Aubrey “Drake” Graham (born October 24, 1986 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Grammy award nominated Canadian actor, rapper and singer signed to Young Money/Universal Motown. Drake shot to global fame upon the release of his critically acclaimed 2009 mixtape So Far Gone and Best I Ever Had, a single from the mixtape which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Drake's music career began in 2006 with the release of his debut mixtape Room For Improvement.
Arabian Prince is the stage name of Mik Lezan (born October 12, 1964 in Inglewood, California), a rapper and hip hop producer, best known for being an original member of the legendary rap group, N.W.A. Born and raised in Inglewood, California, Arabian Prince released a solo album Situation Hot in 1985. In the following year, Arabian Prince joined up with the first gangsta rap group N.W.A. three years after graduating Inglewood High School in Inglewood, CA. He wanted to be an artist in N.W.A.
De La Soul is a massively influential hip hop group, hailing from Amityville, New York, United States. They are best known for their eclectic sampling and quirky, surreal lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz hop subgenre. They are the best known of the early alternative hip-hop acts. The members are Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos, Mercenary, Plug Wonder Why, Plug One), David Jude Jolicœur (Trugoy the Dove, Dave, Plug Two) and Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase, Maseo, Plug Three).
LMFAO is a Grammy Award nominated electro-hop group from Los Angeles, California consisting of rappers REDFOO (Stefan Gordy) and Sky Blu (Skyler Gordy). Signed to a venture between Interscope and will.i.am's label will.i.am music group. They released their debut EP, the Party Rock EP, in July 2008 and it featured the hit single I'm in Miami Bitch. They followed this up with their debut album, Party Rock, in 2009 and will release their second studio album, Don't Judge Me, sometime late 2010.
Edan (born Edan Portnoy) is an independent emcee, DJ and producer based in Boston, USA. He is a former member of the band Fiber 2001 and is known for his eclectic mix of classic mid-80s till early 90s hip-hop with 60s rock, funk and other styles. His mix-tape "Sound of the Funky Drummer" collects hip hop tracks sampling James Brown's "Funky Drummer", which has been called the most-sampled record of all time.
Paul "Sage" Francis (born november 18 1977 in Miami, Florida) is a hip-hop artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. Noted for his intense flow and sharp wit, Francis has won acclaim both as a freestyle battler and as an unapologetically intellectual lyricist. Francis uses a broad emotional palette to address a wide range of personal, cultural, and political issues. His unconventional style and persona have given him crossover appeal, but at the same time alienated some hip-hop listeners.
Direct Influence is one of Australia’s premier reggae acts. Described as a mixture of the deep rooted reggae of the Wailers, the sounds of Che Fu and a little Damian Marley, Direct Influence create a fusion of Hip Hop and Roots Reggae whilst also encompassing the hearty soulful music carrying messages of peace and hope. An electrifying combination of sweet reggae licks, a monstrous rhythm section and a multi-talented vocalist who can both sing and rap, Direct Influence create exciting and energised live shows that leave audiences across the country wanting more.
Over the past decade, the hip-hop turntablist has gained immense popularity and mainstream recognition. No doubt, one deejay at the forefront of this movement is Queens-born JS-1. One half of the infamous team with Rahzel, ex-beatboxer of The Roots, JS-1 has released 3 albums, “Ground Original,” “Claimstake,” & “Audio Technician” through Fatbeats Distribution, Bomb Records and Studio Distribution.
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977 in Champaign, Illinois), better known by his stage name Ludacris, is a Grammy award winning American rapper, entrepreneuer and actor. He is the highest selling Southern hip hop solo artist of all time with over 15 million units sold in the United States and around 20 million records sold worldwide. He released his debut album Incognegro in 1999 and has since released a further six albums. His eighth studio album, initially slated to be a collaboration album with artist Shawnna entitled Battle of the Sexes, was released in 2010.
From label boss, hit producer, World Champion DJ, trendsetter, genre-mangling party-starter, to blogger extraordinaire, Alain Macklovitch, best known as A-Trak, embodies the full scope of the 21st Century musician-entrepreneur model. At the mere age of 26, A-Trak has had two distinct phases to his winding 11 year career. Stage one: after winning the World DMCs at age 15 (in 1997), he spent years as one of hip hop’s most renowned selectors.