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new york

The Beatnuts

There are currently two groups: The Beatnuts; a hip-hop group and BeatNuts; a Japanese instrumental latin jazz-fusion group. The Beatnuts are a hip hop crew from Queens, New York City. The members are Ju-Ju (Jerry Tineo), of Dominican descent, and Psycho Les (Lester Fernandez), of Colombian descent. Early on in their career they produced whole albums for Posse members Common and Chi-Ali. Their production is noted as some of the finest and most accomplished, if unheralded, in all of hip-hop...

Jeru the Damaja

He spent his early years in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York, where he has been rapping at block parties since the early days of his youth. He first showcased his hardcore Brooklyn style to audiences on "I'm the Man," a track from Gang Starr's 1992 album Daily Operation. The following year he released his first single, "Come Clean", which was produced by DJ Premier and became an instant underground hit.

Nas & Damian Marley

Nas & Damian Marley came together to record an album titled Distant Relatives (released May 18, 2010). Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley, released May 18, 2010, on Universal Republic and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled primarily by Damian Marley and Stephen Marley. Fusing musical elements of hip hop and reggae, Distant Relatives features lyrical themes concerning ancestry, poverty, and the plight of Africa.

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R.A. the Rugged Man

R.A. the Rugged Man, real name R.A. Thorburn, is a rapper from Stony Brook, Long Island. He began his music career at age 12. At 18, he signed to Jive Records. R.A.'s legend, perpetuated by the P.R. biographies at his various labels, say he was dropped due to violent and disgusting behavior, but in interviews he disputes many of the more extreme stories told about him, adding that Jive just didn't know how to break new artists at the time.

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Charlie Hustle

Hip Hop music turns to a generation of skills; microphone mastery; street music values; and most of all….Charlie Hustle; a Brooklyn bred Rapper who’s no stranger to many. As a pure lyricist cut from the same cloth as Jay Z, The Notorious BIG, and Pun, the vibrant and energetic Charlie Hustle honed his abilities in ciphers and battles all over Sunset Park, Brooklyn. "I've been rhyming all my life," states Charlie Hustle. "Rhyming for me was just like how some people draw to express their emotions. It's an everyday activity."

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GZA

Gary Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage name GZA ([ˈdʒɪzʌ]), is an American hip hop artist best known as a founding member of seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his groupmates' solo releases and a successful solo career. Born in Staten Island, Grice developed an interest in hip-hop by attending block parties as a child in the late '70's.

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Fabolous

John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977 in Brooklyn, New York), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is a Grammy award nominated American rapper, actor and designer signed to Def Jam Records. He released his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous in 2001 and has since released 2003's Street Dreams, 2004's Real Talk and 2007's From Nothin' To Somethin', all of which have collectively sold over four million copies in the United States. His fourth studio album, Loso's Way, was released in July of 2009 and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

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Theophilus London

Theophilus London is a Brooklyn, USA based hip hop artist with heavy electro influences. London released his debut mixtape JAM! in 2008. In 2009 he collaborated with Machine Drum for his second mixtape This Charming Mixtape which brought London to a wider audience. In 2010 London released the mixtape I Want You which features covers of classic songs. London's track Flying Overseas (featuring Devonté Hynes and Solange Knowles) enjoyed popularity with music bloggers in November 2010. Most of London's music can be downloaded from his blog: http://theophiluslondon.

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Silent Knight

There are at least two artists called "Silent Knight." 1. Emerging from the New Jersey underground Urban performance circuit comes Silent Knight, a recording artist who brings a new glimmer of hope to Hip-Hop culture. This Brooklyn born - Tri State raised performer is an emcee whose electric stage presence and poignant lyrical abilities are smartly matched by his tastefully scathing social and political views.