An extended play (or EP) is a musical recording that contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full studio album or LP. The term EP originally referred to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play (SP) records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact Discs and music downloads as well. Ricardo Baca of The Denver Post said, "EPs—originally extended-play 'single' releases that are shorter than traditional albums—have long been popular with punk and indie bands." In the United Kingdom, the Official Chart Company defines a boundary between EP and album classification at 25 minutes of length or four tracks (not counting alternative versions of featured songs, if present).

EPs were released in various sizes in different eras. The earliest multi-track records, issued around 1919 by Grey Gull Records, were vertically cut 78 rpm discs known as "2-in-1" records. These had finer than usual grooves, like Edison Disc Records. By 1949, when the 45 rpm single and 33⅓ rpm LP were competing formats, seven-inch 45 rpm singles had a maximum playing time of only about four minutes per side.

Patrick Baril (Born January 23, 1982, in Lawrence, MA) better known as Statik Selektah, is an East Coast-based DJ, Producer and CEO of Showoff Records.

Statik Selektah was introduced to music at a young age, experimenting with his parents eight-track machine, cassette recorders, and turntable. By middle school, he was already DJing school functions, but he was inspired to be a true wheels-of-steel artiste after hearing DJ Premier & Funkmaster Flex scratch and mix records on Hot 97fm in New York City. Statik began doing radio at Phillips Exeter Academy’s WPEA, where he also occasionally DJ’ ed some of the Afro-Latino Society Parties. Naming himself DJ Statik, (the "Selektah" came later after hearing a local reggae artist say it unconsciously ) he began to start to DJ at clubs and private parties up and down the New England Coast. In 2000, Selektah moved back to Massachusetts from New Hampshire to pursue an audio production degree at Boston's New England Institute of Art. Around this time, Statik started to put out his own mixtapes titled "Spell My Name Right" series. In 2003, Statik created ShowOff Marketing which has had clients such as Reebok, G-Unit Records, Virgin Records, Capital, Universal Records, Diddy’s Vote or Die campaign and many others. In 2006, Statik Selektah made Showoff into a record label and put out Termanology's Out the Gate as the labels first release. In 2007, Statik released his first LP, titled Spell My Name Right and came out with a second Stick 2 the Script in 2009. In 2010, Statik Selektah dropped another album 100 Proof: The Hangover which reached 37 on Billboards Heatseeker Albums Chart. Besides dropping his own albums, he also has produced on many other artist's projects. Statik currently has a show on Thursday nights on Eminem's Shade 45 XM/Sirus Radio Station.

Dave Holland (born October 1, 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for 40 years.

His work ranges from pieces for solo performance to big band. Holland runs his own independent record label, Dare2, which he launched in 2005. He has explained his musical philosophy by quoting fellow jazz artist Sam Rivers. "Sam said, ‘Don’t leave anything out — play all of it,’ ”

Holland has played with some of the greatest names in jazz, and has participated in several classic recording sessions.

Born in Wolverhampton, England, Holland taught himself how to play stringed instruments, beginning at four on the ukulele, then graduating to guitar and later bass guitar. He quit school at the age of 15 to pursue his profession in a top 40 band, but soon gravitated to jazz. After seeing an issue of Down Beat where Ray Brown had won the critics' poll for best bass player, Holland went to a record store, and bought a couple of LPs featuring Brown backing pianist Oscar Peterson. He also bought two Leroy Vinnegar albums (Leroy Walks! and Leroy Walks Again) because the bassist was posed with his instrument on the cover. Within a week, Holland traded in his bass guitar for an acoustic bass and began practicing with the records. In addition to Brown and Vinnegar, Holland was drawn to the bassists Charles Mingus and Jimmy Garrison.

Alec Bathgate is a New Zealand musician who was a key member of The Enemy and Toy Love, as well as being one half of Flying Nun Records act Tall Dwarfs alongside Chris Knox. As well as playing guitar in these bands, he has released two solo albums.

Mario Mims (born May 19, 1981), better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.

Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums. From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game (2000),Self-Explanatory (2001), Life (2003) and Back 2 da Basics (2006) Yo Gotti became very well known in Memphis after the release of his album Life. The song "Dirty South Soldiers" featuring Lil Jon propelled Gotti into the higher ranks of Memphis rappers. The album Back 2 da Basics had even more success. The singles "I Got 'Em", "Full Time", "Shawty", & "Gangsta Party" featuring 8Ball & MJG solidified his status as one of the top rappers from the city.

Yo Gotti's first studio album is called Live From The Kitchen. The album's original first single was titled ""5 Star"" and it was released on May 20, 2009. The single peaked at 79 on the Hot 100, 19 on U.S R&B and 11 on U.S Rap. "Women Lie, Men Lie" was the second official single released December 11, 2009. The song peaked at 81 on 100, 22 on the U.S R&B and 12 on the U.S Rap. "Look In the Mirror" was the third single released 7 months after his second single on July 27, 2010. The song peaked at 97 on the U.S R&B chart "For the Hood" featured rapper Gucci Mane it was released on October 1, 2010 and charted at 86 on the U.S R&B chart. "We Can Get It On" was released May 10, 2011, and the single featured R&B singer Ciara. It peaked at 40 on the U.S R&B Chart. "Single" was released on August 5, 2011. This song is said to be the first "official" single off the album, all the others would be cut from the album. The second single will be a song with rapper Drake, entitled by "All About Mine", produced by Giarad Fleetwood.