Tupac Shakur:
Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac (or simply Pac) and Makaveli, was an American rapper. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide,[1] making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. In the United States alone he has sold 37.5 million records.[2] Rolling Stone Magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.[3]
In addition to his career as a top-selling rap artist, he was a promising actor,[4] and a social activist. Most of Tupac's songs are about growing up amid violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, other social problems, and conflicts with other rappers during the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry. Shakur began his career as a roadie and backup dancer for the alternative hip hop group Digital Underground.[5][6][7]
In September 1996, Shakur was shot four times in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada. He was taken to the University Medical Center, where he died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.[8]
Early life
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born on the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City.[9] He was named after Túpac Amaru II,[10] a Peruvian revolutionary who led an indigenous uprising against Spain and was subsequently executed.[11]
His mother, Afeni Shakur, and his father, Billy Garland, were active members of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s; he was born just one month after his mother's acquittal on more than 150 charges of "Conspiracy against the United States government and New York landmarks" in the New York Panther 21 court case.[12]
Although unconfirmed by the Shakur family, several sources (including the official coroner's report) list his birth name as "Lesane Parish Crooks".[13] This name was supposedly entered on the birth certificate because Afeni feared her enemies would attack her son, and disguised his true identity using a different last name. She changed it later, following her separation from Garland and marriage toMutulu Shakur.[14]
Struggle and incarceration surrounded Shakur from an early age. His godfather, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, a high ranking Black Panther, was convicted of murdering a school teacher during a 1968 robbery, although his sentence was later overturned. His stepfather, Mutulu, spent four years at large on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list beginning in 1982, when Shakur was a pre-teen. Mutulu was wanted in part for having helped his sister Assata Shakur (also known as Joanne Chesimard) to escape from a penitentiary in New Jersey, where she had been incarcerated for allegedly shooting a state trooper to death in 1973. Mutulu was caught in 1986 and imprisoned for the robbery of a Brinks armored truck in which two police officers and a guard were killed.[15] Shakur had a half-sister, Sekyiwa, two years his junior, and an older stepbrother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, who appeared on many of his recordings.[16]
At the age of twelve, Shakur enrolled in Harlem's 127th Street Repertory Ensemble and was cast as the Travis Younger character in the play A Raisin in the Sun, which was performed at the famousApollo Theater. In 1986, the family relocated to Baltimore, Maryland.[17] After completing his second year at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School he transferred to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and ballet. He performed in Shakespeare plays, and in the role of the Mouse King in The Nutcracker.[15] Shakur, accompanied by one of his friends, Dana "Mouse" Smith, as his beatbox, won most of the many rap competitions that he participated in and was considered to be the best rapper in his school.[18] Although he lacked trendy clothing, he was one of the most popular kids in his school because of his sense of humor, superior rapping skills, and ability to mix in with all crowds.[19] He developed a close friendship with a young Jada Pinkett(later Jada Pinkett Smith) that lasted until his death. In the documentary Tupac: Resurrection, Shakur says, "Jada is my heart. She will be my friend for my whole life," and Pinkett Smith calls him "one of my best friends. He was like a brother. It was beyond friendship for us. The type of relationship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime." A poem written by Shakur titled "Jada" appears in his book, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, which also includes a poem dedicated to Pinkett Smith called "The Tears in Cupid's Eyes". During his time in art school, Shakur began dating the daughter of the director of the Baltimore Communist Party USA.[20]
In June 1988, Shakur and his family moved once again, this time to Marin City, California,[17] where he attended Tamalpais High School.[21] He began attending the poetry classes of Leila Steinberg in 1989.[22] That same year, Steinberg organized a concert with a former group of Shakur's, Strictly Dope; the concert led to him being signed with Atron Gregory who set him up with the up-and-coming rap group Digital Underground. In 1990, he was hired as the band's backup dancer and roadie.[5][6][7]
Eazy-E:
Eric Lynn Wright[1][2][3] (September 7, 1963 – March 26, 1995), better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California. After dropping out of high school in the tenth grade, he supported himself primarily by selling drugs. He invested in the record company Ruthless Records, which he would co-found with Jerry Heller in 1983. When Ruthless artists Dr. Dre and Ice Cube wrote "Boyz-n-the-Hood", Dre, Cube, and Eazy formed N.W.A. After DJ Yella, MC Ren, and Arabian Prince joined the group, N.W.A released N.W.A. and the Posse. In 1988, they released their most controversial album, Straight Outta Compton. The group released two more albums, then Dr. Dre asked Eazy to release him from his contract. At first Eazy refused, but after Suge Knight threatened him, Eazy signed Dre off.
Eazy's main influences include Ice-T, Redd Foxx, King Tee, Bootsy Collins, Run-D.M.C., Richard Pryor, The Egyptian Lover, Schoolly D, Too $hort, Prince,The Sugarhill Gang, and George Clinton. When reviewing Eazy's albums, many critics noted his unique overall style, with Steve Huey of the All Music Guidesumming up: "While his technical skills as a rapper were never the greatest, his distinctive delivery (invariably described as a high-pitched whine), over-the-top lyrics, and undeniable charisma made him a star."[4] On February 24, 1995, Eazy was admitted into Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles with what he believed to be asthma, but was instead diagnosed with AIDS. On March 16, he acknowledged his condition publicly, and died due to complications ten days later.
Early life
Eric Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright on September 7, 1963 in Compton, California, a suburb of Los Angeles notorious for crime and gang activity.[5][6] His father was a postal worker and his mother was a grade school administrator.[7] Wright dropped out of high school in the tenth grade and supported himself by selling drugs.[8] His profit went to invest in Ruthless Records.[9] He was also a member of the Kelly Park Compton Crip during his teen years, and he openly associated himself with other Crips.[10] He later received a high school equivalency diploma.[11] In 1986, at the age of 23, Wright had allegedly earned as much as $250,000 (USD) from dealing drugs. However, he decided that he could make a better living by becoming involved with the Los Angeles hip-hop scene, which was growing rapidly in popularity.[12] He then began recording songs during the mid-1980s in the garage of his parents' home.[13]
Bone Thugs N Harmony:
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is a hip hop music group, formed in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., in 1991. It consists of rappers Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, Flesh-n-Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and DJ U-Neek of which the production is credited to for E. 1999 Eternal. Rapper Eazy-E of the group N.W.A signed Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Ruthless Records in 1994, when Bone Thugs debuted with EP Creepin on ah Come Up. That EP included the hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone."
In 1995, the group released its second album, E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "Tha Crossroads." A tribute to the recently deceased Eazy-E, "Tha Crossroads," won a Grammy award in 1997. The Art of War, the group's third album, was also released in 1997.
In 2000 BTNHResurrection reached platinum in one month and Thug World Order (2002) received more moderate sales and promotion. After the album the group went on a sort of hiatus and relesed two independent label releases (Bone 4 Life[1] and Thug Stories) before returning in 2007 with the mayor label release Strength & Loyalty, this time released by Swizz Beatz's label Full Surface Records. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony officially returned with their new albumUni-5: The World's Enemy, released in 2010 by their own record label, BTNH Worldwide, with distribution by Warner Bros.
Early years
the group consisted of only four members: Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone, Bizzy Bone and Wish Bone, and the group was originally called B.O.N.E Enterprise. Their first album, Faces of Death, was recorded in 1993. With new member and Layzie's brother, Flesh-n-Bone who was a member of the Crips[citation needed], added the same year, the group renamed itself Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In November 1993, the group auditioned backstage for rapper Eazy-E. Krayzie Bone performed his verse of "Flow Motion" from the Faces of Death album and Eazy-E was impressed.[2] Eazy-E signed the group to his label Ruthless Records.[3]
Above The Law:
Above the Law is a rap group from Pomona, California, founded in 1989 by Cold 187um, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-Oss.
In 1989, the group signed to the late Eazy-E's Ruthless Records, releasing albums such as 1990's Livin' Like Hustlers, 1991's Vocally Pimpin' (EP), 1992's Black Mafia Life and 1994's Uncle Sam's Curse, which was the last record on Ruthless Records. Shortly after Eazy-E'z death, the group signed to Tommy Boy Records in 1996. They released Time Will Reveal and Legends In 1999, The group signed to Suge Knight's Death Row Records but left in 2002. "Murder Rap", a song by Above the Law from their album, Livin' Like Hustlers, appeared in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the West Coast fictional radio station, Radio Los Santos.[1].
The group was apart of the West Coast Rap All-Stars, contributing to "We're All in the Same Gang", a 1990 collaboration of West Coast hip-hop artists that assembled for this song to promote an anti-violence message.
Above the Law claim to have invented the "G-funk" sound, which was made popular by Dr. Dre's The Chronic[2].
Biggie Smalls:
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997) was an American rapper. He was popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again), Big Poppa, Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film King of New York),[1] and by his primarystage name The Notorious B.I.G..
Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream.[2] The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification).[3] Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow",[4] dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released.MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time.[5] He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.[6]
Born in St. Mary's Hospital, despite later claiming to be raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Wallace grew up in neighboring Clinton Hill.[7] Wallace was the only child of Voletta Wallace, a Jamaican preschool teacher, and George Latore, a welder and small-time Jamaican politician.[8] His father left the family when Wallace was two years old, leaving his mother to work two jobs while raising him. At the Queen of All Saints Middle School, Wallace excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed "Big" because of his size before he turned 10.[9] At the age of 12, he began selling drugs. His mother, often away at work, did not know that her son was selling drugs until Wallace was an adult.[10]
At his request, Wallace transferred out of the private Roman Catholic Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School to attend the state-funded George Westinghouse Information Technology High School. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were also students at that school. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student, but developed a "smart-ass" attitude at the new school.[8] At seventeen, Wallace dropped out of high school and became further involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation.[11] A year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months behind bars until he made bail.[10]
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson (born June 15, 1969), better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, screenwriter, film director, and producer. He began his career as a member of C.I.A and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer, director, actor and producer in cinema. Additionally, he has served as one of the producers of the Showtime television seriesBarbershop and the TBS series Are We There Yet?, both of which are based upon films in which he portrayed the lead character.
He married Kimberly Woodruff in 1992, with whom he has four children (three boys, one girl).[2][3] From the 2000s onwards, Jackson focused on acting, and his musical output has slowed down considerably.
O'Shea "Ice Cube" Jackson was born on June 15, 1969 in South Central Los Angeles, California, the son of Doris Jackson (née Benjamin), a hospital clerk and custodian, and Hosea Jackson, who worked as a groundskeeper at UCLA.[4][5] His cousins are Teren Delvon Jones, also known as Del tha Funkee Homosapien, who is a part of the rap group Hieroglyphics and is best known for his work with Gorillaz; and Kam of rap group The Warzone.[6] At age sixteen, Jackson developed an interest in hip hop music, and began writing raps in Taft High School's keyboarding class.[6] He attended the Phoenix Institute of Technology in the fall of 1987, and studied Architectural Drafting.[7] With friend Sir Jinx, Jackson formed the C.I.A., and they performed at parties hosted by Dr. Dre.
M.C. Ren:
Born and raised in Compton, California, he joined the gangsta rap group N.W.A after finishing his senior year of high school. He contributed vocals on theStraight Outta Compton (1988) album as well as co-writing several tracks after Ice Cube left the group in 1989. N.W.A became the first gangsta rap group to gain mainstream success. However, as their album Niggaz4Life reached the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 in 1991, financial conflict between Dr. Dre andRuthless Records led to the group disbanding, he also personally cited the inevitable tension of a close knit group.[1] Group member Eazy-E was accused of skimming money along with the group's manager, Jerry Heller. Dr. Dre left to form Death Row Records. MC Ren subsequently released his debut album in 1992, entitled Kizz My Black Azz which went platinum. MC Ren's next album, Life Sentence, was scrapped while he converted to the Nation of Islam(which he has since left) with guidance from DJ Train. Shock of the Hour in 1993 was released the next year. It also features the single "Mayday on the Front Line" which appeared in the film CB4. MC Ren soon fell on hard times when DJ Train died in a burning house before the release of The Villain in Black(1996). The album sold relatively well for a brief period. Before leaving Ruthless Records, Ren released Ruthless for Life (1998) which proved a small comeback, selling moderately well. He appeared on the posse cut "Some L.A. Niggaz" from Dr. Dre's 2001 album. In 2000, he appeared on the song "Hello" which featured Dr. Dre and Ice Cube on Ice Cube's War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) album. He joined the Up In Smoke Tour that same year just to rap this verse on this track.
In addition, MC Ren released the straight-to-DVD movie entitled "Lost in the Game" in 2004. His most recent work has appeared on some more politically-oriented projects such as with Public Enemy, specifically Paris' album Hard Truth Soldiers Vol. 1 as well as on Public Enemy's album Rebirth of a Nation. Paris did state, however, in a recent interview with Rapstation.com that "MC Ren is retired and won't be doing a full-length album as far as I know. I get at him for verses, that's about it." MC Ren appeared on the VH1 Hip Hop Honors talking about Eazy-E in the tribute to him. As of late 2007, Ren was supposed to be in work with Long Beach based rapper, RBX alongside Big Rocc on the group Concrete Criminals and although a debut album was promised, nothing came out of it. In 2009, MC Ren finished his fifth studio album entitled Renincarnated which was released under his own record label Villain Entertainment on October 31, 2009. Renincarnated was only released in the U.S.
