Boston-based hardcore rapper Slaine is a solo recording artist yet is also affiliated with the groups Special Teamz and La Coka Nostra. He made his solo recording debut in 2006 with the EP Rich Man, Poor Man and the full-length album The White Man Is the Devil (the "white man" a drug rather than racial reference), followed by The White Man Is the Devil, Vol. 2: Citizen Caine in 2007. Comprised of Slaine, Edo G, and Jaysaun, Special Teamz made their recording debut in 2007 with the full-length album Stereotypez on Duck Down Records. The other group with whom Slaine is affiliated, La Coka Nostra, is a fairly loose collective also featuring Everlast, Danny Boy, and DJ Lethal (i.e., the trio formerly known as House of Pain) along with Ill Bill (formerly of Non Phixion), Big Left, and Mister Kaves. A World with No Skies 2.0 would follow in 2011, the “2.0” a reference to Slaine’s re-recording of many tracks due to a problem clearing samples. ~ Jason Birchmeier

Massachusetts rapper Termanology broke through from underground status to working with hip-hop's most elite production names, with DJ Premier hosting his 2006 mixtape Hood Politics, Vol. 4: Show & Prove. From there the rapper became known for his prolific mixtape releases, including highlights like his 2008 studio debut Politics as Usual and the raw, old-school-styled 2018 project Bad Decisions.

Termanology was born Daniel Carrillo in 1982. Growing up on the streets of the predominantly Latino city of Lawrence, Massachusetts. informed the half-white, half-Puerto Rican MC's lyrics as he graduated from silly freestyles at age nine to full-fledged verses at the age of 15. He frequently traveled back and forth from Boston to New York in order to pursue various opportunities, releasing his first material on vinyl in 2001. Closely tied to fellow Lawrence native and mixtape DJ Statik Selektah, Carrillo earned the respect of Boston's hip-hop scene with several 12" releases as well as his Hood Politics mixtapes, which gradually came to feature more highly regarded lyricists like Royce da 5'9" and Guru.

After releasing the collaborative LP Out the Gate with New Hampshire producer DC the Midi Alien at the onset of 2006, he caught his big break when distinguished producer DJ Premier -- whom he met three years earlier -- finally gave him one of his signature, scratch-laden beats. The result, "Watch How It Go Down," became an underground hit. Declaring himself the resurrection of his biggest idol, Big Pun, in the opening verse, the conscious hood anthem garnered the earnest MC tons of praise, landing him on the pages of many hip-hop publications, notably The Source's "Unsigned Hype" and XXL's "Show and Prove" columns. The DJ Premier-produced hit later appeared on the Hood Politics, Vol. 4 mixtape in November 2006.

In 2008 he released his solo debut, Politics as Usual, which featured producers DJ Premier, the Alchemist, Pete Rock, and rappers like Prodigy, Bun B, Freeway, and the LOX's Sheek Louch. A pair of collaborative efforts with Statik Selektah -- titled 1982 and 2012 -- were released in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Fizzyology was also issued in 2012. The joint LP with M.O.P.'s Lil' Fame featured Busta Rhymes and Styles P on the track "Play Dirty." The next year, Carrillo released the full-length G.O.Y.A. (Gunz or Yay Available) and its sibling EP, Mas G.O.Y.A. The sequel to his debut arrived in 2016. More Politics featured a slew of guests like Sheek Louch, Styles P, Bun B, KXNG Crooked, and Joey Bada$$, with production by Statik Selektah, Hi-Tek, Just Blaze, and Q-Tip. He continued his prolific release schedule with a multitude of mixtapes and more fleshed-out projects like 2017's Anti-Hero, 2018's Bad Decisions, and 2019's Dame Grease collaboration Set in Stone. ~ Cyril Cordor