Ace Hood

Florida rapper Ace Hood has achieved chart success with his major-label full-lengths and singles, in addition to releasing dozens of mixtapes and street albums. A brash, determined emcee, his songs reflect his life struggles and constant hustling, while allowing him to indulge in his taste for flashy cars and sexual pleasures. Signing with ‘s We the Best Music before he turned 20, Ace released four successful albums, including the Top Five-charting Trials & Tribulations (2013), which included the platinum-certified single “Bugatti” (with  and ). He became an independent artist in 2016 and continued issuing mixtapes, with a more mature, R&B-influenced project titled Mr. Hood appearing in 2020. The full-length M.I.N.D. arrived in 2022 and was thematically followed by B.O.D.Y. in 2023.

Born Antoine McColister in Port St. Lucie, Ace Hood was raised by his mother in Deerfield Beach, 20 miles north of Miami. Rap music became his full-time obsession after he suffered a football injury in the tenth grade, effectively putting the kibosh on a professional sports career. By age 17, he was recording tracks for local imprint , and had put out a few street singles, including 2006’s “M.O.E.” (i.e., “Money Over Everything”). In November of the following year, Ace maneuvered his way into meeting  at local radio station 99 JAMZ and handed the Miami mixtape DJ his demo. Within a matter of weeks,  signed Ace, then 19 years old, as the first artist to his newly formed We the Best Music, which obtained distribution through  a few weeks after that.

Ace’s  debut single, the Runners-produced “Cash Flow,” featuring  and ubiquitous hook singer , arrived in early 2008 and turned out to be a smash hit on South Florida radio. A few mixtapes and guest appearances later, he released his first full-length, Gutta, in summer 2008. Ruthless followed the next year and, like its predecessor, peaked at number five on Billboard’s R&B albums chart. Two years would pass before the ambitious Blood Sweat & Tears arrived, hitting the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and featuring the hits “Hustle Hard” and “Body 2 Body” (with ). Trials & Tribulations followed in 2013 and found the rapper landing on ‘s  label. The album shot to number four on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the single “Bugatti,” featuring  and , which reached the Top 40 of the Hot 100 and was certified platinum.

Ace continued releasing installments of his Starvation and Body Bag mixtape series. In 2016, he left  and began issuing his work through his own . Trust the Process arrived in 2017, and sequel Trust the Process II: Undefeated followed on his 30th birthday in 2018. Mixtape Body Bag 5 appeared in 2019. After marrying his longtime girlfriend in early 2020, Ace released Mr. Hood, including a guest appearance by  on the single “12 O’Clock.” His sixth full-length, M.I.N.D. (Memories Inside Never Die), saw release in early 2022. Largely a solo outing, it featured  on the track “Greatness.” His 2023 follow-up, B.O.D.Y., was more collaborative, with  and  among its guests.

Duke Deuce is a multifaceted rapper adept at fronting trap-styled productions and upholding the legacy of crunk. The Memphis native got his start independently and was soon added to the roster of , making his label debut with Memphis Massacre (2018), his second mixtape, followed by its likewise horror-themed sequel Memphis Massacre 2 (2020). Between those two recordings, Duke was showcased throughout ‘s Top Five album Control the Streets, Vol. 2. He entered a joint deal with for his first solo album, the charting Duke Nukem (2021), and made further commercial strides with additional full-lengths Crunkstar and Memphis Massacre III (both 2022). Independent again, he has since issued typically in-your-face tracks such as “GTD” and “Wassup” (both 2023).

The son of producer/rapper and MaddHouz Ent. CEO Duke Nitty, Duke Deuce (born Patavious Isom) grew up around music, and even slept in a room that doubled as a recording studio. He made a name for himself in his twenties with “Whole Lotta.” When Atlanta-based dancer SheLovesMeechie used the track in one of her videos, it consequently reached ‘ , which led to a deal with . Duke Deuce’s first mixtape, Memphis Massacre, was out by the end of 2018 and featured “Whole Lotta,” in addition to guest appearances from and Memphis legend . The rapper’s climb continued in 2019 with several lead and supporting spots on ‘s number three Billboard 200 entry Control the Streets, Vol. 2 compilation and the solo single “Crunk Ain’t Dead.” Memphis Massacre 2 arrived in February 2020 with and present on a new version of “Crunk Ain’t Dead.” After signing a deal, Duke returned in February 2021 with Duke Nukem. Highlighted by the collaboration “Gangsta Party” among other cuts featuring the likes of and , the full-length set registered on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart at number three. Two more albums arrived the next year. Crunkstar appeared in June with the -assisted “Just Say That” one of several tracks that quickly amassed seven-digit streaming figures before the timely October landing of Memphis Massacre III, his final Quality Control/ offering. Duke wasted no time continuing as an independent artist, conducting business as usual in 2023 with “GTD” and “Wassup.”