BONE THUGS-N-HARMONY
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (formerly known as B.O.N.E. Enterprises) is an American hip hop group consisting of rappers Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, and Flesh-n-Bone. The group was signed to Ruthless Records in late 1993, when they debuted with their EP Creepin on ah Come Up. The EP included their breakout hit single "Thuggish Ruggish Bone".
In 1995, the group released its second album E. 1999 Eternal, which included hits "1st of tha Month" and "East 1999". Their hit song "Tha Crossroads", a tribute to then-recently deceased Eazy-E, won a Grammy Award in 1997.
THE D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known by his stage name the D.O.C., is an American rapper. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew and later collaborated with gangsta rap group N.W.A–where he co-wrote many of their releases–as well as Eazy-E's solo debut album Eazy-Duz-It. He has also worked with Dr. Dre, co-writing his solo debut album, while Dre produced Curry's solo debut album, released by Ruthless Records. He was one of the founders of Death Row Records along with Dr. Dre and Suge Knight.
From the AU Review Interview in 2021: I’m also really keen to ask you about the legacy of Tupac. Obviously he is someone that you intersected with throughout your career. What was your last living memory of him?
My last memory, living memory of Tupac was hanging out in Atlanta, Georgia with him and MC Breed. We headed to the club, but we got kicked out. What’d you get kicked out for? Because we were young and dumb and just wiling out.
KOKANE
Jerry Buddy Long Jr. (born March 10, 1969), better known by his stage name Kokane, is an American recording artist best known for his distinctive vocal style and numerous guest appearances such as on Snoop Dogg's Tha Last Meal. He started his career at Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in 1989, co-writing songs for N.W.A and Above the Law, before releasing his first album, Addictive Hip Hop Muzick, in 1991 on which he was credited as "Who Am I?" to avoid infringing on laws which forbade the use of his usual moniker.
His first solo single, "Nickel Slick Nigga", appeared on the Deep Cover soundtrack. In addition to co-writing "Appetite for Destruction" for N.W.A's Niggaz4life, Long also contributed to other West Coast gangsta rap albums such as Above the Law's Black Mafia Life.
SPICE 1
Robert Lee Greene, Jr. (born July 2, 1970), better known by his stage name Spice 1 (an acronym for "Sex, Pistols, Indo, Cash and Entertainment") is an American rapper from Hayward, California. He began releasing albums in 1992. In 1991 he released his first EP, Let It Be Known. In 1992 he released Spice 1, and in 1993 released 187 He Wrote. Spice 1 released six albums under Jive Records along with one greatest hits album. Three of them, Spice 1, 187 He Wrote and AmeriKKKa's Nightmare, were certified gold.
Green attended Mt. Eden High School in Hayward. According to Green, he once stole a car that resembled one owned by Too Short and used it to make "doughnuts" (doughnut shaped tire burns) on the street outside of Too Short's mother's house, in an attempt to impress the older rapper.
When Green received his first large check for his music, he stopped selling drugs and focused on making music instead.
In a recording session on September 7, 1996, Green, Tupac Shakur, and Kokane recorded the song Fame together, which is believed to be the last song that Shakur ever recorded before he was shot in Las Vegas later that same night. Green, being a close personal friend of the late rapper, was on his way to meet up with him in Las Vegas for an after party when he received news about Shakur's shooting.
On December 3, 2007, Green was shot while sitting in his car outside his parents' home in Oakland, California. He survived the shooting and later recovered at a hospital.
GONZOE
Ronald Moore (February 4, 1976 - July 29, 2021) was well known as a founding member of rap group Kausion in the '90s, alongside Cel and Kaydo. The group signed to Ice Cube's Lench Mob record label and released their debut album, 'South Central Los Skanless' in 1995. Gonzoe worked with Tupac during Death Row on songs This Life I Lead and Dumpin in 96.
ICE-T
Tracy Lauren Marrow (born February 16, 1958), better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and producer. He began his career as an underground rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays—reportedly the first hip-hop album to carry an explicit content sticker. The following year, he founded the record label Rhyme $yndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the "Rhyme $yndicate") and released another album, Power, which would go platinum. He also released several other albums that went gold.
Ice-T co-founded the heavy metal band Body Count, which he introduced on his 1991 rap album O.G. Original Gangster, on the track titled "Body Count". The band released their self-titled debut album in 1992. Ice-T encountered controversy over his track "Cop Killer", the lyrics of which discussed killing police officers. He asked to be released from his contract with Warner Bros. Records, and his next solo album, Home Invasion, was released later in February 1993 through Priority Records. Body Count's next album, Born Dead, was released in 1994, and Ice-T released two more albums in the late 1990s.
As an actor, Ice-T played small parts in the films Breakin' and its sequels, Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo and Rappin', during the 1980s, before his major role debut, starring as police detective Scotty Appleton in New Jack City (1991). He received top billing for his role in Surviving the Game (1994) and continued to appear in small roles in TV series and other films throughout the 1990s. Since 2000, he has portrayed NYPD Detective/Sergeant Odafin Tutuola on the NBC police drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. A reality television show titled Ice Loves Coco ran for three seasons (2011–2013) on E!, featuring the home life of Ice-T and his wife Coco Austin. In 2018, he began hosting the true crime documentary In Ice Cold Blood on the Oxygen cable channel, which as of 2020 is in its third season.
THE GOV
The Govenor raised in Oakland, California was a close friend of Richie Rich and Tupac during the early 90's. The Govenor appeared on the Blackwatch TV footage with Tupac and Richie Rich. They also recorded songs together. The track Gaffled Like That ft Tupac and Richie Rich on Govenor's Taxin was produced by DJ Daryl.
MC HAMMER
Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper and dancer. A major figure in the 1980s and 1990s, Hammer is considered one of the most significant rappers and dancers of all time. He is known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit", flashy dance movements, extravagant choreography and his eponymous Hammer pants. Remembered for a rapid rise to fame, Hammer has also been an entrepreneur and celebrity spokesperson.
Hammer's relationship with Suge Knight dates back to 1988. Hammer signed with Death Row Records by 1995, then home to Snoop Dogg and his close friend, Tupac Shakur. The label did not release the album of Hammer's music (titled Too Tight) while he had a career with them, although he did release versions of some tracks on his next album. However, Burrell did record tracks with Shakur and others, most notably the song "Too Late Playa" (along with Big Daddy Kane and Danny Boy). After the death of Shakur in 1996, Burrell left the record company. He later explained his concern about this circumstance in an interview on Trinity Broadcasting Network since he was in Las Vegas with Tupac the night of his death.
RAPPIN 4 TAY
Anthony H. Forté (born March 2, 1968), better known by his stage name Rappin' 4-Tay, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California. Right after high school, 4-Tay made his debut on the Too Short album Life Is...Too Short. He was later convicted on drug charges and served ten months in prison. Upon his release from prison he released his debut album Rappin' 4-Tay Is Back in 1991, and followed up in 1994 with Don't Fight the Feelin.
In 1995, two Rappin' 4-Tay songs—"Problems" and "A Message for Your Mind"—were featured on the Dangerous Minds soundtrack. "A Message For Your Mind" sampled "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5.
Rappin' 4-Tay's mainstream success has been scarce since then, but he was featured on 2Pac's All Eyez on Me album on the track "Only God Can Judge Me" in 1996 and Master P's West Coast Bad Boyz II compilation in 1997. 4-Tay was also an original member of Bay Area supergroup T.W.D.Y. in 1999.
In 2003 Rappin' 4-Tay released the album Gangsta Gumbo with the single "Burning, Burning", followed up by the album That's What You Thought in 2007. In 2010 He was featured on R&B Artist E. Broussard's song titled Big Game Droppin'.
COOLIO
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born August 1, 1963 - September 28, 2022), known as Coolio, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Coolio achieved mainstream success in the mid-to-late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). Coolio showed his support on the Music Video of Temptations when Pac was incarcerated.
E-40
Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group the Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 28 studio albums to date, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with mainstream rappers outside the San Francisco Bay Area. He rose to higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When to Go", which was produced by Lil Jon.
MIKE MOSLEY
Michael Mosley is an American hip-hop music producer. He produced for artists Tupac Shakur, E-40, C-Bo, Keak Da Sneak, Celly Cel and many more. He also discovered music producer Rick Rock and produced for R&B singer TQ.
According to Mike Mosley he met Tupac Shakur at Jack the Rapper convention in 94. Tupac stated that he wanted to work with him and that he was currently working on the Me Against The World album. Soon after, they got together with Richie Rich to record the song Heavy In the Game then later on Can You Get Away.
When Tupac arrived on Death Row they went on and collaborated on a few songs for All Eyez On Me. Ain't Hard to Find ft E-40, B-Legit, C-Bo & Richie Rich and Tradin War Stories ft the Outlawz & C-Bo.
On March 29, 1996 Tupac participates in the 10th Soul Train Awards, Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Death Row gets into an argument with Bad Boy, during the ceremony. Later that night he recorded Hit Em Up and Good Life. According to Mike Mosley Left Eye was there and the Goodie Mob came afterwards.
C-BO
Shawn “Cowboy” Thomas born on 1971 in the Garden Block area of Sacramento, California. He has sold over 3.5 million albums independently since 1993. He is currently signed to West Coast Mafia Records. C-Bo was featured on two tracks with Tupac on All Eyez On Me. Ain't Hard to Find ft E-40, B Legit & Richie Rich and Tradin War Storiez ft Outlaw Immortalz.
MC BREED
Eric Tyrone Breed (June 12, 1971 – November 22, 2008), better known as MC Breed, was an American rapper best known for his singles "Ain't No Future in Yo' Frontin'", which peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and "Gotta Get Mine" (featuring 2Pac), that made it to number 6 on the Hot Rap Singles MC Breed's first album was released with rap group DFC and was entitled MC Breed & DFC for independent record label, SDEG Records.
His solo debut was 1992's 20 Below, after which he released 1993's The New Breed. He would go on to have a very extensive discography and have a very long career that was at times successful, but he never fully broke into the mainstream. His highest-charting album was 1994's Funkafied, which peaked at #106 on the Billboard Hot 200. When Tupac met Breed he was in the shop getting his thug life tattoo.
SCARFACE
Bradley Terrence Jordan (born November 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper and record producer best known as a member of the Geto Boys, a hip-hop group from Houston, Texas. He grew up in Houston and is originally from the city's South Acres (Crestmont Park) neighborhood.
He began his career as DJ Akshen (pronounced “Action“), recording and deejaying for Lil' Troy's Short Stop, which was a local record label in Houston. After releasing the 12" single "Scarface/Another Head Put To Rest" (1989), which was written by Chris "Mr. 3-2" Barriere and produced by Def Jam Blaster and Bruce "Grim" Rhodes,he would go on to sign with Rap-A-Lot Records and join a group who were collectively known as the Geto Boys, replacing a member who left. The first Geto Boys album he appeared on was the group's second album, Grip It! On That Other Level (1989), a highly successful album that garnered the group a large fanbase. Radio and MTV refused to play any songs from the album because of their violent lyrics, but by the standards of the time, Geto Boys were a major success, and 2 Live Crew were the only Southern rap crew whose success was at all comparable. Jordan took his stage name from the 1983 film Scarface, starring Al Pacino.
Scarface has an extensive catalogue with eleven studio albums. One of the them being Untouchable released in 1997 which includes the song Smile ft 2Pac and Johnny P. Smile is a remix of the song Smile For Me Now produced by 2Pac and Damon Thomas.
TOO SHORT
Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966) better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on pimping and promiscuity, but also drug culture and street survival. This is respectively exemplified in his most popular songs "Blow the Whistle" and "The Ghetto".
A pioneer of West Coast rap Shaw began recording in 1983, cultivating a large following in his native Oakland. In 1987, his fourth album Born to Mack attracted the attention of Jive Records, who signed him and distributed the album nationally. His subsequent 1988 album Life Is...Too Short was highly successful, going double platinum, and he remained prominent into the 1990s.
ICE CUBE
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, and filmmaker. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1988 album Straight Outta Compton contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popularity and his political rap solo albums AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990), Death Certificate (1991), and The Predator (1992) were critically and commercially successful. He has also had an active film career since the early 1990s. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A in 2016.
A native of Los Angeles, Jackson formed his first rap group called C.I.A. in 1986. In 1987, with Eazy-E and Dr. Dre, he formed the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A. As its lead rapper, he wrote some of Dre's and most of Eazy's lyrics on Straight Outta Compton a landmark album that shaped West Coast hip hop's early identity and helped differentiate it from East Coast rap. N.W.A was also known for their violent lyrics, threatening to attack abusive police and innocent civilians alike which stirred controversy. After a monetary dispute over the group's management by Eazy-E and Jerry Heller, Cube left N.W.A in late 1989, teaming with New York artists and launching a solo rap career.
Ice Cube entered cinema by playing Doughboy in director John Singleton's feature debut Boyz n the Hood, a 1991 drama named after a 1987 rap song that Ice Cube wrote. Ice Cube also cowrote and starred in the 1995 comedy film Friday; it premised a successful franchise and reshaped his persona into a bankable movie star. His directorial debut was the 1998 film The Players Club. As of 2020, he has appeared in about 40 films, including the 1999 war comedy Three Kings, family comedies like the Barbershop series, and buddy cop comedies 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, and Ride Along. He was an executive producer of many of these films, as well as of the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.
Ice Cube had the chance to work with Tupac on the track Last Words ft Ice-T on the Strictly 4 My Niggaz album. But the two also had their differences. After Tupac release from prison, he left New York and formed a business partnership with Suge Knight and his friends at Death Row. While Big Suge and Kurupt have always kept things one hundred with their late associate, some people have been fabricating stories and even lying on encounters with 2pac. Out of 2pac’s own words, he felt Ice Cube was clout chasing the west coast aggressive content, with telling out of towners to bow down.
MAC MALL
Jamal Rocker (born June 14, 1975), professionally known by his stage name Mac Mall, is an American rapper who became known in the mid/late 1990s as one of the local artists putting the Bay Area on the hip hop map. Mac Mall signed with the record label, Young Black Brotha Records, and later came to own the label, for the production of his own albums, and those of associates. One of Mac Mall's first singles was a song called "Ghetto Theme", which had a music video directed by Tupac Shakur in 1994. He was also longtime friends with Mac Dre, who was his mentor early on in his career. He is also cousins to E-40, B-Legit and Sway Calloway.
DJ DARYL
DJ Daryl is a Music Producer, Songwriter, and DJ from West Oakland California. He's one of the originators of the legendary group 415 (Richie Rich and D-Loc) who brought us street hits like, Snitches B****es, Groupie A** B**** and Sideshow. Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Nate Dogg were inspired by '415' which led to the creation of their group '213.'
DJ Daryl produced Tupac's unreleased album 'Troublesome 21' (Tupac's age at the time) the album was placed on hold due to the controversy surrounding Ice-T's "Cop Killer" song. Eventually, Interscope Records removed the songs (5 out of 14) and released them.
'Keep Ya Head Up' (DJ Daryl’s first platinum hit) on Tupac’s second studio album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., was #2 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, #7 on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart, and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song reached platinum status and appears on various albums and in films.
Let Them Thangs Go, Nothin But Love, 16 On Death Row, and Black Starry Night were released on R U Still Down? (Remember Me) and Po Nigga Blues/Cause I Had To (original version) has never been released but leaked on Youtube, and remixed by Scott Storch on Loyal To The Game.
EAZY-E
Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred to as the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap".
Born and raised in Compton, California, Wright had several legal troubles before founding Ruthless in 1987. After a short solo career with frequent collaboration with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, they joined, forming N.W.A, later that year. N.W.A's debut studio album, Straight Outta Compton, was released in 1988. Controversial upon release, it is now ranked among the greatest and most influential albums ever. The group released its third and final studio album, Niggaz4Life, in 1991, and soon after disbanded.
During N.W.A's splintering, largely by disputes over money, Eazy-E became embroiled in bitter rivalries with fellow group-members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, who had departed for solo careers in 1989 and 1991, respectively. Resuming his solo career, Eazy-E released two EPs. Yet he remained more significant behind the scenes, signing and nationally debuting the rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony from 1993 to 1994. In 1995, Eazy-E was suddenly hospitalized and diagnosed with AIDS, and died due to its complications. In the early 90's Eazy-E had a cool relationship with Digital Underground and Tupac Shakur appearing in the music video Same Song and Call What You Want with Above The Law ft Tupac and Money B.
RICHIE RICH
Richard Serrell (born on June 25, 1967) better known by his stage name Richie Rich, is a rapper from Oakland, California. He currently runs his own record label, Ten-Six Records. Richie Rich first entered music in the late 1980s with the group 415. With D-Loc, DJ Daryl, and JED, Rich crafted a Bay Area album in 1989 called 41Fivin, which sold well around the Bay Area and spawned a Richie Rich solo album in 1990, titled Don't Do It.
As the group was ready to sign a major-label contract with Priority Records in 1990, however, Richie Rich was arrested for possession of cocaine. 415 released its next album and faded from the scene soon after, while Rich sat in jail; he was released a year later, and began appearing on tracks by 2Pac and the Luniz. By 1995, Richie Rich had become the first Bay Area rapper to sign with New York's Def Jam Records, and his major-label album, Seasoned Veteran, was released in late 1996 Seasoned Veteran did rather well on the charts.
Associates & Comrades
NUTT-SO
Nutt-So (born Sean Cole) is a rapper from East Oakland, California. He is the brother os R 'n' B singer Keyshia Cole. He started his rap career in the group Street Thugs with Pound and Mo-Savage. They released their sole album, Not To Be Fucked With on Snake Pit Records in 1994. In 1996, Nutt-So hooked up with the rapper Paris to release his debut solo album The Betrayal but due to unknown circumstances the album never came out. That same year while still with the Street Thugz, they hooked up and signed with Hammer and Death Row Records and he recorded a song for MC Hammer's unreleased Death Row debut, he also recorded close to ten songs with the late Tupac Shakur. One of those songs, "Words To My First Born" produced by DJ Quik, was supposed to appear on The Betrayal. He has since released several albums and mixtapes. According to Nutt-So he also stated on several interviews that Pac initiated him as an Outlaw around the time when Pac recorded the song Smile with Scarface.
COLD 187um
Gregory Fernard Hutchison (born August 4, 1967), known as Big Hutch and Cold 187um, is an American rapper and producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law. He currently records for his self-founded label.
Hutchison is the nephew of late R&B singer Willie Hutch. Above the Law signed to Ruthless Records in late 1989, releasing their debut album, Livin' Like Hustlers, in 1990. The album was overseen and co-produced by producer Dr. Dre, who would soon leave the label and start up Death Row Records, and featured members of the group N.W.A. Cold 187um contributed to the success of Ruthless after Dre's departure and the breakup of N.W.A.
RAY LUV
Raymond Tyson, better known by his stage name Ray Luv was born on April 15, 1972, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was raised in Santa Rosa, California. He is a Bay Area rapper who is best known for his contribution to the Bay Area hip hop scene in the mid 1990s.
Early in his career Ray Luv performed alongside Tupac Shakur in the group Strictly Dope, a group based in Santa Rosa, California. In 1991, Ray was signed to the independent label Young Black Brotha Records by fellow friends Mac Dre and Mac Mall. Ray Luv has stated that he got his name from Tupac Shakur.
His first extended play Who Can Be Trusted? was released in 1993 by Young Black Brotha "Get Your Money On" from Trusted was popular on local radio at the time. That next year, Luv was featured on the Above The Rim soundtrack. Forever Hustlin', released in 1995 by Interscope Records through the Bay Area label Young Black Brotha, was his major label debut it reached #21 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
One of Ray Luv's biggest singles "Last Nite", music video was directed by Tupac Shakur in 1994. He was longtime friends with Tupac and fellow Bay Area rappers, Mac Dre and Mac Mall.
In 1997, Luv contributed to the Bay Area rap compilation, Best Of Da Bay: A Series Of Slaps, from Young Black Brotha.
Ray Luv is co-owner of the bay area favorite online video series Pushin' The Bay TV, alongside the show's host Emcee T, a rapper who is also from Santa Rosa, California.