Maybach Music Group is a record label founded by rapper Rick Ross, currently distributed by Warner Bros. Records, which took over distribution following the expiration of a deal with Def Jam Recordings. Maybach Music Group released its first album in 2009 being Rick Ross's Deeper Than Rap after the release Rick Ross focused more on signing artists to his label then discovered Masspike Miles and Triple C's .
The Cool Kids are a hip hop duo based in Chicago, Illinois consisting of Antoine "Sir Michael Rocks" Reed and Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll (originally from Mount Clemens, MI). They are signed to the independent Chocolate Industries via their own label C.A.K.E. Recordings. After meeting in 2005, and releasing three mixtapes onto the internet through their MySpace page, they released their debut EP The Bake Sale in 2008.
The Pharcyde is a West Coast underground/alternative hip hop group. The group was formed in 1991 in South Los Angeles, California, United States, where the group's members grew up. The group was one of the most well known of the first wave of alternative hip-hop acts. The original members of the group are "Slimkid3" (Tre Hardson), "Fatlip" (Derrick Stewart), "Imani" (Emandu Wilcox) and "Bootie Brown" (Romye Robinson). The group is best known for their hit singles "Passing Me By" (which crossed over to alternative rock radio) and "Runnin'", and their debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde.
Up and coming crew from Compton. Black Hippy consists of Ab-Soul, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, and ScHoolboy Q.
Pusha T (born Terrence Thornton on May 14, 1977 in Bronx, NY) is a recording artist, occasional actor, and one half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Clipse, which formed in 1992 from Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is also the co-founder and co-CEO of Re-Up Records along with his brother Gene "Malice" Thornton, the other half of Clipse. He has since relocated to Norfolk, Virginia where he and his brother were raised. In September 2010 he announced that he has signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D.
Flatbush Zombies is a hip-hop group consisting of Meech, Juice, and producer/rapper Erick Arc Elliott. They are located in the community of Flatbush in New York City. They have released a mix tape titled "D.R.U.G.S". and several music videos.
Michael Render, better known by his stage name Killer Mike (born April 20, 1975) is an American rapper, signed to Grind Time Official through the SMC/Fontana Distribution. He made his debut appearance on "Snappin' and Trappin'" on OutKast's 2000 LP Stankonia, and also appeared on the Grammy-winning song, "The Whole World", the single from OutKast's greatest hits album Big Boi and Dre Present...OutKast. He was featured in the movies 20 Funerals, Idlewild, and ATL.
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974 in St. Louis, Missouri), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur signed to Universal and Derrty Records. He has been active since 1993 as a bandmate of the rap group St. Lunatics, and became a hip-hop superstar after the success of his solo release, Country Grammar, in 2000. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200, spawned multiple chart toppers and won three Grammy awards.
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Grammy Award-winning American hip-hop artist and producer. He first became known to the mainstream hip-hop community in 2005 when he appeared on Kanye West's album Late Registration on the track "Touch the Sky." In 2006 Lupe released his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor on Atlantic Records, and in December 2007 he released his second full length album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.
Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan that consists of rappers Eminem and Royce da 5'9". They are best known for collaborating on the self-titled song that appeared on Eminem's major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP in 1999 and their early association with Dr. Dre and his label Aftermath Entertainment. The duo recorded numerous well received underground songs including the popular song "Renegade" which would later be used on Jay-Z's The Blueprint album with Royce's verses replaced by Jay-Z.