Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis, known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He helped pioneer the hip-hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T. I. and Young Jeezy in the 2000s and 2010s. In 2005, Gucci Mane debuted with Trap House, followed by his second and third albums, Hard to Kill and Trap-A-Thon in 2006, his fourth album, Back to the Trap House, was released in 2007. Following a string of critically and commercially successful mixtape releases in 2009, Gucci Mane released his sixth studio album, The State vs. Radric Davis, his first gold-certified album. Following time spent in prison between 2014 and 2016, he re-emerged with several new retail projects, including Everybody Looking, released to critical praise, his 2016 collaboration with Rae Sremmurd, titled "Black Beatles", provided Gucci Mane with his first number-one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. His latest album, Evil Genius, was released on December 7, 2018. Gucci Mane has released over 70 mixtapes throughout his career.
In 2007, he founded 1017 Records. He has worked with artists such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Selena Gomez, Mariah Carey and Marilyn Manson, his prolific mixtape releases and long-standing presence as a trap music innovator in the Atlanta music scene has established him as a major influence on younger Atlanta artists like Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, 21 Savage and Lil Yachty, he has been called an "avatar of East Atlanta," and "the most influential underground rapper of the past decade" Radric Delantic Davis was born on February 12, 1980, in Bessemer, Alabama, to former U. S serviceman and power plant worker Ralph Everett Dudley, social worker and teacher Vicky Jean Davis. Davis' family had a strong military background, his paternal grandfather, James Dudley, Sr. served in the military for twelve years, including during World War II, as a chef, his maternal grandfather, Walter Lee Davis, served in the Pacific during World War II and on the USS South Dakota. Davis' father served in the military, being stationed in Korea for two years.
Davis' parents met in 1978. When Davis was born, his father was on the run from the police fleeing on drug related charges; as he used to sell crack cocaine and heroin, had fled to Detroit, Michigan. Davis' father was not present to sign the birth certificate, Davis took his mother's last name. Growing up, Davis was raised by his paternal grandmother while his mother attended college to get her degree. Davis' mother was a teacher who taught him to read at a young age, spent most of her time teaching him scriptures from the Bible. Davis' first school was Jonesboro Elementary, where he attended kindergarten and the first several grades of elementary school, his older half-brother Victor introduced Davis to hip hop when Davis was six years old by bringing Davis to a Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and LL Cool J concert. Before moving to Atlanta with his mother, Davis had a distant relationship with his father, who would visit at irregular intervals. Davis moved with his single mother to Atlanta in 1989 when he was nine years old due to family problems in Bessemer.
Davis' mother had a boyfriend in Atlanta and planned to move in with him, but she decided otherwise at the last minute. They moved in with someone Davis' mother met in church. Davis' family was kicked out of the house and did not have a stable living environment until his father set them up in a Knights Inn. Davis grew up in an area, high in crime. Davis' mother moved Davis and Victor to East Atlanta and Davis attended Cedar Grove Elementary School, he was good in school and considered himself athletic although he did not participate in school sports. Davis dealt drugs selling cannabis with his older brother. Davis sold cannabis on his own and ended up using his Christmas money to acquire crack cocaine while in the eighth grade, starting his career as a drug dealer. By the time Davis began taking his side hobby as a drug dealer as a career, he was a freshman at Ronald E. McNair High School, where he got good grades and was considered popular among his peers. Davis never took drugs for the first few years that he was dealing drugs, though his first experience was smoking cannabis with a girl he had a crush on.
He entered a friends-with-benefits arrangement with the girl with whom he smoked cannabis, leading to a slight psychological addiction. Though Davis had been selling drugs for nearly two years by 1995, he had never encountered a violent situation; when he was fifteen, Davis was riding his push bicycle when a man stopped him and pointed a Desert Eagle at his head. Davis was robbed of all valuable items following the encounter and began to carry a.380 caliber handgun. Davis had numerous other life-threatening situations, including a feud with a local street gang who titled themselves "the East Shoals Boys" in 1997; the feud resulted in Davis' friend Javon being beaten close to death and adult men walking into McNair High School looking for Davis. The feud resolved itself when Davis and several other friends got into a fistfight with members of the East Shoals Boys, who have since left Davis alone. Davis graduated from McNair High School in 1998 with a 3.0 GPA and a HOPE Scholarship to Georgia Perimeter College.
He took a computer programming course, though he attended and was kicked out in 2001 after being caught with possession of crack cocaine by an undercover police officer. Davis was sentenced to 90 days in a county jail and probation. Davis enjoyed writi
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj, known professionally as Nicki Minaj, is a Trinidadian-born rapper, songwriter and model. Born in Saint James, Port of Spain and Tobago and raised in Queens, New York City, she gained public recognition after releasing the mixtapes Playtime Is Over, Sucka Free, Beam Me Up Scotty. After signing with Young Money Entertainment in 2009, Minaj released her first studio album, Pink Friday, which peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, her second album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was released in 2012 and debuted at number one in several countries. Minaj made her film debut in the 2012 animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift. In 2013, she was a judge on the twelfth season of American Idol. Minaj's third studio album, The Pinkprint, was released in 2014, she subsequently played supporting roles in the films The Other Barbershop: The Next Cut. Her fourth studio album, was released in 2018. Early in her career, Minaj was known for her colorful wigs.
Her rapping is distinctive for its fast flow and the use of alter egos and accents British cockney. Minaj was the first female artist included on MTV's annual Hottest MC List. In 2016, Minaj was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world; as a lead artist, she has earned four top-five entries on the Billboard Hot 100: "Super Bass" in 2011, "Starships" in 2012, "Bang Bang" and "Anaconda", both in 2014. She has accumulated the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among women of all genres. Minaj has been called one of the most influential female rap artists of all time. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including six American Music Awards, 11 BET Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award, 10 Grammy Award nominations. Minaj has sold 20 million singles as a lead artist, 60 million singles as a featured artist, over five million albums worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Port of Spain and Tobago. Her father, Robert Maraj, a financial executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Dougla descent, her mother, Carol Maraj, is a gospel singer with Afro-Trinidadian ancestry. Carol worked in accounting departments during Minaj's youth. Minaj's father was addicted to alcohol and other drugs, had a violent temper, burning down their house in December 1987, she has an elder brother named Jelani, an older sister named Maya, a younger brother named Micaiah, a younger sister named Ming. As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James, her mother, who had moved to The Bronx in New York City to attend Monroe College, brought the family to Queens when Minaj was five. By the family had a house on 147th Street. Minaj recalled, "I don't think. My mom motivated me. I kind of wanted a strict household." Minaj auditioned for admission to LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, which focuses on visual and performing arts.
After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, she was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001. At the age of 19, as she struggled with her acting career, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers, she said. Minaj signed with Brooklyn group Full Force, in which she rapped in a quartet called The Hoodstars composed of Lou$tar, Safaree Samuels and 7even Up. In 2004, the group recorded the entrance song for WWE Diva Victoria, "Don't Mess With", featured on the compilation album ThemeAddict: WWE The Music, Vol.6. Minaj left Full Force and uploaded songs on her Myspace profile, sending several of her songs to people in the music industry. At the time, she was managed by Debra Antney. Fendi, CEO of Brooklyn label Dirty Money Entertainment, signed Minaj to his label in 2007 under a 180-day contract. Adopting the stage name Nicki Maraj, she changed it to Nicki Minaj stating that "my real name is Maraj. Fendi flipped it when he met me because I had such a nasty flow!
I eat bitches!"Minaj released her first mixtape, Playtime Is Over, on July 5, 2007, her second, Sucka Free, on April 12, 2008. That year, she was named Female Artist of the Year at the 2008 Underground Music Awards, she released her third mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty, on April 18, 2009. One of its tracks, "I Get Crazy", reached number 20 on the U. S. Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and number 37 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. After Minaj was discovered by fellow rapper Lil Wayne, in August 2009 it was reported that she signed a recording contract with his Young Money Entertainment; that November, she appeared with Gucci Trina on the remix of "5 Star Bitch" by Yo Gotti. Minaj appeared on "BedRock" and "Roger That" on the compilation album, We Are Young Money; the singles peaked at numbers two and 56 on the U. S. Billboard Hot 100. S. Billboard 200, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. At Jay-Z's suggestion, Robin Thicke featured Minaj on his single "Shakin' It 4 Daddy".
On March 29, 2010 Minaj released "Massive Attack". Intended as the lead single from her forthcoming debut album, Pink Friday, the song was d
Snootie Wild
LePreston Porter, better known by his stage name Snootie Wild, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his debut single "Yayo", the success of which helped launch his career; the song charted in the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In October 2013, it was announced fellow Memphis-based rapper Yo Gotti had signed Wild to his Collective Music Group imprint. In September 2014, Wild released his debut extended Go Mode; the EP's second single, "Made Me", peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming the highest charting single of his career. LePreston Porter was born in Memphis, Tennessee on April 23, 1985, he grew up listening to artists like Three 6 Project Pat and Yo Gotti. He spent four years in prison from the age of 21 to 25. While signed under Heartland Entertainment, Wild released his breakout single "Yayo", produced by K-Figz; the song managed to catch the attention of fellow Memphis-based rapper Yo Gotti, who remixed the song, adding another verse. Gotti included the remix on his thirteenth mixtape Nov 19th: The Mixtape, released September 2, 2013.
The song was again remixed by Atlanta-based rapper T. I. which helped further the success of the song. "Yayo", featuring Yo Gotti, became the official version and was released via digital distribution on February 3, 2014. The song debuted at number 50 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 40 on Billboard's Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop chart. On October 28, 2013, it was announced fellow Memphis-based rapper Yo Gotti had signed Wild to his Collective Music Group imprint. In December 2013, it was revealed, he has since performed several times with Gotti, including on Gotti's national tour and a performance at B. B. Kings in New York. Wild released the music video for "Yayo" in March 2014. Wild performed at the 2014 SXSW Interactive, in early 2014; the official remix of "Yayo" featuring Fabolous, French Montana, YG was released on May 13, 2014. The remix appeared on CMG first collective compilation project titled Chapter One, released on 22 May 2014, it comes with 16 tracks and features from Fabolous, French Montana, YG, K Camp and more.
Production is handled by Big Fruit, TK, Megaman and more. Wild appeared on one track more. On September 23, 2014, Wild released his debut EP Go Mode. On May 14, 2015, Wild released the mixtape Ain't No Stoppin, which included the single "Rich or Not". In August 2016, he was featured on the track "Believe" by rapper Master P, which appeared on the latter's mixtape, The G Mixtape, he is the father of four children. Snootie Wild official website
L.A. Reid
Antonio Marquis "L. A." Reid is an American record executive, record producer, A&R representative, panelist. He is founder and current co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment, he has served as the chairman and CEO of Epic Records and The Island Def Jam Music Group, the president and CEO of Arista Records. Reid was the founder and CEO of Hitco Music Publishing and the co-founder of LaFace Records with producing partner Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, he has won three Grammy Awards, picking up awards as a songwriter for songs such as Boyz II Men's "End Of The Road."Over the course of his career he has written and produced for many artists including Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Toni Braxton, TLC, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Paula Abdul, Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Kanye West, Usher, Ne-Yo, 21 Savage, Young Jeezy, Zara Larsson, Jennifer Lopez, Travis Scott, Fifth Harmony, DJ Khaled, Rick Ross and The Jacksons. He appeared as a judge on the first two seasons of the U. S. version of the television show The X Factor, but left the show in December 2012 to focus on his leadership at Epic Records.
One of the major projects that Reid embarked on following his stint on The X Factor, was the remaking of Michael Jackson songs after his death, with the May 13, 2014 release of the album XScape. In 2016, Reid published the New York Times bestselling memoir Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, Searching for Who's Next. Reid first began his music career as a drummer, with his first appearance on record being with the Cincinnati funk rock outfit Pure Essence. Pure Essence released one solitary 45 in the mid-1970s, they appeared on local FM rock radio station WEBN's second annual LP compilation, but the group was renamed'Essence'. Reid would experience more mainstream success when he became a member of the 1980s R&B band The Deele, best known for their 1988 hit "Two Occasions", a song on their third album Eyes of a Stranger; the band had broken up before the success of the single reunited to promote "Two Occasions" as it rose up the charts under Dick Griffey's Solar Records. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.
After The Deele disbanded and bandmate Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds founded LaFace in 1989 through a joint venture with Arista Records, with funding from Arista Records creator Clive Davis. The label soon became one of the premiere destinations for popular African-American entertainers who created Black Pop music, accessible to both Urban and Top 40 radio formats. Reid signed 14-year-old Usher to the label, whose six album releases have sold 65 million units worldwide. Other popular acts on the label during its peak include Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast. Both TLC and Toni Braxton went on to sell more than 65 million records each. Headquartered in Atlanta, the label played a significant role in developing the city's music industry. Hitco Publishing Group Reid formed the Hitco Publishing Group in 1996, as a joint venture with Windswept Music. While starting up Hitco, looking to connect to a new market of producers and talent, hired Shakir Stewart whom he saw as someone with "a finger on the pulse of the next generation of hot producers in the Atlanta music scene".
Shakir's first job in the music industry was as a creative executive at Hitco. In May 2000, Edmonds and Reid sold their remaining 50% stake in LaFace to parent company BMG; the label became an imprint of Arista Records, with Arista taking on sales and promotional duties for its acts. At this time, Reid succeeded his mentor Clive Davis as president of Arista Records. In 2000, LaFace was merged into Arista Records with Reid being promoted to president and CEO of Arista Records. In 1997 Reid attended the Harvard Business School six-week Advanced Management Program, in preparation to become CEO of Arista Records. In 2000. Reid signed his first unknown artists, Havana Mena latin/hip hop and pop/rocker Avril Lavigne, to Arista. Avril Lavigne's debut album Let; as president of Arista Records, Reid signed artists such as Ciara. Under Reid's tenure at Arista, Usher completed production on his multi-platinum hit 2004 album Confessions, which went on to spawn 4 #1 hit singles and sell 10 million copies in the United States alone.
Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below sold more than 10 million copies and won a Grammy Award for Album of the year. Following the merger of Sony and BMG, L. A. Reid was released from his contract at Arista in 2004 and became the chairman and CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group in February 2004. Reid is noted for bringing Mariah Carey's career back to prominence with her multi-platinum 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi after her career had stalled from 2001 to 2003 with less than stellar sales and general lack of public interest for her two previous projects and Charmbracelet. Reid played a role in the successes of artists such Kanye West, Bon Jovi, Justin Bieber and was credited for the musical comeback of Jennifer Lopez with her 2011 album Love?. Reid stepped down as Chairman/CEO of Island Def Jam in March 2011. In early 2011 Reid became a judge on the U. S. version of the British television singing competition The X Factor, alongside its creator and former American Idol judge Simon Cowell, 80s pop star Paula Abdul and former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who replaced British recording artist Cheryl Cole.
Reid was assigned the Boys category throughout the competition, aided by friend an
J. Cole
Jermaine Lamar Cole, known professionally as J. Cole, is an American rapper, singer and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany but raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his debut mixtape, The Come Up, in early 2007. Intent on further pursuing a solo career as a rapper, he went on to release two additional mixtapes, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights after signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation imprint in 2009. Cole released his debut studio album, Cole World: The Sideline Story, in 2011, it debuted at number one on the U. S. Billboard 200, was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, his next two releases, 2013's Born Sinner and 2014's 2014 Forest Hills Drive, received positive reviews from critics, both were certified platinum in the United States. The latter earned him his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Rap Album. In December 2016, Cole released his fourth studio album 4 Your Eyez Only.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in April 2017. His fifth album, KOD, was released in April 2018; the album debuted atop the Billboard 200, making it his fifth album to reach number one on the chart. Self-taught on piano, Cole acts as a producer alongside his hip-hop career, producing singles for artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Janet Jackson, as well as handling the majority of the production in his own projects, he has developed other ventures, including Dreamville Records, as well as a non-profit organization called the Dreamville Foundation. In January 2015, Cole decided to house single mothers rent-free at his childhood home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Jermaine Lamarr Cole was born on January 28, 1985, at an American military base in Frankfurt, West Germany, his father is an African-American veteran, who served in the U. S. Army, his mother, Kay, is a white American, a postal worker for the United States Postal Service. Cole's father abandoned the family during his youth.
At the age of eight months his mother moved with him and his older brother Zach to the United States, to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cole grew up in a multi-ethnic environment, when asked about how his ethnicity impacts him, Cole commented, "I can identify with white people, because I know my mother, her side of the family, who I love, but at the end of the day, never felt white. I can identify but never have I felt. I identify more with what I look like, because that's how I got treated not in a negative way". During his youth, Cole expressed an affinity for basketball and music, served as a first-chair violinist for the Terry Sanford Orchestra until 2003. Cole began rapping at the age of twelve, saw it as an ideal profession in 2000, when his mother purchased an ASR-X musical sampler as a Christmas gift. During this period, Cole heightened emphasis on improving his production skills beginning initial production under the pseudonym Therapist. Cole collaborated with local group Bomm Sheltuh and producing as a member of the group.
Upon graduating high school with a 4.2 GPA, Cole decided that his chances of securing a recording contract would be better in New York City. He accepted a scholarship to St. John's University. Majoring in computer science, Cole switched to communication and business after witnessing the life of a lonely computer science professor. At the college, Cole was the president of a pan-African student coalition, he graduated magna cum laude in 2007, with a 3.8 GPA. Despite graduating, Cole would receive his degree during a homecoming concert in 2015, revealing that he had owed money for a library book, causing the university to hold back from granting him his degree. Cole worked in various part-time jobs in Fayetteville, including a working ad salesman for a newspaper, a bill collector, a file clerk, a kangaroo mascot at a skate rink. After becoming musically inspired by Canibus, Nas and Eminem, Cole and his cousin worked on developing their basic understanding of rhyming and wordplay, as well as beginning to learn how to interpolate storytelling within their lyrics.
By 14, Cole had various notebooks filled with song ideas, was unable to produce beats further than sampling. Cole's mother purchased him the Roland TR-808 drum machine in order to further Cole's understanding of production. Over the next three years, he began posting songs on various internet forums under the moniker Blaza, but switched to the name Therapist. Cole expanded his production to create an entire CD's worth of instrumentals, traveled to Roc the Mic Studio, hoping to play it for Jay Z while he was in recording sessions for American Gangster. Cole waited for over three hours, before being dismissed by Jay Z. Cole used the CD as the backdrop for his debut mixtape, The Come Up. J. Cole released The Warm Up, on June 15, 2009 to positive reviews. Cole appeared on Jay Z's album The Blueprint 3, on the track "A Star Is Born." He is featured on both Wale's debut album, Attention Deficit and mixtape Back to the Feature, respectively. In January 2010, along with label mate Jay Electronica and Mos Def appeared on Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek's single, "Just Begun" for the follow-up of Reflection Eternal's album Train of Thought, titled Revolutions Per Minute.
Cole appeared on B.o. B's mixtape May 25, on the song "Gladiators", produced by The Alchemist. In early 2010, Cole was chosen as one of Beyond Race magazine's "50 Great Breakthrough Artists," he ranked 49, resulting in the cover story of the publication's #11 issue, a
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year, it peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, selling an overall three million copies worldwide. With his first single "Run It!" Peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100, Brown became the first male artist as a lead since Diddy in 1997 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album Exclusive spawned his second Hot 100 number one "Kiss Kiss", in addition to "With You" and "Forever"; the album was certified double platinum by the RIAA. In addition to his solo commercial success, Brown has been featured on several singles such as "No Air", a duet with singer Jordin Sparks, "Shortie Like Mine" with the rapper Bow Wow and "Shawty Get Loose" alongside Lil Mama and T-Pain.
The songs have peaked at number three, number nine, number ten and eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 respectively. His third album Graffiti was released that year, included the top-twenty single "I Can Transform Ya". Brown's fourth album F. A. M. E. Became his first to top the Billboard 200. F. A. M. E. Earned Brown his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 54th Grammy Awards, his fifth album Fortune was released in 2012, with X, Royalty and Heartbreak on a Full Moon being released the following years, all peaking in the top 5 on the Billboard 200 charts. Alongside his work in the music industry, Brown has pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his on-screen feature film debut in Stomp the Yard, appeared as a guest on the television series The O. C.. Other films Brown has appeared in include This Christmas, Think Like a Man, Battle of the Year. In 2009, Brown received significant media attention after pleading guilty to felony assault of his girlfriend, singer Rihanna. Brown has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Throughout his career, Brown has won several awards, including a Grammy Award, 15 BET Awards, 4 Billboard Music Awards, 6 Soul Train Music Awards. According to Billboard, Brown has the seventh most Hot 100 entries on the chart with 90. Christopher Maurice Brown was born on May 5, 1989, in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, to Joyce Hawkins, a former day care center director, Clinton Brown, a corrections officer at a local prison, he has Lytrell Bundy, who works in a bank. Music was always present in Brown's life beginning in his childhood, he would listen to soul albums that his parents owned, began to show interest in the hip-hop scene. Brown taught himself to sing and dance at a young age and cites Michael Jackson as his inspiration, he began to perform in several local talent shows. When he mimicked an Usher performance of "My Way", his mother recognized his vocal talent, they began to look for the opportunity of a record deal. At the same time, Brown was going through personal issues.
His parents had divorced, his mother's boyfriend terrified him by subjecting her to domestic violence. At age 13, Brown was discovered by Hitmission Records, a local production team that visited his father's gas station while searching for new talent. Hitmission's Lamont Fleming provided voice coaching for Brown, the team helped to arrange a demo package and approached contacts in New York to seek a record deal. Tina Davis, senior A&R executive at Def Jam Recordings, was impressed when Brown auditioned in her New York office, she took him to meet the former president of the Island Def Jam Music Group, Antonio "L. A." Reid, who offered to sign him that day. "I knew that Chris had real talent," says Davis. "I just knew I wanted to be part of it."The negotiations with Def Jam continued for two months, Davis lost her job due to a corporate merger. Brown asked her to be his manager, once Davis accepted, she promoted the singer to labels such as Jive Records, J-Records and Warner Bros. Records. According to Mark Pitts in an interview with HitQuarters, Davis presented Brown with a video recording, Pitts' reaction was: "I saw the potential...
I didn't love all the records. It wasn't a problem because I knew that he could sing, I knew how to make records." Brown chose Jive due to its successful work with then-young acts such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Brown stated, "I picked Jive because they had the best success with younger artists in the pop market, I knew I was going to capture my African American audience, but Jive had a lot of strength in the pop area as well as longevity in careers." Brown attended Essex High School in Virginia until early 2005, when he moved to New York to pursue his music career. After being signed to Jive Records in 2004, Brown began recording his self-titled debut studio album in February 2005. By May, there were 50 songs recorded, 14 of which were picked to the final track listing; the singer worked with several producers and songwriters—Scott Storch, Cool & Dre and Jazze Pha among them—commenting that they "really believed in ". Brown made some input on the album, receiving co-writing credits of five tracks.
"I write about the things that 16 year olds go through every day," says Brown. "Like you just got in trouble for sneaking your girl into the house, or you can't drive, so you steal a car or som
Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor is an American singer-songwriter. Interested in music from a young age, Trainor wrote and produced three independently released albums between 2009 and 2011. Trainor signed with Epic Records in 2014 and released her debut single, "All About That Bass", in June of that year, it topped the charts in 20 other countries. The song sold over 12 million units worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. Trainor released "Lips Are Movin" in November, which peaked in the top five of over ten countries, her debut studio album, Title, on which the aforementioned singles were included, debuted at number one in six countries and was certified triple Platinum in the US. It was supported by two other singles: "Dear Future Husband", which peaked at number 13 in the US, "Like I'm Gonna Lose You", which peaked at number eight. In 2015, Trainor was featured on Charlie Puth's debut single, "Marvin Gaye", which topped the charts of four countries and sold more than four million units.
Trainor followed with her second studio album, Thank You, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. Its first two singles, "No" and "Me Too" peaked at number three and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Trainor is known for her throwback style, her lyrics refer to modern womanhood, body image, empowerment. She has received several awards and nominations, including a Grammy Award, four ASCAP Pop Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards. Outside of music, Trainor has lent her voice to animated films and appeared as a judge on The Four: Battle for Stardom. Meghan Elizabeth Trainor was born on December 22, 1993, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, to Kelli and Gary Trainor, her parents were both jewelers. Trainor has an elder brother named Ryan, a younger brother named Justin, she began singing at age six at church with her father, a music teacher and organist. Trainor was influenced by her family. At age 11, Trainor told her father that she wanted to become a recording artist and began writing songs, recording them using the digital audio workstation software GarageBand.
She started with her own arrangement of the popular song "Heart and Soul". Her mother recalled that Trainor "did a lot by ear", picked up music without formal training, her father encouraged her to explore every musical genre. Aged 12, Trainor began performing as part of the cover band, Island Fusion, with her aunt, younger brother, father, performing soca music alongside her own compositions. Trainor was in the group for four years, playing piano and bongo drums. By age 13, Trainor had written her first original song, "Give Me a Chance". Trainor and her family left Nantucket when she was in the eighth grade, temporarily relocating to Orleans, Massachusetts before moving to North Eastham, she attended Nauset Regional High School and studied guitar, played trumpet and sang in a jazz band for three years, was a substitute cheerleader. While a teenager, Trainor's parents encouraged her to attend songwriting conventions, taking her to venues where production companies were searching for new artists and songwriters.
Aged 15, she took guitar lessons from former NRBQ member Johnny Spampinato. During this time, Trainor used Logic Studio to record and produce her compositions, worked independently in a home studio built by her parents. Between the ages of 15 and 17, Trainor independently released three albums of material she had written and performed, her eponymous debut album, Meghan Trainor, was released on December 25, 2009, receiving airplay from local Massachusetts radio station WCIB. Trainor enrolled in the Summer Performance Program at the Berklee College of Music during the summers of 2009 and 2010, reaching the finals of the program's songwriting competition, she released "Take Care of Our Soldiers" on April 16, 2010, a charity song in support of American troops abroad. The following year, Trainor released two acoustic albums, I'll Sing with You and Only 17. At a music conference in Colorado, Trainor was introduced to Al Anderson, he was impressed by Trainor's songwriting and referred her to his publisher, Carla Wallace at Nashville-based Big Yellow Dog Music.
Though Trainor had been offered a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, she decided to pursue her songwriting career and signed with Big Yellow Dog. She began her career as a songwriter-for-hire because of her ability to tackle a variety of genres, she was unsure about becoming a recording artist. Her father said, "She thought she was one of the chubby girls who would never be an artist". Trainor graduated from Nauset Regional High School in 2012, her second promotional single, "Who I Wanna Be", was released on April 24, 2012. Throughout 2013, Trainor traveled to Nashville, New York City and Los Angeles, where she wrote and helped produce country and pop music, she sang lead and background vocals on demos for other artists, with her vocals being used on the final recording. She earned her first songwriting royalties by writing for Italian artists. In June 2013, Trainor met producer Kevin Kadish in Nashville via a mutual friend. Kadish and Trainor both began recording together that month.
Trainor became frustrated with commuting from Nantucket to Los Angeles for songwriting sessions. Her parents did not want her to relocate. In November, Trainor decided to relocate to Nashville instead. There, she wrote songs for a number of acts, including Hunter Hayes, Rascal Flatts, R5, Sabrina Carpenter. Kadish a
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