Chino XL (born Derek Barbosa, April 8, 1971, in The Bronx, New York but raised in East Orange, New Jersey) is a rapper well respected among hip hop enthusiasts for his battling abilities. He is notorious for his usage of self-consciously over-the-top punchlines (which usually take the form of puns or similes) and for his exaggerated egotism. He is also well known to many for a brief feud with Tupac Shakur.
Stefan Bruinsma (17-08-1982), a.k.a. Number 9, was born and raised in the north of the Netherlands in a city called Groningen. At the age of 9 he discovered music was his passion, and he took his first piano lessons shortly followed by his first guitar lessons. After developing as a musician he encountered people that shared his vision on making music and performing on stage. At the age of 18 he chose the Rockacademy in Tilburg to develop as an artist and entrepreneur in the music industry. Up till now his life resulted in the following music projects:
Mercury Prize 2009 Award Winning Producer, Wayne Lotek, produces a mash up of hip-hop, reggae influenced grime and UK dancehall. Originally from North London, Lotek is now based in Melbourne Australia.
Slaughterhouse is a hip hop group consisting of rappers Crooked i, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5'9". The group formed in late 2008 after Crooked I, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5'9" appeared on the song "Slaughterhouse" from Joe Budden's album Halfway House. They took their name from the song. The members of Slaughterhouse all share some degree of controversy from their past in the music industry.
It was around the age of 11 when making beats won out over video games to become Oh No
Gift Of Gab (Tim Parker) and Chief Xcel (Xavier Mosley) met at John F. Kennedy High School in 1987 in Sacramento, California and formed the group in the early 1990s. They released their first recording, "Swan Lake", on solesides records. The Solesides Crew consisted of the duo, as well as other friends of theirs they had met at University of California - Davis, including DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born and Lateef The Truth Speaker. The single was an underground hit, but label trouble prevented the duo from immediately capitalizing on their fame.
Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden 16 year old Yung Lean (real name Jonatan Leandoer Håstad) along with producers Yung Sherman and Yung Gud form the Sad Boys. Lean is the son of Swedish author, translator and literary editor Kristoffer Leandoer. The Sad Boys are influenced by artists such as Lil B, Future and Main Attrakionz. Producers Young Sherman and Yung Gud incorporate cloud ambient beats and auto-tune while Lean constantly raps about "...Fucking hoes and popping pills like Tic Tacs... " all while he sips on an Arizona Ice Tea.
Nice & Smooth is an underground East Coast rap duo from New York, composed of Greg Nice (Greg Mays) and Smooth B (Daryl Barnes). Together, they made several albums in the late 1980s and early 1990s to little popular appeal, though their second album (Ain't a Damn Thing Changed, 1991) was a commercial success that included a minor hit in "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow". "Hip-Hop Junkies", which featured a sample from The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" was also a hit, and once performed live on Keenan Ivory Wayans "In Living Color".
Blu is definitely a leader in the new school of Los Angeles emcees. His presence is undeniable, while his music captivates audiences regardless of race, class, and gender. His delivery flows flawlessly, while his content reflects the joy and pain of working class youth everywhere. Exile is a producer, DJ and occasional emcee previously known for being a member of the duo Emanon, along with Aloe Blacc. His style of production is known for its "laid back soulful vibes" and is influenced by such producers as J Dilla and Madlib.
Hip-Hop isn't all about violent city life and superficial pipe dreams. But newcomer, Hasan Salaam, knows that best. As emcees are forging a coup de grace, hip-hop is destined for change. But while some retreat and plot their escapes through disillusionment, in real life and on wax, Hasan Salaam aims to be at the forefront of the revolution. His commanding presence holds no punches as he relates to today's youth with honesty and fearlessness. Consequently, misguided portrayals of urban life and a lack of hip-hop with substance on the airwaves has birthed a new emcee.