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 Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Lady Gaga" host by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Lady Gaga" hosted by DJButterrock  Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known as her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Her albums are The Fame, The Fame Monster, Born This Way, Artpop, Cheek to Cheek, Joanne, Chromatica, Love for Sale, and Mayhem. In the US, she has earned six number-one singles and six number-one albums. She has won 16 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three American Music Awards, and three BRIT Awards.[1][2]

Gaga is known for her versatility in music. She got her stage name from the song "Radio Ga Ga" by the band Queen.[3] She won a Golden Globe Award for her acting role in the television series American Horror Story: Hotel in 2016. Gaga played the female lead, Ally, in the 2018 movie A Star Is Born, where she stars alongside Bradley Cooper. She additionally portrays Patrizia Reggiani in the 2021 Ridley Scott film House of Gucci and Lee in Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux (2024).

Life and career
1986–2004: Early life
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born at the Hospital Northwell Health in Upper East Side, New York City, on March 28, 1986. She is the oldest daughter of Joseph Germanotta, an internet businessman, and Cynthia (née Bissett).[4][5] She has a younger sister named Natali, who is a fashion student. Lady Gaga is of Italian (her paternal grandfather was from Naso, in the province of Messina and he came up to the United States on 1908) and French Canadian ancestry. She learned to play piano at the age of four. She wrote her first piano song at 13. She started performing live by age 14.[6] At the age of 11, Gaga went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart. This is a private Roman Catholic school on Manhattan's Upper East Side.[7][8] Her family wasn't rich. She has said that her parents "both came from lower-class families, so we've worked for everything my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father."[9] In high school, Gaga played lead roles in Guys and Dolls and in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.[10] Gaga said her high school life was "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined". She also said that it was "insecure". She said in an interview that, "I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak."[11][12][13]

Gaga was 17 when she went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She lived in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. She studied music. She helped to write essays on art, religion, social issues and politics. Gaga felt that she was more creative than some of her classmates. "Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself," she said. By the second semester of her second year, she left school to focus on her musical career. Her father agreed to pay her rent for a year, if she agreed to go back to Tisch if she failed. "I left my entire family, got the cheapest apartment I could find, and ate shit until somebody would listen," she said. Gaga has said she has had bulimia and anorexia since she was 15.[14][15][16]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Stevie Wonder" hosted by DJButterrock   Stevland Hardaway Morris (/ˈstiːvlənd/ ⓘ STEEV-lənd; né Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz. A virtual one-man band during much of his peak years, Wonder's use of synthesizers and other electronic musical instruments in the 1970s reshaped the conventions of contemporary R&B. He also helped drive such genres into the album era, crafting his LPs as cohesive and consistent, in addition to socially conscious statements with complex compositions.

Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy who signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11, where he was given the professional name Little Stevie Wonder. As a teenager he established himself as one of Motown's most successful acts, known for his excited harmonica playing and high-pitched singing in songs including "Uptight (Everything's Alright)", "I Was Made to Love Her", "For Once in My Life", and "My Cherie Amour"; his single "Fingertips" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 when he was 13, making him the youngest solo artist ever to top the chart. Wonder's critical and commercial peak, termed his "classic period" (1972–1976), began with the albums Music of My Mind and Talking Book (1972), which abandoned the Motown sound in favor of a synthesizer- and keyboard-driven one. With Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974), and Songs in the Key of Life (1976), he became the first Black musician to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year and the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases. During the 1970s, he scored the US number-one singles "Superstition", "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", "You Haven't Done Nothin'", "I Wish" and "Sir Duke".

In the 1980s, Wonder achieved international cultural presence, with high-profile collaborations (notably with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson), television appearances, charity work, and political influence, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a federal holiday in the United States. Hotter Than July (1980), the soundtrack album The Woman in Red (1984), and In Square Circle (1985) all peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200. "Ebony and Ivory", "I Just Called to Say I Love You", "Part-Time Lover", and "That's What Friends Are For" all reached number one, making him the first act to top the Billboard Hot 100 in three consecutive decades. Wonder returned to the top five with his latest album, A Time to Love (2005), and he has continued to remain active in music and political causes.

Wonder is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sales of more than 100 million records worldwide. He has won 25 Grammy Awards (the most by a male solo artist) and an Academy Award. He has been inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He ranked in the top 10 on Rolling Stone's lists of the greatest singers and greatest songwriters of all time. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and in 2014, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Believing himself to be of Ghanaian ancestry, he was conferred Ghanaian citizenship in 2024.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Patti LaBelle" hosted by DJButterrock  Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944),[1] known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Godmother of Soul".[2] LaBelle began her career in the early 1960s as lead singer and frontwoman of the vocal group Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. After the group's name changed to Labelle in the 1970s, they released the US number-one hit "Lady Marmalade". After the group disbanded in 1977, LaBelle began a solo career, achieving mainstream success in the 1980s with singles including "If Only You Knew", "New Attitude" and "Stir It Up". In 1986, she achieved both a US number-one album, Winner in You,[3] and a US number-one single with "On My Own", a duet with Michael McDonald.[4] LaBelle won a 1992 Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for her album Burnin', and a second Grammy in 1999 for the live album Live! One Night Only. She reunited with her Labelle bandmates in 2008 for the album Back to Now.[1]

LaBelle has also had success as an actress with a role in the Academy Award-nominated film A Soldier's Story, and in television shows such as A Different World and American Horror Story: Freak Show. In 1992, LaBelle starred in her own sitcom Out All Night. In 2002, LaBelle hosted her own lifestyle show, Living It Up with Patti LaBelle, on TV One. In 2015, LaBelle took part in the dance competition Dancing with the Stars. Labelle has given her name to brands of bedding, cookbooks and food, including Patti's Sweet Potato Pie, which became a viral sensation after featuring in a YouTube video that year.[5]

In a career which has spanned seven decades, LaBelle has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. She has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Apollo Theater Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone included her on their list of 100 Greatest Singers.[6][7] LaBelle is a dramatic soprano recognized for her vocal power, modal register range and emotive delivery.[8][9][10]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Lady Gaga" hosted by DJButterrock  Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known as her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Her albums are The Fame, The Fame Monster, Born This Way, Artpop, Cheek to Cheek, Joanne, Chromatica, Love for Sale, and Mayhem. In the US, she has earned six number-one singles and six number-one albums. She has won 16 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three American Music Awards, and three BRIT Awards.[1][2]

Gaga is known for her versatility in music. She got her stage name from the song "Radio Ga Ga" by the band Queen.[3] She won a Golden Globe Award for her acting role in the television series American Horror Story: Hotel in 2016. Gaga played the female lead, Ally, in the 2018 movie A Star Is Born, where she stars alongside Bradley Cooper. She additionally portrays Patrizia Reggiani in the 2021 Ridley Scott film House of Gucci and Lee in Todd Phillips' Joker: Folie à Deux (2024).

Life and career
1986–2004: Early life
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born at the Hospital Northwell Health in Upper East Side, New York City, on March 28, 1986. She is the oldest daughter of Joseph Germanotta, an internet businessman, and Cynthia (née Bissett).[4][5] She has a younger sister named Natali, who is a fashion student. Lady Gaga is of Italian (her paternal grandfather was from Naso, in the province of Messina and he came up to the United States on 1908) and French Canadian ancestry. She learned to play piano at the age of four. She wrote her first piano song at 13. She started performing live by age 14.[6] At the age of 11, Gaga went to the Convent of the Sacred Heart. This is a private Roman Catholic school on Manhattan's Upper East Side.[7][8] Her family wasn't rich. She has said that her parents "both came from lower-class families, so we've worked for everything my mother worked eight to eight out of the house, in telecommunications, and so did my father."[9] In high school, Gaga played lead roles in Guys and Dolls and in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.[10] Gaga said her high school life was "very dedicated, very studious, very disciplined". She also said that it was "insecure". She said in an interview that, "I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak."[11][12][13]

Gaga was 17 when she went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She lived in a NYU dorm on 11th Street. She studied music. She helped to write essays on art, religion, social issues and politics. Gaga felt that she was more creative than some of her classmates. "Once you learn how to think about art, you can teach yourself," she said. By the second semester of her second year, she left school to focus on her musical career. Her father agreed to pay her rent for a year, if she agreed to go back to Tisch if she failed. "I left my entire family, got the cheapest apartment I could find, and ate shit until somebody would listen," she said. Gaga has said she has had bulimia and anorexia since she was 15.[14][15][16]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Rihanna" hosted by DJButterrock

Robyn Rihanna Fenty (/riˈænə/ ⓘ ree-AN-ə;[1][2][n 1] born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, businesswoman, and actress. An influential figure in popular culture, she is known for her multifaceted career, artistic reinventions, and eclectic fashion style. With estimated sales exceeding 250 million records, Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

After signing with Def Jam Recordings, Rihanna debuted with the Caribbean-inspired records Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006), both of which reached the top ten of the US Billboard 200. Their respective lead singles, "Pon de Replay" and "SOS", peaked at numbers two and one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Adopting a more mature image, Rihanna rose to stardom and transitioned to dance-pop and R&B with her best-selling album Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) and its reissue, subtitled Reloaded (2008). The project yielded a string of successful songs, including the US number-one singles "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", and "Disturbia". Her guest appearances on "Live Your Life", "Love the Way You Lie", and "The Monster" also topped the Billboard Hot 100.

After exploring more personal themes on the rock-influenced record Rated R (2009), Rihanna returned to her more upbeat sound with the dance-pop albums Loud (2010) and Talk That Talk (2011), and topped the Billboard 200 with her synth-pop set Unapologetic (2012). Departing from Def Jam in favour of Roc Nation, she released the eclectic Anti (2016)—her second number-one album. These albums contained the US number-one singles "Rude Boy", "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Diamonds", and "Work". Since 2016, Rihanna has been releasing singles and performing sporadically. She has also ventured into acting, and her film roles include Battleship (2012), Home (2015), Ocean's 8 (2018), and Smurfs (2025).

Rihanna is the recipient of numerous accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, twelve Billboard Music Awards, thirteen American Music Awards, and seven MTV Video Music Awards. She is the highest-certified female digital single artist by the Recording Industry Association of America, and has eight diamond-certified singles and fourteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The first female musician to achieve billionaire status, Rihanna founded the nonprofit Clara Lionel Foundation, the cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty, and the fashion brand Fenty under LVMH. She was named an ambassador by the Government of Barbados in 2018 and declared a National Hero of Barbados in 2021.

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Sexyy Red" hosted by DJButterrock  Janae Nierah Wherry (born April 15, 1998), known professionally as Sexyy Red, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence with the release of her 2023 single "Pound Town" (with Tay Keith); its popularity spawned the remixed sequel "Pound Town 2" (with Nicki Minaj), her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Her follow-up single, "SkeeYee", was met with similar success; both songs were included on her second mixtape, Hood Hottest Princess (2023). Billboard declared Wherry as "one of the biggest breakout artists of summer 2023."[3]

That same year, Wherry guest appeared on the remixes of the singles "Shake Sumn" by DaBaby, "Slut Me Out" by NLE Choppa, and "Peaches & Eggplants" by Young Nudy, alongside rapper Latto. She guest appeared on Drake's 2023 single "Rich Baby Daddy", which peaked within the Billboard Hot 100's top 20. Her 2024 single, "Get It Sexyy", preceded her third mixtape, In Sexyy We Trust (2024). That same year, her appearance on Tyler, the Creator's single "Sticky", alongside GloRilla and Lil Wayne, peaked within its top ten, and was nominated for Best Rap Song at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. Her 2025 single "Whatchu Kno About Me" (with GloRilla) received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In addition to a Grammy Award nomination, Wherry won "Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist" at the 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards.

Early life
Janae Nierah Wherry was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 15, 1998. Wherry started rapping after penning a diss track directed towards a boyfriend who cheated on her. The stage name "Sexyy Red" was adapted from the nickname "Red" she already had for a long time due to her dyed-red hair. She has previously worked as a hairdresser and a call-center agent. Wherry graduated from Normandy High School in Missouri.[4][5]

Career
Red released her first song "Ah Thousand Jugs" in 2018. In 2021, she released her debut mixtape, Ghetto Superstar.[6]

In January 2023, she released "Pound Town" with Tay Keith, which later went viral on social media.[7] In April, she was featured on the remix of NLE Choppa's "Slut Me Out".[8] In May that same year, she released "Pound Town 2" with Nicki Minaj, which became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. In June, she released the mixtape Hood Hottest Princess.[9] In August 2023, Red joined Drake on his It's All a Blur Tour as an opening act, having appeared as a guest at previous shows.[10] She featured alongside SZA on his single "Rich Baby Daddy", from his eighth studio album For All the Dogs, in October.[11] Her first top-10 song in the United States was with Tyler, the Creator over a year later.[12] The two released a collaboration with GloRilla and Lil Wayne, "Sticky" from the album Chromakopia, in October 2024.[13]

On May 28, 2024, Red appeared at WWE NXT where she presented the new NXT Women's North American Championship. On June 9, 2024, she hosted the 2024 NXT Battleground PLE.[14]

In February 11, 2026, Red posted a video on her Instagram showing a remix of Michael Jackson's "Beat It". Shortly after, Jackson's estate responded, deeming the usage of the song as unauthorized.[15]

Artistry
Influences
Growing up, Red listened to artists such as Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Project Pat, Juicy J, Three 6 Mafia, Chief Keef, Webbie, Boosie Badazz, and Trina.[16][17][18] Kyle Denis remarked in Billboard that those artists "embody the unapologetically hood energy that now courses through every Sexyy Red song", with Red herself stating that she sought to emulate their "fearlessness".[17] She has frequently been called the "Female Gucci Mane" in particular and released a song with that title on her mixtape Hood Hottest Princess.[16

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Cx1DJs Untold Stories of Waka Flocka Hosted by DJButterrock  Juaquin James Malphurs[1] (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2009 single "O Let's Do It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, an imprint of Warner Records, that same year. His 2010 follow-up single, "No Hands" (featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale), reached number 13 on the chart and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both songs, along with "Hard in da Paint" and "Grove St. Party" (featuring Kebo Gotti), preceded the release of his debut studio album Flockaveli (2010), which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200. His second studio album, Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family (2012) peaked at number ten on the chart and was supported by the singles "Round of Applause" (featuring Drake), "I Don't Really Care" (featuring Trey Songz) and "Get Low" (featuring Tyga, Nicki Minaj and Flo Rida).

Early life
Malphurs was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City. His family ultimately settled in Riverdale, Georgia.[2] His mother, Debra Antney, is rapper Gucci Mane's former manager and the CEO of So Icey/Mizay Entertainment.[3] The name "Waka" was given to him by his cousin, after the Muppets character Fozzie Bear's catchphrase, "Wocka Wocka". The name "Flocka Flame" was given to him by Gucci Mane,[4] whom he has known since 2005 when he was 19.[5] In January 2009, Malphurs released his debut mixtape, Salute Me or Shoot Me.[6][7] The mixtape contained the song "O Let's Do It", which was released as a commercial single in April of that year. After which, the song was re-recorded and the guest performer was changed. The song was produced by L-Don Beatz. By November 2009, he was signed to Gucci Mane's record label 1017 Records, along with fellow Georgia-based rapper OJ Da Juiceman, his cousin Frenchie,[8] and his brother Wooh Da Kid.[9][10] On January 19, 2010, Malphurs was shot and robbed at a car wash in his Atlanta hometown; a bullet went through his right arm.[11][12] Following this, "O Let's Do It" debuted at number 95 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 2010, and peaked at number 62 on the chart by April.[13][14][15] Throughout that year, he released the singles "Hard In Da Paint", "Grove St. Party", and "No Hands". The latter two entered the Billboard Hot 100—the latter at number 13—while each promoted the release of his debut studio album, Flockaveli on October 1, 2010.[16] The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 and received positive critical reception.[17] Its title was inspired by Tupac Shakur, whose final stage name and pseudonym before his death was Makaveli.[18] Malphurs was listed at number eight on MTV's Hottest MCs in the Game Annual List in 2010.[19]

Gucci Mane fired Malphurs' mother, Debra as his manager. There was initially no animosity between the two rappers due to this event. In an MTV interview, Malphurs affirmed that their relationship was, at the time, in good standing despite not being on speaking terms.[20] In early September, Gucci Mane attended Malphurs' Flockaveli listening party in support of the artist.[21]

2011–2012: Ferrari Boyz and Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family
In 2011, Malphurs posed for a nude but not explicit promotional photo for PETA, to boycott killing animals and wearing fur. The picture reads "ink not mink".[22] Malphurs released several mixtapes in 2011, including Salute Me or Shoot Me 3, Benjamin Flocka and his last Twin Towers 2 (No Fly Zone) with fellow rapper Slim Dunkin.[23][24][25] On August 9, 2011, his collaborative album with Gucci Mane, Ferrari Boyz was released.[26] The first single was "She Be Puttin On", featuring Slim Dunkin, who was fatally shot the following year.[27]

"Round of Applause", featuring Canadian rapper Drake, was released on October 14, 2011[28] as the first single from his second studio album, Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family. It was produced by frequent collaborator, Lex Luger. The album was released on June 8, 2012 and saw a critical and commercial decline from his debut.[29

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Cx1DJs Untold Stories of Pooh Shiesty Hosted by DJButterrock Full Episode Lontrell Denell Williams Jr. (born November 8, 1999), known by his stage name Pooh Shiesty, is an American rapper.[4] His stage name was given to him by his late brother, who adapted his childhood nickname "Mr. Pooh" with the vernacular slang term "shiesty", which he felt was referential of his lifestyle.[5][6]

In 2020, he was signed to fellow Southern rapper Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, an imprint of Atlantic Records this deal was reported to have been 10 million dollars ,[7] where he rose to prominence following his collaborations with the label's founder and fellow signees. His 2020 single, "Back in Blood" (featuring Lil Durk), peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.[8] That same year, he guest-appeared on the remix of SpotemGottem's single "Beat Box", which peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 and remains his joint-highest entry on the chart.

In early 2021, Shiesty released his debut mixtape, Shiesty Season, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. He was then sentenced to five years in prison on firearms conspiracy charges in June 2021, but was released early in late 2025. His 2025 comeback single, "FDO", peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 and became his other highest-charting song as a lead artist, tying "Beat Box 2".

Following an April 2026 break-in at Gucci Mane's house, Shiesty (along with eight others) were arrested by the FBI and charged with federal conspiracy to commit kidnapping and robbery.[9]

Early life
Williams was born on 8 November 1999 in South Memphis. During high school, Williams spent two years in Pflugerville, Texas and attended Pflugerville High School.[10]

Career
2019–2020: Commercial debut
Pooh Shiesty began focusing on music at age 18.[11] He started off his career with his debut single, "Hell Night", featuring fellow rapper Big30, which was released on March 15, 2019, followed by the official music video on February 19, 2020.[12] "Shiesty Summer" was then released five months later, on August 20, 2019, succeeded by the music video the next day.[13] His collaborative single "Choppa Talk" with Big30 was released on August 23, 2019, but the video was released a few months before on May 6, 2019.[14] His final release of the year was the single "Day One" along with the accompanying visual on November 25, 2019.[15]

On March 11, 2020, Shiesty released the single "At It Again", but the visual was released nine days prior.[16] He released the single "Main Slime", on March 15, 2020.[17] On May 29, 2020, the latter song received a remix with an accompanying music video, featuring Memphis rapper Moneybagg Yo and record producer Tay Keith, the latter of whom produced the original song.[18] Shiesty released the single "ABCGE" alongside the music video on June 3, 2020.[19]

After releasing a few singles of his own, Shiesty received attention from Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane, who later signed him to his record label 1017 Records. In a joint-venture, he signed with its distributor, Atlantic Records in April 2020.[20] They first collaborated on Mane's single, "Still Remember", along with its music video on June 19, 2020.[21] The song was Shiesty's rise to fame and recognition. Six days later, he released the single "Monday to Sunday" (featuring rappers Lil Baby and Big30), alongside the music video on June 25, 2020.[22]

All three singles appeared on Mane's fourth compilation album, So Icy Summer, which was released on July 3, 2020.[23] The first half of the album consisted of songs by Mane and the second half consisted of songs from the rest of the 1017 label; Shiesty's labelmates include Foogiano, K Shiday, Enchanting, Big Scarr, and Roboy.[24] Shiesty and Mane reunited within the album on the latter's single "Who Is Him", with an accompanying music video the same day.[25]

On September 9, 2020, Shiesty released the single "Twerksum" alongside the music video.[26] The 1017 label (himself, Gucci Mane, Foogiano, Big Scarr, Roboy, K Shiday, and Enchanting) collaborated on Roboy's single "1017 Loaded", which was released alongside the accompanying music video exactly one month later, on October 9, 2020.[27] Both singles appeared on Gucci's fifth compilation album, So Icy Gang, Vol. 1, which was released on October 16, 2020.[28] The album is similar to the second half of So Icy Summer, but instead features different artists on the label.[29] In November 2020, Shiesty and SpotemGottem released a remix to the latter's single, which was titled "Beat Box 2."[30]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock" hosted by DJButterrock  Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock were an American hip-hop duo from Harlem, New York City. Rob Base was the stage name of Robert Ginyard (May 18, 1967 – May 22, 2026) and DJ E-Z Rock was the stage name of Rodney "Skip" Bryce (May 8, 1967 – April 27, 2014).[1] They are best known for the 1988 single "It Takes Two", a "hip-hop staple"[2] that was a top 40 hit and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. That song was a part of the duo's album of the same name, which also has been certified platinum. They are known for being pioneers of the crossover success that rap music would have in the popular music mainstream.[3]

Career

Rob Base performing as a solo artist in October 2023
The duo's first U.S. single and release was "DJ Interview", appearing on World to World, which later got them a recording contract with Profile Records in 1987. The duo was assisted by a long-time friend from New Jersey, producer David Wynn. David Wynn produced three songs on their debut album and five on their sophomore album.[citation needed]

The first Profile release was "It Takes Two".[4] It used multiple samples from the James Brown and Lyn Collins 1972 song "Think (About It)".[4] The track first became a regional hit and then slowly climbed the Billboard Hot 100, picking up a multi-platinum single certification. The song also peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.[citation needed]

Their album It Takes Two was quickly[quantify] assembled. It produced a notable follow-up hit, "Joy and Pain", which sampled a song of the same name by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, as well as "Put the Music Where Your Mouth Is" by the Olympic Runners.[4] It reached the top 10 on the dance chart and climbed to No. 58 on the Hot 100. "Get On the Dance Floor", which sampled "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" by The Jacksons, produced by David Wynn, was a track released to clubs in between the two singles. It hit No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1989. Boosted by those singles, the It Takes Two album went platinum seven times over.[citation needed]

Base responded in 1989 with The Incredible Base, his debut solo album.[4] It did not sell as well as It Takes Two.[4] One song from the album hit the dance chart in late 1989: "Turn It Out (Go Base)", credited only to Rob Base.

In 2008, their song "It Takes Two" was ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 greatest songs of hip hop.[5]

Personal lives
Rob Base was born Robert Ginyard on May 18, 1967.[1] In the fourth grade, he relocated in New York City from the Bronx to Harlem in Manhattan, where he became a classmate of DJ E-Z Rock.[6] He attended Harlem public schools and loved music. Influenced by rap, he performed in talent shows and at as many open mic or hip-hop events as possible. His first child was born in 1989 to his then-girlfriend Rhonda Dunbar, with whom he was in a relationship from 1986 to 1991. In 1991, Base met April, and in 1992, they had a son. They subsequently took guardianship of April's cousin. Base and April married and remained together until her death in September 2013.[7] Rob Base died from cancer on May 22, 2026, at the age of 59.[8]

DJ E-Z Rock was born Rodney "Skip" Bryce in 1967 and raised in Harlem.[9] He died on April 27, 2014, at the age of 46, after complications from diabetes.[2]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Lil Kim" hosted by DJButterrock
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974),[2] better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and model. Referred to as the "Queen of Rap", Lil' Kim is known for her sexually charged lyrics and presence, which influenced women in contemporary hip-hop.[3] She is the second best-selling female rapper of all time with 45 million records sold, and is also a fashion icon for her risk-taking and luxurious approach to fashion.[4][5]

Lil' Kim was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, she would freestyle rap, influenced by fellow female hip-hop artists like MC Lyte and the Lady of Rage. In 1994, she was discovered by fellow rapper the Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his group Junior M.A.F.I.A.; their debut album, Conspiracy, generated two top 20 singles in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

In 1996, Lil' Kim released her debut album, Hard Core, which spawned the singles "No Time", "Not Tonight (Ladies Night)", and "Crush on You". The album became the highest debut in the US for a female rap album at the time, received a double platinum certification, and sold more than six million copies worldwide.[6][7] During this period, she adopted the nickname "Queen Bee". Her following album, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000), achieved similar success. She topped the Billboard Hot 100 by featuring on the 2001 single "Lady Marmalade", winning the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Her third album, La Bella Mafia (2003), was also certified platinum and spawned the singles "The Jump Off" and "Magic Stick", the latter of which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2005, Lil' Kim served a one-year prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends' involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album, The Naked Truth, was released that same year to positive reviews from critics. A reality series covering her sentence, Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, premiered on BET in 2006. She then released her first mixtape, Ms. G.O.A.T. (2008), and returned to the public eye in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Throughout the 2010s, she continued to release music and perform sporadically, collaborating with artists such as Faith Evans, Remy Ma, and Fabolous. Her fifth studio album, 9, was released in 2019.

Lil' Kim's collaboration with celebrity nail artist Bernadette Thompson for the 1999 "Money Nails" design she wore is credited with bringing intricate nail art into mainstream fashion and has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art.[8] Her songs "No Time", "Big Momma Thang", and "Not Tonight (Ladies Night)" were each listed on Complex's list of the 50 Best Rap Songs By Women.[9] In 2012, she was listed on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list at number 45, the second-highest position for a solo female hip-hop artist.[10]

Early life and education
Jones was born on July 11, 1974, in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, the second child of Linwood Jones, a former U.S. Marine.[11] She has an older brother, Christopher.[12] As a child, Jones attended Queen of All Saints Elementary School in Brooklyn.[13] When she was nine years old, her parents separated, and Jones was raised by her father, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship.[13] At fourteen, she left home, began living on the streets, and ultimately dropped out of high school.[7]

As a teenager, Jones met Christopher Wallace, known professionally as the Notorious B.I.G. Wallace was a key figure in both her personal and artistic life, particularly after he gained popularity and influence through his relationship with Bad Boy Records.[14] Jones attended Sarah J. Hale Vocational High School for two-and-a-half years. She and her friends often skipped school. As she was not completing her schoolwork, the decision was made for her to transfer to Brooklyn College Academy to finish her remaining year and a half of high school.[15]

Career
1994–1995: Junior M.A.F.I.A. and early success

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