Analysis of Rap Music

 Who Is Silkk the Shocker? Vyshonne King Miller, known as Silkk the Shocker, is a New Orleans rapper and younger brother of Master P who released a string of albums on No Limit Records during the label's commercial peak — none of which were made good by the artistic merits of Silkk himself. Made Man (1999) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 240,000 first-week copies and is widely considered one of the worst #1 rap albums ever released. Quick Stats  Career Overview Silkk the Shocker was sign

 Who Is Young MC? Marvin Young, known as Young MC, is a British-American rapper who wrote Bust a Move (1989) — one of the most enduring crossover rap singles of the late 1980s — and also co-wrote Wild Thing and Funky Cold Medina for Tone Loc. His career is defined by the gap between his extraordinary contribution as a songwriter and his modest commercial standing as a solo artist. Quick Stats  Career Overview Young MC grew up in Queens, New York, and studied economics at the University of Southe

 Who Is Kevin Federline? Kevin Earl Federline, known as K-Fed, is a California dancer and backup performer who married Britney Spears in 2004 and subsequently released Playing with Fire (2006) — an album so comprehensively terrible that it received a 1/10 from us and is widely considered the worst rap album ever commercially released by a mainstream label. Quick Stats  Career Overview Kevin Federline worked as a professional dancer and backup performer before meeting Britney Spears on her Onyx H

 Who Is Canibus? Germaine Williams, known as Canibus, is a Jamaican-American rapper whose technical lyricism in the late 1990s made him one of the most anticipated debut artists in hip-hop. His beef with LL Cool J before his first album was released, and subsequent feuds and controversies, made him one of rap's most instructive studies in how to waste extraordinary talent. Quick Stats  Career Overview Canibus first appeared on Wyclef Jean's Gone Till November remix in 1998 and became famous for

 Who Is Logic? Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, known as Logic, is a Maryland rapper who built one of the most loyal fanbases in rap through a combination of technical lyricism, personal storytelling about biracial identity and mental health, and an extraordinary work rate. 1-800-273-8255 (2017) — a suicide prevention anthem featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid — remains one of the most socially impactful mainstream rap singles of the 2010s. Quick Stats  Career Overview Logic grew up in difficult circums

 Who Is Ja Rule? Jeffrey Atkins, known as Ja Rule, is a Queens rapper who was one of the most commercially successful artists in mainstream rap from 1999 to 2002, producing a series of R&B-rap crossover hits with Ashanti, Jennifer Lopez, and Mary J. Blige. His career was effectively ended by a sustained commercial and lyrical demolition campaign by 50 Cent, making him one of rap history's most dramatic falls from commercial dominance. Quick Stats  Career Overview Ja Rule grew up in Hollis, Queen

 Who Is MC Hammer? Stanley Kirk Burrell, known as MC Hammer, is an Oakland rapper who became the first rap artist to achieve genuine mainstream pop crossover success. Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em (1990) became the best-selling rap album of all time at that point, spending 21 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 and eventually selling 10 million copies in the US alone. Quick Stats  Career Overview MC Hammer began performing at Oakland A's games as a child, earning the nickname Hammer from Oakland A's

 Who Is Iggy Azalea? Amethyst Amelia Kelly, known as Iggy Azalea, is an Australian rapper who relocated to the United States at 16 and built a career that peaked spectacularly with Fancy (2014) — which spent seven weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 — before collapsing almost as quickly under a combination of cultural criticism, industry disputes, and follow-up albums that could not match the moment. Quick Stats  Career Overview Iggy Azalea left Australia at 16 and spent years in Atlanta developing her r

 Who Is Vanilla Ice? Robert Van Winkle, known as Vanilla Ice, is a Dallas-born rapper who scored the first hip-hop song to top the US Billboard Hot 100 with Ice Ice Baby in 1990. His debut album To the Extreme became the fastest-selling rap album of all time. His rapid cultural rejection — fuelled by accusations of fabricated biography, 3rd Bass's mockery, and a general backlash against his commercial pop-rap approach — made him one of rap's most scrutinised cautionary tales. Quick Stats  Career

 Who Is Soulja Boy? DeAndre Cortez Way, known as Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, is an Atlanta rapper who became famous in 2007 through Crank That (Soulja Boy) — one of the first truly viral rap hits of the internet era, charting at #1 for seven weeks. He is widely credited as a pioneer of digital rap distribution and social media promotion, even as his music has been consistently criticised for minimal lyrical substance. Quick Stats  Career Overview Soulja Boy independently uploaded Crank That (Soulja Boy

 Who Is Diddy? Sean John Combs, known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, and Love, is a New York rapper, record executive, and producer who founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 and built one of the most commercially dominant rap labels of the 1990s. His production work with The Notorious B.I.G. defined the Bad Boy sound that dominated mainstream rap from 1994 to 1998. Quick Stats  Career Overview Sean Combs founded Bad Boy Records in 1993 after being fired from Uptown Records. He signed The Notorious B.

 Who Is 50 Cent? Curtis James Jackson III, known as 50 Cent, is a New York rapper and businessman who exploded into mainstream rap in 2003 with Get Rich or Die Tryin' — one of the fastest-selling debut albums in history. He subsequently built one of the most diverse entertainment and business portfolios in rap, including G-Unit Records, Vitamin Water equity, and the Power TV franchise. Quick Stats  Career Overview 50 Cent was shot nine times in 2000 and dropped by Columbia Records before being d