rap

The State vs. Radric Davis is the sixth studio album by American rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on December 8, 2009. The State vs. Radric Davis came after a slew of independent releases, mixtapes, and features over the prior few years. Productions from Polow da Don, Drumma Boy, Fatboi, Mannie Fresh, among others. Featured artists include Usher, Plies, Lil Wayne, Cam'ron, Soulja Boy, Rick Ross, Bun B, OJ da Juiceman, Wooh da Kid, Waka Flocka Flame, and Nicki Minaj. The iTunes deluxe version contains the EP, Wasted: The Prequel.

K.I.D.S. (backronym for Kickin' Incredibly Dope Shit) is the fourth mixtape by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released by Rostrum Records on August 13, 2010, through DatPiff. The title is a reference to the 1995 film Kids, which is quoted throughout the mixtape. It was later commercially released on April 29, 2020. A deluxe version was released on its 10th anniversary and includes two new tracks.

Seven songs from K.I.D.S. had music videos created for them: "Nikes On My Feet", "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza", "Knock Knock", "Senior Skip Day", "La La La La", "Traffic In The Sky", and "Don't Mind If I Do". The videos for "Nikes on My Feet" and "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza" were both heavily played on YouTube, reaching over 50 million views each. Both songs featured prominent classic hip-hop samples, from Q-Tip's remix of Nas' "The World Is Yours" and Lord Finesse's "Hip 2 Da Game", respectively. In July 2012, Finesse filed a $10 million lawsuit against Miller, Rostrum and DatPiff for use of the sample. The lawsuit was settled out of court in December 2012, with its stipulations kept confidential.

Nayvadius DeMun Cash, better known by the stage name Future, is an American rapper. Known for his mumble-styled vocals and prolific output, Future is considered a pioneer of the use of melody and auto-tune in modern trap music. Due to the sustained contemporary popularity of his musical style, he is commonly regarded as one of the most influential rappers of his generation.

Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr. (born March 31, 1983), better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Los Angeles. He signed to indie label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), in 2005. Under TDE, Rock secured a record deal in 2007 with Warner Bros. Records and later Asylum Records, but mergers fell through and Rock departed from the label shortly after. He then signed with fellow American rapper Tech N9ne's Strange Music, in a joint-venture deal with TDE. Apart from his solo career, Rock is also known for being a member of the hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside fellow West Coast rappers and TDE label-mates Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul.

Since 2006, Rock has amassed several TDE-released mixtapes and first gained major recognition following his 2008 commercial debut single, "All My Life (In the Ghetto)" (featuring Lil Wayne and will.i.am). In 2011, after signing his deal with Strange Music, Rock's often-delayed and long-awaited debut album, Follow Me Home, was released in July of that year. The album was supported by the aforementioned single, as well as "Hood Gone Love It" (featuring Kendrick Lamar). His second album 90059 was released in September 2015 and was supported by the singles "Money Trees Deuce" (featuring Lance Skiiiwalker), "Gumbo" and the title-track. In June 2018, Rock released his third album Redemption. In 2019, Jay Rock received his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for "King's Dead".

Darold Durard Brown Ferguson Jr. (born October 20, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Ferg (stylized as A$AP Ferg), is an American rapper from New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Aside from his solo career, he is a member of the hip hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted a record deal with Polo Grounds and RCA, the same labels that helped launch A$AP Worldwide. Two years prior, Ferg's A$AP Mob cohorts A$AP Rocky and A$AP Yams, negotiated their own respective deal in 2011. His debut studio album Trap Lord was released on August 20, 2013, and was met with generally positive reviews. On April 22, 2016, Ferguson released his second studio album, Always Strive and Prosper. On August 18, 2017, Ferguson released his second mixtape, Still Striving, which was preceded by the single, "Plain Jane" (featuring Nicki Minaj). In 2019 and 2020, he released Floor Seats and Floor Seats II respectively, the latter featuring the single "Move Ya Hips" (featuring Nicki Minaj and MadeinTYO). In 2021, Ferguson signed an additional management deal with Roc Nation.

Rae Sremmurd is an American hip hop duo originating from Tupelo, Mississippi, formed by two brothers, Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. In 2013, they signed a record deal with Mike Will Made It's EarDrummers imprint. In January 2015, the duo released their debut album, SremmLife, which was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In August 2016, the duo released their second album, SremmLife 2. During that same year, the duo also created their own record label, called SremmLife Crew Records. The duo is best known for their single "Black Beatles" from SremmLife 2, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100, while also charting internationally in the top ten in many countries. The duo also released other platinum-certified singles such as "No Type", "No Flex Zone" and "Swang". Their third studio album, SR3MM, was released on May 4, 2018, and served as a triple album.

Migos () is an American hip hop group from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group was originally composed of Southern rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia; Offset and Takeoff are from Lawrenceville, Georgia. They are managed by Coach K, the former manager of Gucci Mane and Jeezy, and frequently collaborated with producers such as DJ Durel, Murda Beatz, Zaytoven, and Buddah Bless. Recognized for their contribution to trap music in the 2010s, Billboard stated that the group "influenced pop culture and the entire English language by bringing their North Atlanta roots to the mainstream".

Migos released their commercial debut single "Versace" in 2013, taken from their mixtape Y.R.N. (Young Rich Niggas). They released several more singles, including "Fight Night" (2014), "Look at My Dab" (2015), and their four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 entries "Bad and Boujee" (featuring Lil Uzi Vert) (2016), peaking at number 1, "MotorSport" (with Nicki Minaj and Cardi B) (2017), peaking at number 6, "Stir Fry" (2018), peaking at number 8, and "Walk It Talk It" (featuring Drake) (2018), peaking at number 10, and even “T-Shirt” from their second album called Culture in 2017.

Jermaine Lamarr Cole is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a musical career, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2010) both to critical acclaim, after signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint in 2009.

Jacques Bermon Webster II (born April 30, 1992), better known by his stage name Travis Scott (formerly stylized as Travi$ Scott), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His stage name is the namesake of a favorite uncle combined with the first name of one of his inspirations, Kid Cudi (whose real name is Scott Mescudi).

In 2012, Scott signed his first major-label contract with Epic Records and a publishing deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music. In April 2013, he signed a joint-recording contract with Epic and T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint. Scott's first full-length project, the mixtape Owl Pharaoh, was self-released in 2013. It was followed with a second mixtape, Days Before Rodeo, in 2014. His debut studio album, Rodeo (2015), was led by the hit single "Antidote". His second album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016), became his first number one album on the Billboard 200. The following year, Scott released a collaborative album with Quavo titled Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho under the group name Huncho Jack.

Quincy Matthew Hanley, better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q, is an American rapper. In 2009, Hanley signed to Carson-based independent record label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) and in late 2011, secured a recording contract with major label Interscope Records. Hanley is also a member of the hip-hop supergroup Black Hippy, alongside label-mates and fellow California-based rappers Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, and Kendrick Lamar.

Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson (born March 9, 1990), better known by his stage name YG (short for Young Gangsta), is an American rapper from Compton, California. In 2010, he released his debut single, "Toot It and Boot It" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign), which peaked at number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single's success resulted in his signing to Def Jam Recordings. In the following years, YG released mixtapes such as The Real 4Fingaz, Just Re'd Up, Just Re'd Up 2, 4 Hunnid Degreez, among others.

In June 2013, YG signed an additional deal with Young Jeezy's imprint CTE World. His 2013 single, "My Nigga" (featuring Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan), peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He then released the singles "Left, Right" (featuring DJ Mustard) and "Who Do You Love?" (featuring Drake), leading up to the release of his debut studio album in 2014. The album, My Krazy Life, was released in March of that year by Pu$haz Ink, CTE World and Def Jam, and receiving commercial success and critical acclaim. Later in 2014, he was featured on his highest-charting single to date, "Don't Tell 'Em", with American singer Jeremih, peaking at number 6 on the Hot 100. In 2016, he released his second album, Still Brazy, to further acclaim.

Tyrone William Griffin Jr., known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He first gained major recognition in 2010 for his feature on American rapper YG's single "Toot It and Boot It". In the summer of 2013, he signed a record deal with American rapper Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records. In November 2015, he released his debut studio album, Free TC, which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200.

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, romance, and melancholia, and is often inspired by personal experiences. He has received numerous accolades, including four Grammy Awards, a Latin Grammy Award, 20 Billboard Music Awards, 17 Juno Awards, six American Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Tesfaye began his career in 2009 by anonymously releasing music on YouTube. Two years later, he co-founded the XO record label and released the mixtapes House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, which gained recognition for his style of contemporary and alternative R&B and the mystique surrounding his identity. In 2012, he signed with Republic Records and rereleased the mixtapes in the compilation album Trilogy. He explored dark wave in his debut studio album Kiss Land (2013), which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200. After its release, Tesfaye began contributing to film soundtracks, with his acclaimed single "Earned It" from Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance, while also being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Robert Rihmeek Williams, known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. In 2008, Atlanta-based rapper T.I. signed Meek Mill to his first record deal. In February 2011, after leaving Grand Hustle Records, Mill signed with Miami-based rapper Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group (MMG). Mill's debut album, Dreams and Nightmares, was released in 2012 under MMG and Warner Bros. Records. The album, preceded by the lead single "Amen", peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200.

Tauheed K. Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside his longtime friend and fellow rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo was signed to fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label, and are best known for their debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".

"Shot Caller" is a song by American hip hop recording artist French Montana, released on January 10, 2012, as his commercial debut single. The hip hop song features on the chorus and was produced by American music producer Harry Fraud. The song was first released as part of Montana's mixtape Mister 16: Casino Life on February 15, 2011.

After French Montana announced signing with P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records in December 2011, a promotional video for the song "Shot Caller" was posted on WorldStarHipHop on December 11, 2012. A commercially available single for the song was made available on January 12, 2012, with Charlie Rock credited for the chorus feature this time around.

On November 23, 2011, a remix for the song was made available featuring P. Diddy, Rick Ross and Charlie Rock. After announcing in January 2012 that Montana had signed a joint co-signing deal between Diddy's Bad Boy Records and Ross' Maybach Music Group, a promotional video and single was made available for "Shot Caller (Remix)" on February 21, 2012.

Rakim Athelaston Mayers, known professionally as ASAP Rocky, is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. 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, Rocky's single "Peso" was leaked online and within weeks began receiving radio airplay. Rocky released his debut mixtape Live. Love. A$AP, later that year to widespread critical acclaim. The success of what is considered his breakout project led to a joint venture record deal with Polo Grounds Music and Sony Music's RCA Records.