50 Cent

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, an American rapper and actor. 50 Cent rose to fame with his 6x platinum debut album “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” He has released three more multi-platinum albums, “The Massacre,” “Curtis,” and “Before I Self Destruct.” He has had numerous number one singles on the U.S. charts including, “In da Club,” “21 Questions,” P.I.M.P,” “Candy Shop,” and “Disco Inferno.” 50 Cent has won 3 American Music Awards, 13 Billboard Music Awards, 1 Grammy Award, and 2 MTV Video Music Awards.

The Beastie Boys

The Beastie Boys are a band that was formed in NYC in 1981 by friends Michael Diamond, Adam Yauch, and Adam Horovitz. Their debut album “Licensed to 3” went 9x platinum. Since then they have had five multi-platinum albums, “Paul’s Boutique,” “Check Your Head,” “3 Communication,” “Hello Nasty,” and “To the 5 Boroughs.” Their chart topping singles are “Fight for Your Right,” “Brass Monkey,” “Intergalactic,” “Make Some Noise,” and “Ch-Check It Out.” The Beastie Boys have won 3 Grammy Awards, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, and 1 MTV Europe Music Award.

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is an American rapper who is known for his intricate fast rapping technique. He has released 5 platinum albums including “The Coming,” “When Disaster Strikes…” “E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front,” “Anarchy,” and “Genesis.” His hit singles are “Dangerous,” “Turn It Up,” “What’s It Gonna Be?!” “Touch It,” and “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.” Busta Rhymes has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards and 10 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2012, The Source ranked him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.

Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre is a successful American rapper who has also produced hits for artists such as Eminem, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dog. Dr. Dre has released two studio albums, “The Chronic” and “2001,” which both went multi-platinum. His hit singles include, “Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang,” “Keep Their Heads Ringin’,” and “I Need a Doctor.” Dr. Dre is the winner of six Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards.

E-40

E-40 is an American rapper who has released over ten albums and has collaborated with some of the top names in hip-hop such as, Lil’ John, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, and Too Short. His most successful albums are “In a Major Way,” “Tha Hall of Game,” “The Element of Surprise,” and “My Ghetto Report Card.” His hit songs include “U and Dat,” “Rapper’s Ball,” “Sprinkle Me,” and “1-Luv.” E-40 has been nominated for two BET Awards.  

Eminem

Eminem is one of the most talented and best-selling American rappers in the world. He gained mainstream popularity with his 4x Platinum album, “The Slim Shady LP.” Since then he has released five other albums, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” “The Eminem Show,” “Encore,” “Relapse,” and “Recovery,” all being certified Multi-Platinum or Diamond. He is most recognized for his hit singles, “Without Me,” “Lose Yourself,” “Crack a Bottle,” “Not Afraid,” and “Love the Way You Lie.” Eminem has won 10 American Music Awards, 17 Billboard Music Awards, 13 Grammy Awards, and 12 MTV Video Music Awards.

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Eve

Eve is an American hip-hop and R&B artist whose debut album “Let There Be Eve…Ruff Ryders’ First Lady” went 2x platinum. Her other two albums “Scorpion” and “Eve-Olution” have also had tremendous success. Her hit singles are “What Y’all Want,” “Let Me Blow Ya Mind,” “Gangsta Lovin,” “Satisfaction,” and “Tambourine.” Eve has won 1 BET Award, 1 NAACP Award, 1 Black Reel Award, 1 Grammy Award, 1 Lady of Soul Award, and 1 MTV Video Music Award. 

Ice-T

Ice-T is an American rapper who began his career in the 1980s when he was signed to Sire Records. He has released 8 studio albums with “Rhyme Pays,” “Power,” “The Iceberg,” “O.G. Original Gangster,” and “Home Invasion,” being the most successful. His most popular singles are “Colors,” “High Rollers,” “Lethal Weapon,” “New Jack Hustler (Nino’s Theme)” “O.G. Original Gangster,” and “I Must Stand.” Ice-T has been nominated for 3 MTV Video Music Awards and has won 1 Grammy Award.  

Jay-Z

Since 1996, 10-time Grammy award winner, Shawn Jay-Z Carter has dominated the rap industry and set trends for a generation. After three successful years as President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, where he fostered the careers of international stars Rihanna, Ne-Yo and Kanye West, JAY-Z entered into a partnership with Live Nation to form Roc Nation. Through Roc Nation, JAY-Z released the Blueprint 3, his 11th #1 album, putting him ahead of Elvis for most #1 albums by any solo artist. His Hit songs include "Empire State of Mind", "Young Forever", "Big Pimpin", "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" to name a few. (temporary excerpt from Jay-Z's Facebook page)

Kanye West

Kanye West is an American producer, rapper, songwriter, and record executive. 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. His style, pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his lyrics, own drums and instruments. His albums have sold millions, his lyrics are sung by Brandy, Usher, and Alicia Keys. His hits songs include Stronger, Heartless, Jesus Walks, Gold Digger, Power, and Can't Tell Me Nothing to name a few.

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Lil’ Kim

Lil’ Kim is an American rapper whose debut album “Hard Core” went 2x platinum in 1996. Since, she has had three other platinum albums, “The Notorious K.I.M” “La Bella Mafia,” and “The Naked Truth.” Her chart topping singles are “Lady Marmalade,” “Crush on You,” “Not Tonight,” and “Magic Stick.” Lil’ Kim is the winner of a Grammy Award, three MTV Video Music Awards, an American Music Award, and two Soul Train Awards. 

Lil’ Wayne

Lil’ Wayne is an American rapper who started his career at age nine, signing with Cash Money Records in 1997. He has released nine studio albums, all going Gold or Platinum. His most successful albums are “The Block Is Hot,” “Tha Carter 2,” “Tha Carter 3,” and “Tha Carter 4.” His most well known singles are “Lolipop,” “6 Foot 7 Foot,” “How to Love,” and “She Will.” Lil’ Wayne has won 10 BET Awards and 4 Grammy Awards.

LL Cool J

LL Cool J is an American rapper and hip-hop artist whose debut platinum album, “Radio” made him a household name in 1985. His other multi-platinum albums are, “Bigger and Deffer,” “Mamma Said Knock You Out,” and “Mr. Smith.” He has had numerous hit singles including, “I’m That Type of Guy,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Hey Lover,” “Loungin’,” and “Luv U Better.” LL Cool J has won two Grammy Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, four NAACP Image Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and ten Soul Train Awards.

LMFAO

LMFAO is an American pop music duo consisting of Redfoo (Stefan Kendal Gordy) and SkyBlu (Skyler Austen Gordy.) The group has released two albums, “Party Rock” and “Sorry for Party Rocking,” with “Sorry for Party Rocking,” going multi-platinum. Their single “Party Rock Anthem” was certified 6x Platinum, and their single “Sexy and I know It” was certified 4x Platinum. LMFAO was won 6 Billboard Music Awards and Kids’ Choice Award.

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Ludacris

Ludacris is an American rapper who discovered his talent at age nine. His debut album “Back for the First Time” was released in 2000 and went 3x Platinum, launching him into the limelight. His other platinum albums are “Word of Mouf,” “Chicken-n-Beer,” “The Red Light District,” and “Release of the Sexes.” His number one singles are “Stand Up,” “Splash Waterfalls,” “Pimpin’ All Over the World,” “Money Maker,” and “Runaway Love.” Ludacris has won nine BET Awards, three Grammy Awards, and three MTV Video Music Awards.

Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is a Trinidadian-born American rapper and singer who released her debut album, “Pink Friday” in 2010. The album immediately became a success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. Her second album “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” went Platinum, making her the new hot item in music. Her hit singles are “Your Love,” “Super Bass,” “Fly,” and “Starships.” Even though she is only at the start of her career, she has won 24 awards, including two American Music Awards, five BET Awards, five BET Hip-Hop Awards, and a Billboard Music Award.

P Diddy

Sean John Combs aka P Diddy, an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. After his friend Biggie Smalls was murdered in 1997, Combs recorded "I'll be Missing You" which topped the Billboard singles chart for 6 weeks and launched combs' first album, "No Way Out" to platinum status which sold 3.4 million in the U.S. His hit singles include "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "I'll Be Missing You", "Bad Boy For Life" to name a few.

Pitbull

Pitbull is an American rapper and pop singer-songwriter who released his debut album, “M.I.A.M.I.” in 2004. Since then he has released five more albums, “El Mariel,” “The Boatlift,” “Rebelution,” “Armando,” and “Planet Pit.” His upbeat dance hits are, “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho),” “Hotel Room Service,” and “Give Me Everything.” Pitbull has collaborated with some of the hottest names in music, including LiL John, Pharrell, Chris Brown, and Mark Anthony. He is also the winner of two Billboard Music Awards.

Salt N Pepa

Salt N Pepa is an American hip-hop trio that was formed in 1982 in Queens, New York by Cheryl James, Sandra Denton, and Deidra Roper. The group has released 3 platinum albums, “Hot, Cool & Vicious,” “Blacks Magic,” and “Very Necessary.” Their smash singles are “Shake Your Thang,” “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “Shoop,” “Whatta Man,” “Push It,” and “Expression.” Salt N Pepa has won 1 Grammy Award and 3 MTV Video Music Awards.

Shaggy

Shaggy is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper who is clearly identifiable by his slurred rapping and vocal style. Shaggy has released eight successful studio albums. His multi-platinum albums are “Boombastic,” “Hot Shot,” and “Lucky Day.” He is most well known for his songs “Boombastic,” “It wasn’t Me,” “Angel,” and “Hey Sexy lady.” Shaggy has been nominated for numerous awards and he is the winner of a Grammy Award.

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg is an American rapper that is best known for being one of Dr. Dre’s most significant protégés. His debut album, “Doggystyle” was released in 1993 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and the U.S. R&B albums chart. He has released a total of 11 studio albums, two of his most successful are: “The Doggfather,” and “Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told.” His hit singles are “Gin and Juice,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “I Wanna Love You,” and “Young Wild and Free.” Snoop Dogg has won two MTV Video Music Awards, one BET Award, and one American Music Award.

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T.I.

T.I. is an American hip-hop and rap recording artist and founder of Grand Hustle Records. He has released 5 platinum albums including, “Trap Muzik,” “Urban Legend,” “King,” “T.I. vs. T.I.P.” and “Paper Trail.” His chart topping singles are “Bring Em Out,” “What You Know,” “Whatever You Like,” “Swagga Like Us,” and “Live Your Life.” T.I has won 2 American Music Awards, 5 ASCAP Pop Awards, 3 BET Awards, 10 Billboard Music Awards, 3 Grammy Awards, 1 MTV Video Music Award, and 2 Vibe Awards.

The Roots

The Roots is an American hip-hop and soul band that was formed in 1987 by Tariq Trotter, Krispy Kreme, and Ahmir Thompson. The band has released ten studio albums with “Things Fall Apart” and “Phrenology” being the most successful. Their hit singles are “What They Do,” “You Got Me,” “Let It Be,” and “Wake Up Everybody.” The Roots have won four Grammy Awards and three NAACP Awards.