Ice Cube, whose real name is O'Shea Jackson, released a debut solo album in May 1990. It was a hip-hop album titled "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted," which was controversial at the time due to accusations of racism and misogyny. Still, the single "America's Most Wanted" proved to be a success as it was number one on the Hot Rap Single chart and sold more than one million copies. His next album was "Death Certificate" which was released in 1991, followed by Predator in 1992, which topped both the pop and R&B charts.
Tracy Morrow, whose stage name is Ice-T, released "O.G Original Gangster" in 1991. It was on this medium that he introduced his heavy metal band, Body Count, on a track with the same title. Ice T encountered controversy with his song "Cop Killer," which seemed to encourage cop killing. However, his explanation was that it was simply a narrative from a criminal's point of view. Still, Warner Bros refused to release his album, "Home Invasion," and he parted with the label. After a deal with Priority Records, Home Invasion" was released, peaking at number 9 on Billboard's Top 200.
Snoop Dogg, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus, is one of the enduring hip hop artists from the 1990s who has continued to remain relevant to this day. Snoop is a protegé of Dr. Dre, a respected and influential producer in the hip hop community. Snoop's debut album was "Over The Counter," released in 1991, followed by "Doggystyle," which was released in 1993. "Doggystyle" was certified four times platinum with hits like "Gin & Juice" and "What's My Name." Snoop released "Doggfather" in 1996, which was his last album under Death Row Records.
Christopher George Latore Wallace, also known as Biggie Smalls or Notorious B.I.G., was a main fixture in the 90s east coast hip hop scene. He released "Ready To Die" in 1994, and it reached the number 13 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. The album had two best-selling singles, "Big Poppa" which went platinum and "One More Chance." He was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997 and his album, "Life After Death," which was released shortly after, went diamond.
Tupac Amaru Shaku, better known as 2Pac, was one of the most influential and successful hip hop artists, selling more than 75 million albums worldwide. His album, "Me Against The World," released in 1995, went multi-platinum, was number one on the Billboard 200 for five weeks and sold 240,000 copies in its first week. 2pac was killed in a drive-by shooting in September 1996.