1.
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
2.
United States dollar
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The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States and its insular territories per the United States Constitution. It is divided into 100 smaller cent units, the circulating paper money consists of Federal Reserve Notes that are denominated in United States dollars. The U. S. dollar was originally commodity money of silver as enacted by the Coinage Act of 1792 which determined the dollar to be 371 4/16 grain pure or 416 grain standard silver, the currency most used in international transactions, it is the worlds primary reserve currency. Several countries use it as their currency, and in many others it is the de facto currency. Besides the United States, it is used as the sole currency in two British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. A few countries use the Federal Reserve Notes for paper money, while the country mints its own coins, or also accepts U. S. coins that can be used as payment in U. S. dollars. After Nixon shock of 1971, USD became fiat currency, Article I, Section 8 of the U. S. Constitution provides that the Congress has the power To coin money, laws implementing this power are currently codified at 31 U. S. C. Section 5112 prescribes the forms in which the United States dollars should be issued and these coins are both designated in Section 5112 as legal tender in payment of debts. The Sacagawea dollar is one example of the copper alloy dollar, the pure silver dollar is known as the American Silver Eagle. Section 5112 also provides for the minting and issuance of other coins and these other coins are more fully described in Coins of the United States dollar. The Constitution provides that a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and that provision of the Constitution is made specific by Section 331 of Title 31 of the United States Code. The sums of money reported in the Statements are currently being expressed in U. S. dollars, the U. S. dollar may therefore be described as the unit of account of the United States. The word dollar is one of the words in the first paragraph of Section 9 of Article I of the Constitution, there, dollars is a reference to the Spanish milled dollar, a coin that had a monetary value of 8 Spanish units of currency, or reales. In 1792 the U. S. Congress passed a Coinage Act, Section 20 of the act provided, That the money of account of the United States shall be expressed in dollars, or units. And that all accounts in the offices and all proceedings in the courts of the United States shall be kept and had in conformity to this regulation. In other words, this act designated the United States dollar as the unit of currency of the United States, unlike the Spanish milled dollar the U. S. dollar is based upon a decimal system of values. Both one-dollar coins and notes are produced today, although the form is significantly more common
3.
Revolt (TV network)
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Revolt is an American music-oriented digital cable television network that is founded by Sean Diddy Combs. It launched on October 21,2013, as part of its arrangement to acquire a minority interest in NBCUniversal, Comcast Corporation committed to carry several minority-owned networks. The arrangement followed pressure led by Maxine Waters in congressional hearings, in April 2011, Comcast solicited proposals for minority owned networks. In February 2012, Comcast announced distribution arrangements for four networks, the four announced networks and six forthcoming stations are being chosen from among in excess of 100 proposals to begin airing by 2020. The network intends to deliver music videos, live performances, news and interviews, in a statement, Combs described the network as the first channel created entirely from the ground up in this new era of social media. He also stated Were building this platform for artists to reach a number of people in a completely different way. Revolt will be live, like all great moments in television history, Combs YouTube announcement of the network presented plans to create a network for the artists by the artists, Its your channel to do what you want to do, how you want to do it. He further stated his intention for artists to show your art the way you want to show your art -- uncut, raw, uncensored -- not destined by the charts, the network is to be influenced by the dynamic interests of social networking websites. Combs intended level of visibility on the network is unclear, Combs will partner with MTV veteran Andy Schuon. Comcast has committed to carrying the network on some of its cable systems, the network is to air on the digital basic service in some of Comcasts systems. Time Warner Cable is also considering carrying the network on its systems, direcTV added it on December 24,2015. Charter will add the network as part of its merger with Time Warner Cable, Revolt Films is a separate entity from Revolt TV, using the same name for brand association. It specializes in developing, producing, and financing films and original television content and its first full-length feature film was Lawless
4.
P. Diddy's Starmaker
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P. Diddys Starmaker is an American reality television singing competition show that aired for one season on MTV in 2009. Kimberly Caldwell was the host, with P. Diddy, Rodney Jerkins, Tamara Conniff, todd Sarvies - I Write Sins Not Tragedies by Panic. The contestant was one of the top performances of the night, the contestant did not perform that night. The contestant was in the bottom two, guest Photographer Kevin Ou Official Website StarMaker at the Internet Movie Database
5.
Cassie Ventura
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Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, known mononymously as Cassie, is an American recording artist, dancer, actress and model. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her career as a result of meeting record producer Ryan Leslie in late 2002, who later signed her to NextSelection Lifestyle Group. During this time, Diddy heard Me & U in a club, on April 11,2013 Cassie released her debut mixtape RockaByeBaby, which was promoted with the release of Numb featuring Rick Ross and Paradise featuring Wiz Khalifa. Apart from music, Cassie is signed to modeling agency Wilhelmina Models, Cassie is known for being a style icon due to her edgy style and feminine and sophisticated fashion. Cassie is also known for setting the trend among women of shaving their hair, Cassie cites Kate Moss as her style influence. Cassie has also ventured into acting, she made her debut in Step Up 2. Cassie Ventura was born in 1986 in New London, Connecticut, the daughter of a Filipino father and she attended the Williams School, a preparatory school, located on the Connecticut College campus. At age 14 Cassie began modeling, and when she was sixteen, she was modeling for department stores, Delias fashion catalog. Cassie also briefly appeared in R&B singer Marios Just a Friend 2002 music video, encouraged by producer Rockwilder, Cassie took vocal lessons as well as using her schools performing arts program, taking modern ballet. Cassie finished high school in 2004, instead of going to college like her peers she moved to New York City, whilst Cassie was in New York, she began booking print and commercial modeling gigs and being represented by Wilhelmina Models. Ryan Leslie spotted Cassie at clubs and parties in late 2002 frequently, the two wrote a duet called Kiss Me, and after recording the track, Leslie played the song for music executive Tommy Mottola. Mottola offered Cassie a management deal, and Leslie signed her to NextSelection Lifestyle Group, Leslie wrote and produced Cassies first single, Me & U, in 2005. The song became a hit in Germany. During this time, Diddy heard Me & U in a club, Ryan Leslie produced most of the album, which is a mix of R&B/hip hop/pop. She paid tribute to her Filipino culture by incorporating OPM sounds into some of the ballads, the album, Cassie, was released on August 8,2006 and sold 321,000 copies in the United States. The albums lead single Me & U peaked at three on the Billboard Hot 100, selling more than 1 million digital downloads. To promote her album, Cassie performed on Total Request Live and 106 & Park and her performances were described as rocky and less-than-stellar, but Diddy said that it was due to her inexperience. He said that he would be with her through her development, Cassie addressed the events on her MySpace page, saying that she is aware that her performances were pretty bad, and that she was still getting over stage fright
6.
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
7.
Contemporary R&B
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Contemporary R&B, also known as simply R&B, is a music genre that combines elements of rhythm and blues, soul, funk, pop, hip hop and dance. The genre features a record production style, drum machine-backed rhythms, an occasional saxophone-laced beat to give a jazz feel. Electronic influences are becoming a trend and the use of hip hop or dance-inspired beats are typical, although the roughness. Contemporary R&B vocalists are often known for their use of melisma, popularized by such as Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, Craig David, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston. That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences and this combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed new jack swing and was applied to artists such as Bobby Brown, Keith Sweat, Al B. Guy, Jodeci and Bell Biv DeVoe, the style became less popular by the end of the 1990s, but later experienced a resurgence. In 1990 Mariah Carey released Vision of Love as her debut single and it was immensely popular peaking at number 1 in many worldwide charts including the Billboard Hot 100, and it propelled Mariahs carrier. The song is said to have popularized the use of melisma. During the mid-1990s, Whitney Houstons The Bodyguard, Original Soundtrack Album sold over 40 million copies becoming the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Janet Jacksons self-titled fifth studio album janet. which came after her historic multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records, sold over twenty million copies worldwide. Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 No.1 hits, including One Sweet Day, Carey also released a remix of her 1995 single Fantasy, with Ol Dirty Bastard as a feature, a collaboration format that was unheard of at this point. Carey, Boyz II Men and TLC released albums in 1994 and 1995—Daydream, II and CrazySexyCool. In the late 1990s, neo soul, which added 1970s soul influences to the hip hop soul blend, arose, led by such as DAngelo, Erykah Badu. Hill and Missy Elliott further blurred the line between R&B and hip hop by recording both styles, beginning in 1995, the Grammy Awards enacted the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, with II by Boyz II Men becoming the first recipient. The award was received by TLC for CrazySexyCool in 1996, Tony Rich for Words in 1997, Erykah Badu for Baduizm in 1998. At the end of 1999, Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the first, simultaneously, in the second half of the 1990s, The Neptunes and Timbaland set influential precedence on contemporary R&B and hip hop music. R&B acts such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Usher, in 2001, Alicia Keys released Fallin as her debut single. It peaking at one on the Billboard Hot 100, Mainstream Top 40
8.
Bad Boy Records
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Bad Boy Entertainment is an American record label founded in 1993 by Sean Combs. Today, it operates as an imprint of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, after his climb from a non-paying internship to becoming an A&R executive at Uptown Records, Sean Puff Daddy Combs was fired in 1993 by Andre Harrell. Combs soon founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, the label’s first release was Flava In Ya Ear by Craig Mack, followed quickly by Macks debut album, Project, Funk Da World in 1994. On the heels of these releases came Juicy and Ready to Die, while Macks album went gold, Ready to Die achieved multi-platinum success. Dominating the charts in 1995, B. I. G. became one of the genre’s biggest names of the day, also in 1995, the label continued its success with platinum releases by Total and Faith Evans. The rapid success of Notorious B. I. G. and Bad Boy as a company, raised some tensions, for two years leading up to 1995, West Coast hip hop, dominated by Death Row, had been preeminent in mainstream rap music. Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records, held Combs responsible for the death of his friend Jake Robles. After the June 1996 release of Hit Em Up, smearing Bad Boy, Tupac was shot in Las Vegas on September 7,1996 soon after attending the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. Tupac was pronounced dead on September 13, Bad Boy Records issued a statement of condolences. On March 9,1997, while Bad Boy were preparing the release of Biggies double album Life After Death, he was shot, the deaths of Biggie and Tupac left many to speculate if the coastal hostility had been responsible for their murders. The police investigations were criticized by public and judicial sources, posthumously, Biggie’s Life After Death reached number one on the Billboard Top 200. Its first two singles, Hypnotize and Mo Money, Mo Problems also topped the singles charts, the album eventually sold over 10 million copies in the United States alone, and is one of the highest selling rap albums ever in the U. S. In 1996, Puff Daddy had begun recording his own debut album. The first single, Cant Nobody Hold Me Down, peaked at one on the rap, R&B. In response to Biggie’s death, the label rush-released a Puff Daddy tribute song, Ill Be Missing You, which featured Biggies widow, Faith Evans, and Bad Boys R&B singing group 112. The single topped the charts for weeks and became the hasty second single from Combs’ album, No Way Out. Mase, Combs’ newest protégé, in the meantime was immediately thrust into the void that Biggie left and his own debut album, Harlem World, also released the same year, would go 4x platinum. Due to the successes of Life After Death, No Way Out and Harlem World, by the end of 1997, Bad Boy as a label
9.
Epic Records
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Epic Records is an American record company owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, Inc. Epic was founded predominantly as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 and it later expanded its scope to include a more diverse range of musical genres, including pop, R&B, rock and hip hop. Historically, the label has housed popular acts such as Boston, ABBA, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Dave Clark Five, Gloria Estefan, Pearl Jam, Shakira, Anastacia, and Sly & the Family Stone. Along with Columbia and RCA Records, Epic is one of Sony Music Entertainments three main record labels, L. A. Reid has served as chairman and CEO of Epic since July 2011. Sylvia Rhone was appointed president in March 2014, Epic Records was launched in 1953 by Columbia Records for the purpose of marketing jazz, pop and classical music that did not fit the theme of its more mainstream Columbia Records label. Initial classical music releases were from Philips Records which distributed Columbia product in Europe, pop talent on co-owned Okeh Records were transferred to Epic which made Okeh a rhythm and blues label. Epics bright-yellow, black, and blue became a familiar trademark for many jazz. By 1960, the musical base had been expanded to include all genres. This was done in part to prevent the roster of Columbia Records from being overstuffed with newer artists, subsequently, Epic became better known for its signing of newer, fledgling acts. By the end of the 1960s, Epic earned its first gold records and had evolved into a formidable hit-making force in rock and roll, R&B and country music. Among its many acts, it included Roy Hamilton, Bobby Vinton, The Dave Clark Five, The Hollies, Tammy Wynette, Donovan, The Yardbirds, Lulu, July, Helen Shapiro and Jeff Beck. Also during the 1960s, Epic oversaw the smaller subsidiary CBS labels including Okeh Records, in 1968, Epic recordings began being distributed in the UK by CBS after the distribution deal with EMI expired that year, Epic itself launched in England around 1971. Epic was involved in a trade of artists. Graham Nash was signed to Epic because of his membership in The Hollies, when the newly formed Crosby, Stills & Nash wanted to sign with Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegün worked out a deal with Clive Davis whereby Richie Furays new band Poco would sign with Epic. Also contributing to the success was its distribution of Philadelphia International Records. Sony bought CBS Records in 1987, and the company was renamed Sony Music in 1991. In 2004, Sony merged with another powerhouse music distributor, BMG, bringing labels such as RCA, Arista, Columbia, Epic, Jive, in February 2009, singer and songwriter Amanda Ghost was appointed president of Epic Records. Later in the year, Sony BMG Music merged Epic and Columbias operations, Sony BMGs Legacy Recordings reissues the companys classic and catalog titles
10.
Uptown Records
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Uptown Records was an American record label, founded by Andre Harrell in 1986. It went on to one of the most popular hip-hop and R&B labels of the late 1980s. Featured on the roster were Guy, Heavy D & The Boyz, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, sure. and Soul for Real amongst others. Founded in 1986 by one half of rap duo, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, after securing distribution deal through MCA Records the compilation album, Uptown Is Kickin It was released. Among the artists featured on the album were Heavy D & The Boyz, by 1987, two debut albums by Heavy D and Al B. Would be successful for the young label, Heavy D & The Boyz Living Large would be certified Gold while Al B. Warner Bros distributed Uptown album In Effect Mode would have hit singles. In 1988, Guy featuring group member and producer Teddy Riley released their debut album and this album continued Uptowns hot streak as the album went number one and continued building upon the bubbling New jack swing sound created by Riley. Also in that year, Uptown released the Capitol-distributed album from the Gyrlz Love Me or Leave Me. Continued success followed the label with the release of Heavy D & The Boyz 1989 second album, Big Tyme, tragedy would struck as Heavy D & The Boyz member, Trouble T Roy died that summer due to an accidental fall while out on tour. The spiritual third Heavy D album, Peaceful Journey was dedicated in his honor, by 1990, Sean Puffy Combs had started interning at Uptown and started working with newly signed acts Jodeci, Father MC and Mary J. Blige who had many hit singles on the R&B charts. Around the same time, Harrell was producing the film Strictly Business, Uptown Records was subsequently renamed to Uptown Enterprises. Also in 1992, saw changes in the hip-hop and R&B musical landscape which was changing towards a harder edge sound due to the popularity of gangsta rap, in keeping in step with the changing times, Mary J. Blige released her debut album, Whats the 411. Dubbed the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, the success of her single, You Remind Me. By 1993, Uptown was the leading urban label, in February, Uptown artists Jodeci, Father MC, Mary J. Blige, Christopher Williams and Heavy D performed an acoustic set on MTV Unplugged. Taped at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California it was called Uptown Unplugged and released as both a video and CD. Jodeci did a cover of Stevie Wonders Lately at the show. It charted at number one on the R&B charts and number four on the Billboard Hot 100
11.
Arista Records
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/ˈɛ. rɪ. stə/ was a major American record label. It was a wholly owned unit of Sony Music Entertainment and was handled by Bertelsmann Music Group. The company operated under the RCA Music Group until 2011, the label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records. Until its demise in 2011, it was a distributor and promoter of albums throughout the United States. Today, the labels reissues and catalogue releases are handled by RCA Records, after being fired from CBS Records, Clive Davis was hired by Columbia Pictures in June 1974 to be a consultant for the companys record and music operations. The label was named Arista after New York Citys secondary school honor society, in early 1975, most of the artists who had been signed to Bell were let go, except David Cassidy, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and the 5th Dimension. Others, such as Suzi Quatro and Hot Chocolate, were farmed out to the Bell/Arista-distributed label, several Bell acts, such as Barry Manilow, the Bay City Rollers, and Melissa Manchester moved to Arista. The British Bell label kept that name for a couple of years before changing its name to Arista, the label was immortalized in the 1978 Rockpile song They Called It Rock, in the lyric, Arista says they love you/But the kids cant dance to this. In addition to Manilow, the Kinks, and Dionne Warwick, Arista signed Aretha Franklin in 1980, the labels most significant acquisition came in 1983 when Davis signed Warwicks cousin, Whitney Houston. Houston would eventually become Aristas biggest-selling recording artist, with sales of 200 million records worldwide, Arista had an imprint label in the 1970s called Arista Novus, which focused on contemporary jazz artists. A country music division, Career Records, was merged into the Arista Nashville division in 1997, Arista Austin was used in the late 1990s as a country label. Additionally, Arista was the North American distributor of Jive Records from 1981 until 1987, during the 1990s, Arista also distributed Logic, Rowdy and Heavenly Recordings. Looking to stave off bankruptcy, Columbia Pictures sold Arista to German-based Ariola Records in 1979, after Ariola purchased General Electrics RCA Records in 1986, the combined company was renamed Bertelsmann Music Group, though Aristas U. S. releases would not note BMG until 1987. Into the 1980s, Arista continued its success, including major UK act Secret Affair, over the years it acquired Northwestside Records, deConstruction Records, First Avenue Records, and Dedicated Records in the UK. In 1989, Arista entered into a joint venture with Antonio L. A. Reid and Babyface in the creation of LaFace Records record company of TLC, in 1993, Arista also entered into a joint-venture with Sean P. Diddy Combs to form Bad Boy Records. In 1997 Arista acquired Profile Records, the home of Run-D. M. C. in 1989, Arista signed Milli Vanilli, a duo consisting of Rob Pilatus and Fab Morvan that was based in Germany. The label released its album, Girl You Know Its True, which was a remixed and re-edited version of All or Nothing. The album was certified platinum in the U. S. and charted five top-ten singles
12.
Universal Music Group
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Universal Music Group is an American-French global music corporation that is a subsidiary of the Paris-based French media conglomerate Vivendi. UMGs global corporate headquarters are in Santa Monica, California and it is considered one of the Big Three record labels, along with Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Universal Music was once the music attached to film studio Universal Pictures and its origins go back to the formation of the American branch of Decca Records in September 1934. The Decca Record Co. Ltd. of England spun American Decca off in 1939, MCA Inc. merged with American Decca in 1962. The present organization was formed when its parent company Seagram purchased PolyGram in May 1998, however, the name had first appeared in 1996 when MCA Music Entertainment Group was renamed Universal Music Group. The PolyGram acquisition included Deutsche Grammophon which traces its ancestry to Berliner Gramophone making Deutsche Grammophon UMGs oldest unit, UMGs Canadian unit traces its ancestry to a Berliner Gramophone breakaway firm the Compo Company. With the 2004 acquisition of Universal Studios by General Electric and merging with GEs NBC and this is the second time a music company has done so, the first being the separation of Time Warner and Warner Music Group. On June 25,2007, Vivendi completed its €1.63 billion purchase of BMG Music Publishing, after receiving European Union regulatory approval, doug Morris stepped down from his position as CEO on January 1,2011. Former chairman/CEO of Universal Music International Lucian Grainge was promoted to CEO of the company, Grainge later replaced him as chairman on March 9,2011. Morris became the chairman of Sony Music Entertainment on July 1,2011. With Grainges appointment as CEO at UMG, Max Hole was promoted to COO of UMGI, starting in 2011 UMGs Interscope Geffen A&M Records will be signing contestants from American Idol/Idol series. On January 2011, UMG announced it was donating 200,000 master recordings from the 1920s to 1940s to the Library of Congress for preservation, in March 2011, Barry Weiss became chairman & CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group & Universal Republic Records. Both companies are restructuring under Weiss, in December 2011, David Foster was named Chairman of Verve Music Group. Among the other companies that had competed for the music business was Warner Music Group which was reported to have made a $2 billion bid. However, IMPALA has said it would fight the merger, coincidentally, UMG sister company StudioCanal has owned the EMI Films library for several years. On September 21,2012, the sale of EMI to UMG was approved in Europe, UMG divested Mute Records, Parlophone, Roxy Recordings, MPS Records, Cooperative Music, Now Thats What I Call Music. Jazzland, Universal Greece, Sanctuary Records, Chrysalis Records, EMI Classics, Virgin Classics, the Beatles recorded music library was allowed to remain with UMG despite being considered part of Parlophone and is now managed by UMGs reorganized Capitol Music Group worldwide. Robbie Williams, who had recorded for Chrysalis, had his transferred to Universals Island Records
13.
Interscope Records
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Interscope Records is an American record company. At the time, it differed from most record companies by giving decision-making authority to its A&R staff and it had its first hit records less than a year after it was founded and achieved profitability in 1993. In 1992, Interscope acquired the rights to market and distribute the hardcore rap label Death Row. Albums by Death Row artists included rappers Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, as a result, Time Warner severed ties with Interscope by selling its 50 percent stake back to Field and Iovine for $115 million in 1995. In 1996, 50% of the label was acquired by the MCA Music Entertainment Group for a reported $200 million, Iovine served as chairman and CEO until May 2014. He was succeeded by John Janick, Interscope is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. The labels best-selling artists include U2, Eminem, Lady Gaga, in 1989, Ted Field began to build Interscope Records as a division of his film company, Interscope Communications. To run it, he hired John McClain, who had played a role in Janet Jacksons success at A&M Records, and Tom Whalley. Separately, Iovine, who had produced records by U2, Bruce Springsteen, I thought, Music is going to change, Iovine said in 1997. Young bands arent going to be asking for me, but I love working with the new thing. I always liked the part of the business thats the first time you hear something, Iovine and Field were introduced by Paul McGuinness, then U2s manager. After a series of negotiations led by David Geffen, they came to an agreement, in a 1997 article in Rolling Stone, David Wild wrote, Interscopes start-up coincided with a period of incredible change in the music world. Nirvana had ushered in the alternative revolution, based in Westwood, California, Interscope was run by music men. It was a departure from the industry practices of the 1970s and 1980s. A founding tenet of the label was that artists would have creative control. Interscopes first release was Rico Suave by Ecuadoran rapper Gerardo in December 1990, Primus Interscope debut was released in May, followed by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunchs Music for the People in July. It included the #1 single Good Vibrations, two days after first hearing his demo, Whalley signed Tupac Shakur, and in November 1991, Interscope released 2pacalypse Now, Shakurs studio debut. Interscope began to develop a significant presence in the genre in 1992
14.
Busta Rhymes
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Trevor George Smith Jr. better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American recording artist, actor, record producer and record executive. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, about. com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time, while Steve Huey of AllMusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the 1990s. In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time, MTV has called him one of hip-hops greatest visual artists. Busta Rhymes was an member of Leaders of the New School. He later went on and founded the record label Conglomerate and production crew The Conglomerate, in November 2011, Busta Rhymes signed a deal with Cash Money Records. On July 23,2014, Busta Rhymes announced that he left Cash Money Records due to differences and was no longer on Republic. In 2016 Rhymes signed with Epic for his album due to be released in early 2017. He has so far released nine albums, with the first being the 1996 platinum-selling album The Coming. His list of hit singles include Woo Hah, got You All in Check, Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See, Dangerous, Turn It Up /Fire It Up, Gimme Some More, Whats It Gonna Be. Pass the Courvoisier, Part II, I Know What You Want and Touch It, Busta Rhymes was born Trevor George Smith Jr. in Brooklyn, New York, on May 20,1972 to Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith, who are from Jamaica. The most known story of Bustas tenure at Westinghouse High School was battle rapping his fellow schoolmate Jay Z in the schools cafeteria one day, to whom he ultimately lost. In 1989, Smith, alongside fellow Long Island natives Charlie Brown, Dinco D and Cut Monitor Milo, the groups big break was when they became an opening act for fellow Long Island hip hop group Public Enemy. Public Enemys Chuck D gave Busta Rhymes and Charlie Brown their respective stage names, Leaders of the New School began recording in late 1989 and released their debut album A Future Without a Past. in 1991 on Elektra Records. In early 1992, the group appeared on A Tribe Called Quests posse cut Scenario, soon after, however, internal problems arose because of Busta Rhymess increasing popularity, and the group broke up on the set of Yo. By the summer of 1992, Rhymes began making guest appearances on songs by artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Another Bad Creation. Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, as well on the interludes to Mary J. Bliges debut Whats the 411. and R&B trio TLCs Diamond-certified second album CrazySexyCool. He also appeared on the jacket of fellow hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quests Midnight Marauders. In early 1993, he appeared in a role in Whos the Man
15.
Jay-Z
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Shawn Corey Carter, known professionally as Jay Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and investor. He is one of the musicians of all time, having sold more than 100 million records. MTV ranked him the Greatest MC of all time in 2006, Rolling Stone ranked three of his albums—Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, and The Black Album —among the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth at nearly $520 million, Jay Z co-owns the New York 40/40 Club sports bar, and is the co-creator of the clothing line Rocawear. He is the president of Def Jam Recordings, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records. He also founded the sports agency Roc Nation Sports and is a certified NBA, as an artist, he holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist on the Billboard 200 with 13. He has also had four number ones on the Billboard Hot 100, in 2009, he was ranked the tenth-most successful artist of the 2000s by Billboard as well as the fifth top solo male artist and fourth top rapper behind Eminem, Nelly, and 50 Cent. He was also ranked the 88th-greatest artist of all time by Rolling Stone, Jay Z married Singer-Songwriter Beyoncé in 2008. Shawn Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Marcy Houses and he and his three siblings were raised by their mother, Gloria Carter after their father, Adness Reeves abandoned the family. Reeves would later meet and reconcile with Jay Z before dying from liver failure in 2003, Jay Z claims in his lyrics that in 1982, at the age of 12, he shot his older brother in the shoulder for stealing his jewelry. Along with future rapper AZ, Carter attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn until it was closed down, according to his interviews and lyrics, during this period he sold crack cocaine and was shot at three times. According to his mother, Carter used to wake up his siblings at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table and she bought him a boom box for his birthday, sparking his interest in music. He began freestyling and writing lyrics, known as Jazzy around the neighborhood, Carter later adopted the showbiz/stage name Jay-Z in homage to his mentor Jaz-O. He would drop the hyphen in 2013, Jay Z can be briefly heard on several of Jaz-Os early recordings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, including The Originators and Hawaiian Sophie. Jay Z became embroiled in several battles with rapper LL Cool J in the early 1990s and he first became known to a wide audience on the posse cut Show and Prove on the 1994 Big Daddy Kane album Daddys Home. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay Z and Positive K and let them freestyle until I came back to the stage. The young Jay Z appeared on a song by Big L, Da Graveyard, and on Mic Geronimos Time to Build. His first official rap single was called In My Lifetime, for which he released a music video, an unreleased music video was also produced for the B-side I Cant Get with That
16.
Lil' Kim
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Kimberly Denise Jones, known by her stage name Lil Kim, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, model, and actress. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, living much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, Jones would freestyle rap, heavily influenced by actress/singer Diana Ross, performing a freestyle rap for The Notorious B. I. G. got her music career start in 1995 with his group Junior M. A. F. I. A. Whose debut album Conspiracy generated two top 20 singles in the United States and her following albums, The Notorious K. I. M. and La Bella Mafia, were certified Platinum, making her the only female rapper besides Missy Elliott to have at least 3 Platinum albums. In addition, the remake won two MTV Video Music Awards including Video of the Year, and a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002. In 2005, she served a prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album The Naked Truth was released and she returned to the public eye in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Throughout her career, Jones has sold over 15 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Jones has earned many accolades and honorific titles for her work including the Queen of Hip-Hop. Her songs No Time, Big Momma Thang and Ladies Night were listed on Complex Magazines The 50 Best Rap Songs By Women, at number 24,13 and 7, respectively. Crush On You, Its All About the Benjamins and Money, Power, in 2012, Lil Kim was honorably listed on VH1s 100 Greatest Women In Music list at number 45, the second highest position for a solo female hip-hop artist. Jones was born in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, the child of Linwood Jones, a former U. S. Marine. She has one brother named Christopher. As a child, Jones attended Queen of All Saints Elementary School in Brooklyn, at the age of 9, her parents separated, and Jones was raised by her father, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship. After being kicked out of her house by her dad, Jones dropped out of high school, while still a teen, Jones met The Notorious B. I. G. Jones attended Sarah J. Hale Vocational High School for two and a half years, many of her friends also went there and she would often skip school to hang out with them. Since her school work wasnt being completed, the decision was made for her to transfer to Brooklyn College Academy to finish her remaining year and it was the same school that fellow rappers Nas and Foxy Brown also attended. In 1994, B. I. G. was instrumental in introducing and promoting the Brooklyn-based group, which included Jones, who was only 19 at the time. Wallace wrote most of the albums material, Three hit singles came from Conspiracy, Players Anthem, I Need You Tonight, and Get Money
17.
Machine Gun Kelly (rapper)
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Colson Baker, better known by his stage names MGK and Machine Gun Kelly, is an American rapper and actor, from Cleveland, Ohio. MGK embarked on a career as a teenager, releasing a mixtape in 2006. He would then go on to four further mixtapes. MGK then secured a contract with Bad Boy and Interscope Records in 2011. His major label album, Lace Up, was released in October 2012 to positive response from critics. The record contained the singles Wild Boy, Invincible, Stereo, and Hold On, and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, it was later confirmed to have sold more than 178,000 copies. In early 2015, he released the singles Till I Die and A Little More for his studio album, General Admission, which released in October 2015. The album incorporated darker tones, rap rock, R&B, MGK has also appeared in various films, starring in Beyond the Lights, as Kid Culprit. He would then star in Roadies as Wesley, before being cast in roles in Viral, Punks Dead, SLC Punk 2. Colson Baker was born on April 22,1990, in Houston, MGK and his family moved all around the globe and took up residence abroad from Egypt to Germany, as well as throughout the United States, in Chicago, Denver, and Cleveland. He settled in Denver, along with his father, after his mother had left home, following his father suffering from depression and unemployment, MGK endured bullying from other children in the neighborhood. He started listening to rap in the grade, when he attended Hamilton Middle School. MGKs home life was stable, as he would regularly fight with his father. When he attended Denvers Thomas Jefferson High School, his father moved to Kuwait to work for the army, during the course of living in the basement, MGK began experimenting with drugs and recorded his first amateur demo tape, Stamp of Approval. Following his fathers departure, MGK stopped attending school and began to make a name for himself by calling out elder classmates. In 2005, his father returned to them both to Kuwait before the pair were forced back stateside to Cleveland, where MGK attended Shaker Heights High School. While attending Shaker Heights High, he convinced a local shop owner to become his manager. Given the stage name Machine Gun Kelly by his fans due to his rapid fire delivery, the release of the mixtape allowed for his reputation and profile to grow, which allowed MGK to begin performing at local Cleveland venues
18.
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
19.
Rick Ross
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William Leonard Roberts II, known professionally by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper and entrepreneur. In 2009, Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap, Teflon Don, God Forgives, I Dont, Mastermind, Hood Billionaire, Ross was also the first artist signed to Diddys management company Ciroc Entertainment. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC in the Game, william Leonard Roberts II was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and raised in Carol City, Florida. After graduating from Miami Carol City Senior High School, he attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship, Roberts worked as a correctional officer for 18 months from December 1995, until his resignation in June 1997. In his early years at Suave House Records, Roberts initially made his debut under the pseudonym Teflon Da Don and he made his recording debut on the song Aint Shhh to Discuss on Erick Sermons lone album for DreamWorks, Def Squad Presents Erick Onasis. In the mid-2000s, he changed his name to Rick Ross and he derived his stage name from the former drug kingpin Freeway Rick Ross, to whom he has no connection. After being signed to Suave House Records, former label for rap duo 8Ball & MJG, he signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records. While signed to Slip-n-Slide, Roberts toured with fellow rapper Trick Daddy and made guest performances on other Slip-n-Slide albums. His debut album Port of Miami was released in August 2006 and debuted at the top spot on the U. S. Billboard 200 album chart, Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine predicted that it would be the summers biggest rap record. The second single was Push It, which samples Scarface, the song from the gangster film Scarface. The music video for Push It was modeled after the film, during that time, Ross made guest performances on two singles from DJ Khaleds debut Listennn. The Album, Born-N-Raised and Holla at Me, Port of Miami received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America on November 8,2006. In March 2008, his second album Trilla was released and, as its predecessor Port of Miami had, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. Its lead single Speedin featuring R. Kelly peaked at number 21 on the U. S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, the third single Here I Am featured Nelly and Avery Storm. MTV News ranked Ross on the spot in its 2008 Hottest MCs in the Game list among ten rappers. The fourth single This Is The Life featured Trey Songz and was released in July, I look at all the strategies people use and what made them successful. What made Birdman just as relevant today after selling 50 million records, to see the class of Jay-Z, his accomplishments and see how he sits backs and accurately makes his moves. A track from the album called Valley of Death was what stood out to MTV reporters, in the song, Ross speaks briefly on his controversial stint as a prison guard
20.
Usher (musician)
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Usher Raymond IV is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Born in Dallas, Texas but raised and lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee until moving to Atlanta, at the age of 12, his mother put him in local singing competitions, before catching the attention of a music A&R from LaFace Records. In 1994 he released his debut album, Usher. 8701 produced the number-one singles U Remind Me and U Got It Bad and it sold 8 million copies worldwide and won his first two Grammy Awards as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2002 and 2003. Confessions established him as one of the musical artists of the 2000s decade. Bolstered by its four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, Burn, Confessions Part II, and My Boo, it has been certified Diamond by the RIAA. Here I Stand and Raymond v. Raymond, debuted atop of the Billboard 200, the EP, Versus, also produced the Hot 100 top-five single DJ Got Us Fallin in Love. Looking 4 Myself, also debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, Raymond v. Raymond and Looking 4 Myself received Grammy Awards for R&B singles There Goes My Baby and Climax. Hard II Love peaked at five of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Usher has sold 23.8 million albums and 38.2 million digital songs in the United States, to date, his worldwide sales stand at 43 million albums and 75 million records overall, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Usher has won awards and accolades including 18 Billboard Music Awards and 8 Grammy Awards. Billboard also placed him at number 6 on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years, Usher has attained 9 US Hot 100 number-one singles. Considered an icon and sex symbol, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, in 2008, he started his own record label Raymond-Braun Media Group, a joint venture with talent manager Scooter Braun that includes Canadian singer Justin Bieber. Usher was born in Dallas, Texas, the son of Jonetta Patton, from Tennessee, Usher spent the majority of his young life in Chattanooga, his father left the family when Usher was a year old. Usher grew up with his mother, then-stepfather, and half-brother, while in Atlanta, Usher attended North Springs High School. At age 10, Usher joined an R&B local quintet called the NuBeginnings, Usher recorded 10 songs with the group in 1991, and the ensuing album, Nubeginning Featuring Usher Raymond IV, was only made available regionally and by mail order. However, Patton took him out because, according to her, the album was re-released nationally in April 2002 by Hip-O Records. At age 13, Usher would meet A. J, alexander at local talent show in Atlanta
21.
Mount Vernon, New York
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Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an suburb of New York City, immediately to the north of the borough of the Bronx. As of the 2010 census, Mount Vernon had a population of 67,292, Mount Vernon, the eighth-most populous city in the state of New York, has two major sections. Southside Mount Vernon is more urban, resembling the Bronx to the south, while the results were positive elsewhere, the returns were so negative in Mount Vernon and Yonkers that those two areas were not included in the consolidated city and remained independent. Anne Hutchinson founded the Westchester city in the 17th century and named it for its green mount, during the 1960s, Mount Vernon was a divided city on the brink of a northern style segregation. Many blacks from the southern United States migrated north and settled in the city of Mount Vernon for better job opportunities and educational advancements. At the same time, many white Americans from the Bronx, as a result, Mount Vernon became divided in two by the New Haven Line railroad tracks of the Metro-North Railroad, Northside and Southside. The population south of the tracks became predominantly black, while north of the tracks was largely white. At the height of segregation in the 1970s, August Petrillo was mayor. When he died, Thomas E. Sharpe was elected mayor, upon Sharpes death in 1984, Carmella Iaboni took office as acting mayor until Ronald Blackwood was elected, Blackwood was the first Afro-Caribbean mayor of the city. In 1996, Ernest D. Davis was elected the mayor of Mount Vernon, Young, Jr. became the citys mayor on January 1,2008. Four years later, on January 1,2012, Ernest D. Davis became the 21st mayor of Mount Vernon, in 2013, Davis was investigated for failure to report rental income. In 2015, Richard Thomas ran against Davis and defeated him in a victory during the September primary. Thomas had to run again in the November general election, where he received 71% of the votes to become the next Mayor of Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon has in recent years undergone a transition from a city of homes and small businesses to a city of regional commerce. Between 2000 and 2006, the city of Mount Vernons economy grew 20. 5%, St. Pauls Church is a Mount Vernon attraction designated as a National Historic Site. It is the third-largest and the most densely populated city in Westchester County, according to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.4 square miles, of which 0.015 square miles, or 0. 39%, is water. Mount Vernons elevation at City Hall is about 235 feet, reflecting its location between the Bronx River to the west and the Hutchinson River to the east. On a clear day, the Throgs Neck Bridge can be seen from 10 miles away from many parts of the city, while at night, the bridges lights can also be seen
22.
No Way Out (Puff Daddy album)
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No Way Out is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist, songwriter and record producer Puff Daddy. It was released on July 1,1997, by his Bad Boy record label, the labels official crediting as The Family, featuring guest appearances from his label-mates and other artists. The production on the album was provided by Puff Daddy, alongside with a variety of the members from the production group, Puff Daddy was also serving as a executive producer alongside The Notorious B. I. G. and Deric D-Dot Angelettie. It contains the generally introspective content based on his friend and rapper The Notorious B. I. G. who died from the shooting on March 9,1997, the albums content consists largely of aggressive lyrics but also includes elements of positive emotion. The album earned Combs five nominations at the 40th Grammy Awards in 1998, winning the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Speaking about the title, Puff Daddy said that because of The Notorious B. I. G. ’s death on March 9,1997. The albums lyrical content is filled with some of his emotions that he felt while mourning the loss of his close friend. In the song, titled “Is This the End. ”, he raps about experiencing the drive-by shooting that happened in Los Angeles, California, which took The Notorious B. I. G. s life. The album was originally called Puff Daddy & The Goodfellas, then slated to be titled Hell Up in Harlem and he decided to switch the albums title to No Way Out. It was decided that they needed to get away and become focused on making hits, so, Combs brought producers Steven Stevie J. In the book, Puffy is quoted as saying, For the next two years, I wanna have radio on lock, call the girlfriend, wifey, or whatever, and let ‘em know that you’re not gonna be around for a few weeks. We’re gonna get away from all this drama, put our heads together, the resultant material would later be used on No Way Out, Life After Death and future Bad Boy albums from 1997 to 1999. In the United States, the album topped on the Billboard charts, the album topped music charts worldwide for 24 non-consecutive weeks. In 1998, No Way Out would win the Grammy Award for the Best Rap Album, on September 7,2000, the album was certified seven-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 1997, among the ten songs that reached at one on the Billboard Hot 100 list. The longest reign of the four hits was this single Ill Be Missing You. The melody for Ill Be Missing You is sampled from The Polices 1983 hit Every Breath You Take. This successful album led towards Puff Daddy to be named as one of Forbes 40th highest-paid entertainers, along with the names of the hip hop rapper Master P
23.
Forever (Puff Daddy album)
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This was the first Puff Daddy album released under just the name Puff Daddy as his debut album was released under Puff Daddy & the Bad Boy Family. It debuted at two on the Billboard 200 album chart. To date, the album has received positive to mixed reviews from music critics, in late 1999, Forever was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping over one million units in North America. In 2006, Q magazine included Forever in their list of the 50 worst albums of all time and he also collaborated with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, for the single Come with Me for the 1998 film Godzilla. The song had sampled Kashmir by Led Zeppelin, and reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart and he was also obligated to star as Willie Beamen in the motion picture, Any Given Sunday, the role however went to Jamie Foxx. During the summer of 1998, the recording for Combs debut album began to take place, Forever debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 selling 205,343 copies behind Christina Aguileras self-titled album with first week sales of 252,800 copies. The album opened at the top spot of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, in the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart. The album debuted at one on the UK R&B Chart. In Canada, the opened at number four on the Canadian Albums Chart. As of September 24,1999, Forever has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, to date, the album has sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Do You Like It… Do You Want It…5, P. E.2000 Notes Forever features uncredited vocals by Jennifer Lopez. Ill Do This for You features vocals by Kelly Price, do You Want It features vocals by Jay-Z. Satisfy You features vocals by R. Kelly and additional vocals by Kelly Price, is This the End features vocals by Twista. I Hear Voices features vocals by Carl Thomas, fake Thugs Dedication features vocals by Redman. Angels with Dirty Faces features vocals by Bizzy Bone, gangsta Shit features vocals by The Queen Bee and Mark Curry. Pain features vocals by G-Dep and uncredited vocals by Mary J. Blige. Reverse features vocals by G-Dep, Sauce Money, Shyne, Busta Rhymes, Redman, Real Niggas features vocals by The Queen Bee and The Notorious B. I. G. Journey Through the Life features vocals by The Queen Bee, Joe Hooker, Beanie Sigel, best Friend features vocals by Mario Winans
24.
The Saga Continues...
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The Saga Continues. is the third studio album released by American hip-hop artist P. Diddy and the Bad Boy Family on July 10,2001 in North America. The album was eventually certified Platinum and it is the only studio album released by Combs under the P. Diddy name, and last studio album under Bad Boy Entertainments joint venture with Arista Records. The album debuted at two on the Billboard 200 and topping the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. This is the first album by Diddy not to any guest appearances by The Notorious B. I. G. Jay-Z, Mase, Busta Rhymes or Lil Kim, Diddy Bad Boy For Life Lets Get It I Need a Girl Released in the form of two remixes, &. Both appeared on We Invented The Remix Vol.1 and had a music video. The original version appears on certain I Need a Girl singles
25.
Press Play (album)
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Press Play is the fourth studio album by American hip hop recording artist P. Diddy. It was released on October 17,2006, by Bad Boy Records and it is his first album under the Diddy stage name, making this his first release under the distribution by Warner Music Groups Atlantic Records. Primarily dance-pop and hip hop-oriented in sound, it is a conceptual album that contains the lyrical themes discussing the concerns to the ups. Press Play debuted at one on the US Billboard 200. In the UK, the album debuted at number 11 and its singles Come to Me and Last Night both reached the top–ten of the Billboard Hot 100. The album became available to the preview on MTVs The Leak on October 10,2006, Press Play received generally mixed to positive reviews from music critics. As of November 21,2008, the album has sold 700,000 copies in the United States, limited edition The limited edition version of the album includes a story of photos on how P. Diddy met a woman in a club. List of samples used in Press Play
26.
Last Train to Paris
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Last Train to Paris is the fifth studio album by American rapper and record producer Diddy. It was released on December 13,2010, by Bad Boy Records, the album describes Diddys alter-ego, as he travels from London to Paris, to regain his lost love. It also introduces the world to Diddys R&B/Hip-Hop collective, Diddy – Dirty Money, Diddy – Dirty Money performed on the album, alongside several guest vocals, these include Grace Jones, Lil Wayne, Skylar Grey, Drake, Justin Timberlake, T. I. Wiz Khalifa, Swizz Beatz, Trey Songz, Rick Ross, Usher, Sevyn Streeter, James Fauntleroy and Bilal and it marks Diddys debut with Interscope Records, after he moved his label from Atlantic Records in 2009. The album cover is a photograph at Centre Georges Pompidou taken by Australian cricket writer and photographer Jarrod Jrod Kimber, Last Train to Paris was generally well received by critics who praised the addition of Richard and Harper to help Diddy innovate a new sound and produce some unique records. The album preceded by the release of four singles, Angels, Hello Good Morning, Loving You No More and Coming Home, the latter has become the most successful, peaking at number 12 on the United States. On Billboard Hot 100, it marked as the top five or top ten, during its opening week Last Train to Paris outperformed expectations, debuting eight places higher than predicted at number 7 on the US Billboard 200. It sold 101,000 copies, compared to the 60, Diddy described the Last Train to Paris as an electro-hip-hop-soul funk album which has been three years in the making. Diddy says the sound of album was influenced by being in the dance music world and doing stuff with Felix da Housecat, Erick Morillo, Deep Dish, DJ Hell and being in Ibiza. The arc will follow Diddys character as he tours from London to Paris and finds the woman of his dreams - only to lose her, find her, lose her again, the records were conceptualised from Diddys comments to his producers. He told Alex da Kid I want a beat that makes me feel like a man in a basement in Atlanta. Diddy said that most of the producers he worked with, hes been friends with for a long time, the records came together by hanging out with them, taking them to parties and showing them movies. In an interview with MTV News Diddy said One of the things trying to represent is emotion, not being afraid to show emotion on record. A lot of records out right now — no disrespect to them and its about what people have or a dance. All our records are gonna be about love, feelings and emotion, Last Train to Paris is a love story and the most vulnerable album Ive ever been involved in. Its raw emotion — you get a feeling, a vibe, Diddy also released an application for the iPhone that integrates his social networking site and Twitter feed. A short film will also accompany the album, rap producer Bangladesh, also confirmed that he would be producing for the album. According to New York magazine, the album was assembled from 60 or so songs, the genesis of Last Train to Paris is full of odd stories involving our hero, ensconced in a darkened studio, barking batty ideas to his production team
27.
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
28.
MTV Video Music Award
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An MTV Video Music Award is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. By 2001, the VMA had become a coveted award, the statue given to winners is an astronaut on the moon, one of the earliest representations of MTV, and colloquially called a moonman. The statue is now made by New York firm, Society Awards, since the 2006 ceremony, viewers are able to vote for their favorite videos in all general categories by visiting MTVs website. The first VMA ceremony was held in 1984 at New York Citys Radio City Music Hall, the ceremonies are normally held in either New York City or Los Angeles. However, the ceremonies have also hosted in Miami and Las Vegas. 1984, At the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984, Madonna performed her hit Like a Virgin wearing a combination bustier/wedding gown, during the performance, she rolled around on the floor, revealing lacy stockings and a garter. Cyndi Lauper spoke in Exorcist-esque gibberish to explain the VMA rules right before winning the Best Female video for Girls Just Want to Have Fun, David Bowie and The Beatles were rewarded with the first ever Video Vanguard Awards for their work in pioneering the music video. 1988, At the 1988 Video Music Awards Michael Jackson appeared for the first time, a pre-recorded live performance of Bad was shown. He was also awarded the Video Vanguard Award, paula Abdul was nominated for six awards, picking up four wins. She performed a medley of her singles Straight Up, Cold Hearted. When Madonna won the Viewers Choice Award for her Like a Prayer video, the tone that the commercial sought to convey sharply contrasted with the music video. When Pepsi executives saw the video, they yanked the advertisement after only two airings, in an attempt to dissociate themselves from Madonna. She also gave one of the most memorable performances of her hit Express Yourself, the performance consisted of both a dramatic 18th-century reinterpretation of Vogue as well as her dramatically becorseted breasts. His video Thriller influenced and changed music videos into what it is like today, a conflict between Poisons Bret Michaels and C. C. DeVille culminated in a fistfight at the Video Music Awards in 1991, deVille was fired and replaced by Pennsylvanian guitarist Richie Kotzen. Paul Reubens had his first public appearance following an arrest for lewd-conduct earlier that year, taking the stage in costume as Pee-wee Herman, he received a standing ovation, after which he asked the audience, Heard any good jokes lately. Prince & The New Power Generation performed their sexually charged song Gett Off on a Caligula-esque set and his trousers were parodied numerous times throughout the following year, on In Living Color & even on the next years VMAs by Howard Stern. It also marked the last TV appearance of Kiss with Eric Carr,1992, In the 1992 show, MTV requested Nirvana perform Smells Like Teen Spirit, while the band itself had indicated it preferred to play new songs Rape Me and tourettes
29.
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
30.
Forbes
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Forbes is an American business magazine. Published bi-weekly, it features articles on finance, industry, investing. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics and its headquarters is located in Jersey City, New Jersey. Primary competitors in the business magazine category include Fortune and Bloomberg Businessweek. The magazine is known for its lists and rankings, including its lists of the richest Americans. Another well-known list by the magazine is The Worlds Billionaires list, the motto of Forbes magazine is The Capitalist Tool. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes, and its CEO is Mike Perlis, Forbes, a financial columnist for the Hearst papers, and his partner Walter Drey, the general manager of the Magazine of Wall Street, founded Forbes magazine on September 15,1917. Forbes provided the money and the name and Drey provided the publishing expertise, the original name of the magazine was Forbes, Devoted to Doers and Doings. Drey became vice-president of the B. C. Forbes Publishing Company, while B. C. Forbes became editor-in-chief, B. C. Forbes was assisted in his later years by his two eldest sons, Bruce Charles Forbes and Malcolm Stevenson Forbes. Bruce Forbes took over on his fathers death, and his strengths lay in streamlining operations, during his tenure, 1954–1964, the magazines circulation nearly doubled. On Malcolms death, his eldest son Malcolm Stevenson Steve Forbes Jr. became President and Chief Executive of Forbes, between 1961 and 1999 the magazine was edited by James Michaels. In 1993, under Michaels, Forbes was a finalist for the National Magazine Award. com, a 2009 New York Times report said,40 percent of the enterprise was sold. For a reported $300 million, setting the value of the enterprise at $750 million, according to Mark M. Edmiston of AdMedia Partners, Its probably not worth half of that now. The companys headquarters moved to the Newport section of downtown Jersey City. In November 2013, Forbes Media, which publishes Forbes magazine, was put up for sale and this was encouraged by Elevation Partners, of whom were minority shareholders. Sales documents prepared by Deutsche Bank revealed that the publishers 2012 EBITDA was $15 million, Forbes reportedly sought a price of $400 million. In July 2014, Forbes sold a majority of itself to Integrated Whale Media Investments, Steve Forbes and his magazines writers offer investment advice on the weekly Fox TV show Forbes on Fox and on Forbes On Radio. Other company groups include Forbes Conference Group, Forbes Investment Advisory Group, from the 2009 Times report, Steve Forbes recently returned from opening up a Forbes magazine in India, bringing the number of foreign editions to 10
31.
Harlem
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Harlem is a large neighborhood in the northern section of the New York City borough of Manhattan. Since the 1920s, Harlem has been known as a major African-American residential, cultural, originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands. Harlems history has been defined by a series of economic boom-and-bust cycles, African-American residents began to arrive by a lot in 1905, with numbers fed by the Great Migration. In the 1920s and 1930s, Central and West Harlem were the focus of the Harlem Renaissance, however, with job losses in the time of the Great Depression and the deindustrialization of New York City after World War II, rates of crime and poverty increased significantly. Harlems African-American population peaked in the 1950s, in the second half of the 20th century, Harlem became a major hub of African-American businesses. In 2008, the United States Census found that for the first time since the 1930s, less than half of residents were black, since New York Citys revival in the late 20th century, long-time residents of Harlem have been experiencing the effects of gentrification and new wealth. Harlem is located in Upper Manhattan, often referred to as Uptown by locals. Central Harlem is bounded by Fifth Avenue on the east, Central Park on the south, Morningside Park, St. Nicholas Avenue and Edgecombe Avenue on the west, and the Harlem River on the north. A chain of three large linear parks—Morningside Park, St. Nicholas Park and Jackie Robinson Park—are situated on steeply rising banks, on the east, Fifth Avenue and Marcus Garvey Park, also known as Mount Morris Park, separate this area from East Harlem. The bulk of the falls under Manhattan Community Board No.10. In the late 2000s, South Harlem, emerged from area redevelopment, the West Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattanville and Hamilton Heights comprise part of Manhattan Community Board No.9. The two neighborhoods area is bounded by Cathedral Parkway on the South, 155th Street on the North, nicholas/Bradhurst/Edgecome Avenues on the East, and Riverside Park/the Hudson River on the west. Morningside Heights is located in the southern most section of West Harlem, Manhattanville begins at roughly 123rd Street and extends northward to 135th Street. The northern most section of West Harlem is Hamilton Heights, the New York City Police Department patrols six precincts located within Harlem. The New York City Fire Department operates 9 firehouses in Harlem, as many as several hundred farmed the Harlem flatlands. Between 1637 and 1639, a few settlements were established, during the American Revolution, the British burned Harlem to the ground. It took a time to rebuild, as Harlem grew more slowly than the rest of Manhattan during the late 18th century. After the American Civil War, Harlem experienced an economic boom starting in 1868, the neighborhood continued to serve as a refuge for New Yorkers, but increasingly those coming north were poor and Jewish or Italian
32.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
33.
Frank Lucas (drug dealer)
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Frank Lucas is an American former heroin dealer, who operated in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was particularly known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade, Lucas boasted that he smuggled heroin using the coffins of dead American servicemen, but this claim is denied by his South East Asian associate, Leslie Ike Atkinson. Lucas was born in La Grange, North Carolina, and raised in Greensboro and he was the son of Mahalee and Fred Lucas. He drifted through a life of petty crime until one particular occasion when, after a fight with a former employer, in Harlem, he indulged in petty crime and pool hustling before he was taken under the wing of gangster Bumpy Johnson. Lucas connection to Johnson has since come under some doubt, he claimed to have been Johnsons driver for 15 years, although Johnson spent just five years out of prison before his death in 1968. According to Johnsons widow, much of the narrative that Lucas claims as his actually belonged to another young hustler named Zach Walker, who lived with Johnson and his family and later betrayed him. After Johnsons death, Lucas traveled around and came to the realization that, to be successful, traveling to Bangkok, Thailand, he eventually made his way to Jacks American Star Bar, an R&R hangout for black soldiers. It was here that he met former U. S. Army sergeant Leslie Ike Atkinson, a boy from Goldsboro, North Carolina. Lucas is quoted as saying, Ike knew everyone over there, every guy in the Army. When interviewed for an article published in 2000, Lucas denied putting the drugs among the corpses of American soldiers. Instead he flew with a North Carolina carpenter to Bangkok and, We did it, who the hell is gonna look in a dead soldiers coffin. Ha ha ha. We had him make up 28 copies of the government coffins, except we fixed them up with false bottoms, big enough to load up with six, maybe eight kilos. You couldnt have shit sliding around, Ike was very smart, because he made sure we used heavy guys coffins. He didnt put them in no skinny guys, however, Atkinson, nicknamed Sergeant Smack by the Drug Enforcement Administration, has said he shipped drugs in furniture, not caskets. Whatever method he used, Lucas smuggled the drugs into the country with direct link from Asia. Lucas said that he made US$1 million per day selling drugs on 116th Street though this was discovered to be an exaggeration. S. In an interview, Lucas said, I wanted to be rich, I wanted to be Donald Trump rich, and so help me God, I made it. Lucas only trusted relatives and close friends from North Carolina to handle his various heroin operations, Lucas thought they were less likely to steal from him and be tempted by various vices in the big city
34.
Central Park West
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Eighth Avenue is a north-south avenue on the west side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic below 59th Street. While the avenue has different names at different points in Manhattan, north of Frederick Douglass Circle, it resumes its Eighth Avenue designation, but is also known as Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The avenue ends north of 155th Street, and merges into the Harlem River Drive, the New York City Subway IND Eighth Avenue Line runs under Eighth Avenue. MTA Regional Bus Operations primarily operates two bus routes on the avenue, the northbound M20 serves Eighth Avenue between Abingdon Square and Columbus Circle, while the M10 serves the length of Eighth Avenue north of 59th Street in its entirety. The southernmost section is solely as Eighth Avenue between Abingdon Square and Columbus Circle. This portion of Eighth Avenue has carried traffic one-way northbound since June 6,1954, in fact, New York Citys annual gay pride parade takes place along the Greenwich Village section of Eighth Avenue. As its name indicates, CPW forms the edge of Central Park. It also forms the boundary of the Upper West Side. It runs 51 blocks from Columbus Circle to Frederick Douglass Circle, Central Park Wests expensive housing rivals that of Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side. Most of these housing cooperatives were built around 1930, replacing late 19th century hotels with the same names, some, including The Century, The San Remo, and The Majestic, are twin towers. Other landmarks and institutions along its length include the New-York Historical Society, the area from 61st to 97th Streets is included in the Central Park West Historic District. The building located at 55 Central Park West is the infamous Spook Central from the movie Ghostbusters, the famed New York City restaurant Tavern on the Green is located off of Central Park West, at 66th Street, within the grounds of Central Park. In 1899, while exiting a streetcar, Henry Bliss was run over by a taxi at CPW and West 74th Street, becoming the first person to be run down and killed by a motor car in the Americas. North of Frederick Douglass Circle at 110th Street in Harlem, it is Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Frederick Douglass Boulevard eventually terminates near the Harlem River at the Harlem River Drive around West 159th Street. While Central Park West has its own system, address numbers on Frederick Douglass Boulevard continue from where they would be if Central Park West used the Eighth Avenue numbering system. Formerly described as being like Detroit in its urban blight, it is now gentrified, especially in the restaurants along its route and this gentrification is partly due to massive city investment. The share of whites jumped to 12.4 percent from 2.3 percent, median household income rose 28 percent, to $34,694. Notes New York Songlines, Eighth Avenue, a walking tour
35.
Mount Saint Michael Academy
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Mount Saint Michael Academy, also known as Mount, is an all-boys Roman Catholic high school in the Wakefield neighborhood of the New York City borough of the Bronx. The schools campus also borders the city of Mount Vernon in neighboring Westchester County and is administered by the Archdiocese of New York, the 22-acre campus is a college preparatory school for some 1,100 boys grades 6 through 12. The schools motto is ad astra per aspera, Latin for to the stars through difficulties. It is a member of the Catholic High School Athletic Association. MSM In January 1999, the Mount was selected by U. S. News & World Report as one of four of the best high schools in the Bronx
36.
Gridiron football
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Gridiron football, or North American football, is a form of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of football are American football and Canadian football. The grid system was abandoned in favor of the system of lines and hash marks used today. Gridiron football developed in the late 19th century out of the games now known as rugby football. Walter Camp is credited with creating many of the rules that differentiate gridiron football from its older counterparts, because the two sets of lines had the same spacing and were perpendicular, they divided the field into squares, resembling a checkerboard or gridiron pattern. The word gridiron, in use since the 14th century, refers to a grid for cooking food over a fire. As described in Outdoor Sports and Games, by Claude H. Miller, at each end are goal posts set 18 feet 6 inches apart, with a crossbar 10 feet above the ground. The field is marked off in chalk lines similar to a tennis court, the centre of the field where the play starts is 55 yards from either end. The lines on a football field make an effect and have given to the field the name of gridiron. As a result, the name of the field, gridiron, was applied to the game itself, the ball would be snapped in the grid in which it was downed on the previous play. The grid system was abandoned in favor of the system of lines and hash marks used today. Especially outside of the U. S. and Canada, the gridiron and gridiron football are often used to distinguish the North American sport from other codes of football. Gridiron is the word for the sport in Australia and New Zealand. In the United States and Canada, the game is known unambiguously as football, association football is known in these countries as soccer and rugby football, seldom encountered in the U. S. is known as rugby or, especially in Canada, English rugby. American football is the most common and widely known of the football codes. It is played with players to a side, four downs. The premier professional league in the United States, the National Football League, has its own distinct code, colleges in the United States generally play under the code defined in NCAA Football Rules and Interpretations. Youth games generally follow NFHS code with modifications, adult semi-pro, alternative and minor professional, amateur, touch, flag, etc. may follow any one of these codes or use their own rules
37.
Howard University
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Howard University is a federally chartered, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university in Washington, D. C. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a university with high research activity and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. From its outset it has been nonsectarian and open to people of both genders and all races, Howard is classified as a Tier 1 national university and ranks second among HBCUs by U. S. News & World Report. Howard is the only HBCU ranked in the top 75 on the 2015 Bloomberg Businessweek college rankings, the Princeton Review ranked the school of business #1 in opportunities for minority students and in the top five for most competitive students. The National Law Journal ranked the law school among the top 25 in the nation for placing graduates at the best law firms, Howard has produced four Rhodes Scholars between 1986 and 2017. Between 1998 and 2009, Howard University produced a Marshall Scholar, in 2011, the Huffington Post named Howard the second best-dressed college in the nation. Howard is the most comprehensive HBCU in the nation and produces the most black doctorate recipients of any university, within a few weeks, the project expanded to include a provision for establishing a university. Within two years, the University consisted of the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Medicine, the new institution was named for General Oliver Otis Howard, a Civil War hero, who was both the founder of the University and, at the time, Commissioner of the Freedmens Bureau. Howard later served as President of the university from 1869–74, U. S. Congress chartered Howard on March 2,1867, and much of its early funding came from endowment, private benefaction, and tuition. An annual congressional appropriation administered by the U. S. Department of Education funds Howard University, many improvements were made on campus. Howard Hall was renovated and made a dormitory for women, J. Stanley Durkee, Howards last white president, was appointed in 1918. The Great Depression years of the 1930s brought hardship to campus, despite appeals from Eleanor Roosevelt, Howard saw its budget cut below Hoover administration levels during the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Howard University has played an important role in American history and the Civil Rights Movement on a number of occasions, alain Locke, Chair of the Department of Philosophy and first African American Rhodes Scholar, authored The New Negro, which helped to usher in the Harlem Renaissance. Ralph Bunche, the first Nobel Peace Prize winner of African descent, beginning in 1942, Howard University students pioneered the stool-sitting technique, which was to play a prominent role in the later civil rights movement. By January,1943, students had begun to organize regular sit-ins and pickets at cigar stores and cafeterias around Washington and these protests continued until the administration asked the students to stop in the Fall of 1944. Historian Rayford Logan served as chair of the Department of History, E. Franklin Frazier served as chair of the Department of Sociology. Sterling Allen Brown served as chair of the Department of English, at the time, the Voting Rights bill was still pending in the House of Representatives. In 1975 the historic Freedmans Hospital closed after 112 years of use as Howard University College of Medicines primary teaching hospital, Howard University Hospital opened that same year and continues to be used as Howard University College of Medicines primary teaching hospital with service to the surrounding community
38.
Broadway (Manhattan)
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Broadway /ˈbrɔːdweɪ/ is a road in the U. S. state of New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in New York City, dating to the first New Amsterdam settlement, the name Broadway is the English language literal translation of the Dutch name, Brede weg. Broadway is known widely as the heart of the American theatre industry, Broadway was originally the Wickquasgeck Trail, carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants. Wickquasgeck means birch-bark country in the Algonquian language and this trail originally snaked through swamps and rocks along the length of Manhattan Island. Upon the arrival of the Dutch, the trail became the main road through the island from Nieuw Amsterdam at the southern tip. The Dutch explorer and entrepreneur David Pietersz. de Vries gives the first mention of it in his journal for the year 1642, the Dutch named the road Heerestraat. Although current street signs are simply labeled as Broadway, in a 1776 map of New York City, in the mid-eighteenth century, part of Broadway in what is now lower Manhattan was known as Great George Street. An 1897 City Map shows a segment of Broadway as Kingsbridge Road in the vicinity of what is now the George Washington Bridge. In the 18th century, Broadway ended at the town north of Wall Street, where traffic continued up the East Side of the island via Eastern Post Road. The western Bloomingdale Road would be widened and paved during the 19th century, on February 14,1899, the name Broadway was extended to the entire Broadway/Bloomingdale/Boulevard road. Broadway once was a street for its entire length. The present status, in which it runs one-way southbound south of Columbus Circle, on 6 June 1954, Seventh Avenue became southbound and Eighth Avenue became northbound south of Broadway. On 3 June 1962, Broadway became one-way south of Canal Street, with Trinity Place, northbound traffic on Broadway now needs to take Amsterdam Avenue to 73rd Street, make a sharp turn on the very narrow 73rd and then right turn on Broadway. Otherwise, and effectively, the traffic on Broadway has been diverted into Amsterdam Avenue. In August 2008, two lanes from 42nd to 35th Streets were taken out of service and converted to public plazas. Additionally, bike lanes were added on Broadway from 42nd Street down to Union Square, the city decided that the experiment was successful and decided to make the change permanent in February 2010. Additionally, portions of Broadway in the Madison Square and Union Square have been dramatically narrowed, Broadway runs the length of Manhattan Island, roughly parallel to the North River, from Bowling Green at the south to Inwood at the northern tip of the island. South of Columbus Circle, it is a southbound street
39.
Times Square
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It stretches from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. One of the worlds busiest pedestrian areas, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District, Times Square is one of the worlds most visited tourist attractions, drawing an estimated 50 million visitors annually. Approximately 330,000 people pass through Times Square daily, many of them tourists, the southern triangle of Times Square has no specific name, but the northernmost of the two triangles is called Father Duffy Square. Since 2008, the booth has been backed by a red, sloped, triangular set of stairs, which is used by people to sit, talk, eat. When Manhattan Island was first settled by the Dutch, three small streams united near what is now 10th Avenue and 40th street and these three streams formed the Great Kill. From there the Great Kill wound through the low-lying Reed Valley, known for fish and waterfowl, the name was retained in a tiny hamlet, Great Kill, that became a center for carriage-making, as the upland to the south and east became known as Longacre. Before and after the American Revolution, the area belonged to John Morin Scott, scotts manor house was at what is currently 43rd Street, surrounded by countryside used for farming and breeding horses. By 1872, the area had become the center of New Yorks horse carriage industry, the locality had not previously been given a name, and city authorities called it Longacre Square after Long Acre in London, where the horse and carriage trade was centered in that city. William Henry Vanderbilt owned and ran the American Horse Exchange there, in 1910 it became the Winter Garden Theatre. The first theater on the square, the Olympia, was built by cigar manufacturer, by the early 1890s this once sparsely settled stretch of Broadway was ablaze with electric light and thronged by crowds of middle- and upper-class theatre, restaurant and cafe patrons. In 1904, New York Times publisher Adolph S. Ochs persuaded Mayor George B, mcClellan, Jr. to construct a subway station there, and the area was renamed Times Square on April 8,1904. Just three weeks later, the first electrified advertisement appeared on the side of a bank at the corner of 46th Street, the north end later became Duffy Square, and the former Horse Exchange became the Winter Garden Theatre. The New York Times, according to Nolan, moved to spacious offices west of the square in 1913. The old Times Building was later named the Allied Chemical Building in 1963, now known simply as One Times Square, it is famed for the Times Square Ball drop on its roof every New Years Eve. In 1913, the Lincoln Highway Association, headed by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, chose the intersection of 42nd Street and Broadway to be the Eastern Terminus of the Lincoln Highway. This was the first road across the United States, which originally spanned 3,389 miles coast-to-coast through 13 states to its terminus in Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Times Square grew dramatically after World War I and it became a cultural hub full of theatres, music halls, and upscale hotels. Times Square quickly became New Yorks agora, a place to gather to await great tidings and to celebrate them, advertising also grew significantly in the 1920s, growing from $25 million to $85 million over the decade
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