Hip hop icon Nas is famous for his provocative lyrics and bold voice. He inspired a new generation to keep an open mind and work hard. Nas rose from the unforgiving streets of New York City to create music recounting his own experiences including being raised by a single mother, selling drugs on the streets, and witnessing the effects of gun violence on his family members. Even though Nas faced devastating loss and struggle, he “stuck to his guns” and put his music first. The rapper became a hit and released the influential album “Illmatic” that changed East coast hip hop. With a legendary 30 year career, Nas released his 14th studio album in 2021 and continues to inspire others through constructive music programs and scholarships that encourage creativity in hip hop.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MTV’s Behind the Music is back! The groundbreaking music documentary series returns with the best of the vault, updated and remastered for audio. Each episode profiles one of music’s most influential icons from 50 Cent to AC/DC, Courtney Love to Madonna, and more. Experience their unfiltered journeys to success and their personal stories of hardships and triumphs in this audio companion to the Paramount+ Behind the Music series.

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This artist became a rapper at the age of 9. Lil Wayne came from a tough childhood before exploring his talent for rapping as a member of the Hot Boys. With growing popularity, he pursued his solo career and released Tha Carter in 2004 and Tha Carter II in 2005. He was ready to take on the mantle of "Best Rapper Alive" and collaborated with artists such as Fall Out Boy and Fat Joe. Lil Wayne found success in 2008 with Tha Carter III, which included hit singles "A Milli" and "Lollipop", earning him 4 Grammys that year. Following Tha Carter III, he released IV and V, along with mixtapes. Even during his prison sentence in 2010, he released the album "I Am Not a Human Being", which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200. Lil Wayne has sold over 120 million records worldwide and introduced a new generation of rappers, including Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Tyga through his record label, Young Money Entertainment. Over his career Lil Wayne won numerous awards — from the Grammys, BET, Billboard, VMAs, and NAACP — cementing his legacy as one of hip-hop’s greatest. Watch Behind the Music now on Paramount+. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lil Wayne

She is known to be the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.” Mary J. Blige came from a tough childhood before becoming a singing sensation. Blige found an escape from her life through music and eventually dropped out of school before working with Puff Daddy. Her first album, “What’s the 411?”, was a hit, followed by her second album “My Life”, which explored her emotional struggles. By her fourth album, Blige was finally finding herself and learning to forgive. She realized that it’s never too late to pursue her dreams, and years later came out with her seventh album, “The Breakthrough”, earning her 8 Grammy Awards. Blige continues to earn her legacy, performing for Barack Obama and collaborating across genres with artists like The Roots, U2, Drake and more. In 2022, Blige performed in the Super Bowl and was named as one of TIME’s 100 most influential people in the world. Although she was faced with heartbreak and setbacks, Mary J. Blige continues to define and expand the world of R&B; music. Watch Behind the Music now on Paramount+. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mary J. Blige

Do you love all things Drag Race? Then check out the latest podcast from VH1 and iHeartPodcasts, Squirrel Friends: The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race Podcast! 

Every Monday, iconic guest judges and Drag Race superfans, Alec Mapa and Loni Love, react and recap the latest episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race, starting with All Stars Season 7. Plus, your ears will get a front row seat for all the behind-the-scenes secrets of the show as your favorite queens and celebrities stop by to spill all the tea.

In this episode, “Giving Them Their Flowers” Mama Ru has the All Stars reimagine and construct garments from scratch inspired by iconic outfits she’s worn in the past. Then the legends give their best supermodel of the world walk down the runway to show off their RuPaul-esque designs. Plus, Loni explains to Alec what it means to “give someone their flowers”.

Listen to Squirrel Friends: The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race Podcast on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch Drag Race All Stars Season 7 on Paramount+ and WOW Presents Plus in the UK.

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Introducing: Squirrel Friends: The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race Podcast

This artist is known for his use of Auto-Tune and pushing the boundaries of music. As a child, T-Pain knew he wanted to leave his hometown of Tallahassee to pursue his musical talents. He eventually discovered Auto-Tune and created a remix of Akon’s “Locked Up”, dubbed “F***ed Up”, which led to Akon recognizing T-Pain’s potential. T-Pain pursued his music career and came out with his first single, “I’m Sprung” which became a #1 hit. Critics thought that T-Pain’s signature Auto-Tune sound was a gimmick, however they were proved wrong when the single “Buy You a Drank” shot to #1. T-Pain marched to his own tune and what felt good to him, a genre he calls “Hard & B”. Now, he’s a star with four Billboard top 10 singles and his own show “T-Pain’s School of Business”. He even proved his natural singing ability by winning The Masked Singer and performing an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. T-Pain continues to represent his genre defining sound and has shaped the direction of pop music, all while building his legacy. Watch Behind the Music now on Paramount+. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

T-Pain

He is a radio DJ turned Hip-Hop superstar. Ludacris built his career in music and acting by writing about his life and rapping on Atlanta radio stations, leading him to become a founding member of record label Disturbing tha Peace. Although he was a radio DJ under the name of Chris Lova Lova, Ludacris was ready to build his own name as a recording artist. One of his first singles, “What’s Your Fantasy”, proved that he had a trademark flow. In 2009, six studio albums later, Ludacris was met with idolization as he collaborated with Justin Bieber on the hit single “Baby”, and proved that everything comes down to the music. Now, Ludacris is a businessman, restaurateur, philanthropist, and he finds success as a Fast and Furious star and founder of the Ludacris Foundation. Through hard work tracing back to his first radio show, Ludacris continues to be a trailblazer who wants to be the best man he can be. Watch Behind the Music now on Paramount+. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nas

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