Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (/nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known as Nas /ˈnɑːz/, is an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, record producer and actor. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide since 1994. He is also an entrepreneur through his own record label; he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and is the owner of a Fila sneaker store. He is currently signed to Mass Appeal Records.

His musical career began in 1991 when he was featured on Main Source's track "Live at the Barbeque". His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community; it is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.

Nas' follow-up album, It Was Written, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks, went Platinum twice in only two months, and made Nas internationally known. From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with rapper Jay Z. In 2006, Nas signed to Def Jam. In 2010, he released a collaboration album with reggae artist Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His eleventh studio album, Life Is Good, was released in 2012, and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group that was formed in 1985, and was composed of MC/producer Q-Tip, MC Phife Dawg aka Phife Diggy (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album in 1991. He continued to contribute to the band sporadically before rejoining for their 2006 reunion. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics. The group released five albums between 1990 and 1998 and disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the US. The group is regarded as pioneers of alternative hip hop music, having helped to pave the way for many innovative artists.

Cut Killer

Anouar Hajoui better known as DJ Cut Killer or just Cut Killer (French pronunciation: ​[kœt kiˈlœʁ]; born 6 May 1971) is a renowned French DJ of Moroccan origin with a versatile repertoire of hip hop and rap.

He enjoys international fame and mixed in United States of America through invitations by DJ Big Dawg Pitbulls of Funkmaster Flex and Shadyville DJ's of rapper 50 Cent. For more than fifteen years, he has been one of the most emblematic DJs in French hip hop.

Biography

Killer as a young Parisian who loved music and a frenzied activist embraced wholeheartedly the emerging Parisian movement. He joined IZB, the first association to promote the hip-hop and organize concerts, and put down scratches on Original MC’s 1991 album. He performed a memorable role as himself in a scene from the cult movie La Haine. He was a DJ for MC Solaar’s concerts, scratcher on IAM member Akhenaton’s solo album, and a radio show on Radio Nova.

Career

In the middle of the 1990s, Killer had already become a well-respected and active DJ. He adapted and consolidated New York hip-hop in France through many of his mix tapes, mixing the latest releases and freestyles of French rap, they became favorites and collectors' items. His dynamic mixes, his smartness to catch the best 12 inches before anyone, and his flair to find local rappers made his mix-tapes important. The big number of top brass of the second generation of French rap went through this: Sages Poètes de la Rue, Lunatic, 113 and many others. The Hip Hop Soul Party series, composed of double mixed CDs, started in 1996 at MCA’s. From the second volume on, exclusive tracks began to appear from Fabe, Busta Flex, among others, with one CD dedicated to hip-hop, the other to R&B. In volume three, a CD was dedicated to international hip-hop, the other to French hip-hop.

Snoop Dogg

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper and actor from Long Beach, California. His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre of N.W.A and, as a result, was prominently featured throughout Dr. Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic (1992). He has since sold over 21 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.

Snoop's debut album, Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records, debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name?" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head", as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.