We Come Strapped is the debut album by rapper MC Eiht, released July 19, 1994 on Epic Street. It was produced by MC Eiht and DJ Slip of Compton’s Most Wanted. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 5 on the Billboard 200. The album features guest performances by Spice 1 and Redman.
Marcus Jamal Hopson was born July 18, 1985. He is better known by his stage name Hopsin, and is a rapper, record producer, director and actor from Los Angeles, California. In 2007, he was signed to Ruthless Records, and has since founded his own record label, Funk Volume, in 2009. Hopsin has released three studio albums, Gazing At the Moonlight through Ruthless Records, Raw and his latest album Knock Madness along with the mixtape Haywire through Funk Volume.He is well known for his use of white colored eye contacts in music videos, performances, and interviews.
Edutainment is the fourth album from Boogie Down Productions. Released on July 17, 1990, it is an album whose lyrics deal with afrocentricity and socio-political knowledge. It has 6 skits/interludes known as ‘exhibits’ that all talk about or relate to Black people. Many skits feature Kwame Ture a leader of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on October 10, 1990.
“The Blast” is a hip hop single from Reflection Eternal’s debut album, Train of Thought. It features rapping from the duo’s emcee, Talib Kweli, as well as from its producer, DJ Hi-Tek. It is the only Reflection Eternal song that Hi-Tek raps on and like all Reflection Eternal songs, he produces it. The song has a somber and jazzy beat backed by vocals from Vinia Mojica. It has a music video directed by Little X in which Kweli and Hi-Tek are rapping in a rainstorm. The music video version is extended in length, and gives Talib Kweli an extra verse. It was also very successful, since it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks and #49 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
It Ain’t 4 Play is the first and only album released by rap group, Funk Mobb. It was released July 15, 1996 on Sick Wid It Records and Jive Records. The album was produced by G-Note, D-Shot, K-1, K-Lou, Levitti, Mac Shawn, and Studio Ton. It peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 28 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers. One single was released, “I Wanna See Ya”. The last track, “Mr. Bubble”, is a bonus track exclusive to the CD release.
Hello Nasty is the fifth studio album by the Beastie Boys. It was released on July 14, 1998 via Capitol Records and sold 681,000 copies in its first week, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart. The album took home two awards at the 1999 Grammys, in the categories of Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Intergalactic”.
Full Clip – A Decade of Gang Starr is a compilation album, featuring 32 songs released by Hip Hop duo Gang Starr between 1989 and 1999, plus a brief ‘intro’ track. It was released by Virgin Records. The album includes 21 tracks taken from the five albums it had released up to that point, eight of which were previously available only on soundtracks or vinyl singles, and three newly recorded tracks “Full Clip”, “Discipline” and “All 4 the Ca$h”. The compilation was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 19, 1999.
Wanted is the fourth studio album by rapper Bow Wow, it was released on July 12, 2005, by Columbia Records. The album debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 120,000 copies in the first week. The album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping over a million copies in the United States. Clean versions of “Fresh Azimiz” and “Let Me Hold You” were recorded. This was Bow Wow’s first album to contain uncensored profanity.Wanted received mixed reviews from music critics.
Kimberly Denise Jones was born July 11, 1974 and known by her stage name Lil’ Kim. She is a rapper, songwriter, record producer, model, and actress. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, living much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, Jones would freestyle rap, heavily influenced by actress/singer Diana Ross, and fellow female hip-hop artists like MC Lyte and The Lady of Rage. Performing a freestyle rap for The Notorious B.I.G. got her music career started in 1995 with his group Junior M.A.F.I.A., whose debut album Conspiracy generated three hit singles. Kimberly Jones’ debut studio album, Hard Core (1996) was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned three consecutive No. 1 hits. In 2005, she served a yearlong prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends’ involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album The Naked Truth was released. She returned to the public eye in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Throughout her career, Jones has earned several accolades for her work. In 2012, she was honorably listed on VH1’s “100 Greatest Women In Music” list at number 45, the second highest position for a solo female hip-hop artist.
Shame is the second EP by by duo MadGibbs, which consists of Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs and California musician Madlib. It was released on July 10, 2012 through Madlib Invazion in both digital and 12-inch vinyl formats.
Boyz N the Hood is the soundtrack to the 1991 film. It was released on July 9, 1991 through Warner Bros. Records and contained mostly hip hop music. The album was very successful, making it to #12 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top R&B Albums chart and was certified gold by the RIAA on September 12 of that year.
Whodini is the self-titled debut album by the group Whodini. It was released in 1983 on Jive/Arista Records and spawned two hit singles: “Magic’s Wand” and “The Haunted House of Rock.
