DMX

Name at Birth: Earl Simmons

DMX is a hard core rapper from the East Coast school, known for his aggressively brutal raps. DMX's 1998 single "Get At Me Dog" was a top-40 hit, pushing him into the upper tier of popular rappers. The same year his debut album It's Dark, and Hell is Hot went to #1 on the Billboard charts. He followed that album with Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1999) and ...And Then There Was X (2000). He also recorded with the Ruff Ryders, a loose conglomeration of hip-hop all-stars. DMX has acted in movies including Romeo Must Die (2000, with Jet Li) and Exit Wounds (2001, with Steven Seagal).

PUBLIC ENEMY
PE formed in Long Island, New York in 1982. They were signed to the still developing Def Jam record label after Rick Rubin heard Chuck D freestyling on a demo. It then took roughly five years before their debut, Yo! Bum Rush The Show, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim. They went on to release the revolutionary It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back in 1988, which performed better in the charts than their previous release, and included the hit single "Don't Believe the Hype."

EMINEM

Born Marshall Bruce Mathers III on October 17, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri. Spent childhood moving back and forth between Kansas City and Metro Detroit. Attended Lincoln High School in Warren 1986-89. Hustled self-made cassettes of his work to places like Record Time in Roseville. His girlfriend (now wife) Kimberly gave birth to daughter Haile Jade on Dec. 25, 1995. He worked at Gilbert's Lodge (a family restaurant) in St. Clair Shores from 1996-1998. Full-length debut, Infinite, released in 1996. The Slim Shady EP was released in 1998. Later that year, Dr. Dre signed Eminem to his Aftermath label after hearing the rapper freestyling on a Los Angeles radio station. The Slim Shady LP was released on Feb. 23, 1999 and hit No. 2 on the Billboard charts within weeks. The Slim Shady LP was 3 times platinium. Eminem has now put out his second full length cd, entitled The Marshall Mathers Lp.

EMINEM'S MUSIC

ICE CUBE

Ice Cube (born June 15, 1969) is a controversial American rapper, originally a member of the N.W.A. (Niggaz Wit' Attitude) until launching a successful solo career in music and cinema.

ICE CUBE'S MUSIC AND MOVIES

TUPAC


Tupac Shakur was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1971. Early in his life, he moved to Baltimore , MD, where he attended The Baltimore School for the Performing Arts. At this school, Tupac left a lasting impression on his teachers and was showing tremendous po tential. Unfortunately, Tupac was unable to continue his training. He moved to Oakland, California with the rest of his family. That's when Tupac began to, as he called it, "Hang with the wrong crowd." Not held back by his lack of formal education, Tupac joined the Rap group Digital Underground as a dancer. Not long befort the group achieved award winning success, Tupac released his own album "2pacalypse Now", which was also a success. The hit single "Brenda's Got A Baby" launched Tupac's career like a rocket. His stunning talent also got him a role in the motion picture, "Juice". Tupac eventually released a second album "Strictly for my Niggaz," which was an even bigger success. The highlight of Tupac's acting career came when he appeared in "Poetic Justice" besides Janet Jackson. The role made Tupac a household name and showed the world that music may not be Tupac's #1 attribute.

TUPAC'S MUSIC,MOVIES AND POSTERS

JAY-Z

Jay-Z was born Shawn Corey Carter, on December 4, 1969 and was raised in the Marcy Projects of Brooklyn, New York. During his school days, he befriended a young Christopher Wallace, who grew up to be known as the Notorious B.I.G. As a hustler in his rough neighborhood, Jay-Z used his money to finance a career in music and released independent records in the late '80s.

JAY-Z AND ROC-A-FELLA

Lil Wayne born Dwayne Carter September 27, 1982 in New Orleans, Louisiana) (also known as, Weezy F Baby, Birdman Junior, and more recently Raw Tunes), was one of the Hot Boys, an American rap group associated with Cash Money Records. His debut solo album was, Tha Block Is Hot was released in 1999. The title track was a huge hit. His second album was 2000's Lights Out, followed by 500 Degreez in 2002. 2004 saw the release of Tha Carter. In 2005 he released his latest solo album, titled Tha Carter II

ALL OF LIL WAYNE'S MUSIC

James Todd Smith came into this world on January 14th, 1968, in Queens, New York. After hearing revolutionary music from Afrika Bambaataa and Sugar Hill Gang, little James grew to love the new rap scene. His grandfather bought him his first DJ set when he was nine years old.

"Keeping it real ain't about carrying a gun or smoking blunts. It's about being true to yourself and those around you."
-L.L. Cool J


LL'S MUSIC AND MOVIES