Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah

 

 

Queen Latifah was legally born as Dana Owens on March 18, 1970 (Wikipedia). I am a very big fan of hers. From her positions as an actress, rapper, model, singer, and comedian, she always brings her best to the table. The great thing about her is that she is multi-talented. I try to be just like her in this area. I want to be good at all arts whether it's rap, acting, poetry, or singing. She's my inspiration when it comes to perfecting my talents. Throughout her successful career, Queen Latifah's hard work earned her many awards such as a Golden Globe award, Emmy and Grammy award, and Screen Actors Guild awards. She was originally from Newark, New Jeresy, where she played forward for her school basketball team. Her introduction to rap came upon her when she began to beat box for a group called Flavor Unit. This gained exposure to local producers and eventually led to her first single "Wrath of my Madness." Queen then joined Tom Boy Records, releasing her album "All Hail the Queen" (Wikipedia). From her records, "U.N.I.T.Y" has to be my favorite song by her. "Weekend Love" was also a great one from her singing album. She featured in many moving films such as "Bringing Down the House", "Juice", "Last Holiday", and "Just Wright," all going to the big screens and becoming popular movies. I love watching all of her movies. She even had TV appearances such as "Living Single", a very popular hilarious sitcom of four friends living under the same roof dealing with day to day life. She had another show entitled "The Queen Latifah Show" and featured on "Hanging with Mr. Cooper." At first, it was through her TV shows that I discovered who she was. Then as I was going through TV programs one day, I came upon her single "U.N.I.T.Y" and loved the beat. Then I began to get into her other performances under the spotlight. Queen Latifah is an endorser for Cover Girl, Pizza Hut, and Jenny Craig. Like all celebrities, Queen had beef with Foxy Brown, another female MC. Brown questioned Queen's sexuality and called her jealous. Queen fired back with her song "Name Callin' II" where Queen called Foxy skimpy and disses her flow as a rapper. The two ended the beef in 2000 and many call Queen Latifah the winner of it (Wikipedia). I agree with them, you just don't mess with legends in Hip Hop's History.

 Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web.





Snoop Dogg

 

 

 

 

 

SNOOP DOGGY DOG, SNOOP DOGG, SNOOP LION

 

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr.(Snoop Dogg) was born October 20, 1971 in Long Beach, California (Wikipedia). The first time I heard Snoop Dogg was when I was watching the BET awards and he was performing his song 'Drop It Like It's Hot" with Pharell Williams, a very popular producer. I thought it had a catchy beat, but at the time I didn't know he was a 90's rapper; I thought he was just coming out. It wasn't until I started really getting into the feel of hip hop that I discovered how truly awesome he was. I liked his chill, laid back swagger personality he had. One of his main songs I love to vibe to is "Gin and Juice." Throughout his career, he  performed collaborations with Ice Cube, 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Bow Wow, Wiz Khalifa and many others. Snoop Dogg even at one time had his reality show "Fatherhood" that portrayed his family life outside the cameras. He appeared in motion pictures and TV shows such as "Martin" and "Mac and Devin". In Mac and Devin, he acted side by side with Wiz Khalifa, who's known to be referred to as the next Snoop Dogg. From the movie, the single "Young, Wild and Free" was created and became a major hit. I still listen to that song to the day. Snoop Dogg originally started of on Death Row Records, but then eventually transferred to other record labels before actually creating his own naming it "Doggystyle." He has four children is still behind the scenes of the music business.

Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 

 



LIL'KIM

 

 

 

Lil' Kim

 

 

Kimberly Denise Jones (known as Lil' Kim) was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I love Lil' Kim because she is one of the most respectable female MC's in Hip Hop. Her creativity and style is incredible and she is magic on the mike. I definitely see her as a role model when it comes to my rapping and how I carry myself as a performer. She was legit and all the male rappers knew it. No one intimidated her because she knew she was just as good. Lil' Kim was a rapper, model, actress, and mother. Her greatest influences were Diana Ross, MC Lyte, and The Lady of Rage. Lil' Kim began her climb to fame when she freestyled for the Notorious BIG, a famous known rapper at that time. Her albums, La Bella Mafia, The Notorious K.I.M, and Hard Core made her besides Missy Elliot the only female rapper to reach platinum status (Wikipedia). Afterwards, Lil' Kim collaborated with Missy Elliot, P!nk, Maya, and Christina Aguilera to redo Patty Labelle's song "Lady Marmalade," one of my favorite collaborations from her. She made appearances in films such as "Juwanna Mann" and "You Got Served," a few of my favorite movies. Lil' Kim is recognized for her position beside Notorious BIG as his girlfriend, a relationship that didn't last but also didn't get in the way of their friendship. Throughout her celebrity, Li' Kim has had many controversies with others. For example, her feuding beef with Nicki Minaj, a popular female MC of today's time period, escaladed when Lil' Kim called Nicki out. Of course, Nicki wisely let it pass, not replying to Kim. Also, from her present pregnancy, Lil' Kim has problems with her baby's father. Lil' Kim has had many run-ins with the law, not neglecting her "hood chick" mentality. Lil' Kim might not be the same today as she was back then, but I still have a lot of respect for her because of the name she made for herself. She will forever be apart of Hip Hop's History. 

 "Lil' Kim." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web.

 

 



Wale

 

 

 

Wale

 

 

 

Olubowale Victor Akintimehin (Wale) was born September 21, 1984 (Wikipedia). There's not really a lot of 'real' hip hop music today. However, Wale is one of the few that keep hip hop meaningful with hits such as 'Bad' and 'Love Hate Thing'. It wasn't until Bad that I started to listen to Wale and I remember at first not liking that song. My sister would always listen to it and I would turn it every time. One day while we were on a road trip, I took her phone and fell in love listening to it. I replayed the song about 9 times and got lost into the beat and the message it gave. I personally couldn't relate to it, but it's deliverance was so powerful I understood it. Wale is from Washington, D.C where his song 'Dig Dug (Shake It)' became a local hit. He graduating from Quince Orchard High School and tried out college but couldn't keep up academically, which was no problem because of his future success (Wikipedia). Wale's first recording 'Rhyme of the Century' was his first song to be played on the radio. Following, 'Good Girls' and a cover to Lily Allen's 'Smile' got Wale national attention, including his collaborations with artists such as J.Cole (my favorite), Bun B, Talib Kweli, Curren$y, and others (Wikipedia). He soon joined Interscope records where he did samples with rappers like Lupe Fiasco Kardinal Offishall. However in 2009 Wale joined the record label 'Roc Nation', the domination of all record labels led by Jay-Z carrying artists such as Rihanna, J.Cole, and Melanie Fiona. On this record label, Wale released his album 'Ambition', an album featuring popular artists, helping him climb to the top. Afterwards, Wale went on an Ambition tour (Wikipedia) . It was then that I heard of Wale, but still didn't know of him good enough to get into his music. I just remember my brother listening to it and thinking he was 'okay'. I drew to Wale when I heard his freestyle to 'Cashin' Out', a song by a underground rapper. I personally believe any rapper that can fluently freestyle has a natural true talent. I began to look into his other songs and came to realize why so many liked him. His deliverance, flow, and lyrics all came to a perfect harmony. Then I heard bad and categorized him with the 'real rappers' of today. The way he smoothly carries out his message through his songs is addictive to the ears. He continues to stay in the limelight of Hip Hop with collaborations and albums.

 "Wale." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014



Notorious B.I.G.

 Christopher Wallace (Notorious B.I.G.)

 May 21 1972- March8, 1997

 

Biggie Smalls, born as Christopher Wallace in Brooklyn New York May 21, 1972, became one of the largest known mc's ever and is featured on the rappers Hall of Fame of legends. I love Biggie Smalls because he didn't waste time running his mouth but brought the most to the game. His lyrics did all the trash talking back for him. He never spoke wrongly of any rapper who disrespected him in one of their songs. Instead, he tried to keep as much peace possible in the game. At age 10, Biggie earned his name 'Big' because he was overweight by age 10. Two years following at age 12, Biggie started selling drugs, keeping it from his mother (Wikipedia). He starting rapping in his teen years and after being released from jail released a mix tape going by Biggie Smalls, a character off the 1970's movie 'Let's Do It Again' that I watched with my cousins. I remember when I saw the character's name I was like "Hey that's Biggie's Name!." Every looked at me with an expression saying "yeah, duh." Biggie was known for his know-it-all attitude at school and at age seventeen ended up dropping out, traveling down the road to crime (Wikipedia). Sean Combs, known as P.Diddy was a popular music producer at that time and set up a meeting with Biggie after hearing him demo tape. Biggie was immediately signed to Uptown Records. However when Sean Combs was fired and left to start his own records, Biggie joined him and together they helped promote the upcoming of Bad Boy Records. Soon after, Biggie became father to Ty'Anna, his first child. That was the moment Puffy convinced the rapper to stop selling drugs and become something greater than another 'hood victim' (Wikipedia). On Bad Boy Records, Biggie created many great hits such as 'Ready to Die', 'Hypnotize', and 'Party and Bull****'. These singles are by far my favorite songs ever by him. I love the way he flows so smoothly and natural in his music. I try to copy his style of rap when I perform because it's so influential. Unfortunately, like all good success problems started to surface between Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur. The two started off as friends, but things eventually took a turn for the worst. As much as I love Tupac, I have to admit that he took this predicament overboard by trying to antagonize humble Biggie Smalls by lashing out at him with hurtful lyrics in his song 'Hit Me up', where he brags about having sexual relations with Biggie's former wife at the time Faith Evans. Despite the pressure from the press, Biggie remained silent and kept on focusing on his family and music. Juicy, another hit by the rapper came out and described his struggle as a person and rapper. Not long afterwards, Tupac dies and Biggie attitude was very sweet and remorseful, saying in an interview: "Even though we were going through our drama, I would never wish death on anybody because there's no coming back from that." Biggie went on to do collaborations with Puff Daddy, Michael Jackson, and many other famous ones. Sadly, Biggie died a gruesome death while traveling to Los Angeles, California in 1997. He was shot four times while sitting in the passenger seat of a vehicle. There are many theories of his death, but like many, the case remained unsolved leaving many with a lot of questions about what really happened to the rapper. I remember watching his Behind the Music and seeing exactly how much his death had an effect on the people he touched. The murderer took more than a good rapper. He took a friend, father, and son. Though Biggie may be physically gone, his impact remains stable in the rap industry and will never be forgotten. (Running to Live: To Live And Die in L.A)

"The Notorious B.I.G." N.p., n.d. Web.

Eazy E

 

ERIN LYNN WRIGHT (EAZY E)

 

Eazy E

Eazy E, legally known as Erin Lynn Wright was born September 7, 1973 to Richard and Kathie Wright  in Compton, California, like most of the greatest rappers.(Wikipedia) Being raised in Compton, he picked up the gangster lifestyle by selling drugs and representing the 'thug life'. He dropped out of school by his sophomore year and later met up with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, other famous rappers who  later became members of the group NWA with Eazy E. Together they wrote the song 'Boyz In The Hood,' one of my favorites by the group. Eazy E was also apart of "Straight Outta Compton" and "**** The Police", and "Dopeman", N.W.A's more famous songs. However, as time went on and personalities started to clash, in 1993 Eazy E went his own way launching his career as a solo rapper. Eazy's album " Eazy Duz It" featuring "Boyz in the Hood (Remix)","No More Questions", and "We Want Eazy", some of my favorites on his solo album. Eazy E died March 26, 1995 due to AIDS. Though, some still have theories of his sudden death, claiming that is was very sudden for a case of AIDS.(Wikipedia) Whatever the case may be, his legacy in hip hop will continue to prevail. He is forever amongst the legends of hip hop. I personally believe he had a great talent when it came to his deliverance in his raps. I remember watching Yo! MTV RAPS rerun and being so in tuned with his words and the way he talked, dressed, and looked. His music and ruthless attitude will always be remembered. 

Tupac Shakur

Tupac Shakur (June 16, 1971-September 13, 1996)

Tupac Amuru Shakur, known as 2Pac, was born June 16, 1996. He was and still to this day is known for being the best rapper in the game period. No one has ever been able to claim that title from him, though he is deceased. His influence on hip hop still goes on and will never be forgotten. Tupac was born in New York city on June 16, 1971. I always thought it was cool that I had the same birthday month as the greatest rapper alive! Tupac's songs created messages to the world. He did however have songs such as 'How Do You Want It' and 'I Get Around,' portraying his more sexual side. For the most part though, his music such as 'Ghetto Gospel' and 'Brenda's Got a Baby' revealed to the world the hardships of life that most were blind to. His lyrics and deliverance forced people to see the pain and insanity of life in the ghetto. He rapped about the thug life and the struggling mother
 who didn't know where her last check would be coming in. About the children who got the hard life they never asked for but were bullied in it by their environment they were given. I remember being in my brothers room and hearing Tupac's song 'Dear Mama' when I was 14 years old and thinking that is was one of the greatest raps I had ever heard. I got the song on my mp3 player and listened to it on the bus every morning, getting lost in its' message. I eventually started listening to all of his music and collaborations he had with other rappers. He was one of the first rappers that introduced me to rap music. I started writing my own rap music when I was about 13 or 14 years old, and each song had a certain influence behind it. Whenever I wrote (or still write about) serious matters and struggles, Tupac is my first influence behind my songs. I always compare my lyrics to his, hoping I can even be close to sounding like him. During his rap career, Tupac did collaborations with other famous rappers such as Dr. Dre in 'California Love' and Biggie Smalls in ' Running to Die (To Live and Die in L.A.), two famous great hits. He had appearances on Yo! MTV RAPS and stared in movies such as 'Juice' and  'Poetic Justice' , where he refused to take an AIDS test, feeling it was offensive. Tupac was killed by gunshot on September 13, 1996, which was a surprise to most because he was always getting shot but always pulled through. However, this time was fatal. His legacy in hip hop will continue to go on for as long as hip hop lives.

KOOL MOE DEE

Kool Moe Dee

 Kool Moe Dee, born as Mohandas Deweese, was a famous MC in the 1970s all the way through the early 1990's. Kool Moe Dee was one of the first rappers to perform at the grammy's as well as earn one. Kool Moe Dee was born in Manhattan, New York and had a reputation for being quiet and carrying around a pen or pencil to write down his songs. In 1970, he met up with hip-hoppers Special K, DJ Easy Lee, and Sunshine LA to form the hip hop group Treacherous Three. The group had three singles and successful collaborations. However in 1985 they split, leading to Kool Moe Dees solo careeer. In 1986, his solo album made #83 on Billboard. 'How Ya Like Me Now', his second album, reached platinum staus. However his third album in 1989 'Knowledge is King' went gold, kicking off his rise to stardom and his name in hip hop. Click here to check out his video to his single ' I Go To Work'. Not long after his careers success, Kool Moe Dee had a beef or rivalry between LL Cool J, also another known popular rapper, claiming he stole his rapping techniques. The two took their beef to the media by portraying each other in a negative way in each others songs and videos. As the feud went on, they both declared themselves the 'winners' of the battle. Not long after, Kool Moe Dee appeared on Will Smith's hit Wild Wild West for the 1999 movie.  After his rapping career came to a hault, Kool Moe Dee took on several acting roles and featured in Crossroads, My Wife and Kids, and Beat Street. He wrote a book entitled 'There's a God on the Mic' about the greatest MC's. He put himself in fifth place and LL Cool J in seventh, neglecting their past beef. A little after his career, he appeared on several rappers' albums such as Nas ' Where Are They Now' and Ice T's 'Fight Club'.

Hip Hop History

Welcome to my blog about hip hop. Hip Hop was originally from the 20th century and still remains popular today.The word 'hip hop' didn't actually come in to effect until created by Dj Kool Herc, the father of hip hop. Mainly, Black and Latino culture from the ghettos where apart of the Hip Hop movement. Hip Hop eventually made its way into the suburbs and worldwide global. Listen to the very first hip hop song ever made here. Eventually, more new comers came toward hip hop's way such as Tupac, Kool Moe Dee, Biggy, Eazy E, and many more. Hip hop gradually became one of the world's most popular genres. Click here to listen to an original hip- hopper.