1.
Album
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Album, is a collection of audio recordings issued as a single item on CD, record, audio tape, or another medium. Albums of recorded music were developed in the early 20th century, first as books of individual 78rpm records, vinyl LPs are still issued, though in the 21st century album sales have mostly focused on compact disc and MP3 formats. The audio cassette was a format used from the late 1970s through to the 1990s alongside vinyl, an album may be recorded in a recording studio, in a concert venue, at home, in the field, or a mix of places. Recording may take a few hours to years to complete, usually in several takes with different parts recorded separately. Recordings that are done in one take without overdubbing are termed live, the majority of studio recordings contain an abundance of editing, sound effects, voice adjustments, etc. With modern recording technology, musicians can be recorded in separate rooms or at times while listening to the other parts using headphones. Album covers and liner notes are used, and sometimes additional information is provided, such as analysis of the recording, historically, the term album was applied to a collection of various items housed in a book format. In musical usage the word was used for collections of pieces of printed music from the early nineteenth century. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, the LP record, or 33 1⁄3 rpm microgroove vinyl record, is a gramophone record format introduced by Columbia Records in 1948. It was adopted by the industry as a standard format for the album. Apart from relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound capability, the term album had been carried forward from the early nineteenth century when it had been used for collections of short pieces of music. Later, collections of related 78rpm records were bundled in book-like albums, as part of a trend of shifting sales in the music industry, some commenters have declared that the early 21st century experienced the death of the album. Sometimes shorter albums are referred to as mini-albums or EPs, Albums such as Tubular Bells, Amarok, Hergest Ridge by Mike Oldfield, and Yess Close to the Edge, include fewer than four tracks. There are no rules against artists such as Pinhead Gunpowder referring to their own releases under thirty minutes as albums. These are known as box sets, material is stored on an album in sections termed tracks, normally 11 or 12 tracks. A music track is a song or instrumental recording. The term is associated with popular music where separate tracks are known as album tracks. When vinyl records were the medium for audio recordings a track could be identified visually from the grooves
2.
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
3.
Manhattan Center
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In 1976, the building was purchased by its current owner, the Unification Church for $3 million. The Manhattan Center was originally called the Manhattan Opera House and was built in 1906 by Oscar Hammerstein I, Hammerstein boldly sought to compete with the established Metropolitan Opera by offering grand opera to the New York public at lower ticket prices and with a superior orchestra and stage productions. Rapidly, it received acclaim and became a popular alternative to the Met. In 1910, after the Metropolitan Opera felt it could no longer tolerate the competition and he accepted the offer and experimented with various other types of entertainment before ultimately selling the building. In March 1911, it was opened as a house by the Shubert brothers featuring vaudeville shows during the week. In 1922, the Manhattan Opera House was purchased by the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masonry, who built a new building façade and a new Grand Ballroom on the seventh floor. In 1926, Warner Bros rented the ballroom to set up a studio for the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system to record the New York Philharmonic orchestra for the film Don Juan and that film marked the release of the inaugural commercial film featuring a recorded musical soundtrack. By 1939, the name of the building had changed to the Manhattan Center. In 1986, Manhattan Center Studios was formed to develop the center into a venue with the capability of holding multimedia festivities, MCS expanded the audio recording facilities when Studio 4 was opened in 1993. Studio 7 was rebuilt in 1996 to become a state-of-the-art control room capable of servicing all types of recordings, in March 1990, the company began investing in video equipment and studio facilities to expand into the video and television industry. The company’s video post production facilities in Studio 9 were completed in 1993 and in the years that followed, Studio 1 was completed in 1994 and Studio 6 was completed in 1995. The connection of the studios to the Ballrooms makes them attractive venues for live broadcast events and webcasts. C, based television services and production company. Beginning in 1997, the Hammerstein Ballroom underwent a major renovation, the Manhattan Center became a hot spot for big band dances as well as trade shows, union meetings and other social functions. Its Hammerstein Ballroom has hosted Extreme Championship Wrestling events in the years before its closing, since 2006, the Manhattan Center has played host to yearly Ring of Honor events, both in the Grand Ballroom and the Hammerstein Ballroom. In 2014, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling taped multiple episodes of their Impact Wrestling TV program at the Grand Ballroom on June 25–27, several seasons of NBCs Americas Got Talent were taped there. The Manhattan Center was home to Al Jazeera Americas main studio, the Manhattan Center is also the current home of Hillsong NYC, with weekly church gatherings happening every Sunday. Http, //www. mcpstudios. com/ Manhattan Center Studios | Audio Dept, | Recording Studios Manhattan Center Studios | History Manhattan Center Studios | MCStudios
4.
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
5.
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
6.
Roc-A-Fella Records
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Roc-A-Fella Records was an American record label founded by American recording artist Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem Biggs Burke. It operated as a division of The Island Def Jam Music Group, the foundation of the label occurred in 1996, beginning as an independent outlet for rapper Jay-Zs first album. M. O. P. and DJ Clue, as well as producer Irv Gotti, hard Knock Life, saw him largely depart from his previous entourage and venture forth with producers Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, The 45 King and Jermaine Dupri. Though Da Ranjahz put in appearances on Memphis Bleeks first album, Coming of Age, in 1999, they soon parted ways with Roc-A-Fella Records. Jay-Zs 1999 album Vol.3. Life and Times of S. Carter continued Jays new affiliations with then-popular producers, in 2000, Jay-Z put out The Dynasty, Roc La Familia as a solo album. Rather than return to Timbaland or Swizz Beatz for production, Jay selected beats from a new crop of producers, Jonathan Chandler, Kanye West, Bink, The Neptunes, each beatsmith would go on to become consistently involved in future Roc-A-Fella Records projects. The new millennium saw Roc-A-Fella Records begin to expand one figurehead artist, Beanie Sigels The Truth had reached #5 on the Billboard charts in 2000, and DJ Clue released The Professional 2 in 2000. During this time, Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel were embroiled in a feud with Ruff Ryders Entertainment artists Jadakiss, Camron put out his Roc-A-Fella Records debut Come Home with Me in 2002 to platinum sales, and shortly signed his group The Diplomats to Roc-A-Fella Records, as well. From 2002 to 2003, Dame Dash signed several artists in response to Jay-Zs talk of retirement after his 2002 album The Blueprint2, The Gift & The Curse. He signed M. O. P. and Ol Dirty Bastard, gave Grafh a joint-venture deal, Dash, poised to take greater control in the company, began heavily promoting artists Camron, The Diplomats, State Property, Kanye West and Twista. In 2004, Kanye Wests album, The College Dropout, became a commercial and critical success, selling multi-platinum. The infamous split occurred when it was revealed that Carter, Dash and Burke had sold their 50% interest in Roc-A-Fella Records to The Island Def Jam Music Group, as President, Carter retained control of the Roc and his masters, ousting his two former partners. M. O. P. and Grafh also left Roc-A-Fella Records for Dame Dash Music Group, though both acts parted ways with Dash soon thereafter. Due to the 2004 death of Ol Dirty Bastard, Dash also brought with him masters of the project and promises to release the album, A Son Unique. It was stated by Memphis Bleek that Cory Gunz had signed, by the end of the year, Dash had split his label from Def Jam Recordings and Jay-Zs role overseeing his project, after asking for more money and a bigger role in the company. Dame Dash Music Group left Def Jam Recordings and was subsequently dissolved, in 2006, releases were largely limited to those of Roc-La-Familia, a Latino-geared label under Roc-A-Fella Records that followed the trend of Reggaeton. Both put out albums, and the label was home to New York rapper Tru Life, Jay-Z made his return that year with Kingdom Come, to mixed reviews. Freeways project received critical acclaim but not major sales, and contained comments aimed at Kanye West and Just Blaze for not supplying production and he later amended his comments, stating he desired to work with Just Blaze but the producer hasnt reached out
7.
Def Jam Recordings
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Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused predominantly on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group. In the UK, the takes on the name Def Jam UK and is operated through Virgin EMI, while in Japan. The label distributes various record labels, including Kanye Wests GOOD Music, Ludacris Disturbing Tha Peace, Def Jam was founded by Rick Rubin in his dormitory in Weinstein Hall at New York University and its first release was a single by his punk-rock group Hose. Russell Simmons joined Rubin shortly after they were introduced to other, according to one story. Another cites DJ Jazzy Jay as their connector, Rubin has said he met Simmons on the TV show, Graffiti Rock and recognized him then as the face of hip hop, He was five years older than me, and he was already established in the music business. And I had no experience whatsoever, the first single released with the Def Jam Recordings logo was T La Rock & Jazzy Jays Its Yours. The first releases with Def Jam Recordings catalog numbers were LL Cool Js I Need a Beat, the singles sold well, eventually leading to a distribution deal with CBS Records through Columbia Records the following year. A few years later, Russell Simmons and Lyor Cohen started a label called Rush Associated Labels to handle Def Jam. RAL became the home to Nice & Smooth and EPMD after both acts were acquired due to the folding of their former label Sleeping Bag Records, other acts under the RAL umbrella included Redman, Onyx, Flatlinerz, Domino, Warren G and Jayo Felony. As the decade drew to a close, the label signed Public Enemy, Lyor Cohen became president of Def Jam/RAL in 1988, after winning a power struggle with Rubin, who would shortly thereafter leave the company to form Def American Recordings. Rubin would take Slayer with him to Def American in its initial stages, by 1992, despite recent multi-platinum selling releases from Public Enemy, and EPMD, Def Jam ran into severe financial troubles and was faced with folding. However, in 1994, PolyGram purchased Sonys 50% stake in Def Jam Recordings — subsequently bringing the label into its fold, following PolyGrams purchase, Def Jam distributed the Violator Records-signed artist Warren Gs Regulate. G Funk Era album, which went triple platinum and brought much-needed revenue to Def Jam through its distribution deal with Violator, PolyGram acquired an additional 10% in Def Jam Recordings in 1996, further strengthening its ownership of Def Jam. Shortly thereafter, Rush Associated Labels was renamed Def Jam Music Group, the label remained profitable as its veteran star LL Cool J released his successful album Mr. Smith in 1995. The label later signed Foxy Brown, whose debut album Ill Na Na became a seller in 1997. In 1998, PolyGram was purchased by Seagram and merged with the MCA family of labels and it then purchased the remaining interest of Def Jam Recordings from Russell Simmons for a reported $100 million. UMG merged 14+ record labels including, Def Jam, Island Records, despite the formation of IDJMG, the Def Jam, Mercury, and Island labels continued to operate as separate imprints underneath the bigger umbrella. Lyor Cohen was appointed co-president of IDJMG, and Kevin Liles succeeded him as president of Def Jam, Def Soul also issued recordings by Musiq, Montell Jordan, Case,112, Patti LaBelle, and Christina Milian
8.
Record producer
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A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performers music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many roles during the recording process, the roles of a producer vary. The producer may perform these roles himself, or help select the engineer, the producer may also pay session musicians and engineers and ensure that the entire project is completed within the record companies budget. A record producer or music producer has a broad role in overseeing and managing the recording. Producers also often take on an entrepreneurial role, with responsibility for the budget, schedules, contracts. In the 2010s, the industry has two kinds of producers with different roles, executive producer and music producer. Executive producers oversee project finances while music producers oversee the process of recording songs or albums. In most cases the producer is also a competent arranger, composer. The producer will also liaise with the engineer who concentrates on the technical aspects of recording. Noted producer Phil Ek described his role as the person who creatively guides or directs the process of making a record, indeed, in Bollywood music, the designation actually is music director. The music producers job is to create, shape, and mold a piece of music, at the beginning of record industry, producer role was technically limited to record, in one shot, artists performing live. The role of producers changed progressively over the 1950s and 1960s due to technological developments, the development of multitrack recording caused a major change in the recording process. Before multitracking, all the elements of a song had to be performed simultaneously, all of these singers and musicians had to be assembled in a large studio and the performance had to be recorded. As well, for a song that used 20 instruments, it was no longer necessary to get all the players in the studio at the same time. Examples include the rock sound effects of the 1960s, e. g. playing back the sound of recorded instruments backwards or clanging the tape to produce unique sound effects. These new instruments were electric or electronic, and thus they used instrument amplifiers, new technologies like multitracking changed the goal of recording, A producer could blend together multiple takes and edit together different sections to create the desired sound. For example, in jazz fusion Bandleader-composer Miles Davis album Bitches Brew, producers like Phil Spector and George Martin were soon creating recordings that were, in practical terms, almost impossible to realise in live performance. Producers became creative figures in the studio, other examples of such engineers includes Joe Meek, Teo Macero, Brian Wilson, and Biddu
9.
Damon Dash
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Damon Dash, also known as Dame Dash, is an American entrepreneur, music producer and actor. Dash is best known as co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records along with Shawn Carter, born in New York City, Dash swept the floors of a local barbershop and sold newspapers in order to buy sneakers and shirts as a teenager. Dash developed his work ethic from the example of his mother, Dash was sent to a private school in order to receive a better education. His success helped him discover the different fields he wanted to branch out into, Dash served as Jay-Zs former manager and business partner at Roc-a-Fella Records, and in 1999, he organized a tour for Jay-Z which made $19 million. Their relationship soured as a result of two subsequent events, the first was when Roc-A-Fella Records was purchased by Def Jam Recordings in 2004, after which Jay-Z agreed to take a job as Def Jams president. Then, in late 2005, Jay-Z bought Dash out of his stake in Rocawear, in April 2014, it was announced that Dash is also involved with Blind Debit, a fingerprint payment application being developed by Dez White. Dash met R&B singer Aaliyah in late 1999 through Dashs accountant in New York City, though they were not formally engaged, in interviews given after Aaliyahs death, Dash stated that the couple had planned to marry. Damon Dash at the Internet Movie Database
10.
Eminem
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Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the 2000s in the United States, throughout his career, he has had 10 number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and five number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Globally, he has more than 172 million albums, thus being one of the worlds best-selling artists. Rolling Stone ranked him 83rd on its list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and they were followed by Encore in 2004, another critical and commercial success. Eminem went on hiatus after touring in 2005, releasing Relapse in 2009, both won Grammy Awards and Recovery was the best-selling album of 2010 worldwide, the second time he had the international best-selling album of the year. Eminems eighth album, 2013s The Marshall Mathers LP2, won two Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album, it expanded his record for the most wins in that category and his Grammy total to 15. In addition to his career, Eminem is an original member of the Midwest hip hop groups Soul Intent. He is also known for his collaborations with fellow Detroit-based rapper Royce da 59, Eminem has developed other ventures, including Shady Records, with manager Paul Rosenberg, which helped launch the careers of artists such as 50 Cent. Eminem has also established his own channel, Shade 45, on Sirius XM Radio. In November 2002, he starred in the hip hop film 8 Mile, Eminem has made cameo appearances in the films The Wash, Funny People, The Interview and the television series Entourage. Eminem was born on October 17,1972, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Debbie was 14 when she met 18-year-old Bruce, at age 17, she nearly died during her 73-hour labor. Eminems parents were in a band called Daddy Warbucks, playing in Ramada Inns along the Dakotas–Montana border before their separation, Bruce left the family, moving to California and having two other children, Michael and Sarah. Debbie had son Nathan Nate Kane Samara on February 3,1986, during his childhood, Eminem and Debbie shuttled between Michigan and Missouri, rarely staying in one house for more than a year or two and living primarily with family members. In Missouri, they lived in places, including St. Joseph, Savannah. As a teenager Eminem wrote letters to his father, according to Debbie, friends and family remember Eminem as a happy child, but a bit of a loner who was often bullied. One bully, DeAngelo Bailey, severely injured Eminems head, Debbie filed a lawsuit against the school in 1982, Eminem spent much of his youth in a working-class, primarily black, Detroit neighborhood. He and Debbie were one of three white households on their block, and Eminem was beaten by black youths several times, as a child he was interested in storytelling, aspiring to be a comic-book artist before discovering hip hop. Eminem heard his first rap song on the Breakin soundtrack, a gift from Debbies half-brother Ronnie Polkinghorn, when Polkinghorn committed suicide in 1991, Eminem stopped speaking for days and did not attend his funeral
11.
Kanye West
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Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, fashion designer, and entrepreneur. Intent on pursuing a career as a rapper, West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004 to widespread critical and commercial success. He went on to pursue a variety of different styles on subsequent albums Late Registration, Graduation, and 808s & Heartbreak. In 2010, he released his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy to rave reviews from critics, West released his abrasive sixth album, Yeezus, to further critical praise in 2013. His seventh album, The Life of Pablo, was released in 2016, Wests outspoken views and life outside of music have received significant mainstream attention. He has been a frequent source of controversy for his conduct at award shows, on social media and he is the founder and head of the creative content company DONDA. His 2014 marriage to television personality Kim Kardashian has also been subject to media coverage. He has won a total of 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time, three of his albums have been included and ranked on Rolling Stones 2012 update of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. He has also included in a number of Forbes annual lists. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015, West was born on June 8,1977 in Atlanta, Georgia. His parents divorced when he was three years old, after the divorce, he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, is a former Black Panther and was one of the first black photojournalists at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ray West was later a Christian counselor, and in 2006, opened the Good Water Store and Café in Lexington Park, Maryland with startup capital from his son. West, was a professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, West was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago. At the age of 10, West moved with his mother to Nanjing, China, according to his mother, West was the only foreigner in his class, but settled in well and quickly picked up the language, although he has since forgotten most of it. When asked about his grades in school, West replied, I got As. West demonstrated an affinity for the arts at an early age and his mother recalled that she first took notice of Wests passion for drawing and music when he was in the third grade. Growing up in Chicago, West became deeply involved in its hip hop scene and he started rapping in the third grade and began making musical compositions in the seventh grade, eventually selling them to other artists
12.
Timbaland
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Timothy Zachery Tim Mosley, known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, singer, songwriter, rapper and DJ. Timbalands first full credit production work was in 1996 on Ginuwine. the Bachelor for R&B singer Ginuwine, after further work on Aaliyahs 1996 album One in a Million and Missy Elliotts 1997 album Supa Dupa Fly, Timbaland became a prominent producer for R&B and hip hop artists. As a rapper he released several albums with fellow rapper Magoo. A Timbaland-owned imprint label, Mosley Music Group, featured such as Nelly Furtado. In 2007, Timbaland released an album, Shock Value. As a songwriter he has written as of 2014,85 UK hits and 99 hits Stateside, Timbaland has received widespread acclaim for his production style. Timothy Zachery Mosley was born on March 10,1972 in Norfolk, Virginia, to Latrice, who ran a shelter, and Garland Mosley. He graduated from Salem High School of Virginia Beach, Virginia, during his time as a DJ, he was known as DJ Tim or DJ Timmy Tim. His brother, Sebastian, is reportedly around nine years younger and his sister Courtney Rashon is a makeup artist and author from New Jersey. While attending high school, Timbaland began a collaboration with rapper Melvin Barcliff. The teenage Mosley also joined the production ensemble S. B. I. which also featured Neptunes producer Pharrell, Mosley was also high school friends with brothers Terrence and Gene Thornton, who would become known as Pusha T and Malice of the rap group Clipse, respectively. In 1986, when Timbaland was 14 years old, he was shot by a co-worker at a local Red Lobster restaurant and was partially paralyzed for nine months. During this time, he began to learn how to DJ using his left hand, singer and rapper Missy Elliott heard his material and began working with him. She and her R&B group, Sista, auditioned for DeVante Swing, DeVante signed Sista to his Swing Mob record label and Elliott brought Mosley and Barcliff along with her to New York, where Swing Mob was based. It was DeVante who renamed the young producer Timbaland, after the Timberland brand of construction boots. He and Magoo became part of SCI Zakys School stable of Swing Mob signees known as Da Bassment crew, joining artists such as R&B singer Ginuwine, male vocal group Playa, and the girl group Sugah. Timbaland did production work on a number of projects with DeVante, including the 1995 Jodeci LP The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel, Elliott began receiving recognition as a songwriter for artists such as R&B girl group 702 and MC Lyte. Due to Timbalands connection with her, he was contacted to produce remixes of her songs
13.
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
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The Dynasty, Roc La Familia is the fifth studio album by American hip-hop artist Jay Z. It was released on October 31,2000 and its lead single, I Just Wanna Love U, produced by The Neptunes, was one of Jay Zs most successful singles peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with 557,789 copies sold in its first week, the album generally received positive reviews from music critics and the album ended up becoming the 20th highest selling R&B/Hip-Hop Album of the 2000–2010 decade according to Billboard. Big name guest appearances have been limited to three – Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, and Scarface – to make room for the Roc-A-Fella family, partially as a result of this exposure, these producers would achieve notable success in the future. This was also the first album of Jay Zs not to work by longtime producer DJ Premier. I. G. Squeeze 1st contains elements from Hypnotize and Who Shot Ya, both performed by The Notorious B. I. G, dre Where Have You Been contains a sample of Agua de Dos Ríos performed by Camilo Sesto Adapted from AllMusic. List of number-one albums of 2000 List of number-one R&B albums of 2000 Z-The-Dynasty-Roc-La-Familia-2000-/master/46962 The Dynasty, Roc La Familia at Discogs
14.
Single (music)
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In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record, an album or an EP record. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats, in most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download or commercial radio airplay and are expected to be the most popular, in other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album. As digital downloading and audio streaming have become prevalent, it is often possible for every track on an album to also be available separately. Nevertheless, the concept of a single for an album has been retained as an identification of a heavily promoted or more popular song within an album collection. Despite being referred to as a single, singles can include up to as many as three tracks on them. The biggest digital music distributor, iTunes, accepts as many as three tracks less than ten minutes each as a single, as well as popular music player Spotify also following in this trend. Any more than three tracks on a release or longer than thirty minutes in total running time is either an Extended Play or if over six tracks long. The basic specifications of the single were made in the late 19th century. Gramophone discs were manufactured with a range of speeds and in several sizes. By about 1910, however, the 10-inch,78 rpm shellac disc had become the most commonly used format, the inherent technical limitations of the gramophone disc defined the standard format for commercial recordings in the early 20th century.26 rpm. With these factors applied to the 10-inch format, songwriters and performers increasingly tailored their output to fit the new medium, the breakthrough came with Bob Dylans Like a Rolling Stone. Singles have been issued in various formats, including 7-inch, 10-inch, other, less common, formats include singles on digital compact cassette, DVD, and LD, as well as many non-standard sizes of vinyl disc. Some artist release singles on records, a more common in musical subcultures. The most common form of the single is the 45 or 7-inch. The names are derived from its speed,45 rpm. The 7-inch 45 rpm record was released 31 March 1949 by RCA Victor as a smaller, more durable, the first 45 rpm records were monaural, with recordings on both sides of the disc. As stereo recordings became popular in the 1960s, almost all 45 rpm records were produced in stereo by the early 1970s
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Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
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Izzo is the first single released by Jay-Z from his sixth album The Blueprint. It is among his most popular singles and this was the second song released off The Blueprint, after the diss track Takeover, but the lead single from it. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U. S and it was Jay-Zs first top 10 single as a lead artist. The song, produced by Kanye West, prominently features a sample of I Want You Back by The Jackson 5, the song was later mashed up with Linkin Parks In the End for their collaborative EP, Collision Course. The first verse deals with the early career as a drug dealer. The second verse narrates his struggles with the recording industry
16.
Girls, Girls, Girls (Jay-Z song)
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Girls, Girls, Girls is the second single from rapper Jay-Zs album The Blueprint. It is a description of the artists promiscuous lifestyle. The song contains a sample of Theres Nothing In This World That Can Stop Me From Loving You by Tom Brock, the chorus features a lyrical interpolation of High Power Rap by Crash Crew. The song has additional vocals sung by Q-Tip, Slick Rick and Biz Markie, a remix of the song produced by Kanye West can be found as a hidden track on The Blueprint after the songs Blueprint and the other hidden song Lyrical Exercise. The remix is composed of new verses by Jay-Z, a new instrumental sampling Trying Girls Out by The Persuaders and uncredited vocals from Michael Jackson, just Blaze originally produced the song for Ghostface Killah. The video was shot in September 2001 in Los Angeles, California, Jay-Z stated in a 2011 interview that he was in Los Angeles preparing for the shoot when the September 11 terrorist attacks took place, I flew to L. A. I was shooting a video for a song called Girls, Girls, Girls, “I’d dropped my album The Blueprint on the same day. And I just remember waking up in LA and thinking everybody was playing, like ‘That can’t be, ’ then turning on the TV, actresses Carmen Electra, Tamala Jones, and Paula Jai Parker, all make cameo appearances in the songs music video. Damon Dash, Biz Markie, and Kanye West also make appearances in the video. Jay-Z wore the Mitchell & Ness 1947 Washington Redskins jersey of Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh as well as a 1982 San Diego Padres jersey and this increased demand for the throwback jersey and renewed popular awareness of Baugh. List of Jay-Z songs Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
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Song Cry
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Song Cry is a song by American rapper Jay-Z and produced by Just Blaze. It was the fourth and final single from his studio album The Blueprint and also appears on the 2001 live album Jay-Z. Song Cry was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance, the song is a slow and quiet melodic rap ballad in which Jay-Z laments the break-up of an earlier relationship due to his own neglect and infidelity. Admitting that he is too prideful to publicly display his emotions and this allows Jay-Z to mourn the break-up free of any damage to his masculine image as a street hustler. This furthers the notion that emotional vulnerability is a sign of weakness, especially within the Black community, Song Cry features female vocalist Jaguar Wright singing a sample of Sounds Like a Love Song by Bobby Glenn, though Wright is not identified in the liner notes of the album. During his 2006 Water for Life Tour, Jay-Z performed Song Cry at the Royal Albert Hall, American actress Gwyneth Paltrow did the chorus
18.
September 11 attacks
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The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11,2001. The attacks killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, two of the planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, were crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia and it was the deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States, with 343 and 72 killed respectively. Suspicion for the attack fell on al-Qaeda. The United States responded to the attacks by launching the War on Terror and invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, many countries strengthened their anti-terrorism legislation and expanded the powers of law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent terrorist attacks. Although al-Qaedas leader, Osama bin Laden, initially denied any involvement, al-Qaeda and bin Laden cited U. S. support of Israel, the presence of U. S. troops in Saudi Arabia, and sanctions against Iraq as motives. Having evaded capture for almost a decade, bin Laden was located and killed by SEAL Team Six of the U. S. Navy in May 2011. S. many closings, evacuations, and cancellations followed, out of respect or fear of further attacks. Cleanup of the World Trade Center site was completed in May 2002, on November 18,2006, construction of One World Trade Center began at the World Trade Center site. The building was opened on November 3,2014. The origins of al-Qaeda can be traced to 1979 when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden traveled to Afghanistan and helped organize Arab mujahideen to resist the Soviets. Under the guidance of Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden became more radical, in 1996, bin Laden issued his first fatwā, calling for American soldiers to leave Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden used Islamic texts to exhort Muslims to attack Americans until the stated grievances are reversed, Muslim legal scholars have throughout Islamic history unanimously agreed that the jihad is an individual duty if the enemy destroys the Muslim countries, according to bin Laden. Bin Laden, who orchestrated the attacks, initially denied but later admitted involvement, in November 2001, U. S. forces recovered a videotape from a destroyed house in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. In the video, bin Laden is seen talking to Khaled al-Harbi, on December 27,2001, a second bin Laden video was released. In the video, he said, It has become clear that the West in general and it is the hatred of crusaders. Terrorism against America deserves to be praised because it was a response to injustice, aimed at forcing America to stop its support for Israel, the transcript refers several times to the United States specifically targeting Muslims. He said that the attacks were carried out because, we are free, and want to regain freedom for our nation. As you undermine our security we undermine yours, Bin Laden said he had personally directed his followers to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
19.
Bootleg recording
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A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging, bootlegs usually consist of either unreleased studio recordings, live performances or interviews with an unpredictable level of quality. The following year, the Rolling Stones Liver Than Youll Ever Be, subsequent bootlegs became more sophisticated in packaging, particularly the Trademark of Quality label with William Stouts cover artwork. Compact disc bootlegs first appeared in the 1980s, and internet distribution became popular in the 1990s. Changing technologies have affected the recording, distribution, and varying profitability of the underground industry, the copyrights for the song and the right to authorise recordings often reside with the artist, according to several international copyright treaties. The recording, trading and sale of bootlegs continues to thrive, however, even as artists, the word bootleg originates from the practice of smuggling illicit items in the legs of tall boots, particularly the smuggling of alcohol during the American Prohibition era. The word, over time, has come to refer to any illegal or illicit product and this term has become an umbrella term for illicit, unofficial, or unlicensed recordings, including vinyl LPs, silver CDs, or any other commercially sold media or material. The alternate term ROIO or VOI arose among Pink Floyd collectors, to clarify the recording source, although unofficial and unlicensed recordings had existed before the 1960s, the very first rock bootlegs came in plain sleeves with the title rubber stamped on it. However, they developed into more sophisticated packaging, in order to distinguish the manufacturer from inferior competitors. With todays packaging and desktop publishing technology, even the layman can create official looking CDs, with the advent of the cassette and CD-R, however, some bootlegs are traded privately with no attempt to be manufactured professionally. This is even more evident with the ability to share bootlegs via the Internet, some record companies have considered that any record issued outside of their control, and for which they do not receive payment, to be a counterfeit, which includes bootlegs. The most common type is the live bootleg, or audience recording, a number of bootlegs originated with FM radio broadcasts of live or previously recorded live performances. Other bootlegs may be soundboard recordings taken directly from a mixing console used to feed the public address system at a live performance. Artists may record their own shows for review, but engineers may surreptitiously take a copy of this. Some bootlegs consist of private or professional studio recordings distributed without the involvement, including demos. A theme of early rock bootlegs was to copy deleted records, such as old singles and B-sides, onto a single LP, some bootlegs, however, did lead to official releases. According to enthusiast and author Clinton Heylin, the concept of a record can be traced back to the days of Shakespeare. The US did not agree to the terms, resulting in many piratical reprints of sheet music being published there by the end of the century
20.
New York City Subway stations
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The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system that serves four of the five boroughs of New York City, New York, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. Its operator is the New York City Transit Authority, which is controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York. In 2015, an average of 5.65 million passengers used the daily, making it the busiest rapid transit system in the United States. The privately held IRT, founded in 1902, constructed and operated the first underground line in New York City. The oldest sections of elevated lines still in operation were built in 1885, the BMT, founded in 1923 and also privately held, was formed from the bankruptcy of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company. The IND was created by the City of New York in 1921 to be a municipally owned competitor of the two private companies, unification in June 1940 by the New York City Board of Transportation brought the three systems under one operator. If station complexes are counted as one each, the number of stations is 425. Regardless of how stations are counted, the New York City Subway has the largest number of rapid transit stations in the world, included in the station counts is one station that is temporarily closed, Cortlandt Street on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line. The station closed when it was destroyed during the September 11,2001 attacks, the newest New York City Subway stations are part of the Second Avenue Subway, and are located on Second Avenue at 72nd, 86th and 96th streets. They opened on January 1,2017, stations that share identical street names are disambiguated by the line name and/or the cross street each is associated with. Of the 472 stations in the system,469 are served 24 hours a day, underground stations in the New York City Subway are typically accessed by staircases going down from street level. Many of these staircases are painted in a shade of green. Other stations have unique entrances reflective of their location or date of construction, several station entrance stairs, for example, are integrated into adjacent buildings. Nearly all station entrances feature color-coded globe or square lamps signifying their status as an entrance, the New York City Subway primarily employs two types of turnstiles, a waist-high turnstile, and a full-height turnstile known as a High Entry-Exit Turnstile. The waist-high turnstiles, the most prominent in the system, were installed beginning in 1993 along with the implementation of MetroCard, the newer HEETs resemble several older turnstiles of that design informally called iron maidens, and are prevalent at subway entrances without token booths to discourage fare evasion. Both turnstiles are stainless steel and are bidirectional, allowing passengers to enter with fare payment, a third older type of turnstile, the High Exit Turnstile, is a black-painted unidirectional iron maiden and only turns in the exiting direction. Entrance is also available via Service Entry gates or AutoGates, which cater primarily to handicapped passengers or passengers with large items such as strollers and these gates double as pushbar Emergency Exits, though they are often used for regular exiting in crowded stations. At most of the entrances and exits, there is a lamppost or two bearing a colored spherical or cube-shaped lamp
21.
Soul music
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Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues, Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States, where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax were influential during the Civil Rights Movement. Soul also became popular around the world, directly influencing rock music, catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music. Other characteristics are a call and response between the lead vocalist and the chorus and a tense vocal sound. The style also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds, Soul music reflected the African-American identity and it stressed the importance of an African-American culture. The new-found African-American consciousness led to new styles of music, which boasted pride in being black, Soul music dominated the U. S. R&B chart in the 1960s, and many recordings crossed over into the pop charts in the U. S. By 1968, the music genre had begun to splinter. Some soul artists developed funk music, while other singers and groups developed slicker, more sophisticated, by the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by psychedelic rock and other genres, leading to psychedelic soul. The United States saw the development of neo soul around 1994, there are also several other subgenres and offshoots of soul music. The term soul had been used among African-American musicians to emphasize the feeling of being an African-American in the United States, according to another source, Soul music was the result of the urbanization and commercialization of rhythm and blues in the 60s. The phrase soul music itself, referring to music with secular lyrics, is first attested in 1961. The term soul in African-American parlance has connotations of African-American pride, gospel groups in the 1940s and 1950s occasionally used the term as part of their name. The jazz style that derived from gospel came to be called soul jazz, important innovators whose recordings in the 1950s contributed to the emergence of soul music included Clyde McPhatter, Hank Ballard, and Etta James. Ray Charles is often cited as popularizing the genre with his string of hits starting with 1954s I Got a Woman. Singer Bobby Womack said, Ray was the genius and he turned the world onto soul music. Charles was open in acknowledging the influence of Pilgrim Travelers vocalist Jesse Whitaker on his singing style, little Richard and James Brown were equally influential. Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson are also acknowledged as soul forefathers. Cooke became popular as the singer of gospel group The Soul Stirrers
22.
Sampling (music)
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In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a sound recording in a different song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, by the late 1960s, the use of tape loop sampling influenced the development of minimalist music and the production of psychedelic rock and jazz fusion. Hip hop music was the first popular music based on the art of sampling – being born from 1970s DJs who experimented with manipulating vinyl on two turntables and an audio mixer. Historically, sampling was most often done with a sampler — a specialized piece of hardware — but today, however, vinyl emulation software may also be used, and turntablists continue to sample using traditional methods. Often samples consist of one part of a song, such as a rhythm break, for instance, hip hop music developed from DJs looping the breaks from songs to enable continuous dancing. Samples can also consist of words and phrases, including those in non-musical media such as movies, TV shows. Sampling does not necessarily mean using pre-existing recordings, a number of composers and musicians have constructed pieces or songs by sampling field recordings they made themselves, and others have sampled their own original recordings. The use of sampling is controversial legally and musically, in the 1970s, when hip hop was confined to local dance parties, it was unnecessary to obtain copyright clearance in order to sample recorded music at these parties. Aside from legal issues, sampling has been championed and criticized. Hip-hop DJs today take different approaches to sampling, with critical of its obvious use. Some critics, particularly those with a rockist outlook, have expressed the belief all sampling is lacking in creativity, while others say sampling has been innovative and revolutionary. Those whose own work has been sampled have also voiced a variety of opinions about the practice. Once recorded, samples can be edited, played back, or looped, types of samples include, The drums and percussion parts of many modern recordings are really a variety of short samples of beats strung together. Many libraries of such beats exist and are licensed so that the user incorporating the samples can distribute their recording without paying royalties, such libraries can be loaded into samplers. Though percussion is an application of looping, many kinds of samples can be looped. A piece of music may have an ostinato which is created by sampling a phrase played on any kind of instrument, there is software which specializes in creating loops. Whereas loops are usually a phrase played on a musical instrument, Music workstations and samplers use samples of musical instruments as the basis of their own sounds, and are capable of playing a sample back at any pitch. Many modern synthesizers and drum machines also use samples as the basis of their sounds, most such samples are created in professional recording studios using world-class instruments played by accomplished musicians
23.
Nas
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Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, better known by his stage name Nas /ˈnɑːz/, is an American rapper, record producer, actor and entrepreneur. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and has sold over 25 million records worldwide. He is also an entrepreneur through his own label, he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and is the owner of a Fila sneaker store. He is currently signed to Mass Appeal Records and his musical career began in 1991 as featured artist on Main Sources Live at the Barbeque. His debut album Illmatic received universal acclaim from critics and the hip hop community and is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Nas follow-up It Was Written debuted at one on the Billboard 200, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks. From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a publicized feud with rapper Jay Z. Nas signed to Def Jam in 2006. In 2010, he released Distant Relatives, an album with reggae artist Damian Marley. His eleventh studio album, Life Is Good was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, Nas is often named as one of the greatest hip hop artists. MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, in 2012, The Source ranked him number two on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. In 2013, Nas was ranked fourth on MTVs Hottest MCs in the Game list. About. com ranked him first on their list of the 50 Greatest MCs of All Time in 2014, nasir bin Olu Dara Jones was born September 14,1973, in Brooklyn, New York. His father, Olu Dara, is a jazz and blues musician and his mother, Fannie Ann Jones, was a Postal Service worker from North Carolina. He has one sibling, a brother named Jabari Fret who is best known as Jungle and his father took his name Olu Dara from the Yoruba people. His African DNA indicates he has roots in countries with high Yoruba populations Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana – as well as Mali, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Senegal. His matrilineal DNA haplogroup is of African origin, found among the Yoruba and he also found that his Y-DNA traces directly back to Scandinavia, through which he is a descendant of the Vikings. As a young child, Nas and his family relocated to the Queensbridge Houses in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens and his neighbor, Willy Ill Will Graham, influenced Nass interest in hip hop by playing him records. His parents divorced in 1985, and he dropped out of school after the eighth grade and he educated himself about African culture through the Five Percent Nation and the Nuwaubian Nation
24.
Prodigy (rapper)
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Albert Johnson, better known by his stage name Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep with Havoc. He is the great-great-grandson of the founder of Morehouse College, born in Hempstead, New York, Prodigy became a member of the duo Mobb Deep. He comes from a musical family—his grandfather, Budd Johnson, and his mother, Fatima Johnson, was a member of The Crystals. Its next release, Murda Muzik, was heavily bootlegged while still in its stage, leaking, onto the streets and over the internet. He started work on his solo album H. N. I. C. Part 2, which was previewed on his official mixtape The Return of the Mac on the independent label Koch Records, the mixtape single and mixtape video are called Mac 10 Handle. Pt.2 was released through Voxonic Inc. of which Prodigy is an equity holder, in late 2009, Mobb Deep was released from its contract with 50 Cents G-Unit label. He recently served a sentence in Mid-State medium-security prison, following a plea agreement stemming from a gun-possession charge. He was officially released on March 7,2011, Prodigy released an autobiography during spring 2011 entitled My Infamous Life, The Autobiography of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy. It was co-written with Laura Checkoway and was published by Touchstone Books, Prodigy was recently featured in the 2011 documentary Rhyme and Punishment a film that documents Hip-Hop artists who have been incarcerated. The film documents Prodigys trial and his last days before starting his prison sentence, during 2011, Prodigy released a free EP called The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson EP which is his first project since being released from prison. On April 21, a song titled The Type, with Curren$y, was released on Curren$ys free album, Prodigy has spoken out against the secret society Illuminati. In 2013, Prodigy released his collaboration album with The Alchemist titled Albert Einstein. Then on April 1,2014, Mobb Deep released The Infamous Mobb Deep their eighth studio album, in August 2016, he released an untitled EP of 5 tracks, released in partnership with BitTorrrent, an association that Prodigy had been working up for a while. November 6,2003, Prodigy was arrested in Cohoes, New York and charged with third degree criminal possession of a weapon, police reportedly recovered a.25 caliber handgun and marijuana on his person. October 26,2006, Prodigy was arrested in New York City and he was pulled over in a $120,000 customized bulletproof SUV after making an illegal u-turn around 2,15 AM. After conducting a search of the vehicle, police recovered a.22 caliber handgun in the center console, october 8,2007, Prodigy was sentenced to serve three and a half years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. Originally facing a sentence of 15 years in prison, Prodigy struck a deal with the prosecution
25.
Jadakiss
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Jason Phillips, better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX and the hip hop collective Ruff Ryders, Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block Records. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records and Def Jam Records, Jadakiss has also released four studio albums, with the most recent being Top 5 Dead or Alive on November 20,2015. By age 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle rapper and he and some of his friends were given the opportunity to compete in the Jack the Rapper Competition in Florida, where Jadakiss had been noticed for his battle rap ability. He met Dee and Wah of the Ruff Ryders, and began hanging out, Phillips founded the rap group The Warlocks in 1994 with friends, Sheek Louch and Styles P. They later signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, where it was suggested that change their name simply to The LOX. They made their first appearance on The Main Sources 1994 LP Fuck What You Think on the track Set it Off, the group, especially Jadakiss, developed a close relationship with The Notorious B. I. G. during which time Jadakiss was taken under Biggies wing. The LOXs first hit was the tribute to The Notorious B. I. G. called Well Always Love Big Poppa in 1997, in 1998, the LOX released Money, Power & Respect. Though the record was successful, eventually going Platinum, The LOX grew unhappy with Bad Boy Records and Puffys glossy, following this album, they left the label to sign with Ruff Ryders Entertainment. Jadakisss debut album, Kiss Tha Game Goodbye, was released in August 2001 on the Ruff Ryders/Interscope label. The album featured guests and producers such as DJ Premier, The Alchemist, DMX, Eve, Snoop Dogg and Swizz Beatz. Jadakiss has acknowledged the criticism as, generally speaking, valid, the album produced three singles, We Gonna Make It featuring Styles P, Knock Yourself Out and Put Ya Hands Up. Jadakiss is mentioned in Eminems 2002 song Till I Collapse as one of the best rappers in the industry, Jadakisss second album, Kiss of Death, was released in June 2004. His song Why. became one of the years biggest hits, spawning a remix featuring Styles P, Common, Nas, why. remains Jadas biggest hit, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another single from the record, U Make Me Wanna, featured Mariah Carey and was a more commercially driven love song. Kiss of Death did not reflect the popularity of its lead single, in late 2007, Jadakiss signed to Jay-Zs Roc-A-Fella Records, a move Jay had been trying to arrange for a long time. In 2009, Jadakiss released his official album, The Last Kiss. The first single is By My Side, featuring Ne-Yo, the second official single is Cant Stop Me
26.
Assault
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In criminal and civil law, assault is an attempt to initiate harmful or offensive contact with a person, or a threat to do so. It is distinct from battery, which refers to the achievement of such contact. An assault is carried out by a threat of bodily harm coupled with an apparent, present ability to cause the harm and it is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in either criminal and/or civil liability. Generally, the common law definition is the same in criminal, there is, however, an additional criminal law category of assault consisting of an attempted but unsuccessful battery. The term is confused with battery, which involves physical contact. Assault usually accompanies battery if the assailant both threatens to make unwanted contact and then carries through with this threat. Thus throwing a rock at someone for the purpose of hitting him is a if the rock in fact strikes the person. Aggravated assault is, in some jurisdictions, a form of assault. Aggravated assault can also be charged in cases of attempted harm against police officers or other public servants, Assault can also be considered in cases involving the spitting on, or unwanted exposure of bodily fluids to others. Consent may be a complete or partial defense to assault, in some jurisdictions, most notably England, it is not a defense where the degree of injury is severe, as long as there is no legally recognized good reason for the assault. This can have important consequences when dealing with such as consensual sadomasochistic sexual activity. Legally recognized good reasons for consent include surgery, activities within the rules of a game, bodily adornment, however, any activity outside the rules of the game is not legally recognized as a defense of consent. In Scottish Law, consent is not a defense for assault, Police officers and court officials have a general power to use force for the purpose of performing an arrest or generally carrying out their official duties. Thus, an officer taking possession of goods under a court order may use force if reasonably necessary. In some jurisdictions such as Singapore, judicial corporal punishment is part of the legal system, the officers who administer the punishment have immunity from prosecution for assault. What constitutes reasonable varies in both law and case law. Unreasonable physical punishment may be charged as assault or under a statute for child abuse. Many countries, including some US states, also permit the use of punishment for children in school
27.
Fat Joe
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Joseph Antonio Cartagena, better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He is also the CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D. I. T. C. Fat Joes debut album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous Ones Envy in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing in 2005. Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent. His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma duet Lean Back with Terror Squad, the song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004. Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment. His follow-up album was The Elephant in the Room, which was released in 2008, Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 and his tenth album The Darkside Vol.1 was released on July 27,2010. Fat Joe was born on August 19,1970 in the South Bronx area of New York City and he lived in public housing and began stealing at a young age to support his family. He also admits that he was a bully in his childhood and his brother introduced him to rap music. As a teenager, he was influenced by fellow Latino rapper Big Pun. Fat Joe explained the influence on him by saying Latinos before us who had the opportunity to do it just didnt know how to do it. They came in trying to do this music, waving flags. Were trying to kick in the doors for other Latinos and represent our people, under stage name Fat Joe da Gangsta and part of the rap group D. I. T. C. Cartagena was signed to Relativity Records in the early 1990s, recording material, in 1993, his debut album, Represent, was released, featuring production from The Beatnuts, Diamond D, Lord Finesse, and others. Its lead single, Flow Joe peaked at one on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart, other minor singles from the album included Watch the Sound. In 1995, Fat Joe released his studio album, Jealous Ones Envy. The album featured a guest appearance from KRS-One and production from Diamond D, the lead single was Success, which did not chart, but his second single, Envy peaked at #8 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The success of this album led Fat Joe to be featured on the remix of LL Cool Js single I Shot Ya along with Foxy Brown, Keith Murray, released in 1998, Don Cartagena was Joes third album and his first for Atlantic Records
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Mobb Deep
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Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from the Queensbridge Houses in New York City. The group consists of Havoc and Prodigy and is one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast Hip-Hop groups and they are known for their dark, hardcore delivery as exemplified in Shook Ones. Mobb Deep has become one of the most successful rap duos in hip hop, Mobb Deeps net worth is $10 million USD. Two of their albums have been successes, The Infamous. The group briefly disbanded in 2012 but has since reunited, in 1993, Havoc and Prodigy, released their debut album, Juvenile Hell, which was promoted by the single Peer Pressure. Also that year, Havoc made a guest appearance on the Black Moon album Enta Da Stage on a song titled U Da Man, in 1994 the duo released a single titled Shook Ones Part 1. The group saw its first major success with their album, The Infamous. Mobb Deep catapulted to the top of the hardcore hip-hop scene through Havoc, in this album, Mobb Deep portrayed the struggles of living in New York Citys Queensbridge Houses where Havoc grew up. Following the release of The Infamous, Mobb Deep became some of the most prolific artists of the East Coast, the production of this album was very dark and sample-based thanks to Havoc, who produced the beats from this point forward. Furthermore, the hit single Shook Ones Pt. II, a remix to the hit Shook Ones, jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, and fellow Queensbridge rapper Nas. Nas as well as Method Man and Raekwon of the Wu Tang Clan appear on Hell on Earth. In 1996, they appeared on the Red Hot Organizations compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan and Fat Joe among many other prominent Hip Hop artists. This compilation was meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men and this compilation was heralded as a masterpiece by The Source Magazine. 1997 Mobb Deep was featured on Frankie Cutlass Politics & Bullsh*t album track title Know Da Game which also features Kool G Rap, in 1998, the duo collaborated with reggae dancehall artist Bounty Killer on the track Deadly Zone for the soundtrack to Blade. In 1999, they released the highly anticipated Murda Muzik album which and this resulted in delays in the official album release. Shortly afterward, Prodigy released his solo album H. N. I. C in which he collaborated with fellow artists like. Mobb Deep was part of the infamous East Coast vs West Coast Hip Hop rivalry that was fueled and increasingly promoted by the private media. The beef started when Snoop Dogg and the West Coast group, Tha Dogg Pound, released New York, New York which Mobb Deep, along with Capone-N-Noreaga and this song was released during rapper Tupac Shakurs final days of incarceration
29.
Queensbridge Houses
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Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens and opened in 1939, the Queensbridge Housing Projects, the largest of Queenss twenty-six developments, is located between Vernon Boulevard, which runs along the East River, and 21st Street. It is immediately south of the Ravenswood power plant, and just north of the Queensboro Bridge, the complex is the largest housing project in North America. The development is separated into two complexes, the North Houses on 40th Avenue and the South Houses on 41st Avenue, the namesake station of the New York City Subways IND 63rd Street Line is on the eastern side of the complex on 21st Street. The 96-unit six-story buildings are due to their shape of two Ys connecting at the base. This shape was used as the architects hoped it would give more access to sunlight than the traditional cross-shape. The design was said to be cost-efficient, and they reduced the cost even further by using elevators that stopped at the 1st, 3rd. Political pressure to keep costs down was a key reason for the use of cheap designs, ballard, Henry S. Churchill, Frederick G. Frost, and Burnett Turner designed Queensbridge Houses. In many aspects the buildings of Queensbridge are very similar to most government-built housing projects of the era and they are a worn grayish brown which now suffers noticeable deterioration and weathering. Each building is painted red to about four feet up from the ground, giving a feel to the entire complex because a uniform red layer is always close. On each of the corners in Queensbridge, the New York City Housing Authority has posted signs indicating the name and management. These signs come in several varieties depending on their age, the oldest signs, erected in the early nineties, are simply orange and blue, with the newer signs featuring graphics, like those of many other projects. Access to buildings in the complex is by key or via a new intercom system, the halls of Queensbridge’s buildings are comparable to most municipal buildings, and are dilapidated and lined with worn light blue tiles. Apartments are painted white and are small, even by New York City standards. Within the last few years, the elevators have been rebuilt and now stop at floors 1,2,3,4, three thousand bathrooms were renovated with new tubs, toilets, vanities, floor tile and lighting in 2000. This followed a renovation in 1986 when 1000 of the bathrooms were renovated by Arc Plumbing, the original plans nonetheless included some basic amenities, like a central shopping center, a nursery and six inner courtyards for play. Some of the activities included tap dancing, ballet, art, playing the recorder and singing, pool, knock hockey and table tennis, as well as Girl Scout. The buildings in the complex are divided by a series of paths, also in the complex are several basketball courts and play areas lined with benches
30.
The Doors
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The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were unique and among the most controversial and influential acts of the 1960s, mostly because of Morrisons lyrics and charismatic. After Morrisons death in 1971 at age 27, the members continued as a trio until disbanding in 1973. Signing with Elektra Records in 1966, The Doors released eight albums between 1967 and 1971, All but one hit the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum or better. By the end of 1971, it was reported that The Doors had sold 4,190,457 albums domestically and 7,750,642 singles. The band had three million-selling singles in the U. S. with Light My Fire, Hello, I Love You, after Morrisons death in 1971, the surviving trio released two albums Other Voices and Full Circle with Manzarek and Krieger sharing lead vocals. The three members also collaborated on the spoken word recording of Morrisons An American Prayer in 1978, Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore reunited in 2000 for an episode of VH1s Storytellers and subsequently recorded Stoned Immaculate, The Music of The Doors with a variety of vocalists. Although the Doors active career ended in 1973, their popularity has persisted, According to the RIAA, they have sold 33 million certified units in the US and over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The Doors have been listed as one of the greatest artists of all time by many magazines, including Rolling Stone, the Doors were the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive gold and platinum LPs. In 2002, Manzarek and Krieger started playing again, branding themselves as the Doors of the 21st Century. Densmore opted to sit out and, along with the Morrison estate, sued the duo over proper use of the bands name and won. After a short time as Riders On the Storm, they settled on the name Manzarek-Krieger and continued to tour until Manzareks death in 2013 at the age of 74. Three of the studio albums, the self-titled debut, L. A. Woman, and Strange Days, were featured in Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, at positions 42,362. According to The Washington Posts Martin Weil, the rose to the center of the counterculture of the 1960s. The Doors were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, Morrison told Manzarek he had been writing songs and with Manzareks encouragement sang Moonlight Drive. The members came from a musical background of jazz, rock, blues. In August, Densmore joined the group, which had renamed the Doors. This has circulated widely since then as a bootleg recording, in mid-1965, after Manzareks two brothers left, the group recruited guitarist Robby Krieger and the best-known lineup – Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore – was complete
31.
David Bowie
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David Robert Jones, known professionally as David Bowie, was an English singer, songwriter and actor. He was a figure in music for over five decades, regarded by critics and musicians as an innovator. His career was marked by reinvention and visual presentation, his music, during his lifetime, his record sales, estimated at 140 million worldwide, made him one of the worlds best-selling music artists. In the UK, he was awarded nine platinum album certifications, eleven gold and eight silver, in the US, he received five platinum and seven gold certifications. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, born in Brixton, South London, Bowie developed an interest in music as a child, eventually studying art, music and design before embarking on a professional career as a musician in 1963. Space Oddity became his first top-five entry on the UK Singles Chart after its release in July 1969, after a period of experimentation, he re-emerged in 1972 during the glam rock era with his flamboyant and androgynous alter ego Ziggy Stardust. The character was spearheaded by the success of his single Starman and album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, in 1976, Bowie starred in the cult film The Man Who Fell to Earth and released Station to Station. Heroes and Lodger followed, each reached the UK top five. He then reached his peak in 1983 with Lets Dance. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Bowie continued to experiment with styles, including industrial. He stopped concert touring after 2004, and his last live performance was at a charity event in 2006, in 2013, Bowie returned from a decade-long recording hiatus with the release of The Next Day. He remained musically active until he died of cancer two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar. David Robert Jones was born on 8 January 1947, in Brixton, south London and his mother, Margaret Mary Peggy, was born in Kent, and had Irish ancestry, she worked as a waitress. His father, Haywood Stenton John Jones, from Yorkshire, was an officer for the childrens charity Barnardos. The family lived at 40 Stansfield Road, near the border of the south London areas of Brixton, Bowie attended Stockwell Infants School until he was six years old, acquiring a reputation as a gifted and single-minded child—and a defiant brawler. In 1953, Bowie moved with his family to the suburb of Bromley and his voice was considered adequate by the school choir, and he demonstrated above-average abilities in playing the recorder. Upon listening to Little Richards song Tutti Frutti, Bowie would later say, presleys impact on him was likewise emphatic, I saw a cousin of mine dance to. Hound Dog and I had never seen her get up and be moved so much by anything and it really impressed me, the power of the music
32.
Fame (David Bowie song)
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Fame is a song recorded by David Bowie, initially released in 1975. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, it was a hit in North America, the song was one of the most successful singles of the year, ranking at number 7 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. It was less successful in Europe, reaching number 17 in the UK Singles Chart, the song is one of four of Bowies songs to be included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. With the Young Americans sessions mostly concluded by late 1974, the material was delayed while Bowie extricated himself from his contract with manager Tony Defries, during this time, he was staying in New York City, where he met John Lennon. The pair jammed together, leading to a session at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. There, Carlos Alomar had developed a riff for Bowies cover of Footstompin by the Flairs. Lennon, who was in the studio with them, sang aim over the riff, lennons voice is heard interjecting the falsetto Fame throughout the song. Bowie would later describe the song as nasty, angry, in 1990, Bowie reflected, Id had very upsetting management problems and a lot of that was built into the song. Ive left all that behind me, now, I think fame itself is not a rewarding thing. The most you can say is that it gets you a seat in restaurants, Fame became Bowies biggest hit to that point in the US. It was his first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as well as his first to break the top 10, but would only reach number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. Bowie would later claim that he had no idea that the song would do so well as a single. Fame –3,30 Right –4,13 The alternate version of the single had Golden Years as the B-side, the Italian version of the single had Space Oddity as the B-side. A spring 1978 performance from the Heroes tour can be heard on Stage, a live performance filmed on 12 September 1983 is included in the concert DVD Serious Moonlight. Live versions recorded during Bowies 1987 Glass Spider Tour were released as part of the Glass Spider concert DVD/CD package. An updated version recorded live by Bowie on 27 June 2000 was released on BBC Radio Theatre, London, June 27,2000, a bonus disc accompanying the first release of Bowie at the Beeb in 2000. A November 2003 live performance from the A Reality Tour is featured on the A Reality Tour DVD, released in 2004, as well as the A Reality Tour album and it was released as the B-side of the US release of Beauty and the Beast in January 1978. Re, Call 2, part of the Who Can I Be Now, compilation released in 2016, included an attempted reconstruction of the single edit, which has been criticized as inaccurate
33.
Al Green
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Inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, Green was referred to on the museums site as being one of the most gifted purveyors of soul music. He has also referred to as The Last of the Great Soul Singers. Green was included in the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, Al Green was born Albert Leornes Greene on April 13,1946, in Forrest City, Arkansas. The sixth of ten born to Cora Lee and Robert G. Greene, Jr. a sharecropper. The Greene family relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in the late 1950s, Al was kicked out of the family home while in his teens, after his religiously devout father caught him listening to Jackie Wilson. I also listened to Mahalia Jackson, all the great gospel singers, but the most important music to me was those hip-shakin’ boys, Wilson Pickett and Elvis Presley. Whatever he got, I went out and bought, in high school, Al formed a vocal group called Al Greene & the Creations. Two of the members, Curtis Rodgers and Palmer James. In 1968, having changed their name to Al Greene & the Soul Mates, they recorded the song Back Up Train, the song was a hit on the R&B charts. However, the groups subsequent follow-ups failed to chart, as did their debut album, while performing with the Soul Mates, Green came into contact with Memphis record producer Willie Mitchell, who hired him in 1969 to be a vocalist for a Texas show with Mitchells band. Following the performance, Mitchell asked Green to sign with his Hi Records label, having noted that Green had been trying to sing like Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett and James Brown, Mitchell became his vocal mentor, coaching him into finding his own voice. Before releasing his first album with Hi, Green removed the final e from his name, subsequently, he released Green Is Blues, which was a moderate success. His follow-up album, Al Green Gets Next to You, featured the hit R&B cover of the Temptations I Cant Get Next to You, Greens next album, Lets Stay Together, solidified his place in soul music. The title track was his biggest hit to date, reaching number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts, the album became his first to be certified gold. His follow-up, Im Still in Love with You went platinum with the help of the singles Look What You Done for Me and the title track, both of which went to the top ten on the Hot 100. His next album, Call Me, released in 1973, produced three top ten singles, You Ought to Be with Me, Call Me and Here I Am. Greens album Livin for You, released at the end of 1973, was his last album to be certified gold, Green continued to record successful R&B hits in the next several years including Livin for You, Lets Get Married, Sha-La-La, L-O-V-E and Full of Fire. His last Hi Records album, Truth n Time, was released in 1978, two years later, he left Hi for Myrrh Records and recorded only gospel music for the next decade and a half
34.
Bobby Bland
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Robert Calvin Bobby Bland, known professionally as Bobby Blue Bland, was an American blues and R&B singer. Bland developed a sound that mixed gospel with the blues and R&B and he was described as among the great storytellers of blues and soul music. Created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations and he was sometimes referred to as the Lion of the Blues and as the Sinatra of the Blues. His music was influenced by Nat King Cole. Bland was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame described him as second in only to B. B. King as a product of Memphiss Beale Street blues scene. Bland was born Robert Calvin Brooks in the town of Barretville. His father, I. J. Brooks, abandoned the family not long after Roberts birth, Robert later acquired the name Bland from his stepfather, Leroy Bridgeforth, who was also called Leroy Bland. Bobby Bland never graduated from school, with his mother, Bland moved to Memphis in 1947, where he started singing with local gospel groups, including the Miniatures. Between 1950 and 1952, Bland recorded unsuccessful singles for Modern Records and, at Ike Turners suggestion and he then signed a contract with Duke Records. When Bland returned to Memphis in 1954, several of his former associates and he joined Aces revue and returned to Duke Records, which was then being run by Houston entrepreneur Don Robey. According to biographer Charles Farley, Robey handed Bobby a new contract, which Bobby could not read, the deal gave Bland just half a cent per record sold, instead of the industry standard of 2 cents. Bland released his first single for Duke in 1955, unlike many blues musicians, Bland played no instrument. Blands first chart success came in 1957 with the R&B chart no.1 hit Farther Up the Road and it was followed by a series of hits on the R&B chart, including Little Boy Blue. He also shared an album with Parker, Blues Consolidated, in 1958, Blands craft was most clearly heard on a series of early-1960s releases, including Cry Cry Cry, I Pity the Fool and Turn On Your Love Light, which became a much-covered standard. Despite credits to the contrary—often claimed by Robey—many of these works were written by Joe Scott. Bland also recorded a hit version of T-Bone Walkers Call It Stormy Monday and his final R&B no.1 was Thats The Way Love Is, in 1963, but he continued to produce a consistent run of R&B chart entries through the mid-1960s. Blands records mostly sold on the R&B market rather than achieving crossover success and he had 23 Top Ten hits on the Billboard R&B chart
35.
David Ruffin
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David Eli Ruffin was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of The Temptations during the groups Classic Five period as it was later known. He was the voice on such famous songs as My Girl. Known for his raspy and anguished tenor vocals, Ruffin was ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 for his work with The Temptations, fellow Motown recording artist Marvin Gaye once said admiringly of Ruffin that, I heard a strength my own voice lacked. Ruffin was born Davis Eli Ruffin in the unincorporated community of Whynot, Mississippi,15 miles from Meridian. He was the third son of Elias Eli Ruffin, a Baptist minister. Ruffin, Rita Mae Ruffin, and Jimmy L. Ruffin, Ruffin also had another sister, who died in infancy. David Ruffins parents were natives of Mississippi. His father Eli worked as a driver at numerous lumber mills. Elis parents had moved from Alabama to Mississippi, because of the circumstances of living after the American Civil War. Prior to living in Alabama, David Ruffins great grandparents, John Ruffin and Clara Ruffin, had moved from Bertie County, John Ruffin was a Civil War Veteran, fighting with the 14th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment. Ruffins father was strict and at times violently abusive, Ruffins mother died ten months after his birth in 1941, and his father married Earline, a schoolteacher, in 1942. Ruffin sang in the choir at Mount Salem Methodist Church, talent shows, in 1955, at the age of 14, he left home under the guardianship of a minister and went to Memphis, Tennessee, with the purpose of pursuing the ministry. At 15, Ruffin went to Hot Springs, Arkansas, with the jazz musician Phineas Newborn, Sr. There, they played at the Fifty Grand Ballroom and Casino. Ruffin continued to sing at talent shows, worked with horses at a jockey club and he also sang with The Soul Stirrers briefly after the departure of Johnnie Taylor. After some of his singing idols such as Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson had left gospel music and gone secular, after moving to Detroit with the Bushes, Ruffin recorded his first released record with the songs You and I b/w Believe Me. These songs were recorded at Vega Records and released under the name Little David Bush, Ruffin would later recall how he initially recorded a different kind of music, strongly influenced by the smoother pop and R&B of the time, when he first recorded in Detroit for Vega. In 1957, Ruffin met Berry Gordy, Jr. then a songwriter with ambitions of running his own label
36.
The Jackson 5
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The Jackson 5, or Jackson Five, also known as The Jacksons in later years, was an American popular music group. Formed in 1964 under the name the Jackson Brothers, the members were elder brothers Jackie, Tito. Younger brothers Marlon and Michael would join soon after and they participated in talent shows and performed in clubs on the chitlin circuit. They entered the music scene in 1967, signing with Steeltown Records. In 1969, the group left Steeltown Records and signed with Motown, the Jackson 5 was one of the first groups of black American performers to attain a crossover following, preceded by the Supremes, the Four Tops and the Temptations. In 1983, Jermaine reunited with the band to perform on Motown 25, Yesterday, Today, Forever, after the end of their tour to promote the album, Michael and Marlon Jackson promptly left the group. The remaining four released the poorly received 2300 Jackson Street album in 1989 before being dropped from their label. Inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999, following the death of Michael Jackson in 2009, the four eldest of the brothers embarked on their Unity Tour in 2012. The five Jackson brothers interest in music began in Gary, Indiana, bolstered by their father, in 1964, Joe caught Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke. Upon fixing the string, threatening punishment, Titos father had him play and was impressed enough to buy Tito his own guitar, Marlon, then seven years old, eventually joined, playing the tambourine. Johnny Jackson and Ronnie Rancifer eventually replaced Milford Hite and Reynaud Jones, during early 1968, the group also performed at strip clubs on Joes behest to earn extra income. Following initial recordings at Detroits Hitsville USA studio, Berry Gordy sent the Jacksons to Hollywood in July, hiring Suzanne de Passe to become a mentor of the brothers. Starting in August, the Jackson Five performed as the act for The Supremes. In October, their first single for Motown was released and the group promoted it while performing at the Hollywood Palace with Ross hosting, in December, the brothers made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Afterwards, their album, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5, was released that same month. In January 1970, I Want You Back topped the Billboard Hot 100, led by the Corporation, the Jackson 5 released two more number-one singles, ABC and The Love You Save. All four singles were almost as popular in countries as they were in the United States. Releasing a succession of four albums in one year, the Jackson 5 replaced The Supremes as Motowns best-selling group
37.
Chicago
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Chicago, officially the City of Chicago, is the third-most populous city in the United States. With over 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the state of Illinois, and it is the county seat of Cook County. In 2012, Chicago was listed as a global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. Chicago has the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the United States—about $640 billion according to 2015 estimates, the city has one of the worlds largest and most diversified economies with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. In 2016, Chicago hosted over 54 million domestic and international visitors, landmarks in the city include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, the Magnificent Mile, Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Campus, the Willis Tower, Museum of Science and Industry, and Lincoln Park Zoo. Chicagos culture includes the arts, novels, film, theater, especially improvisational comedy. Chicago also has sports teams in each of the major professional leagues. The city has many nicknames, the best-known being the Windy City, the name Chicago is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, known to botanists as Allium tricoccum, from the Miami-Illinois language. The first known reference to the site of the current city of Chicago as Checagou was by Robert de LaSalle around 1679 in a memoir, henri Joutel, in his journal of 1688, noted that the wild garlic, called chicagoua, grew abundantly in the area. In the mid-18th century, the area was inhabited by a Native American tribe known as the Potawatomi, the first known non-indigenous permanent settler in Chicago was Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. Du Sable was of African and French descent and arrived in the 1780s and he is commonly known as the Founder of Chicago. In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed in 1812 in the Battle of Fort Dearborn, the Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi tribes had ceded additional land to the United States in the 1816 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were forcibly removed from their land after the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, on August 12,1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of about 200. Within seven years it grew to more than 4,000 people, on June 15,1835, the first public land sales began with Edmund Dick Taylor as U. S. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4,1837, as the site of the Chicago Portage, the city became an important transportation hub between the eastern and western United States. Chicagos first railway, Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, and the Illinois, the canal allowed steamboats and sailing ships on the Great Lakes to connect to the Mississippi River. A flourishing economy brought residents from rural communities and immigrants from abroad, manufacturing and retail and finance sectors became dominant, influencing the American economy. The Chicago Board of Trade listed the first ever standardized exchange traded forward contracts and these issues also helped propel another Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the national stage
38.
San Francisco
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San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California. It is the birthplace of the United Nations, the California Gold Rush of 1849 brought rapid growth, making it the largest city on the West Coast at the time. San Francisco became a consolidated city-county in 1856, after three-quarters of the city was destroyed by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt, hosting the Panama-Pacific International Exposition nine years later. In World War II, San Francisco was a port of embarkation for service members shipping out to the Pacific Theater. Politically, the city votes strongly along liberal Democratic Party lines, San Francisco is also the headquarters of five major banking institutions and various other companies such as Levi Strauss & Co. Dolby, Airbnb, Weebly, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Yelp, Pinterest, Twitter, Uber, Lyft, Mozilla, Wikimedia Foundation, as of 2016, San Francisco is ranked high on world liveability rankings. The earliest archaeological evidence of habitation of the territory of the city of San Francisco dates to 3000 BC. Upon independence from Spain in 1821, the became part of Mexico. Under Mexican rule, the system gradually ended, and its lands became privatized. In 1835, Englishman William Richardson erected the first independent homestead, together with Alcalde Francisco de Haro, he laid out a street plan for the expanded settlement, and the town, named Yerba Buena, began to attract American settlers. Commodore John D. Sloat claimed California for the United States on July 7,1846, during the Mexican–American War, montgomery arrived to claim Yerba Buena two days later. Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco on January 30 of the next year, despite its attractive location as a port and naval base, San Francisco was still a small settlement with inhospitable geography. The California Gold Rush brought a flood of treasure seekers, with their sourdough bread in tow, prospectors accumulated in San Francisco over rival Benicia, raising the population from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 by December 1849. The promise of fabulous riches was so strong that crews on arriving vessels deserted and rushed off to the gold fields, leaving behind a forest of masts in San Francisco harbor. Some of these approximately 500 abandoned ships were used at times as storeships, saloons and hotels, many were left to rot, by 1851 the harbor was extended out into the bay by wharves while buildings were erected on piles among the ships. By 1870 Yerba Buena Cove had been filled to create new land, buried ships are occasionally exposed when foundations are dug for new buildings. California was quickly granted statehood in 1850 and the U. S. military built Fort Point at the Golden Gate, silver discoveries, including the Comstock Lode in Nevada in 1859, further drove rapid population growth. With hordes of fortune seekers streaming through the city, lawlessness was common, and the Barbary Coast section of town gained notoriety as a haven for criminals, prostitution, entrepreneurs sought to capitalize on the wealth generated by the Gold Rush
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