b. Robert Ross, New York, USA. Alongside the accident-prone Shyne, New York, USA-based rapper Black Rob was heralded as the new saviour of Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment empire as it entered the new millennium. Ross endured a dysfunctional family life, jail and homelessness before turning his life round in the early 90s and concentrating on his love of rhyming. Establishing his own neighbourhood crew, he experimented with various names including Robbie O before signing a recording contract with Bad Boy in 1996. Most of the tracks for his debut long-player were completed between 1997 and 1998, but the album was put on the back burner while Combs concentrated on other Bad Boy acts. Life Story was finally released in 2000. The album was immediately touted as a return to the hard-hitting style of previous Bad Boy stars, the Notorious B.I.G. and Ma$e, with Black Rob relating his own experiences on the streets on cuts such as the title track, "Lookin' At Us" and "Can I Live". The album, nevertheless, was spoilt by the typical Bad Boy flotilla of guest stars including the LOX, Ma$e, and Jennifer Lopez (on the Latin-styled "Spanish Fly"). Nevertheless, the album was a major commercial success with radio picking up on the highly catchy "Whoa!".

Listen to Black Rob at Finetune.

• (2005)  The Black Rob Report
• (2005)  The Black Rob Report
• (2000)  Life Story

• Whoa!
• Life Story
• I Dare You
• Can I Live
• Espacio

• Shyne
• The Notorious B.I.G.
• Jay-Z
• DMX
• 2Pac
• Nas
• 50 Cent
• T.I.
• Snoop Dogg
• Dr. Dre
• Ludacris
• Mobb Deep
• Eminem
• Lil Wayne
• Kanye West
• OutKast
• The Game
• Busta Rhymes
• Wu-Tang Clan
• Ice Cube

• kronic
• fiveherb
• Moanne81
• Darknessuno
• BigSlimDog3000
• wessmann