Capone

Capone is the stage name of American rapper Kiam Akasi Holley (born on February 8, 1976), better known for being one half of Queens hardcore hip hop act Capone-N-Noreaga. Holley initially met soon-to-be partner in crime Victor Santiago (aka Noreaga) while serving time at Collins Correctional Facility and the pair soon bonded over a mutual love for hip hop. Shortly after their release, they started rapping as a duo and were eventually signed to Penalty Records, through which they released the singles “Illegal Life” and “L.A., L.A.” in 1996. But things took a wrong turn as Holley was sent back to jail for violating parole right before the release of The War Report (1997), the duo’s studio debut. After regaining his freedom in 1999, he and Santiago headed to the studio once more to record the highly-anticipated The Reunion (2000), whose promotion was eclipsed by Holley’s return to prison shortly before its release. In 2005, the MC’s solo debut, Pain, Time & Glory, peaked at Number 21 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums propelled by the single “Streets Favorite,” and was quickly followed by Menace 2 Society (2006) and Revenge Is A Promise in 2009. That same year also saw Capone-N-Noreaga reuniting with the release of the star-studded Channel 10, featuring beats by legendary producers DJ Premier, Havoc, and The Alchemist. The duo released the sequel The War Report 2: Report the War (2010) and Lessons in 2015, after which they decided to focus on their respective solo efforts. Almost a decade since his last full-length, Holley released Bone Capone (2019), Bone Capone 2 (2020), and Wolves (2020), a collaborative album with fellow rapper Lak.