Sean Price

Brownsville emcee Sean Price began his rap career as one-half of the famous mid-'90s NYC group Heltah Skeltah (he went by Ruck at the time). Price's deep baritone voice grabbed listeners' attention, and the emcee received instant street respect when he debuted on Smif-N-Wessun's 1995 Dah Shinin. The rest of us heard about him when he teamed up with the Fabulous 5 for hit single "Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka." The track was included on Heltah Skeltah's 1996 debut, Nocturnal, helping the album to achieve modest commercial success. The group's sophomore album, Magnum Force, was also a modest success thanks to single "I Ain't Havin' That." But "modest" wasn't enough, and the group soon split. Price disappeared, and by the time his long-delayed debut, Monkey Barz, popped up in 2005, most had forgotten about the emcee. Barz offered a quick refresher course. While most NYC emcees were squinting into the future, Price stomped into the city's past, resurrecting the grimy soul sound of the mid-'90s. The albums was critically acclaimed and commercially overlooked. Price's sophomore album, Jesus Price Superstar, continued in the revivalist vein.