Dropout Kings are a nu-metal and rap-metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 2016 by vocalist Adam Ramey. Fusing heavy metal riffs with hip-hop and trap production, the band released their debut AudioDope in 2018 on Napalm Records, followed by Riot Music (2023) and Yokai (2025). Ramey, the band's founding vocalist and primary creative force, died in May 2025, and Yokai stands as his final recorded statement.

Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989, Stuck Mojo pioneered the fusion of Southern groove metal and hip-hop, making them one of the earliest and most recognized rap metal acts in the genre. Guitarst Rich Ward and vocalist Bonz anchored a sound that broke through commercially with the 1998 album Rising, which sold over 50,000 copies and stood as Century Media Records' best-selling release for several years. The band disbanded in 2001 before reuniting in 2005, continuing to record and tour with releases including Here Come the Infidels (2016).