1.
Santa Monica, California
–
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Census Bureau population for Santa Monica in 2010 was 89,736, due in part to an agreeable climate, Santa Monica became a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s through the revitalization of its core, significant job growth. The Santa Monica Pier remains a popular and iconic destination, Santa Monica was long inhabited by the Tongva people. Santa Monica was called Kecheek in the Tongva language, the first non-indigenous group to set foot in the area was the party of explorer Gaspar de Portolà, who camped near the present-day intersection of Barrington and Ohio Avenues on August 3,1769. Named after the Christian saint Monica, there are two different accounts of how the name came to be. One says it was named in honor of the feast day of Saint Monica, another version says it was named by Juan Crespí on account of a pair of springs, the Kuruvungna Springs, that were reminiscent of the tears Saint Monica shed over her sons early impiety. In Los Angeles, several battles were fought by the Californios, following the Mexican–American War, Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave Mexicans and Californios living in state certain unalienable rights. US government sovereignty in California began on February 2,1848, in the 1870s the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad, connected Santa Monica with Los Angeles, and a wharf out into the bay. The first town hall was a modest 1873 brick building, later a beer hall and it is Santa Monicas oldest extant structure. By 1885, the towns first hotel was the Santa Monica Hotel, around the start of the 20th century, a growing population of Asian Americans lived in and around Santa Monica and Venice. A Japanese fishing village was near the Long Wharf while small numbers of Chinese lived or worked in Santa Monica, the two ethnic minorities were often viewed differently by White Americans who were often well-disposed towards the Japanese but condescending towards the Chinese. The Japanese village fishermen were an economic part of the Santa Monica Bay community. Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. built a plant in 1922 at Clover Field for the Douglas Aircraft Company, in 1924, four Douglas-built planes took off from Clover Field to attempt the first aerial circumnavigation of the world. Two planes returned after covering 27,553 miles in 175 days, the Douglas Company kept facilities in the city until the 1960s. The Great Depression hit Santa Monica deeply, one report gives citywide employment in 1933 of just 1,000. Hotels and office building owners went bankrupt, in the 1930s, corruption infected Santa Monica. The federal Works Project Administration helped build several buildings, most notably City Hall, the main Post Office and Barnum Hall were also among other WPA projects
Santa Monica, California
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Santa Monica's Ocean Avenue at Sunset
Santa Monica, California
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An 1840 Santa Monica adobe home (photographed in 1890).
Santa Monica, California
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A busy day on the beach, 1880
Santa Monica, California
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Exterior view of the Bank Building at the corner of Third Street and Broadway, Santa Monica, ca.1900
2.
Detroit
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Detroit is the most populous city in the U. S. state of Michigan, the fourth-largest city in the Midwest and the largest city on the United States–Canada border. It is the seat of Wayne County, the most populous county in the state, the municipality of Detroit had a 2015 estimated population of 677,116, making it the 21st-most populous city in the United States. Roughly one-half of Michigans population lives in Metro Detroit alone, the Detroit–Windsor area, a commercial link straddling the Canada–U. S. Border, has a population of about 5.7 million. Detroit is a port on the Detroit River, a strait that connects the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Detroit Metropolitan Airport is among the most important hubs in the United States, the City of Detroit anchors the second-largest economic region in the Midwest, behind Chicago, and the thirteenth-largest in the United States. Detroit and its neighboring Canadian city Windsor are connected through a tunnel and various bridges, Detroit was founded on July 24,1701 by the French explorer and adventurer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and a party of settlers. During the 19th century, it became an important industrial hub at the center of the Great Lakes region, with expansion of the American automobile industry in the early 20th century, the Detroit area emerged as a significant metropolitan region within the United States. The city became the fourth-largest in the country for a period, in the 1950s and 1960s, suburban expansion continued with construction of a regional freeway system. A great portion of Detroits public transport was abandoned in favour of becoming a city in the post-war period. Due to industrial restructuring and loss of jobs in the auto industry, between 2000 and 2010 the citys population fell by 25 percent, changing its ranking from the nations 10th-largest city to 18th. In 2010, the city had a population of 713,777 and this resulted from suburbanization, corruption, industrial restructuring and the decline of Detroits auto industry. In 2013, the state of Michigan declared an emergency for the city. Detroit has experienced urban decay as its population and jobs have shifted to its suburbs or elsewhere, conservation efforts managed to save many architectural pieces since the 2000s and allowed several large-scale revitalisations. More recently, the population of Downtown Detroit, Midtown Detroit, paleo-Indian people inhabited areas near Detroit as early as 11,000 years ago. In the 17th century, the region was inhabited by Huron, Odawa, Potawatomi, for the next hundred years, virtually no British, colonist, or French action was contemplated without consultation with, or consideration of the Iroquois likely response. When the French and Indian War evicted the Kingdom of France from Canada, the 1798 raids and resultant 1799 decisive Sullivan Expedition reopened the Ohio Country to westward emigration, which began almost immediately, and by 1800 white settlers were pouring westwards. By 1773, the population of Detroit was 1,400, by 1778, its population was up to 2,144 and it was the third-largest city in the Province of Quebec
Detroit
–
From top to bottom, left to right:
Downtown Detroit skyline and the
Detroit River,
Fox Theatre,
Dorothy H. Turkel House in
Palmer Woods,
Belle Isle Conservatory,
The Spirit of Detroit,
Fisher Building,
Eastern Market,
Old Main at
Wayne State University,
Ambassador Bridge, and the
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit
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Ste. Anne de Détroit, founded in 1701 by French colonists, is the second-oldest continuously operating
Catholic parish in the United States. The present church was completed in 1887.
Detroit
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A 4
p.m. change of work shift at the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in
Highland Park, Michigan, 1910s
Detroit
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Looking south down
Woodward Avenue, with the Detroit skyline in the distance, July 1942
3.
Michigan
–
Michigan /ˈmɪʃᵻɡən/ is a state in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area. Its capital is Lansing, and its largest city is Detroit, Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is noted to be shaped like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, the two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge. The state has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, as a result, it is one of the leading U. S. states for recreational boating. Michigan also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds, a person in the state is never more than six miles from a natural water source or more than 85 miles from a Great Lakes shoreline. What is now the state of Michigan was first settled by Native American tribes before being colonized by French explorers in the 17th century, the area was organized as part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Eventually, in 1805, the Michigan Territory was formed, which lasted until it was admitted into the Union on January 26,1837, the state of Michigan soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular immigrant destination. Though Michigan has come to develop an economy, it is widely known as the center of the U. S. automotive industry. When the first European explorers arrived, the most populous tribes were Algonquian peoples, which include the Anishinaabe groups of Ojibwe, Odaawaa/Odawa, the three nations co-existed peacefully as part of a loose confederation called the Council of Three Fires. The Ojibwe, whose numbers are estimated to have been between 25,000 and 35,000, were the largest, French voyageurs and coureurs des bois explored and settled in Michigan in the 17th century. The first Europeans to reach what became Michigan were those of Étienne Brûlés expedition in 1622, the first permanent European settlement was founded in 1668 on the site where Père Jacques Marquette established Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan as a base for Catholic missions, missionaries in 1671–75 founded outlying stations at Saint Ignace and Marquette. Jesuit missionaries were received by the areas Indian populations, with relatively few difficulties or hostilities. In 1679, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle built Fort Miami at present-day St. Joseph, in 1691, the French established a trading post and Fort St. Joseph along the St. Joseph River at the present day city of Niles. The hundred soldiers and workers who accompanied Cadillac built a fort enclosing one arpent, cadillacs wife, Marie Thérèse Guyon, soon moved to Detroit, becoming one of the first European women to settle in the Michigan wilderness. The town quickly became a major fur-trading and shipping post, the Église de Saint-Anne was founded the same year
Michigan
–
Père Marquette and the Indians (1869), Wilhelm Lamprecht
Michigan
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Flag
Michigan
–
Approximate area of Michigan highlighted in
Guillaume de L'Isle 's 1718 map
Michigan
–
Lumbering pines in the late 1800s
4.
Hip hop music
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It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements, MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, while often used to refer solely to rapping, hip hop more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. Hip hops early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat. The Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight is widely regarded to be the first hip hop record to gain popularity in the mainstream. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles, prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began to spread to scenes in dozens of countries. New school hip hop was the wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D. M. C. The Golden age hip hop period was a period between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Notable artists from this era include the Juice Crew, Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One, EPMD, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that often focuses on the violent lifestyles, in the West Coast hip hop style, G-funk dominated mainstream hip hop for several years during the 1990s. I. G. In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap, at the same time, hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, examples being Neo soul and nu metal. Hip hop became a pop music genre in the mid-1990s. The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s, with hip hop influences also increasingly finding their way into mainstream pop, the United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics. Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, during the mid-2000s, alternative hip hop secured a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast and Kanye West. Creation of the hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was known as disco rap. Cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into a part of his stage performance, the first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop
Hip hop music
–
1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the Bronx, a venue used by Kool Herc that is often considered the birthplace of hip hop in 1973
Hip hop music
–
DJ Kool Herc, recognized as one of the earliest hip hop artists
Hip hop music
–
Grandmaster Flash
Hip hop music
–
Afrika Bambaataa (left)
5.
Roc Nation
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Roc Nation, LLC is an American entertainment company founded by Jay Z & Jay Brown in 2008. The company has offices in New York City, London, Nashville, Austin, the company also has partnerships with global management companies Three Six Zero Urban Media Global Network Collective and Philymack. Rj Entertainment World Wide based in Austin, Texas In 2008, the firm has a multi-year partnership with live event company Live Nation. In June 2009, Roc Nation signed a 4-year distribution deal with Sony Music, in 2010, Roc Nation partnered with London-based entertainment company Three Six Zero Group. In February 2013, Roc Nation signed a music publishing administration deal with Warner/Chappell Music. In April 2013, Roc Nation formed a new sports management division, Roc Nation Sports, shortly thereafter, Roc Nation Sports also launched a boxing promotion division. After the Sony deal expired, in April 2013, Roc Nation signed a partnership with Universal Music. In February 2015, Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Group announced the formation of Three Six Zero Entertainment, a division representing clients in film, television and the literary arts. In November 2016, the administrator of Princes estate authorized a copyright lawsuit against Roc Nation for putting 15 Prince albums up on the streaming service Tidal. In beginning of March 2017, Roc Nation announced the formation of Arrive, jahlil Beats Lab Ox Ludwig Göransson L1 Stress Roc Nation albums discography Roc Nation singles discography RocNation. com
Roc Nation
–
Roc Nation
6.
Def Jam Recordings
–
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
Def Jam Recordings
–
Def Jam Recordings
7.
Kanye West
–
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur. Intent on pursuing a career as a rapper, West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to widespread critical and commercial success. He went on to pursue a variety of different styles on subsequent albums Late Registration, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak. In 2010, he released his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to rave reviews from critics, West released his abrasive sixth album, Yeezus, to further critical praise in 2013. His seventh album, The Life of Pablo, was released in 2016, Wests outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant mainstream attention. He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at award shows, on social media and he is the founder and head of the creative content company DONDA. His 2014 marriage to television personality Kim Kardashian has also been subject to media coverage. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time, three of his albums have been included and ranked on Rolling Stones 2012 update of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. He has also included in a number of Forbes annual lists. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015, West was born on June 8,1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents divorced when he was three years old, after the divorce, he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray West was later a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland with startup capital from his son. West, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, West was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago. At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, according to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most of it. When asked about his grades in school, West replied, I got As. West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age and his mother recalled that she first took notice of Wests passion for drawing and music when he was in the third grade. Growing up in Chicago, West became deeply involved in its hip hop scene and he started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists
Kanye West
–
West performing at
Lollapalooza in 2011
Kanye West
–
West performing in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 2007
Kanye West
–
West performing in
Austin, Texas, March 2009
Kanye West
–
West performing with
Jay-Z on their
Watch the Throne Tour in 2011
8.
Chris Brown
–
Christopher Maurice Chris Brown is an American singer, songwriter, and dancer. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir, having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year. It peaked at two on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. With his first single Run It, peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100, Brown became the first male artist as a lead since Diddy in 1997 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album Exclusive spawned his second Hot 100 number one Kiss Kiss, in addition to With You, the album was also certified double platinum by the RIAA. The songs have peaked at three, number nine and number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100 respectively. His third album Graffiti was released later that year, and included the top-twenty single I Can Transform Ya, became his first to top the Billboard 200, it spawned the singles Yeah 3x, Look at Me Now, and Beautiful People. Earned Brown his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 54th Grammy Awards and his fifth album Fortune was released in 2012. However, after the release of Exclusive, Browns albums have not been well received commercially or by critics, with the exception of X. Browns seventh studio album Royalty was released on December 18,2015, apart from his work in the music industry, Brown has pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his feature film debut in Stomp the Yard. Other films Brown has appeared in, include This Christmas, Takers, Think Like a Man, throughout his career, Brown has won several awards, including 14 BET Awards,5 Billboard Music Awards, and 3 Soul Train Music Awards. According to Billboard, Brown has the seventh most Hot 100 entries on the chart with 82 and he has an older sister, Lytrell Bundy, who works in a bank. Music was always present in Browns life beginning in his childhood and he would listen to soul albums that his parents owned, and eventually began to show interest in the hip-hop scene. He is African American, and has said that he has Pamunkey Native American ancestry. Brown taught himself to sing and dance at a young age and he began to perform in his church choir and in several local talent shows. When he mimicked an Usher performance of My Way, his mother recognized his vocal talent, at the same time, Brown was going through personal issues. His parents had divorced, and his mothers boyfriend terrified him by subjecting her to domestic violence, at age 13, Brown was discovered by Hitmission Records, a local production team that visited his fathers gas station while searching for new talent
Chris Brown
–
Brown performing at
Supafest Australia, April 2012
Chris Brown
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Brown performing at
KISS 106.1 Seattle Jingle Bell Bash 8, December 4, 2005
Chris Brown
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Brown performing at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, November 1, 2008
Chris Brown
–
Brown (left) with
Sevyn Streeter (right), June 2013
9.
Mike Posner
–
Michael Robert Henrion Mike Posner is a Grammy nominated American singer-songwriter, poet, rapper, and music producer. Posner released his album,31 Minutes to Takeoff, on August 10,2010. The album includes the US Billboard Hot 100 top 10 single Cooler than Me as well as the top 20 single Please Dont Go, in 2016 he released his second album, At Night, Alone. He has written songs for a number of fellow artists. In March 2017, he released his first book of poetry, Posner is also a member of the alternative hip-hop and R&B duo Mansionz. Michael Posner was born on February 12,1988, in Detroit and he was raised in Southfield, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit. He is the son of Roberta Henrion, a pharmacist, and he has a sister who is 6 years older. His father is Jewish and his mother is Catholic, Posner studied at Bingham Farms Elementary School and graduated from Groves High School, where he ran varsity track and cross-country. He attended Duke University, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity, Posner started out as a record producer, working on some tracks with his hometown friend Big Sean. Posner produced and featured on Big Seans first mixtape on the song, Posners second mixtape, A Matter of Time started attracting industry attention in 2009. The release was unusual for being distributed for free through iTunes U, Posner signed a record deal with J Records in July 2009, after his Junior year at Duke University. He chose to return to Duke after signing, and toured on the weekends while at the time recording for his debut album. Posners third mixtape One Foot Out the Door was released in October 2009, the mixtape was accompanied by a web series of the same name which aired bi-weekly from September to December. Posners debut album,31 Minutes to Takeoff was released in August 2010, the first single, Cooler Than Me has reached at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. He performed at music festival Bonnaroo and on the 2010s Warped Tour, the second and third singles, Please Dont Go and Bow Chicka Wow Wow reached the top 20 and 30 on the Hot 100 respectively. The latter was released with a verse by rapper Lil Wayne. Posner won a 2011s ASCAP Award from the organization for Cooler Than Me. On October 7,2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records, with the shutdown, Posner will release his future material on the RCA Records brand
Mike Posner
–
Posner at the 2012 Pepsi Summerbash at Toyota Park in Chicago, Illinois
Mike Posner
–
Mike Posner, July 2010.
10.
Ariana Grande
–
Ariana Grande-Butera, known as Ariana Grande, is an American singer and actress. She began her career in the Broadway musical 13, before landing the role of Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon television series Victorious in 2009, the show ended after four seasons, and Grande starred on the spinoff, Sam & Cat, which ended in 2014. She has also appeared in theatre, television and film roles. Grandes music career began with the soundtrack Music from Victorious and she signed a recording contract with Republic Records and released her debut studio album, Yours Truly in 2013, which debuted at No.1 on the US Billboard 200. The albums lead single, The Way, debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, Grandes second studio album, My Everything, debuted at No.1 in the US and charted in the top 10 in various other countries. In 2015, Grande promoted My Everything with her first world tour, The Honeymoon Tour, and guest-starred in the Fox comedy horror television series, Scream Queens. She also released the single Focus, which debuted at No.7 in the US, and a holiday EP album, Christmas & Chill, in 2016, she released her third studio album, Dangerous Woman, as well as several songs from the album. The title track debuted at No.10 on the Billboard Hot 100, the album debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200. As of January 2017, Grandes music videos had been viewed a total of more than 7 billion times online, All three of her albums have been certified platinum or better by the RIAA. In 2016, Time named Grande one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list, Grande has a large following on social media, including the 2nd most followed Instagram account. In 2017, Grande is touring in North America and then Europe and her name was originally inspired by Princess Oriana from Felix the Cat. She has an older half-brother, Frankie Grande, who is an actor, dancer and producer, Grandes family moved from New York to Florida when her mother was pregnant with Grande, and her parents separated when she was around 8 or 9 years old. As a child, Grande performed with the Fort Lauderdale Childrens Theater, playing her first role as Annie, as well as performing in the musicals The Wizard of Oz and Beauty and she attended Pine Crest School and North Broward Preparatory School. By age 13, she became serious about pursuing a music career, who is going to buy a 14-year-olds R&B album. In 2008, Grande was cast in the role of cheerleader Charlotte in the musical 13 on Broadway. When she joined the musical, Grande left her school, North Broward Preparatory School. The school sent materials to her so she could study with tutors and she also sang various times at the New York City jazz club, Birdland. Grande auditioned for the Nickelodeon television show Victorious in New York along with 13 co-star Elizabeth Gillies in 2009, in this sitcom set in a performing arts high school, Grande was cast as Cat Valentine
Ariana Grande
–
Grande performing at the
Amalie Arena in December 2013
Ariana Grande
–
Grande performing with the
Victorious cast, May 2011
Ariana Grande
–
Grande in July 2011
Ariana Grande
–
Grande at the
Worldwide Day of Play in 2013
11.
Wiz Khalifa
–
Cameron Jibril Thomaz, better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. He released his album, Show and Prove, in 2006. His Eurodance-influenced single, Say Yeah, received radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40. Khalifa parted with Warner Bros. and released his album, Deal or No Deal. He released the mixtape Kush and Orange Juice as a download in April 2010. He is also known for his debut single for Atlantic, Black and Yellow. His debut album for the label, Rolling Papers, was released on March 29,2011 and he followed that album with O. N. I. F. C. On December 4,2012, which was backed by the singles Work Hard, Play Hard, Wiz released his fourth album Blacc Hollywood on August 18,2014, backed by the lead single We Dem Boyz. In March 2015, he released See You Again for the soundtrack of the film Furious 7, Khalifa was born Cameron Jibril Thomaz on September 8,1987 in Minot, North Dakota, to parents serving in the military. His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old and he is a military brat with his parents military service caused him to move regularly. Khalifa lived in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School and his stage name is derived from Khalifa, an Arabic word meaning successor, and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was a young boy. He got a tattoo of his name on his 17th birthday. He cites Jimi Hendrix, Camp Lo, The Notorious B. I. G. Rostrum Records president Benjy Grinberg first heard about Wiz Khalifa in 2004 when the rappers contribution to a mixtape of various new Pittsburgh artists attracted his interest. Khalifa signed to the label shortly after and began a period of artist development. Khalifa released his first mixtape, Prince of the City, Welcome to Pistolvania, the mixtape paved the way for his first full-length album entitled Show and Prove in 2006. Khalifa was declared an artist to watch that year in Rolling Stone magazine and his debut Warner Bros. single Say Yeah reached number 25 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on Billboards Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples Better Off Alone by Alice Deejay, Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92s Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2,2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes Star Power in September 2008, and Flight School in April 2009 on Rostrum Records, Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, First Flight
Wiz Khalifa
–
Khalifa performing Under the Influence Tour 2012 in Toronto.
Wiz Khalifa
–
Wiz Khalifa performing at
Columbia University in New York City in April 2010.
Wiz Khalifa
–
Wiz Khalifa on stage in
Boston in August 2010.
Wiz Khalifa
–
Wiz Khalifa at
SXSW in 2010
12.
Mixtape
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A mixtape is a home-made compilation of music recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto a cassette tape, though later replaced by CD or MP3 playlist formats. The songs can be sequential, or by beatmatching the songs and creating overlaps, compilations may include a selection of favorite songs, or music linked by theme or mood, perhaps tailored to the tapes intended recipient. Writing in 2004, essayist Geoffrey OBrien called the mix tape perhaps the most widely practiced American art form. Homemade mix tapes became common in the 1980s, but improvements in fidelity finally allowed the cassette to become a major player. The growth of the mixtape was also encouraged by improved quality and increased popularity of audio players in car entertainment systems. These recordings tended to be of technical ability than home-made mixtapes. One 12 October 1974 article in Billboard Magazine reported, Tapes were originally dubbed by jockeys to serve as standbys for times when they did not have disco turntables to hand, the tapes represent each jockeys concept of programming, placing, and sequencing of record sides. The music is heard without interruption, one- to three-hour programs bring anywhere from $30 to $75 per tape, mostly reel-to-reel, but increasingly on cartridge and cassette. Club proprietors, as well as DJs, would often prepare such tapes for sale, throughout the 1980s, mixtapes were a highly visible element of youth culture. The high point of traditional culture was arguably the publication of Nick Hornbys novel High Fidelity in 1995. Some mix enthusiasts also appreciate the potential of the mix CD for extended, continuous mixes, MP3 players have further enhanced track accessibility, though ones without a screen defeat that purpose. Today, websites concerned with electronic music provide mixes in a digital format and these usually consist of recorded DJ sets of live, beat-matched mixes of songs, which are used by DJs seeking to demonstrate their mixing skills to an online audience. Some radio shows worldwide specialize in mix series, including The Breezeblock on BBC Radio 1, The Solid Steel Show, and Eddy Temple-Morris/The Remix on Xfm. Additionally, DJs such as Grandmaster Flash, DJ QBert, DJ Spooky, DJ Z-Trip or DJ Shadow, The Avalanches, and Rjd2 have gained fame for creating new songs by combining fragments of existing songs. This practice is derived from the use of song loops as musical backdrops for an MCs rhymes in hip hop music. Frank Creighton, a director of anti-copyright infringement efforts for the Recording Industry Association of America and this requires the mixtape creator to consider the transitions between songs, the effects caused by juxtaposing a soft song with a loud song, and the overall narrative arc of the entire tape. It also came with an actual CD featuring ten of the songs discussed in the text, many have been so widely distributed that the CDDB has logged and can identify ID3 tags when a disc mix tape is inserted into a PC. In hip hops earliest days, the music existed in live form, so performers music was spread via tapes of parties
Mixtape
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An early pirate 8 track mixtape from 1974
Mixtape
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The compact
audio cassette
Mixtape
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The
CD-R disc is currently the most common medium for homemade mixes
13.
Studio 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
Studio album
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Early record albums were packages of 78
RPM records in book form
Studio album
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Two vinyl records with inner and outer album sleeves
Studio album
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A blank compact cassette tape and case
Studio album
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A compact disc within an open 'Jewel Case'
14.
Finally Famous (Big Sean album)
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Finally Famous is the debut studio album by American rapper Big Sean. It was released on June 28,2011, by GOOD Music, recording sessions took place from 2010 to 2011, with Kanye West serving as the only executive producer on the album. The album was supported by three singles, My Last featuring Chris Brown, Marvin & Chardonnay featuring West and Roscoe Dash, the commercial debut single, titled My Last was released on March 1,2011. The song features guest vocals from American recording artist Chris Brown, the song debuted at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song also topped the Billboards Top Rap Songs, becoming his first number-one hit on the chart in the United States, Marvin & Chardonnay featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash, was sent to radio on July 12,2011 as the albums second single. The song was produced by Pop Wansel, the song peaked at number 32 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Dance was sent to radio as the albums third single on September 20,2011. The song was produced by Da Internz, the remix to Dance, featuring Nicki Minaj, was sent to urban radio on October 18,2011. The albums promotional single, I Do It was released via download on May 10,2011. No I. D. also produced this track, alongside The Legendary Traxster, the song peaked at number 92 on the US Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart. The albums second single, What Goes Around was released on May 20,2011. No I. D. also produced this track, the albums third promotional single, So Much More was released on June 14,2011. No I. D. also produced this track, Finally Famous was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. AllMusics David Jeffries gave the four out of five stars, saying Fun, inventive, swaggering. William E. Chris Martins of The A. V, club gave the album a C, saying Complexity is a hallmark of any good artist, but Sean seems distracted by clichéd ideas of identity. The album debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200, with sales of 87,000 copies in the United States. Denotes co-producer denotes additional production Sample credits My Last contains a sample of Can You Stand the Rain performed by New Edition, dont Tell Me You Love Me contains a sample of Breakeven performed by The Script. Wait for Me contains a sample of Its Too Late performed by Wilson Pickett, Marvin & Chardonnay contains an interpolation of Amazing performed by Kanye West
Finally Famous (Big Sean album)
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Finally Famous
15.
Hall of Fame (Big Sean album)
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Hall of Fame is the second studio album by American rapper Big Sean. It was released on August 27,2013, by GOOD Music, recording sessions took place from 2011 to 2013, at the variety of the recording studios, primarily in Los Angeles, California. The album features guest appearances from Nas,2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj and Jeezy, Key Wane, Da Internz, Mano, Young Chop and Hey DJ among others. The album was supported by six singles, Guap, Switch Up, Beware, Fire, Ashley, Hall of Fame received generally positive reviews from critics. The album debuted at three on the Billboard 200, selling 72,000 copies in its first week. As of February 2015, the album has sold 155,000 copies in the United States. On September 27,2012, Big Sean announced his second album with the title Hall of Fame, Memoirs of a Detroit Player. Sean explains why chose this to be the title, stating that its because itll represent who he is and he then said that he feels like situations are really going to be relatable to people. He then stated that he didnt want to just do another club song and this is just what the fuck I want to do. Some people are going to like it, some people are going to hate it, regardless, Im just doing me. Sean then said that Hall of Fame will be a far more inspirational and he even went on by saying the fact that he wants to teach, while making his lasting impact on peoples lives with this second album. During an interview with Power 105, Sean stated that he would include some skits on the album to give it a classic feel. He even indicated that the song Mula featuring French Montana, could be featuring as the track for his deluxe edition. D. and J. Cole, the single Clique from GOOD Musics album Cruel Summer, which was rumored to be featured on Hall of Fame. Starting off the year, the album was included on multiple Most Anticipated Albums of 2013 lists, including those by MTV, XXL, who ranked it fourth and Complex ranked it eleventh. During the recording sessions on the album, Sean revealed Kanye West, Nas, Tyga, Common and Jhené Aiko were going to be appearing as featured artists, while West, Key Wane, Hit-Boy and Young Chop will provide production on the album. He then announced the final guest appearances from Miguel, Kid Cudi, on March 12,2013, along with revealing a slew of songs on the album, Big Sean stated that there will be songs featuring Lil Wayne, Juicy J and 2 Chainz on the album. He also revealed that he worked with DJ Camper, DJ Mano, Da Internz and Rio on the album, on April 26,2013, Sean then finally had some studio session with Eminem, which included Royce da 59 and Mr. Porter. However, he explained Eminem was too busy working on his album to get on Hall of Fame, in July 2013, Sean revealed Ellie Goulding would be featured on the album
Hall of Fame (Big Sean album)
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Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame (Big Sean album)
Hall of Fame (Big Sean album)
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No I.D. (left) was the album's primary
record producer and
Kanye West (front) was the album's executive producer.
Hall of Fame (Big Sean album)
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Rapper
Lil Wayne made a guest appearance on the album's third single "
Beware ".
16.
Dark Sky Paradise
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Dark Sky Paradise is the third studio album by American rapper Big Sean. It was released on February 24,2015, by GOOD Music, Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the change in Seans production and lyricism being more atmospheric and substance-filled. It debuted at one on the Billboard 200, selling 173,000 album-equivalent units and 139,000 copies in the first week. It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales, streaming, in December 2015, the album has sold over 350,000 copies in the United States. The albums lead single, titled I Dont Fuck with You featuring E-40, was released on September 19,2014, the production on the song was handled by DJ Mustard, Kanye West and Mike Free. After the reception the received, it was released as the albums first single. It became a success peaking at number one on the Billboards Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. To date, the song has sold over a million copies in the United States, the albums second single, Paradise was released on October 7,2014. The song was produced by Mike Will Made It, despite never being sent to radio, the song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 13,2015. In January 2015, Sean released the track, Blessings featuring guest appearances by Drake, the song was produced by Vinylz. It was officially released on January 31,2015, as the third single. The shorten version of the song, featuring the collaboration between Sean and Drake, has announced to be included on the album. The song peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100, as of March 2016, the song was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. One Man Can Change the World featuring Kanye West and John Legend, was sent to contemporary radio on June 19,2015. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 13,2015, play No Games featuring Chris Brown and Ty Dolla Sign, was sent to urban contemporary radio on September 22,2015, as the albums fifth single. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on February 15,2016, Dark Sky Paradise received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications. Justin Charity of Complex said, Occasionally clumsy but wonderfully plainspoken, here hes dynamic, and a pretty good rapper
Dark Sky Paradise
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Dark Sky Paradise
17.
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
Billboard 200
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Contents
18.
Detroit Waldorf School
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The Detroit Waldorf School is a private PreK-8 Waldorf school located at 2555 Burns, Detroit, Michigan in an Albert Kahn-designed school in the historic Indian Village neighborhood. In 2016, the building was designated a Michigan State Historic Site, the school is the only remaining private independent school in Detroit, and is one of the citys highest-rated schools, receiving five stars on GreatSchools. org. As of 2016,240 students were enrolled in the school, in 1878, Rev. James D. Liggett settled in Detroit and established a small, independent school for girls, originally known as The Detroit Home and Day School, and later as The Liggett School. The school was located at Grand River and Broadway in Detroit. The school grew steadily, and by 1907 had annexed an adjacent house, in 1913, the school contracted Albert Kahn to design the original portion of this building along Charlevoix as a branch campus to serve students on the citys east side. The building is one of two schools designed by Kahn, and the only one still extant. The building opened the year as the Eastern Liggett branch. In 1916, landscape architect O. C. Simonds designed a plan for the school. An addition to the school, also designed by Kahn, was constructed in 1924, the addition so closely follows the style of the original building that the difference is nearly imperceptible. After the original Liggett campus on Cass closed, the Liggett School occupied the building until 1964, in 1969, The Liggett School merged with Grosse Pointe University School to form what is now University Liggett School. The Detroit Waldorf School was founded in 1965 by Rudolf and Amelia Wilhelm, other private schools in the area at the time were not integrated, and the Wilhelms and their supporters sought to provide a diverse educational experience to children. The school approached the board of the Central United Methodist Church about allocating space to open a nursery school, the school opened as a nursery school in the Central United Methodist Church in 1965, and was deliberatley integrated from its founding. However, space in the church was limited, and later year the school acquired the just-vacated Liggett campus. Classes for elementary students began at the present school building in September 1966, the Detroit Waldorf School was one of the first nine Waldorf schools in North America, and a founding member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. In 1967, Werner and Barbara Glas founded the Waldorf Institute at the school, the Waldorf Institute was the first Waldorf teacher-training institution in the United States, and only the second English-speaking one. In 1979, the Waldorf Institute moved to Southfield, Michigan and it is now the Sunbridge Institute. In 2011, the school was selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of 100 places that matter in the United States, in 2013, businessman Jeff Adler donated $750,000 to various Detroit organizations, including $100,000 to the Detroit Waldorf School. The school has remained at its present location since 1966, the Detroit Waldorf School Early Childhood Center includes Pre-K classes for children 3-5 and full-day Kindergarten
Detroit Waldorf School
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Entrance to Detroit Waldorf (east side), 2015
Detroit Waldorf School
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Eastern Liggett School c. 1916, showing the original 1913 building
19.
Cass Technical High School
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Cass Technical High School, commonly referred to as Cass Tech, is a four-year university preparatory high school in Midtown Detroit, United States. The school is named in honor of Lewis Cass, an American military officer, the school is a part of Detroit Public Schools. Until 1977, Cass was Detroits only magnet school and the only non-neighborhood enrollment school in Detroit, today, Cass is one of few magnet schools in Detroit. Entrance to Cass is based on test scores and middle school grades, students are required to choose a curriculum path—roughly equivalent to a college major—in the ninth grade. Areas of study include, but are not limited to, arts and communication, business management and marketing, engineering and manufacturing, human services, the school was founded on the third floor of the old Cass Union School in 1907. Its historic landmark building on Second Avenue in downtown Detroit was built in 1917, to the south of it an addition designed by Albert Kahn was built in 1985. The new, modern facilities of the school were built in 2004 in an adjacent lot to the north of the building on Grand River Avenue. In 2007 there was a fire in the old structure. Complete demolition of the vacant Cass Tech building began in June 2011 and was finished by November, pictures of the old historic structures, both from the outside and the abandoned inside floors and classes, can be seen here. In addition, a 3D floor-by-floor interactive map of the old building is here as well. Following the fire in the old structure, it was demolished and removed by Homrich Demolition, at time of demolition, the school building was approximately 830,000 square feet and weighed more than 100,000 short tons. Over 90% of the material in the building was recycled for other uses or as backfill, in 2008 some classes that were not very popular with students were removed due to reduction in teacher staffing due to declining enrollment. Based on current enrollment information, there are approximately 2,086 students that attend Cass Technical High School, there are 624 students in the ninth grade,537 students in the tenth grade,466 in the eleventh grade, and 459 in the twelfth grade. Of the 2,086 students, there are 1,269 girls and 817 boys, Cass Technical High Schools average ACT score is 21, which is four points higher than the average for Detroit public high schools. Cass offers eleven advanced placement courses including language composition, history, chemistry, calculus, students are required to maintain a 2.5 grade point average on a scale of 4.0 in order to retain enrollment. Cass Tech students strong academic performances draw recruiters from across the country, in 1984 Cass Tech was honored by the US Department of Education among 262 schools that should shine as inspirational model for others that included public and private schools. In 2006 Cass represented DPS at the National Academic Games Olympics, many highly noteworthy performers in jazz, rhythm and blues, rock and hip-hop idioms have graduated from Cass Technical High School. Over the years, the choirs have produced two CDs and are now working on their third, Cass Tech is the only school in the city of Detroit with a Harp and Vocal Ensemble
Cass Technical High School
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Cass Tech, 2010
Cass Technical High School
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Lewis Cass Technical High School
20.
WPZR
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WPZR is an urban gospel formatted radio station licensed to Mount Clemens, Michigan, and serving the Detroit metropolitan area.9 in Ann Arbor. WPZR is owned by Radio One along with WCHB/1200 & WDMK/105.9, all share studios on Detroits lower eastside. What is now WPZR began life on November 6,1960, as WBRB-FM, for years, WBRB was a full-service radio station targeting Macomb County with local and ABC Information Network news, weather and information and middle-of-the-road music. During non-simulcast dayparts, WBRB-FM aired Beautiful Music programming and some music as well. It was truly a very local station, reporting news from local police blotters, politics, even local obituaries were read every Sunday morning on the AM side. In the 1970s, Charlie Park was the manager and owner of the station. Those who worked there at the time included Marv Welch, John Cwikla, Mark Andrews, Roseanne Cerra, eventually, ownership of the AM and FM portions of WBRB was separated, and Gilda Radner and her brother Michael took control of the AM station. The second try at a full-service format ultimately failed and the station was sold, the WBRB transmitter was moved to Garden City and pressed into service at WCAR1090 AM, which had been a Malrite-owned sister station of WBRB/WBRB-FM in the 1960s first as WERB and then as WTAK. The original WBRB studio and transmitter location on Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township are now occupied by a Salvation Army thrift store. In Spring 1979, WBRB was sold to Inner City Broadcasting, owners of New Yorks legendary WBLS, and switched to a disco format, WLBS during its disco phase was programmed by WBLS Frankie Crocker. The station evolved into urban contemporary by 1981, but success was limited due to the plethora of urban competitors such as WJLB AM1400, the station changed to a Rock of the 80s-style new wave music format in 1983. In August 1984, WLBS flipped from new wave to CHR/Top 40 using a format co-developed by consultant Lee Abrams. The new age format barely registered at all in the ratings, in November 1996, WDZR changed its calls to WWBR,102.7 The Bear, Detroits Rock Animal, keeping the hard-rock format but transitioning to a local air staff with Ted Nugent as morning personality. The Bear eventually evolved into a Classic Rock That Really Rocks outlet to compete with softer-edged classic-rock competitor WCSX, the end of The Bear came on January 16,1999, following the stations sale from Allur Detroit to Radio One. At 6,33 p. m. after playing The Doors When The Musics Over, the first song played was Just Another Day by Jon Secada. They also revived the Kiss-FM brand name as The New 102.7 Kiss FM, with the Best Variety of Light Rock from the 80s, 90s, the station also picked up Delilah Renes syndicated nightly request program. The station requested the new calls WKSK, but went with WDMK after failing to secure its first choice, then, on August 28,1999, WDMK shifted to an Urban Adult Contemporary format to compete with powerhouse WMXD, retaining the Kiss name. On June 25,2005, at 3 AM, Radio One swapped the formats of WDMK, the WDMK calls and old school format were moved to 105.9, with the old school format evolving into a very gold-based Urban AC
WPZR
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Former logo of WHTD
21.
Rap battle
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Battle rap is a type of rapping that includes bragging and boasting content. Battling can occur on recorded albums, though rap battles are often recited or freestyled spontaneously in live battles, battle rap is described by 40 Cal in the book How to Rap as extracurricular and he compares it to the dunk contest in the NBA. Rap battles are written solely for the purpose of impressing people with technically inventive rapping, and knowing a wide variety of rapping styles. Some MCs started out writing mostly battle raps and battling other MCs before they began making records, the modern rap battle is generally believed to have originated in the East Coast hip hop scene in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, battle raps were a form of rapping - Big Daddy Kane in the book How to Rap says, as an MC from the 80s. Your focus was to have a hot rhyme in case you gotta battle someone, not really making a rhyme for a song. Battle rapping is still closely associated with old school hip-hop - talking about battle rapping, Esoteric says. Ice Cube, MC Pervis & Brand New Habits and LL Cool J vs. Canibus - all of which include memorable battle rap verses and these battles were usually three rounds to each, and the MCs would switch turns while rapping over older rap instrumentals. Battle rap flourished at this time, showing the underground rap scene and exposing some of the most respected freestyle battlers of all time, including Juice, Eyedea, Sage Francis and P. E. A. C. E. Following the resurgence of freestyle battling in the 21st century, competitions began to move to TV shows shown on HBO, BET, and MTV. In addition, Eminems movie 8 Mile introduced a version of freestyle battling to mainstream movie audiences. Jump Off TVs World Rap Championships premiered in London 2006, featuring American, freestyle Friday is a watered-down battle segment on BETs popular show 106 & Park. Two rappers compete in a battle before the studio audience. Each competitor alternates freestyling for 30 seconds in each of the two rounds, the rappers are not allowed to use profanities or sexually suggestive lyrics, punishable by disqualification. After the battle, the judges decide the winner, per majority vote, in Cuba, freestyle battles often follow organized concerts and juxtapose composed songs with ‘flowing’ lyrics that are relevant to the present situation. Freestyling can allow audience members to integrate into the performance stage and this provides a forum for up-and-coming underground artists to engage in a musical discussion with already prominent underground Cuban rappers. Freestyle battles often turn political when artists incorporate perspectives on social disparities and issues plaguing the Cuban population, some emcees from this league gained commercial success. A freestyle battle is a contest in two or more rappers compete or battle each other using improvised lyrics
Rap battle
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"WALL OF LEGENDS" (Sacred Society)
22.
Eminem
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Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the 2000s in the United States, throughout his career, he has had 10 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Globally, he has more than 172 million albums, thus being one of the worlds best-selling artists. Rolling Stone ranked him 83rd on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and they were followed by Encore in 2004, another critical and commercial success. Eminem went on hiatus after touring in 2005, releasing Relapse in 2009, both won Grammy Awards and Recovery was the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide, the second time he had the international best-selling album of the year. Eminems eighth album, 2013s The Marshall Mathers LP2, won two Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album, it expanded his record for the most wins in that category and his Grammy total to 15. In addition to his career, Eminem is an original member of the Midwest hip hop groups Soul Intent. He is also known for his collaborations with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 59, Eminem has developed other ventures, including Shady Records, with manager Paul Rosenberg, which helped launch the careers of artists such as 50 Cent. Eminem has also established his own channel, Shade 45, on Sirius XM Radio. In November 2002, he starred in the hip hop film 8 Mile, Eminem has made cameo appearances in the films The Wash, Funny People, The Interview and the television series Entourage. Eminem was born on October 17,1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Debbie was 14 when she met 18-year-old Bruce, at age 17, she nearly died during her 73-hour labor. Eminems parents were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border before their separation, Bruce left the family, moving to California and having two other children, Michael and Sarah. Debbie had son Nathan Nate Kane Samara on February 3,1986, during his childhood, Eminem and Debbie shuttled between Michigan and Missouri, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and living primarily with family members. In Missouri, they lived in places, including St. Joseph, Savannah. As a teenager Eminem wrote letters to his father, according to Debbie, friends and family remember Eminem as a happy child, but a bit of a loner who was often bullied. One bully, DeAngelo Bailey, severely injured Eminems head, Debbie filed a lawsuit against the school in 1982, Eminem spent much of his youth in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood. He and Debbie were one of three white households on their block, and Eminem was beaten by black youths several times, as a child he was interested in storytelling, aspiring to be a comic-book artist before discovering hip hop. Eminem heard his first rap song on the Breakin soundtrack, a gift from Debbies half-brother Ronnie Polkinghorn, when Polkinghorn committed suicide in 1991, Eminem stopped speaking for days and did not attend his funeral
Eminem
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Eminem performing in June 2009
Eminem
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Eminem in Germany, 1999
Eminem
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Eminem and Proof at
Voodoo Experience in October 2000
Eminem
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On the Anger Management Tour promoting Encore
23.
The Notorious B.I.G.
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Christopher George Latore Wallace, better known by his stage names The Notorious B. I. G. Biggie, or Biggie Smalls, was an American rapper and he is consistently ranked as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, the following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M. A. F. I. A. While recording his album, Wallace was heavily involved in the growing East Coast–West Coast hip hop feud. On March 9,1997, Wallace was killed by an assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. Wallace was noted for his loose, easy flow, dark semi-autobiographical lyrics, two more albums have been released since his death. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States and his father left the family when Wallace was two years old, and his mother worked two jobs while raising him. Wallace grew up in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn on 226 St. James Place near the border of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, at Queen of All Saints Middle School, Wallace excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed Big because of his size by age 10. He said he started dealing drugs when he was around the age of 12 and his mother, often away at work, did not know of her sons drug dealing until Wallace was an adult. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student, at age seventeen, Wallace dropped out of school and became further involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on charges in Brooklyn. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation, a year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months in jail before making bail, Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He entertained people on the streets and performed with groups the Old Gold Brothers. The tape was made with no serious intent of getting a recording deal. However, it was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had worked with Big Daddy Kane. In March 1992, Wallace was featured in The Sources Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers, the demo tape was heard by Uptown Records A&R and record producer Sean Combs, who arranged for a meeting with Wallace
The Notorious B.I.G.
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The Notorious B.I.G
The Notorious B.I.G.
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Wallace attended the
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School before transferring out at his own request
The Notorious B.I.G.
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Wallace married
Faith Evans in 1994
The Notorious B.I.G.
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Composite sketch of the suspect in the shooting.
24.
J Dilla
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Yancey died in 2006 of the blood disease thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. James Yancey was the eldest of four including a sister, Martha. The family lived at a house near McDougall and Nevada. He developed a vast musical knowledge from his parents—his mother is an opera singer. According to his mother, he could match pitch perfect harmony by two-months old, to the amazement of musician friends and he began collecting vinyl at the age of two and would be allowed to spin records in the park, an activity he enjoyed tremendously as a child. Along with a range of musical genres, Yancey developed a passion for hip hop music. After transferring from Davis Aerospace Technical High School to Detroit Pershing High School, he met classmates T3 and Baatin, the three formed a rap group called Slum Village. He also took up beatmaking using a tape deck as the center of his studio. During these teenage years he stayed in the basement alone with his collection of records. He later told Pete Rock when they met years later that I was trying to be you, in 1992, he met experienced Detroit musician Amp Fiddler, who was impressed by what Jay Dee was able to accomplish with such limited tools. Amp Fiddler let Jay Dee use his MPC, which he learned quickly. In 1995, Jay Dee and MC Phat Kat formed 1st Down and that same year he recorded Yester Years EP with 5 Elementz. In the year 1996, he formed the group Slum Village along with T3 and Baatin, and recorded the debut, Fan-Tas-Tic in his home studio. Upon its release in 1997, the quickly became popular with fans of Detroit hip hop, as well as gaining the attention of Q-Tip. However, J Dilla felt uncomfortable with the comparison and often voiced it in several interviews and it was kinda fucked up because people automatically put us in that category. That was actually a category that we didn’t actually wanna be in, I thought the music came off like that, but we didn’t realize that shit then. I mean, you listen to the lyrics of the shit. Niggas was talking about getting head from bitches and it was like a nigga from Native Tongues never woulda said that shit
J Dilla
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J Dilla
25.
The Source (magazine)
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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
The Source (magazine)
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The Source
26.
Detroit Metro Times
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The Detroit Metro Times is an alternative weekly located Ferndale, Michigan. It is the largest circulating newspaper in the metro Detroit area. Supported entirely by advertising, it is distributed free of charge every Wednesday in newsstands in businesses and libraries around the city, compared to the two dailies, the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News, the Metro Times has a leftist orientation. Average circulation for the Metro Times is 50,000 weekly, average readership is just over 700,000 weekly. Its columnists include Larry Gabriel and journalism professor Jack Lessenberry and its annual Best of Detroit survey awards local businesses. The categories include Public Square, Spend the Night, Nutritional Value, syndicated alternative comics run by the Metro Times have in the past included Perry Bible Fellowship, This Modern World, Eric Monster Millikin and Red Meat. The Metro Times also prints Dan Savages Savage Love sex advice column, starting with the January 19–25 issue, the Metro Times had its own exclusive crossword, crafted by Brooklyn-based cruciverbalist Ben Tausig, who appears in the documentary Wordplay. The crossword was cut in May 2008, to save space, in December 2012, Metro Times Editor W. Kim Heron announced his departure. Heron had previously been the managing editor. In March 2013, after three months during which Michael Jackman was interim editor, the publisher named Bryan Gottlieb as Editor-in-Chief, in April 2014, Valerie Vande Panne, former editor of High Times, was named editor-in-chief. In May 2014, the Metro Times merged with Real Detroit Weekly, dustin Blitchok took over as editor-in-chief in February of 2016, before resigning from the position in November of the same year. Former Metro Times staff writer and associate editor for Hour Detroit Lee DeVito was named editor-in-chief following Blitchoks departure, the Metro Times was an official sponsor of the now-defunct Detroit Festival of the Arts and had one of the stages named after it. The headquarters are located in Ferndale and it was previously headquartered in the Detroit Cornice and Slate Company Building in Downtown Detroit. The Metro Times moved to the Cornice and Slate building in the 1990s, in 2013 Blue Cross Blue Shield purchased the Cornice and Slate building, forcing the Metro Times to move. The Metro Times currently leases space in a facility in Ferndale
Detroit Metro Times
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Inner cover of the February 1–7, 2006 Metro Times - The outer cover also has this image but with a Budweiser advertisement covering the lower right corner.
Detroit Metro Times
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Detroit Cornice and Slate Company Building, former headquarters
27.
Don Cannon
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Donald Earl Don Cannon, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and DJ. Cannon received Atlanta’s Best DJ from the prominent TV program Good Day Atlanta on the channel Fox 5, shortly after, Cannon founded a full-service production and promotion company, Cannon Music, LLC, to house his growing brand as a DJ and producer. In 2009, produced the theme for Meet The Paynes, Tyler Perrys sitcom series and he also produced Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers season theme songs and placed Young Jeezy’s “Circulate” for the national Belvedere Vodka campaign. I. Young Jeezy - Lets Get It, Thug Motivation 10106, Go Crazy Claudette Ortiz - Cant Get Enough 01. Cant Get Enough Young Jeezy - The Inspiration 14, mr 17.5 Lil Scrappy - Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live 12. Get Right Fabolous - From Nothin to Somethin 13, jokes On You 50 Cent - Curtis 03. Man Down Cassidy - The Best of The Hustla 02 and it Is What It Is Freeway - Free at Last 12. Walk Wit Me DJ Drama - Gangsta Grillz, The Album 05, the Art of Storytellin Part 414. Throw Ya Sets Up G-Unit - T. O. S, let It Go Young Jeezy - The Recession 10. Circulate Ludacris - Theater of the Mind 02, everybody Hates Chris Freeway Rap Spitters There You Go Bank Rollz Busta Rhymes - Back on My B. S.00. Light Up A Fire Greg Street - Certified Worldwide 00, dope Boys 50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct 07. Dont Mess With 50 Asher Roth - Asleep in the Bread Aisle 04, la Di Da The Cool Kids - Gone Fishing 03. Knocked Down Young Chris - The Network Freeway - The Beat Made Me Do It Jim Jones - Risky Business 02, mobbin All Day The Cool Kids - Merry Christmas 01. Free Throws Curren$y - Smokee Robinson Young Jeezy - Trap or Die 212, D Boyz Big Sean - Finally Famous Vol.3, Big 01. High Rise Macy Gray - The Sellout 11, on and On Cj Hilton - We Can Get It In Sheek Louch - Donnie G04. Out Of The Ghetto Lil Scrappy - Ya Dig Shareefa Home Wrecker I Need You GhostWridah - In Love With My Future 03
Don Cannon
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Cannon in 2011
28.
Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG
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Finally Famous Vol.3, BIG is the third mixtape by American rapper Big Sean. It was released as an online download on August 31,2010. The production was handled from Sean himself, alongside his boss and label-mate Kanye West, Clinton Sparks and No I. D. as well as the guest appearances from Bun B, YG, Drake, Asher Roth, Mike Posner, Tyga and Curren$y, among others. The albums lyrical content largely deals with Seans history and his recent fame, on January 3,2011, the mixtape was re-released through G. O. O. D. Musics official blog, where it included three additional reissued tracks, and the tape has been lacking the DJ Don Cannons voice-overs, as well as the bonus track. The track listing was confirmed by XXL, notes The tracks 18,19 and 20 are the additional tracks for the re-released version. On the original release, the tape had one untitled bonus track featuring Kanye West and this song was later revealed to be called Glenwood. Sample credits Too Fake contains a sample of Too Fake performed by Hockey and my Closet contains a sample of Your Song performed by Ellie Goulding. Hometown contains a sample of Hometown Glory performed by Adele
Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG
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Finally Famous Vol. 3: BIG
29.
Bun B
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Bernard Freeman, known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern rap duo UGK. He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University, located in Houston, Texas. He released his official solo album, Trill OG, on August 3,2010. In the late 1980s, Pimp C started the rap duo UGK and he first released a demo tape titled Underground King which didnt feature Bun B on the track. Instead, it featured Pimp Cs friend Mitchell Queen, Bun B and friend Jalon Jackson had their own group called P. A. Both groups joined forces and formed the group 4 Black Ministers, Queen and Jackson later left the group leaving Pimp C and Bun B so they decided to revert to UGK. The demo Pimp C recorded with Mitchell Queen, Underground King and they then released an extended play titled The Southern Way. The release of this record caught the attention of Jive Records, the song Pocket Full of Stones became the first UGK song to get major airplay throughout the United States. Their third album, Ridin Dirty, peaked at number 2 on the R&B Charts in 1996, after releasing their fourth studio album, Dirty Money, Pimp C got sentenced to jail. Singles featuring a Bun B guest appearance included They Dont Know by Paul Wall, Gimme That by Webbie, Bun B also appeared in a documentary titled Screwed In Houston produced by VBS/Vice that details the history of the Houston rap scene. In October 2005, Bun Bs debut solo album Trill was released, singles included Draped Up, Git It, and Get Throwed. The album peaked at the number 6 spot on the American Billboard 200 chart, after Pimp C died in 2007, Bun B returned to a solo career. In 2008, he released his album, II Trill. The first single was Thats Gangsta featuring Jamaican American artist Sean Kingston and it debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 98,000 copies. Other singles were Damn Im Cold featuring Lil Wayne and Youre Everything featuring Rick Ross, David Banner, DJ Corbett and 8Ball & MJG, Bun Bs third album is Trill OG. In an interview with MTV Live, Bun B stated that 2Pac was set to feature on the album, the album was released under Universal Music Group on August 3,2010. On October 28,2011, a song titled The Life, on March 3,2012, Bun B leaked a song featuring Royce da 59 and Redman titled Stop Playin after he reached 400,000 followers on Twitter. He has not announced the appearance on his upcoming album His fourth studio album was rumored to be titled, Trill 4 Life
Bun B
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Bernard performing live in August 2007.
