Biography of Consequence

Introduced to hip-hop audiences in 1996 with his appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes and Life (a opportunity in part made possible by the fact that Q-Tip was his cousin), rapper Consequence was forced to move from label to label after Tribe's breakup in 1998, even recording a full-length album for Elektra that was later shelved. However, he managed to keep his name out in public by issuing multiple mixtapes, including 2004's Take 'Em to the Cleaners, which was hosted by Kanye West (who he had met in 2002 through mutual friend and producer 88 Keys; Consequence also appeared on West's debut, The College Dropout) and featured Talib Kweli, Common, Little Brother, and John Legend, among others. In 2005 he signed to West's G.O.O.D. Music label and began working on his record, which was planned for release the following year. In the meantime he put together A Tribe Called Quence: 1995-2004, which traced the history of his musical career and included remixes and previously unreleased songs. The release of his solo debut, Don't Quit Your Day Job, was pushed back to 2007, but Consequence kept busy by opening for labelmate Legend during his 2006 Once Again tour. ~ Marisa Brown

Biography of Kanye West

In the span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z earned him a major-label recording contract as a solo artist. Before long, his beats were accompanied by his own witty raps on a number of critically and commercially successful releases. West's flamboyant personality also made a mark. He showcased a dapper fashion sense that set him apart from most of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistic, albeit amusingly. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something West enjoyed plenty of during his sudden rise to celebrity status. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at practically every major awards show (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV that were events in themselves, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. For instance, he frequently spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, and even said during a Hurricane Katrina fundraiser on live television, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." West courted controversy, no question about it, but his steady presence in the celebrity limelight sometimes eclipsed his considerable musical talent. His production ability seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself like "Jesus Walks" and "Gold Digger," but also graced such fellow rap stars as Jay-Z and Ludacris with smashes. In addition to these many accomplishments, it's worth noting how West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers. Whether it was his appearance or his rhetoric, or even just his music, this young man became a superstar on his own terms, and his singularity no doubt is part of his appeal to a great many people, especially those who don't generally consider themselves rap listeners. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Biography of Cam'ron

After abandoning his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player, Cam'Ron decided to become a rapper. Hooking up with the Bad Boy Posse, he developed a pop-rap style similar to chief Bad Boy Puff Daddy. But Cam'Ron didn't sign with Bad Boy -- he signed with Epic, releasing his first album, Confessions of Fire, in the summer of 1998. The biographical sophomore album, S.D.E. (Sports, Drugs and Entertainment) followed two years later. Cam'ron worked with Ol'Dirty Bastard, Mobb Deep's Prodigy and prducer Digga to complete the album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine