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THRILLSTAR Entertainment

Hip Hop / Rap / R&B

50 Cent is an American rapper, actor, television producer, and businessman. Born in South Jamaica, a neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999-2000, he recorded his "debut" album Power of the Dollar for Columbia Records; however, he was struck by nine bullets during a shooting in May 2000, causing its release to be cancelled and Jackson to be dropped from the label. His 2002 mixtape, Guess Who's Back? was discovered by Detroit rapper Eminem, who signed Jackson to his label Shady Records, an imprint of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records that same year.

His debut studio album, Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) was released to critical acclaim and commercial success. Peaking atop the Billboard 200, it spawned the Billboard Hot 100-number one singles "In da Club" and "21 Questions" (featuring Nate Dogg), and received nonuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That same year, he launched the record label G-Unit Records, namesake of a hip hop group he formed two years prior; the label's initial signees were its members, fellow East Coast rappers Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. His second album, The Massacre (2005) was met with similar success and supported by his third number-one single, "Candy Shop" (featuring Olivia). He adopted a lighter, further commercially-oriented approach for his third and fourth albums, Curtis (2007) and Before I Self Destruct (2009)—both were met with critical and commercial declines—and aimed for a return to his roots with his fifth album, Animal Ambition (2014). He has since focused on his career in television and media, having executive-produced and starred in the television series Power (2014–2020), as well as its numerous spin-offs under his company G-Unit Films and Television Inc.

Jackson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several awards, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards and four BET Awards. In his acting career, Jackson first starred in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005), which was critically panned. He was also cast in the war film Home of the Brave (2006), and the crime thriller Righteous Kill (2008). Billboard ranked Jackson as 17th on their "50 Greatest Rappers" list in 2023, and named him the sixth top artist of the 2000s decade. Rolling Stone ranked Get Rich or Die Tryin' and "In da Club" in its lists of the "100 Best Albums of the 2000s" and "100 Best Songs of the 2000s" at numbers 37 and 13, respectively.

A$ap Rocky is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker. In August 2011, Mayers' single "Peso" was leaked online and within weeks, began receiving radio airplay. He signed with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records in October of that year, and shortly after, released his debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP (2011) to widespread critical acclaim.

Mayers' debut studio album, Long. Live. A$AP (2013) peaked the Billboard 200, received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and saw positive critical reception. The album was supported by his first Billboard Hot 100 entry as its lead single: "Fuckin' Problems" (featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar), which peaked at number eight on the chart and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Song. His second album, At. Long. Last. A$AP (2015) likewise debuted atop the chart and saw continued critical praise; its single, "L$D" earned his second Grammy Award nomination for Best Music Video at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. His third album, Testing (2018) peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200 and seven other countries, while his fourth album, Don't Be Dumb is scheduled for release in 2024.

Mayers has won a BET Award, two BET Hip Hop Awards, an MTV Video Music Award Japan and an MTVU Woodie Award, as well as being nominated for two Grammy Awards, six World Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards and two MTV Europe Music Awards. Furthermore, Mayers is also a music video director, and produces records for other artists under the pseudonym Lord Flacko.

Al Green is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including "Take Me to the River", "Tired of Being Alone", "I'm Still in Love with You", "Love and Happiness", and his signature song, "Let's Stay Together". After his girlfriend died by suicide, Green became an ordained pastor and turned to gospel music. He later returned to secular music.

Green was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. He was referred to on the museum's site as being "one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music". He has also been referred to as "The Last of the Great Soul Singers". Green is the winner of 11 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also received the BMI Icon award and is a Kennedy Center Honors recipient. He was included in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, ranking at No. 65, as well as its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, at No. 10.

Alicia Keys is an American singer and songwriter. A classically trained pianist, Keys began composing songs when she was the age of 12 and was signed by Columbia Records at the age of 15. After disputes with the label, she signed with J Records to release her debut studio album, Songs in A Minor (2001). Met with critical acclaim and commercial success, the album sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won five awards at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. It contained the Billboard Hot 100-number one single "Fallin'." Her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003) was met with continued success, selling eight million units worldwide and spawning the singles "You Don't Know My Name", "If I Ain't Got You", and "Diary" (featuring Tony! Toni! Toné!). Its release earned an additional four Grammy Awards.

Her 2004 duet with Usher, "My Boo", became her second number-one single. Alicia's first live album, Unplugged (2005), spawned the single "Unbreakable" and made her the first female artist to have an MTV Unplugged project debut atop the Billboard 200. Her third album, As I Am (2007), sold seven million units worldwide and yielded her third Billboard Hot 100-number one single. "No One." In 2007, Keys made her film debut in the action-thriller Smokin' Aces, and performed the theme song to the James Bond film Quantum of Solace with her single "Another Way to Die" (with Jack White) the following year. Her fourth album, The Element of Freedom (2009), peaked the UK Albums Chart, sold four million copies worldwide, and was supported by the singles "Doesn't Mean Anything", "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", and "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)." That same year, her 2009 single "Empire State of Mind" (with Jay-Z) became her fourth number-one in the United States. Her fifth album, Girl on Fire (2012), became her fourth non-consecutive album to peak the Billboard 200 and was supported by its lead single of the same name; her sixth album, Here (2016), peaked at number two on the chart. Her seventh and eighth studio albums, Alicia (2020) and Keys (2021), spawned the singles "Show Me Love" (featuring Miguel), "Underdog", "Lala" and "Best of Me". Her first independent release, Santa Baby (2022), was a holiday album. In 2023, she wrote, composed and co-produced her first off-Broadway musical, Hell's Kitchen.

Keys has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. She was named by Billboard as the Top Artist of the 2000s in the R&B/Hip-Hop category, and placed tenth on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. She has received numerous accolades in her career, including 16 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and an award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. VH1 included her on their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music lists, while Time has named her in their 100 list of most influential people in 2005 and 2017. Keys is also acclaimed for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism. She co-founded the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive in 2003, for which she serves as Global Ambassador.

Ari Lennox is an American R&B singer from Washington, D.C. She is the first female artist to be signed to J. Cole's record label, Dreamville Records. She began gaining recognition after the release of her first EP Pho (2016) on the label. That same year, she made an uncredited guest appearance on J. Cole's song "Change". Lennox's debut studio album Shea Butter Baby followed in 2019.

Lennox has also been featured on the Dreamville compilation albums Revenge of the Dreamers II (2015), and Revenge of the Dreamers III (2019), the latter of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and earned Lennox a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. In 2021, Lennox earned her first entries on the Billboard Hot 100 with her single "Pressure", and her feature on the song "Unloyal" by Summer Walker.

Big Sean is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He met high-profile rapper Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popularity following the release of his third mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 3: Big (2010). His debut studio album, Finally Famous (2011) peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "My Last" (featuring Chris Brown), "Marvin & Chardonnay" (featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash), and "Dance (Ass)" (remixed featuring Nicki Minaj). His second album, Hall of Fame (2013) was supported by the top 40 single "Beware" (featuring Lil Wayne and Jhené Aiko), and likewise peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.

His third album, Dark Sky Paradise (2015) debuted atop the US Billboard 200 and was led by the single "I Don't Fuck with You" (featuring E-40), which received octuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); each of the album's singles—"Paradise", "Blessings" (featuring Drake and Kanye West), "One Man Can Change the World" (featuring John Legend and Kanye West), and "Play No Games" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Chris Brown)—also received platinum certification. His fourth and fifth albums, I Decided (2017) and Detroit 2 (2020) likewise peaked atop the chart; the former was supported by the single "Bounce Back", which peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song. In the year following the latter album's release, he dissociated with West and parted ways with GOOD Music.

Bizarrap is an Argentine record producer, songwriter and DJ. He specializes in EDM, Latin trap and Latin hip hop. He is known for his Bzrp Music Sessions, a series of independent tracks which he records with a wide variety of artists. He was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2021 and 2023.

Cardi B is an American rapper. She is one of the most commercially successful female rappers of her generation. Born and raised in New York City, she first gained popularity through videos shared on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York, which depicted her pursuit of her music aspirations, and earned further recognition with the release of her two mixtapes: Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 (2016) and Vol. 2 (2017).

Her first studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was ranked the top female rap album of the 2010s by Billboard. Critically acclaimed, it made Cardi B the first female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album as a solo artist, and marked the first female rap album in 15 years nominated for Album of the Year. It spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100; with "Bodak Yellow", its lead single, Cardi B became the first female rapper to top the Hot 100 with a solo song in the 21st century and the first to achieve a diamond-certified song by the RIAA, while "I Like It" marked the first time a female rapper attained multiple number-one songs on the Hot 100. Her third Hot 100 number-one, the collaboration "Girls Like You" with band Maroon 5, made her the only female rapper to achieve multiple diamond-certified songs by the RIAA. She has since released two singles: "WAP" (featuring Megan Thee Stallion) in 2020 and "Up" in 2021, both of which topped the Hot 100 and other charts worldwide.

Recognized by Forbes as one of the most influential female rappers of all time, Cardi B holds various records among women in hip hop; she is the female rapper with the most number-one singles (five) on the Billboard Hot 100, and the only female rapper to achieve multiple solo number-ones and earn number-ones in two decades (2010s and 2020s) on the chart. She is also the female rapper with the most diamond-certified songs (three) by the RIAA, the highest-certified female rapper of all time on their Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, and has 100 million certified units (album and songs) sold in the US alone. Additionally, she is the female rapper with the most songs with a billion streams on Spotify—where she also has the most-streamed female rap album. She was the first lead artist to top the Billboard Global 200. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, eight Billboard Music Awards, six Guinness World Records, six American Music Awards, 14 BET Hip Hop Awards, and two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards. In 2018, Time magazine included her on its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020, Billboard honored her as Woman of the Year.

Outside of music, Cardi B served as a judge on the music competition series Rhythm + Flow (2019), appeared in the films Hustlers (2019) and F9 (2021), and had a voice role in Baby Shark's Big Movie! (2023). In 2022, she became the creative director of entertainment magazine Playboy.

Chance The Rapper

Chance The Rapper is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape 10 Day in 2012. He gained mainstream recognition in 2013 following the release of his second mixtape, Acid Rap. His third mixtape, Coloring Book (2016), was released to further critical acclaim and commercial success as it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. The mixtape also earned a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, while a song off the album, "No Problem" (featuring 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne), won Best Rap Performance; it became the first streaming-only album to win a Grammy Award. Bennett himself was also awarded Best New Artist the same night. His debut studio album, The Big Day, was released in 2019 to continued commercial success and moderate critical reception.

In addition to his solo career, Bennett is a member of the Chicago-based collective Savemoney, and is the vocalist for the band the Social Experiment, led by trumpeter Nico Segal. The band released their album Surf in 2015. Bennett has since been prolific in social activism and philanthropic endeavors in his hometown.

Chloe x Halle are an American duo composed of sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey. At a young age, the sisters performed in minor acting roles before moving from their hometown of Mableton, Georgia to Los Angeles in 2012. The two began posting music covers to YouTube and were acknowledged by Beyoncé, who became their mentor and later signed them to her label, Parkwood Entertainment. They subsequently released the EP Sugar Symphony (2016) and the mixtape The Two of Us (2017).

The duo gained further prominence after starring in the sitcom Grown-ish (2018–2022) and releasing their debut album The Kids Are Alright (2018), for which they earned two Grammy Award nominations including Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album. In 2020, they released their second studio album Ungodly Hour to critical acclaim, earning them another three Grammy Award nominations including Best Progressive R&B Album, Best R&B Song for "Do It" and Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Wonder What She Thinks of Me." The album's lead single "Do It" became the duo's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking at number 63 and number 23 respectively. The album itself peaked at number 16 and number 11 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, respectively, becoming the duo's highest peak on the former chart and their first on the latter.

Ciara is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, dancer, model, and actress. She rose to prominence with her debut studio album, Goodies (2004) and its lead single of the same name (featuring Petey Pablo), which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart. Follow-up singles from the album included "1, 2 Step" (featuring Missy Elliott) and "Oh" (featuring Ludacris), both of which peaked at number two on the former chart. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Ciara also guest featured on the 2005 singles "Lose Control" by Missy Elliott and "Like You" by Bow Wow, both of which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution (2006), topped the Billboard 200 and spawned the top-ten single "Get Up" (featuring Chamillionaire) and the top 20 singles "Promise" and "Like a Boy." Ciara's third studio album, Fantasy Ride (2009) produced the top-ten single "Love Sex Magic" (featuring Justin Timberlake), which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct (2010) spawned the single "Ride" (featuring Ludacris), which received platinum certification by the RIAA. After the album's commercial underperformance, Ciara signed with Epic Records in 2011 to release her eponymous fifth (2013) and sixth album, Jackie (2015). The former peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the double platinum-certified single "Body Party", while the latter spawned the platinum-certified single "I Bet".

The following year, Ciara signed a modeling contract with IMG, became a Global Brand Ambassador for the cosmetics company Revlon, and married quarterback Russell Wilson. Her seventh album, Beauty Marks (2019), included the platinum-certified single "Level Up". She signed with Uptown Records, an imprint of Republic Records through a partnership with her own label, Beauty Marks Entertainment in 2022. Ciara's debut extended play (EP), CiCi (2023) spawned the singles "How We Roll" (with Chris Brown) and "Forever" (featuring Lil Baby).

In her acting career, she has appeared in the films All You've Got (2006), Mama, I Want to Sing! (2012), That's My Boy (2012), and the television series The Game (2013). Ciara starred in the 2023 remake of The Color Purple as Nettie. Ciara has received multiple accolades, including a Grammy Award, two BET Awards, the Woman of the Year award from Billboard Women in Music, two MTV Video Music Awards, eight Soul Train Awards, and fifteen Ascap Music Awards. As of 2019, Ciara's worldwide sales total over 45 million.

Diana Ross is an American singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. They remain the best-charting female group in history, with a total of 12 number-one pop singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, including "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Keep Me Hangin' On," and "Love Child."

Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Ross embarked on a successful solo music career with the release of her eponymous debut solo album and its singles, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" – her first solo U.S. number-one hit – and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)." Her second solo album, Everything Is Everything (1970), spawned her first UK number-one single "I'm Still Waiting." Ross continued her successful solo career by mounting elaborate record-setting worldwide concert tours, starring in highly watched primetime TV specials, and releasing hit albums, such as Touch Me in the Morning (1973), Mahogany (1975), Diana Ross (1976), and Diana (1980), as well as their U.S. number-one pop singles – "Touch Me in the Morning," "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)," "Love Hangover," and "Upside Down," respectively. "Endless Love", a 1981 duet with Lionel Richie, made her the female solo act with the most number-one songs in the United States at the time. Her commercial success continued throughout the 1980s and 1990s with global hits, including "I'm Coming Out," "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," "All of You," "Chain Reaction," "If We Hold on Together," and "When You Tell Me That You Love Me."

Ross has also achieved mainstream success and recognition as an actress. Her first role was her Golden Globe Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Billie Holiday in the film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), becoming the first African-American actress to receive an Academy Award nomination for a debut film performance; she also recorded its soundtrack, which became her only solo album to reach number-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. She also starred in two other feature films, Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), and later appeared in the television films Out of Darkness (1994), for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award, and Double Platinum (1999).

Ross was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard in 1976. Since her solo career began in 1970, Ross has released 25 studio albums, numerous singles, and compilations that have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. She is the only woman artist to have had U.S. number-one pop singles on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist, as the other half of a duet, as a member of a trio, and as an ensemble member, a total of 18. In 2021, Billboard ranked her the 30th greatest Hot 100 artist of all time. Her hits as a Supreme and a solo artist combined put Ross among the top-five artists on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart from 1955 to 2018. She had a top 10 UK hit in every one of the last five decades, and sang lead on a top 75 hit single at least once every year from 1964 to 1996 in the UK, a period of 33 consecutive years and a record for any performer. In 1988, Ross was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes, and is one of the rare performers to have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was the recipient of a Special Tony Award in 1977, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and 2023 (becoming the first woman to win the award twice, the latter as a member of The Supremes), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

Doja Cat is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Based in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCloud as a teenager. Her song "So High" caught the attention of Kemosabe and RCA Records, with whom she signed a recording contract prior to the release of her debut extended play, Purrr! in 2014.

After a hiatus from releasing music and the uneventful rollout of her debut studio album, Amala (2018), Doja Cat earned viral success as an internet meme with her 2018 single "Mooo!", a novelty song in which she makes humorous claims about being a cow. Capitalizing on her growing popularity, she released her second studio album, Hot Pink, in the following year. The album later reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200 and spawned the single "Say So"; its remix featuring Nicki Minaj topped the Billboard Hot 100. Her third studio album, Planet Her (2021), spent four weeks at number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned the top ten singles "Kiss Me More" (featuring SZA), "Need to Know", and "Woman". Her fourth studio album, Scarlet (2023), adopted a hip hop-oriented sound and peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200, while its lead single "Paint the Town Red" became her most successful song to date, as it marked her first solo number-one on the Hot 100 among eight other countries.

Described by The Wall Street Journal as "a skilled technical rapper with a strong melodic sense and a bold visual presence", Doja Cat is known for creating videos and performances which achieve virality on social media platforms such as TikTok. Well-versed in Internet culture, she is also famed for her absurdist online personality and stage presence. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including one Grammy Award from sixteen nominations, five Billboard Music Awards, five American Music Awards, and five MTV Video Music Awards. She is one of the biggest commercial artists of the 2020s according to Billboard, and was included on the 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2023.

Future is an American rapper and singer. Known for his mumble-styled vocals and prolific output, Future is considered a pioneer of the use of Auto-Tuned melodies in trap music. Due to the sustained popularity of this musical style, he is commonly regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Future signed a recording contract with Rocko's A1 Recordings in 2011, which entered a joint venture with Epic Records shortly after. His first two studio albums, Pluto (2012) and Honest (2014) were both met with critical and commercial success, spawning the platinum-certified singles "Turn On the Lights", "Honest", "Move That Dope" (featuring Pharrell Williams and Pusha T), and "I Won" (featuring Kanye West). His subsequent albums have each debuted atop the US Billboard 200; his third and fourth, DS2 (2015) and Evol (2016) were supported by the singles "Where Ya At" (featuring Drake) and "Low Life" (featuring the Weeknd), respectively. Future's eponymous fifth album and its follow-up, Hndrxx (both 2017) made him the first artist to release two chart-topping albums on the Billboard 200 in consecutive weeks—the former spawned his first Billboard Hot 100-top ten single, "Mask Off."

After departing A1, Future released the albums The Wizrd (2019) and High Off Life (2020)—the latter spawned the diamond-certified single "Life Is Good" (featuring Drake). Future guest appeared alongside Young Thug on Drake's 2021 single "Way 2 Sexy," which became his first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 after a record-breaking 125 entries. His ninth album, I Never Liked You (2022) spawned the single "Wait for U" (featuring Drake and Tems), which became his second to peak the chart and first to do so as a lead artist. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance, while its parent album received a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

Future has released the mixtapes Beast Mode (with Zaytoven), 56 Nights (with Southside), and What a Time to Be Alive (with Drake) in 2015—the latter spawned the single "Jumpman". He has released the full-length collaborative projects Super Slimey (2017) with Young Thug, Wrld on Drugs (2018) with Juice Wrld, and Pluto x Baby Pluto (2020) with Lil Uzi Vert. Among the best-selling hip hop musicians, Future's accolades include three Grammy Awards from a total of ten nominations.

Giveon is an American R&B singer. He rose to prominence with his collaboration with Drake on their 2020 single, "Chicago Freestyle". In the same year, Giveon released the EPs, Take Time and When It's All Said and Done, the former was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, and the latter reaching the Top 10 on the US Top R&B Albums chart. He released "Heartbreak Anniversary", as the second single from Take Time, which reached the Top 40 in the US and was certified Platinum by RIAA. In 2021, Giveon was featured alongside Daniel Caesar on the Justin Bieber single "Peaches", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Global 200 and US Billboard Hot 100 charts. In 2022, he released his debut studio album Give or Take.

Ice-T is an American rapper and actor. He is active in both hip hop and heavy metal. Ice-T began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays. The following year, he founded the record label Rhyme $yndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the "Rhyme $yndicate") and released another album, Power (1988), which would go platinum. He also released several other albums that went gold, including The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say! (1989), O.G. Original Gangster (1991) and Home Invasion (1993).

Ice-T co-founded the heavy metal band Body Count in 1990, which he introduced on O.G. Original Gangster, on the track titled "Body Count". The band released its self-titled debut album in 1992. Ice-T encountered controversy over his track "Cop Killer", the lyrics of which discussed killing police officers. He asked to be released from his contract with Warner Bros. Records, and his follow-up solo album, Home Invasion, was released through Priority Records. Ice-T released two more albums in the late 1990s and one in the 2000s before focusing on both his acting career and Body Count, who have released seven studio albums to date, the latest being 2020's Carnivore.

As an actor, Ice-T played small parts in the films Breakin' (1984) and its sequels, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Rappin' (1984 and 1985 respectively), before his major role debut, starring as police detective Scotty Appleton in New Jack City (1991). He received top billing for his role in Surviving the Game (1994) and continued to appear in small roles in TV series and other films throughout the 1990s. Since 2000, he has portrayed NYPD detective/sergeant Odafin Tutuola on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, making him the longest-running male series actor in history, according to Deadline. A reality television show titled Ice Loves Coco ran for three seasons (2011–2013) on E!, featuring the home life of Ice-T and his wife Coco Austin. In 2018, he began hosting the true crime documentary In Ice Cold Blood on the Oxygen cable channel, which ran for three seasons.

Jack Harlow is an American rapper and singer. He began a musical career in 2015, and released several EPs and mixtapes until signing with Don Cannon and DJ Drama's record label Generation Now, an imprint of Atlantic Records in 2018.

Harlow's first mainstream breakthrough came with the release of his 2020 single "Whats Poppin." Aided by its popularity on TikTok, and following a remix with rappers DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne, it peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Performance. That same year, he was included on XXL magazine's 2020 Freshman Class and released his debut studio album Thats What They All Say (2020), which received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2021, Harlow guest featured on Lil Nas X's single "Industry Baby," which became his first number one song on the Billboard Hot 100. His second album, Come Home the Kids Miss You (2022) was supported by his second number-one single and first to debut at the position, "First Class." In 2023, he guest performed on Jungkook's single "3D", which peaked at number five, while his song "Lovin on Me" became his third number-one single on the chart.

Harlow has received numerous accolades, including Top New Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. That same year, he was named Variety's "Hitmaker of the Year" and was included in Forbes 30 Under 30. He made his acting debut as Jeremy in the 2023 remake of the 1992 film White Men Can't Jump, directed by Calmatic.

Jason Derulo is an American singer and songwriter. Since the start of his solo recording career in 2009, he has sold over 250 million singles worldwide and has achieved eleven platinum singles including "Wiggle", "Talk Dirty", "Want to Want Me", "Trumpets", "It Girl", "In My Head", "Ridin' Solo", and "Whatcha Say".

After contributing and writing songs for various artists, Derulo signed to recording label Beluga Heights, owned by record producer and industry veteran J. R. Rotem. After Beluga Heights became part of the Warner Music Group, Derulo became a recording artist and released his debut single "Whatcha Say" in May 2009. It sold over five million digital downloads, gaining an RIAA certification of triple platinum, and reaching number one in the U.S. and New Zealand. Derulo released his second single, "In My Head", in December 2009 and his self-titled debut studio album Jason Derulo, followed on March 2, 2010. He released his second album, Future History, on September 16, 2011; the album was preceded by the release of the UK number-one single "Don't Wanna Go Home". Derulo's third international album, Tattoos, was released on September 24, 2013, and later repackaged as his third U.S. album, Talk Dirty, released on April 15, 2014. In 2015, Derulo released his single "Want to Want Me" and announced his fourth studio album, Everything Is 4, which was released on June 2, 2015.

In June 2020, Derulo released the single "Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)" alongside New Zealander record producer Jawsh 685. The song reached number one in the US, becoming Derulo's second chart-topper in the country. In November 2020, Derulo released another single entitled "Love Not War (The Tampa Beat)" featuring New Caledonian beat producer Nuka. It was inspired from the latter's SoundCloud track known as "The Tampa Beat" which was earlier released in 2018, and has been used in over 23 million TikTok videos.

Kanye West is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. A subject of widespread controversy and public interest, West is a significant figure in contemporary pop culture.

West's first six solo albums—The College Dropout (2004), Late Registration (2005), Graduation (2007), 808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and Yeezus (2013)—were included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time. He has also released the collaborative albums Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z, Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi, and Vultures 1 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. West holds the joint record (with Bob Dylan) for most albums (4) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, Gap Inc., and A.P.C. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.

One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, the joint 11th-most of all time and most awarded for any hip hop artist along with Jay-Z. His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Kehlani is an American singer and songwriter. They are originally from Oakland, California, and achieved initial fame as a member of the teen pop group Poplyfe in 2011.

Kehlani's debut mixtape, Cloud 19 (2014), was listed as one of Complex's "50 Best Albums of 2014." Its follow-up, You Should Be Here (2015) entered the Billboard 200, received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Kehlani signed with Atlantic Records to release her debut studio album, SweetSexySavage (2017), which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, while her second, It Was Good Until It Wasn't (2020) peaked at number two. Their third album, Blue Water Road (2022) peaked at number 13 on the chart and was met with critical acclaim.

Kendrick Lamar is an American rapper and songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is the only musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His inclusion of social commentary and political criticism in his songwriting has influenced a rise in social conscience within his generation.

Lamar began releasing music under the stage name K.Dot while he was attending high school. He signed with Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005, where he co-founded the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy. Following the success of his alternative rap debut album Section.80 (2011), Lamar secured a joint contract with Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. He rose to prominence with his gangsta rap-influenced second album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012) and its top 40 singles "Swimming Pools (Drank)", "Poetic Justice" and "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe". It is the longest-charting hip hop studio album on the Billboard 200, spending over ten consecutive years on the chart.

Inspired by a visit to South Africa, Lamar embraced jazz and G-funk styles on his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). It became his first of four consecutive number-one albums in the U.S., and was one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 2010s. Lamar's work on the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" garnered his first number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. His critical and commercial success continued with his R&B and pop-leaning fourth album Damn (2017), yielding his second chart-topping single "Humble". The double album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022) concluded Lamar's tenure with TDE and Aftermath. His 2024 feud with Drake spawned the number-one songs "Like That" and "Not Like Us".

Lamar has received various accolades throughout his career, including one Primetime Emmy Award, one Brit Award, four American Music Awards, six Billboard Music Awards, 11 MTV Video Music Awards (including two Video of the Year wins), 17 Grammy Awards (the third-most won by a rapper), and 29 BET Hip Hop Awards (the most won by any artist). Time listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016. Two of his concert tours, the Damn Tour (2017–2018) and the Big Steppers Tour (2022–2023), are amongst the highest-grossing rap tours in history. Three of his works were included in Rolling Stone's 2020 revision of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Outside of music, Lamar co-founded the creative company PGLang and ventured into film with his creative partner, Dave Free. He has worked with various charities and advocates for racial equality and mental health awareness.

Kid Cudi is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition for his song "Day 'n' Nite." Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team up with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fanbase, catching the attention of rapper Kanye West—who signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label by late 2008.

With "Day 'n' Nite" issued as its lead single, he released his debut studio album, Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009) to critical and commercial success, receiving quadruple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It spawned the follow-up singles "Make Her Say" (featuring Kanye West and Common) and "Pursuit of Happiness" (featuring MGMT and Ratatat)–the latter received diamond (10× platinum) certification by the RIAA. His second album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010) was met with continued success; it received platinum certification and spawned the singles "Erase Me" (featuring Kanye West) and "Mr. Rager." Cudi formed the rock band WZRD with long-time collaborator and producer Dot da Genius; their eponymous debut album (2012) debuted atop the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart.

His self-produced third album, Indicud (2013) peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, was led by the platinum-certified single "Just What I Am" (featuring King Chip), and served as his final release with GOOD Music. It was followed by the tepidly-received experimental albums, Satellite Flight: The Journey to Mother Moon (2014) and Speedin' Bullet 2 Heaven (2015). His sixth album, Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' (2016) saw an improvement in critical reception and was supported by the lead single "Surfin'" (featuring Pharrell Williams). Cudi formed the duo Kids See Ghosts with former label boss West in 2018 to release a self-titled collaborative album in June of that year, which was met with critical acclaim. His 2020 single, "The Scotts" (with Travis Scott) became his first song to peak atop the Billboard Hot 100, foreseeing the release of his seventh album, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen (2020) to commercial resurgence and favorable reception. Cudi released his eighth album, Entergalactic (2022) to coincide with his adult animated special of the same name; both were critically praised. His ninth and tenth albums, the trap-inspired Insano (2024) and its sequel Insano (Nitro Mega) (2024), were his final releases on Republic Records.

Outside of recording, Cudi has launched his own vanity labels: the now-defunct Dream On, and his label imprint since 2011, Wicked Awesome Records. Cudi ventured into acting with the HBO series How to Make It in America in 2010, and has appeared in the films Goodbye World (2013), Need for Speed (2014), Entourage (2015), Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020), Don't Look Up (2021), and X (2022). In 2015, he starred as a bandleader in the IFC series Comedy Bang! Bang!, and did so in the short-lived HBO mini-series, We Are Who We Are in 2020. That same year, he launched the production company Mad Solar; its first release was the documentary A Man Named Scott (2021), which chronicled Cudi's career and upbringing. In fashion and modeling, Cudi has partnered with Giuseppe Zanotti, Virgil Abloh, Bape, Coach, Adidas, Calvin Klein, and Levi's on campaigns before launching his own clothing line in 2022.

Cudi has been recognized as an influence on contemporary hip hop and alternative acts. His lyrics are often autobiographical, describing childhood experiences of depression, loneliness and alienation; his struggle with drugs into adulthood and themes of spirituality, heartbreak, dissipation and celebration. The majority of his impact stems from his ability to display vulnerability and address mental health. He is noted for his experimental nature, combining psychedelia, R&B, electronica, synthpop, dance, house, punk and indie rock in his music. Cudi has sold over 22 million units domestically and won two Grammy Awards. He has worked with artists spanning numerous genres, namely Jay-Z, Drake, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, David Guetta, Shakira, Ariana Grande, and Michael Bolton.

LL Cool J is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC.

Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, Radio (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums Bigger and Deffer (1987), Walking with a Panther (1989), Mama Said Knock You Out (1990), Mr. Smith (1995), and Phenomenon (1997). His twelfth album, Exit 13 (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam.

LL Cool J has appeared in numerous films, including Halloween H20, In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday, Deep Blue Sea, S.W.A.T., Mindhunters, Last Holiday, and Edison. He played NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna in the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles. LL Cool J was also the host of Lip Sync Battle on Paramount Network.

A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is known for hip hop songs such as "Going Back to Cali", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", "Rock the Bells", and "Mama Said Knock You Out", as well as R&B hits such as "Doin' It", "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover". In 2010, VH1 placed him on their "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time" list. In 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to receive the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2021, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with an award for Musical Excellence.

Leon Bridges is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He signed with Columbia Records to release his debut studio album, Coming Home (2015), which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and earned a nomination for Best R&B Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. His second and third albums, Good Thing (2016) and Gold-Diggers Sound (2021) both likewise earned nominations for the award; the former peaked at number three on the chart while the latter peaked at number 17 and saw critical acclaim.

Lil Durk is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He first garnered a regional following with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to his signing of a recording contract from Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015) and its follow up, Lil Durk 2X (2016) to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the artist in 2018.

Following the independent release of his Just Cause Y'all Waited mixtape in March 2018, Durk signed with Alamo Records in July of that year. In April 2020, Durk made his first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist with his single "Viral Moment." He gained further chart success throughout that year with his singles "3 Headed Goat" (featuring Polo G and Lil Baby), "Backdoor," and "The Voice"; his features on Drake's "In The Bible" and "Laugh Now Cry Later" and Pooh Shiesty's "Back in Blood", and closed the year with his sixth album, The Voice (2020). The following year, his collaborative album with Georgia rapper Lil Baby, The Voice of the Heroes (2021) became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200. His seventh album, 7220 (2022) became his second to do so, while his eighth album, Almost Healed (2023) was led by the single "All My Life" (featuring J. Cole), which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance, and remains his most commercially successful release.

Durk founded the Chicago-based collective and record label Only the Family (OTF) in 2010, for which he serves as the lead member. The group, having released six albums, included slain rapper King Von.

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