Lil' Kim and Rick Ross

Kimberly Denise Jones began rapping while expelled from home in her teens, at first freestyling with her friends before writing her own full length raps soon afterwards. It was while she was living on the streets and on her friends couches that she struck up a friendship with an up and coming rapper called Christopher Wallace, whose stage name was The Notorious B.I.G. In 1994, when he was still becoming the legend we know him to be today, he drafted the 19 year old Kim and two of their childhood friends into a hip-hop group called Junior M.A.F.I.A, who released “Conspiracy”, their debut album, the following year. The album, largely thanks to Biggie's involvement and promotion, was a Gold-certified success that made a star out of the 20 year old Kim, who capitalised on the exposure by guesting on a number of hit R&B albums and releasing her debut solo album “Hard Core” in November 1996.

While the Junior M.A.F.I.A album was a success, “Hard Core” was a revelation, and Lil' Kim was suddenly one of the biggest names in hip-hop. One top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 later in the form of “Crush On You”, and Kim was suddenly a pop star to boot. Of course, being the mid-to-late 90's, being a hip-hop star came with its fare share of controversy, but whatever rise Kim would get out of people, sometimes people within the upper echelons of her own record label, it would never derail her sales or her radio play. After forming her label Queen Bee Entertainment in 1999, her dominance was certified by the release of her second solo album “The Notorious K.I.M”, an album that was certified Platinum four weeks after its release.

Like the vast majority of artists that hit the big time in such a spectacular manner, Kim was unable to stay at that level of commercial success. However, unlike many artists on a commercial downturn, she was still able to release Gold-certified albums while garnering the best reviews of her career for albums like 2005's “The Naked Truth”, and her 2008 mixtape “Ms. G.O.A.T”. Her live shows also remain some of the most acclaimed in all hip-hop, so any self-respecting rap fan would be mad to miss out. For all of that, Lil' Kim comes highly recommended.

It’s difficult to quite put your finger on how conventional Ross’ pre-hip hop life was, by the genre’s usual standards; he certainly didn’t have the most comfortable of upbringings, but it’s also fair to say that serving as a prison officer - as Ross did for a couple of years in the mid-nineties - is hardly something that’s a common occurrence in a genre of music with a general lack of regard for law enforcement. After addressing that particular issue on his commercial breakthrough record “Deeper Than Rap” in 2009, though - he’d initially denied that the rumours were true - he’s gone on to make himself one of the best-respected and most widely-revered rappers in the world, having been named Hottest MC in the Game by MTV in 2012. He’s probably best-known in the hip hop community for having created his own label, Maybach Music Group; named after his favourite brand of luxury car, Ross has signed the likes of Meek Mill, French Montana and Wale to the imprint.

In terms of his own solo career, Ross’ lyricism has usually focused on the decadent lifestyle he enjoys, with money and material possessions clearly his primary motivation. He frequently offsets that kind of imagery, though, against his struggles as a youngster, both with the law and with his family; it’s this dichotomy that makes him one of his genre’s most compelling artists. 2014’s “Mastermind” met with critical acclaim, even if it didn’t have a single quite as big as his signature song, “Hustlin’” - it’s testament to Ross’ work ethic, though, that it’s not the only new album he’ll release this year, with “Hood Billionaire” being readied, too.

Flocka Flame was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, but raised in Atlanta after his family went on to settle there; unlike many of his contemporaries, though, his isn’t quite a rags to riches tale. Indeed, his mother actually managed Gucci Mane for a while, and is the CEO of a management company that has also, at some point, counted the likes of Nicki Minaj and French Montana amongst its clients. That, in itself, leaves Flocka Flame in an unusual position; his comfortable upbringing was likely never going to provide him with much in the way of material with which to base his records around, but then again, he’s never really been one to play the traditional hip hop game; after all, how many rappers, like Flocka Flame did in 2011, would pose nude for PETA to protest the killing of animals for the purpose of wearing fur?

His debut record, “Flockaveli”, involved complex lyrical themes and genuine, unabashed aggression across the course of its hour-plus running time, and tracks like “Hard in da Paint” and “No Hands” made a name for Flocka Flame. Since then, his career has unfolded in soap opera style - he made a record, “Ferrari Boyz”, with Gucci Mane before going on to become embroiled in a very public - and recently-resolved - spat with him, and his live performances have taken him everywhere from supporting Drake on tour to playing at the legendary Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK. He’s now set to release two new albums - both the much delayed “Flockaveli 2” and a new EDM record, “Turn Up God.”