Andre Young, known as Dr. Dre, is a record producer, rapper, entrepreneur, and actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records. He has produced albums for and overseen the careers of many rappers signed to those record labels, such as Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent.
Calvin Broadus Jr., a.k.a. Snoop Dogg (formerly Snoop Doggy Dogg as well as Snoop Lion) is a rapper from Long Beach, California. In 1993 Snoop Dogg released Doggystyle; He was thus baptized as one of the pioneers of the G-Funk Era.
Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2010, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Rolling Stone Magazine named him the 86th Greatest Artist of All Time.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987), better known simply as Kendrick Lamar, is an American rapper, and songwriter from Compton. Known for his storytelling, imagery, wordplay, and varied song structures, Kendrick brings hard-hitting lyricism with narratives to the West Coast, not traditionally known for its lyricists.
f you haven’t heard about Vince Staples yet, you’ve been missing out. Hailing from the LBC, Vince is one of the single best young talents that the West Coast has to offer. Everything you need to know about how dope Mr. Staples can be found in his ridiculous, breakout verse on “Hive” by Earl Sweatshirt.
The Chronic is the solo debut album of Dr. Dre, released December 15, 1992, on his own record label Death Row Records, and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. "Chronic” means high-grade marijuana because Snoop misheard his dealer explaining that what they were smoking was hydroponic.
Doggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg, then known as “Snoop Doggy Dogg”, released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre’s landmark debut album Chronic (1992), to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album share similarity to those featured on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Dogg for the lyrical “realism” he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow.
2Pac’s post-prison double CD marks the beginning of his thug aesthetic. The first 14 tracks make up the first disc and the rest make up the second. "Everybody lookin’ at me right now. The police lookin’ at me, the females, my enemies, reporters, people that want me to fall, people that want me to make it. My mama. In jail the guards. Everybody looking at me. All eyes on me."
good kid, m.A.A.d city is the debut album by Kendrick Lamar, released on October 22, 2012 through TDE, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The project was executive produced by Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith and Dr. Dre. Subtitled “A Short Film by Kendrick Lamar,” this concept album depicts a day in the life of a 17-year-old Lamar as he rides around Compton in his Momma’s minivan.
Summertime ‘06 is the debut album by Vince Staples, released on June 30, 2015 through Def Jam Recordings. "Summer of 2006, the beginning of the end of everything I thought I knew. Youth was stolen from my city that summer, and I’m left alone to tell the story. This might not make sense, but that’s because none of it does, we’re stuck. Love tore us all apart."
