• Apple
• Apricot
• Arctic
• Australia
• Avocado
• Baby boomer
• Banana
• Barley
• Bean
• Biofuel
• Black market
• Blueberry
• Boysenberry
• Bumper crop
• Burkina Faso
• Buyout
• Caffein
• Cameron Highlands
• Cancún
• Cannabis (drug)
• Cargo
• Cash crop
• Cash Crop (album)
• Cereal
• Cherry
• China
• Coca
• Cocoa bean
• Coconut
• Coconut milk
• Coconut oil
• Coffee
• Commodity market
• Common fig
• Corn Belt
• Cosmetics
• Cotton
• Crop
• Developed country
• Developing country
• European Union
• Farm
• Fiber crop
• Fodder
• Food vs. fuel
• Globalization
• Grape
• Grapefruit
• Group of 22
• Hawaii
• Herb
• Import tariff
• Japan
• Jatropha curcas
• Jute
• Kiwifruit
• Lemon
• Lentil
• Maize
• Malaysia
• Mate (beverage)
• Medicinal herb
• Millet
• Monocropping
• Nectarines
• New Zealand
• Nut (fruit)
• Oat
• Oil palm
• Oilseed rape
• Olive
• Opium poppy
• Orange (fruit)
• Palm oil
• Peach
• Peanut
• Pear
• Phoenix dactylifera
• Plant
• Plantation
• Plum
• Potato
• Rascalz
• Raspberry
• Rhodiola rosea
• Rice
• Rubber
• Rye
• Soap
• Soybean
• Strawberry
• Subsistence farming
• Subtropical climate
• Sugar
• Sugar beet
• Sugar cane
• Sugarcane
• Supply and demand
• Tangerine
• Tariff
• Tea
• Temperate climate
• Tobacco
• Tomato
• Tropical climate
• United States
• Vegetable
• Vietnam
• Washington (state)
• Wheat
• Yerba mate
• 
  

• 
  Australia
  Australia ( /əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
  For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
  
  wn.com/Australia
• 
  Burkina Faso
  Burkina Faso (ⁱ/bərˌkiːnə ˈfɑːsoʊ/ bər-KEE-nə FAH-soh; French: [buʁkina faso]) – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest. The country's capital is Ouagadougou.
  Its size is 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) with an estimated population of more than 15,757,000. Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta, it was renamed on 4 August 1984, by President Thomas Sankara, to mean "the land of upright people" in Mòoré and Dioula, the major native languages of the country. Figuratively, "Burkina" may be translated, "men of integrity", from the Mòoré language, and "Faso" means "fatherland" in Dioula. The inhabitants of Burkina Faso are known as Burkinabè ( /bərˈkiːnəbeɪ/ bər-KEE-nə-bay).
  Burkina Faso was populated between 14,000 and 5000 BC by hunter-gatherers in the country's northwestern region. Farm settlements appeared between 3600 and 2600 BC. What is now central Burkina Faso was principally composed of Mossi kingdoms. These Mossi Kingdoms would become a French protectorate in 1896. After gaining independence from France in 1960, the country underwent many governmental changes until arriving at its current form, a semi-presidential republic. The president is Blaise Compaoré.
  
  wn.com/Burkina_Faso
• 
  Cameron Highlands
  The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. It covers an area of 712 square kilometres (275 sq mi).
  To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak.
  Situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang, the “Camerons” is approximately 85 kilometres (53 mi) from Ipoh or about 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Kuala Lumpur.
  During the day, the temperature seldom rises above 25 °C (77 °F); at night, the temperature can sometimes drop to as low as 12 °C (54 °F).
  The resort has a diverse population of more than 34,000 people. It comprises Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups. The literacy rate here is above 88 percent.
  The plateau was first developed by the British in the 1920s. It is made up of three sub-districts, namely Ringlet (5,165 hectares (12,760 acres)), Tanah Rata (2,081 hectares (5,140 acres)) and Ulu Telom (63,981 hectares (158,100 acres)). Of the three, Tanah Rata serves as the administrative centre of the region.
  
  wn.com/Cameron_Highlands
• 
  Cancún
  Cancún (Spanish pronunciation: [kaŋˈkun]) is a city in south-eastern Mexico, located on the north-east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a world-renowned tourist destination, as well as being the seat of the Benito Juárez municipality. The city is located off of the Caribbean Sea, and is one of the eastern-most points in Mexico. Cancún is located near/in Mexico's Caribbean coast resort band known as the Riviera Maya.
  There are two possible translations of Cancún, based on the Mayan pronunciation. The first translation is "nest of snakes or pot." The second version and less accepted is "place of the golden snake"^{[citation needed]}.
  The shield of the municipality of Benito Juárez, who represents the city of Cancun, was designed by the artist vital Jesús Carmichael Jiménez (Elio Carmichael). It is divided into three parts: The color blue symbolizes the Caribbean Sea, the yellow the sand and the red the sun with its rays.
  As documented in the earliest colonial sources, the island of Cancún was originally known to its Maya inhabitants as Nizuc (Yucatec Maya [niʔ suʔuk]) meaning either "promontory" or "point of grass". In the years after the Conquest, much of the population died off or left as a result of disease, warfare, piracy, and famines, leaving only small settlements on Isla Mujeres and Cozumel Island.^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Cancún
• 
  China
  China (ⁱ/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
  The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
  
  wn.com/China
• 
  Corn Belt
  The Corn Belt is a region of the Midwestern United States where corn has, since the 1850s, been the predominant crop, replacing the native tall grasses. By 1950, 99% of the corn was grown from hybrids. Most corn is fed to livestock, especially hogs and poultry. In recent decades soybeans have grown in importance. The U.S. produces 40% of the world crop.
  Geographic definitions of the region vary. Typically it is defined to include Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, southern Minnesota and parts of Missouri. As of 2008, the top four corn-producing states were Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota, together accounting for more than half of the corn grown in the United States. The Corn Belt also sometimes is defined to include parts of South Dakota, North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Kentucky. The region is characterized by relatively level land and deep, fertile soils, high in organic matter.
  More generally "Corn Belt" represents the most intensively agricultural region of the Midwest, connoting a lifestyle based on ownership of family farms, with supporting small towns and powerful farm organizations that lobbied to obtain higher prices.
  
  wn.com/Corn_Belt
• 
  Hawaii
  Coordinates: 21°18′41″N 157°47′47″W / 21.31139°N 157.79639°W / 21.31139; -157.79639
  Hawaii (ⁱ/həˈwaɪ.iː/ or /həˈwaɪʔiː/; Hawaiian: Hawaiʻi Hawaiian pronunciation: [hɐˈvɐiʔi]) is the most recent of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean.
  Hawaii’s diverse natural scenery, warm tropical climate, abundance of public beaches and oceanic surrounding, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences along with its own vibrant native culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent residents along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.
  The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and the island of Hawaiʻi. The last is by far the largest and is often called "The Big Island" to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian subregion of Oceania.
  
  wn.com/Hawaii
• 
  Japan
  Japan ⁱ/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国  Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
  Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
  Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
  
  wn.com/Japan
• 
  Malaysia
  Malaysia (ⁱ/məˈleɪʒə/ mə-LAY-zhə or ⁱ/məˈleɪsiə/ mə-LAY-see-ə) is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,350 sq mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. In 2010 the population exceeded 27.5 million, with over 20 million living on the Peninsula.
  Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, became subject to the British Empire. The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963, with si being added to give the new country the name Malaysia. However, less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation. Since independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5% for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism.
  
  wn.com/Malaysia
• 
  New Zealand
  New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.
  During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Most notable are the large number of unique bird species, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates clashing beneath the earth's surface.
  
  wn.com/New_Zealand
• 
  United States
  The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
  At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
  
  wn.com/United_States
• 
  Vietnam
  Vietnam ( listen), formally the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Cộng hòa xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam;  listen), is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. With an estimated 91.5 million inhabitants as of 2012, it is the world's 13th-most-populous country, and the eighth-most-populous Asian country. The name Vietnam translates as "South Viet", and was officially adopted in 1945. The country is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east.
  The Vietnamese became independent from Imperial China in 938 AD, following the Battle of Bạch Đằng River. Successive Vietnamese royal dynasties flourished as the nation expanded geographically and politically into Southeast Asia, until the Indochina Peninsula was colonized by the French in the mid-19th century. The First Indochina War eventually led to the expulsion of the French in 1954, leaving Vietnam divided politically into two states, North and South Vietnam. Conflict between the two sides intensified, with heavy foreign intervention, during the Vietnam War, which ended with a North Vietnamese victory in 1975.
  
  wn.com/Vietnam

• 
  2 Chainz
  Tauheed Epps (born September 12, 1976), better known by his stage name 2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. He was previously signed to Ludacris' record label Disturbing tha Peace with Dolla Boy as Playaz Circle.
  2 Chainz was born Tauheed Epps on September 12, 1976. He was originally known under the name "Tity Boi", a name given to him by his mother, as Epps was an only child and thus the only one his mother would breastfeed. Further research and investigation showed that he had one brother named Dimatri who was 9 months younger than him and adopted by a couple in Birmingham, Alabama. His brother has one daughter named Sakia and one son named Dimatri Jr. nicknamed, DJ. His niece, Sakia is 13 (2011) and his nephew, DJ is 2 (2011). His niece is very proud of her uncle and talks to him alot on the phone. She also loves to visit him on her breaks.
  His graduating record in college was a 4.0
  Epps formed the hip hop duo Playaz Circle (the word "Playaz" being an acronym of Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A to Z) in College Park, Georgia in 1997 with his high school friend Earl Conyers, who became known under his recording name Dolla Boy. Following the release on an independent album titled United We Stand, United We Fall, the duo were introduced to fellow rapper Ludacris when he moved into their College Park apartment complex whilst he was acting as a disc jockey: after he took an interest in Playaz Circle, he began to record several songs with the group, playing some of them on his radio station.
  
  wn.com/2_Chainz
• 
  50 Cent
  Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). His album Get Rich or Die Tryin' has been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA.
  Born in the South Jamaica of Queens, New York City, Jackson began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot at and struck by nine bullets during an incident in 2000. After releasing his album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, Jackson was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre, who produced his first major commercial successes, Jackson became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed several successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo.
  
  wn.com/50_Cent
• 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
• 
  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
• Avery Storm
  Ralph di Stasio, better known by his stage name Avery Storm, is an American singer.
  Di Stasio was born to a working-class Italian-American family in New Jersey. He moved to New York City after he graduated from high school. He signed to Timbaland's record label Beat Club in 2001 as Avery Storm after joining an independent production company.
  In 2005, he was signed to the record label Derrty Entertainment, owned by rapper Nelly. Storm previously performed on Nelly's album Suit in 2004. Storm appeared on the charting hip hop singles "Nasty Girl", a posthumous single of The Notorious B.I.G. that included Nelly, P. Diddy, and Jagged Edge, and "Here I Am" by Rick Ross, another single that featured Nelly. Shotgun Love is the title of Storm's upcoming debut album, for which Storm has recorded 300 tracks.
  
  wn.com/Avery_Storm
• 
  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
• 
  Big Sean
  Sean Michael Anderson (born March 25, 1988), better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music in 2007, and then in 2008 signed with Def Jam Recordings.
  Sean Michael Anderson was born in Santa Monica, California, and he moved at two months old to west Detroit (6 Mile and Wyoming) where he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He attended Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from Cass Technical High School with a 3.7 GPA. Big Sean is often heard saying " west side " in his songs; he is referring to the west side of his hometown Detroit, Michigan. In his later years in high school, Sean gained a valuable relationship with Detroit hip hop station WHTD; he would show his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by the station.
  In 2005, Kanye West was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM. Hearing about this, Sean headed over to the station to meet West and perform some free-style. Initially Kanye was reluctant to hear the emcee, however he gave Sean 16 bars to rap for him, eventually according to Big Sean "As we get to the entrance of the radio station ... we stopped in the middle of the doorway. He starts looking at me and bobbing his head,". He left a demo-tape as well. Two years later, West finally signed Big Sean to GOOD Music.
  
  wn.com/Big_Sean
• Blood Raw
  Bruce Falson, better known by his stage name Blood Raw, is an American rapper from Panama City, Florida. He was also part of the rap-group U.S.D.A., before he left Corporate Thugz Entertainment in 2010.
  His debut album, My Life: The True Testimony, peaked at number five on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, also reaching number 29 on the Billboard 200.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Blood_Raw
• 
  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
• Chingy
  Howard Bailey, Jr. (born March 9, 1980), better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper.
  Chingy grew up in the Walnut Park section of St. Louis and began rapping in earnest in his late teens. Chingy toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and then became a protégé of Ludacris, who signed him to his newly formed Disturbing tha Peace (DTP) record label. The rapper's 2003 summer debut single, "Right Thurr", put him on the musical map as a good-time rapper who specialized in catchy, club-friendly beats. Chingy's 2003 debut album, Jackpot, sold two million copies, thanks to the boost from "Right Thurr." A second album, Powerballin', was released in 2004 to mixed reviews, and his 2006 release Hoodstar spawned the hit singles "Pullin' Me Back" and "Dem Jeans." He released Hate It or Love It in 2007, under DTP records. The album's lead single is "Fly Like Me", featuring Amerie. A mixtape entitled Success & Failure was released in 2010.
  As of 2011 Currently Chingy has been working on his new upcoming project No Risk No Reward which will be released under his label Slot-A-Lot Records and distributed by his newly signed label Full Dekk Music Group.
  
  wn.com/Chingy
• 
  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
• 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 Khaled
  Khaled Bin Abdul Khaled (born November 26, 1975), better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, rapper & record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his debut album Listennn... the Album. He went on to release We the Best (2007), We Global (2008), Victory (2010), and We the Best Forever (2011). In 2009, Khaled became the president of record label Def Jam South.
  Khaled was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is of Palestinian descent and lives in Sunny Isles, Florida. Currently, he hosts the weeknight program TakeOver on Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR with fellow host K. Foxx; Khaled states that he has worked for the station professionally since 2003. Early in his career he dj'd for a south Florida regional station Power 96.5 FM. In 1998, Khaled worked as a "sidekick" for Miami rapper Luther Campbell for Campbell's Friday night WEDR radio show The Luke Show. In his albums, Khaled usually provides "shoutouts" that assert his representation of "the ghetto" and urges people to listen. From 2004 to 2006, Khaled assisted in the production of the hip-hop albums Real Talk by Fabolous, True Story by Terror Squad, All or Nothing by Fat Joe, and Me, Myself, & I by Fat Joe. Many of DJ Khaled's songs are known to entice the listener by hip hop chanting his name before the song starts. Khaled represents the Kendall area of Miami. He is Muslim. He is currently engaged to Nicole Tuck.
  
  wn.com/DJ_Khaled
• 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 Vlad
  Vladimir Lyubovny, better known as DJ Vlad, is a disc-jockey and currently the Executive Vice President at Loud.com, part of the SRC/Universal family. He is also CEO of VladTV.com - a video website that many refer to as 'The TMZ of Hip-Hop'.
  A Computer Science graduate of UC Berkeley, Vlad began his career as a computer programmer. He eventually started his own dot-com staffing company, GigaStaff.
  In 2000, Vlad closed down Gigastaff and turned his attention to music. He moved to New York and helped create one of the best known mixtapes of all time - Rap Phenomenon along with DJ Dirty Harry. The Rap Phenomenon mixtapes won awards from Rolling Stone, MTV and XXL magazine.
  Vlad then turned his attention towards film. He directed on the American Gangster TV Series, as well as the internationally distributed documentary film 'Ghostride the Whip'. DJ Vlad also produced and hosted Russell Simmons' & Stan Lathan's 'Hip-Hop on Demand' - a nationally syndicated, on-demand Hip-Hop lifestyle channel on Comcast.
  
  wn.com/DJ_Vlad
• 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
• 
  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
• 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
• French Montana
  French Montana (born November 9, 1984) is an American rapper and singer of Moroccan and Somali descent. He is the founder and CEO of Cocaine City Records, and in 2012, signed a joint venture recording deal with Maybach Music Group and Bad Boy Records. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Max B, and more recently with Rick Ross and with his group Coke Boys.
  French Montana was born Karim Kharbouch in 1984 in Rabat, Morocco, where he lived for the first 13 years of his life. Growing up in Rabat, he was consumed by playing soccer and rapping, describing them as his two favorite childhood hobbies. In 1996, French emigrated with his parents and two younger brothers to the Bronx in New York City. His father left the family when French was 17, and so he began to provide for his mother and younger brothers.
  In 2002, along with his friend Camz he created a series of street-flavoured DVD documentaries called 'Cocaine City' after drawing inspiration from the 'Smack' DVD series. Under the name Young French he used the DVDs as a means of showcasing his talent as an underground artist. To gain a broader fan base, French incorporated interviews with major artists, as well as some up and comers. The first edition in the series included Pee Wee Kirkland and Remy Ma alongside French himself among others. What started out as simply a medium for developing an audience quickly grew into one of the top-selling "street DVDs". The series ran for 8 years between 2002 and 2010, with a total of 14 editions being released.
  
  wn.com/French_Montana
• 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
• 
  Ghostface Killah
  Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, and formerly Little Jimmy Ice, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career with Ironman in 1996, which was well received by music critics. He has continued his success over the following years with critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and Fishscale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.
  Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his emotional stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs. In 2006, MTV included him on their honorable mention list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, while the editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), praising him as "one of the most imaginative storytellers of our time." Ghostface's storytelling abilities have widely been praised, with Q magazine calling him "rap's finest storyteller."
  
  wn.com/Ghostface_Killah
• 
  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
• 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
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  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
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  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
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  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
• 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
• 
  Lil Wayne
  Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Young Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.
  Although his next two albums Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002) were not as successful (only reaching Gold status), Lil Wayne reached higher popularity in 2004 with Tha Carter, which included the single "Go D.J." Wayne also appeared on the Destiny's Child top ten single "Soldier" that year. In 2005, the sequel to Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, was released. In 2006 and 2007, Lil Wayne released several mixtapes and appeared on several popular rap and R&B singles. His most successful album, Tha Carter III, was released in 2008 and sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. its first week of release. It included the number-one single "Lollipop" featuring Static Major. It also includes the singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" featuring T-Pain and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
  
  wn.com/Lil_Wayne
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  LL Cool J
  James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor from Bay Shore, New York. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, including 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
  As he grew older, Smith found a way to escape the effects of his abuse, and his bullying attitude: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandmother gave him to stop him riding motorcycles or doing karate. Before too long, LL was an established member of the Hip-Hop community in his area. He gained notoriety through his many rap battles against well-established MCs, including the battle against Chicken and Porn that rocketed him to fame.
  
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  Ludacris
  Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic's Choice, MTV, and three Grammy Awards during his career. Along with fellow Atlantans Big Boi and Andre 3000 of OutKast, Ludacris was one of the first and most influential Dirty South artists to achieve mainstream success.
  Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia at age nine, where he began rapping. After a brief stint as a disc jockey, he released his debut album Back for the First Time in 2000, which contained the singles "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy". In 2001, he released Word of Mouf, followed by Chicken-n-Beer in 2003. He took a more serious approach with his next three albums, The Red Light District (2004), Release Therapy (2006), and Theater of the Mind (2008). His latest record, Battle of the Sexes, was released in 2010.
  
  wn.com/Ludacris
• Mannie Fresh
  Byron O. Thomas, (born March 20, 1969) better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records. He is probably most famous for his time producing tracks for Cash Money Records from 1993 to 2005, and one half of the hip-hop duo Big Tymers with Birdman.
  Thomas began loving music at the age of nine as a local New Orleans DJ, playing songs at parties and clubs. In the late 1980s he began a partnership with New Orleans rapper MC Gregory D. They released their first album together Throwdown in 1987, with Mannie Fresh producing and MC Gregory D rapping. They would release two more records together in the late 1980s and early 1990s. After their last album together, in 1993 Thomas met Bryan "Baby" Williams who gave him an opportunity to become the in-house producer of his record label Cash Money Records. With Williams's help, Thomas made chart-topping albums for the Hot Boys, which was composed of Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile, and Turk, producing all of the group’s singles. He also produced all tracks on the members’ solo works as well. Later, Thomas formed the Big Tymers along with Williams, as Mannie Fresh and Birdman respectively, and released five albums. In 2004, he released his own debut solo album The Mind of Mannie Fresh, which consisted of 30 tracks and featured the single “Real Big,” which peaked at #72 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2005, he split from Cash Money for financial reasons, and later joined Def Jam South, to which he is currently signed. On October 27, 2009, Mannie Fresh released his second solo album, Return of the Ballin'. The album was entirely produced by Fresh himself and featured prominent guests Rick Ross and Lil Jon.
  
  wn.com/Mannie_Fresh
• Meek Mill
  Robert Williams (born May 6, 1987), better known by his stage name Meek Mill, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was briefly signed to T.I.'s label Grand Hustle Records and in February 2011 signed to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group. In March 2011, Mill was included in XXL's "Freshman Class of 2011".
  In 2011, he released his debut single, "Tupac Back", featuring Rick Ross, from his label's compilation album Self Made Vol. 1. That same year he released another single from the album, "Ima Boss", also featuring Ross. The song was later remixed, featuring T.I., Birdman, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled Swizz Beatz and Ross. The remix charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #51. "Ima Boss" is so far Meek Mill's most successful song, peaking at #20 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
  In February 2012, MTV listed Meek Mill as the #7 hottest MC in their annual "Hottest MCs in the Game" list.
  On May 7, 2012, Mill released the second fresh installment in his Dreamchasers series. The mixtape features guest appearances from Drake, Jeremih, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, 2 Chainz and more. Mill has stated his favorite tracks off the tape are "Amen," "A1 Everything" and "Racked Up Shawty" with French Montana and Fabolous. On May 10, it was announced Meek Mill signed to Roc Nation management.
  
  wn.com/Meek_Mill
• 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
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  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
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  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
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  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
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  Nelly
  Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American Grammy Award winning hip hop artist, entrepreneur and occasional actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album Country Grammar, the title track of which was a top ten hit. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to peak at number one. Country Grammar is Nelly's best-selling album to date, selling over 8.4 million copies in the United States. His following album, Nellyville, produced the number-one hits "Hot in Herre" and "Dilemma" featuring Kelly Rowland. Other singles included "Work It" featuring Justin Timberlake, "Air Force Ones" featuring Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics, "Pimp Juice" and "#1".
  With the same-day dual release Sweat and Suit (2004) and the compilation Sweatsuit (2006), Nelly continued to generate many chart-topping hits. Sweat debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 342,000 copies in its first week. On the same week of release, Suit debuted at number one selling around 396,000 copies in its first week on the same chart. Nelly's fifth studio album, Brass Knuckles, was released on September 16, 2008 after several delays. It produced the singles "Party People" featuring Fergie, "Stepped on My J'z" featuring Jermaine Dupri and Ciara and "Body on Me" featuring Akon and Ashanti. In 2010, Nelly released the album 5.0. The lead single, "Just a Dream", has appeared in the top ten of several singles charts and were certified platinum in the United States. The second single is "Move That Body" featuring T-Pain and Akon. "Gone" is the sequel to Nelly's 2002 worldwide number one single "Dilemma", also with Rowland, and serves as third single from Nelly's album.
  
  wn.com/Nelly
• 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
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  Omarion
  Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984) better known as Omarion (as of May 2, 2012 he signed with Maybach Music Group and took on the nickname Maybach O), is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities.^{[citation needed]} This led to forming the group B2K, which disbanded after being successful for a few years. His third album Ollusion was released January 12, 2010 with the lead single I Get It In.
  Born in Watts, California, to Leslie Burrell and Trent Grandberry, Omarion is the oldest of seven children. At school he captained his football team and was also known for his slick dance moves. Although he dropped out of school midway, Omarion began to perform at age five. He was part of 'UAC' but soon disbanded as he wanted to focus on his talent, hip-hop. Before he made it into the music business, he was in commercials for Kelloggs Corn Pops and McDonald's. He also made cameos in the R&B girl group Before Dark's music videos. He embarked on a career in music. The smooth harmony singing that formed an integral part of the band B2K, helped him establish a solo career. His younger brother O'Ryan is also a singer.
  
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  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
• Peedi Peedi
  Pedro Zayas, known as Peedi Crakk and also Peedi Peedi (born September 25, 1977) is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. He is a member of State Property and is currently signed to Amalgam Digital and G-Unit Philly.
  The North Philly MC first signed to Roc-a-Fella Records in 2001 with the help of Freeway, a friend of Peedi since high school who had already joined the label through Beanie Sigel and his State Property entourage. In 2003, Peedi's debut single, "One for Peedi Crakk," charted in the R&B/hip-hop Top 40. He continued to make appearances on various Roc-a-Fella albums, including Jay-Z's The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse and Freeway's Philadelphia Freeway. His guest appearances were usually standouts, and his mixtapes gave him a reputation among East Coast rap fans. Faced with increasing exposure, the Philly rapper decided to modify his rap name to Peedi Peedi.
  However, in 2005, two problems greatly affected Peedi's career. State Property dissolved, and Roc-a-Fella Records formally split into two. Jay-Z remaining at Def Jam with 50 percent, and Roc-a-Fella co-founder Dame Dash taking the other 50 percent to Universal Records under his Dame Dash Music Group. Peedi refused to side with Sigel and Dame Dash, and was briefly a free agent until Jay-Z, who soon became the president of Def Jam and maintained the Roc-a-Fella catalogue at the label, signed him. Peedi began working on a debut album, Prince of the Roc, but it was continuously delayed.
  
  wn.com/Peedi_Peedi
• 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
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  Rick Ross
  William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross (often stylized as RICK RO$$), is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap and Teflon Don, Ross was also the first artist signed to Diddy's management company Ciroc Entertainment. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC In The Game.
  William Leonard Roberts II was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi. and raised in Carol City, Florida, near Miami. After graduating from Carol City Senior High School, he later attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship.
  After being signed to Suave House Records, former label for rap duo 8Ball & MJG, he eventually signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records, which has been under the Def Jam umbrella since 2006. While signed to Slip-n-Slide, Ross toured with fellow rapper Trick Daddy and made guest performances on other Slip-n-Slide albums.
  
  wn.com/Rick_Ross
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  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
• 
  Rihanna
  Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( /riˈɑːnə/ ree-AH-nə or /riˈænə/ ree-AN-ə; born February 20, 1988), known mononymously as Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist and actress. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at age 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings.
  In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart and features the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit single "Pon de Replay". In less than a year, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me (2006), which peaked within the top-five in the United States, and produced her first Hot 100 number one single, "SOS". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad released in May 2007, spawned the international hit singles "Umbrella", "Don't Stop the Music", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia", with an additional four singles being released. The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella". Her fourth studio album Rated R (2009), produced the top-ten singles "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy", with the latter achieving the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Loud (2010), Rihanna's fifth studio album, spawned the number-one hits "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "S&M". "We Found Love" served as the lead single from Rihanna's sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). The song was an international success, topping the charts in more than twenty countries.
  
  wn.com/Rihanna
• 
  Russell Simmons
  Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American business magnate. He and Rick Rubin founded the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam. He also created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and American Classics.
  Russell Simmons is the third richest figure in hip hop, having a net-worth estimate of $340 million as of April 2011.
  Simmons was raised in Queens, New York. He is the son of Daniel Simmons, Sr., a public school administrator, and Evelyn Simmons, a New York City park administrator. His older brother is abstract expressionist painter Daniel Simmons, Jr., and his younger brother is Rev. Joseph Simmons ("Run" of Run-DMC).
  Def Jam became just one piece in Simmons' corporation, Rush Communications, Inc., which included a management company, a clothing company called Phat Farm, a movie production house, television shows such as Def Comedy Jam, a magazine and an advertising agency. His nephew Jamal "Redrum" Simmons and his group Flatlinerz released the highly controversial album U.S.A. in 1994 on Def Jam but was dropped from the label soon after. Rick Rubin sold his share of the record company for $100 million to Universal Music Group in 1996. Simmons produced Def Poetry, begun as a television series on HBO, which also branched into a Broadway live stage production in 2002. In 2000, he co-founded the Internet start-up 360 Hip Hop which he later sold to BET.
  
  wn.com/Russell_Simmons
• 
  Sean Combs
  Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He was originally known as Puff Daddy and then as P. Diddy (Puff and Puffy have been used as nicknames, but never as recording names). In August 2005, he changed his stage name to simply "Diddy", but continues to use the name P. Diddy in the UK as the result of a lawsuit. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He formed and recorded with the group Diddy – Dirty Money.
  Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. His business interests—under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide—include Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and "Sean by Sean Combs", a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. In 2011, Forbes estimated his net worth at $500 million, making him the richest figure in hip hop.
  
  wn.com/Sean_Combs
• 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
• Slick Pulla
  Renaldo Whitman, better known by the stage name Slick Pulla (born 1979), is an American rap artist from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed to Young Jeezy's record label Corporate Thugz Entertainment and is a member of the rap group United Streets Dopeboyz of America or U.S.D.A. with Young Jeezy, Boo Rossini, 211, and JW.
  Slick was arrested for a parole violation in late 2007 and released in 2010. He was later in an altercation with Riverdale rapper Waka Flocka Flame; the crews of the two exchanged words and gunshots rang out.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Slick_Pulla
• 
  Slick Rick
  Richard Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known by his stage name Slick Rick, is a Grammy-nominated British American rapper. He has also been known as MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler. He began his career in late 1983, in the hip hop genre, where he recorded a series of acclaimed recordings such as "La Di Da Di" and "Children's Story". Walters is best known for his storytelling innovations in this genre. His music has been frequently sampled and interpolated by other artists such as TLC, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg, with many of these songs later becoming hit singles. Slick Rick rose to stardom in an era known to fans as the Golden age of hip hop.
  Born and brought up in the south-west London suburb of Wimbledon, Walters later moved with his British Jamaican family to The Bronx in 1977 where he met Dana Dane with whom he later formed a hip hop duo known as the Kangol Crew. Walters received his characteristic eye patch after being blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant. Once he gained a degree of wealth, Walters earned a reputation for wearing the eye patch over his right eye, and a significant amount of gold and diamond jewelry.
  
  wn.com/Slick_Rick
• 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
• Stacey Dash
  Stacey Lauretta Dash (born January 20, 1966) is an American film and television actress.
  She made her first TV appearance in Farrell for the People starring Valerie Harper and a virtually unknown Ed O'Neill in 1982, which did not make it past its pilot episode. Her notable first appearance was as 'Michelle' in the 1985 The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend" alongside Lisa Bonet, and in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Dash's first substantial television role was in the 1988 television series TV 101, which also featured Matt LeBlanc and Sam Robards. The series was canceled after 13 episodes.
  Dash's first major film role was in the Richard Pryor comedy Moving in 1988. She also had sizeable roles in Mo' Money and Renaissance Man during this time. In 1995, Dash starred as a femme fatale in a low budget film, Illegal in Blue. Dash received her big break with the 1995 film Clueless, which starred Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy. Dash played Cher's high school best friend Dionne Marie Davenport, even though Dash was twenty-eight at the time. In 1996 the film spawned a television spinoff, also called Clueless, in which Dash reprised her role as Dionne and Rachel Blanchard played Cher. The series ran from 1996–1999.
  
  wn.com/Stacey_Dash
• Stalley
  Stalley is a rapper from Massillon, Ohio and is a member of Maybach Music Group.
  Stalley was born and raised in Massillon, Ohio and is a devout Muslim. He was raised by a single mother, Montez Myricks, who he mentions along with sister Patience in his music. Stalley attended Washington High School in Massillon and played basketball freshman through senior year. After graduation, he left home to play Division 1 basketball at Michigan, but was injured shortly after. That setback brought him to New York to play for Long Island University, but a second injury derailed his athletic plans. He changed his focus to music.
  In 2008, he connected with Ohio DJ, Terry Urban on the mixtape release “Goin Ape”, catching the attention of rapper Mos Def who he eventually opened for with his music. His 2nd project, MadStalley: The Autobiography, highlighted his transition from small town griot to rap star. He’s since worked with brands like Nike, ESPN, 10Deep and Mishka. Stalley then linked with Creative Control, the media collective associated with Dame Dash, DD172, and fellow rap artist Curren$y for his first viral music video. With Stalley's third independent effort, "Lincoln Way Nights (Intelligent Trunk Music)", he carefully illustrates a typical night out on his popular hometown strip. As an Indie artist, Stalley appeared on BET's 106 and Park, with music videos on MTV networks. Stalley is currently signed with Maybach Music Group, founded by Rick Ross, accompanied by artists Wale and Meek Mill. He dropped his fourth mixtape Savage Journey To The American Dream with Maybach Music Group.
  
  wn.com/Stalley
• Steph Jones
  {{Multiple issues
  Steph Jones, (born July 3, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and model. He was signed to Def Jam, through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace but left the label.
  Jones was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Missouri City, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. His mother was a DJ and his father was a drug dealer who was murdered when he was twelve years old. Jones attended Santa Monica College majoring in psychology. He is also the younger brother(of comedian DeRay Davis.
  Jones is known for featuring in the single "Celebrity Chick", along with Ludacris, Chingy, and Small World.
  He has made cameos in music videos, such as Bobby Valentino's "Anonymous", Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin'", Toya's "I Do" and Faith Evans' "I Love You". He was the face of Enyce clothing and is signed to the agency Ford Models.
  He is often compared to musicians Maxwell and D'Angelo. According to his Twitter page, he is also working on an animated series called MR ORDINARY the animated series which is a spin-off from his clothing line.
  
  wn.com/Steph_Jones
• Terminator X
  Terminator X is the stage name of Norman Rogers (born August 25, 1966), a retired American DJ best known for his work with rap group Public Enemy, which he left in 1999. He also produced two solo albums, Terminator X & The Valley of Jeep Beats (1991) and Super Bad (1994), featuring Chuck D, Sister Souljah, Kool DJ Herc, the Cold Crush Brothers, and a bass music track by the Punk Barbarians.
  Since retiring from the music scene in 2003, Rogers has been running an ostrich stud farm in North Carolina. However, in 2010, Terminator X returned to the recording studio. Set for release in 2011, the album, Judgement Day, is said to be "a tribute to the five elements of hip-hop, which include B-boying, graffiti, rapping, DJ’ing and knowledge."
  
  wn.com/Terminator_X
• 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
• 
  Trey Songz
  Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007. His third album, Ready, was released in 2009 while his fourth studio album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, was released on September 14, 2010.
  Songz was born Tremaine Aldon Neverson on November 28, 1984, in Petersburg, Virginia. Raised as a military brat, Songz did not have aspirations to have a musical career as a child due to his shyness, saying "Singing wasn't a reality for me, until other people started noticing I sounded good." He recognized his vocal abilities at the age of 14. Reluctant to sing, he began performing with encouragement by friends and family in high school. Record producer Troy Taylor discovered Songz during a talent show in 2000, which led him to signing a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2002. After graduating from high school in 2002, Songz moved to New Jersey to begin recording his debut album, though recording didn't actually begin until 2003.
  
  wn.com/Trey_Songz
• Trick Daddy
  Maurice Young (born September 27, 1973), better known by his stage name Trick Daddy, is an American rapper and producer.
  Trick appeared on the track "Scarred" by former 2 Live Crew member, he worked with Luther "Luke" Campbell, Produced by Darren "DJ Spin" Rudnick, from Luke's 1996 album Uncle Luke. The song became a hit and immediately caught the attention of fans and record producers alike. Ted Lucas, a former concert promoter and then-CEO of Slip-n-Slide Records, signed the rapper to the newly formed record label. Slip-n-Slide released Trick Daddy Dollars's debut album Based on a True Story in 1997; the album was popular in the Miami area.
  In 1998, when his next album www.thug.com was released, Trick removed "Dollars" from his stage name. Club-oriented track "Nann Nigga", featuring Trina, became a national hit, peaking at the third spot of the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.Atlantic Records signed Trick Daddy to the label in 2000 and released Book of Thugs: Chapter AK Verse 47 that year. "Shut Up", which Jason Birchmeier of allmusic considered "a rowdy club hit similar to 'Nann Nigga'", followed "Nann" as the next single; featured guests on "Shut Up" were Deuce Poppito, Trina, and Co.
  
  wn.com/Trick_Daddy
• Troy Gentile
  Troy Gentile (born October 27, 1993) is an American teen actor.
  Gentile was born in Boca Raton, Florida, the son of Debbie Gentile, who once worked at the advertising department of the Boca Raton News, and Albert Farshi, from Iran. He moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was four.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Troy_Gentile
• Warren G
  Warren G (born Warren Griffin III, November 10, 1970), is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer.
  Warren G grew up in Long Beach, California listening to his parents’ collection of jazz, funk and soul; nurturing a deep love for music. In 1990, he formed the group 213, named after the Long Beach area code, with his friends Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg. The current area code in Long Beach, California is 562. While practicing with “213,” and working a full time job, the young Warren used all his free time on creating his own sound and dreamed of making it big.
  The trio “213” dissolved when two of its members signed with Death Row Records. Although Warren G had the option of joining Death Row and work with his step-brother Dr. Dre, Warren preferred, from the very beginning of his career, to focus primarily on his solo career. True to his independent spirit, Warren G dedicated himself to creating his own sound; a distinct style that was later to become known, worldwide, as the legendary G-Funk.
  
  wn.com/Warren_G
• Wikipedia Persondata
  wn.com/Wikipedia_Persondata
• Willy Northpole
  William Adams, professionally known as Willy Northpole, is an American rapper/Southwest Hip Hop artist who is signed to Disturbing Tha Peace Records. He released his first album, Tha Connect in June 2009. He is from Phoenix, Arizona.
  Tha Connect is Willy Northpole's first album. It was originally scheduled to be released in the summer of 2008 but was then pushed back to June 2009. Ludacris was supposed to be on his album, but the track he was to collaborate on did not clear in time for the album release date. Poor sales for the album were blamed on a lack of promotion and the death of Michael Jackson two days after the release of the album.^{[citation needed]}
  In 2009, he was honored by the City of Phoenix as a 'Friend of Phoenix' in recognition of his youth work.
  
  wn.com/Willy_Northpole
• 
  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
• 
  Yung Berg
  Christian Ward (born September 9, 1986), better known by his stage name Yung Berg, is an American rapper from Chicago. He is of African American and Puerto Rican descent. His first single was "Sexy Lady" which features R&B singer Junior. Yung Berg had been previously signed to DMX's Bloodline Records as Ice Berg. He is featured on the Exit Wounds soundtrack. His debut album Look What You Made Me was released in 2008.
  In 2001, he was signed to DMX's Bloodline Records. He made his debut on the Exit Wounds soundtrack on the song "Dog 4 Life" as Iceberg. However, his parents sent him to a military boarding school in Montana in 2001. He moved to Los Angeles after finishing school in 2003. In 2005, Yung Berg worked as a hypeman and recording assistant for Disturbing tha Peace member and Chicago rapper Shawnna. Later that year, he founded his Yung Boss imprint and production team Yung Bosses. Berg's debut single "Sexy Lady, which featured R&B singer Junior, became a hit on Los Angeles urban radio, and he signed with Epic Records among many labels that approached him. Berg's six-track EP Almost Famous: The Sexy Lady EP was released in July 2007. "Sexy Lady" peaked at #18 on the Billboard 100. In 2008, Berg released another single "Sexy Can I", a collaboration with singer Ray J, then his debut album Look What You Made Me. The second single was "Do That There", featuring Dude 'n' Nem, followed by "The Business", featuring Casha, which peaked at #33 on the Hot 100.
  
  wn.com/Yung_Berg

Cash Crop (2010)

Genres

• Documentary

Taglines:

The Golden State Gone Green

Quotes:

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• timeline:
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