.wn.com/Erick Sermon

http://pl.wn.com/Erick Sermon

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Sermon

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.

Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill performing at Bonnaroo in 2006
Background information
Also known as	DVX (Devasting Vocal Excellence)
Origin	South Gate, California, United States
Genres	Hip hop, rap rock, alternative hip hop, west coast hip hop
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Ruffhouse, Columbia, Sony Music, Priority, EMI
Associated acts	Soul Assassins, Tom Morello, Everlast, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Slash, House of Pain, Xzibit, Funkdoobiest, Adil Omar, Young De, Travis Barker, Psycho Realm, La Coka Nostra, Rusko, Rage Against the Machine, Fergie, La Coka Nostra
Website	CypressHill.com
Members
B-Real DJ Muggs Sen Dog Eric Bobo
Past members
Mellow Man Ace

Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Cuban-American/Latino hip hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide. It is one of the most well-known groups in West Coast rap and was critically acclaimed for their first two groundbreaking albums.^[1]

1 History
2 Style
- 2.1 Rapping
- 2.2 Production
3 Side and solo projects
4 Discography
5 Awards and Nominations
6 Band Members
7 References
8 External links

History [link]

Formation (1988)[link]

Senen Reyes (also known as Sen Dog) and Ulpiano Sergio Reyes (also known as Mellow Man Ace) are brothers who initially lived in South Gate, California. In 1971, their family had immigrated to the United States, settling in the Los Angeles neighborhood of South Gate. In 1988, the two brothers teamed up with Lawrence Muggerud (also known as DJ Muggs) and Louis Freese (also known as B-Real) to form a hip-hop group named DVX (Devastating Vocal Excellence). The band soon lost Mellow Man Ace to a solo career, and changed their name to Cypress Hill, after a street in South Gate.^[2]

Early works and mainstream success (1989–1995)[link]

After recording a demo in 1989, Cypress Hill signed a record deal with the major label, Columbia Records. Their self-titled first album was released in August 1991. The lead single was the double A-side "The Phuncky Feel One"/"How I Could Just Kill a Man" which received heavy airplay on urban and college radio. The other two singles released from the album were "Hand on the Pump" and "Latin Lingo", the latter of which combined English and Spanish lyrics. The success of these singles led to the album selling two million copies in the US alone. The group made their first appearance at Lollapalooza on the side stage in 1992.

Black Sunday, the group's second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 1993, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group up until that time. Also, with their debut still in the charts, they became the first rap group to have 2 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time. With "Insane in the Brain" becoming a crossover hit, the album went triple platinum in the U.S. and sold about 3.25 million copies.

The band headlined the Soul Assassins tour with House of Pain and Funkdoobiest as support, then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine and Seven Year Bitch. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgment Night soundtrack, teaming up with Pearl Jam on the track "Real Thing" and Sonic Youth on "I Love You Mary Jane".

The group later played at Woodstock 94, introducing new member Eric Bobo, son of Willie Bobo and formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys. Rolling Stone magazine named the group as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza for two successive years, topping the bill in 1995. They also appeared on the "Homerpalooza" episode of The Simpsons. Prior to Bobo joining the crew, Panchito "Ponch" Gomez sat in as a percussionist when not acting.

Their third album III: Temples of Boom was released in 1995, selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the hit single "Throw Your Set in the Air".^{[citation needed]} Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML.

Continued career (1996–2002)[link]

Sen Dog took a break from the band to form a Los Angeles based rap rock band SX-10.^[3] Meanwhile in 1996, Cypress Hill appeared on the first 'Smokin' Grooves' tour, featuring Ziggy Marley, The Fugees, Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest. The band also released a nine track EP Unreleased and Revamped with rare mixes. In 1997, band members focused on their solo careers. Muggs released Soul Assassins: Chapter 1 featuring contributions from Dr. Dre, KRS-One, Wyclef Jean and Mobb Deep. B-Real appeared with Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J and Method Man on "Hit Em High" from the multi-platinum Space Jam Soundtrack. He also appeared with RBX, Nas and KRS-One on "East Coast Killer, West Coast Killer" off Dr. Dre's Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album, and contributed to an album entitled The Psycho Realm with the band of the same name. Though the focus that year was not on group efforts, the band played Smokin' Grooves with George Clinton and Erykah Badu.

Cypress Hill released IV in 1998 which went gold in the U.S., on the backs of hit singles "Tequila Sunrise" and "Dr. Greenthumb." Sen Dog also released the Get Wood sampler as part of SX-10 on the label Flip. In 1999, Cypress Hill helped with the PC crime video game Kingpin: Life of Crime. Three of their songs from the 1998 IV album were in the game ( "16 Men Till There's No Men Left", "Checkmate" and "Lightning Strikes"). B-Real also did some of the voices of the people in the game. Also in 1999, the band released a greatest-hits album in Spanish, Los grandes éxitos en español. In 2000, Cypress Hill then fused genres with their fifth album, Skull & Bones, which was a two-disc album. The first disc, "Skull" was composed of rap tracks while "Bones" explored further the group's forays into rock. The album reached the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 in Canada. The first single was "Rock Superstar" for rock radio and "Rap Superstar" for urban radio. Following the release of the album, Cypress Hill (along with MxPx) landed a slot opening for The Offspring on the Conspiracy of One tour. The band also released Live at the Fillmore, a concert disc recorded at the Fillmore (in San Francisco) in 2000. Cypress Hill continued their experimentation with rock on the Stoned Raiders album in 2001. However, its sales were a disappointment, as the disc did not even reach the top 50 of the U.S. album charts. In 2001, the group appeared in the film How High.

[edit] Till Death Do Us Part (2003–2007)

Cypress Hill recorded "Just Another Victim" for WWE as a theme song for Tazz. At the time, WWE was using original music for almost all of the wrestlers, so this was an unusual step for the company to take, but it remains one of the more memorable songs to emerge from the wrestling organization. The band released Till Death Do Us Part on March 23, 2004. The album saw the band experiment with reggae especially on the lead single "What's Your Number". The track features Tim Armstrong of Rancid on guitar and backup vocals. It is based on the classic song "The Guns of Brixton" on The Clash's London Calling and has proven to be a success on the modern rock charts. However, the album represented a further departure from the signature sound of their first four albums. The album also features appearances by Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley, Prodigy of Mobb Deep and producers the Alchemist and Fredwreck.

In 2004, the song How I Could Just Kill A Man was included in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas created by Rockstar Games, playing on West Coast hip hop radio station Radio Los Santos. In December 2005 a best of compilation album titled Greatest Hits From the Bong was released including 9 hits from previous albums and 2 new tracks. The group's next album was tentatively scheduled for an early 2007 release. In the summer of 2006, B-Real appeared on Snoop Dogg's single "Vato", which was produced by Pharrell Williams.

In 2007 Cypress Hill toured with their full line up as a part of the Rock the Bells tour, held by Guerilla Union, and headlined with Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and a reunited Rage Against the Machine. Other acts included Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots, EPMD, Pharoahe Monch, Jedi Mind Tricks, Erykah Badu, MF Doom, Sage Francis, Brother Ali, The Coup, Blue Print, Lucky I Am, Living Legends, Felt, Cage, Mr. Lif, Grouch & Eligh, Slightly Stoopid, and Hangar 18.

[edit] Departure from Sony and Rise Up (2008–present)

On July 25, 2008, Cypress Hill performed at a benefit concert at the House of Blues Chicago, where a majority of the proceeds went to the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.^[4]

In August 2009, a new song by Cypress Hill, titled "Get 'Em Up", was made available on iTunes. The song is featured on the Madden NFL 2010 video game.^[5]

In November 2009, a new version of Guns N' Roses classic "Paradise City" performed by Cypress Hill, Slash and Fergie was made available as a bonus track to Slash's single "Sahara" off Slash's solo album Slash.

Cypress Hill's eighth studio album, Rise Up, features contributions from Everlast, Tom Morello, Daron Malakian, Pitbull, Marc Anthony and Mike Shinoda.^[6] The album was released on Priority Records/EMI Entertainment, as the group was signed to the label by new Creative Chairman Snoop Dogg on January 15, 2010. The album was finally released on April 20, 2010.^[7] The album's introduction single, "It Ain't Nothin'" was released as a free download from the group's official website. The song "Rise Up" was featured at WWE's pay-per-view, Elimination Chamber, as the official theme song for that event, and was released as the third single for the album, with "Armada Latina" being fourth. The song also appeared in the trailer of the movie The Green Hornet.

Cypress Hill commenced its Rise Up tour in Philadelphia on April 10, 2010. Julio G had replaced DJ Muggs for the tour. Muggs had been absent due to working on several other projects, including separate albums with B-Real and Sen Dog. The group was supposed to stop in Tucson, Arizona but canceled the show in protest of the recent immigration legislation. At the Rock en Seine festival in Paris on August 27, 2010 they said in an interview that they would wait and see what happens with the legislation before going back there.^[8] Cypress Hill performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in late August 2010, on the 28th at Leeds and the 29th at Reading.

In summer 2012, Cypress Hill and Dubstep artist Rusko will be releasing a collaborative EP entitled 'Cypress X Rusko'.

Style [link]

Rapping [link]

One of the band's most striking aspects is B-Real's exaggeratedly high-pitched nasal vocals.^[2] In the book Check the Technique B-Real describes his nasal style, saying his rapping voice is "high and annoying... the nasal style I have was just something that I developed... my more natural style wasn't so pleasing to [DJ Muggs and Sen Dog's] ears"^[9] and talking about the nasal style in the book How to Rap, B-Real says, "you want to stand out from the others and just be distinct... when you got something that can separate you from everybody else, you gotta use it to your advantage."^[1] Sen Dog's voice is deeper, more violent and often shouted alongside the rapping; his vocals are often emphasized by adding an additional background/choir voice to say them. Sen Dog's style is in contrast to B-Real's, who says, "[Sen's] voice is so strong", and "it all blends together" when they are both on the same track.^[9]

Both B-Real and Sen Dog started writing lyrics in both Spanish and English and B-Real was inspired to start writing raps from watching Sen Dog and Mellow Man Ace writing their lyrics,^[9] and originally B-Real was going to just be the writer for the group rather than a rapper.^[9] Their lyrics are noted for bringing a "cartoonish" approach to violence by Peter Shapiro and Allmusic.^[2]^[10]

Production [link]

The sound and groove of their music, produced by Muggs, is notable for its spooky sounds and stoned aesthetic; with its bass-heavy rhythms and odd sample loops ("Insane in the Brain" is notable for having a pitched-altered horse neigh looped in its chorus), it carries a psychedelic value, which lessened in the later albums.^[2]^[10]

The band is also known for involving rock instruments. In their songs – this has caused the band to sometimes be classified as a rap rock group.^[2] The double album Skull & Bones consists of a pure rap album ("Skull") and an entire CD of rap/rock songs ("Bones"). Also in IV, there is "Lightning Strikes" which doesn't truly use electric guitars, but a synthesized version of it. In the live album Live at The Fillmore some of the old classics are played in a rock/metal version, with Sen Dog's band SX-10 and Eric Bobo playing the rock instrument.

The band's music is constantly subject to change: while the first album and Black Sunday follow a more minimalistic and funky sound, III (Temples of Boom) has a very dark, spooky atmosphere and heavy beats, sometimes approaching hardcore rap. IV introduced more diverse sounds on the beats while maintaining the hardcore edge. The first albums are mostly influenced by psychedelic music, but the band eventually got closer to modern rap as it is today while still experimenting with rock from time to time, like on "Skull and Bones" and "Stoned Raiders".

The band involves horns in their songs, and often have guitar and horns together in the instrumentals. "What's Your Number?", "Trouble", "Tequila Sunrise", and "(Rock) Superstar" have become some of the band's most popular songs featuring these elements.

Side and solo projects [link]

Eric Bobo is part of the group Sol Invicto with producer Richie Londres and Stephen Carpenter of the Deftones. Eric Bobo is also a main member of Cultura Londres Proyecto which is a Spanish Hip Hop group from London, England. In 2008, he released his first solo album "Meeting Of The Minds" on Nacional Records. In 2011, he joined up with Chilean DJ Latin Bitman to form the group Ritmo Machine & in November 2011 they released the album "Welcome To The Ritmo Machine" on Nacional Records with special guests Sick Jacken (Psycho Realm), Ana Tijoux, Sen-Dog, Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), P-Nut (311), Pato Machete & Chali 2na (Jurassic 5).

2009 saw the releases of both B-Real and Sen Dog's solo efforts Smoke N Mirrors and Diary of a Mad Dog. B-Real is also part of a super-group called Serial Killaz with both Xzibit and his protege Young De. B-Real started his own production company called Audio Hustlaz, with which he has worked and featured on tracks with Kurupt, Young De, Xzibit, Adil Omar, Snoop Dogg, Bitza and others, and has also done guest appearances for La Coka Nostra, Ill Bill, Prozak, Akrobatik, The Outlawz, Nipsey Hussle and Apathy.

Other notable side projects include B-Real's rap metal group Kush with members from Deftones and Fear Factory who are as yet to release any official material.

Sen Dog has released one album with his rap metal group SX-10.

Muggs has released collaborative albums with Sick Jacken, GZA, Planet Asia, Ill Bill and others.

Discography [link]

Main article: Cypress Hill discography

Cypress Hill (1991)
Black Sunday (1993)
Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom (1995)
Unreleased and Revamped (1996)
Cypress Hill IV (1998)
Skull & Bones (2000)
Stoned Raiders (2001)
Till Death Do Us Part (2004)
Rise Up (2010)

Awards and Nominations [link]

Grammy Awards

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1994	"Insane in the Brain"	Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo	Nominated
1995	"I Ain't Goin' Out Like That"	Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo	Nominated
1996	"Throw Your Set in the Air"	Best Rap Performance by a Group or Duo	Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards Awards

Year	Nominated work	Award	Result
1994	"Insane in the Brain"	Best Rap Video	Nominated

Band Members [link]

Current Members

B-Real – lead rapping (since 1988)
DJ Muggs – turntables, production (since 1988)
Eric Bobo – drums, percussion (since 1993)
Sen Dog – rapping (since 1988)

Former Members

Mellow Man Ace - rapping (1988)

References [link]

^ ^a ^b Edwards, Paul, 2009, How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 316.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Cypress Hill - Biography". Whiplash. http://whiplash.net/materias/biografias/038946-cypresshill.html{{%7Cclass=artist%7Cid=p22/biography%7Cpure_url=yes}}. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
^ "SX10 tocara hoy en el DanZoo" (in Spanish). Mexico City: La Jornada. May 24, 2003. http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2003/05/24/21an2esp.php?printver=1&fly=2. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
^ "Cypress Hill To Perform At Benefit of Homelessness in youth dance event for euphoria and aid relief". Theblackspotlight.com. http://www.theblackspotlight.com/news/Cypress_Hill_To_Perform_At_Benefit_To_End_Homelessness.html. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
^ "Madden 2010 Soundtrack Revealed". Bleacher Report, Inc.. 2009-07-26. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/224562-madden-2010-soundtrack-revealed. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Cypress Hill to Return With Help From Slash, Tom Morello and Mike Shinoda". http://newsroom.mtv.com/2008/10/03/cypress-hill-to-return-with-help-from-slash-tom-morello-and-mike-shinoda/. Retrieved September 7, 2009.
^ Wolfe, Roman (2010-01-15). "Snoop Dogg Signs Cypress Hill To Priority". Infinity, Allhiphop.com, Inc.. http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/01/15/22097556.aspx. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
^ "Cypress Hill - Love the snails and the dope, but not Arizona's law | RFI". http://www.english.rfi.fr/visiting-france/20100828-cypress-hill-love-snails-and-dope-not-arizonas-law. Retrieved 2011-04-20.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Coleman, Brian. Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies. New York: Villard/Random House, 2007, pp. 122-123.
^ ^a ^b Shapiro, Peter, 2005, The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition, Penguin, pp. 73-74.

External links [link]

v t e Cypress Hill

B-Real Sen Dog DJ Muggs Eric Bobo

Studio albums	Cypress Hill Black Sunday Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom Cypress Hill IV Skull & Bones Stoned Raiders Till Death Do Us Part Rise Up

Compilations	Los grandes éxitos en español Greatest Hits from the Bong Super Hits Collections Strictly Hip Hop: The Best of Cypress Hill

Live albums	Live at the Fillmore

EPs	Unreleased and Revamped Stash

Singles	"How I Could Just Kill a Man" "The Phuncky Feel One" "Latin Lingo" "Hand on the Pump" "Insane in the Brain" "When the Shit Goes Down" "I Ain't Goin Out Like That" "Lick a Shot" "Throw Your Set in the Air" "Illusions" "Boom Biddy Bye Bye" "Dr. Greenthumb" "Tequila Sunrise" "Rap Superstar" "Rock Superstar" "Highlife" "Can't Get the Best of Me" "Lowrider" "Trouble" "What's Your Number?" "Latin Thugs" "Get 'Em Up" "It Ain't Nothin'" "Rise Up" "Armada Latina"

Related articles	Discography Homerpalooza Kingpin: Life of Crime

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypress_Hill

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.

Lyrics:

Make changes yourself !

Make changes yourself !

Related pages:

Contents

[edit] The Coming and When Disaster Strikes: 1995–1997

[edit] Extinction Level Event (Final World Front): 1998–1999

[edit] Conglomerate Records / Cash Money Records & Extinction Level Event 2 (2010-present)

Related pages:

Contents

Related pages:

Contents

[edit] Till Death Do Us Part (2003–2007)

[edit] Departure from Sony and Rise Up (2008–present)

Related pages: