City High

When Claudette Ortiz—an 18-year-old rapper and singer—joined Toby Ryan and Robby Pardlo, the pair behind City High understood their lineup was now complete. Originally conceived as a duo, the hip-hop/R&B outfit gained its third member after Wyclef Jean extended the invitation to Ortiz. All three artists, who grew up in Willingboro, New Jersey, had already experimented with acting and production while developing their songwriting and performance abilities. In 2001 the group issued its debut, the self-titled City High, through Booga Basement/Interscope Records. Robby Pardlo, the first recruit, contributes piano, lyric writing, and song arrangements. City High became the inaugural act signed to the Booga Basement imprint, created as a joint venture with Interscope. Ryan Toby had already appeared in Sister Act 2 at the age of eight, and his production résumé includes Will Smith’s hit “Miami.” The trio’s material is marked by candid, layered lyrics addressing the routine challenges teenagers encounter. The three members wrote and co-produced the bulk of their first album.