Eminem
Eminem, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, 17 October 1973, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. This white rapper burst onto the US charts in 1999 with a controversial take on the horrorcore genre. Mathers endured an itinerant childhood, living with his mother in various states before eventually ending up in Detroit at the age of 12. He took up rapping in high school before dropping out in ninth grade, joining ad hoc groups Basement Productions, the New Jacks, and D12. The newly named Eminem released a raw debut album in 1997 through independent label FBT. Infinite was poorly received, however, with Eminem earning unfavourable comparisons to leading rappers such as Nas and AZ. His determination to succeed was given a boost by a prominent feature in Source's Unsigned Hype column, and he gained revenge on his former critics when he won the Wake Up Show's Freestyle Performer Of The Year award, and finished runner-up in Los Angeles' annual Rap Olympics. The following year's The Slim Shady EP, named after his sinister alter-ego, featured some vitriolic attacks on his detractors. The stand-out track, "Just Don't Give A fuck", became a highly popular underground hit, and led to guest appearances on MC Shabaam Sahddeq's "Five Star Generals" single and Kid Rock's Devil Without A Cause set. As a result, Eminem was signed to Aftermath Records by label boss Dr. Dre, who adopted the young rapper as his protege and acted as co-producer on Eminem's full-length debut. Dre's beats featured prominently on The Slim Shady LP, a provocative feast of violent, twisted lyrics, with a moral outlook partially redeemed by Eminem's claim to be only "voicing" the thoughts of the Slim Shady character. Parody or no parody, lyrics to tracks such as "97 Bonnie & Clyde" (which contained lines about killing the mother of his child) and frequent verbal outbursts about his mother were held by many, outside even the usual Christian moral majority, to be deeply irresponsible. The album was buoyed by the commercial success of the singles "My Name Is" and "Guilty Conscience" (the former helped by a striking, MTV-friendly video), and climbed to number 2 on the US album chart in March 1999.Eminem subsequently made high profile appearances on Rawkus Records' Soundbombing Volume 2 compilation and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's Da Real World. He was also in the news when his mother filed a lawsuit claiming that comments made by the rapper during interviews and on The Slim Shady LP had caused, amongst other things, emotional distress, damage to her reputation and loss of self-esteem. None of which harmed the sales of Eminem's follow-up album, The Marshall Mathers LP, which debuted at number 1 on the US album chart in May 2000 and established him as the most successful rapper since the mid-90s heyday of 2Pac and Snoop Doggy Dogg. By the end of the year, however, his troubled personal life and a serious assault charge had removed the gloss from his phenomenal commercial success. Despite criticism from gay rights groups, the rapper swept up three Grammy Awards the following February. He also reunited with his D12 colleagues to record the transatlantic chart-topping Devil's Night.
Dr Dre
Dre (Andre Young) was born in February 18, 1965, Los Angeles, California. He was raised in Compton, and got his nickname by adoring basketball superstar, Dr. J. His step-brother is Warren G. His brother got killed in a fight while Dre was on tour with N.W.A "My brother was my best friend. He was three years younger than me." Dre tells of being on the road when he received a phone call with the bad news. "You never forget that." He started off as a D.J for parties as a teenager, and soon earned himself a spot in the "Eve After Dark" club, where he would play keyboards and sing. Once a member of the rather anonymous group, "World Class Wreckin' Cru", Dre earned himself a name by producing tracks for Eazy-E, the D.O.C and others, and later became a gangsta rap pioneer as a co-founder, member, co-producer and rapper in the controversial group, N.W.A. (Niggaz With Attitude). The band was extremely successful and was very promoted by endless scandals and unfettered messages of street violence. The debut album (Straight Outta compton) went platinum with minimal radio play, the second LP entered the charts at number one. "We loved the controversy. It's the reason we blew up as big as we did. It wasn't hurting us, it was helping us." The group disbanded in '91, but Dre didn't stop for a second: He established Death Row Records along with Marion "Suge" Knight, and shortly after released "The Chronic" (1992), which sold over three million copies, won two Grammy Awards, and is still considered to be one of the most influential rap albums ever. The album introduced the new Death Row artists, such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound, and marked Dr. Dre not only as one of the most creative producers in the rap/hip-hop industry, but also as a fantastic rapper. The following Death Row album, Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Doggystyle", was produced by Dr. Dre, and sold four million copies. "I was trying to take it places no other record company had ever been," he says. "Not just limiting myself to R&B and hip hop. I wanted to branch off into jazz, reggae, and black rock 'n' roll." In 1994 he directed the short film "Murder Was The Case", and co-produced the soundrack. He also added a song to the soundtrack entitled "Natural Born Killaz", which marked the reunion with former fellow band member, Ice Cube. That was his last work with protege Snoop Doggy Dogg. He decided that Snoop, who didn't make a single step without his mentor, should stick to his own work. In that same year he released a compilation album, entitled "Concrete Roots", which contained some old and some newer material. In 1995 Dre contributed a track for the "Friday" soundtrack, "Keep Their Heads Ringin'". The track was a massive success, and won Dre the MTV "Best Rap Song" award in '96. In that same year he left Death Row, and started his own label, "Aftermath Entertainment", a joint venture with Interscope Records. "At first it was just a big family thing," he says. "But the more money that got made, the further apart everybody came. It's like, certain people started becoming what they hated." He adds: "I wasn't feeling comfortable with the people I was around. Everybody wasn't professional. I always wanted things at Death Row to be right and positive, because I'm a positive person. And the situation I was in wasn't, plain and simple. It was too much negativity. Most likely, there are gonna be records coming out dissing me, dissing people I've worked with and am going to be working with. It's just a lot of negative bullshit. So from here on out, Death Row Records don't even exist to Dre." In November 26, 1996, Dr. Dre released the compilation album "Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath", which featured new performances from several well-known artists as well as introducing more than a dozen Aftermath Entertainment artists and producers. The albums unites hip-hop and R&B , east coast and west coast, hardcore and pop, male and female, old school and new school, delivered by talented performers hand picked by Dre, the album's executive producer. One of the tracks in the album is "East Coast/West Coast Killas", which collaborates various artists from both coasts such as Nas, KRS-1, B-Real, RBX, and of course Dr. Dre. "Now I'ma be able to do whatever I wanna do," he claims. "If it works, it's on me. If it fails, it's on me. But I'm an innovator. I like trying things." In that year he also released another compilation album, "First Round Knockout". On top of the list of Dre's future projects is Helter Skelter, Dre's long-awaited reunion with Ice Cube, which Dre wanted to do since '94. "If Cube is still into it, I definitely wanna do that record. I don't give a fuck if it's 10 years from now, and we're like walking on canes with gray hair. I wanna do that record, cuz I think it'll be amazing." There were also rumors of an N.W.A. reunion, but it seems that Dre is not interested. "That was my past," he says. "What I thought was the thing to do then. I mean, I think 'Straight Outta Compton' was a classic hip-hop album. But I do look back on a lot of the things we were saying and doing then and go, "Damn!". But the shit was dope at the time. Would I ever do that N.W.A. material right now? No. No way. I'm more into totally positive moves." And what about a solo album? Dre is working on "The Chronic 2000: No Seeds", which will be released on November '99, and has already announced the album will contain two tracks with Snoop Doggy Dogg, with whom he hasn't worked for almost four years, and should also include tracks with Redman, Eminem, RBX, Xzibit and others.
50 CENT
More so than any other music since the blues, hip-hop is all about stories. And its stories are both criminal minded and grand, making them enthralling and unbelievable, but also making them only as interesting and convincing as the teller. That's why, despite being blackballed by the industry, without a major-label recording contract, heads still gravitated to Jamaica, Queens' realest son, 50 Cent, like the planets to the sun. 50 Cent, born Curtis Jackson 26 years ago, is the real deal, the genuine article. He's a man of the streets, intimately familiar with its codes and its violence, but still, 50, an incredibly intelligent and deliberate man, holds himself with a regal air as if above the pettiness which surrounds him. Couple his true-life hardship with his knack for addictive, syrupy hooks, it's clear that 50 has exactly what it takes to ride down the road to riches and diamond rings. 50 is real, so he does real things.Born into a notorious Queens drug dynasty during the late '70s, 50 Cent lost those closest to him at an early age. Raised without a father, 50's mother, whose name carried weight in the street (hint, hint, dummies), was found dead under mysterious circumstances before he could hit his teens. The orphaned youth was taken in by his grandparents, who provided for 50. But his desire for things would drive him to the block. Which in his case was the infamous New York Avenue, now known as Guy R. Brewer Blvd. There, 50 stepped up to get his rep up, amassing a small fortune and a lengthy rap sheet. But the birth of his son put things in perspective for the post adolescent, and 50 began to pursue rap seriously. He signed with JMJ, the label of Run DMC DJ Jam Master Jay and began learning his trade. JMJ would teach the young buck to count bars and structure songs. Unfortunately, caught up in industry limbo, there wasn't much JMJ could do for 50.------------------------------------Curtis Jackson also known as 50 cent hasent had it easy. he was born in queens 26 years ago.read on and here about his life..........His drug dealing mother was shot right in front of him.he was an orphaned child.He has been stabbed and put in jail numerous times.in 2000, 50 cent was shot 9 times in front of his grandmothers house and rumours started he went back to selling crack.he has already made a number of songs such as in da club, no mercy no fear,50 cent is the future and tonnes more.when he gave birth to his son he was more careful about his singing.On the 6th of february 2003 his albulm 'get rich or die trying' was released.he has been blamed for murders too.If anyone else was living this life what would you do?
No other rapper has been able to carve such a distinct niche in hip hop's diverse and expansive history as Snoop Dogg. His flow is like a Southern breeze on a lazy Sunday afternoon - soothing in its feel, sturdy in its power. We've all witnessed the curly-headed, lyrical phenomenon from 21st Street in Long Beach evolve and fortify into a grown man, now just as concerned with his business as he is with his lyrics - his game as healthy and expanding as his straightened head of hair.The Doggfather is now bringing his collection of classics to arenas across America as a headliner on Dr. Dre's "Up in Smoke 2000" tour. Snoop will join Tray Deee and Goldie Loc of his newly formed group Tha Eastsidaz, Eminem, Warren G, Xzibit, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Ice Cube, Mack 10, WC, and others on a tentative 39-city, seven-week tour to show audiences across the nation how the West coast rocks.His set includes joints from his upcoming No Limit/Priority Records album, Tha Last Meal, due in stores this fall and featuring production from Dr. Dre, Battlecat, Meech Wells, Timbaland, Jellyroll, Fredwreck and Swizz Beats, and Snoop recently completed shooting his long-awaited New Line cinema produced horror-flick "Bones," set to hit theaters later this year. In perhaps his most rewarding accomplishment, Snoop has started his own label, ---------- Records, which offers its artists 100 percent of their publishing rights. "You won't see that in no record label that I've dealt with," says Snoop. "Me giving it to the artist is something special because I feel like if you write your songs and create that atmosphere, you should be compensated for it." ---------- artists include Tha Eastsidaz, Kokane, Butch Cassidy and a female rap trio, Doggy's Angels. The label also has a film division entitled Snoopadelic Films, another gratifying achievement considering Snoop's personal love of motion pictures. The company's first release will be "The Eastsidaz," a straight-to-video film featuring himself, Tray Deee and Goldie Loc. For fans interested in Snoop's long and bumpy path to the present day, Snoop detailed his life story in his autobiography, "Tha Doggfather." Written with Davin Scay,the project required a self-analysis that few people are willing to undertake. "I had to go back to my childhood and the things that made me upset, and made me who Iam," says Snoop. "I also had to expose the bad things about myself that caused me to have that bad reputation when I first came out. But it's all a part of life. I was willing to reveal it and share it with the public."Between his numerous projects, Snoop manages to squeeze in a weekly radio show at The Beat in Los Angeles that has just picked up national syndication in 14 U.S. markets and counting. His air-shift sizzles with his favorite old-school r&b and hip hop joints, as well as world premiere releases of his own material.Snoop Dogg has already accomplished what many rap artists will never achieve. The sheer resiliency of his 28-year hustle has made hip hop's own "King of All Media" currently available in record stores, movie theaters, book stores, syndicated radio, and recently in concert, C-walking across a stage near you. Snoop admits his newfound focus on matters other than rhyming was sparked by Master P taught me," says Snoop. "Now I'm taking what he taught me, putting it to use with my personal knowledge and just trying to be the best artist in the game."
