HALF-A-MILL

Half-a-Mill, a Brooklyn rapper, rose from underground circles in the closing years of the 1990s and edged close to mainstream recognition. His first notable exposure arrived in 1997 via a featured appearance on the sole album from The Firm, the much-hyped supergroup uniting Nas, AZ, Nature, and Foxy Brown under the production guidance of Dr. Dre and the Trackmasters. That high-visibility turn led him to supply “Some Niggaz” for the Def Jam-issued Belly soundtrack in 1998, clearing the path for his own debut single, “Thug Ones.” The weighty track, which enlisted Noreaga, Kool G Rap, and Musolini, stirred the New York hardcore rap underground in 1999 and anchored the opening slot on Half-a-Mill’s first album, Million. Issued in 2000, the project moved roughly 40,000 units—an acceptable total that nonetheless fell short of the major players—and the Brooklyn artist quickly lost forward motion. He resurfaced in 2002 with his sophomore effort, Da Hustle Don’t Stop, an album Warlock Records had prefaced with the single “Still.” Its unapologetic chorus directly answered those asserting that Half-a-Mill had lost ground, declaring: “Still gangsta/still ghetto/still street.”