3rd Bass was one of a still-small number of white hip-hop artists to achieve wide acceptance in the larger community. Along with the Beastie Boys, 3rd Bass proved that white hip-hop wasn't necessarily going to become a watered-down, commercially exploitative rip-off of the genuine article, as so many white interpretations of black musical forms... [+] Read More

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The first non-Fugee signed to the trio's Refugee Camp label, John Forté met the group through vocalist Lauryn Hill early in the '90s, before the Fugees had even signed a recording contract. Also of Haitian descent, Forté worked on production for their breakout album, 1996's The Score, and also toured as part of Wyclef Jean's solo project, the... [+] Read More

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Naughty By Nature pulled off the neat trick of landing big, instantly catchy anthems on the pop charts while maintaining their street-level credibility among the hardcore rap faithful; one of the first groups to successfully perform such a balancing act. The group was formed in East Orange, NJ, in 1986, while all three members -- MCs Treach... [+] Read More

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A member of the seminal '90s rap trio the Fugees, Pras' solo career didn't rise to the same heights as those of his colleagues, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, in part because he concentrated more on acting than music. Of Haitian descent (like his cousin Wyclef), Pras was born Prakazrel Michel in New Jersey. Along with his high-school classmate... [+] Read More

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