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east coast rap

GZA/Genius

Gary Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage name GZA (pronounced /ˈJizzah/) and The Genius, is an American hip hop artist best known as a founding member of the seminal hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan and for his inclusion on their group albums, his group mates' solo releases and a successful solo career. When it comes to thought provoking, street-bred raw lyricism, the Wu-Tang Clan's fountain of wisdom, GZA takes his job very seriously. The way he crafts his double-edged rhyme flow mirrors the skill and precise technique of one who works with fine ceramics.

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Naughty By Nature

Naughty by Nature is a hip hop group that at the time of its formation in 1991, consisted of Treach, Vinnie, and the DJ Kay Gee. The group formed in East Orange, New Jersey, and first appeared on the music scene in the late 1980's releasing an album titled The Independent Leaders, under their then name The New Style. The album generated the minor hit "Scuffin' Those Knees". After the release of their first album, the group was subsequently mentored by fellow New Jersey native Queen Latifah and consequently changed their name.

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Jay-Z

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969 in Brooklyn, New York), is an American rapper and former president and CEO of Roc A Fella Records. He is more commonly known by a variety of stage names including Jay-Z, S. Carter, Jigga, Hova, J-Hova, Hov, and Young Hov. He is regarded as one of the most prolific and successful American blend artists of the mid-90s and early 2000s and is known for his use of metaphors, freestyling abilities, word play, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop.

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Raekwon

Raekwon (the Chef), one of the nine talented Wu-Tang Clan members, shines as the purist of lyricists. When the time came for him to release his first solo album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995), hip-hop, once again, underwent a momentous transformation. To give an accurate analogy Cuban Linx is to albums what Scarface is to movies. In fact, this classic album, which went gold in three days moves from track to track like a film moves from scene to scene.

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Nas & Damian Marley

Nas & Damian Marley came together to record an album titled Distant Relatives (released May 18, 2010). Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Nas and Jamaican reggae artist Damian Marley, released May 18, 2010, on Universal Republic and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled primarily by Damian Marley and Stephen Marley. Fusing musical elements of hip hop and reggae, Distant Relatives features lyrical themes concerning ancestry, poverty, and the plight of Africa.

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Ghostface Killah

Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success with their 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career in 1996 with Ironman, which was well received by music critics. He would continue his career, creating additional award-winning albums over the following years such as Supreme Clientele, Fishscale, More Fish, and The Big Doe Rehab.

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