Watch the Throne

Watch the Throne -(Kanye West and Jay-Z)

When I think of rap I think of the greats like Jay Z and Kanye West, and when you think of rap's best collaboration albums you have to mention Watch the Throne. This masterpiece written by two of Rap's biggest icons in Ye and Hov was released in August 2011.The album took the rap community by storm, selling 436,000 units in the first week. It included the fan favorite "N**as in Paris", which Jay-Z and Kanye attempted to perform as many times as they could at several different shows. 

They performed the song a total of 12 times in a Paris show and 11 times in a Vancouver show. "H.A.M." was the first single released from the album and it was a hit, it got people excited for the album. Originally it was supposed to be an EP, but the artist decided to extend it to a full album, and no one is complaining about that. The album also included "No Church In The Wild" "Otis" Lift Off" which all have music videos. Big names like Beyonce, Frank Ocean, The Dream and Kid Cudi all made appearances on this album. Many fans are awaiting a possible sequel, but the two rappers have not been on good terms for the past couple years so the chances of another album are slim. Watch the Throne won BET Hip Hop Award for CD of the year, and with the impact of rap nowadays who knows what kind of awards the album would win now? Let's hope Kanye and Jay Z get together again soon, and release "Watch the Throne 2" because the fans need it. Every collaboration in rap uses this as the standard album to compare to because it was just that good. The older the album gets the more appreciative it is. Will we get another album like this form any other rappers? Drake and Future, "What A Time To be Alive" has gained a lot of attention as one of the better collaborations but still has not reached the level that "Watch the Throne" is on. Who will be the next duo to challenge this masterpiece. 

KIDS SEE GHOSTS by "KIDS SEE GHOSTS"

One of the newest rap groups today is actually a duo of already established rappers; Kanye West and Kid Cudi. With their first album, KIDS SEE GHOSTS, being released just 10 months ago on June 8^th, 2018, there has been no other work released by the duo yet.

The Build Up

Starting in late 2017, it was rumored that the combo of Kanye West and Kid Cudi were collaborating on an album. However, some were skeptical as even though the two have been great friends since 2008, they had a falling out in 2016. Luckily, for fans of rap music, the following out wasn’t too serious and they actually did get together to create the KIDS SEE GHOSTS album, thanks to “GOOD Music” and “Def Jam Records”.

The Release

After several months of recording in Kanye’s ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, “KIDS SEE GHOSTS” released their first studio album; KIDS SEE GHOSTS. The album featured 7 songs and had some musical features by other rappers as well. Some of the more well-known rappers to be featured on the album were; Pusha T., Yasiin Bey and Ty Dolla Sign.

The Success

The album turned out to be a huge success for the duo as it was released to widespread critical acclaim. In fact, it actually debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. With this successful first album, its hard to not see another album release coming in the future from the rap duo, “KIDS SEE GHOSTS”.

Pictures:

https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/kids-see-ghosts-kids-see-ghosts-review

https://n-b-g-v.com/2018/06/10/kanye-west-kid-cudis-kids-see-ghosts-is-a-brilliant-psychedelic-exorcism-of-shared-pain/

Taking the "Old Town Road" to the Top

“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X has taken the world by storm.  However, it wasn’t a hit as soon as it was released and had an interesting climb to the top.  In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the journey of both Lil Nas X and his hit song “Old Town Road.”

Lil Nas X

Montero Lamar Hill (Lil Nas X) was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1999.  Before he was a music artist, Lil Nas X actually ran a Nicki Minaj fan account on Twitter with the handle @NasMaraj.  His account was popular, not for music, but viral Tweets.  He was what became known as a “Tweetdecker,” who use the app TweetDeck to essentially generate mass amounts of fake retweets and favorites.  The account has since been suspended but has had multiple accounts and was encouraged to make music.

“Old Town Road” Beginning

“Old Town Road” was Lil Nas X’s debut song, released December 3, 2018.  The song originally gained popularity through TikTok, a social media app that lets users create music videos.  The song was used for a meme called the “Yee Haw Challenge” where the subject in the video drinks “yee haw juice” and turns into a country character, such as a cowboy, while “Old Town Road” plays in the background.

Billboard Controversy

“Old Town Road” debuted at 83 in the Billboard Hot 100, including number 19 for country and 36 for hip-hop/R&B.  However, as it started gaining traction, Billboard removed the song from the country section because they determined it was not a country song.  This immediately resulted in outrage on social media as many viewed it as race-related.  Billboard insisted that it had nothing to do with race and that even though the song talks about themes often present in country songs, the music composition did not have enough country elements.  I agree with Billboard that it is not a country song; however, there would’ve been much less of a controversy had they never put “Old Town Road” in the country section to begin with.

Remix

The Billboard controversy did not set “Old Town Road” and Lil Nas X back as he released the remix to the hit song shortly after.  The remix featured country star Billy Ray Cyrus but was still not placed on the Billboard country list.  Nonetheless, the remix reached even greater heights than the original as it set the record for most streams in the United States over a one-week period.  At the time of writing, the Old Town Road remix is number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has spent 3 weeks in the number 1 spot.  There is a rumor that another remix is in the works featuring Young Thug as well.


“Old Town Road” has had an interesting route to the top of the charts and it’ll be fun to see what Lil Nas X will bring us next.

Rappers Who Have Paved Their Own Way

5 Rappers Who Have Paved Their Own Way

Rap music has been an evolving and forever changing genre of music. Throughout its time there have been hundreds upon thousands of artists stepping to the scene, but only a handful rising to stardom. In this series, we cover 5 rappers who have been considered to have paved their own way. That is that they have marketed themselves without a major label and where successful in doing so.

Soulja Boy

Soulja Boy launched his career on the social networking platform of the early days, Myspace. This is where he started growing his following and released his music. His first single Crank That came in at number one on the Billboard 100. Forbes also had him on their Cash Kings list their year he dropped his first song and had him earning 7 million.

Tech n9ne

Tech n9ne founded his own music label, Strange Music, with his business partner in 1999. He had previously been signed to two labels with other groups but they had never really made it big time. It was not until after these two trials and a few major appearances that he decided to push his music himself. 

MF Doom

MF Doom paved his own way and created what many call the blueprint for independent albums. Operation Doomsday contained cartoon scratch samples, self production, and a distinct stream of consciousness. Unique to MF Doom, his persona was anonymous and this factor intrigued many especially after hearing his godly wordplay. 

Lil B

Lil B, or as many know The BasedGod, has been self sufficient in the rap game, perhaps strongly due to social media. Although his music genres are vast and he may not always be taken seriously, one cannot say that he has not been successful and independent along the way.

Mick Jenkins 

Mick Jenkins is a personal favorite and in my opinion super underrated. He personally released his first album Mickstape. He has a very unique sound with his monotone vocals and jazzy beats. His collaborations with groups and producers also helped shine a light on his work. His use of creating a group or fan base and buzzwords to associate with it really helped grow his base. 

Athletes You Didn't Know Had Rap Careers

NBA Players Who Tried The Rap Game 

Every rapper wants to be an athlete, and every athlete wants to be rapper. Some of the NBA's best players have dabbled in the rap game including Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Damien Lillard, and Lonzo Ball. In today's blog we will be highlighting the careers of some rappers who had more buzz than most ballers in the rap game.

Shaquille O'neal 

Shaq is one of the most talented athletes of our time. The 4x NBA champion is not your typical athlete, he is a real estate guy, an actor, a police officer, and a former rapper. The NBA rapper released a total of 6 studio albums. In 1993, Shaq signed a record deal with Jive, and officially released his first album Shaq Diesel. The album went platinum. The project included the hit single "What's up Doc?(Can We Rock)" and "(I Know I Got) Skillz, which both debuted on the Top 40 singles.  Following the debut album the former MVP, released his second album Shaq Fu: Da Return, the album went gold. Although O'Neal's third album You Can't Stop The Reign did not reach the same level of success as his first two albums, he managed to get features from two of the most iconic rappers ever, Jay Z and The Notrious B.I.G. The Pepsi spokesman also featured on a song with the one and only king of pop, Micheal Jackson on his "2 Bad" record. One of the most memorable moments of Shaq's rap career is his bashing of his former teammate Kobe Bryant on a freestyle back in 2010. Although the rappers career started out promising, it quickly started fading due to lack of content and other opportunities in the entertainment world. O'Neal also released Respect, Steel, The Best of Shaquille O'Neal, Superfriends, The Essential New School Vs. Old School. 

Kobe Bryant

Kobe is a five time NBA champ and a former MVP in 2008. His on the court success in basketball did not follow him in his rap career. Unlike Shaq, Bryant's rap career was brief and not nearly as successful. The young ambitious Kobe, was following in the footsteps of his teammate at the time Shaquille O'neal. The 18x all-star signed his record deal with Sony Records back in 1999. Bryant released his most successful single "K.O.B.E." featuring the supermodel Tyra Banks. The two performed the record during the 2000 NBA All-star weekend.  In his brief rap career Kobe was able to get on songs with some well known artist like 50 Cent on his song Thug's Poet. Other memorable songs include the Destiny Child remix of "Say My Name", he also featured on "Hold Me" by Brian McKnight. Kobe was also on Shaq's record "3x Dope", but was not an official feature due to clearance reasons. 

Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson (Jewelz) is considered one of basketball most prolific players. He earned the MVP title back in 2001. Allen Iverson's rap career had a lot more negative feedback then positive. In the summer of 2000, the 11x NBA all-star released his debut single "40 Bars". The single was considered violent, misogynistic and homophobic, the content was pretty similar to his upcoming album Non Fiction. Due to complaints from the NBA and the 76ers organization, Iverson decided to change the name of his debut album from Non Fiction to Misunderstood, He also had to change some of the lyrics to make them more NBA friendly. The album was never officially released into stores. 

New Songs You May Not Have Heard: April 2019

April has been a big month for music with new albums from Anderson Paak, Khalid, and Tech N9ne and countless singles such as Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” remix.  However, with all this great music, some great music slips through the cracks for whatever reason.  Here are four songs that dropped this month that you may not have heard.

Wande – "Blessed Up"

This was Wande’s first ever single as a part of Reach Records, released April 12^th.  Wande was born in Austin, Texas and was actually the A&R administrator for Reach Records before being their first ever signed female artist.  In “Blessed Up” Wande counts her blessings and reflects on things she has been through in her life, a fitting debut single for her first ever record deal.  Wande is yet to release a commercial album or project but expect that to come soon as a part of Reach Records.

Social Club Misfits – "Up"

“Up” was one of five songs released with Social Club Misfits’ newest EP “MOOD.” on April 5^th. The rap duo of Marty and Fern bring the heat with this EP and “Up” is no exception.  The message behind “Up” is that the Social Club Misfits are on the rise.  The duo is signed onto Capitol Christian Music Group, which is also the label for many popular contemporary Christian artists.  The Social Club Misfits have released five albums already and multiple EP’s, including solo EP’s from both Marty and Fern.  Check out “Up” and the rest of the “MOOD.” EP.

Beast Coast – "Coast/Clear"

If there is any song on this list you’ve likely heard it’s this one, but it doesn’t seem to be getting quite the attention it deserves.  Beast Coast is collaboration of rap groups Flatbush Zombies, the Underachievers, and Pro Era.  It is one group, made up of the individuals from three great groups, so yes, it is as good as it sounds.  This is Beast Coast’s second song off their upcoming debut album as a collective.  Their first single, “Left Hand” was performed on Fallon and has been received well.  “Coast/Clear" dropped right after the Fallon performance, on April 12^th, but has not received quite the same attention as its predecessor but is just as worthy of a listen.

Corey Paul - "PRESSURE"

Corey Paul is an artist I have been following for quite a while now.  His 2017 album “Untold Story: Trill Young King” and 2015 album “Today, Tomorrow, Forever” are a couple favorites of mine.  “PRESSURE” is the Houston, Texas rapper’s first track since the 2017 album.  It was timed with the public launch of his new record label and multi-media company: “Commission Culture.”  The reflective song released commercially April 19^th and is worth a listen for Corey Paul’s unique sound and bars.

What are some of your favorite songs from April so far?

The 5 Most Popular Songs by Eminem on Spotify Right Now

Marshall Mathers or better known by his rap name Eminem, has been releasing hit after hit ever since he began his career in 1988. Born and raised in Detroit, Eminem has arguably become one of the best rappers to ever perform, with many of his peers calling him the greatest lyricist ever. At this point in his career, his most popular streaming songs on Spotify might surprise people but it is so hard to pick just one Eminem song when you are making your queue, new or old.

1.     “‘Till I Collapse”

This song was released in Eminem’s fourth studio album The Eminem Show on May 26^th of 2002. Despite never being released as a single, it has charted on more than a few occasions. Eventually, it was even certified double-platinum in 2012.

2.     “Lucky You” (feat. Joyner Lucas)

One of Eminem’s newer hits comes off the album Kamikaze, which was released on November 30^th of 2018. Featuring newer rap artist Joyner Lucas, “Lucky You” was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 61^st annual Grammy Awards.

3.     “Without Me”

Another song from the album The Eminem Show, “Without Me” was released on May 14^th of 2002 as the lead single for the album. One of Eminem’s most successful songs, “Without Me” reached number 2 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and even won a Grammy for best music video.

4.     “River” (feat. Ed Sheeran)

Working with one of the biggest stars of the music industry today, Ed Sheeran, both artists were able to combine their talents to release this single on December 14^th of 2017 a day before the release of the album Revival.

5.     “Killshot”

This song, unlike the other four was only released as a single and not as part of an album. “Killshot” is actually a diss track of another rapper MGK as a response to the song “Rap Devil” which was released by MGK in 2018.

 

Pictures:

https://djbooth.net/features/2016-01-22-early-eminem-press-release

https://www.amazon.com/Eminem-Show-Limited-Colored-Vinyl/dp/B07FLKLH3N

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/review-eminem-lashes-out-at-the-rap-game-on-kamikaze-718628/

5 Old School Rappers from NYC

5 Old School Rappers from NYC

Rap music has been an evolving and forever changing genre of music. Throughout its time there have been hundreds upon thousands of artists stepping to the scene, but only a handful rising to stardom. In this series, we cover five rappers from the early years of the genre, that rose out of New York City.

The Basics 

Most fans of the rap genre are aware of the greats from NYC; Notorious B.I.G, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, and Nas. But there are many more artists that had a huge following in the early years of rap. Most people are aware of the artists that will be mentioned in this post, but many may not know that they are NYC natives. 

Tupac

Most fans associate Tupac with the west coast, California, or LA. But in reality, he was born in Harlem, New York City, and lived there for 17 years. Those from the time may even call him "MC New York" which he went by in his childhood.  Although he did not release a studio album until arriving in California, giving him his West Coast status.

Mos Def

Mos Def was born in Brooklyn, New York City and spent his life there. He was eldest of twelve siblings and attended school in Bushwick where he first stepped on stage, little to know it would become a norm in his life. Mos Def can be noted for participating in the rap group De La Soul. 

Rakim

Rakim was born a little farther east of NYC, he is actually a Wyandanch native. His first performance was actually right in Wyandanch Highschool.  But did record his first album in NYC, Paid in Full.  As a Long Island native myself, from the east end, I have stepped foot on this school ground and had many thoughts of Rakim walking the halls.

Prodigy

Prodigy was born in Hempstead, Long Island. He came from a musical family with many members playing brass instruments and having large contributions in the Bebop & Jazz scene. Prodigy continued to represent NYC in his infamous rap group Mobb Deep after attending school in Manhatten and meeting his other partner there, Havoc. 

GZA

GZA was born in New York City and is better known as a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is their oldest member by age, the first member to receive a record deal, and considered the head of the pack. He spent his early years spreading his arts through graffiti and Djing. Once finding his voice as an MC, he started performing small shows in Brooklyn and Staten Island. 

4 Favorite Projects from the Last 4 Years

This is my personal list, so you will likely disagree with at least a couple of these picks, but in my opinion, music is an art in which everybody has their own tastes and opinions about.  I also value well-roundedness highly, so an album with a couple duds is unlikely to make my list.  So, without further ado, here are my top five projects of the last five years (in no particular order):

ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ (2017)

ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is the second album from New York rapper Joey Bada$$.  As Joey himself describes it: “This new project is very powerful. That's the best thing I can say about it: it's very strong music.”  The album is very thought provoking and tackles political and social problems.  Similar to Uncomfortable, ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$ is more than just ear-candy.  Joey does a fantastic job of blending new-school and old-school sounds with the entire album with hit songs like “Temptation” and “For My People.”  It features some big names in rap including J. Cole and Schoolboy Q.  The album also reached number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and was named one of the top rap/hip-hop albums of 2017 by multiple publications.

Good Religion (2016)

Good Religion is definitely the album you are least likely to have heard of in this article.  This album was created by the Dream Junkies group.  Unlike the other projects and artists in this article, the Dream Junkies are a west coast group from San Diego area.  The Dream Junkies have since split but at the time were made up of Ruslan, John Givez, and Beleaf.  Good Religion is an album that will be a classic for me.  It does what the best Christian hip-hop albums do – talk about God without being too “preachy.”  The laid back vibe on the album also works very well.  This was also the last album by the group, which adds some emphasis to the album including some of the songs such as “Answer Your Call” featuring Carlene Crawford.  Other standout songs include “I Got the Juice” and “Boogie Man,” but it is an all-around great album.  There aren’t many features, but it does feature Murs, Gracy, and Carlene Crawford.  If you haven’t heard Good Religion I would definitely recommend giving it a listen as it is one of my favorites.

Church Clothes 3 (2016)

Church Clothes 3 is the only mixtape on this list.  It is one of many Lecrae’s projects, but his most underrated in my opinion.  Lecrae also created a short film to correspond with it.  Similar to ALL-AMERIKKKAN BADA$$, it attempts to tackle a lot of social issues, specifically with race.  However, Lecrae takes more of a religious focus on those issues in Church Clothes 3.  The highlights of the album are “It Is What It Is,” “Gangland,” and “Misconceptions 3,” but like the other projects on this list, Church Clothes 3 is very well rounded with no skips.  The mixtape features rappers such as Propaganda, E-40, and KB.  The mixtape peaked at 12 on the Billboard 200 and is definitely worth a listen.

Uncomfortable (2015)

I touched on this album in my last article, Uncomfortable by Andy Mineo is a masterpiece in my mind.  When it first released, I actually wasn’t very fond of it, but listening to it more I fell in love with it.  It starts of fast with the title track “Uncomfortable.” It continually challenges and provokes thinking and reflection of the listener.  There are a wide variety of songs and vibes on the album with pump-up songs like “Desperados” and “Know That’s Right” and slower, more emotional songs like “Hear My Heart.”  It features a wide variety of artists including Mali Music, Jon Bellion, Willow Stephens, and Mac Powell (from the band Third Day).  The album peaked at 10 on the US Billboard 200, but it deserves more recognition for its excellence.

Everybody has their own tastes and therefore their own opinions on albums.  What are your favorite projects?

Rappers Giving Back

Some Rappers Give More Than They Take

Chance the Rapper

In 2017, the Chicago native donated a lump sum of $1 million to Chicago Public Schools. Chance is a three time Grammy Award winner, who is constantly giving back to his community and charities everywhere. In recent years Chicago has been ranked one of the top murder cities in the U.S. so to guide the kids away Chance believes that the public school system needs to be better. By donating this money, he aims to improve the system and keep kids in school. Chance has also battled against the gun violence in his city, raised money to clothed kids during the gruesome winters in Chicago. By doing these things he aims to give back to the community that allowed him to get his rise in music. Instead of using his fame and riches to buy material things, he is using it to create a better future for kids that are unfortunate. 

J. Cole

If you are an avid Cole listener and even if you're not, I'm sure you have heard of his "Forest Hills Drive"album. The 34-year old 

rapper rents out the house from the album cover for free to single mothers in North Carolina. The "KOD" rapper is as generous as it gets in the rap community. Cole is known for his tradition of  donating supplies to schools every year since 2013. Just recently J.Cole started Dreamville Foundation, focused on helping people affected by Hurricane Florence, also support for nonprofits who provide services for people in Fayetteville his hometown. The foundation really focuses on urban youths, he wants to encourage the youth to follow their dreams by providing them with new opportunities to do so. He cares about the youth and he wants them to stray away from crime and violence filled lives. 

Nipsey Hussle

Born Ermias Asghedom, Nipsey Hussle was a rapper, entrepreneur, an self made millionaire. He began his career recording mixtapes in Crenshaw, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Eventually garnering mainstream recognition for his works he earned a Grammy nomination in 2019 for "Best Rap Album" for his record Victory Lap. In between all his musical exploits and numerous ventures Nipsey always found a way to give back to his community in revolutionary ways. He opened up Marathon Clothing in 2017 in the same neighborhood he grew up in. He was adamant on uplifting a community that lacked infrastructure and by opening a store in his "hood" he hoped to influence others to invest in the neighborhood. Nipsey was heavily involved in community projects involving the youth , and aiming to direct them in a constructive path full of opportunities. His life was tragically ended prematurely by one of the things he was trying to prevent which was gun violence. Nipsey Hussle is an exemplary man who was always willing to lend a hand to the community that raised him. 

The 5 Greatest Accomplishments of Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg or the D.O. Double G has been a household name in the rap music industry for decades now. Starting his career in 1992 as a rapper, Snoop has grown to be much more, as he is now a host of a T.V. show and has been in several movies and shows as an actor. Not to mention some of the other things Snoop has done with music and even things as strange as the WWE and an Author.

1.     Won the AMA Award for “Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist” in 1995.

Along with the MTV and Grammy Awards, the AMA Awards are one of the biggest accomplishments you can have in the music Industry. In 1995, Snoop Dogg accomplished this with “Favorite Rap/Hip Hop Artist”.

2.     Got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.

For any celebrity, they probably hope to eventually get their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Snoop Dogg did just that with his career accolades in Music in 2018!

3.     Won the MTV Movie Award for “Best Cameo” in 2002 in Training Day.

Training Day was one of the best movies of 2001 with the star actor, Denzel Washington, leading the way in awards for the film. However, it did not end with Denzel because Snoop ended up winning “Best Cameo” at the MTV Movie Awards for his individual performance in the film.

4.     Won the Stony Award for “Stoner of the Year” in 2002.

While this might not seem like a big or important accomplishment for someone to achieve, it is probably seen in much different light for Snoop Dogg. A regular weed smoker, and even owner of the weed company “Leafs by Snoop”, he won the “Stoner of the Year” award in 2002.

5.     Inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016.

When inducted into the Celebrity Wing of the Hall of Fame by John Cena, Snoop Dogg joined a bunch of other stars, such as; Pete Rose, Donald Trump and Arnold Schwarzenegger. However, at the time, he was the only musician to ever be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Pictures:
https://www.thefader.com/2018/11/19/snoop-dogg-hollywood-walk-of-fame-acceptance-speech
http://www.images99.com/pictures/hulk-hogan/page/4/

5 Rap Groups You May Not Know

5 Rap Groups You May Not Know

Rap music has been an evolving and forever changing genre of music. Throughout its time there have been hundreds upon thousands of artists stepping to the scene, but only a handful rising to stardom. In this series, we cover five rap groups that you may have never heard of before, dating back from the start, to present day rap music. 

Funky 4 + 1

The Funky 4+1 is a group that emerged out of New York City, specifically the Bronx. The members of the crew were; DJ Breakout, K.K. Rockwell, Keith Keith, Lil Rodney Cee, Jazzy Jeff, and Sha Rock, a woman who was the "plus one". Having Sha Rock on their roster made them the first rap group with a woman.  This group may be one of the most underrated rap groups during the birth of rap. They were one of the first to commercially sell their records, as well as created tracks that were sampled for years to come by some of the greats, even The Beastie Boys, which was covered in my last post. On top of this, they also have one of the longest recorded records, some may say the longest. They recorded a 12" single, containing a 15-minute song called "Rappin and Rocking the House Down". Although they never released a full-length project the group made a huge impact on the culture and where rap is today. 

Main Source

Main Source is another group out of New York City. The group consisted of brothers out of Canada, Sir Scratch and K-Cut, as well as Queens native Large Professor. Early into their career Large 

Professor split from the crew and Mikey D filled his role. The group did not last long as a unit and split before their second album in 1994, the album never released. Two of the members, Sir Scratch, and K-Cut released an album under the "Main Source" name, but it had a different title than what was originally in store.  This means some content was changed as well, having Mike D on the new revamped second album, as well as having a first appearance of the early "The LOX" rap group formerly known as "The Dog Pack".  This album, as well as the first, was put to storage due to inner conflict in the group. Another first appearance Main Source had the first appearance of Nas on their record "Live at the Barbecue". 

3 6 Mafia

 

If you know the crew, you didn't read that in a normal tone of voice. Rising in 1991 out of Memphis Tennessee, the group consisted of Dj Paul and Juicy J, the more well-known members, but included Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, Gangsta Boo, and Koopsta Knicca. A well-known track by the group "It's  Hard Out Here for a Pimp" won an Acadamy Award for the best original song at the Acadamy Awards Show for its playing in "Hustle & Flow", a true rap fans favorite. 3 6 Mafia can be remembered on MTV as their videos ran. They had multiple platinum tracks and sales of over 5 million.

CunninLynguists

This is one that you can't not be interested in, and you know if you've seen that name before or not. Out of Lexington, Kentucky,  and Atlanta, Georgia, starting up in 2000. The crew was made up of three founding members; Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti. Later on after, another member was added, Mr. SOS. They have released a bunch of projects since their start and have been proactive up to present times. The CunninLynguists are known for their deep lyricism and layered production.  

Digital Underground

This last group is structured a little different than the rest mentioned in this blog post. The members of digital Underground would change as the artists put together each album and tour. Founded in 1987 in Oakland, California by the main man, the el jefe of the crew, was Shock G, aka Humpty Hump, Chopmaster J, and Kenny-K. This group had a knack for sampling the funk of the '70s and really paved the way for West Coast beats. The group gained a big influence when creating "The Humpty Dance" to their hit song.  Another notable act of the crew was bringing 2Pac to the scene of rap. Although he only worked within the group for a year, he launched his career with Digital Underground.