Name	Ghostface Killah
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dennis Coles
Born	May 09, 1970
Origin	Staten Island, New York,
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1993-present
Url
Label	Razor Sharp, Epic, Starks Enterprises, Def Jam
Associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, Theodore Unit, MF DOOM, Rakim

Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career with Ironman in 1996, which was well received by music critics. He has continued his success over the following years with critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and Fishscale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing. for his loud, fast-paced flow, In 2006, MTV included him on their honorable mention list of The Greatest MC's of All Time.

Early years

Ghostface Killah was raised in the Stapleton housing projects in Staten Island, New York. In his autobiographical song "All That I Got Is You", Ghost tells the story of his childhood. He raps about how he grew up in a three bedroom apartment without his father, who left him at the age of six. Apparently, his mother had nine children.

Early career

He debuted with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan on their critically acclaimed debut, 1993's Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) in which he is credited as Ghost Face Killer. A roommate of Wu-Tang founder The RZA, Ghostface helped bring together the other seven members, and would function as executive producer on all the Wu-Tang Clan releases.

In 1995, Ghostface guest-starred extensively on fellow Clan member Raekwon's debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., appearing on almost every song. He also contributed songs to the Sunset Park and Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood soundtracks, which would be included on his first solo LP, Ironman, in 1996. The album, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, had a more pronounced soul influence (particularly 1970s soul) than previous Wu-Tang releases, and Ghostface's future albums would continue to feature this stylistic trait.

Ghostface became well-known for both his up-tempo, stream-of-consciousness rap and, later in his career, for his emotionally charged raps and smooth constant flow. In 1996, he discovered that he was diabetic, a condition that would weaken his health. According to "Trials of Life", a 2007 song with fellow New York rapper Prodigy (himself a sickle-cell anemic), Ghostface assumed he had been stricken by a sexually transmitted disease until he received the diabetes diagnosis.

Ghostface was incarcerated for attempted robbery in 1999, a situation that was never publicly commented on by the Wu-Tang Clan or Ghostface (the charge dated from 1995). It would lead to a delay in his next album in 2000 with his follow-up to Ironman, Supreme Clientele. It was very well-received by critics and was placed #2 on Hip Hop Connection's list of "The 100 Greatest Rap Albums 1995-2005". It had "Apollo Kids", a popular single which featured Raekwon and had a sample of "Cool Breeze" by Solomon Burke; "Cherchez LaGhost", another single off the album, became a minor club-style hit. It also notably had the sentimental "Child's Play" brought numerous comparisons to Slick Rick. Supreme Clientele would be a turning point in RZA's influence on his sound, as only four songs are produced by the RZA, compared to Iron Man, its predecessor where every song but one is produced by him. Though he contributed fewer beats to the project, RZA personally over saw the mixing and production of the album as a whole, contributing to Supreme Clientele's unified sound

Ghostface wasted little time in recording his next album, the heavily R&B;-influenced Bulletproof Wallets, released a year after Supreme Clientele. Its feature single, Never Be the Same Again, featured Carl Thomas and Raekwon. He had another minor club hit with "Flowers", which featured guest vocals from fellow Wu-Tang members Method Man and Raekwon, and a popular single "Ghost Showers" which featured Madame Majestic, who also sung on the popular Wu-Tang track "Gravel Pit". It was well received, but never really matched its predecessor in popularity or renown.

Def Jam

In 2003, Ghostface signed with Def Jam Records. After temporarily dropping "Killah" from his stage name, Ghostface released The Pretty Toney Album in April 2004. The album, while containing two RZA productions, featured none of the Clan; instead, it featured collaborations with Missy Elliott, D-Block and Jacki-O. The singles "Tush" and "Run", the collaborations with Missy and Jadakiss respectively, achieved moderate success in the clubs and charts, and the album was featured on numerous "best of the year" lists, including number nine on Pitchfork Media's. Ghostface also appeared on the track "On My Knees" by UK R&B; group The 411, which became a hit in the UK and Australia, and released an album titled 718 (after the Staten Island area code) with a group of his protégés, the Theodore Unit. Ghostface also appeared on "He Comes" by De La Soul, on The Grind Date. In November 2005, Ghostface and Theodore Unit's breakout star Trife Da God released a joint project, Put It On The Line. in 2007.]] In 2006, Ghostface teamed up with underground artist MF Doom for a still unreleased album entitled Swift & Changeable. MF Doom also produced several songs for Ghostface's 2006 album Fishscale, which was once again attributed to "Ghostface Killah". The album debuted strongly, in the #4 position on the U.S. Billboard 200 and at #2 on the R&B; charts, the rapper's most auspicious chart showing since the heyday of the Wu-Tang Clan and the release of his solo debut. The album also nearly unanimously received positive reviews. Ghostface embarked on a limited-date tour of US venues in support of the album, performing several of his concerts together with most members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

He has worked with 4Cast to produce his own action figure. In December 2007 Ghostface appeared on Spinner.com's comedy show The DL to do a holiday commercial for his action figure.

On December 4, 2007, Ghostface released his seventh solo studio album, The Big Doe Rehab.

In a May 2008 interview, Ghostface Killah stated that he would make an R&B;-inspired album in the vein of tracks he had done before with artists such as Ne-Yo and Jodeci. That album would become his eighth studio album to good reviews. It featured singles such as "Baby" and "Do Over". In March 2009, Ghostface also recorded a song called "Message from Ghostface" dedicated to women who were abused in relationships after the Rihanna/ Chris Brown controversy.

Raekwon, in a May 2009 interview with Rolling Stone indicated that Ghostface Killah is preparing to release a new album. In response to a question asking if the Wu-Tang Clan are going to release a follow up to 8 Diagrams, Raekwon stated "Everybody's doing different things right now — you got Meth [Method Man] coming out with an album, you got Ghostface coming out with an album, some guys working on their projects, some guys getting into the film world, everybody is multi-tasking right now." Ghostface appeared on a total of 8 songs on Raekwon's highly anticipated release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II.

Shortly after the release of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, Def Jam contracted Raekwon to work with their label artists Method Man and Ghostface Killah on an album. Production began in November 2009. The album was released March 30, 2010 to generally positive reviews from most music critics. With heavy promotion, it sold 37,900 units in its first week. It has sold 64,000 units as of May 12, 2010. It features production from Scram Jones, Mathematics, and the RZA who produced the album's lead single, "Our Dreams". Recently he confirmed that he will be releasing 3 studio albums with the first one out near December called Apollo Kids, the second called Blue & Cream and finally he will be releasing a sequel to his 2000 album Supreme Clientele. He recently confirmed a collabo album with D-Block member Sheek Louch as well called Wu-Block.

Aliases

Ghostface Killah, like most members of the Wu-Tang clan, rapped under several personae, each with their own name, mythology and influences. Some recurring aliases:

Ghostface Killah (occasionally spelled Ghostface Killer, Ghost Face Killah, or abbreviated GFK)

Ghostface

: His shortened stage name during The Pretty Toney Album era. Ghost Deini alternately Ghostdini

Ironman, Tony Starks, or just Starks

: Ghostface has frequently assumed the persona of both Ironman and Tony Stark, a reference to the Marvel Comics character Iron Man and his true identity, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark (note the variant spellings). He released a 1996 album titled Ironman and has drawn deeply on the Iron Man mythology. His song, "Slept On Tony With Dirt," appears in the 2008 film, and he even appears in a deleted scene on the DVD. Starky Love Pretty Toney, P Tone The Wallabee Kingpin

Discography

; Studio albums

Ironman (1996)

Supreme Clientele (2000)

Bulletproof Wallets (2001)

The Pretty Toney Album (2004)

Fishscale (2006)

More Fish (2006)

The Big Doe Rehab (2007)

(2009)

Apollo Kids (2010)

Blue & Cream (TBA)

Supreme Clientele Part II (TBA)

; Collaboration albums

718 (with Theodore Unit) (2004)

Put It on the Line (with Trife Da God) (2005)

Wu-Massacre (with Method Man and Raekwon) (2010)

Swift and Changeable (with MF Doom) (TBA)

Wu-Block (with Sheek Louch) (TBA)

; Compilation albums

Shaolin's Finest (2003)

The Wallabee Champ (2008)

GhostDeini the Great (2008)

Filmography

Movie appearances

Black and White (1999) as himself

Hunter Dawson (2002) as himself

Scary Movie 3 (2003) gang member (Raekwon and RZA were alongside him)

Fade to Black, (2004) as himself

(2007) as himself

Iron Man (2008) as a Dubaian sheik; cameo. (Though it was cut in post-production, his cameo can be found in the DVD's deleted scenes section.)

When in Rome (2010) as Guggenheim DJ

TV series appearances

Made (2005) as himself (episode "Nile Is Made Into a Rapper")

30 Rock (2006) as himself (episodes "Jack-Tor" and "The Source Awards")

Human Giant (2007) as himself (episodes "Mind Explosion" and "Mosh Pit!")

The Boondocks (2007) as himself (episode "Stinkmeaner Strikes Back")

Rushing Jason (2008) as Big Poppa

Video game appearances

(1999) as himself

Def Jam Vendetta (2003) as himself

(2004) as himself

(2007) as himself

References

External links

Official Def Jam site

HHC Digital interview with Ghostface

Category:1989 births Category:African American rappers Category:American vegetarians Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Living people Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from New York City Category:People from Staten Island Category:Wu-Tang Clan affiliates Category:Wu-Tang Clan members Category:African American converts to Islam Category:African American Muslims

Chris malek	Raheem DeVaughn
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Raheem DeVaughn
Born	Newark, New Jersey, U.S. May 5, 1975
Genre	R&B;, Neo-soul
Years active	2002–present
Label	Zomba, Jive

Raheem DeVaughn is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience (2005), reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008. It features the singles "Woman", and "Customer".

DeVaughn was nominated for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards for the single "Woman".

Early life

DeVaughn was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 5, 1975, the son of jazz cellist Abdul Wadud. He was raised in Maryland (Montgomery and Prince George's counties) by his mother, Imani Smith, a now retired federal worker. He is a cousin of singer Chrisette Michele. His mother states that her son first expressed an affinity towards music in preschool, recalling how whenever the class had musical events, he would conduct them. DeVaughn's love for music solidified during his early teens, when he began to envision his career path. One of his favorite artists was Babyface, and Smith recalls that her son once begged her to visit the Waxie Maxie's record store in the District to buy a promotional picture of the singer. DeVaughn visited his father during the summer, mainly in New Jersey. With his father, DeVaughn attended gigs and experienced his first taste of the life of a working musician.

He graduated from High Point High School in Beltsville, Maryland, an unincorporated section of Prince George's County. DeVaughn had an epiphany early in his college career at Coppin State University in Baltimore City, when he saw a group of street corner singers and began harmonizing with them. DeVaughn said his focus became music: "Before I knew what was going on, I was... cutting class to write lyrics and record". His focus turned to becoming a professional singer.

Career

DeVaughn took up a job at Tower Records, where while putting price tags on CDs, he began working the D.C. music circuit—performing with various groups, the most prominent of which being Urbanave31, and at venues such as the State of the Union and Bar Nun on U Street NW, all while having CDs of his songs ready at hand. Locally in the DC Metro area he attained relatively quick success, winning local awards and successfully releasing some independent work over the next few years. He won $2,000 from the Washington DC nightclub Bar Nun talent show. Soul World Entertainment CEO Cliff Jones and partner Jerry Vines, now the singer's longtime manager, met DeVaughn while managing the Baltimore-based quartet Dru Hill and asked him to write a song for the group. DeVaughn ultimately gained the attention of veteran producers DJ Jazzy Jeff (as Rahiem) and Kenny Burns (known as former A&R; for Roc-A-Fella Records) and with the help of Jones and Vines they signed a recording contract with Jive Records in 2002.

DeVaughn's first solo single released on a major label was the song entitled "Guess Who Loves You More", his second single was "You". DeVaughn's first Jive Records release "The Love Experience", was acclaimed, selling around 250,000 units. While promoting the album, DeVaughn took to wearing a crown and cape at shows, a ploy to make himself stand out, calling himself the "Underground King." Around this time, DeVaughn also began making appearances at different shows in D.C. with artists such as W. Ellington Felton and Asheru of Unspoken Heard, hiding his face behind a hooded sweatshirt performing under the alias Chronkite. Felton comments that that alter ego was engendered for complicated reasons: "Chronkite represents that part of every artist who started what they're doing singing in front of a mirror as a child with a brush in their hand. At that time, it was based love, the initial attraction that draws you to music. In his business, unfortunately, your passion, your love, your individuality as an artist, can be stripped away the further you get into it."

DeVaughn has been compared to Dwele, Van Hunt, D'Angelo, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. DeVaughn has described himself as a "R&B; hippie neo-soul rock star," a take on the difficulty media types have classifying him. Although Jive has been thrown considerable weight behind his recent album, DeVaughn doesn't leave promotion duties entirely to his label: "I'm my best marketing tool. I'm building the brand Raheem DeVaughn. I have to do it." He worked on the street to spread the word around, sold mixtapes of unreleased material to build hype, and provided impromptu shows at local venues. In another act of self-promotion, DeVaughn made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in late January, wearing a shirt that read "Grammy Nominated on the front" and "Love Behind the Melody-- In Stores Now" on the back. He also appeared on the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing "Woman" on January 18, 2008. 1123

His song "Woman" was featured as iTune's single of the week the week of January 27, 2008 and received a nomination for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance for the 2008 Grammy Awards.

In 2008, he was featured on T-Pain's song; Reality Show from the album Thr33 Ringz. The song also featured Jay Lyriq and Musiq Soulchild.

His song "You" was featured in the Grand Theft Auto IV video game.

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2008, Best Male R&B; Artist (Nominated)

*2008, BETJ Award (Won)

*2010, Best Male R&B; Artist (Nominated)

BET J Virtual Awards

*2008, Album of the Year: Love Behind the Melody (Won)

*2008, Song of the Year: "Woman" (Nominated)

*2008, Live Performer of the Year (Nominated)

*2008, Male Artist of the Year (Won)

Grammy Awards

*2008, Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance "Woman" (Nominated)

*2009, Best R&B; Song: "Customer" (Nominated)

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable" !Album information |- |align="left"|The Love Experience

Released: June 28, 2005

U.S. Sales: 250,000+

Billboard 200: #46 US

Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums: #9 US

|- |align="left"|Love Behind the Melody

Released: January 15, 2008

U.S. Sales: 293,962+

Billboard 200: #5 US

Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums: #1 US

|- |align="left"|The Love & War MasterPeace

Released: March 2, 2010

U.S. Sales: 150,000+

Billboard 200: #9

Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums: #3

|}

Singles

Notes

References

Byrd, Shayla (August 16, 2006). "20 Things You Should Know About: Raheem Devaugh". Vibe. Retrieved on January 21, 2008.

Mitchell, Gail (January 4, 2008). "Raheem Devaughn's 'Love' Revolution". Billboard. Retrieved on January 21, 2008.

External links

Raheem DeVaughn Official Website

Raheem DeVaughn interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' May 2010

Raheem DeVaughn Interview 1/18/10

Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:African American singers Category:African American Muslims Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:People from Montgomery County, Maryland Category:People from Prince George's County, Maryland

Category:Living people

Name	Pete Rock
Landscape	Pete Rock, October 2007
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Peter Phillips
Alias	Soul Brother #1The Chocolate Boy Wonder
Born	June 21, 1970New York City, New York, United States
Origin	Mount Vernon, New York, United States
Instrument	Turntable, sampler, keyboard, bass guitar
Genre	East Coast hip hop, jazz rap
Occupation	Music producer, disc jockey, rapper, singer
Years active	1987–present
Label	Elektra, Loud/RCA/BMG, Rapster/BBE, Nature Sounds/Caroline/Virgin/EMI
Associated acts	CL Smooth, Marley Marl, INI, Heavy D, The UN, YGz, DJ Premier, J Dilla, 9th Wonder, DJ Green Lantern, Rakim, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Pharoahe Monch, Krumbsnatcha

Peter Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth. After the duo went their separate ways, Rock continued with a solo career that has garnered him worldwide respect, though little in the way of mainstream success. Along with groups such as Stetsasonic, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Gang Starr, Rock played a major role in the merging of elements from jazz into hip hop music (also known as jazz rap). He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ Premier and RZA as one of the mainstays of 1990s East Coast hip hop production. Pete Rock is also the older brother and younger cousin, respectively, of rappers Grap Luva and Heavy D.

Editors from About.com ranked him as #2 in their "Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers" list. the sixth of seven children of Jamaican immigrant parents. His family moved to Mount Vernon, New York when he was seven years old. During high school, he met his future recording partner CL Smooth. According to Rock, his father was also a part-time DJ who had an impressive record collection. Rock would often accompany his father to a cricket club called Wembley in The Bronx and watch as he spun records for the guests. His first job was as a paperboy, in his neighborhood. In addition, he and DJ Premier have announced that they are working on a joint album together, although further details are unknown. Recently in London he confirmed that Big Pooh & C.L. Smooth will be on his half of the VS album and he plans on dropping 5 albums in 2011 including reuniting with C.L. Smooth for a third album & drop his 4th album on Nature Sounds.

Affiliates

Proteges

Through the years, Rock has helped to jump-start the careers of several artists. His first project outside of Pete Rock & CL Smooth was the hardcore duo YG'z, who released an EP called Street Nigga in 1993, with four out of the six tracks produced by Rock; however, they were quickly dropped from their deal with Reprise Records. His next venture, INI, was a group featuring Rock, his younger brother Grap Luva, Rass and rapper Rob-O. They released a single, "Fakin' Jax", through Elektra Records in 1995, before their debut album, , was shelved by the label. The other two members continue to record solo material, albeit only sporadically. In an interview Rock elaborated on the situation:

Another mid-1990s artist, DeDa, also met the same fate with his album The Original Baby Pa, although both this and INI's album were eventually released as a double album package in 2003. Other associated artists include Meccalicious, who recorded a few songs under Pete Rock's guidance (sometime around 1997), before disappearing from the music scene altogether.

Rock has had some success, however, overseeing and jump-starting the career of hardcore underground favorites The UN, a group featuring four MCs, including former Flipmode Squad member Rock Marciano. Rock premiered the group on the single "Nothin' Lesser" from his PeteStrumentals album, and they went on to release the fairly successful album UN or U Out in July 2004, featuring production by Rock, Large Professor, and several others.

Relationship with CL Smooth

Since their split in 1995, Pete Rock's relationship with CL Smooth has been highly unpredictable. Although the pair briefly united for the reflective "Da Two" from Rock's Soul Survivor album in 1998, they avoided entertaining requests for a reunion album until 2001, when they once again teamed up for "Back on Da Block" from Rock's PeteStrumentals. In their interviews during this period, it appeared as though a new album was underway. As Rock would explain:

The pair went on a short international tour culminating in their well-received show at London's Jazz Cafe; however, soon after this they declined to comment any further on the new album, which never materialized (although Smooth did make three separate appearances on Soul Survivor II). Eventually, Smooth would confirm rumors of a rift in an interview with AllHipHop.com, in which he appeared angry and frustrated with his former partner, saying "I didn’t ask him to be a superhero" and "I’m not the problem." In an interview taken in December 2006, Rock ruled out any further collaborations with Smooth but stated that he holds no grudges against his former partner. He recently confirmed that he will be recording a third album with C.L. Smooth.

Musical style

Production

Pete Rock builds his beats from samples, the majority of which are taken from obscure R&B;, funk, and jazz records. Early on in his career he would also sample drum breaks such as Black Heat's "Zimba Ku" for Heavy D & The Boyz's "Letter To The Future". Pete Rock heavily used the E-mu SP-1200 as well as the AKAI [S950]—later moving onto using the MPC—for his productions. Pete Rock tends to use the samples as palettes for his beats, chopping (cutting the sample into smaller parts), filtering (altering the frequencies of the sample), and layering several samples, often within the same song. While this technique was applied long before Rock (on De La Soul's Three Feet High and Rising or the work of The Bomb Squad for example), Rock's work is distinctive for the way in which he uses samples to achieve a hazy, droning effect. He is also noted for his resonant basslines, horn samples, and gritty sounding drums. His beats often sound as though they were being played from an old vinyl record; he samples many of his sounds straight off these records.

Another trait of his, more so in the earlier part of his career, is the way he uses horn samples to supplement his grooves. With perhaps the most famous example being "They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)" (on which he uses a horn sample from Tom Scott's "Today"), Rock has also used horns on several other productions such as "Straighten It Out", Public Enemy's "Shut 'Em Down", Rah Digga's "What They Call Me", and A.D.O.R.'s "Let It All Hang Out".

Along with Gang Starr, The Roots and A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock played a large role in the fusing of jazz and funk music into Hip hop. The aforementioned "Reminisce..." withstanding, Rock used many jazz samples on his album Mecca and The Soul Brother, such as Cannonball Adderley's "Country Preacher", for the song "Return of the Mecca", or "Capricorn" for the song "In the House" from The Main Ingredient. Pete Rock's heavy use of intro and outro beats has also been widely influential. To introduce feature songs, he often plays a short instrumental excerpt, completely different from the rest of the song. Aside from their role as transitions, these are widely regarded as a way of displaying his large collection and as a challenge to other hip-hop producers to identify the records that the breaks come from. Mecca & the Soul Brother and The Main Ingredient use intro/outro beats on nearly every track to great effect, and the tradition continues to the present on Rock's recent releases.

Remixes

"Another Pete Rock Remix" is Pete Rock's trademark catchphrase, heard on countless singles which he has remixed. In addition to Hip-hop artists he has done remix work for artists from other genres such as his 1995 remix of "Before You Walk Out Of My Life" for R&B; singer Monica. In 1992 he collaborated with Mary J. Blige on the What's the 411? single "Reminisce", which utililized the same sample from his own single "T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You)". Rock claims to have done several high profile remixes which remain unreleased including one of Madonna's "Secret".

Many other producers, including Kev Brown and Kanye West, have also found themselves compared to Pete Rock, with the latter glowingly referring to himself as "the new version of Pete Rock" on Slum Village's "Selfish" from the group's 2004 album Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit). Pete Rock has acknowledged his relevance to these artists, releasing an instrumental record with 9th Wonder (Class Is in Session), as well as recording his own remix of West's "Heard 'Em Say". Rock himself has named his main musical influences as being influential hip hop producer and close friend Marley Marl and legendary soul musician James Brown.

Discography

; Studio albums

Soul Survivor (1998)

PeteStrumentals (2001)

More PeteStrumentals (2003) (Unreleased)

(2003)

Soul Survivor II (2004)

(2005)

NY's Finest (2008)

TBA (Working title) (2011)

References

External links

Pete Rock — official website

Pete Rock discography at Discogs

Pete Rock at MySpace

Pete Rock Interview - February 2008

Pete Rock Interview Part 1

Pete Rock Interview Part 2

Riot Sound, Hip-Hop, Rap & Urban Culture - Pete Rock Interview

Interview with Pete Rock

Category:1970 births * Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American rappers of Jamaican descent Category:People from Westchester County, New York Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:1990s rappers

Name	Nate Dogg
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Nathaniel Dwayne Hale
Born	August 19, 1969 (age 41)
Origin	Long Beach, California, United States
Genre	West Coast hip hop, R&B;, g-funk
Occupation	Singer, Rapper
Years active	1992–present
Label	Death RowElektraDoggystyleAtlantic
Associated acts	213, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, 2Pac, DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, Game, Eminem, Tha Dogg Pound,

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (born August 19, 1969), better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, is an American musician.

Life and career

Nate Dogg was born in Long Beach, California. He is the close friend and partner in the music game with rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G, RBX, Daz Dillinger and is the cousin of Butch Cassidy and Lil' ½ Dead. He began singing as a child in the New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach and Life Line Baptist Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi where his father (Daniel Lee Hale) was pastor. At the age of 16 he dropped out of high school in Long Beach, California and left home to join the United States Marine Corps, serving for three years. In 1991 Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg, and their friend Warren G, formed a rap trio called 213. 213 recorded their first demo in the back of the famed V.I.P record store in Long Beach, the demo was later heard by Dr. Dre at a house party and he was instantly hooked on the soulful voice of Nate.

Nate Dogg made his debut on The Chronic. Singing in what later become his trademark style, he was well-received by fans and critics alike, and would go on to sign with Death Row Records in 1993. Nate Dogg was also featured on Mista Grimm's "Indosmoke" with Warren G. Then in 1994 he produced his first hit single "Regulate" with Warren G. Nate Dogg was also featured in many Tupac releases, including his collaboration record Thug Life: Volume I. Then in 1998 after a tumultuous time at Death Row Records he released another album. The double album was titled G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2 and was followed up in late 2001 with Music & Me on Elektra Records. Music & Me peaked at number three on the Billboard hip-hop charts in 2001.

In 2002, Nate Dogg appeared on a celebrity episode of the Weakest Link making it to the last three players before being eliminated by Xzibit and Young MC.

Nate Dogg was arrested in Arizona in April 2002 and was charged with firearms and drug offenses. He pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced to probation, community service, and ordered to attend drug counseling sessions.

Nate has found his greatest success not in solo projects, but in collaborations with other hip-hop artists. As of 2004, Nate Dogg has featured in and contributed to over 40 chart singles.

After a number of delays and an original release date of April 2004, his self-titled album Nate Dogg is set to be released on Affiliated Entertainment Group on June 3, 2008. Nate Dogg has already begun work on a new project.

On December 19, 2007, he suffered a stroke, according to a coordinator for his recently formed gospel choir, Innate Praise. Reports had circulated that Nate Dogg had been admitted to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in Pomona, California after suffering a heart attack. Erica Beckwith, however, confirmed to MTV News that Nate Dogg was released on December 26 after being treated for a stroke and is currently in a medical-rehab facility to assist him in his recovery. On January 18, 2008, it was officially reported that the stroke had rendered the left side of his body paralyzed. Doctors believe there will be a full recovery, and his voice was not affected. In September 2008, Nate suffered a second stroke and today is still recovering in a long term care facility. Warren G later confirmed that Nate did in fact suffer two strokes and is currently undergoing physical therapy to get back to how he was. It is currently unknown if he will be able to continue his singing career.

Discography

G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2 (1998)

The Prodigal Son (2000)

Music and Me (2001)

Essentials (2002)

Nate Dogg (2003)

Filmography

The Transporter song "I Got Love" (2002)

Doggy Fizzle Televizzle as singer of the theme song for the sketch "The Braided Bunch" (2002–2003)

Head of State as himself (also singer/composer of theme song) (2003)

song "Keep it Comin"

''The Boondocks (2008)

Awards/nominations

Nate Dogg has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, but has yet to win one.

Category	Genre	Song	Year	Result
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration(with Eminem)	Rap	"Shake That"	2007	Nominated
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration(with Ludacris)	Rap	"Area Codes"	2002	Nominated
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group(uncredited with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)	Rap	"The Next Episode"	2001	Nominated
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group(with Warren G)	Rap	"Regulate"	1995	Nominated

References

External links

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:American film actors Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Death Row Records artists Category:Hip hop singers Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:Stroke survivors Category:United States Marines Category:Crips

Name	Method Man
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Maslow Smith
Alias	Meth, Tical, Johnny Blaze, Methtical, Shakwon
Born	April 01, 1971
Origin	Staten Island, New York City, New York, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, actor
Years active	1990–present (rapping)
Label	Def Jam
Associated acts	Wu-Tang Clan, Method Man & Redman, Erick Sermon, DMX, LL Cool J
Url

Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971

4:21... The Day After

.]] Method Man's fourth album, entitled was released in August 2006 with a star lineup of producers featuring Havoc, Erick Sermon, Scott Storch, Allah Mathematics, Mr. Porter, and, most importantly to Meth, RZA. This time around, a more focused Method Man went back to his hip hop roots and both hip hop fans and the media took notice. He did an interview on the ItsHipHop.Tv. Despite this being one of Meth's strongest solo efforts to date, the album failed to do well commercially due to it having no single or video, which Method Man has held discontent towards his own label for. However, he has been touring strongly all over the world to promote the album, and has appeared onstage with fellow Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck, as well as New York up and comers Saigon, and Gat Murdah. Meth contributed various reasons for the problems between him and his label, Def Jam. While puts most of the blame on personal agendas in the Def Jam offices, Meth did take some blame, himself, for giving into his record label.

In early May 2007, Method Man's camp leaked the street single "New York New York" which became a popular track on the internet.

Blackout! 2

On March 27, 2007, Redman confirmed on BET's Rap City: Tha Bassment that the sequel to How High, How High 2, is currently being written.

In an April 10, 2007 Onion AV Club interview, Redman hinted that there would be a second collaborative album with Method Man, with work beginning in midsummer or early September.

In early 2008, a remake of the Smoothe da Hustler and Trigger tha Gambler classic Broken Language was released to the internet by the duo entitled Broken Language 2008, fueling rumors of a Blackout! sequel coming soon. This rumor was further fueled by the duo while performing in Gainesville, Florida at the University of Florida. A Blackout! 2 LP was scheduled for a December 9, 2008 release but was recently pushed back to the first quarter of 2009, with a new release date on May 19. Bun B has confirmed that he will guest star on Blackout! 2 - in April 2009, a single has been released named City Lights, produced by Nasty Kutt Also producers such as Erick Sermon, Rockwilder and Pete Rock have announced their presence on the album.

The duo has finished their Still High tour with Termanalogy, the Alchemist, and Evidence of Dilated Peoples.

The Crystal Meth

The Crystal Meth is the Method Man's upcoming fifth studio album. The album has no confirmed release date. The Crystal Meth was first announced before Method Man began working on his and Redman's sophomore collaboration album, Blackout! 2. In the liner notes of that album, it was given a scheduled release date for 2009. The album, however, was further postponed until it was later mentioned in an MTV interview it would be released in early 2010. "Number 1 on my shit list right now is Divine from Wu-Tang management. He took something major from me that he had no intention of giving back." Divine is multiplatinum record producer RZA's brother who along with Oli "Power" Grant took over the business end of Wu-Tang around 1997.

Aside from the financial issues, Method Man was unhappy with the decision to bring Wu-Tang into the fashion world for a brief period of time with Wu-Wear, despite the brand being a major money-maker for the group. "When Wu-Wear started making shoes and sneakers and pants, it was shoddy material. I never rocked that shit."

Williams also reported rumors that Method Man had even been having an affair with his wife's doctor. Method Man first heard of this while in recording sessions in Los Angeles.

}}

Sean Combs

During a concert in 2006, Method Man criticized Diddy's decisions on the posthumous The Notorious B.I.G. album, saying that Biggie never would have worked with some of the subpar rappers. "They got niggas on that album Big would have never rocked with," Meth said of the album. "Musically, I ain't fuckin' with Puff Daddy". He also brought up the fact that he was the only other rapper that Biggie chose to have on his debut album Ready To Die. He was featured on the track "The What".

Previously, Diddy had been one of the executive producers for Method Man's 2004 album , to which Meth later voiced his displeasure on the final product.

Fox Television

He starred in a Fox sitcom called Method & Red in late 2004, however after only a short time on the air the show was put on hiatus and never returned. Method Man later complained in the press about Fox's influence on the show's style, claiming that "there's been too much compromise on our side and not enough on their side" and bemoaning the network's decision to add a laugh track. Before the show even aired for the first time, he was telling fans not to bother watching it. He told the newspaper:

Legal issues

On Thursday May 17, 2007 Method Man was arrested in New York City on marijuana charges. His Mercedes-Benz convertible was pulled over at the Battery Tunnel en route to Manhattan, and when he rolled his window down the officer noticed a strong smell of marijuana. "It was like something out of Cheech & Chong. He rolls down the window and the smoke would choke a horse," a source later said. The arresting officer said he noticed two blunts and a plastic bag with more marijuana in plain view. Upon further inspection more marijuana was found under the driver's seat. The arrest was made at about 10 P.M. Thursday night near the Battery Tunnel toll booths on Hamilton Ave. in Carroll Gardens.

He was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal possession of marijuana, operating a motor vehicle under the influence and driving an uninspected motor vehicle. He later made many public service appearances to try to make up for it, most notably at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn.

On 5 October 2009, Method Man was arrested for income tax violations after turning himself in. He is accused of failing to file income tax returns for the state of New York between 2004 and 2007 and owes nearly $33,000 in taxes.

Acting career

In the early 2000s Method Man began a career in acting. He has had recurring roles in critically acclaimed television shows such as HBO's The Wire in which he plays Prop Joe's nephew Cheese, HBO's Oz as Tug Daniels, The Twilight Zone and . He and Redman hosted a pilot on MTV called Stung. He has made numerous appearances as himself on TV shows such as Mind of Mencia and Chappelle's Show.

Method Man portrays on CSI, a wealthy Las Vegas party promoter who clashes with the CSI team, specifically investigator Nick Stokes, in their investigations involving his clubs or entourage. His first appearance on CSI as Drops was in the 2006 episode "Poppin' Tags". He resumed the role in the 2007 episode "Big Shots" and again in the 2008 episode "Drops Out".

His first prominent role came in 1998 with the film Belly along with fellow rappers Nas and DMX. He has since added many credits to his name, including roles in the films Garden State, One Eight Seven, and many others, with starring roles in the feature films such as How High and Soul Plane. On March 27, 2007 Redman confirmed on BET's show Rap City that the sequel to How High was being written. The script for How High 2 is being written by Dustin Lee Abraham of CSI, who also wrote the first movie. In 2005 Method Man also had a cameo in the horror movie Venom, where he played a deputy who shortly into the movie is killed. He appears in the 2008 movies The Wackness and also, Meet the Spartans.

Method Man stars in the episode "Snitch" of Law & Order SVU as the main antagonist. The episode was first broadcast December 4, 2007.

Method Man has made an appearance in the Def Jam series of video games. In he voiced Blaze, one of the main characters. In , he voiced Gooch, a major character in the storyline. In , He voiced Meth, one of the major characters. He made a guest appearance in the music video for the 2003 "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys, where he played the role of her boyfriend. He also appeared in Beanie Sigel's music video "Feel It in the Air", where Method Man played an undercover cop leading an operation against Sigel.

Method Man has fallen back from pursuing more acting roles after the situation with his sitcom on Fox left a bad taste in his mouth, and now mostly just acts if the project is being handled by a friend of his, as was the case with and The Wire. He also played an arsonist and a wealthy executive as well as main antagonist in an episode of the fox TV show the The Good Guys.

Method Man appears as a hip hop business mogul in an episode of Burn Notice.

Method man had a cameo appearance in the 1997 film Cop Land as a physically violent fleeing criminal that throws Peter Berg's character off of a New York rooftop. Method Man has also appeared in the TV drama Wonderland, as a patient in a mental hospital.

Other work

Method Man appeared in the 1995 documentary entitled The Show. There is a memorable scene in which Method Man, on a train in Japan, gets into an argument with U-God and Ghostface Killah, over camera time, radio interviews, and clothing mishaps.

In 2006, Method Man appeared on the MTV reality game show Yo Momma in the first episode of Season 1.

Method Man is the first of the Wu-Tang Clan to produce a series of eponymous graphic novels for Hachette Book Group USA's imprint Grand Central Publishing (to be followed by GZA and Ghostface Killah).

Discography

; Solo albums

Tical (1994)

(1998)

(2004)

(2006)

The Crystal Meth (2011)

; Collaboration albums

Blackout! (with Redman) (1999)

Blackout! 2 (with Redman) (2009)

Wu-Massacre (with Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) (2010)

Filmography

References

External links

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:1990s rappers Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American film actors Category:African American rappers Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:People from Staten Island Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Wu-Tang Clan members

Name	Mark Ronson
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Occupation	Musician, DJ, producer
Birth name	Mark Daniel Ronson
Born	September 04, 1975Notting Hill, London, United Kingdom
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Label	AllidoColumbiaRCARoc Nation
Years active	1993 – present
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, percussion, keyboards, drum machine, bass, clavinet, organ, piano
Associated acts	Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Daniel Merriweather, Jordan Galland, Wale,The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, the Business International
Url

Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

While his debut album Here Comes the Fuzz failed to make an impact on the charts, his second album, Version included three top ten hits and won Ronson a BRIT Award for Best Male Artist 2008. His third studio album, Record Collection, was released on 27 September 2010.

Early life

Ronson was born at the Wellington Hospital, St John's Wood, to writer/socialite Ann Dexter-Jones and one-time band manager and real estate entrepreneur Laurence Ronson. His parents are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with ancestors from Austria, Russia, and Lithuania, and Ronson was brought up in Conservative Judaism. Ronson's family name was originally Aaronson but his grandfather Henry Ronson changed it to Ronson. Ronson is related to British Conservative politicians Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Leon Brittan, He has younger twin sisters, Charlotte Ronson, a fashion designer, and Samantha Ronson, a singer and DJ. After his parents broke up, his mother married Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones, which contributed to a childhood surrounded by music.

Career

Ronson went to high school at the private Collegiate School in New York. Attending Vassar College and then New York University (NYU), Ronson became a regular at downtown hip hop spots and made his name as a DJ on the New York club scene in 1993, charging $50 per job. Though a novice with little experience, he became known for his diverse, genre-spanning selection. Influenced by funk, the hip hop scene of New York and the more rock influence of the UK (all of which he incorporated in his sets) he attracted a wider audience. He was soon one of the most respected DJs and was being called on for celebrities' private parties. In 1999, Ronson was featured in an ad wearing Tommy Hilfiger denim in the recording studio for an ad campaign for the company.

Here Comes the Fuzz and initial producing

He moved on, however, to producing music after Nikka Costa's manager heard one of his gigs and introduced the musicians. He produced her song "Everybody Got Their Something", and soon Ronson signed a record contract with Elektra Records. Mark had produced tracks for Hilfiger ads, and in 2001 used the connection to have Costa's single "Like a Feather" used in an ad.

Ronson's first album, Here Comes the Fuzz, was released in 2003 and was critically acclaimed and a financial success, despite initially poor sales. On the album, he wrote the songs, made the beats and played guitar, keyboards, and bass. The album featured artists from diverse genres, including Mos Def, Jack White, Sean Paul, Nikka Costa, Nappy Roots and Rivers Cuomo. The best known song from the album, "Ooh Wee", samples "Sunny" by Boney M and features Nate Dogg, Ghostface Killah, Trife Da God, and Saigon. It featured that year in the movie Honey and its soundtrack. The song was later used in the movies Hitch and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Macy Gray, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, and Robbie Williams.

Ronson became one of the regular DJs at Justin Timberlake's New York club, Suede, when it opened in 2003.

In 2004, Ronson formed his own record label, Allido Records, a subsidiary of Sony BMG's J Records, along with his longtime manager Rich Kleiman. The first artist he signed to Allido was rapper Saigon, who later left to sign with Just Blaze's Fort Knox Entertainment. He has signed Rhymefest, most well-known for winning the Grammy for co-writing Kanye West's "Jesus Walks".

Version

Ronson released a cover of The Smiths' track "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" under the title "Stop Me" on 2 April 2007, featuring singer Daniel Merriweather, which reached number 2 in the UK singles charts, the biggest hit for Ronson to date. Ronson remixed the Bob Dylan song "Most Likely You'll Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)" in promotion for the three disc Bob Dylan set titled Dylan released October 2007. Ronson has also produced Candie Payne's "One More Chance (Ronson mix)" in 2007.

The album has been well received by critics. In May 2007 it was awarded the title Album of the Month by the British dance music magazine, Mixmag. On 23 June, the DJ made the cover of the Guardian newspaper's Guide magazine, alongside singer Lily Allen.

In June 2007, Ronson signed DC hip hop artist Wale to Allido Records. In late 2007, he focused on production, working with Daniel Merriweather on his debut album, and recording again with Amy Winehouse and Robbie Williams.

On 24 October 2007 Ronson performed a one-off set at The Roundhouse in Camden, London as part of the BBC Electric Proms 2007. The performance featured the BBC Concert Orchestra and included special guests Terry Hall, Sean Lennon, Tim Burgess, Alex Greenwald, Ricky Wilson, Charlie Waller, Adele and Kyle Falconer.

Ronson received a Grammy Award nomination in early December 2007 for 'Producer of the Year, Non Classical', along with Timbaland and Mike Elizondo. Ronson's work with Amy Winehouse also received substantial praise, gaining 6 nominations. Back to Black, an album mostly produced by Ronson was nominated for 'Album of the Year' and 'Best Pop Vocal Album'. "Rehab" received nods for 'Best Female Pop Vocal Performance', 'Song of the Year' and 'Record of the Year'. Ronson would go on to win three Grammys for 'Producer of the Year' as well as 'Best Pop Vocal Album' and 'Record of the Year' (which he shared with Amy Winehouse) in early February 2008.

Ronson is credited as producer on a mixtape album called Man in the Mirror, released in January 2008 by the rapper Rhymefest which is a tribute to the pop star Michael Jackson. The album features Rhymefest appearing to speak to Michael Jackson using archive audio from interviews with the pop star.

Later in January 2008, Ronson received three nominations for the Brit Awards, including 'Best Male Solo Artist', 'Best Album' (Version) and 'Song of the Year' ("Valerie"). Ronson won his first Brit for 'Best Male Solo Artist' in mid February 2008 over favorite Mika. He also performed a medley of "God Put a Smile upon Your Face" with Adele, "Stop Me" with Daniel Merriweather and "Valerie" with Amy Winehouse.

The performance allowed for a large boost in sales in the iTunes UK Top 100. "Valerie" would jump almost 30 spots in the days after the event, while "Just", "Stop Me" and "Oh My God" all appeared in the chart as well. That same week, Ronson appeared twice in the UK Top 40, with "Valerie" rebounding to number 13 and "Just" at number 31, his fourth Top 40 hit from "Version". The Brits performance also allowed for "Version" to climb 18 spots to number 4.

Around this time, Ronson received his first number one on an international chart (Dutch Top 40) for "Valerie", which has spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. He collaborated with Kaiser Chiefs on their third album.

Ronson has toured the album "Version" vigorously through both the UK and Europe during 2008. Notable sold out performances at The Hammersmith Apollo and Brixton Academy. Ronson is known to champion new upcoming artists on the road with him, such as Sam Sparro and Julian Perretta. Ronson's string backing was provided by the all-female string quartet Demon Strings. In May 2008, Ronson played at the largest private party in the world, the Trinty Ball in Trinity College Dublin. On 2 July 2008 in Paris, Mark Ronson performed a unique live set with Duran Duran for an exclusive, invitation-only performance. Together, they showcased specially re-worked versions of some of Duran Duran's classic hits that were created by Ronson, along with tracks from the band's new album, Red Carpet Massacre. Ronson & the Version Players also brought Ronson's acclaimed live show to the event, performing songs from his album Version. Simon LeBon was one of his featured guest vocalists. As of March 2009 Ronson was working with the group on their upcoming 13th album. The Album, titled All You Need Is Now is scheduled for digital release on 21 December 2010. This will be followed by a physical release in February 2011.

Record Collection

At the launch of his most recent Gucci pop-up store in London, Ronson confirmed the name of his new album Record Collection, and said that he hoped to have it out by September 2010. Additionally, Ronson announced the name of his new band, "The Business Intl.'", which is the alias adopted by Ronson on the third studio album. The first single "Bang Bang Bang". which featured rapper Q-Tip and singer MNDR was released on 12 July 2010, where it peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart, giving Ronson his fourth Top 10 hit. The single also saw success on the Irish Singles Chart, where it peaked at number 18. The second single from the album, "The Bike Song", was 19 September 2010 and features Kyle Falconer from The View and Spank Rock. The album was released on 27 September 2010.

Videos

Ronson created a video, along with Directors Gary Breslin and Jordan Galland: Circuit Breaker, which is a Homage to video hero The Legend of Zelda (video game)

Personal life

Ronson spends his time between New York and London; due to this and his childhood he has a Mid-Atlantic English accent. Ronson is the nephew of property tycoon Gerald Ronson. Mark has two sisters who are twins: Charlotte is a fashion designer and his other sister Samantha is a DJ and singer. He lived next door to, and was friends with, Sean Lennon. Ronson became a naturalised citizen of the United States in 2008.

In 2002, he began dating Quincy Jones's daughter, actress/singer Rashida Jones They became engaged in March 2003, with Ronson proposing by creating a crossword puzzle with the message "Will you marry me". They later broke up. In the beginning of 2008, Ronson briefly dated English model/socialite Daisy Lowe. Ronson went on to date Tennessee Thomas, the English drummer of American indie girl band The Like. The pair split in early 2009. In March of that year, Ronson was pictured with new girlfriend, Joséphine de La Baume.

In 2009 he participated in PETA's "Please Don't Wear Any Fur" campaign. He was also voted the most stylish man in UK by GQ magazine

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

;Other charted songs:

Notes: - As Mark Ronson & The Business Intl.

Production discography

Albums

1998: Flip Squad Allstars - The Flip Squad Allstar DJs

1999: The High & Mighty - Home Field Advantage (programming)

2001: Nikka Costa - Everybody Got Their Something

2002: Jimmy Fallon - The Bathroom Wall (mixing)

2002: Sean Paul - Dutty Rock

2002: Saigon - The Best of Saigon a.k.a. The Yardfather Volume 1

2003: Mark Ronson - Here Comes the Fuzz

2003: Macy Gray - The Trouble with Being Myself (programming)

2004: Consequence - Take 'Em to the Cleaners

2005: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Osirus

2005: Terry Sullivan - TheErthMoovsAroundTheSun (guitar)

2005: Teriyaki Boyz - Beef or Chicken

2006: Lily Allen - Alright, Still

2006: Rhymefest - Blue Collar

2006: Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics

2006: Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

2006: Robbie Williams - Rudebox

2006: Ghostface Killah - More Fish

2007: Wale - 100 Miles & Running

2007: Mark Ronson - Version

2008: Rhymefest - Man in the Mirror

2008: Adele - 19

2008: Estelle - Shine

2008: Wale - The Mixtape About Nothing

2008: Solange Knowles - Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams

2008: Nas - Untitled

2008: Q-Tip - The Renaissance

2008: Kaiser Chiefs - Off with Their Heads

2009: Wale & 9th Wonder - Back to the Feature

2009: Richard Swift - The Atlantic Ocean

2009: Wale - Attention Deficit

2009: Daniel Merriweather - Love & War

2009: The Rumble Strips - Welcome to the Walk Alone

2009: ODB - A Son Unique

2010: The Like - Release Me

2010: Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. - Record Collection

2011: Duran Duran - All You Need is Now

Singles

1997: Posse-O - "It's Up to You..."

1998: Powerule - "Heatin' Up"

1998: Powerule - "Rhymes to Bust" / "It's Your Right"

2001: Nikka Costa - "Like a Feather"

2002: J-Live - "School's In"

2004: Daniel Merriweather - "City Rules"

2004: Daniel Merriweather - "She's Got Me"

2005: Ol' Dirty Bastard - "Dirty Dirty"

2005: Rhymefest - "These Days"

2005: Rhymefest - "Brand New"

2006: Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"

2006: Robbie Williams - "Lovelight"

2006: Lily Allen - "Littlest Things"

2007: Amy Winehouse - "You Know I'm No Good"

2007: Robbie Williams - "Bongo Bong and Je Ne T'Aime Plus"

2007: Amy Winehouse - "Back to Black"

2007: Christina Aguilera - "Slow Down Baby"

2007: Candie Payne - "One More Chance"

2007: Amy Winehouse - "Love Is a Losing Game"

2008: Adele - "Cold Shoulder"

2008: Leon Jean-Marie - "Bed of Nails"

2008: Kaiser Chiefs - "Never Miss a Beat"

2008: Wiley - "Cash in My Pocket"

2008: Kaiser Chiefs - "Good Days Bad Days"

2009: Daniel Merriweather - "Change"

2009: Daniel Merriweather - "Red"

2009: Daniel Merriweather - "Impossible

Awards

Winner

Grammy Award 2008 Producer of the Year - Non-Classical, Record of the Year (with Amy Winehouse), Best Pop Vocal Album (also with Winehouse)

The BRIT Awards 2008 Best British Male Solo Artist

Vodafone Live Music Awards - Best Live Male - Winner 2008

Glamour Women of the Year - Men of the Year - Winner 2008

Nominations

BRIT Awards 2008 Best Album - Version, Best Single Valerie (feat. Amy Winehouse)

MOBO Awards 2010 Best Video - Bang Bang Bang (feat. Q-Tip & MNDR), Best Song - Bang Bang Bang (feat. Q-Tip & MNDR)

References

External links

Category:Never Mind the Buzzcocks Category:Grammy Award winners Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Allido Records artists Category:2000s singers Category:1990s singers Category:Hip hop DJs Category:English DJs Category:English male singers Category:Alternative rock musicians Category:Hip hop record producers Category:English record producers Category:The Collegiate School alumni Category:Jewish singers Category:English Jews Category:English immigrants to the United States Category:People from Notting Hill Category:People from Manhattan Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States