Masta Ace

Boasting an impressive rap résumé that includes membership in the legendary Juice Crew and a verse on the classic 1988 posse cut "The Symphony," Brooklyn's Masta Ace is an underground hip-hop veteran and luminary. Two years after the release of "The Symphony," <a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a> released his debut album, Take a Look Around, on the revered <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Cold+Chillin%27+%22">Cold Chillin' </a>label. While not a huge commercial success, the keenly produced album spawned a hit single -- and a Yo! MTV Raps staple -- with the <a href="spotify:artist:22282KfMxDo2PMjnBc82I4">Biz Markie</a> collaboration "Me and the Biz." The album affirmed Masta Ace's rightful place as a significant contributor to hip-hop's golden age era.

<a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a> returned to the fold in 1993, this time with his crew as <a href="spotify:artist:2tcM9c26zzqpFdijVdVwuB">Masta Ace Incorporated</a> -- which featured <a href="spotify:artist:2dqNwauc4KgdSei6yQTYiA">Lord Digga</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1DsdaqNe4oqDiq0zA0EjwD">Paula Perry</a> -- and dropped Slaughtahouse. The album broke ground by taking the synthesized West Coast sound and filtering it through a hardcore East Coast mentality. The memorable "Born to Roll," with its tweaked Moog/<a href="spotify:artist:0dmPX6ovclgOy8WWJaFEUU">Kraftwerk</a> bassline, brought <a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a> some serious commercial attention. In 1995, <a href="spotify:artist:2tcM9c26zzqpFdijVdVwuB">Masta Ace Incorporated</a> dropped Sittin' on Chrome, a continuation of the previous album's themes, chock-full of Jeep beats but with even slicker sound. Using <a href="spotify:artist:53QzNeFpzAaXYnrDBbDrIp">the Isley Brothers</a>' much-sampled "For the Love of You" for the track "I.N.C. Ride" may have offended some of <a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a>'s loyal fans, but the song's catchy vibe made it successful. Also known to release sleeper singles that cannot be found on his albums, <a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a> dropped one of his finest in 1996 with "Ya Hardcore" -- a bumping indictment of fake gangsters.

In 2000, <a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a> released a variety of singles including "Hellbound," a duet with <a href="spotify:artist:7dGJo4pcD2V6oG8kP0tJRR">Eminem</a> that marked 12-plus years of experience in the rap business. Disposable Arts, an album released in 2001, was a well-received protest against watered-down rap with hints that the rapper was retiring. <a href="spotify:artist:6QNkSI0c63lCTNXpHDBiqP">Ace</a> hardly slowed down, however. He returned in 2004 with the conceptual album A Long Hot Summer and, a year later, he formed <a href="spotify:artist:0gLaGKA1vlqDqfHUxh67un">eMC</a> with rappers <a href="spotify:artist:6de0XwbJtLyirUZUqte7aD">Wordsworth</a>, Punchline, and Stricklin. The group's first album, The Show, was released in 2008. A continued stream of featured appearances, as well as more substantial collaborative works, followed, including Arts & Entertainment (with <a href="spotify:artist:2Gqm7yhAbk4RYHefVHFMPL">Edo.G</a>; 2009), MA_Doom: Son of Yvonne (with <a href="spotify:artist:2pAWfrd7WFF3XhVt9GooDL">MF Doom</a>; 2012), and a second <a href="spotify:artist:0gLaGKA1vlqDqfHUxh67un">eMC</a> album (The Tonite Show; 2015). ~ Michael Di Bella, Rovi