Juice is the soundtrack to the 1992 crime drama. It was released on December 31, 1991 through MCA Records. The soundtrack was a success, making it to #17 on the Billboard 200 and featured four charting singles “Uptown Anthem”, “Juice (Know the Ledge)”, “Don’t Be Afraid” and “Is It Good to You.”
Grits Sandwiches for Breakfast is Kid Rock’s first album, released by Jive Records in 1990. The Oakland, California rapper Too $hort produced the tracks “Super Rhyme Maker” and “Wax the Booty”. KRS-One associate D-Nice was also a producer on the album, and Mike E. Clark helped to produce “Yo-Da-Lin in the Valley.”
Chad Lamont Butler was born December 29, 1973. He was better known by his stage name Pimp C and was a rapper, singer, and producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as a founding member of the Underground Kingz (UGK). Pimp C was found dead in a hotel in West Hollywood, California, on December 4, 2007. Like many other Southern rappers, Pimp C frequently referenced the recreational consumption of lean in his music. R.I.P. Pimp C.
Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter is the fourth studio album by rapper Jay-Z, released on December 28, 1999 on Roc-A-Fella Records. It exhibits a return to the street-oriented sound of his first album, Reasonable Doubt (1996). Production for the album was handled by several hip hop producers, including Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, K-Rob, DJ Clue, Rockwilder, DJ Premier, and Irv Gotti. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 462,000 copies in its first week. It was a significant commercial success, shipping two million copies within its first month of release. Upon its release, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter received positive reviews from most music critics. On February 14, 2001, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of three million copies in the United States.
On December 27, 1999 Belize-born and Brooklyn-raised rapper Shyne and his then-girlfriend Monay Hawkins went to partake in post-holiday celebrations with Shyne’s record label boss Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez. The two couples hit up a club in Manhattan called Club New York. The young rapper had a debut album on the way and everything was looking up for Bad Boy Entertainment’s next rising star. All that changed when a fight broke out inside the club and Shyne, then 21 years old, pulled out a gun and started firing into the crowd. The incident left three people injured. During the melee, witnesses say they saw Shyne holding a smoking gun, which ultimately sealed his fate. Shyne would go on to face a high-profile legal battle that eventually got him dropped from Bad Boy Entertainment. Shyne was convicted of criminal possession of a weapon, assault and reckless endangerment, but found not guilty of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Shyne went on to serve nearly nine years in prison and when he was released in 2009, he was deported back to his native Belize.
The Best of N.W.A: The Strength of Street Knowledge is a greatest hits compilation of N.W.A material. It contains some of their old hits and remixes released December 26, 2006 Released through Ruthless Records & Priority Records, the title is a reference to the quote from the intro to “Straight Outta Compton”.
There Is No Competition 3: Death Comes in 3’s is the sixth mixtape by rapper Fabolous. It was released on December 25, 2011. The mixtape features guest appearances from Meek Mill, Trey Songz, Jadakiss, Styles P, Lloyd Banks, Red Cafe, Paul Cain and Broadway.
Theater of the Mind is the seventh studio album by hip hop recording artist Ludacris. It was released in the US on December 24, 2008, through Disturbing tha Peace and Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris calls the album theatrical. The album was well received by music critics. It debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 214,000 copies in its first week, making it his sixth top 5 album. It was his first album since 2000’s Back for the First Time and 2001’s Word of Mouf to not reach number one status and his lowest charting album in his career.
Bravehearted is an album by Nas’s protégés, the Queensbridge rap duo Bravehearts. The duo includes Nas’s brother Jungle and fellow friend Wiz. The album, however, didn’t do well in sales due to little promotion, it only came in at number 75 in the Billboard 200 Charts and 20 in the Hip Hop/R&B Charts. Besides Nas releasing an album off his Ill Will Records, Bravehearts were the only other label members to release a record off this label.
Luther Roderick Campbell was born December 22, 1960, also known as Uncle Luke is a record label owner, rap performer and actor. He is perhaps best known as a one-time member and leader of 2 Live Crew, and star of his own short-lived show on VH1, Luke’s Parental Advisory. As a result of one of the group’s songs, which used a parody of Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman”, Campbell was party to Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., which was argued in front of the US Supreme Court.
…And Then There Was X is the third studio album by rapper DMX. The album was released on December 21, 1999, by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings. In 2000, it was certified 4× Platinum and then later 5× Platinum. The album was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammys.
TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition is the sixth studio album by rapper Young Jeezy. It was released on December 20, 2011 through Corporate Thugz Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings. The album had been delayed for nearly two years, missing several purported release dates which have all been denied by representatives from Def Jam Records. The album marks the third, and final album in his Thug Motivation series, along with Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005), and The Inspiration(2006).
Tha Last Meal is the fifth studio album by rapper Snoop Dogg. It was released on December 19, 2000. It was his third and final album released on No Limit Records and his first album on his newly founded label Doggystyle Records in the United States. The album was produced mostly by Master P and Dr. Dre along with Timbaland and Soopafly. The album included the singles “Snoop Dogg (What’s My Name Pt. 2)”, “Hennesey n Buddah” featuring Kokane, “Lay Low” featuring Nate Dogg, “Loosen’ Control” and “Wrong Idea” featuring Bad Azz.
Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head is the eighth studio album by hip hop recording artist T.I.. The album was released on December 18, 2012, under Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records. The album’s production was provided by some of T.I.’s longtime collaborators, including DJ Toomp, Jazze Pha, Pharrell Williams and Lil’ C. High-profile record producers such as T-Minus, Cardiak, No I.D., Rico Love, Planet VI, Tommy Brown and Chuck Diesel, also contributed to the album. The album features guest appearances from P!nk, Lil Wayne, André 3000, R. Kelly, Akon, Meek Mill, Cee Lo Green, ASAP Rocky, Trae tha Truth, Victoria Monet and Grand Hustle’s own, D.O.P.E. The album’s first single, “Go Get It”, was released on July 17, becoming a moderate hit, peaking at number seventy seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. The lead single “Ball”, featuring fellow rapper Lil Wayne, was released on October 16, 2012. The single debuted at number fifty on the Billboard Hot 100. In April 2013, the single was certified gold by The RIAA, with over 500,000 copies shipped in the United States alone. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 179,000 copies in its first week of release; also debuting at number one on both the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and the Top Rap Albums chart respectively. Upon its release, Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head received “generally favorable reviews” from most music critics, where most music critics saw it as an improvement from his 2010 album No Mercy.