Capone-N-Noreaga

Queens duo Capone 'n' Noreaga's hardcore credibility is hard to question; the group came about when the two met serving time in the early-'90s at Collins Correctional Facility in New York. The pair's 1997 platinum-selling debut, THE WAR REPORT, swiftly earned street classic status with its stark tales of drug dealers and street hustlers over gritty beats. Capone's frequent returns to prison have led to long hiatuses; however, the group continued to record (under the CNN moniker) well into the '00s, while Noreaga went on to massive solo success as N.O.R.E.