1.
Brooklyn
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Brooklyn is the most populous borough of New York City, with a Census-estimated 2,636,735 residents in 2015. It borders the borough of Queens at the end of Long Island. Today, if New York City dissolved, Brooklyn would rank as the third-most populous city in the U. S. behind Los Angeles, the borough continues, however, to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves, Brooklyns official motto, displayed on the Borough seal and flag, is Eendraght Maeckt Maght which translates from early modern Dutch as Unity makes strength. Since 2010, Brooklyn has evolved into a hub of entrepreneurship and high technology startup firms. The history of European settlement in Brooklyn spans more than 350 years, the neighborhood of Marine Park was home to North Americas first tidal mill. It was built by the Dutch, and the foundation can be seen today, however, the area was not formally settled as a town. Many incidents and documents relating to this period are in Gabriel Furmans early compilation, what is today Brooklyn left Dutch hands after the final English conquest of New Netherland in 1664, a prelude to the Second Anglo–Dutch War. The English reorganized the six old Dutch towns on southwestern Long Island as Kings County on November 1,1683 and this tract of land was recognized as a political entity for the first time, and the municipal groundwork was laid for a later expansive idea of Brooklyn identity. On August 27,1776 was fought the Battle of Long Island, the first major engagement fought in the American Revolutionary War after independence was declared, and the largest of the entire conflict. British troops forced Continental Army troops under George Washington off the heights near the sites of Green-Wood Cemetery, Prospect Park. The fortified American positions at Brooklyn Heights consequently became untenable and were evacuated a few days later, One result of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 was the evacuation of the British from New York City, celebrated by residents into the 20th century. The New York Navy Yard operated in Wallabout Bay for the entire 19th century, the first center of urbanization sprang up in the Town of Brooklyn, directly across from Lower Manhattan, which saw the incorporation of the Village of Brooklyn in 1817. Reliable steam ferry service across the East River to Fulton Landing converted Brooklyn Heights into a town for Wall Street. Ferry Road to Jamaica Pass became Fulton Street to East New York, Town and Village were combined to form the first, kernel incarnation of the City of Brooklyn in 1834. Industrial deconcentration in mid-century was bringing shipbuilding and other manufacturing to the part of the county. Each of the two cities and six towns in Kings County remained independent municipalities, and purposely created non-aligning street grids with different naming systems and it later became the most popular and highest circulation afternoon paper in America. The publisher changed to L. Van Anden on April 19,1842, on May 14,1849 the name was shortened to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, on September 5,1938 it was further shortened to Brooklyn Eagle
2.
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
3.
Atlantic Records
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Atlantic Recording Corporation is an American major record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. In 2004, Atlantic Records and its sister label Elektra Records merged into Atlantic Records Group, craig Kallman is currently the chairman of Atlantic Records. Ahmet Ertegün served as founding chairman until his death on December 14,2006, the brothers had become ardent fans of jazz and rhythm & blues music, amassing a collection of over 15,00078 RPM records. He convinced the family dentist, Dr Vahdi Sabit, to invest $10,000 and recruited Herb Abramson, Abramson had worked as a part-time A&R manager/producer for the jazz label National Records, signing Big Joe Turner and Billy Eckstine. He founded Jubilee Records in 1946, but had no interest in its most successful artists, so, in September 1947, he sold his share in Jubilee to his partner, Jerry Blaine, and invested $2500 in the new Atlantic label. When interviewed in 2009 she attributed her reputation to the companys chronic cash-flow shortage, most of the problems we had with artists were that they wanted advances, and that was very difficult for us. We were undercapitalized for a long time, the labels original office in the Ritz Hotel, Manhattan proved too expensive so they relocated to an $85 per month room in the Hotel Jefferson. In its early years Atlantic focused principally on modern jazz although it released some country and western and spoken word recordings. The union action forced Atlantic to use almost all its capital to cut and stockpile enough recordings to last through the ban, Ertegun and Abramson spent much of the late 1940s and early 1950s scouring nightclubs in search of talent. Ertegun composed many songs under the alias A, in early 1949 a New Orleans distributor phoned Ertegun trying to obtain Stick McGhees Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee, which was unavailable due to the closure of McGhees previous label. Ertegun knew Sticks younger brother Brownie McGhee, with whom Stick happened to be staying, so he contacted the McGhee brothers, Ertegun asked about artists royalties, which he paid, which surprised Columbia executives, who did not, which scuttled the deal. On the recommendation of broadcaster Willis Conover, Ertegun and Abramson went to see Ruth Brown at the Crystal Caverns club in Washington and she was badly injured in a car accident en route to New York but Atlantic supported her for nine months and then signed her. Her first release for the label So Long, cut at her second Atlantic session on May 25,1949 with the Eddie Condon band, was a major hit, reaching #6 on the R&B chart. Brown went on to more than eighty songs for the label, becoming the most prolific. So significant was Browns success to Atlantics fortunes that the label became known colloquially as The House That Ruth Built. The Clovers Dont You Know I Love You became the labels first R&B #1 in September 1951 and she hit #1 again in March–April 1952 with 5-10-15 Hours. After she left the label in 1961 Browns fortunes declined rapidly - within a few years was reduced to working as a cleaner and bus-driver to support her children. Brown eventually received a payment of $20,000 and founded a charity
4.
East West Records America
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East West Records is a record label owned by Warner Music Group operating under WMGs Independent Label Group. Upon its creation in 1955 by Atlantic Records, the label had one hit with the Kingsmen and went into hibernation until 1990, Atlantic senior VP Sylvia Rhone was appointed Chair/CEO of the fledgling label. EastWest also distributed other imprints, such as, Interscope Records, Motor Jams Records, Mecca Don Records, in 1991, East West merged with its Atlantic sister label Atco Records, briefly calling itself “Atco/East west Records”. In 1993, Atcos name was dropped and the continued to operate under the East West name once more. While in the United Kingdom, the brand was applied to many of the WEA artists such as Simply Red, Chris Rea, in 1994, Rhone was appointed Chairman and CEO of Atlantics sister label Elektra Records. At the time, East West also broke away from the Atlantic umbrella to continue to operate under Rhone at Elektra. By the new millennium, budget cuts at Warner Music Group resulted in East West being absorbed into Elektra, where some of its acts were shifted over as well. In 2004, Time Warner sold Warner Music Group to private investors led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. Subsequently, more cuts were made. In 2005, WMG reactivated the East West imprint as an in-house label, East West today operates under Warners Independent Label Group. East West Records was revived in the UK in 2014 under the direction of Max Lousada, Chairman & CEO, the resurrected label is headed up by Dan Chalmers, President, Rhino, East West and ADA UK. Key artists on the East West roster include Robert Plant, Si Cranstoun, Boyzone, Bette Midler, Jools Holland, Beverley Knight, Amelia Lily, The Corrs, discography of 1957–1959 East West singles Official Website
5.
Elektra Records
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Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of folk music. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMGs Atlantic Records Group, after five years of dormancy, the label was revived as an imprint of Atlantic in 2009. The label has been run by Gregg Nadel since 2015 who officially became its president in 2017, Elektra was formed in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt in Holzmans St. Johns College dorm room. The usual spelling of the Greek mythological Pleiad Electra was changed, Holzman famously explained, I gave her the ‘K’ that I lacked. He found the C in the name too soft but liked the solid bite of the letter K. The first Elektra LP, New Songs, was a collection of Lieder and similar art songs, Holzman also recorded Josh White, who was without a record deal as a result of McCarthyite blacklisting. In 1964, Elektra launched Nonesuch Records and this classical budget label was the best-selling budget classical label of the era. In 1965, Elektra began a joint venture with Survey Music called Bounty Records which was Elektras first foray into pop music. The most notable signing for Bounty was the Paul Butterfield Band who was moved over to Elektra when Bounty folded, the labels most important signings were the Chicago-based Paul Butterfield Blues Band, the Los Angeles bands Love and The Doors, and the Detroit bands The Stooges and MC5. Included in Elektras LA signings were Tim Buckley and Bread, in 1968, the label also signed pioneering rock guitar soloist Lonnie Mack to a three-album deal. Also in 1967, Elektra launched its influential Nonesuch Explorer Series, excerpts from several Nonesuch Explorer recordings were later included on the two Voyager Golden Discs which were sent into deep space in 1977 aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes. Elektra, along with its Nonesuch Records subsidiary, was acquired by Kinney National Services in 1970, soon afterwards, Kinney consolidated their label holdings under the Warner-Elektra-Atlantic umbrella. Holzman remained in charge of Elektra until 1972, when it merged with Asylum Records to become Elektra/Asylum Records, Asylums founder, David Geffen, would head the newly combined label. Holzman, in the meantime, was appointed vice president and chief technologist for Warner — ushering the company into home video. Holzman also went on to acquire Discovery Records, in 1975, Geffen stepped down due to health problems. He would be replaced by Joe Smith, who went on to become CEO of Capitol Records. Although the company was listed as Elektra/Asylum Records on the label credits
6.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
7.
New York City
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The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2015 population of 8,550,405 distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. Located at the tip of the state of New York. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. Situated on one of the worlds largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, the five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product of nearly US$1.39 trillion, in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion. NYCs MSA and CSA GDP are higher than all but 11 and 12 countries, New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the countrys largest city since 1790, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world, the names of many of the citys bridges, tapered skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattans real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, Manhattans Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, during the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, movement of the ice sheet would contribute to the separation of what are now Long Island and Staten Island. The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown and he claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August and he proceeded to sail up what the Dutch would name the North River, named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange
8.
New York (state)
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New York is a state in the northeastern United States, and is the 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated U. S. state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015, New York City is the most populous city in the United States, the New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State, two-thirds of the states population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% lives on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York, the next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany. New York has a diverse geography and these more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys—the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley, which forms the core of the Erie Canal. Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario, between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls. The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes, New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York. The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade, the British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664. The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were similar to those of the present-day state, New York is home to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. On April 17,1524 Verrazanno entered New York Bay, by way of the now called the Narrows into the northern bay which he named Santa Margherita. Verrazzano described it as a vast coastline with a delta in which every kind of ship could pass and he adds. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats and he landed on the tip of Manhattan and possibly on the furthest point of Long Island. Verrazannos stay was interrupted by a storm which pushed him north towards Marthas Vineyard, in 1540 French traders from New France built a chateau on Castle Island, within present-day Albany, due to flooding, it was abandoned the next year. In 1614, the Dutch under the command of Hendrick Corstiaensen, rebuilt the French chateau, Fort Nassau was the first Dutch settlement in North America, and was located along the Hudson River, also within present-day Albany. The small fort served as a trading post and warehouse, located on the Hudson River flood plain, the rudimentary fort was washed away by flooding in 1617, and abandoned for good after Fort Orange was built nearby in 1623. Henry Hudsons 1609 voyage marked the beginning of European involvement with the area, sailing for the Dutch East India Company and looking for a passage to Asia, he entered the Upper New York Bay on September 11 of that year
9.
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
10.
Irish people
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The Irish people are a nation and ethnic group native to the island of Ireland, who share a common Irish ancestry, identity and culture. Ireland has been inhabited for about 9,000 years according to archaeological studies, for most of Irelands recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland, the people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities, including Irish, Northern Irish, British, or some combination thereof. The Irish have their own customs, language, music, dance, sports, cuisine, although Irish was their main language in the past, today the huge majority of Irish people speak English as their first language. Historically, the Irish nation was made up of kin groups or clans, there have been many notable Irish people throughout history. After Irelands conversion to Christianity, Irish missionaries and scholars exerted great influence on Western Europe, the 6th-century Irish monk and missionary Columbanus is regarded as one of the fathers of Europe, followed by saints Cillian and Fergal. The scientist Robert Boyle is considered the father of chemistry, famous Irish writers include Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker and James Joyce, notable Irish explorers include Brendan the Navigator, Robert McClure, Ernest Shackleton and Tom Crean. By some accounts, the first European child born in North America had Irish descent on both sides, many presidents of the United States have had some Irish ancestry. The population of Ireland is about 6.3 million, but it is estimated that 50 to 80 million people around the world have Irish forebears, historically, emigration from Ireland has been the result of conflict, famine and economic issues. People of Irish descent are mainly in English-speaking countries, especially the United Kingdom. There are also significant numbers in Argentina, Mexico and New Zealand, the United States has the most people of Irish descent, while in Australia those of Irish descent are a higher percentage of the population than in any other country. Many Icelanders have Irish and Scottish Gaelic forebears, in its summary of their article Who were the Celts. The National Museum Wales notes It is possible that genetic studies of ancient. However, early studies have, so far, tended to produce implausible conclusions from very small numbers of people and using outdated assumptions about linguistics, nineteenth century anthropology studied the physical characteristics of Irish people in minute detail. During the past 10,000 years of inhabitation, Ireland has witnessed some different peoples arrive on its shores, the ancient peoples of Ireland—such as the creators of the Céide Fields and Newgrange—are almost unknown. Neither their languages nor terms they used to describe themselves have survived, as late as the middle centuries of the 1st millennium the inhabitants of Ireland did not appear to have a collective name for themselves. Ireland itself was known by a number of different names, including Banba, Fódla, Ériu by the islanders, Iouerne and Hiverne to the Greeks, other Latin names for people from Ireland in Classic and Mediaeval sources include Attacotti and Gael
11.
MTV
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MTV is an American cable and satellite television channel owned by Viacom Media Networks and headquartered in New York City. Launched on August 1,1981, the originally aired music videos as guided by television personalities known as video jockeys. In its early years, MTVs main target demographic was young adults and it has received criticism towards this change of focus, both by certain segments of its audience and musicians. MTVs influence on its audience, including issues involving censorship and social activism, has also been a subject of debate for several years, in recent years, MTV had struggled with the secular decline of music-related cable media. In April 2016, MTV announced it would start to return to its original music roots with the reintroduction of the classic MTV series MTV Unplugged. It was also reported that the series MTV Cribs would be making a return on Snapchat, MTV has spawned numerous sister channels in the US and affiliated channels internationally, some of which have gone independent. As of July 2015, approximately 92,188,000 US households have received MTV, several earlier concepts for music video-based television programming had been around since the early 1960s. The Beatles had used music videos to promote their records starting in the mid-1960s, CBS rejected the idea, but Williams premiered his own musical composition Classical Gas on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, where he was head writer. The series featured clips from various popular artists, but was canceled by its distributor in 1971. The channel, which featured video disc jockeys, signed a deal with US Cable in 1978 to expand its audience from retail to cable television, the service was no longer active by the time MTV launched in 1981. The QUBE system offered many specialized channels, One of these specialized channels was Sight on Sound, a music channel that featured concert footage and music-oriented television programs. With the interactive QUBE service, viewers could vote for their favorite songs, the original programming format of MTV was created by media executive Robert W. Pittman, who later became president and chief executive officer of MTV Networks. Pittman had test-driven the music format by producing and hosting a 15-minute show, Album Tracks, the inspiration for PopClips came from a similar program on New Zealands TVNZ network named Radio with Pictures, which premiered in 1976. The concept itself had been in the works since 1966, when record companies began supplying the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation with promotional music clips to play on the air at no charge. Few artists made the trip to New Zealand to appear live. A shortened version of the shuttle launch ID ran at the top of hour in various forms. The first music video shown on MTV was The Buggles Video Killed the Radio Star and this was followed by the video for Pat Benatars You Better Run. Sporadically, the screen would go black when an employee at MTV inserted a tape into a VCR, MTVs lower third graphics that appeared near the beginning and end of music videos would eventually use the recognizable Kabel typeface for about 25 years
12.
Ruffneck (song)
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Ruffneck is a hip hop song recorded by American female rapper MC Lyte. It serves as the single from her fourth studio album. The song was produced by Wreckx-n-Effect members Aqil Davidson and Markel Riley. The song became Lytes first top 40 single, peaking at No.35 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while also becoming her fourth of five singles to reach the No.1 spot on the Hot Rap Singles chart. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 30,1993 for sales of 500,000 copies, in addition to the songs success, Lyte received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 36th Grammy Awards in February 1994. Ruffneck -5,22 Ruffneck -5,25 Ruffneck -3,52 Brooklyn -4,05 Brooklyn -4,05 Brooklyn -3,51
13.
Grammy Award
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A Grammy Award, or Grammy, is an honor awarded by The Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the mainly English-language music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and the presentation of awards that have a more popular interest. It shares recognition of the industry as that of the other performance awards such as the Emmy Awards, the Tony Awards. The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4,1959, to honor, following the 2011 ceremony, The Academy overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 59th Grammy Awards, honoring the best achievements from October 2015 to September 2016, was held on February 12,2017, the Grammys had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. The music executives decided to rectify this by creating a given by their industry similar to the Oscars. This was the beginning of the National Academy of Recording Arts, after it was decided to create such an award, there was still a question of what to call it, one working title was the Eddie, to honor the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. They finally settled on using the name of the invention of Emile Berliner, the gramophone, for the awards, the number of awards given grew and fluctuated over the years with categories added and removed, at one time reaching over 100. The second Grammy Awards, also held in 1959, was the first ceremony to be televised, the gold-plated trophies, each depicting a gilded gramophone, are made and assembled by hand by Billings Artworks in Ridgway, Colorado. In 1990 the original Grammy design was revamped, changing the traditional soft lead for a stronger alloy less prone to damage, Billings developed a zinc alloy named grammium, which is trademarked. The trophies with the name engraved on them are not available until after the award announcements. By February 2009,7,578 Grammy trophies had been awarded, the General Field are four awards which are not restricted by genre. Album of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a full album if other than the performer. Record of the Year is awarded to the performer and the team of a single song if other than the performer. Song of the Year is awarded to the writer/composer of a single song, Best New Artist is awarded to a promising breakthrough performer who releases, during the Eligibility Year, the first recording that establishes the public identity of that artist. The only two artists to win all four of these awards are Christopher Cross, who won all four in 1980, and Adele, who won the Best New Artist award in 2009 and the other three in 2012 and 2017. Other awards are given for performance and production in specific genres, as well as for other such as artwork. Special awards are given for longer-lasting contributions to the music industry, the many other Grammy trophies are presented in a pre-telecast Premiere Ceremony earlier in the afternoon before the Grammy Awards telecast
14.
Janet Jackson
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Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress. After signing a contract with A&M Records in 1982, she became a pop icon following the release of her third studio album Control. Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues, funk, disco, rap, and industrial beats, which led to crossover success in popular music. In 1991 Jackson signed the first of two record-breaking multimillion-dollar contracts with Virgin Records, establishing her as one of the highest paid artists in the industry. Her debut album under the label, Janet, saw her develop an image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work. That same year, she appeared in her first starring role in Poetic Justice. By the end of the 1990s, she was the second most successful recording artist of the decade, the release of her seventh studio album All for You coincided with a celebration of her impact on popular music as the inaugural MTV Icon. After parting ways with Virgin she released her studio album, Discipline, her first. In 2015 she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own label, Rhythm Nation. Having sold over 100 million records, Jackson is one of the artists in the history of contemporary music. In 2016, Billboard placed her number seven on its list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists, in December 2016, the magazine named her the second most successful dance artist of all-time. One of the worlds most awarded artists, her longevity, records and she has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers. Janet Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, the youngest of ten children, to Katherine Esther, the Jacksons were lower-middle class and devout Jehovahs Witnesses, although Jackson would later refrain from organized religion. At a young age, her brothers began performing as The Jackson 5 in the Chicago-Gary area, in March 1969, the group signed a record deal with Motown, and soon had their first number-one hit. The family then moved to the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jackson had initially desired to become a horse racing jockey or entertainment lawyer, with plans to support herself through acting. Despite this, she was anticipated to pursue a career in entertainment, at age seven, Jackson performed at the Las Vegas Strip at the MGM Casino. A biography revealed her father, Joseph Jackson, was emotionally withdrawn and she began acting in the variety show The Jacksons in 1976. In 1977, she was selected to have a role as Penny Gordon Woods in the sitcom Good Times
15.
Jermaine Dupri
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Jermaine Dupri Mauldin, known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American hip hop recording artist, record producer, songwriter and rapper. He was born in Asheville, NC and was raised in Atlanta, Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23,1972, son of Tina and Michael Mauldin, a Columbia Records executive. Durpris promising musical career began before he was ten years old. His father, also an Atlanta talent manager, had coordinated a Diana Ross show in 1982, to the delight of concert-goers, Dupri managed to get on-stage, Dupri got his start as a dancer for the hip hop group Whodini when he was twelve. He made an appearance in their video for the song Freaks Come Out At Night. He began performing around the country, appearing with Herbie Hancock and Cameo before he opened the New York Fresh Festival, in 1990, he produced his first act- the female hip hop trio Silk Tymes Leather. He later formed the teen duo Kris Kross after meeting the boys at a mall in 1991. The groups first album, Totally Krossed Out, was released in 1992 and went multi-platinum due to their singles Jump and he established his own record label called So So Def Recordings in 1993. Shortly after, he discovered female R&B group Xscape at a festival in Atlanta and their first album, Hummin Comin at Cha, went platinum. During the same year, on Yo, MTV Raps he met Da Brat through Kris Kross, signed her to his label So So Def Recordings, and released her debut Funkdafied which went platinum. So So Def Recordings entered into a partnership with Columbia Records in 1993. In 1995, he collaborated with Mariah Carey for the first time on the one hit single Always Be My Baby. He contributed to Lil Kims 1996 album, Hard Core on the track Not Tonight, in 1997 Jermaine Dupri co-wrote and produced several tracks on Ushers second album, My Way. The lead single, You Make Me Wanna, reached number-one on the Rhythmic Top 40, the follow up single Nice & Slow went to number-one on the Billboard 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and the last single, My Way peaked at number-two on Billboard 100. All three singles have been certified Platinum by Recording Industry Association of America, in 1998, Jermaine Dupri was involved in the release of Destinys Childs eponymous debut album. Dupri renewed the focus on his own career and released The Party Continues. Also that year he met Lil Bow Wow and signed him to So So Def Recordings, the two would later part ways but continued to collaborate on later projects. The deal with Columbia was terminated in 2002 and in 2003 Dupri switched to Arista Records, Jermaine worked on Mariah Careys Christmas album, Merry Christmas II You, as well as with Weezer and Lil Wayne on the song Cant Stop Partying
16.
Sean Combs
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Sean John Combs, also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, record producer and entrepreneur. He was born in Harlem and was raised in Mount Vernon and he worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his label Bad Boy Entertainment in 1993. His debut album No Way Out has been certified seven times platinum and was followed by successful albums such as Forever, The Saga Continues. in 2009 Combs formed the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money and released the critically well-reviewed and commercially successful album Last Train to Paris. Combs has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and is the producer of MTVs Making the Band, in 2016 Forbes estimated Combs net worth at $750 million. Sean John Combs was born on November 4,1969 in Harlem in Manhattan, New York City, and was raised in Mount Vernon, New York. His mother, Janice, was a model and teachers assistant and his father, at age 33, Melvin was shot to death while sitting in his car on Central Park West, when Combs was 2 years old. Combs graduated from the Roman Catholic Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1987 and he played football for the academy, and his team won a division title in 1986. Combs said that he was given the nickname Puff as a child, after dropping out of Howard University in 1990, after two years as a business major, Combs became an intern at New Yorks Uptown Records. While talent director at Uptown, he helped develop Jodeci and Mary J. Blige, in his college days Combs had a reputation for throwing parties, some of which attracted up to a thousand participants. In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser with Heavy D held at the City College of New York gymnasium, the event was oversold, and a stampede occurred in which nine people died. In 1993, after being fired from Uptown, Combs established his new label Bad Boy Entertainment as a joint venture with Arista Records, taking then-newcomer The Notorious B. I. G. with him. Both The Notorious B. I. G. and Craig Mack quickly released hit singles, followed by successful LPs, Combs signed more acts to Bad Boy, including Carl Thomas, Faith Evans,112, Total, and Father MC. The Hitmen, his production team, worked with Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, Aretha Franklin. Mase and The Lox joined Bad Boy just as a widely publicized rivalry with the West Coasts Death Row Records was beginning, Combs and The Notorious B. I. G. were criticized and parodied by Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s. During 1994–1995, Combs produced several songs for TLCs CrazySexyCool, which finished the decade as number 25 on Billboards list of top pop albums of the decade, in 1997, under the name Puff Daddy, Combs recorded his first commercial vocal work as a rapper. His debut single, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, spent 28 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and his debut album, No Way Out, was released on July 1,1997, through Bad Boy Records. Originally titled Hell up in Harlem, the album underwent several changes after The Notorious B. I. G. was killed on March 9,1997, several of the labels artists made guest appearances on the album. No Way Out was a significant success, particularly in the United States, four other singles, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, Its All About the Benjamins, Been Around the World, and Victory, were also released
17.
Sunset Park (soundtrack)
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Sunset Park is the soundtrack to the movie. High Til I Die – 2Pac Motherless Child – Ghostface Killah feat, raekwon Just Doggin – Tha Dogg Pound Back at You – Mobb Deep Are You Ready – Aaliyah Its Alright – Groove Theory Elements Im Among – Queen Latifah Keep on, Keepin On – MC Lyte feat. Xscape Hoop N Yo Face –69 Boyz feat, quad City DJs For the Funk – Adina Howard We Dont Need It – Junior M. A. F. I. A. All Uv It – Big Mike Thangz Changed – Onyx Shortys Game – Miles Goodman List of number-one R&B albums of 1996
18.
Missy Elliott
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Melissa Arnette Missy Elliott, often known professionally as Missy Misdemeanor Elliott, is an American rapper, dancer, and record producer. Following several collaborations and guest appearances, she launched her career in 1997 with her debut album Supa Dupa Fly. The album debuted at three on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for a female rapper at the time. Elliotts following album Da Real World, produced the singles Shes a Bitch, All n My Grill, with the release of Miss E. So Addictive, Under Construction, and This Is Not a Test, Elliott established an international career that yielded hits including Get Ur Freak On, One Minute Man,4 My People, Gossip Folks, and Work It. The latter won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, Elliott went on to win five Grammy Awards, melissa Arnette Elliott was born on July 1,1971, in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is the child of mother Patricia Elliott, a power-company dispatcher, and father Ronnie. Elliott grew up in a church choir family, and singing was a normal part of her youth. At the age of four in 1975, she wanted to be a performer, in later years, she feared no one would take her seriously, because she was always the class clown. While her father was an active Marine, the family lived in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Elliott blossomed during this part of her life. She enjoyed school for the friendships she formed though she had little interest in school work and she would later get well above average marks on intelligence tests, and she was advanced two years ahead of her former class. Her move in grades caused isolation, and she purposely failed, when her father returned from the Marines, they moved back to Virginia, where they lived in extreme poverty. Life in Virginia saw many hardships, Elliott tells of domestic abuse by her father. She refused to stay over at friends homes out of fear that, on her return home, when Elliott was eight, she was molested by a cousin. In one violent incident, Ronnie Elliott dislocated his wifes shoulders and, during another, at fourteen, Elliotts mother decided to end the situation, she fled with her daughter under the guise of taking a joyride on a local bus. In reality, the pair had found refuge at a members home where their possessions were stored in a loaded U-Haul truck. Elliott tells that she feared her father would kill them both for leaving and she later stated, When we left, my mother realized how strong she was on her own, and it made me strong. It took her leaving to realize, Elliott graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 1990
19.
Seven & Seven
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Seven & Seven is the sixth album released by MC Lyte. It was released on August 18,1998, by East West Records and was produced by Milk Dee, Missy Elliott, The Neptunes, LL Cool J, Marc Kinchen, Dynamic Duo, Poke & Tone, L. E. S. Ron Amen-Ra Lawrence, DJ Peter Panic, MC Lyte and Nat Robinson, Seven & Seven was a critical and commercial failure and only reached #71 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with no charting singles. The first single released from the album was the Neptunes produced single I Cant Make a Mistake, another Neptunes production Its All Yours was released as a promotional single. Express The Choice Is Yours by Black Sheep Propa, by Michael Jackson Stop, Look, Listen by MC Lyte
20.
Jamie Foxx
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Eric Marlon Bishop, known professionally by his stage name Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer, songwriter, record producer and comedian. The same year, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the crime film Collateral, eric Marlon Bishop was born in Terrell, Texas on December 13,1967. He is the son of Darrell Bishop, who worked as a stockbroker. Shortly after his birth, Foxx was adopted and raised by his mothers parents, Esther Marie, a domestic worker and nursery operator, and Mark Talley. He has had contact with his birth parents, who were not part of his upbringing. Foxx was raised in the quarter of Terrell, which at the time was a racially segregated community. He has often acknowledged his grandmothers influence in his life as one of the greatest reasons for his success, Foxx began playing the piano when he was five years old. He had a strict Baptist upbringing, and as a teenager he was a part-time pianist and choir leader in Terrells New Hope Baptist Church. His natural talent for telling jokes was already in evidence as a third grader, Foxx attended Terrell High School, where he received top grades and played basketball and football. His ambition was to play for the Dallas Cowboys, and he was the first player in the history to pass for more than 1,000 yards. He also sang in a band called Leather and Lace, after completing high school, Foxx received a scholarship to United States International University, where he studied classical music and composition. Foxx first told jokes at a comedy clubs open mic night in 1989, when he found that female comedians were often called first to perform, he changed his name to Jamie Foxx, feeling that it was a name ambiguous enough to disallow any biases. He chose his surname as a tribute to the black comedian Redd Foxx, Foxx joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991, where his recurrent character Wanda also shared a name with Redds friend and co-worker, LaWanda Page. Following a recurring role in the comedy-drama sitcom Roc, Foxx went on to star in his own sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, Foxx made his film debut in the 1992 comedy Toys. His first dramatic role came in Oliver Stones 1999 film Any Given Sunday, in 1994, Foxx released an album entitled Peep This, which was not successful due to low album sales. In 2003, Foxx made a cameo in Benzinos music video for Would You, which features LisaRaye McCoy and Mario Winans. In 2003, Foxx featured on the rapper Twistas song, Slow Jamz, together with Kanye West, in 2005, Foxx featured on the single Georgia by Atlanta rappers Ludacris and Field Mob, which sampled Ray Charles hit Georgia on My Mind. Foxx would also portray Ray Charles in the biographical film Ray, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Foxx is the second male in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different movies, Collateral and Ray
21.
NBA Live 2005
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NBA Live 2005 is the 2004 installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Carmelo Anthony as a member of the Denver Nuggets, the game was developed by EA Sports and released in 2004 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, and Windows. This mode allows the player to become an offensive force with new style dunks, user controlled tip-ins. This mode allows the player to play in the NBA All-Star Weekend, year-after-year. NBA All-Star Weekend includes the Rookie vs Sophomore game, the NBA All-Star game, the Slam Dunk competition, in this mode, gamers can create their own player and can customize the looks, shoes, and the college attended of the fictitious created player. The game received favorable reviews on all platforms according to game review aggregator Metacritic. In Japan, Famitsu gave the PlayStation 2 version a score of 32 out of 40, ESPN NBA 2K5 NBA Live 2005 at MobyGames
22.
EA Sports
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EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. The best selling EA Sports series is the FIFA series with over 100 million units sold, the main rival to EA Sports is 2K Sports. Notably, both compete over the realm of NBA games. EA Sports inherits its motto Its in the game from the parent company and it was voiced by journalist Andrew Anthony. Madden NFL08 also had Xbox and Nintendo GameCube releases in 2007, additionally, NASCAR Thunder 2003 and NASCAR Thunder 2004 were released not only for the PlayStation 2, but for the original PlayStation as well. EA Sports brand name is used to sponsor English Football League One team Swindon Town F. C. from the 2009–10 season onwards, most EA Sports games are distinguished by year, as most games are released on a yearly basis. In 2002, EA purchased the license to NASCAR for six years, ending competition from Papyrus, on December 13,2004, EA Sports signed an exclusive deal with the National Football League and its Players Union for five years. On February 12,2008, EA Sports announced the extension of its exclusive deal until the 2012 NFL season, less than a month after the NFL Exclusive deal, EA Sports signed a four-year exclusive deal with the Arena Football League. On April 11,2005, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, EA lost the rights for Major League Baseball games to 2K Sports in 2005, ending EAs MVP series, however, EA made NCAA Baseball games in 2006 and 2007 after losing the MLB license. In January 2008, EA Sports decided not to renew their NCAA College Baseball license while they evaluate the status of their MVP game engine. In 2005, EA Sports and ESPN signed a massive 15-year deal for ESPN to be integrated into EA Sports video games from 2K Sports, EAs use of the ESPN license has steadily increased over the early life of the deal. EAs early usage of the ESPN license began with ESPN Radio and a sports ticker in titles like Madden NFL, NBA Live, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, the ESPN integration now includes streaming podcasts, text articles, and ESPN Motion video. In 2012, EA signs a multi-year, multi-product partnership with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking over from THQ. In June 2009, EA Sports announced that for 2010, the games Madden NFL, NCAA Football, NASCAR, NHL, NBA Live, the NHL series last PC game was NHL09. Likewise, NBA Live 08 was the final PC version for NBA Live, EA Sports released FIFA World as a free-to-play massively multi-player game which is exclusive to the PC on the 12th November 2013. The company noted that the FIFA and FIFA Manager series would still be released for the PC platform, on April 23,2009, EA Sports released the long-awaited EA Sports Complex space for the PlayStation 3s online community-based service, PlayStation Home in the European and North American versions. In the Complex, users can play a series of mini-games, including poker, kart racing, golf, there are also a number of advertisements for upcoming EA Sports games. Each mini-game that the Complex features has a reward or rewards, heavy Water, a company dedicated to developing for Home, developed the EA Sports Complex for EA Sports
23.
Richard Wolf
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Richard Wolfie Wolf is a multi-platinum-selling music producer, songwriter and remixer, and an Emmy Award winning film and television composer. Wolf got his start writing songs for his band and various artists before working for Warner/Chappell Music as staff songwriter, soon after, he wrote and produced music for several feature films. In 1989 he teamed up with Brett Epic Mazur to form the production team Wolf & Epic, Wolf & Epic were among the first record makers to break down the barriers between R&B, Hip-hop & Pop at the beginning of the 1990s. During this time, Wolf worked on projects for artists such as MC Lyte, Prince, Seal, New Kids on the Block, Nona Gaye, Coolio, New Edition, Sheena Easton, Laquan and Bell Biv Devoe. Bell Biv Devoes début album Poison and remix album WBBD-Bootcity both featured Wolfs production, and were certified triple Platinum and Gold respectively. Acid Jazz was another new fusion of styles which Wolf & Epic helped pioneer with their work on the first Acid Jazz compilation The Rebirth of the Cool Vol.1. In the twenty-first century Wolfs focus turned back to producing and composing for visual media and his score for the Warner Bros. His work continues to appear in film and television, including NCIS and NCIS, Los Angeles. Wolf is also one of the busiest composers in the arena of music for Televised sports. He also currently works with a diversity of charities and is a member of the I Have A Dream Foundation. Wolf, a Manhattan native, signed his first record deal, with Quinn Ivy Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and it was at those sessions that he met Muscle Shoals guitar player Wayne Perkins, with whom he later co-wrote songs for the funky Southern rock band Crimson Tide. The group released two albums for Capitol Records in 1978 and 1979, which enjoyed limited success, Wolf then signed as a staff songwriter with Warner/Chappell Music. While there, he worked on film and television projects. Wolfs vision was to live the type of funk and R&B that was commonly sampled by hip hop producers and then overlay scratching. Wolf played guitar and keyboards, Mazur played drums and deejayed, Mazur praised his older counterpart as having the knack to come up with that undeniable hook. Even if its just a part, he goes beyond just a chorus. The two musicians used the gap to their advantage and were able to span several genres and styles in their acclaimed productions. Wolf & Epics first project together was with Laquan on his album Notes of a Native Son and this record was one of the first to combine a live band with hip hop scratching, sampling, and rapping
24.
Common (rapper)
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Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. better known by his stage name Common, is an American rapper, actor, film producer and poet from Chicago, Illinois. Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar, and maintained a significant underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. Commons first major-label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received critical acclaim. His first Grammy Award was in 2003, winning Best R&B Song for Love of My Life and its popularity was matched by May 2005s Be, which was nominated for Best Rap Album, at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for Southside and his best-of album, Thisisme Then, The Best of Common, was released on November 27,2007. He also narrated the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, about one mans efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture and he starred as Elam Ferguson on the AMC western television series Hell on Wheels. Common was born on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois and he was raised in the Calumet Heights neighborhood. He is the son of educator Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines and they divorced when he was six years old, resulting in his fathers moving to Denver, Colorado. This left Common to be raised by his mother, but his father remained active in his life, while a student at Luther High School South in Chicago, Lynn with his friends, record producer and Corey Crawley formed C. D. R. A rap trio that opened for acts that included N. W. A, Common attended Florida A&M University for two years under a scholarship and majored in business administration. After being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source magazine, Lynn debuted in 1992 with the single Take It EZ, with the 1994 release of Resurrection, Common achieved a much larger degree of critical acclaim, which extended beyond Chicago natives. The album sold well and received a strong positive reaction among alternative. Resurrection was Commons last album produced almost entirely by his production partner. In 1996, Common appeared on the Red Hot Organizations compilation CD, America Is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, the CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as a masterpiece by The Source magazine. He would later contribute to the Red Hot Organizations Fela Kuti tribute album. He collaborated with Djelimady Tounkara on a remake of Kutis track, Years of Tears, the song I Used to Love H. E. R. from Resurrection ignited a feud with West Coast rap group Westside Connection. The lyrics of the song criticized the hip hop music was taking and was interpreted by some as directing blame towards the popularity of West Coast Gangsta rap. Westside Connection first responded with the 1995 song Westside Slaughterhouse, with the lyrics Used to love H. E. R, Westside Connection recorded tracks venting their issues with rival East Coast rappers
25.
Billboard Twitter Real-Time
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The Billboard Twitter Real-Time charts are four interactive Billboard music magazine charts first published on May 27,2014. The chart ranks trending songs from popular and emerging artists based on how often they are mentioned in tweets sent by Twitter in the United States. S, the first two charts update on a real-time minute-by-minute basis, with the last two charts providing weekly summaries. These charts, for Billboard, represented an attempt to incorporate new-music consumption. In 2013, Billboard added YouTube plays to its Billboard Hot 100 formula, alongside its Social 50 that already tracked which artists are most active on social networks, and included data from Twitter. The app had a Popular page, showing music trending across Twitter, music is one of the most popular topics on Twitter, and pop stars routinely dominate its list of the most popular personalities on the service, with most of the top accounts being musicians. The Trending 140 chart is a ranking of the fastest moving songs shared on Twitter in the U. S. measured by acceleration over the past hour. Titles are ranked based on a formula comparing the number of times they are shared within the last hour to the average of shares over a rolling 24-hour period. The chart can also be filtered to present a view of the most shared tracks in the U. S. on Twitter over the past 24 hours. The weekly ranking chart, Weekly Top Tracks is listed by the volume of shares over a seven-day period. The Emerging Artists chart is a ranking of the most shared songs on Twitter in the U. S. by up-and-coming artists, the weekly ranking chart, Weekly Emerging Artists, is, also, ranked over a seven-day period. ”
26.
MTV Unplugged
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MTV Unplugged is an American television series showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades, MTV launched MTV Unplugged in 1989. The show featured musicians performing unplugged versions of their electric repertoire, many of these performances were subsequently released as albums, often featuring the title Unplugged. The direct inspiration for the series came in the immediately preceding the creation of the MTV program. The catalyst was a series of highly publicized unplugged performances that occurred in the late 1970s, the performances were widely seen and heard on the 1980 live album and the UK-only movie of the benefit and inspired other rock performers to emulate Townshend. The 1982 live album of performances and the US version of The Secret Policemans Other Ball movie both became very successful and were widely seen and heard in the USA. The phenomenon of rock stars re-creating their hits in a manner was thus well established by the early 1980s though the word unplugged had not yet been applied to the concept. In addition, the late 1980s saw a renewed interest in folk, many new acts established during the period had a strong folk/acoustic influence, e. g. Sinéad OConnor, Suzanne Vega, Lyle Lovett, Michael Penn, Enya, and Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The first rock artist to perform in a mode on MTV was Jethro Tull. XTC performed acoustically in May 1989, and Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora performed Livin on a Prayer, the pilot and first seven episodes were produced by Bruce Leddy, after which Associate Producer Alex Coletti took over for the remainder of the series. After the first 13 episodes, the role of host was eliminated, the show was produced by Viacom and RSE Inc and was most frequently directed by Milton Lage and Beth McCarthy. The series first aired November 26,1989, featuring Squeeze, Syd Straw, the first 13 episodes were hosted by American singer-songwriter Jules Shear and featured Aerosmith, Elton John, Sinéad OConnor, Poison and Stevie Ray Vaughan among others. Paul McCartneys 1991 appearance was released on the Unplugged album. Show producer Alex Coletti went on to say that had McCartney not released it, joe Walsh appeared on the show in 1990 with Dr. John. MTV invited Henley to perform on the show, but Henley wanted to have a show featuring only himself, at that point, MTV was sharing the time between different artists. On April 10,1991, Unplugged aired its first ever acoustic rap show, the special kicked off with individual performances by LL Cool J along with MC Lyte, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest and a five piece back-up band, Pops Cool Love. The highlight of the show was LL Cool Js energetic renditions of Jingling Baby, in 1992, Mariah Carey performed a cover version of The Jackson 5s hit Ill Be There along with backup singer Trey Lorenz
27.
In Living Color
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In Living Color is an American sketch comedy television series that originally ran on Fox from April 15,1990, to May 19,1994. Brothers Keenen and Damon Wayans created, wrote and starred in the program, the show was produced by Ivory Way Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television and was taped at stage 7 at the Fox Television Center on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The title of the series was inspired by the NBC announcement of broadcasts being presented in living color during the 1960s, prior to mainstream color television. It also refers to the fact that most of the shows cast were black, other members of the Wayans family—Kim, Shawn, and Marlon—had regular roles, while brother Dwayne frequently appeared as an extra. The show also starred the rising stand-up comic/actor Jim Carrey alongside previously unknown actor/comedians Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, and TKeyah Crystal Keymáh. The show launched the careers of Carrey, Foxx, Davidson, Grier, Keymáh, Inaba, the series won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series in 1990. Following Keenen Ivory Wayans success with Hollywood Shuffle and Im Gonna Git You Sucka, Wayans wanted to produce a variety show similar to Saturday Night Live, but with a cast of people of color that took chances with its content. Fox gave Wayans a lot of freedom with the show, although Fox executives were a bit concerned about the content prior to its television debut. In announcing its debut, Fox described In Living Color as a comedy variety show. In its preview, the Christian Science Monitor warned that its raw tone may offend some, Keenen Ivory Wayans said, I wanted to do a show that reflects different points of view. Weve added an Asian and a Hispanic minority to the show, were trying in some way to represent all the voices. Minority talent is not in the system and you have to go outside and we found Crystal doing her act in the lobby of a theater in Chicago. We went beyond the Comedy Stores and Improvs, which are not showcase places for minorities, the first episode aired on Sunday, April 15,1990, following an episode of Married. The first episode was watched by 22.7 million people, the Miami Herald said the show was as smart and saucy as it is self-aware and audacious and frequently tasteless, but terrific fun. The Philadelphia Inquirer called it the fastest, funniest half-hour in a long time, the Seattle Times said it had the free-wheeling, pointed sense of humor that connects with a large slice of todays audience. The Columbus Dispatch described it as a marvelously inventive show that has catapulted television back to the cutting edge, the series strove to produce comedy with a strong emphasis on modern black subject matter. It became renowned for parody, especially of race relations in the United States, for instance, Carrey was frequently used to ridicule white musicians such as Snow and Vanilla Ice, who performed in genres more commonly associated with black people. The Wayans themselves often played exaggerated black ghetto stereotypes for humor, a sketch parodying Soul Train mocked the show as Old Train, suggesting the show was out of touch and only appealed to the elderly and the dead
28.
Moesha
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Moesha was an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23,1996, to May 14,2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Denise Mitchell and it was originally ordered as a pilot for CBSs 1995–1996 television season but was rejected by the network. It was then picked up by UPN, who aired it as a mid-season replacement and it went on to become the biggest success for the nascent network and one of the greatest hits over the course of the networks entire run. The show focuses on the life of a middle class African-American family through the eyes of a girl named Moesha. Her father Frank, a widower and Saturn car salesman, has married Dee, the series was created by Ralph Farquhar, along with the writing team of Sara V. The settings for the show include the Mitchell household and the teen hangout, the sitcom was portrayed to take place in the affluent Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The show dealt with teen social issues such as teen pregnancy, drug use, race relations, premarital sex, the death of a parent. The shocking news of Franks infidelity during his first marriage turned the family upside-down and resulted in Dorians rebellion, Moesha Mitchell —Like many teens, Moesha is trying to find her place in life. At every turn, Moesha, along with her friends and family, experiences new challenges and hilarious situations associated with the pressures, Moesha is headstrong, independent, and at times stubborn, but stands up for what she believes is right. Franklin Frank Mitchell —A Saturn dealer and father to Moesha and Myles, originally believed to be Dorians uncle, he is later revealed to be the young mans father. Deidra Dee Mitchell —A high-school principal attempting to balance her career with two additional ones as wife to Frank and stepmother to Moesha and Myles. Kimberly Kim Parker —Moeshas boy-crazy best friend who has a crush on Hakeem, Myles Mitchell —Moeshas pesky younger brother. During the beginning of the series he was mostly for playing practical jokes on his sister and her friends. Hakeem Campbell — A frequent visitor to the Mitchell household, he is Moesha’s lifelong friend and neighbor, in the spinoff The Parkers, it was revealed that he and Moesha were no longer in a relationship. He dated Kims best friend Stevie Van Lowe, Andell Wilkerson —Moeshas older friend and owner of the neighborhood hangout The Den. Andell is featured on the spin-off show The Parkers, where she owns a self-named restaurant, Denise Niecy Jackson —Moeshas best friend and later her roommate. Quinton Q Brooks —Moeshas longest-running love interest and this is a Manufacture-on-Demand release, available exclusively through Amazon. com. Given her popularity for four seasons on Moesha, Countess Vaughn left the show in 1999 for her own show, The Parkers and it centered on the adventures of Kim attending community college with her mother, played by comedian MoNique
29.
Cousin Skeeter
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Cousin Skeeter is an American childrens comedy television show, which ran on Nickelodeon from 1998 to 2001. It starred Robert Richard as Bobby, a boy whose life changed when his strange cousin Skeeter came to live with his family. With Skeeters help, Bobby learns life lessons and tackles the ups, the show also included Meagan Good as Bobbys friend Nina, Rondell Sheridan as Bobbys father Andre, and Angela Means as Bobbys mother Vanessa. Skeeter is portrayed by a puppet with Bill Bellamy providing his voice. Within the show, Skeeter is treated like a regular human, although the series was shot in a single-camera format, the show used a laugh track. The shows theme song is a version of 702s 1996 hit Steelo. Skeeter - Skeeter is a puppet whose life changed when he moved from Atlanta and he is a loudmouthed, impulsive, and reckless ladies man, who spends each episode getting Bobby into trouble. Skeeter is also friends with notable celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte. He does not anger easily, unless someone remarks on his extreme shortness, the fact that he is a puppet is never acknowledged on the show. Bobby Walker - Originally from Inglewood, California, Bobby is smart, often the victim of his cousins mischief, Bobby often gets mad at Skeeter, but Bobby likes him nonetheless. André Walker - Bobbys dad who is a record producer, Nina Jones - Nina is Bobbys best friend. She and Bobby seem to have a crush on each other and she is a fast talker and Nicoles best friend. Vanessa Walker - Bobbys mom, a lawyer, is annoyed by Skeeter just like Bobby is. She and Andre cant wait for the boys to go to college, Nicole - A female puppet character, Nicole has more class and manners than Skeeter. She first appeared as a new student in the second television movie. Nicole quickly became friends with Nina and they are like sisters and she is depicted as tough, once wanting to join the high school football team, and threatening to hurt the school bully if he hurt Skeeter. Duke - Bobbys pal Duke appeared in the first and second seasons of the series, Geoff - One of Bobbys friends from school, Geoff always seems to be a bad role model for the boys. com Cousin Skeeter at the Internet Movie Database
30.
New York Undercover
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New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. New York Undercover is notable for being the first police drama on American television to feature two people of color in the starring roles, in addition to the main storylines in each episode, subplots explored the private lives of the shows characters. At the beginning of the season, a new detective. In the third-season finale in May 1997, Torres and Moreno are married, however, in that same episode, Torres and McNamara are both killed by a gang of bank robbers. New York Undercover returned with a new cast for its fourth, Williams and Moreno were assigned to a new unit, resulting in DArbanville-Quinn being dropped from the cast. Joining the detectives were Lt. Malcolm Barker, Det. Nell Delaney, the new unit eventually captured the last bank robber responsible for the deaths of Torres and McNamara. Julius Clarence J. C. Williams – J. C. is an African-American detective at the Fourth Precinct and he has a son, Gregory, whom he fathered as a teenager with then-girlfriend Chantal Tierney. His partner Eddie Torres is his closest friend, J. C. is the only character to appear in all 89 episodes. Eduardo Eddie Torres – Born in the Bronx, Eddie is a Puerto Rican-American detective and his partner J. C. Williams is his closest friend. Eddie was killed in the line of duty after his car was bombed, patti DArbanville-Quinn as Lt. Virginia Cooper – Virginia is the shows commanding officer during the first three seasons. She is married and had four children, one of whom died at the age of eight and she is the commanding officer of the detective squad at the NYPDs Fourth Precinct. Nina Moreno-Torres – Nina is a Puerto Rican-American, at the age of 16, she married her boyfriend Luis and gave birth to a daughter, Melissa. She gave the girl up for adoption after Luis abandoned her and she later dated and married Eddie Torres. Her mother is a sergeant with the NYPD, Tommy McNamara – Tommy is an Irish-Italian American detecive. His father was an officer who was killed in the line of duty. Prior to his transfer to the Fourth Precinct, he had little interaction with New Yorks African-American. Tommy is also killed after being shot to death by Nadine Jordan, marisa Ryan as Det. Nell Delaney – Nell is a young officer introduced in the fourth season. She lied about her age upon entering the academy
31.
My Wife and Kids
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My Wife and Kids is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28,2001, until May 17,2005. As he teaches his three children some of lifes lessons, he does so with his own brand of humor, Wayans and veteran television writer/producer Don Reo co-created and executive produced the series. Unusual for a sitcom, there were no episodes focused around a major holiday, there also is no proper opening theme song, although the series did have two closing themes throughout its run. Michael desperately wants to have sex with his wife, but Jay fears that having sex would bring about another pregnancy, although he has second thoughts about the procedure, his need to have sex with Jay overcomes his fears. Meanwhile, Tony asks Claire to make him a hat so that he can attract the attention of God, in order to avoid having the operation, Michael lies about having had a vasectomy, but Jay is infuriated when she finds out. Ultimately, Michael decides he will have the vasectomy done for real, at the very end of the episode he tells Jay and she reveals that shes already pregnant. Michael Richard Kyle, Sr. – Michael is a father of three children and the patriarch of the family and he often exhibits a very interesting sense of humor, and occasionally does impressions of famous people such as Bill Cosby and Don King. He also shows some impatience with not getting to a place on time. A running gag in the third and fourth seasons involved Michael saying, Eh, nuh, in a voice as a catchphrase, sometimes used by other characters. Many jokes poking fun at Michaels baldness were also made during the shows run, Michael is often harsh on Junior as he tries to prepare him for adulthood, showing little to no respect for him, and often mocks him. Despite this, Michael is always there to support Junior when he needs him, Janet Marie Jay Johnson-Kyle – Janet, usually referred to by her nickname Jay, is the mother of three children. During the series, Jays maiden name is contradicted as in the two episode Make Over, in which a frumpy-feeling Jay gets a new look, Campbell did not appear in 2 episodes due to her pregnancy. She returned in the episode Thru Thick and Thin and seemed to have brought back some weight much to avoid Michael and her maiden name is said to be Thomas. In the pilot, Jay gets a job at a brokerage firm, much to Michaels chagrin. In the fourth and fifth seasons, a running gag featured Jay often uttering a devilish laugh when she has a plan or when she thinks something is funny. When the other Kyles witness her laughing at something thats not funny. One of his greatest ambitions in the seasons was to lose his virginity. Juniors physical, personal and mental gaffes/traits served an reoccurring jokes in the show, from season two on, the size of Juniors head becomes the subject of laughter for the family and the viewing audience
