The Ownerz is the sixth and final studio album by the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, recorded two years before the duo broke up and seven years before Guru’s death. It was well-received critically and boasts four singles, “Skills,” “Rite Where U Stand,” “Nice Girl, Wrong Place,” and “Same Team, No Games.” Many tracks feature a drum kit sampled from an Oberheim DMX drum machine.
Don’t Sweat the Technique is the fourth studio album by hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released on June 23, 1992, by MCA Records. Their final album as a duo, it was recorded and produced by Eric B. & Rakim at The Hit Factory in New York City. The album builds on the sounds of 1990’s Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em, with Rakim sounding more aggressive on Eric B.’s jazzy, soulful production. The album debuted at number 22 on the Billboard 200 chart in the week of July 11, 1992. It also charted at number nine on Top R&B Albums.
Intelligent Hoodlum is the debut album from Queensbridge emcee Intelligent Hoodlum, later known as Tragedy Khadafi. The album was produced by legendary New York hip hop producers Marley Marl and Large Professor.
Long Live the Kane is the debut album by MC Big Daddy Kane, released by Cold Chillin’ Records in 1988. It was produced by Marley Marl and established both as premier artists during hip hop’s golden age.
2000 is the second album by hip hop artist Grand Puba of the group Brand Nubian, released in mid-1995 through Elektra Records. The album wasn’t as acclaimed as his solo debut Reel to Reel and wasn’t able to sell a significant number of units, despite a Billboard Hot 100 hit, “I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)”.
Ben Haggerty was born June 19, 1983, he is known by Macklemore and formerly Professor Macklemore, Since 2000, he has independently released one mixtape, three EPs, and two albums. He has significantly collaborated with producer Ryan Lewis. Macklemore and Lewis’ single “Thrift Shop” reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2013. The single was premiered on commercial radio by radio personality Jay Postal on September 2, 2012, and was soon dubbed the first song since 1994 to top the Hot 100 chart without the support of a major record label by Billboard, although Macklemore, in a slightly unusual recording contract, pays a nominal percentage of sales to use Warner Bros. Records’ radio promotion department to push his singles. Their second single, “Can’t Hold Us” also peaked at No. 1 of the Hot 100 Chart, making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart’s history to have their first two singles both reach the peak position. Macklemore and Lewis released their debut studio album The Heist on October 9, 2012, which charted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart. The pair was nominated for seven Grammy awards at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, winning four awards including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album (The Heist), Best Rap Song, and Best Rap Performance (“Thrift Shop”). Thrift Shop has gained approximately 722 million YouTube views as of June 17, 2015.
Derelicts of Dialect is Queens-based emcees 3rd Bass second LP and final studio album, released on Def Jam Recordings. The album is considered to be a critical success and explicitly not aimed toward a mainstream market. It gained publicity by featuring the surprise mainstream hit “Pop Goes the Weasel,” a diss track towards Vanilla Ice. The music video features former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins as Ice. X-Clan is dissed on songs such as “Herbalz In Your Mouth.” The album is noted for its variety of styles both musically and lyrically. Several amusing anecdotes and skits on the album draw direct influences from De La Soul’s album 3 Feet High and Rising.Derelicts of Dialect was certified gold by the RIAA three months after its release.
The War Report is the influential debut album by rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga. Tragedy Khadafi was in many ways the mastermind behind the project and was at the time considered an unofficial third member. He appears on more than half of the album’s songs. The album was a commercial success, making 1997’s Hip Hop/R&B Top Five.
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born Lesane Parish Crooks June 16, 1971. He was also known by 2Pac and briefly as Makaveli, 2Pac was a rapper, songwriter, and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. His double disc albums All Eyez on Me and his Greatest Hits are among the best selling albums in the United States. Shakur began his career as a roadie, backup dancer, and MC for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground, eventually branching off as a solo artist. The themes of most of Shakur’s songs revolved around the violence and hardship in inner cities, racism and other social problems. Both of his parents and several other of his family were members of the Black Panther Party, whose ideals were reflected in his songs. During the latter part of his career, Shakur was a vocal participant in the so-called East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry, becoming involved in conflicts with other rappers, producers and record-label staff members, most notably The Notorious B.I.G. and the label Bad Boy Records. On September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting at the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was taken to the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, where he died six days later.
O’Shea Jackson, Sr. was born June 15, 1969, better known by Ice Cube, is a rapper, record producer, actor, and filmmaker. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined N.W.A (Niggaz Wit Attitudes). After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music and films. Ice Cube is noted as a proficient lyricist and storyteller and is regarded as a brutally honest rapper. His lyrics are often political or socio-political, as well as violent and aggressive, and he is considered one of the founding artists in gangsta rap. He was ranked #8 on MTV’s list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time, while fellow rapper Snoop Dogg ranked Ice Cube as the greatest MC of all time. AllMusic has called him one of hip-hop’s best and most controversial artists, as well as “one of rap’s greatest storytellers”. In 2012, The Source ranked him #14 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.
Freddie Gibbs was born and raised in Gary, Indiana, and grew up at 17th and Virginia St. on the city’s east side. Gibbs signed with Interscope Records in 2006, after which he moved to Los Angeles and recorded a debut album, but a year later the management of Interscope changed hands and the rapper was dropped. He is currently an independent artist with much success. On March 18, 2014, Gibbs released an album with producer Madlib, titled Piñata. The album received universal acclaim from music critics and peaked at 38th on the US Billboard 200 and 7th on the Billboard Top Rap Albums list.
Fantastic, Vol. 2 is the second album from Detroit’s Slum Village, released June 13 2000. During the time of its release the group was still composed of its earliest members T3, Baatin and Jay Dee.
God Loves Ugly is the second studio album by the Minneapolis hip hop group Atmosphere, released on June 12, 2002, on Rhymesayers Entertainment/Fat Beats Records. The album, via distribution with Fat Beats, went on to sell more than 130,000 copies in the United States.
The True Meaning is the second studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. It was critically acclaimed and won the prestigious “Independent Album of the Year” at the Source Awards 2003. He also received “Impact Artist of the Year” honors at the Underground Music Awards. It was praised for its back to basics formula, tight beats and fierce rhymes. Standout tracks include “Live Ya Life”, “Love In Love Out” which documents Cormega’s beef with fellow Queensbridge rapper Nas.