T-Pain

Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany, which reached number one on the Billboard 200. His third studio album, Thr33 Ringz, was released in 2008. T-Pain has earned two Grammy Awards alongside artists Kanye West and Jamie Foxx.

T-Pain is the founder of the record label Nappy Boy Entertainment, established in 2005. Throughout his career as a singer, T-Pain is known for using and popularizing the creative use of the Auto-Tune pitch correction effect, used with extreme parameter settings to create distinctive vocal sounds. From 2006 to 2010, T-Pain was featured on more than 50 chart topping singles, his most successful feature to date was in Flo Rida's debut single "Low" which has since been certified 6x Platinum.

Early life

Najm was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. His stage name is short for "Tallahassee Pain", and was chosen because of the hardships he experienced while living there. Najm was brought up in a Muslim household, but he has expressed his lack of interest in the concept of religion. At just three years old he got his first taste of the music business when a friend of the family, gospel jazz artist/producer Ben Tankard, allowed him to spend time and "twist the knobs" at his recording studio. At age ten, Najm turned his bedroom into a music studio, using a keyboard, a beat machine and a four-track recorder.

Rick Ross

William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper and entrepreneur.

In 2009, Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap (2009), Teflon Don (2010), God Forgives, I Don't (2012), Mastermind, Hood Billionaire (2014) and Black Market (2015). 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.

Life and career

1976–2006: Early life and career beginnings

William Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and raised in Carol City, Florida. After graduating from Miami Carol City Senior High School, he attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship. Roberts worked as a correctional officer for 18 months from December 1995, until his resignation in June 1997.

In his early years at Suave House Records, Roberts initially made his debut under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don. He made his recording debut on the song "Ain't Shhh to Discuss" on Erick Sermon's lone album for DreamWorks, Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis. In the mid-2000s, he changed his name to Rick Ross. He derived his stage name from the former drug kingpin "Freeway" Rick Ross, to whom he has no connection.

DJ Drama

Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), professionally known as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record executive from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He initially gained recognition as the official DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I.. He is perhaps best known for hosting several mixtapes, most notably his successful Gangsta Grillz series. He is also known for doing the Dedication series with New Orleans-bred rapper Lil Wayne, with the New York Times calling Dedication 2, one of the "10 best recordings of 2006".

DJ Drama along with Khomotso Tibane and DJ Sense, founded Aphilliates Music Group, in 2003. The Aphilliates Music Group signed a joint venture deal with Asylum Records in 2006. As of January 2011, The Aphilliates now operates as its own entity, due to DJ Drama recently cutting ties with La the Darkman and Embassy Entertainment. In December 2007, Drama released his first studio album, Gangsta Grillz: The Album, under Atlantic Records, as well as T.I.'s label, Grand Hustle Records. His second album was the sequel Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2), which was released in May 2009, under Atlantic and Grand Hustle. After leaving Grand Hustle and Atlantic to focus on Aphilliates Music Group, Drama released his third album Third Power, under E1 Music and Aphilliates.