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Big L
Raised in the Uptown sector's "Danger Zone"â 139th Street and Lennox Avenueâyoung Lamont Coleman was referred to throughout his neighborhood as "Little" Lamont. As a youth, he was often faced with the temptations of the street life that surrounded him. Fortunately, hip-hop's burgeoning musical and cultural movement left its indelible stamp on Lamont's conscience. Discovering that he himself possessed an affinity for rap's gift-of-gab, Coleman began to formulate a rhyme scheme. He decided that it was time to ditch the "Little," lose the Lamont and re-introduce himself to the rap world under a moniker that reflected the extra large talent brewing within his slight frameâBig L.

After spending just a single year working on his wordplay, L heard from the grapevine that Lord Finesse was holding court in the back of a 125th Street record store and rushed right over to display his sharpened skills. A hot second later, Finesse wound up giving L his first crack on wax with 1992's much-revered "Yes You May (Remix)." "I only roll with originators/Chicks stick to my dick like magnets on refrigerators," L rhymed on his debut, displaying the unmistakably concise delivery and explicit but clever lyrical volleys that would characterize his work and rock-shock rap audiences for the next few years.

In no time at all, L secured himself a deal with Columbia records, and in 1993 released one of the illest records of all time: the vinyl, promo-only "Devil's Son." Promising to "catch more bodies than abortion clinics," the murderous masterpiece became an immediate underground sensation well before the subsequent "horrorcore" style came into hip-hop vogue. L also proved himself ahead of the rap curve with the company he was keeping: his Uptown crew 8 Iz Enuff, which included such future Harlem World icons as Cam'Ron, McGruff, and a not-so-jiggy-back-then Ma. In addition to debuting this clique on his first solo album, 1995's Lifestylz of Da Poor & Dangerous, L also found time to give light to a then-emerging Brooklyn rhyme colleague named Jay-Z on the posse-banger "Da Graveyard." The Source magazine dubbed Lifestylez of Da Poor & Dangerous, "pure nineties B-boy them music" and gave it four mics in their March 1995 issue.

Despite such early innovations, Big L's finest work still lay ahead of him. Appearances on two excellent indie singles with his D.I.T.C. cohorts, "Day One" and "The Enemy," set the stage. However, "Ebonics," a brilliant breakdown of street slang recited in inimitable Big L style, was his crowning achievement. Independently released on L's own Flamboyant imprint through Fat Beats and available only on vinyl, the single garnered critical acclaim and was picked as one of the top five "independent records of the year" by The Source magazine. "Ebonics" dissected the "criminal slang" of New York's underworld with unprecedented precision and clarity, and proved that he could bring the hardest of the hardcore together with a radio sensibility that made him unparalleled in the music business.

Tragically, he would only too-briefly enjoy the success he so deserved. On February 15, 1999, Big L died of gunshot wounds sustained in a dispute that took place on the very 139th Street and Lenox Avenue block he once proudly called home. Though the hip-hop community lost one of its most promising voices that fateful day, the impact of Big L's music continues to resonate.

Now, five years after his debut album, Big L's posthumous sophomore release titled The Big Picture is set to hit the streets on the Rawkus Records label. The album features production by DJ premier, Roc Raida, Lord Finesse, Buckwild, Show, Ghetto Professionals, Pete Rock and more. It also features guest performances by Sadat X, Guru, Kook G. Rap, Fat Joe and other members of the D.I.T.C. crew.


Big Pun
After a few cameos with Fat Joe, whom Punisher affectionately calls his "twin", it became instantly clear to the attentive ear that this guy possessed a lyrical gift with incessant breath control and a knock-out punch with the rhymes. His verse on "Fire Water" (featuring Wu-Tang all-star Raekwon) had enough wind to blow out an inferno yet flowed like a waterfall. In no time, mix tape heads ate him up. Funkmaster Flex featured Punisher on the Mix Tape Volume I. He did a song called "Wishful Thinking" with B-Real of Cypress Hill, Kool G Rap, and even made an appearance with Bones Thugs' spin off group, Flesh N Bone.
Aside from his lyrical prowess, Pun displays an uncanny ability to align his unique vocal style with the right tracks. His album, Capital Punishment, features some of today's top of the line and most up and coming beatmakers. Starting on the streets with "You Ain't A Killer" (featured on "Soul In The Hole") plainly pulling cards on a wanna be thug. Pun sought the production of Bad Boy's latest sensation on the boards, Young Lord, recently acclaimed for his work with The Lox and the Notorious B.I.G.

Pun touches the slicker side of rap from a different angle with "I'm Not A Player" (I just fuck a lot) by combining a classic chorus from the O'Jays alongside production by Minnesota of Money Boss Player fame. Also escalating the stakes on the commercial side are tracks from Rashad Smith who produced Busta Rhymes' "Woo Hah", and Frank Nitty from the Trackmasteres. Still grounded in raw hip hop, Pun did two songs with long time friends, the Beatnuts. L.E.S. best known for his work with Nas and AZ, produced "Glamour Life" which also features some upcoming MC's from under Fat Joe's Terror Squad umbrella. Of course, Showbiz showed love with a track from Diggin' In The Crates camp-closely connected with Terror Squad in the Bx.

Growing up his whole life in the South Bronx, Punisher has been completely saturated with hip hop culture since its existence. From the writing to boogie to breaking, Pun lived every minute of it to the fullest. Seeing Crazy Legs and Rock Steady make breakdancing famous was one of the first experiences that Pun remembers making him proud to be Puerto Rican. Also heavily into basketball and boxing. Pun maintained an active lifestyle and an athletic build weighing a solid 200 lbs.

A couple of years later, in his late teens with his first child on the way, Big Moon Dog, as Pun was formerly known, began to settle down. In the wake of America's most devastating urban epidemic, Pun took the paper route, chasing fast money in the crack game in order to put food on the table. Not only was he able to feed his growing family (two more children were born), but he ate until he couldn't tie his shoelaces. In just four years, Punisher nearly doubled his weight.

Though he moved out of his mother's Soundview apartment at 15 and dropped out of Stevenson High School after his first year, Pun fed his imagination with a desire to learn on his own. He expanded his vocabulary and informed himself by reading the encyclopedias. Always exposed Catholicism, he stayed well versed in the bible.

His father used to tell him he had a morbid imagination. "I walk on water, spit fire, and shit Hagen Daaz, idolize no man like Conan, stand beside the gods." Pun always wants to make sure he's understood. No more 'youknowwhatimsayin?' Now it's "you heard what I said?" Most of all Punisher's most prolific quality is his sense of humor. Not too many people have the gift of true comedic expression the way he does.

Mostly Punisher likes to spend time at home with his family and listen to R&B. Names like Lou Rawls and Richard Marx came to mind. Back in the days, he says he liked Surface and Ready For The World, but at the same time, Rakim and Run DMC of course. Ultimately, whatever he was doing and listening to for the past ten years has helped him become one of the most outstanding hip hop talents in years.

Bone Thugz N Harmony
"Am I my brother's keeper?" This is the question posed and then answered with a resounding yes by Bone thugs-n-harmony on their long-awaited fourth album, BTNHResurrection--in stores February 29, 2000 on Ruthless/Epic Records.

Rumors of a breakup were merely gossip: Krayzie, Wish, Flesh, Layzie and Bizzy have reunited to create a new album filled with their unmistakable soul-inflected raps. This bumping LP proves ain't nothing changed: Bone thugs-n-harmony remain the same tight and hungry clique who, back in 1993, hopped a one-way bus ride from Cleveland to land a record deal with Ruthless Records founder Eazy E.

One year later, in 1994, Bone thugs-n-harmony exploded onto the national rap scene with their Ruthless debut EP, Creepin' On Ah Come Up, and two gold singles, "thuggish ruggish Bone" and "Foe Tha Love Of $" (the latter featuring Eazy-E). This disc reached No. 2 R&B No. 12 Pop and was soon certified double platinum.

In August 1995, the group hit fans off with its first full-length album, E. 1999 Eternal. Bone thugs-n-harmony shocked the mainstream music industry when E. 1999 Eternal entered the Pop and R&B Album charts at No. 1 and sold more than five million copies in the US alone. The album spun off two significant singles with "1st Of Tha Month" (#12 R&B) and "East 1999" ( #39 R&B),.

But the bomb track was Bone-thugs' stunning, spiritually-charged "Tha Crossroads." This double platinum smash held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks (seven weeks at No. 1 R&B) and tied the Beatles' 32-year-old record for the fastest-rising Hot 100 single (1964's "Can't Buy Me Love"). In the 1996 Grammy Awards, "Tha Crossroads" was voted Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

In August 1997, Bone thugs-n-harmony dropped their landmark double disc set, The Art Of War. Certified 4X-platinum, The Art Of War topped both the Pop and R&B Album charts. Bone-thugs scored a platinum single, "Look Into My Eyes" (No. 4 Pop/No. 4 R&B, and also featured in the hit movie Batman & Robin); and a certified-gold follow-up, "If I Could Teach The World." Other Art Of War highlights included a remake of the Whodini classic "Friends," in which Bone-thugs paid tribute to those who have remained close and loyal to them; and "Family Tree Bone," a remarkably personal account of the highs and lows in the life of each Bone member.

"Our original plan is just coming to light," says Layzie. "We been planning to do solo albums even before we had a deal. Everybody doing their own thing helped us out as individuals. So when we do come back together, we are that much stronger."

"We just wanted to bring back that Bone-thug flavor," adds Bizzy, "that buddha bomb shit that everybody wants from us."

"Everybody is a pro now, " Krayzie points out. "We got the process mastered. Just give us the beat and it's going down."

Armed with their trademark thug hymns and street perspective, the five Clevelanders who reinvented hip-hop are poised to show off what they can do in the year 2G. So drop any thoughts of counting out Eazy-E\'s young soldiers.

"We brothers for life," Layzie concludes. "We understood that when we started. We love music. Even if we didn't have a record deal, we would be out here singing and dancing and doing our thing."

Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes is more than aware that there are plenty of vipers out there who want his game. For example, a recent article put forth the notion that his tremendous underground appeal might wane under the weight of his ever-expanding hold on mainstream audiences.

But Busta never flinches.

For the man who had the courage to condemn rap's whole 'keepin' it real' mantra as "Propaganda," this new challenge is but a blip on his radar screen. Rap's most incandescent visionary has always been more interested in shedding light than heat. Which is why, throughout the '90's, Busta Rhymes has managed to fuse his everyday experiences as a black man, as a son, and as a father, with much more eternal concerns. Leading him - as he says - "To contemplate the shit between the lines." Selling millions of albums by remaining true to himself.

So it's with his boldest strokes yet that he's approached his third solo album, Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front.) The 19 song disc is an apocalyptic tour de force, with Busta - who now commands the listener's attention with a rock star's ferocity - unleashing thought provoking verses one minute, and spitting out euphoric hailstones of hectic, teeth clenching rhymes the next.






E.L.E. is Busta's crowning epoch. A maelstrom of enlightened, turbulent wordplay about the impending millennium. But where other rappers have only recently immersed themselves in the year 2K, Busta has long wielded a futuristic sword about him. The day of reckoning has served as the subtext of his two smash platinum plus solo albums, 1996's The Coming, and 1997's When Disaster Strikes. But it was during Busta's tenure with the legendary Leaders Of The New School, launched in 1990, that he first explored such explosive subject matter. Many point to the Leaders second LP, 1993's T.I.M.E., as the beginning of Busta's fascination with the extinction theme.

"I've said before Leaders has always been my foundation. If you go back on my records you can see a thread. The shit I have to say, the true deep shit, can be understood on many different levels, sometimes not hitting you all at once. I feel now, I've got to create more of an effect because the clock is ticking on shit we can_t even grasp, yet."






As usual, Busta has assembled an eclectic, all-star cast to help spin his tales. He also works with the usual top-line producers, including Rashad Smith, DJ Scratch, Diamond D., and Derrick Angeletti. Among the highlights are a duet with hard rock icon Ozzy Osbourne on a remake of the classic "Iron Man," dubbed "This Means War." Says Busta about the historic summit: _He was great. I remember when I first heard the song "Iron Man." The lyrics like 'Is he live or is he dead' just affected me. The power he puts behind it. The intensity, the effect - it's the same way I approach my shit, whether I'm recording or performing. To be able to do this on E.L.E. blew me away."

Another one of the album's highlights is a duet with superstar Janet Jackson, on "What's It Gonna Be." "It was a pleasure to work with her from beginning to end," says Busta. "She couldn't have been more gracious." On the other end of the spectrum is the mayhem achieved by Busta and Mystikal (from Master P's No Limit Posse) on the raucous "Iz They Wildin Wit Us & Gettin Rowdy Wit Us." The anthemic, amped-up chant of "Rowdy Rowdy," is sure to go down as another Busta classic. Other gems are the party ax of "The Bus A Bus," the LP's ominous title cut, "Extinction Level Event (The Song Of Salvation") and the rapid fire "Gimme Some More," a showcase for Busta_s legendary vocal pyrotechnics.


The Brooklyn native (his family would later move to Long Island) first honed his outrageous style on The Leaders Of The New School's debut album, 1990's Future Without A Past. But it was his breakout rhyming ability he displayed on A Tribe Called Quest's classic "Scenario" that hinted of his solo prowess to come.

The next flash of brilliance would occur on another guest shot, this time it was his work on the remix for Craig G's "Flavor In Ya Ear." After The Leaders parted ways, Busta felt ready to pursue a solo career. But few would have guessed that 1996's platinum plus opus, The Coming would change the face of hip hop forever.

The monumental first single, "Whoo-Ha! Got You All In Check," would launch Busta on a trajectory towards superstardom. His follow up album, the 1.5 million selling When Disaster Strikes would keep him there. The success of across the board smashes such as "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," would cement Busta and his Flipmode Productions as a cultural force that would transcend the boundaries of hip hop.




Busta seized the opportunity to display his other talents by flexing his acting ability in such films as Who's The Man, Strapped, and a key role in John Singleton's Higher Learning. The hip hop star has also made several TV appearances, including a guest star spot on the Steve Harvey show this year. Amid all the extraneous activities, Busta still found time to successfully engineer his own record company, Flipmode Entertainment, and carry his coveted Flipmode Squad to the top of the charts with their first album, the gold-plus The Imperial, featuring the hit "Cha Cha Cha." The tireless entrepreneur also has unveiled his own clothing line, Bushi, which is influencing streetwear in the same way Busta's early records infiltrated the hip hop scene.

Is it difficult possessing the non-stop energy of Busta Rhymes?

"I try to pace myself," says Busta. "You get a lot of opportunities to do things, and I try to represent myself in a way that's not going to let people down, but at the same time I'm never going to do the same old shit. Flipmode has always been about flipping any expectations you may have at any given moment."

A recent illustration of that point would be Busta lending his signature voice to the new Rugrats Movie, which hit theaters in November. The rap, star, who has a son himself, plays "Reptar Wagon."


"Our audience comes from everywhere," he says. "Young, old, rich, poor. They know that hip hop gave a voice to motherfuckers who never had one. And now that we got their attention, I want to communicate the shit so that it creates the greatest impact. So that it sticks. Anything that I've ever approached, I've had one goal in mind. To dominate. And that was the definite mindset going into E.L.E."


 

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Canibus
Canibus' debut on the hip-hop scene more than two years ago came with a thunderous explosion rarely witnessed in hip-hop's vast history. A vociferous MC who was a throwback to the early days, Canibus found himself thrust in the national rap spotlight for battling time-tested legend LL Cool J on the rapper's song "2nd Round Knockout." Some called the move brilliant, others stupid; what was clear, though, was that the rapper earned a lot of people's respect. It set the stage for Canibus' debut album, the Wyclef Jean-produced Can-I-Bus, which furthered his reputation as a fierce battle MC.

Unfortunately, Can-I-Bus went bust, failing to propel Canibus to the lofty status of one of hip-hop's great MCs. Failing to resonate with the masses can be a frustrating experience, but Canibus bounced back with his sophomore album, 2000 B.C. (Before Canibus), which demonstrates that he's intent on proving he can hold his own -- controversy or not.


How was it recording this album? Particularly after your first album was met with such publicity, but really didn't meet a lot of people's expectations.

Canibus: I felt like I was doing my freshman album, you know? It was different. I was stationary, for one. I did everything in New York. The first time around I did the album on tour. So this time was a different experience altogether. I'd say better, if I had to compare the two. If you want to do an album, it's best to do it in comfortable surroundings. I was able to meet producers easily; I could tell them to just come by the studio and, you know, kick it, smoke some ⦠That's what they like to do. Even other artists I got on my album, I could tell them to just come by.
Was it any more difficult this time around?
No. For me, it just happened to be backwards. Doing the sophomore album was the easiest thing in the world for me. My first album was hard, because there were a lot of things surrounding it. There was a lot of drama surrounding "2nd Round Knock Out," for like an entire year before I put out my album. I talked about everything under the sun, but the public didn't take to it.

Do you think "2nd Round Knockout" overshadowed you as an artist?

It caught everyone off guard. Hip-hop was boring at the time and [that song] was a nuclear explosion. I don't regret anything I did in terms of music that I made. If I could do things over again, I would've stayed in New York to finish my album instead of going on the road. But I don't regret the song. I made a decision to respond to something said to me. I never regret my principles, and that was on principle. God knows I didn't have no intention of causing a racket like that. I was really setting things straight so I could sleep at night.

Talk about your approach to being a battle MC.

Number-one rule is to be able to articulate yourself. I play with the rhymes, but I do that just to amuse myself. I realize the results, the shit I can cook up by playing with [words]. Before, I was a loose cannon, but now I know when to turn it up and when to turn it down. Am I going to go through a whole record and make the shit so personal that the motherfucker is going to cry? Or am I going to just say the facts? That's what I play with.

How has hip-hop changed for you in between albums?

It's really deep. A lot of my idols and the people I've looked up to in the past two years ⦠I've actually been taking posters off my wall. I actually meet [artists] now, and I really don't like many of them. I don't like what they say and do. I don't like they're attitude towards new artists and how they treat new blood.
How do you help?

I'm aiming to preserve a certain style of MCing. I can only help out in the ways I'm skilled to. I'm not a storyteller  I just push skills and play with the crowd, play with concept and vocabulary. And for someone trying to preserve the art, I can't say that I've gotten much support. I've become disappointed with my idols. I thought you loved the art? What happened to the art?

You grew up all over the place, right? You weren't raised in New Jersey?

All over: Miami, Jamaica, the Bronx, Atlanta, and in England,New Jersey too.

How did that affect you as an artist?

Just when I rhyme in general, the way I can jump to another topic easily. I've been around, seen a lot of things. I've seen people who have opportunity and lived with people who don't have opportunity.

How important is it for you to be an MC and not just a random hip-hop artist?

Master of ceremonies means everything to me. It's being an artist and focusing on lyrical content, and how to do it on both the surface and with substance. I think I'll be writing forever. Maybe when I get too old my voice might not have the power it's got. I'll ghostwrite [laughs].

Cormega
Cormegas life. When Cormega was very young (five years old) his mother was murdered before his very eyes, this was the beginning of a 'different' sort of childhood.
He grew up with various members of his family, and Cormega started his life in a good area of the USA, but then he moved to Queensbridge. That was when the new attitude and man kicked in. In an interview Cormega was quoted as saying "We moved to Queensbridge, which was bad 'cos it got me exposed to a lot of crime and drugs, but it was good 'cos it got me into rap."

While growing up in Queensbridge Cormega began selling crack, while dealing he hooked up with various heads including the now famous Craig G and Tragedy, his love of rap was strong but pressures of the crack game were stronger, thus meaning that his career in rap would kick in later along the line.

Cormega spent 40 months in jail, this was because of a robbery charge. He was on trial for drug trafficking but managed to get off of the charge, unfortunately, Cormega was recognised by a policeman, from a description placing him as a part of a robbery this was why he was jailed.

Cormega wears a bullet proof vest when he is around his friends. They're thugs. Cormega's name has been affiliated with the Bloods, the Crips and some big drug dealers. Cormega admits to have shot people, his first promo single which was entitled 'Dead Man Walking' was banned because of its explicit description of a murder. Despite that song, Cormega said that he never killed anybody. Cormega has been shot himself, he now carries around a bullet hole in his leg.

Cormega was a success before he even rhymed, his affiliates (you could call some friends) ranged from people like the old Nasty Nas to Foxy Brown to Capone N' Noreaga, even before he was rapping they had hyped him up and so when he did begin his career in hip hop he was immediately noticed.

For all those cats out there who are immediately assuming Puff Daddy was and is strictly into 'fake' artists, before Cormega became a part of The Firm, he was actually negotiating a deal with Puffy to be on Bad Boy, the reason he didn't sign with Bad Boy (this was during the days of Biggie's reign) was because his man Nas made him embark on becoming the fourth member of The Firm.

Basically, as soon as he was set free, Cormega became a member of The Firm.

The main reason that Cormega left The Firm was because of their manager Steve Stoute, Cormega and him didn't really get along. Magazine interviews for the whole group, Cormega should have been notified about to come by Steve, he wasn't. A photo shoot for a magazine cover, Steve phoned Cormega and told him not to come.

Cormega used to be Nas' boy. Notice I emphasised on the used part. Nas and Cormega seemed to be down from day one, Nas even had a joint on his album ('One Love') dedicated to Cormega when he was locked down.

His beef with Nas and Nature. The beef which arose between these three had nothing to do with Cormega no longer being a part of The Firm and Nature being his 'replacement.' The reason that there was a beef was because Nature had made some derogatory statements about Cormega on a freestyles tape which Cormega happened to hear. Obviously upset about the things that Nature had said, in August, 1997, Cormega made the track 'One Love,' (this track contained the same title as a track on Nas' first album 'Illmatic' which was meant to be a letter written by Nas to his imprisoned friend) the track basically was Cormega's retaliation and it was felt a lot more than Nature's freestyle.

Cormega also dissed Nas, people wondered why he did this but the reason was quite simple. Nas was down with Cormega and vice versa, Nas could have found a way of stopping Nature ridicule Cormega but didn't. This brought about ideas from Cormega that their prior friendship was to some extent terminated and Nature was now Nas' boy. So Cormega felt the need to show Nas that he shouldn't do wrong by Cormega with the tracks 'One Love,' and 'Fuck Nas & Nature.'

Cormega agrees with all the criticisms being thrown at Nas about his change. In an interview Cormega expressed thoughts that Nas was trying to portray a Mafioso, player type image when that is simply what he isn't, that in itself is his biggest fault.

Soon Cormega is set to release his debut album entitled 'Testament.' It will feature the track 'One Love,'and 'Testament' but whether 'Fuck Nas and Nature' will be on it is unknown. Also, there will be some production from by Havoc, and Nashiem, keep an eye on Cormega as 1999 progresses.

Updates since this profile was written:

Cormega's material has been heavily bootlegged as an album still has not surfaced

'Angel Dust' and 'Killaz Theme' with Mobb Deep were officially released.
Cormega was featured Screwball's album on the track 'On Tha Real'
Cormega released a 12" on Rawkus at the end of November 'You Don't Want It'/'Take Mine'/'Killaz Theme'
Cormega guested upon Prodigy's 'HNIC' and the 'QB's Finest' compilation.
Word has it that Cormega is now signed to Infamous Records and will be finally dropping an album in 2001.

Cam'ron
Straight from the pages of his tattered corner chronicles, Cam'ron's Untertainment/Epic debut Confessions Of Fire is a moody, Jeep-ready life soundtrack with precision poet-ics and well-oiled style. The album features such guests as DMX, Jermaine Dupri, and Mase, and is bolstered by production from Digga, Trackmasters, Prestige, and Swiss. It's called Confessions Of Fire because, says its creator, "it contains bits and pieces of my life, and the tracks are hot." Combining grimy game with an almost cold smoothness, the textures of Cam's jams range from ruff ("3-5-7," "Pull It") to rollicking ("Feels Good," "Rockin' & Rollin'"). "Confessions Of Fire," wrote MTV Online, "is packed with the kind of explicit, catchy pop-rap music that has the kids all up in a frenzy these days." "One of the things that makes my album different is that I can be hardcore one minute, slick and laid-back the next," Cam'ron explains. "I'm doing it allâtrying to set trends, not follow them." On the song "Me, My Moms & Jimmy," the rapper actually trades lines with his mother. "I want to stay nine or ten blocks ahead of the pack," Cam'ron insists. "Now that I've done a joint with Ma Dukes, I'm sure there are a hundred rappers slapping themselves in the face, sayin' 'Damn, I shoulda thought of that!'" Born Cameron Giles in 1976, Cam'ron was raised in New York's Harlem village. As a basketball-loving student at Manhattan Center High School, he developed into a superb All-City and All-American point guard playing along side his teammate and fellow rapper Mase. The two made themselves known for their game, and later paired up as underground rappers Killa Cam & Murder Mase. It was Mase who connected Cam'ron to the late Notorious B.I.G. "At the time I met Biggie, he was working on Life After Death, so he had all sorts of fly tracks around his apartment," Cam remembers. "He flipped on about twelve or thirteen beats, and I flowed to every one of them. Big said, 'yo, you niceâI wanna sign you!' He called Un [B.I.G. partner Lance Rivera] and I was put on. On the spot, I was the first artist signed to their new label, Untertainment." Cam'ron introduced himself to the listening audience with his songwriting for some of hip-hop's hottest names, including the platinum single "Crush On You" by Li'l Kim. Cam later revealed his own rhyme skills on two soundtrack cuts: "Casanova," a collaboration with Lil Cease, from How To Be A Player; and the savage single "3-5-7" b/w "Pull It" (featuring DMX), as heard on the Woo soundtrack album. In late '97, he began recording Confessions Of Fire. "The first few months were hard for me," he admits, "because I wasn't used to writing in the studio. But after a while, I got used to the schedule and I was in there almost every day for about eight months. Once you feel you're making one hot joint after another, your confidence and your output go way up." Confessions Of Fire begins with Cam'ron being led through a jungle swampland filled with eerie howls and ghostly screams, into a promised land where money and success are there for the taking. What follows is a sonic theater, portraying the life and good/bad times of Cam'ron and thousands of street kids just like him. The album depicts all the pain, glory, fear and triumph to be found in the American inner city today. The tracks come fast and furious. From the fearful intro, Cam'ron goes straight into "Glory," its victorious horns perfectly illustrating the range of emotions to be found in the artist's life story. "3-5-7" loops the theme from tv's Magnum P.I. as its lyrics match the hectic feel of a chase scene. Another jam, "D-rugs," likens addiction to a neglectful mother who chooses a tragic, cheating man over her own children. "That's my favorite song, because it's a universal story," Cam'ron declares. "Addiction is so common in America todayâeveryone can relate to it." Cam'ron guides the listener through his life story, song by song. He puts the curb on a relationship with his best friend's girl in "Wrong Ones"; flosses mack-style in a Caddy on "Pimp Is A Pimp"; and in the haunting dialogue titled "Death"âone of the set's most compelling tracksânegotiates for a longer life with the Grim Reaper himself. Whether flashing guns or roses, Cam'ron is a true poet of the new Harlem Renaissance. Bio Courtesy of Epic Records.

Common
From the streets of Chicago reigns veteran real rapper Common formerly known on his first two albums as Common Sense. Ever since he came out he wanted nothing less then to be the illest like Rakim or KRS-One. Although he's from the Midwest his style is very East Coast influenced. He's very real and very hard and can open his mind and talk about anything. The name Common Sense fits him very nicely because that's precisely what he is.

1992 was when Common first released an LP, "Can I Borrow A Dollar" where you could tell straight from the beginning in "Penny For My Thoughts" that he was a jazzy cat. He was able to go with that and still be hard which made him respected straight out of the gate. He was hungry back then, really just kickin' rhymes off his head and things would get deepr throughout with jams like "Heidi Hoe" and "Soul By The Pound" two top notch joints off of his debut. He had no trouble at all gaining his street credibility as an MC not to be stepped to in joints like "Blows To The Temple" and "Breaker 1/9". Inside and out back in '92 Common was the most complete MC to come on to the scene since Rakim himself. He would pave the path for MCs like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and Company Flow to come on and kick what's on their minds and still get some dough that way. He paved the path for realism.
Common would keep it goin' in 1994's "Resurection". Two years gone and not forgotten Common came back with one of the best hip hop jams on wax to this day in hit single "I Used To Love H.E.R.". Common's slick vocab talking about Hip Hop in the form of a lady over a track you'd have to be paralyzed not to nod your head to was his first large single hit then. This got people's attention and now everyone would know Common. The name definetly fit the bill too, he talks about whatever he wants which is what we need. No holding back, very honest, just Common Sense. The realness didn't stop with "Book Of Life", where he just talks about what he thinks about life, his opinions, "Chapter 13 (Rich Man Vs. Poor Man)" which is self explanatory, and "Maintaining" which is a bit of frusturation song and he'll maintain in the end. He keeps his playfulness though in songs like "Watermelon" and "Orange Pineapple Juice". Two albums deep and finally Common was being recognized.

The third album is to show consistency. It would determine wether Common would be sticking around or going down. He did more then stick aroud bringing in a cast of hot artists like Q-Tip, Black Thought, Cee-Lo of the Goodie Mob, Canibus, De La Soul, and Lauryn Hill to set off 1997's "One Day It'll All Make Sense". This album was vintage Common and came from the soul. From "Remindin' Of Self" featuring Chantay Savage, a reminisence of his youth to "Retrospect For Life" featuring Lauryn Hill, a talk about abortion, he kept his focus on reality. "G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition)" featuring Cee-Lo brought Common finding himself and Cee-Lo bringing knowledge of what he's already learned to a very memorable and religious track. On the more hardcore side there's "Makin' A Name For Ourselves" with Canibus still showing Common is not to be tested. "Hungry" is also bringing out the youth in Common and refocusing himself on his rap career. "Gettin' Down At The Amphiteatre" is a fun joint, not really party, but fun with De La Soul. Overall this is probably Common's greatest project and things keep looking up.