Travis Lazarus "Travie" McCoy (born August 6, 1981 in Geneva, New York) is a rapper, singer, multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist of the alternative hip hop group Gym Class Heroes. Signed to T-Pain's Nappy Boy Entertainment, he released his solo debut album, Lazarus, on June 8, 2010. The lead single from the album, Billionaire featuring Bruno Mars, has so far reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984 in Shaker Heights, Ohio, United States), better known by his stage name KiD CuDi, is a Grammy award nominated rapper and singer who first gained attention after the release of his debut mixtape a KiD named CuDi which he released in collaboration with New York street wear brand 10.Deep. The mixtape caught the attention of Kanye West and led to Cudi's signing to the G.O.O.D. Music Label.
Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, United States), better known by the stage name Mos Def, is a Grammy Award-nominated rapper, an actor and a poet. He also goes by the aliases Mighty Mos Def, The Freaky Night Watchman, Boogie Man, Black Dante and Pretty Flaco. He began rapping in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics in 1994, and then formed the duo Black Star with Talib Kweli in 1998.
Sound of Rum formed in the summer of 2008. Since then rapper Kate Tempest, guitarist Archie Marsh and drummer Ferry Lawrenson have been playing gigs all over Britain, at every festival going - whether on actual stages or just busking in the rain. The band are in the process of recording their first full length album, which will be released early 2011 on Sunday Best, with singles out later this year. They are gigging extensively, across the country - if you want sound of rum to come play a gig in your town, email info@soundofrum.com
Tha Connection + Marvelous Mag = The Strangerz
De La Soul is a massively influential hip hop group, hailing from Amityville, New York, United States. They are best known for their eclectic sampling and quirky, surreal lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz hop subgenre. They are the best known of the early alternative hip-hop acts. The members are Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos, Mercenary, Plug Wonder Why, Plug One), David Jude Jolicœur (Trugoy the Dove, Dave, Plug Two) and Vincent Mason (Pasemaster Mase, Maseo, Plug Three).
Freedom Williams knows how to set the world in motion. As front-man and rapper for C+C Music Factory, he led ubiquitous anthem “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” to No. 1 around the globe, including five weeks at the top of the U.S. Club Play chart and a reign on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B charts in 1990.
His iconic rapid-fire machismo also appears on follow-up C+C singles “Here We Go” and “Things That Make You Go Hmmmm”—both No. 1 dance hits—leading accompanying album “Gonna Make You Sweat” to sales of more than 8 million worldwide.
Arrested Development is an afrocentric hip-hop group, founded by Speech and Headliner as a positive, alternative to the gangsta rap popular in the early 1990s. It took the group three years, five months and two days to be offered a record deal. Hence the name of the first album was 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of..., which produced several hit tracks. These included "Tennessee", "People Everyday", and "Mr. Wendal", which hit the top ten. The group won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and Best New Artist, and were also Band of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.