1.
Album
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Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
2.
DMX (rapper)
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Earl Simmons, professionally known as DMX, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. In 1999, DMX released his best-selling album. And Then There Was X and he has been featured in films such as Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave and Last Hour. In 2006, he starred in the reality television series DMX, Soul of a Man, in 2003, DMX published a book of his memoirs entitled, E. A. R. L. DMX was born Earl Simmons in Mount Vernon, New York, the son of Arnett Simmons and Joe Barker, as a child, he was brought up in the Jehovahs Witness faith. Simmons went through a childhood that included stays at group homes. In 1991, Gabriel Grevenstuk from The Source magazine praised DMX in his Unsigned Hype column that highlighted unsigned hip-hop artists, in 1991, DMX recorded his first demos, Unstoppable Force and Three Little Pigs. His stage name was a tribute to an instrument he used in the 1980s, in 1992, Columbia Records signed DMX to their subsidiary label Ruffhouse, which released his debut single Born Loser. The single did not receive much airplay, the label eventually agreed to release DMX from their contract. He also appeared on LL Cool Js single 4,3,2,1 in 1997, additional guest spots on Mase singles 24 Hrs. to Live and Take Whats Yours, and The LOXs single Money, Power & Respect created a strong buzz. DMX also made a appearance in the Sum 41 music video for Makes No Difference. In February 1998, DMX released his debut single, Get at Me Dog. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA and his first major-label album, Its Dark and Hell Is Hot, which included the single Ruff Ryders Anthem, was released in May 1998. The album debuted at one on the Billboard 200 chart in the U. S. Later that year in December, DMX released his album, Flesh of My Flesh. It debuted at one on the Billboard 200, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. Within one week of the release,670,000 units were shipped. It was eventually certified Platinum four times, as a result, DMX was the first rapper in history to have released two number one albums in the same year, both of which debuted on Billboard 200. DMX released his third and best-selling album. And Then There Was X and it was his third album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200
3.
Ruff Ryders Entertainment
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Ruff Ryders Entertainment is a record label founded by Joaquin Waah Dean and Darin Dee Dean and Chivon Dean, uncles and aunt of producer Swizz Beatz. It operated as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and was distributed by Fontana Distribution, Ruff Ryders founders were initially famous for managing rappers DMX and The Lox who became multi-platinum stars for Def Jam Recordings and Bad Boy Records in the late-1990s. After DMXs success, the management company started its own label imprint through Interscope Records, the Deans nephew Swizz Beatz is the main producer for most of the acts on the roster. In 2000, when DMX accepted an award for the best Rap album at the Billboard Music Awards, in 2001, Cassidy and the labelmate Yung Wun signed to the label Full Surface through Swizz Beatz. A Ruff Ryders Reunion Album was announced by Swizz Beatz and was set to release in 2008. In 2010, founders Joaquin and Darin Dean decided to revamp the brand through a new venture known as Ruff Ryders Indy, in addition to Ruff Ryder Indy, other brands include Ruff Ryders Films, Powerhouse Recording Studios, NatPro, a promotional company, and RR Rescue. 1 Ryde or Die Vol.2 Ryde Or Die Vol.3, In the R We Trust The Redemption Vol.4 Ruff Ryders, Past, Present, stories One Man Band Man Cassidy Split Personality Im A Hustla B. A. R. S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story Yung Wun The Dirtiest Thirstiest Official Ruff Ryders Website
4.
Def Jam Recordings
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Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused predominantly on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group. In the UK, the takes on the name Def Jam UK and is operated through Virgin EMI, while in Japan. The label distributes various record labels, including Kanye Wests GOOD Music, Ludacris Disturbing Tha Peace, Def Jam was founded by Rick Rubin in his dormitory in Weinstein Hall at New York University and its first release was a single by his punk-rock group Hose. Russell Simmons joined Rubin shortly after they were introduced to other, according to one story. Another cites DJ Jazzy Jay as their connector, Rubin has said he met Simmons on the TV show, Graffiti Rock and recognized him then as the face of hip hop, He was five years older than me, and he was already established in the music business. And I had no experience whatsoever, the first single released with the Def Jam Recordings logo was T La Rock & Jazzy Jays Its Yours. The first releases with Def Jam Recordings catalog numbers were LL Cool Js I Need a Beat, the singles sold well, eventually leading to a distribution deal with CBS Records through Columbia Records the following year. A few years later, Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen started a label called Rush Associated Labels to handle Def Jam. RAL became the home to Nice & Smooth and EPMD after both acts were acquired due to the folding of their former label Sleeping Bag Records, other acts under the RAL umbrella included Redman, Onyx, Flatlinerz, Domino, Warren G and Jayo Felony. As the decade drew to a close, the label signed Public Enemy, Lyor Cohen became president of Def Jam/RAL in 1988, after winning a power struggle with Rubin, who would shortly thereafter leave the company to form Def American Recordings. Rubin would take Slayer with him to Def American in its initial stages, by 1992, despite recent multi-platinum selling releases from Public Enemy, and EPMD, Def Jam ran into severe financial troubles and was faced with folding. However, in 1994, PolyGram purchased Sonys 50% stake in Def Jam Recordings — subsequently bringing the label into its fold, following PolyGrams purchase, Def Jam distributed the Violator Records-signed artist Warren Gs Regulate. G Funk Era album, which went triple platinum and brought much-needed revenue to Def Jam through its distribution deal with Violator, PolyGram acquired an additional 10% in Def Jam Recordings in 1996, further strengthening its ownership of Def Jam. Shortly thereafter, Rush Associated Labels was renamed Def Jam Music Group, the label remained profitable as its veteran star LL Cool J released his successful album Mr. Smith in 1995. The label later signed Foxy Brown, whose debut album Ill Na Na became a seller in 1997. In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by Seagram and merged with the MCA family of labels and it then purchased the remaining interest of Def Jam Recordings from Russell Simmons for a reported $100 million. UMG merged 14+ record labels including, Def Jam, Island Records, despite the formation of IDJMG, the Def Jam, Mercury, and Island labels continued to operate as separate imprints underneath the bigger umbrella. Lyor Cohen was appointed co-president of IDJMG, and Kevin Liles succeeded him as president of Def Jam, Def Soul also issued recordings by Musiq, Montell Jordan, Case,112, Patti LaBelle, and Christina Milian
5.
Record producer
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A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performers music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many roles during the recording process, the roles of a producer vary. The producer may perform these roles himself, or help select the engineer, the producer may also pay session musicians and engineers and ensure that the entire project is completed within the record companies budget. A record producer or music producer has a broad role in overseeing and managing the recording. Producers also often take on an entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts. In the 2010s, the industry has two kinds of producers with different roles, executive producer and music producer. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the process of recording songs or albums. In most cases the producer is also a competent arranger, composer. The producer will also liaise with the engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. Noted producer Phil Ek described his role as the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, indeed, in Bollywood music, the designation actually is music director. The music producers job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music, at the beginning of record industry, producer role was technically limited to record, in one shot, artists performing live. The role of producers changed progressively over the 1950s and 1960s due to technological developments, the development of multitrack recording caused a major change in the recording process. Before multitracking, all the elements of a song had to be performed simultaneously, all of these singers and musicians had to be assembled in a large studio and the performance had to be recorded. As well, for a song that used 20 instruments, it was no longer necessary to get all the players in the studio at the same time. Examples include the rock sound effects of the 1960s, e. g. playing back the sound of recorded instruments backwards or clanging the tape to produce unique sound effects. These new instruments were electric or electronic, and thus they used instrument amplifiers, new technologies like multitracking changed the goal of recording, A producer could blend together multiple takes and edit together different sections to create the desired sound. For example, in jazz fusion Bandleader-composer Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, producers like Phil Spector and George Martin were soon creating recordings that were, in practical terms, almost impossible to realise in live performance. Producers became creative figures in the studio, other examples of such engineers includes Joe Meek, Teo Macero, Brian Wilson, and Biddu
6.
Swizz Beatz
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Kasseem Dean, better known by his stage name Swizz Beatz, is an American hip hop recording artist and record producer from New York City, New York. Born and raised in The Bronx, he began his career as a disc jockey and has since added rapper, producer, record executive, creative director and fashion designer. At the age of 16, he gained recognition in the hip hop industry, through his friendship and work with East Coast rapper DMX, Dean later found a protégé in Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, whose success helped the launch of his own label imprint, Full Surface Records. He went on to multiple artists to the label, including Eve and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Dean also went on to two albums under the label, the first was a compilation, titled Swizz Beatz Presents G. H. E. T. T. O. Stories, released in 2002, in conjunction with DreamWorks Records and he later released his debut studio album, One Man Band Man, in 2007. Swizz Beatz has produced hit singles for several prominent artists throughout various music genres, such as hip hop, pop, soul. His catalog includes Ruff Ryders Anthem, Banned from T. V, gotta Man, Jigga My Nigga, Party Up, Check on It, Ring the Alarm, Good Times, Bring Em Out, Hotel, Im a Hustla, Touch It and much more. Swizz Beatz was named the first Producer in Residence at New York University, about. com ranked him number 27 on its list of the Top 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Producers, while The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazines 20-year history. Fellow American rapper and music producer Kanye West has also praised Dean, Dean is married to American singer Alicia Keys, with whom he has two children. Due to his parents separation in his life, Dean did not see much of his father. He spent much of his childhood raised by his mother in the North East Bronx, after obtaining the necessary equipment from his stepfather and uncles, he began deejaying as a teenager and enjoyed a modicum of success. In his early work, he chose not to sample, instead using the Korg Trinity and Triton keyboards. With his uncles Dee and Waah, as well as his aunt Chivon Dean, all involved with the Ruff Ryders Entertainment record label, a year later he sold his first beat to Ruff Ryders artist DMX, which became his chart-topping single Ruff Ryders Anthem. Swizz Beatz then began producing major hip-hop songs released in 1998 such as Banned from T. V. by Noreaga, Money, Cash, Hoes by Jay-Z and more. The following year, he produced most of the songs of the Ruff Ryders compilation album Ryde or Die Vol.1, as well as the bulk of Eves debut album. In 2001, in a joint venture with Clive Davis, Swizz Beatz established his own label, Full Surface Records. The first artist signed was Philadelphia-based rapper Cassidy, when Swizz Beatz released his first compilation album Swizz Beatz Presents G. H. E. T. T. O
7.
Irv Gotti
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Irving Domingo Lorenzo, Jr. better known as Irv Gotti, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and is the founder of The Inc record label. Gotti was born in Queens, New York, and is of African American and Dominican descent and he is the youngest of eight siblings and the father of three children. A producer and music executive, he founded The Inc. with his brother Chris, the Inc. was originally Murder, Inc. but after legal troubles in 2003, the company was renamed in 2005. He has produced songs for artists as Jay-Z, Ja Rule. He produced Jay-Zs Can I Get A. Ja Rules Holla Holla, Gotti co-produced Vanessa Carltons third album, Heroes and Thieves, which was released October 9,2007, with Channel 7, Rick Rubin and Stephan Jenkins. In an interview with Angie Martinez in early May 2009, Gotti stated that his label and he has an estimated net worth of $15 million. In 2004, The Inc came under investigation for allegedly laundering money through the label for New York City drug kingpin Kenneth Supreme McGriff, on January 25,2005, Lorenzo and his brother Chris turned themselves in, alleging their innocence. They were released on $1 million bail, and would not be tried alongside McGriff for the charges against them, according to Haran, convicted drug dealer Kenneth Supreme McGriff, had shopping bags and shoe boxes full of cash delivered to the labels Manhattan office in 2000. The company then cut McGriff $280,000 in checks, authorities alleged that McGriff was permitted to funnel more than $1 million in drug money through Murder Inc. in return for serving as the labels protector and enforcer. Prosecutors additionally claim that the Lorenzos knew about a plot against platinum-selling rapper 50 Cent. On December 2,2005, Irving Lorenzo and his brother Christopher were acquitted of all money laundering charges, the brothers could have faced up to 20 years in prison. The defense countered all along that the brothers were victims of guilt by association with Kenneth Supreme McGriff, Gotti co-produced Vanessa Carltons third album, Heroes and Thieves, with Channel 7, Rick Rubin and Stephan Jenkins, which was released October 9,2007. Nicki Minaj’s hit “Moment For Life” was recently used in her Pepsi commercial as part of her ‘Live For Now’ campaign. During a behind-the-scenes interview with TheInsider. com on the set for the ad spot, Nicki revealed that producer and former Murder Inc. label head, Irv Gotti,1994 Shits Real 1996 Can I Live 1998 Can I Get A. Hot Spot 1999 Whats My Name Holla Holla 2000 Come Back in One Piece Between Me and You 2001 Whats Luv
8.
Live at Woodstock (DMX album)
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Live at Woodstock is an album of American rapper DMX. It contains recordings of his live in Woodstock and it consists primarily of songs from Its Dark and Hell Is Hot, and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. Its A War is the song Its On from the album DJ Clue Fri, tell Me How U Feelin to Some X Shit from the album Ruff Ryders Fri. Ruff Ryders Anthem includes a chorus and a verse from the remix of the song included on the mixtape DJ Clue
9.
The Great Depression (DMX album)
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The Great Depression is the fourth studio album by American rapper DMX. The album was released October 23,2001, by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and it was DMXs fourth consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. 440,000 copies were sold within the first week of the albums release, the album demonstrated his continually strong allegiance with the Ruff Ryders with singles such as Who We Be and We Right Here. The album debuted at one on the Billboard 200 chart
10.
Single (music)
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In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record, an album or an EP record. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats, in most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download or commercial radio airplay and are expected to be the most popular, in other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album. As digital downloading and audio streaming have become prevalent, it is often possible for every track on an album to also be available separately. Nevertheless, the concept of a single for an album has been retained as an identification of a heavily promoted or more popular song within an album collection. Despite being referred to as a single, singles can include up to as many as three tracks on them. The biggest digital music distributor, iTunes, accepts as many as three tracks less than ten minutes each as a single, as well as popular music player Spotify also following in this trend. Any more than three tracks on a release or longer than thirty minutes in total running time is either an Extended Play or if over six tracks long. The basic specifications of the single were made in the late 19th century. Gramophone discs were manufactured with a range of speeds and in several sizes. By about 1910, however, the 10-inch,78 rpm shellac disc had become the most commonly used format, the inherent technical limitations of the gramophone disc defined the standard format for commercial recordings in the early 20th century.26 rpm. With these factors applied to the 10-inch format, songwriters and performers increasingly tailored their output to fit the new medium, the breakthrough came with Bob Dylans Like a Rolling Stone. Singles have been issued in various formats, including 7-inch, 10-inch, other, less common, formats include singles on digital compact cassette, DVD, and LD, as well as many non-standard sizes of vinyl disc. Some artist release singles on records, a more common in musical subcultures. The most common form of the single is the 45 or 7-inch. The names are derived from its speed,45 rpm. The 7-inch 45 rpm record was released 31 March 1949 by RCA Victor as a smaller, more durable, the first 45 rpm records were monaural, with recordings on both sides of the disc. As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s, almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s
11.
What's My Name? (DMX song)
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Whats My Name. is a song by American hip hop recording artist DMX, released as the first single released from his third album. And Then There Was X. The single peaked at #67 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U. S. Whats My Name. was produced by Self and co-produced by Irv Gotti. The video for Whats My Name. is somewhat similar to Lenny Kravitzs Are You Gonna Go My Way, the music video features guest appearances from Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Ruff Ryders, Irv Gotti and Murder Inc
12.
Party Up (Up in Here)
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Party Up is a song by American hip hop recording artist DMX, released as the second single from his third album. And Then There Was X and is his highest charting and most successful single ever. There are three versions of the song, a version, a censored album version, and a radio/video edit version. The song was voted number 56 on VH1s 100 Greatest Songs of the 00s, the music video depicts DMX as being caught up in a case of mistaken identity at a bank holdup. The video premiered on the week of April 3,2000, the song appears on the soundtrack of the movie Gone In 60 Seconds, it plays on the car radio of a stolen Humvee trying to evade the police. The song appeared in episodes of the television shows Malcolm in the Middle, Eastbound and Down, King of Queens, after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship in 2000, they sang the song in the locker room. The song takes shots at rapper Kurupt for dissing him on Callin Out Names over DMX having an affair with Foxy Brown, the song is featured in the beginning of Dave Chappelle, Killin Them Softly, a Dave Chappelle comedy special. In one scene from the 2002 family film Like Mike, Lil Bow Wows, the censored version is also used in the video games, Def Jam Vendetta and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2004. The song is used as the Nashville Predators power play song. Lin-Manuel Miranda references the song in Meet Me Inside, a duet in his musical Hamilton, Party Up was used in several trailers of the 2016 animated adult film Sausage Party. LP Version / Album Version - Explicit Radio Edit Instrumental Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
13.
AllMusic
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AllMusic is an online music guide service website. It was launched in 1991 by All Media Guide which later became All Media Network, AllMusic was launched in 1991 by Michael Erlewine of All Media Guide. The aim was to discographic information on every artist whos made a record since Enrico Caruso gave the industry its first big boost and its first reference book was published the following year. When first released onto the Internet, AMG predated the World Wide Web and was first available as a Gopher site, the AMG consumer web properties AllMusic. com, AllMovie. com and AllGame. com were sold by Rovi in July 2013 to All Media Network, LLC. All Media Network, LLC. was formed by the founders of SideReel. com. The following are contributors to AllMusic, as of this date, All Media Network also produced the AllMusic guide series that includes the AllMusic Guide to Rock, the All Music Guide to Jazz and the All Music Guide to the Blues. Vladimir Bogdanov is the president of the series, in August 2007, PC Magazine included AllMusic in its Top 100 Classic Websites list. All Media Network AllGame AllMovie SideReel All Music Guide to the Blues All Music Guide to Jazz Stephen Thomas Erlewine Official website
14.
Entertainment Weekly
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Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by Time Inc. that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Different from celebrity-focused publications like Us Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EW primarily concentrates on entertainment media news, however, unlike Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, which are aimed at industry insiders, EW targets a more general audience. The first issue was published on February 16,1990, the cover price was $1.95 The title word entertainment was not capitalized on the cover until mid-1992 and has remained so since. By 2003, the weekly circulation averaged 1.7 million copies per week. In March 2006, managing editor Rick Tetzeli oversaw an overhaul of EWs graphics, Entertainment Weekly follows a typical magazine format by featuring a letters to the editor and table of contents in the first few pages, while also featuring advertisements. While many advertisements are unrelated to the entertainment industry, the majority of ads are typically related to up-and-coming television and these beginning articles open the magazine and as a rule focus on current events in pop culture. First Look, subtitled An early peek at some of Hollywoods coolest projects, is a spread with behind-the-scenes or publicity stills of upcoming movies. The Hit List, written each week by critic Scott Brown, highlights ten major events, Typically, there will be some continuity to the commentaries. This column was written by Jim Mullen and featured twenty events each week. The Hollywood Insider is a section that reports breaking news in entertainment. It gives details, in the columns, on the most-current news in television, movie. The Style Report is a section devoted to celebrity style. Because its focus is on celebrity fashion or lifestyle, it is rich in nature. Recently, the converted to a new format, five pictures of celebrity fashions for the week. A spin-off section, Style Hunter, which finds reader-requested articles of clothing or accessories that have appeared in pop culture recently, appears frequently. The Monitor is a two-page spread devoted to events in celebrity lives with small paragraphs highlighting events such as weddings, illnesses, arrests, court appearances. Deaths of major celebrities are typically detailed in a one-half- or full-page obituary titled Legacy and this feature is nearly identical to sister publication Peoples Passages feature. Harris column focuses on analyzing current popular-culture events, and is generally the most serious of the columns, harris has written about the writers strike and the 2008 presidential election, among other topics
15.
Q (magazine)
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Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Q was first published by the EMAP media group in October 1986, setting apart from much of the other music press with monthly production and higher standards of photography. In the early years, the magazine was sub-titled The modern guide to music, originally it was to be called Cue, but the name was changed so that it wouldnt be mistaken for a snooker magazine. Another reason, cited in Qs 200th edition, is that a title would be more prominent on newsstands. In January 2008 EMAP sold its consumer titles, including Q. The magazine has a review section, featuring, new releases, reissues, music compilations, film and live concert reviews, as well as radio. It uses a system from one to five stars, indeed. While its content is non-free they host an archive of all of their magazine covers, much of the magazine is devoted to interviews with popular musical artists. It is well known for compiling lists and it has created many, ranging from The 100 Greatest albums to the 100 Greatest 100 Greatest Lists. Every other month, Q — and its magazine, Mojo — have a special edition. These have been about musical times, genres, or a very important/influential musician, often, promotional gifts are given away, such as cover-mounted CDs or books. The January 2006 issue included a copy of The Greatest Rock. Every issue of Q has a different message on the spine, readers then try to work out what the message has to do with the contents of the mag. This practice — known as the spine line — has since become commonplace among British lifestyle magazines, including Qs sister publication, Empire, on 4 March 2007, Q named Elvis Presley the greatest singer of all time. The magazine has a relationship with the Glastonbury Festival, producing both a free daily newspaper on site during the festival and a review magazine available at the end of the festival. In late 2008 Q revamped its image, with an amount of text. This Rolling Stone-isation has led to criticism from much of the traditional Q readership, in 2006, Q published a readers survey, the 100 Greatest Songs Ever, won by Oasis Live Forever. Q has a history of associating with charitable organisations, and in 2006 the British anti-poverty charity War on Want was named its official charity, in the April 2007 issue, Q published an article containing the 100 Greatest Singers, won by Elvis Presley
16.
Rolling Stone
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Rolling Stone is an American biweekly magazine that focuses on popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner, who is still the publisher. It was first known for its coverage and for political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. In the 1990s, the magazine shifted focus to a readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors. In recent years, it has resumed its traditional mix of content, Rolling Stone magazine was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and Ralph Gleason. To get it off the ground, Wenner borrowed $7,500 from his own family and from the parents of his soon-to-be wife, Jane Schindelheim. The first issue carried a date of November 9,1967. Some authors have attributed the name solely to Dylans hit single, At Gleasons suggestion, Rolling Stone initially identified with and reported the hippie counterculture of the era. In the very first edition, Wenner wrote that Rolling Stone is not just about the music, in the 1970s, Rolling Stone began to make a mark with its political coverage, with the likes of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson writing for the magazines political section. Thompson first published his most famous work Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas within the pages of Rolling Stone, where he remained a contributing editor until his death in 2005. In the 1970s, the magazine also helped launch the careers of prominent authors, including Cameron Crowe, Lester Bangs, Joe Klein, Joe Eszterhas, Patti Smith. It was at point that the magazine ran some of its most famous stories. One interviewer, speaking for a number of his peers, said that he bought his first copy of the magazine upon initial arrival on his college campus. In 1977, the magazine moved its headquarters from San Francisco to New York City, editor Jann Wenner said San Francisco had become a cultural backwater. During the 1980s, the magazine began to shift towards being an entertainment magazine. Music was still a dominant topic, but there was increasing coverage of celebrities in television, films, the magazine also initiated its annual Hot Issue during this time. Rolling Stone was initially known for its coverage and for Thompsons political reporting. In the 1990s, the changed its format to appeal to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors
17.
The Source
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The Source is a United States-based monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the worlds longest running rap periodical, being founded as a newsletter in 1988, the Source was originally started by David Mays, a Harvard University student in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mays decided to hire his friends, Jonathan Shecter, James Bernard and Ed Young. At the time, Mays handled duties as the publisher for the magazine, the magazines offices were moved from Massachusetts to New York City in 1990, a move that was made with the intention to expand the magazine into a mainstream market publication. The magazines annual awards show, known as The Source Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest award given to an emcee who has contributed his/her time to succeeding in the hip-hop music industry. The Source also releases an album of hip-hop hits. The magazine expanded overseas with a French-language version, alongside The Source Latino, the company invested in mobile phones and ringtones under The Source Mobile Channel moniker, in which subscribers are offered their favorite choice of hip-hop ringtones. The Source also invested in its own urban clothing apparel company, the Source announced in a press conference that the magazine was in possession of an old tape in which a young Eminem was rapping racial slurs against Black women. For his part, Eminem did not deny making the tapes and he apologized for making the tapes but also exhorted the public to consider the origin of the allegations. Nevertheless, Eminem sued The Source for defamation and copyright infringement, the federal courts ruled in The Sources favor, and allowed a limited distribution of the tapes music and lyrics under Fair Use law. Mays and Benzino both countered the withdrawal of the lawsuit, calling it a cowardly move and they both claimed they could finally expose the truth about Eminem and planned to eventually release the racist tapes in a future magazine. It devoted its February 2004 issue to the discovery of the tapes, later, Benzino and The Source would urge video and radio stations to ban Eminems video, Just Lose It, and issue an apology to Michael Jackson. The video depicts Jackson in a light and the publication wanted to boycott the rapper. In spite of their efforts, BET was the network to ban the video. BET claimed Benzino was not the reason for the banning, Eminem released the single Like Toy Soldiers from Encore, in which he states hell walk away from it all before it gets any further. Benzino responded with the track, Look Into My Eyes. In 2005, after Kimberly Osorio had been fired, Mays. That same year he resigned after he was ordered to lower the rating of Little Brothers The Minstrel Show from four-and-a-half to four
18.
Rapping
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The components of rapping include content, flow, and delivery. Rap differs from spoken-word poetry in that rap is performed in time to a beat. Rapping is often associated with and an ingredient of hip-hop music. Rapping is also used in Kwaito music, a genre originated in Johannesburg, South Africa. Another form of rap that predates hip hop was boxer Muhammad Alis rhythmic poetry used to taunt his opponents in the 1960s and 1970s, rapping can be delivered over a beat, typically provided by a DJ, turntablist or Beatboxer, or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies an area between speech, prose, poetry, and singing. The word, as used to describe quick speech or repartee, the word had been used in British English since the 16th century. It was part of the African American dialect of English in the 1960s meaning to converse, today, the terms rap and rapping are so closely associated with hip-hop music that many writers use the terms interchangeably. The English verb rap has various meanings, such as to strike, especially with a quick, smart, or light blow, as well to utter sharply or vigorously, to rap out a command. The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary gives a date of 1541 for the first recorded use of the word with the meaning to utter sharply, vigorously and it is these meanings from which the musical form of rapping derives, and this definition may be from a shortening of repartee. A rapper refers to a performer who raps, by the late 1960s, when Hubert G. Brown changed his name to H. Rap was used to describe talking on records as early as 1971, on Isaac Hayes album Black Moses with track names such as Ikes Rap, Ikes Rap II, Ikes Rap III, Hayes husky-voiced sexy spoken raps became key components in his signature sound. Del the Funky Homosapien similarly states that rap was used to refer to talking in a manner in the early 1970s. Back then what rapping meant, basically, was you trying to convey something—youre trying to convince somebody, thats what rapping is, its in the way you talk. Rapping can be traced back to its African roots, centuries before hip-hop music existed, the griots of West Africa were delivering stories rhythmically, over drums and sparse instrumentation. Such connections have been acknowledged by modern artists, modern day griots, spoken word artists, mainstream news sources. Grammy-winning blues musician/historian Elijah Wald and others have argued that the blues were being rapped as early as the 1920s, Wald went so far as to call hip hop the living blues. A notable recorded example of rapping in blues music was the 1950 song Gotta Let You Go by Joe Hill Louis, not just jazz music and lyrics but also jazz poetry
19.
Grammy Award for Best Rap Album
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In 1995, the Academy announced the addition of the award category Best Rap Album. The first award was presented to the group Naughty by Nature at the 38th Grammy Awards the following year, according to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is presented for albums containing at least 51% playing time of tracks with newly recorded rapped performances. Award recipients often include the producers, engineers, and/or mixers associated with the work in addition to the recording artists. As of 2015, Eminem holds the record for the most wins in this category, lauryn Hill is currently the only female artist to win in this category, when she won in 1997 with the Fugees. Kanye West was presented the four times, and the duo known as Outkast received the award twice. Jay-Z holds the record for the most nominations, with nine, canadian artist Drake became the first non-American winner in this category when he won in 2013. The Roots have received the most nominations without a win, with five, ^ Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year. Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance Grammy Award for Best Rap Song Hip hop music Official site of the Grammy Awards
20.
Billboard Hot 100
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The Billboard Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for singles, published weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales, radio play and online streaming, the weekly sales period was originally Monday to Sunday, when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991, but was changed to Friday to Thursday in July 2015. Radio airplay, which, unlike sales figures and streaming data, is available on a real-time basis. A new chart is compiled and officially released to the public by Billboard on Tuesdays, as of the issue for the week ending on April 15,2017, the Hot 100 has had 1,061 different number one hits. The current number one song is Shape of You by Ed Sheeran, prior to 1955, Billboard did not have a unified, all-encompassing popularity chart, instead measuring songs by individual metrics. At the start of the era in 1955, three such charts existed, Best Sellers in Stores was the first Billboard chart, established in 1936. This chart ranked the biggest selling singles in retail stores, as reported by merchants surveyed throughout the country, Most Played by Jockeys was Billboards original airplay chart. It ranked the most played songs on United States radio stations, as reported by radio disc jockeys, Most Played in Jukeboxes ranked the most played songs in jukeboxes across the United States. On the week ending November 12,1955, Billboard published The Top 100 for the first time, the Top 100 combined all aspects of a singles performance, based on a point system that typically gave sales more weight than radio airplay. The Best Sellers In Stores, Most Played by Jockeys and Most Played in Jukeboxes charts continued to be published concurrently with the new Top 100 chart. The week ending July 28,1958 was the publication of the Most Played By Jockeys and Top 100 charts. On August 4,1958, Billboard premiered one main all-genre singles chart, the Hot 100 quickly became the industry standard and Billboard discontinued the Best Sellers In Stores chart on October 13,1958. The Billboard Hot 100 is still the standard by which a songs popularity is measured in the United States, the Hot 100 is ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by Nielsen BDS, sales data compiled by Nielsen Soundscan and streaming activity provided by online music sources. There are several component charts that contribute to the calculation of the Hot 100. Charts are ranked by number of gross audience impressions, computed by cross-referencing exact times of radio airplay with Arbitron listener data. Hot Singles Sales, the top selling singles compiled from a sample of retail store, mass merchant and internet sales reports collected, compiled. The chart is released weekly and measures sales of commercial singles. With the decline in sales of singles in the US
21.
Music recording sales certification
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Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies. The threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory, almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories, which are named after precious materials. The number of sales or shipments required for these awards depends upon the population of the territory in which the recording is released, typically, they are awarded only to international releases and are awarded individually for each country in which the album is sold. Different sales levels, some perhaps 10 times lower than others, the original gold record awards were presented to artists by their own record companies to publicize their sales achievements. The first of these was awarded by RCA Victor to Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in February 1942, another example of a company award is the gold record awarded to Elvis Presley in 1956 for one million units sold of his single Dont Be Cruel. The first gold record for an LP was awarded by RCA Victor to Harry Belafonte in 1957 for the album Calypso and these sales were restricted to U. S. -based record companies and did not include exports to other countries. For albums in 1968, this would mean shipping approximately 250,000 units, the platinum certification was introduced in 1976 for the sale of one million units, album or single, with the gold certification redefined to mean sales of 500,000 units, album or single. No album was certified platinum prior to this year, for instance, the recording by Van Cliburn of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto from 1958 would eventually be awarded a platinum citation, but this would not happen until two decades after its release. In 1999, the certification was introduced for sales of ten million units. On 14 March 1958, the RIAA certified its first gold record, soundtrack was certified as the first gold album four months later. In 1976, RIAA introduced the platinum certification, first awarded to Johnnie Taylors single, Disco Lady, as music sales increased with the introduction of compact discs, the RIAA created the Multi-Platinum award in 1984. Diamond awards, honoring those artists whose sales of singles or albums reached 10,000,000 copies, were introduced in 1999 and this became much less common once the majority of retail sales became paid digital downloads and digital streaming. In most countries certifications no longer apply solely to physical media, in June 2006, the RIAA also certified the ringtone downloads of songs. Streaming from on-demand services such as Rhapsody and Spotify has been included into existing digital certification in the U. S since 2013, in the U. S. and Germany video streaming services like YouTube, VEVO, and Yahoo. Music also began to be counted towards the certification, in both cases using the formula of 100 streams being equivalent to one download, other countries, such as Denmark and Spain, maintain separate awards for digital download singles and streaming. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry was founded in 1996, and grants the IFPI Platinum Europe Award for album sales over one million within Europe, multi-platinum Europe Awards are presented for sales in subsequent multiples of one million. Eligibility is unaffected by time, and is not restricted to European-based artists, IMPALA sales awards were launched in 2005 as the first sales awards recognising that success on a pan-European basis begins well before sales reach one million. The award levels are Silver, Double Silver, Gold, Double Gold, Diamond, Platinum, below are certification thresholds for the United States and United Kingdom
22.
Empire (2002 film)
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Empire is a 2002 gangster film starring John Leguizamo and Peter Sarsgaard. Victor Rosa is a dealer in New York City who sells a specific brand of heroin called Empire. His territory is located in the South Bronx, where his other rivals all maintain an uneasy truce maintained because they all purchase their drugs from the same supplier, Victor is invited to a chic white collar party by his girlfriend Carmen. The party is being thrown by her friend Trish and her boyfriend Jack, with a baby on the way, Vic decides to go straight, and begins to invest money with Jack, receiving significant returns. His friendship with Jack affords Vic a whole new lifestyle, Jack offers Vic an investment opportunity for over 300% return, but theres a catch, the minimum buy-in is $4.5 million, $1.5 million more than Vic has. He approaches La Colombiana with an offer, in which she agrees to lend Vic the money he needs, if he gives her a 500% return, however, the feud escalates and Jimmy kills the dealer. Vic receives his money and gives it to Jack, who disappears the next day, Victor tracks him down and tries to get his money back, but kills Jack and Trish when they resist. He escapes with Carmen and her family to Puerto Rico and opens a bar on the side of the island with what little money he has left. At the end of the movie, Vic is heading to the hospital to see the birth of his child when Rafael, La Colombianas younger brother, John Leguizamo as Victor Rosa a. k. a. Universal picked up the film for US$650,000, and released it on December 6,2002 in 867 theaters, Empire received negative reviews, and carries a score of 21% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 99 reviews. List of American films of 2002 Empire at the Internet Movie Database Empire at AllMovie
23.
Regina Belle
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Regina Belle is an American singer–songwriter and actress who first started her career in the mid–1980s. The theme song Far Longer than Forever from the movie the The Swan Princess. Belle was born in Englewood, New Jersey and it was at Englewoods Mount Calvary Baptist Church, and then Patersons Friendship Baptist Church, that Belle began attracting attention with her vocal abilities. She sang her first solo in church at age 8, Belle attended Dwight Morrow High School where she studied trombone, tuba and steel drums. After graduation, she studied opera at the Manhattan School of Music, at Rutgers University, she became the first female vocalist with the schools jazz ensemble. Belles musical influences include Phyllis Hyman, Billie Holiday, Shirley Caesar, Patti LaBelle and she was introduced to the Manhattans by New York radio DJ Vaughn Harper and began working as their opening act. She recorded the duet Where Did We Go Wrong with the group helped to attract the attention of Columbia Records. They eventually signed her to a record deal, in 1987, she released her debut album All by Myself. It includes her first hits So Many Tears and Show Me the Way, in the same year, Belle recorded her first successful duet with Peabo Bryson, the song Without You, the love theme from the comedy film Leonard Part 6, also released in 1987. Her follow-up album, Stay with Me, released in 1989, Belle recorded a duet in 1991 with Johnny Mathis, Better Together which appeared on his album Better Together, The Duet Album. Continuing her tradition of duets, Belle teamed up with Peabo Bryson for four songs, Without You, I Cant Imagine, A Whole New World, later in 1993, she released her Platinum selling third album, Passion. The album featured the Disney hit, A Whole New World, the theme song Far Longer than Forever from the animated movie the The Swan Princess, performed with Jeffrey Osborne was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song. She released Reachin Back in 1995 followed by Believe in Me in 1998 and she released the album This Is Regina. Which featured the R&B hit single, Ooh Boy also released were, Dont Wanna Go Home, in 2004, she released a jazz standard album, Lazy Afternoon, produced by George Duke. The album included covers of the Isley Brothers For the Love of You, in 2007, she collaborated with smooth jazz saxophonist Paul Taylor, co-writing and singing on his album Ladies Choice. Belle released her gospel album Love Forever Shines on May 13,2008 via Pendulum Records. The 14-track collection features guests Melvin Williams and Shirley Murdock. On June 5,2012, she released on Pendulum her second album, called Higher, on which Belle stated, I think that
24.
Billboard 200
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The Billboard 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists, often, a recording act will be remembered by its number ones, those of their albums that outperformed all others during at least one week. The chart is based mostly on sales of albums in the United States, the weekly sales period was originally Monday to Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991, but since July 2015, tracking week begins on Friday and ends on Thursday. A new chart is published the following Tuesday with an issue post-dated to the Saturday of the following week, the charts streaming schedule is also tracked from Friday to Thursday. Example, Friday January 1 – sales tracking week begins Thursday January 7 – sales tracking week ends Tuesday January 12 – new chart published, New product is released to the American market on Fridays. Digital downloads of albums are included in Billboard 200 tabulation. Albums that are not licensed for sale in the United States are not eligible to chart. As of the issue dated April 15,2017, the album on the Billboard 200 is More Life by Drake. Billboard began an album chart in 1945, initially only five positions long, the album chart was not published on a weekly basis, sometimes three to seven weeks passing before it was updated. A biweekly, 15-position Best-Selling Popular Albums chart appeared in 1955, the position count varied anywhere from 10 to 30 albums. The first number-one album on the new weekly list was Belafonte by Harry Belafonte, the chart was renamed to Best-Selling Pop Albums later in 1956, and then to Best-Selling Pop LPs in 1957. Beginning on May 25,1959, Billboard split the ranking into two charts Best-Selling Stereophonic LPs for stereo albums and Best-Selling Monophonic LPs for mono albums and these were renamed to Stereo Action Charts and Mono Action Charts in 1960. In January 1961, they became Action Albums—Stereophonic and Action Albums—Monophonic, three months later, they became Top LPs—Stereo and Top LPs—Monaural. On August 17,1963 the stereo and mono charts were combined into a 150-position chart called Top LPs, on April 1,1967, the chart was expanded to 175 positions, then finally to 200 positions on May 13,1967. In 1960, Billboard began concurrently publishing album charts which ranked sales of older or mid-priced titles and these Essential Inventory charts were divided by stereo and mono albums, and featured titles that had already appeared on the main stereo and mono album charts. In January 1961, the Action Charts became Action Albums—Monophonic, Albums appeared on either chart for up to nine weeks, then were moved to an Essential Inventory list of approximately 200 titles, with no numerical ranking. This list continued to be published until the consolidated Top LPs chart debuted in 1963, in 1982, Billboard began publishing a Midline Albums chart which ranked older or mid-priced titles. The chart held 50 positions and was published on a bi-weekly basis, on May 25,1991, Billboard premiered the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart
25.
Billboard (magazine)
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Billboard is an American entertainment media brand owned by the Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group, a division of Eldridge Industries. It publishes pieces involving news, video, opinion, reviews, events and it is also known for its music charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200, tracking the most popular singles and albums in different genres. It also hosts events, owns a publishing firm, and operates several TV shows, Billboard was founded in 1894 by William Donaldson and James Hennegan as a trade publication for bill posters. Donaldson later acquired Hennegens interest in 1900 for $500, in the 1900s, it covered the entertainment industry, such as circuses, fairs and burlesque shows. It also created a service for travelling entertainers. Billboard began focusing more on the industry as the jukebox, phonograph. Many topics it covered were spun-off into different magazines, including Amusement Business in 1961 to cover outdoor entertainment so that it could focus on music. After Donaldson died in 1925, Billboard was passed down to his children and Hennegans children, until it was sold to investors in 1985. The first issue of Billboard was published in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 1,1894 by William Donaldson, initially, it covered the advertising and bill posting industry and was called Billboard Advertising. At the time, billboards, posters and paper advertisements placed in public spaces were the means of advertising. Donaldson handled editorial and advertising, while Hennegan, who owned Hennegan Printing Co. managed magazine production, the first issues were just eight pages long. The paper had columns like The Bill Room Gossip and The Indefatigable, a department for agricultural fairs was established in 1896. The title was changed to The Billboard in 1897, after a brief departure over editorial differences, Donaldson purchased Hennegans interest in the business in 1900 for $500, to save it from bankruptcy. That May, Donaldson changed it from a monthly to a paper with a greater emphasis on breaking news. He improved editorial quality and opened new offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, London and he also re-focused the magazine on outdoor entertainment like fairs, carnivals, circuses, vaudeville and burlesque shows. A section devoted to circuses was introduced in 1900, followed by more prominent coverage of events in 1901. Billboard also covered topics including regulation, a lack of professionalism, economics and it had a stage gossip column covering the private lives of entertainers, a tent show section covering traveling shows and a sub-section called Freaks to order. According to The Seattle Times, Donaldson also published articles attacking censorship, praising productions exhibiting good taste
26.
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
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Its Dark and Hell Is Hot is the debut studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on May 12,1998 in North America and it was supported by four singles —Get at Me Dog, Stop Being Greedy, Ruff Ryders Anthem and Hows It Goin Down, in order of release — and their accompanying music videos. It primarily features production from Dame Grease and PK, with production from Swizz Beats and Irv Gotti & Lil Rob, on one. The album is considered a classic among hip hop fans. Its Dark and Hell Is Hot was met with acclaim from music critics. AllMusic commented that Unlike so many other rappers who are more rhetorical than physical. Leading Hip Hop magazine The Source described the album as a mind-gripping opus that fully encompasses the appeal of one of raps newest sensations, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and sold 251,000 copies in its first week in the United States. The album became certified platinum by Recording Industry Association of America on December 18,2000. Notes Track listing and credits from album booklet, x-Is Coming features additional vocals by Jamie, Warren and Randy. I Can Feel It features additional vocals by Nardo, sample credits Intro contains a sample of Beyond Forever performed by James Mtume. Fuckin wit D contains a sample of Shifting Gears performed by Johnny Hammond Smith, get At Me Dog contains a sample of Everything Good to You performed by BT Express. Let Me Fly contains a sample of Lo Dudo performed by José José, crime Story contains a sample of Easin In performed by Edwin Starr. Stop Being Greedy contains a sample of My Hero Is a Gun performed by the Temptations, I Can Feel It contains a sample of In the Air Tonight performed by Phil Collins. The Convo contains a sample of Nights on Broadway performed by The Bee Gees, courtesies The Lox and Mase appear courtesy of Bad Boy Records. Big Stan, Loose and Dragon appears courtesy of Ruff Ryders Entertainment, kasino appears courtesy of Jive Records. List of number-one albums of 1998 List of number-one R&B albums of 1998
27.
Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
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Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood is the second studio album by American rapper DMX. The album was released on December 22,1998, a more than seven months after his debut album Its Dark. It entered the charts at #1 with over 670,000 units shipped in the first week, the album eventually went 3x Platinum in the US. Number-one albums of 1999 List of number-one R&B albums of 1999
28.
Grand Champ
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Grand Champ is the fifth studio album by American rapper DMX. The album was released on September 16,2003, by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, the album was supported by the singles Where the Hood At. and Get It on the Floor. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, with sales of 312,000 copies in the United States
29.
Year of the Dog... Again
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Again is the sixth studio album by American rapper DMX. The album was released on August 1,2006, by Ruff Ryders Entertainment, Sony Urban Music, the album was supported by the singles We in Here and Lord Give Me a Sign. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart and #1 on the Rap Charts with 125,000 copies sold and it was DMXs first album to not debut at number one on the Billboard 200. At Metacritic, the album got a score of 60 out of 100 based on mixed or average reviews, XXL gave it an L score equivalent to three stars out of five and stated, Clearly, Xs poetic touch remains intact. But Year of the Dog relies too heavily on nostalgia, ignoring how hip-hop, lyrically, the project sounds as if the Dog has been living in isolation for years, rarely shifting from his trademark style. Sadly, if X doesn’t learn a few new tricks, things might never be the same…again, hipHopDX gave it a score of 2.5 out of 5 and said, The album fairly consistent of what DMX has become - lost. Much like his antics and brushes with the law, X is all over the place on wax, battling incoherence. AllHipHop gave it a score of out of five stars and said. He has carved his own niche, perfecting his brand of unfiltered aggression, legions of DMX loyalist will not be disappointed. While the canine theme is hard to mistake, forgiveness, redemption and, ultimately and it seems like the dog has found his way home, finally
30.
Undisputed (DMX album)
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Undisputed is the seventh studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on September 11,2012 on Seven Arts Music, on October 11,2011 DMX performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. He stated that he has been working nonstop, every day on the new album, during a performance at New York Citys Santos Party House on December 25,2011, DMX stated that the new album will be entitled Undisputed and would be released on March 26,2012. This was later confirmed by DMX via his official Twitter account, a video for a new track entitled Last Hope was released via Internet on September 24,2011. This was later released on his The Weigh In EP and omitted from the release of Undisputed. Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. recently purchased David Micherys music assets, DMXs had announced that Undisputed will be released on March 27,2012. However it was revealed that DMX did not plan to release the album on that date. The release date for the album was set for June 26,2012, however, DMX announced in Detroit, Michigan on June 9,2012, that due to the record label, the date will be pushed back again. It was then scheduled for release on August 28,2012, later, an official press release from the label pushed the back date to September 11,2012. He donated the albums first week sales to the victims of the September 11 attacks, the album features only one male guest appearance by rapper Machine Gun Kelly. The album was supposed to feature Sean Kingston, Tyrese and Busta Rhymes. On May 15,2012, DMX and Dame Grease released a pre-album EP which would be free for download, called The Weigh In featuring artists such as Snoop Dogg, Big Stan and it also featured production from West Coast rapper and producer Dr. Dre. Promoting his album, DMX announced the Undisputed Tour, with 15 concerts, across the United States throughout June and early July, on January 6,2012, DMX performed live the first single of the album, I Dont Dance featuring MGK in Long Beach. It was released on iTunes on April 7,2012, DMX shot a video for the song, also featuring MGK. He also released a behind-the-scenes video, the official video premiered on MTV Jams on June 23,2012 and was later uploaded to his YouTube account. DMX released the single, Head Up, on September 4,2012. Upon its release, Undisputed received generally mixed reviews from music critics, peaking so early in his career was a gift to his legacy but a curse to his longevity. As a result, fans understandably expect another Party Up, yet I Dont Dance is simply not that, Undisputed exhibits little of X’s impressive illustration but renews the high level of passion and energy he excels at relaying to listeners
31.
The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter
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The Definition of X, The Pick of the Litter is a greatest hits album from rapper DMX, released on June 12,2007 in the United States. The album debuted at number 26 on the U. S. Billboard 200, as of July 11,2007, the album has sold 65,826 copies in the US. Although the album has both a version and an edited version, on the explicit version on the track Where the Hood At some lines are still edited. The track Slippin is also the edited version, also Prayer III is actually Prayer II from Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. Note, on the version of the album the track What These Bitches Want is listed as
32.
The Best of DMX
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The Best of DMX is the third compilation and greatest hits album released on January 26,2010 by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings. Due to DMXs departure from Def Jam Recordings, only songs that were released during his time there are included on this album and it consists of songs deemed to be DMXs best by Def Jam Recordings. Unlike previous albums and compilations, this features the unedited version of Where The Hood At
33.
Get at Me Dog
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Get at Me Dog is the debut single by DMX, from his debut album Its Dark and Hell Is Hot. The single peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U. S. making it DMXs second highest peak on the chart, behind Party Up. It features Sheek Louch of The LOX during the chorus, get at Me Dog is on the playlist of the video game Grand Theft Auto, Liberty City Stories, on the fictional rap radio station The Liberty Jam. The song samples Everything Good to You by B. T, lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
34.
How's It Goin' Down
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Hows It Goin Down is the third single by American rapper DMX featuring R&B singer Faith Evans who is used in the introduction monologue, from his debut studio album Its Dark and Hell Is Hot. The instrumental is produced by P. K. of the Ruff Ryders group, the song is about DMX meeting a girl and eventually carrying on an affair with her. This leads to the current boyfriend attacking a man he believes is DMX. Eventually, by the end, DMX decides that carrying on the relationship would be wrong. Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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