An MC (or emcee) is the host of a staged event or similar performance. "M.C." is an abbreviation of "Master of Ceremonies". The MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving. An MC may also tell jokes or anecdotes. The MC sometimes also acts as the protocol officer during an official state function. In hip hop, rock music and electronic dance music, an MC is a music artist and/or performer who usually creates and performs vocals for his own original material (not to be confused with a DJ, or Disc Jockey, who plays party music and creates music mixes). Shock G of Digital Underground, in the book How to Rap, notes that the term 'M.C.' in hip-hop "comes from the phrase Master of Ceremonies", which explains "the M.C. prefix to so many rappers' names" (for example, M.C. Hammer). MCs are not limited to rapping, singing is often used in hardstyle and metal music.

Origins

The term originates from the Catholic Church. The Master of Ceremonies is an official of the Papal Court responsible for the proper and smooth conduct of the elegant and elaborate rituals involving the Pope and the Sacred Liturgy. He may also be an official involved in the proper conduct of protocols and ceremonials involving the Roman Pontiff, the Papal Court, and other dignitaries and potentates. Examples of official liturgical books prescribing the rules and regulations of liturgical celebrations are Cæremoniale Romanum and Cæremoniale Episcoporum.

The office of the Master of Ceremonies itself is very old. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the most ancient ceremonials and rituals of the Catholic Church are the so-called Ordines Romani. Names of Masters of Ceremonies are known since the late Middle Ages (15th century) and the Renaissance (16th century). However, copies of books prescribing the forms of rituals, rites and customs of pontifical ceremonies are known to have been given to Charles Martel in the 8th century. The rules and rituals themselves are known to have been compiled or written by the pontifical masters of ceremonies whose contents date back to the time of Pope Gelasius I (492-496) with modifications and additions made by Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). It is reasonable to assume that the ceremonials themselves pre-date Gelasius I and the origins of the Master of Ceremonies may have developed from the time Emperor Constantine the Great gave the Lateran Palace to the popes (324) or from the time Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire (380), and was influenced no doubt by imperial practices, customs and norms. However, documentary evidence from the late Roman period are scarce or lost. The ceremonies and practices of the Byzantine emperors are also known to have influenced the papal court. The accumulation of elaboration and complication since the Renaissance and Baroque eras were carried well into the 20th century until some of the ceremonies (i.e. the court, the rituals and norms) were simplified or completely eliminated by Pope Paul VI in the 1970s after Vatican II; much of the Renaissance pomp and ceremony has been completely abandoned by the popes of the modern era.

At a large Catholic church or cathedral, the Master of Ceremonies organises and rehearses the proceedings and ritual of each Mass. He may also have responsibility for the physical security of the place of worship during the liturgy. At major festivities such as Christmas and Easter, when the liturgies are long and complex, the Master of Ceremonies plays a vital role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly.

The current papal Master of Ceremonies is Monsignor Guido Marini who succeeded Archbishop Piero Marini to whom he is not related.

Masters of Ceremonies at weddings and private affairs have also been in charge of the coordination of events. Wedding MCs will often work directly with catering staff to ensure the event runs smoothly.

Monarchies

Historically certain European royal courts maintained senior offices known as Masters of Ceremonies (or some variants thereof), responsible for conducting stately ceremonies such as coronations and receptions of foreign ambassadors. Examples included:

British Empire: Master of the Ceremonies

France: Grand Master of Ceremonies

Japan: Master of Ceremonies

Russian Empire: see Table of Ranks

Comedy clubs

In the context of a comedy club, the role of MC is traditionally filled by a "compère". The compère of a comedy show is the host of the evening's events, charged with a variety of responsibilities. These typically include making announcements, introducing the other comedians of the evening, and interacting with the crowd for such events as birthdays, anniversaries, and other parties.

Boy Scouts of America

In the Boy Scouts of America, the Master of Ceremonies is an adult or a scout who leads a Court of Honor, specifically an Eagle Scout Court of Honor (one which is held to present a scout with an Eagle Scout rank). It is optional to award merit badges or rank advancements at the Eagle Scout Court of Honor, rather than making the rest of the troop wait for another, non-Eagle, Court of Honor.

Hip Hop

In the late 1970s, the term MC (or M.C. in some contexts), stood for Master of Ceremonies. It became another alternative for a rapper, for the position's role within hip hop music and culture. An MC uses rhyming verses, pre-written or ad lib ('freestyled'), to introduce the DJ with whom they work, to keep the crowd entertained or to glorify themselves. As hip hop progressed, the title M.C. has been thought to mean a number of acronyms such as Microphone Controller, Mic Checka, Music Commentator, and one who Moves the Crowd, notably through Rakim's lyrics on the matter ("Eric B. easy on the cut and no mistakes allowed/ 'Cuz to me, 'M.C.' means 'move the crowd'..."). Some use this word interchangeably with the term rapper or emcee, while for others the term denotes a conception and demonstration of the role indicative of skill and of connection to the wider culture, while the latter term does not.

'M.C.' can often be used as a term of distinction; referring to an artist with good performance skills.

As with some rappers, there was a distinction, such as for M.C. Hammer who acquired the nickname "M.C." for being a "Master of Ceremonies" which he used when he began performing at various clubs while on the road with the Oakland A's, and eventually in the military (United States Navy). It was within the lyrics of a rap song called "This Wall" that Hammer (Kirk Burrell or "K.B." as he previously used) first identified himself as M.C. Hammer and later marketed it on his debut album Feel My Power.

Uncertainty over the acronym's expansion may be considered evidence for the ubiquity of the acronym: the full master of ceremonies is very rarely used in the hip-hop scene. This confusion prompted the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest to include this statement in the liner notes to their 1993 album, ''Midnight Marauders:

The use of the term MC when referring to a rhyming wordsmith originates from the dance halls of Jamaica. At each event, there would be a master of ceremonies who would introduce the different musical acts and would say a toast in style of a rhyme, directed at the audience and to the performers. He would also make announcements such as the schedule of other events or advertisements from local sponsors. The term MC continued to be used by the children of women who moved to New York to work as maids in the 1970s. These MCs eventually created a new style of music called hip-hop based on the rhyming they used to do in Jamaica and the breakbeats used in records. MC has also recently been accepted to refer to all who engineer music.

As these all are hearing MC artists, there is also a growing number of deaf MC artist's including Louis Casim-Kahn and his popular "Sheffield Sounds Good" (SSG) deaf MC crew.

References

Category:Entertainment

Name	Skibadee
Background	solo_singer
Alias	Skiba, Skibs
Origin	London, England
Genre	Drum n' Bass/Jungle
Years active	1993–present
Associated acts	S.A.S. (Skiba and Shabba)S.A.S. (Shotta and Skiba)UNCZ (Uncontrollablez)
Url	FacebookMyspace

MC Skibadee, real name Alfonso Bondzie, is a Drum and Bass MC musician from London, England. He started on City Sound Radio around 1993.

By early 1995 Skibadee was featured regularly at events such as Thunder & Joy, Spirit of the Jungle, Ballroom Dance at the Blackpool Tower and his regular spot on City Sound Radio. By the end of 1995 Skibadee was resident for all Kool FM, Fever, T & J, Malachite, Electrybe, NJC, Designer label Ball, Chorley FM and Innersense. Along with his gym partner, MC Dett, Skibadee launched a new project called 2Xfreestyle in late 1997, which involved putting a Drum and Bass tempo over a Hip-Hop beat, therefore creating a doubletime effect.

The single and subsequent video 'Inside Me' was a success and after being accepted on MTV. and The Box. In 1999 Skibadee received the first of 3 the Knowledge Awards for best MC, and three Accelerated culture awards. Since 2000, Skibadee began collaborating with MC Shabba D, also known as 'Shabba D' or 'Shabby' which has now become Drum and Bass partnership S.A.S, Skiba and Shabba.

In 2006 he won the 1Xtra award for best MC, in 2007 he won best MC southwest Drum n Bass award. In 2008 and 2009 Skibadee won best Lyrical MC and best Hype MC in the national Drum and bass awards and 2010 is the third year in a row as the best Crowd Hyper MC as well as the Stevie Hyper D Lifetime Achievement Award.

More recently, Skibadee has formed a new clique with MC Fun and MC Harry Shotta, calling themselves the Uncontrollablez aka UNCZ, their DJ is the Kool FM resident DJ RuffStuff.

External links

Facebook

Myspace

Twitter

Rolldabeats.com

www.1mcskibadee.co.uk - Fan Site

The Jungle Drum and Base MC Hall of Fame

References

Category:British dance musicians Category:Drum and bass Category:Drum and bass musicians Category:Living people

Name	Queen Latifah
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dana Elaine Owens
Born	March 18, 1970
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Instrument	Piano, vocals
Genre	R&B;, soul, jazz, hip-hop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer, rapper, actress, spokesperson, author
Years active	1988–present
Label	Verve, Interscope, Motown, Tommy Boy, Warner Bros., PolyGram
Url	www.QueenLatifah.com

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress and singer. Queen Latifah's work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination.

Early life

Queen Latifah was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of Rita (née Bray), a schoolteacher who worked at Irvington High School, and Lancelot Owens, Sr., a police officer. Her parents divorced when Latifah was ten. and she attended Catholic school in Newark, New Jersey. Her stage name, Latifah (لطيفة), meaning "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic, was given to her by her cousin when she was eight. She performed the number "Home" from the musical The Wiz in a high school play.

Music career

Beginning (1988–1989)

Latifah started beatboxing for the rap group Ladies Fresh. Latifah was one of the members of the original version of the Flavor Unit, which, at that time, was a crew of MCs grouped around producer DJ Mark the 45 King. Mark James aka "DJ Mark the 45 King" made a demo recording of Queen Latifah's rap Princess of the Posse. He gave the recording to the host of Yo! MTV Raps Fab 5 Freddy. The song got the attention of Tommy Boy Music employee Dante Ross, who signed Latifah and in 1988 issued her first single, "Wrath of My Madness".

Rapping (1989–2002)

Freddy helped Latifah sign with Tommy Boy Records, which released Latifah's first album All Hail the Queen in 1989, when she was nineteen. It was nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album" category.

In 2009, Latifah, along with the Jubilation Choir, recorded the title track on the album , covering the song the Edwin Hawkins Singers made popular in 1969.

Return to hip hop (2008–present)

In 2008, Latifah was asked if she would make another hip-hop album. She was quoted saying the album was done already and it would be called "All Hail the Queen II". It was rumored that the album would be named "The 'L' Word". When asked about the rumor, she stated it was her attempt to "mess with people's heads" referring to rumors that she is lesbian". The song "Cue the Rain" was released as the album's lead single. She also has a song with Missy Elliott.

On August 6, 2010, the Brazilian press published several notes saying that Queen Latifah would be with her girlfriend in France.

Film and television

Early career (1991–2001)

From 1993-1998, Latifah had a starring role on Living Single, a Fox sitcom, which gained high ratings among black audiences; She began her film career in supporting roles in the 1991 and 1992 films House Party 2, Juice and Jungle Fever. She had her own talk show, The Queen Latifah Show, from 1999 to 2001. She also had recurring roles during the second season (1991–1992) of the NBC hit The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She made a guest role as herself on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper in 1993. Latifah appeared in the 1996 box-office hit, Set It Off and subsequently had a supporting role in the Holly Hunter film Living Out Loud (1998). Also in 2006, Latifah voiced Ellie, a friendly mammoth, in the animated film, (her first voice appearance in an animated film), and also appeared in the drama Stranger Than Fiction.

She has starred in two movie remakes (Taxi and Last Holiday), five sequels (House Party 2, Scary Movie 3, , and ), one spinoff (Beauty Shop), two movies based on books (The Bone Collector and The Secret Life of Bees) and two screen adaptations of musicals (Chicago and Hairspray). The summer of 2007 brought Latifah triple success in the big-screen version of the Broadway smash hit Hairspray, in which she acted, sang, and danced. The film rated highly with critics. It starred, among others, John Travolta (Grease), Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust), Allison Janney (Juno), James Marsden (Enchanted), Christopher Walken (Catch Me If You Can) and Zac Efron (High School Musical). Also in 2007, she portrayed an HIV-positive woman in the film Life Support, a role for which she garnered her first Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy nomination. For her work, Queen Latifah received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on January 4, 2006, located at 6915 Hollywood Blvd.

Latifah produced the 2007 film The Perfect Holiday. In addition to producing the film, Latifah starred alongside Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Charles Q. Murphy, Jill Marie Jones, and Faizon Love. In 2008, Latifah appeared in the crime comedy Mad Money opposite Academy Award-winner Diane Keaton as well as Katie Holmes and Ted Danson. She appeared on Saturday Night Live on October 4, 2008, as moderator Gwen Ifill impersonator in a comedic sketch depicting the recent vice-presidential debate. In 2009, Latifah was a presenter at the 81st Academy Awards, presenting the segment honoring film professionals who had died during 2008 and singing "I'll Be Seeing You" during the montage. Latifah spoke at Michael Jackson's memorial service in Los Angeles. She also hosted the 2010 People's Choice Awards. Latifah sang America the Beautiful at Super Bowl XLIV hosted in Miami, Florida on February 7, 2010 with Carrie Underwood.May 18, 2010 BET announced that Latifah would be hosting the BET Awards on June 27, 2010 at 8 PM.

Products and endorsements

Latifah is a celebrity spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics, Curvation ladies underwear, Pizza Hut and Jenny Craig. She represents her own line of cosmetics for women of color called the CoverGirl Queen Collection. Latifah has also launched a perfume line called "Queen."

Personal life

Raised in East Orange, New Jersey, she has been a resident of Colts Neck, New Jersey. Latifah's older brother Lancelot Jr. was killed in 1992 in an accident involving a motorcycle that Latifah had recently bought him. In her 1999 autobiography, , Latifah discussed how her brother's death led to a bout of depression and drug abuse, from which she later recovered.

In early 2003, Latifah had breast reduction surgery which downsized her F size breasts to a double D cup size, as a way to reduce shoulder and back pain. She also works out with a trainer and kickboxes. On May 14, 2010, The Advocate, the largest gay and lesbian magazine in the United States, wrote that Queen Latifah and her personal trainer, Jeanette Jenkins, purchased a home together in the Hollywood Hills and placed both of their names on the deed.

Latifah was asked by Maya Angelou, who was unable to attend, to recite a poem written by Angelou at the memorial service for Michael Jackson in July 2009.

Discography

1989: All Hail the Queen

1991: Nature of a Sista

1993: Black Reign

1998: Order in the Court

2004: The Dana Owens Album

2007: Trav'lin' Light

2009: Persona

Filmography

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 90%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Film |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! align="center"| Year ! width="170"| Film ! width="150"| Role ! Notes |- |rowspan=2 | 1991 |Jungle Fever |Lashawn | |- |House Party 2 |Zora | |- |1992 |Juice |Ruffhouse M.C. | |- |1993 |My Life |Theresa | |- |1996 |Set It Off |Cleopatra 'Cleo' Sims |American Black Film Festival Award for Best ActressNominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting FemaleNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |- |1997 |Hoodlum |Sulie | |- |rowspan=2 | 1998 |Living Out Loud |Liz Bailey |Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |- |Sphere |Alice "Teeny" Fletcher | |- |rowspan=2 | 1999 |The Bone Collector |Thelma |Nominated — Black Reel Award for Theatrical - Best Supporting ActressNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture |- |Bringing Out the Dead |Dispatcher Love | |- |rowspan=4 | 2002 |Chicago |Matron "Mama" Morton |Black Reel Award for Theatrical - Best Supporting ActressBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion PictureNominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best CastNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role |- |Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio |Dove (English voice) | |- |Brown Sugar |Francine |Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |- |The Country Bears |Cha-Cha | |- |rowspan=2 | 2003 |Scary Movie 3 |Aunt Shaneequa | |- |Bringing Down the House |Charlene Morton |Producer NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureNominated — BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Box Office MovieNominated — Black Reel Award for Film - Best ActressNominated — Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actress |- |rowspan=3 | 2004 |Taxi |Belle | |- |The Cookout |Security Guard |(also producer) |- | |Gina |BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Box Office Movie |- |2005 |Beauty Shop |Gina Norris |Producer Nominated — BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Theatrical FilmNominated — Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleNominated — Black Reel Award for Film - Best ActressNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |- |rowspan=3 | 2006 |Stranger Than Fiction |Penny Escher | |- | |Ellie |Voice Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie |- |Last Holiday |Georgia Byrd |Nominated — Black Movie Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |- |rowspan=2 | 2007 |Hairspray |Motormouth Maybelle |Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastHollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble CastNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best SongNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |- |The Perfect Holiday |Mrs. Christmas |Producer |- |rowspan=3 |2008 |Mad Money |Nina Brewster | |- |What Happens in Vegas... |Dr. Twitchell | |- |The Secret Life of Bees |August Boatwright |Black Reel Award for Best ActressHollywood Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble CastNominated — Black Reel Award for Best EnsembleNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture |- |2009 | |Ellie |Voice |- |rowspan=2 | 2010 |Valentine's Day |Paula Thomas |Nominated- Teen Choice Award for Movie Actress Romantic Comedy (Also for Just Wright) |- |Just Wright |Leslie Wright |Producer Nominated- Teen Choice Award for Movie Actress Romantic Comedy (Also for Valentine's Day) |- |rowspan=2 | 2011 |The Dilemma |Dana | |- |New Year's Eve |Paula Thomas | |- |rowspan=2 | 2012 | |Ellie |Voice |- |Joyful Noise | | |- |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Television Films |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1998 |Mama Flora's Family |Diana | |- |2002 |Living with the Dead |Midge Harmon | |- |2005 |The Muppets' Wizard of Oz |Aunt Em | |- |2007 |Life Support |Ana |Producer Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmGracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Lead - Drama Series or SpecialNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television MovieNominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a MovieNominated — Prism Award for Performance in a TV Movie or MiniseriesNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film |- |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Television |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1993-1998 |Living Single |Khadijah James |Main Role |- |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Television guest appearances |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- |1989 |The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air |Dee Dee / Marissa Redman |rowspan=2 | (2 episodes) |- |2001 |Spin City |Robin Jones |- |rowspan=2 | 2004 |Eve |Simone |rowspan=5 | (1 episode) |- |The Fairly Oddparents |Pam Dromeda |- |rowspan=2 | 2008 |Sweet Blackberry Presents |? |- |Entourage |Herself |- |2010 |30 Rock |Regina Bookman |}

References

External links

Queen Latifah at TV.com

Category:1970 births Category:Queen Latifah Category:American dance musicians Category:African American rappers Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Baptists from the United States Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Female rappers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop singers Category:Living people Category:Tommy Boy Records artists Category:Verve Records artists Category:A&M; Records artists Category:Motown artists Category:Native Tongues Posse Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Rappers from New Jersey Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:People from Rumson, New Jersey Category:People from East Orange, New Jersey Category:African American television actors Category:African American female singers

Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Paula Julie Abdul
Born	June 19, 1962
Origin	San Fernando, California, United States
Occupation	Singer, songwriter, choreographer, dancer, television personality, actress
Years active	1978–present
Genre	Pop, R&B;
Label	Virgin (1987–1996) Mercury (1997) Concord (2008) Filament (2009–present)
Url

Paula Julie Abdul (; born June 19, 1962) is an American recording artist, dancer, actress and television personality.

In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B; hits in the late-1980s and early-1990s. Her six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 tie her for fifth among the female solo performers who have reached #1 there. She won a Grammy for "Best Music Video - Short Form" for "Opposites Attract" and twice won the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography".

After her initial period of success, she suffered a series of setbacks in her professional and personal life, until she found renewed fame and success in the 2000s as a judge on the television series, American Idol, for eight years, before departing from the show. Abdul has since moved on to another television series, CBS's Live to Dance, and she is working on a new album.

Background

Abdul was born in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, the daughter of Lorraine Abdul (née Rykiss), a concert pianist who once worked as film director Billy Wilder's assistant, and Harry Abdul, a former livestock trader and owner of a sand and gravel business. Her father, a Syrian Jew, was born in Aleppo, Syria, raised in Brazil, and subsequently emigrated to the United States; Abdul's mother, also Jewish, is originally from Minnedosa, Manitoba, with ancestors from Russia and Ukraine, and Abdul derives Canadian citizenship through her. She has a sister named Wendy, who is 7 years her senior. In 1980, she graduated from Van Nuys Junior High School and was voted girl with the funniest laugh.

An avid dancer, Abdul was inspired towards a show business career by Gene Kelly in the classic film Singin' in the Rain as well as Debbie Allen, Fred Astaire, and Bob Fosse.

Abdul began taking dance lessons at an early age in ballet, Jazz, and Tap. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was a cheerleader and an honor student. At 15, she received a scholarship to a dance camp near Palm Springs, and in 1978 appeared in a low-budget Independent musical film, Junior High School.

Abdul studied broadcasting at the California State University at Northridge. During her freshman year, she was selected from a pool of 700 candidates for the cheerleading squad of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA basketball team—the famed Laker Girls. Within three months, she became head choreographer. Six months later, she left the university to focus on her choreography and dancing career.

Career

Dance and choreography era (1982–1986)

at the 1990 Grammy Awards]] Abdul was discovered by The Jacksons, after a few of the band members had watched her while attending a Los Angeles Lakers game. She was signed to do the choreography for the video to their single "Torture". "My only problem was how to tell the Jacksons how to dance," Abdul later recalled. "Imagine me telling them what routines to do. I was young, I was scared. I'm not quite sure how I got through that." The success of the choreography in the video led to Abdul's career of choreographer in music videos. It was also due to the success of the video that Abdul was chosen to be the choreographer for the Jacksons' Victory tour. Television credits include The Tracey Ullman Show, American Music Awards, the Academy Awards, and several commercials, such as The King's touchdown celebration, as seen in a string of popular Burger King television commercials that aired during the 2005–2006 NFL season.

Spellbound era (1991–1994)

Abdul's follow-up album, 1991's Spellbound, contained another string of hits, and sold 13 million copies worldwide. The first single from Spellbound was the ballad, "Rush, Rush", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five consecutive weeks, and was noted for its music video and Rebel Without a Cause motif featuring Keanu Reeves in the James Dean role. "Promise of a New Day", the second release from the album, also hit No. 1, and it was followed by the Top 10 hit "Blowing Kisses in the Wind" and two Top 20 hits: "Vibeology" and "Will You Marry Me?". The album, Spellbound, retained much of the dance-oriented formula heard on her debut album. The track "U" was written for Paula by Prince.

Abdul promoted the album through the "Under My Spell Tour", which was named by an MTV contest for fans. This tour was nearly cancelled due to an accident during rehearsals. The tour began on schedule and ran from October 1991 to the summer of 1992. In 1991, Abdul embraced advertising and starred in a popular Diet Coke commercial in which she danced with a digital image of her idol, a young Gene Kelly.

Head Over Heels era (1995–1996)

By 1995, Paula Abdul had recovered from her battle with the eating disorder bulimia nervosa and prepared to return to the spotlight with her new album Head Over Heels. The first single off the album, "My Love Is for Real" featured a fusion of R&B; and traditional Middle Eastern instruments, and was performed with Yemeni-Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Its accompanying Lawrence of Arabia-inspired music video was played in theaters across the world as a preface to the film Clueless. It was a hit in the clubs (peaking at #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart), and the single made it to #28 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

The second single was called, "Crazy Cool" and peaked at #13 on the dance charts. "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up" served as the third single from the album. To date Head Over Heels has sold 3 million copies worldwide.

Mercury comeback attempt (1997–2001)

In 1997, Abdul signed to Mercury Records, and co-wrote the song "Spinning Around" with songwriter and producer Kara DioGuardi, who would in 2009 become a fellow judge on American Idol. "Spinning Around" was a dance-pop track intended to be the lead single on Abdul's new album. The album never materialized, and "Spinning Around" was instead given to Kylie Minogue as a single. The song became highly successful and re-launched Minogue's career, as it was intended to do for Abdul, and reached #1 in numerous countries.

Overcoming her personal problems, Abdul took a break from the music industry. She served as the choreographer for several film and theater productions, including the 1998 musical Reefer Madness and the cheerleading scenes in the 1999 film American Beauty (she had previously also choreographed the 1991 film The Doors). Abdul also co-produced a 2001 pilot episode of Skirts, a dramatic series that would have aired on MTV about a high-school cheerleading squad; Abdul was also set to appear as the head coach. The pilot never aired.

In 2000, Abdul’s CD was released by Virgin Records (with whom Abdul was already no longer affiliated). It featured all of her hit singles and other noteworthy tracks. The song "Bend Time Back 'Round" had previously been heard only on the 1992 soundtrack for the hit television series Beverly Hills, 90210.

American Idol (2002–2009)

In 2002, Abdul appeared as one of three judges for the reality television music competition show American Idol. Abdul, along with fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson (joined by Kara DioGuardi in 2009) were to evaluate the talent of a large group of young amateur singers, eliminate most of them in various audition rounds, and then judge the finalists as American television viewers voted on which finalists would continue to each successive round, until all but the winner were eliminated. Abdul won praise as a sympathetic and compassionate judge. She seemed especially kind compared to fellow judge Simon Cowell, who was often blunt in his appraisals of the contestants' performances. When she realized that Cowell's over-the-top judging style was heartbreaking for many young contestants, Abdul was so horrified, she considered leaving the show. Although their differences often resulted in extremely heated on-air exchanges and confrontations, Cowell says he played a major role in convincing Abdul not to leave the show.

Abdul accepted a second assignment as reporter for Entertainment Tonight.

On March 28, 2006 Fox announced that Abdul had signed to stay on American Idol as a judge for at least three more years. Later that year, fellow American Idol judge Simon Cowell invited her to be a guest judge at some of the early auditions for the third series of his similar UK talent show The X Factor. Abdul was present at the initial audition of the eventual winner, Leona Lewis.

The week of May 14 to May 18, 2007 (the week before the season 6 finale), Abdul broke her nose when she tried to "avoid tripping over her pet chihuahua". She was present at the May 22 performance and the May 23 finale.

Abdul's American Idol wardrobe often includes a number of necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings that she designs, and she often gives show contestants custom-designed jewelry. In 2007, Paula Abdul Jewelry launched its nationwide consumer debut on QVC, with the tagline "fashion jewelry designed with heart and soul". Paula's first QVC appearance resulted in 15 sellouts of her first jewelry collection involving more than 34,000 pieces. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on July 18, 2009, Paula's manager David Sonenberg told the newspaper that, "Very sadly, it does not appear that she’s going to be back on ‘Idol’." This came about as a result of stalled negotiations between Paula and the show. On August 4, 2009, after numerous contract negotiations, Abdul confirmed that she would not be returning to Idol for its ninth season. The Times cited reports Abdul had been earning as much as $5 million per season and that she was reportedly seeking as much as $20 million to return.

On August 18, 2009, it was reported that Abdul was negotiating to return to Idol after not taking part in season nine of Dancing with the Stars. Two days later, Abdul's manager said that there were not any talks with Fox, but they were not ruling anything out.

Abdul claimed her departure from Idol was not about money, but that she had to stand on principle.

On September 9, 2009 Ellen DeGeneres was confirmed as Abdul's successor for Idol.

Second comeback (2007–2009)

Her second greatest-hits CD, entitled , was released by Virgin on May 8, 2007. This album was put together by Virgin Records, with whom Abdul was no longer signed as a recording artist. At this time, they also released the music videos to all six of her #1 singles to iTunes.

Bravo announced a reality television series following Abdul through her day-to-day life, called Hey Paula. The series was produced by Scott Sternberg Productions and debuted on June 28, 2007. Abdul's behavior as depicted on the show has been described as 'erratic' by comedian Rosie O'Donnell and decried by numerous fans and critics.

In January 2008, Abdul returned to the music charts for the first time in nearly thirteen years with the single "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", which is the first track on the album Randy Jackson's Music Club Vol 1. The song debuted on On Air with Ryan Seacrest. The song was a modest comeback hit for Abdul, peaking at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

Paula's MTV show "RAH!" premiered in January 2009. The 90-minute special featured five collegiate cheerleading squads, which competed in a series of challenges in order to be crowned the winner by Abdul. A snippet of Abdul's latest single "Boombox", a cover of a Kylie Minogue song, also premiered on the show. On May 5, 2009, Abdul debuted her new song "I'm Just Here for the Music" (originally an unreleased song from Kylie Minogue's ninth album Body Language) on the Ryan Seacrest Radio KIIS-FM show. On May 6, 2009, Abdul performed her new song on the American Idol results show. On May 8, 2009, Abdul released "I'm Just Here For The Music" to the US iTunes Store. The album was supposed to be released in July 2009, however it has remained unreleased for unknown reasons.

Post Idol era (2009–present)

Paula Abdul hosted the 2009 VH1 Divas live in September. She also performed a medley of the majority of her number 1 hits "Straight Up", "Cold Hearted", "Opposites Attract", and "Forever Your Girl". Also on the program Paula poked fun at her Idol replacement Ellen DeGeneres, which was highly publicized in the media.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it has been confirmed that Abdul will be brought on board for the American version of the U.K.'s hit talent show, X Factor, as a judge alongside Simon Cowell. Cowell will also produce the show. It will air during the Summer and Fall on Fox, when American Idol is not on. On May 26, 2010 she appeared on the finale of American Idol season 9.

Abdul will serve as lead judge, executive producer, creative partner, mentor and coach on CBS' new dancing competition, Live to Dance (formerly Got to Dance) set to debut on January 4, 2011. In 2009, she also appeared on a television series as a guest judge on Drop Dead Diva. She will return to the second season of the series in 2010.

Paula Abdul has launched and co-founded AuditionBooth.com, a site that allows aspiring talents to connect with casting directors, producers, and managers.

According to sources, including the introduction on the new CBS show Live to Dance, Abdul has sold about 60 million records worldwide to date.

Personal life

Abdul was married to Emilio Estevez from 1992-1994.

In April 2005, Abdul revealed that she suffers from a rare neurological disorder called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (CRPS) that causes chronic pain.

Paula practices Judaism and is proud of her heritage. She once stated, "My father is a Syrian Jew whose family immigrated to Brazil. My mother is Canadian with Jewish roots. My dream is to come to Israel for a real holiday." In November 2006, Israeli Tourist Minister Isaac Herzog invited her to Israel, Abdul responding with a hug, adding, "I will come; you have helped me make a dream come true."

On Valentine's Day 2006, Abdul appeared on Dr. Phil as part of a prime time special on love and relationships. She was set up on two dates and Phil McGraw gave her advice.

Paula is also a dog lover who is currently raising awareness about National Guide Dog Month in May 2009 and she is teaming up with Dick Van Patten to help people with blindness to have more independence through the help of guide dogs.

In mid July 2007, Abdul announced that she had begun dating J.T. Torregiani, a restaurant owner 12 years her junior. She told Access Hollywood: "He is a good guy. Things are looking upwards. It's looking good right now. I wasn't even looking for someone and that's what usually happens." Paula and JT broke up in June 2008, citing their hectic work schedules.

Controversies

Corey Clark

In May 2005, ABC's news magazine Primetime Live reported claims by Season 2 American Idol contestant Corey Clark that he and Abdul had an affair during that season, and that she had coached him on how to succeed in the competition. The fact that Clark came forward at a time when he was marketing a CD and trying to get a book deal was seen as suspicious by some, but Clark maintains that his career was being prejudiced because of his relationship with Abdul and that is why he came forward with the information to clear his name. For the most part, Abdul refused to comment on Clark's allegations. Simon Cowell came to Abdul's defense, calling Corey Clark a creep and stating “It was just somebody using her to get a lot of publicity for an appalling record, full stop." At the height of the debacle, Abdul appeared in a Saturday Night Live skit, making light of the situation. While Fox launched an investigation, Abdul received numerous calls of support from celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Ripa; Barbara Walters even addressed the camera during an episode of ABC's The View to say she was sad to be part of an operation that would report Clark's flimsy tabloid claims under the guise of a news story. In August 2005, the Fox network confirmed that she would be returning to the show, as the investigation had found "insufficient evidence that the communications between Mr. Clark and Ms. Abdul in any way aided his performance".

Legal issues

On December 20, 2004, Abdul was driving her Mercedes on an L.A.-area freeway when she changed lanes and hit another vehicle. The driver and passenger snapped a photograph with a cell phone camera and wrote down the license plate number of the car, which was traced to Abdul. On March 24, 2005, Abdul was fined $900 and given 24 months of informal probation after pleading no contest to misdemeanor hit-and-run driving in Los Angeles. In addition to the fines, she was ordered to pay $775 for damage to the other car.

On April 4, 2006, Abdul filed a report at a Hollywood police station claiming she had been a victim of battery at a private party at about 1 a.m. April 2, according to L.A.P.D. spokesman police Lt. Paul Vernon. "According to Abdul, the man at the party argued with her, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall", Vernon said. "She said she had sustained a concussion and spinal injuries".

Substance abuse allegations

Substance abuse allegations arose as the result of what some described as "erratic behavior" Abdul's publicist attributed this to fatigue and technical difficulties during the recording of the interviews.

In a March 2007 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, Abdul joked that her scrutinized behavior was caused by her being "abducted by aliens".

In several interviews given in the late 2000s, Paula claimed to have been left in debilitating pain after a 1992 car accident and a 1993 plane crash that required 15 spinal surgeries and which left her dependent on pain medication for years.

In May 2009, Ladies' Home Journal posted an article on its Web site that said Abdul told them she attended the La Costa Resort and Spa the previous year to recover from physical dependence on prescription pain medications. The medications, prescribed due to injuries and her RSD diagnosis, included a pain patch, nerve medication, and a muscle relaxant. According to the article, Abdul said the medications made her "get weird" at times and that she suffered from physical withdrawal symptoms during her recovery.

Tours

The Club MTV Tour

The Under My Spell Tour

Discography

;Studio Albums

1988: Forever Your Girl

1991: Spellbound

1995: Head Over Heels

Filmography

Film and television {| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes |- | 1978 || Junior High School || Sherry || |- | 1987 || Can't Buy Me Love || Dancer ||Uncredited |- | 1997 || Touched By Evil ||Elle Collier || TV Movie |- | rowspan="2" | 1998 || The Waiting Game ||Amy Fuentes || TV Movie |- |Sabrina, the Teenage Witch || Herself || 1 Episode |- | rowspan="3"| 1999 || The Wayans Bros. ||Sasha ||1 Episode |- | Mr. Rock 'n' Roll: The Alan Freed Story || Denise Walton|| TV Movie |- | Family Guy || Herself|| 2 Episodes |- | 2002–2009 || American Idol || Judge || Guest Appearance Finale 2010 2003 Zoe's Dance Moves Herself |- | 2004 || That's So Raven || Undercover Judge || 1 Episode |- | rowspan="3"| 2005 || || Herself || TV Movie |- |Less Than Perfect || Kathleen || 1 Episode |- | Robots || Watch || Cameo |- | 2007 || Hey Paula ||Herself || 7 Episodes, also Executive Producer |- |rowspan="2"| 2009 || ''RAH! Paula Abdul's Cheerleading Bowl||Herself|| Host |- | Brüno||Herself||Uncredited |- | 2008 || Hotel Babylon Guest || |- | 2009–2010 || Drop Dead Diva ||Herself || 3 episodes |- | 2010/2011 || Live to Dance ||Judge|| |}

As choreographer {| border="2" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#CCCCCC" align="center" ! Year !! Film !! Notes |- | 1983 || Private School || |- | 1986 || A Smoky Mountain Christmas |- | rowspan="3"|1987 || The Tracey Ullman Show || Won 1989 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography" |- |Can't Buy Me Love || |- |The Running Man |- | rowspan="3"|1988 || Action Jackson || |- |Big || |- |Coming To America |- | rowspan="3"|1989 || She's Out of Control || |- |Dance To Win || |- |The Karate Kid, Part III |- | 1990 || 17th American Music Awards || Won 1990 Emmy Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Choreography" |- | 1991 || The Doors || Val Kilmer's choreographer |- | 1996 || Jerry Maguire || |- | 1999 || American Beauty || |- | 2001 || Black Knight || |- | 2002 || The Master of Disguise || |- |} "Roses" Music Video Outkast- herself

See also

List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart

List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart

List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart

List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)

List of number-one hits (United States)

References

External links

A Direct Interview with Paula Abdul

Category:1962 births Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:American cheerleaders Category:American choreographers Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American film actors Category:American Idol participants Category:American Jews Category:American music journalists Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American people of Syrian-Jewish descent Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Category:Concord Records artists Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English-language singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Idol series judges Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish singers Category:Musicians from California Category:People from the San Fernando Valley Category:20th-century Sephardi Jews Category:21st-century Sephardi Jews Category:The X Factor judges Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Van Nuys High School alumni Category:Living people Category:The X Factor (UK)

Name	Jason Mraz
Landscape	yes
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jason Thomas Mraz
Born	June 23, 1977Mechanicsville, VirginiaUnited States
Died
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, mandolin, Mandola, ukulele, keyboards
Voice type	Tenor
Genre	Pop rock, alternative, blue-eyed soul
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1999–present
Label	Elektra Records (2002–2005)Atlantic Records (2005—present)
Associated acts	Tristan Prettyman, Bushwalla
Url

Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter, born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Mraz's stylistic influences include reggae, pop, rock, folk, jazz, bossa nova and hip hop.

Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, Mr. A-Z that Mraz achieved commercial success. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and sold over 100,000 copies in the US. In 2008, Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of many international charts.

Mraz's international breakthrough came with the release of the first single from the album, "I'm Yours". The single peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Mraz his first top ten single. The song was on the Hot 100 for 76 weeks, beating the previous record of 69 weeks held by LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". The song was a huge commercial success in the US, receiving a 5x platinum certification from the RIAA for sales of over five million. The song was successful internationally, topping the charts in New Zealand and Norway and peaking in the top ten of multiple international charts.

Early life

Jason Mraz was born and raised in Mechanicsville, Virginia. He is of Czech descent through his grandfather, who moved to the United States from Austria-Hungary in 1915. His surname is Czech for "frost"

Mraz attended Lee-Davis High School in Mechanicsville. As a teenager, Mraz participated in local theater with SPARC (School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community). He played Joseph in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

After graduating from high school in 1995, Mraz attended The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, for a short time, studying musical theater. He dropped out of the school after taking up the guitar and focusing more on songwriting, and began performing at the world famous Java Joes for money. He then briefly returned to Virginia before moving to San Diego, California.

Music career

Waiting For My Rocket to Come (2002-2003)

In 2002, Mraz released his first major-label debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come. The album was a relative commercial success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 200 and at number two on the Top Heatseekers Chart. The lead single from the album, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" was co-written by music production team The Matrix and it was Mraz's first top 20 single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 15.

Mraz's friend and former roommate Billy "Bushwalla" Galewood collaborated on the album, co-writing "Curbside Prophet" and the album's third single, and "I'll Do Anything".

Touring and Mr. A–Z (2003-2008)

Mraz opened for Tracy Chapman in March 2003 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In July 2005, Mraz opened for Alanis Morissette during her Jagged Little Pill Acoustic Tour. On July 26, 2005, he released his second major-label album, Mr. A–Z, for Atlantic Records. It entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number 4. In December, the album earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, while its producer, the prolific Steve Lillywhite, received a nomination for Producer of the Year.

Mraz began his long-running tour in support of Mr. A–Z at the San Diego Music Awards on September 12. The tour featured a variety of opening acts, including Bushwalla and Tristan Prettyman, with whom he had co-written the duet "Shy That Way" in 2002. Mraz and Prettyman dated, ending their relationship in 2006. They also co-wrote the song "All I Want For Christmas is Us". In November 2005, Mraz opened for the Rolling Stones on five dates during their 2005–2006 world tour. Also in 2005, Mraz was one of many singers featured in the fall advertisement campaign for The Gap entitled "Favorites". The music-themed campaign also featured other singers including Tristan Prettyman, Michelle Branch, Joss Stone, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Brandon Boyd, and Michelle Williams. In December 2005, Mraz released the first part of his ongoing podcast.

in Ledyard, Connecticut on May 17, 2006.]] In Stockholm, Sweden 2008]]

In March 2006, Mraz also performed for the first time at a sold-out performance in Singapore with Toca Rivera as part of the annual Mosaic Music Festival. In May 2006, Mraz toured mostly small venues and music festivals in the U.S., along with a few shows in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The tour included a May 6, 2006 acoustic show with P.O.D., Better Than Ezra, Live, and The Presidents of the United States of America. Mraz was featured as a headlining guest of St. Louis's annual Fair St. Louis and performed a free concert at the base of the Arch on July 1, 2006. During this time, Mraz was also the opening act at several dates for Rob Thomas' Something to Be Tour.

In December 2006, , the live, online-only album recorded during the Songs for Friends Tour, was released. Selections for Friends features Jason's favorite songs from the Schubas Tavern and Villa Montalvo shows he played in July 2006. Jason Mraz began 2007 by debuting his new single "The Beauty in Ugly", an earlier track penned by Mraz entitled "Plain Jane" that he rewrote for the ABC television program Ugly Betty. The song was featured as a part of ABC's "Be Ugly in '07" campaign. He has since released a song in Spanish entitled "La Nueva Belleza (The New Beauty)".

In 2007, American Idol contestant Chris Richardson performed "Geek in the Pink", which subsequently garnered the song mass recognition and increased downloads at the American iTunes Store. "Geek in the Pink" peaked at #22 on the U.S. iTunes Store on March 10, 2007, but it was ineligible for the site's Hot 100. The tape-recording of bootlegs during Mraz's shows is explicitly supported by him and his management.

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008-2009)

Mraz released his third studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. on May 13, 2008. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard Hot 200, giving Mraz his highest charting album to date. Following the success of lead single, "I'm Yours", the album broke into the top ten of many international music charts and charted in the top three in Australia and the US.

The first single, "I'm Yours", reached #1 on AAA radio charts in the US. The single was a B-side to Mr A-Z, and was made famous by recordings from his live shows. In September 2008, the song became Mraz's first Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #6. As of October 14, 2008, the album has been certified Gold by the RIAA, selling in excess of 500,000 copies in the US. The song was a commercial success worldwide, peaking in the top ten of multiple European charts and topping the charts in New Zealand for six weeks. In 2008, Mraz launched his single "I'm Yours" at the music industry-only event titled Sunset Sessions. Exactly one year later, Jason was nominated for a Grammy on the single.

Mraz and his song "I'm Yours" were nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 51st Grammy Awards. The album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical in 2009. On January 31, 2009, Mraz was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing "I'm Yours" and "Lucky", the latter with Colbie Caillat. "Lucky" peaked on the Hot 100 at 48.

With "Make It Mine" and "Lucky", Mraz won two awards for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals, respectively, at the 2010 52nd Grammy Awards.

Fourth studio album (2009–present)

In early 2009, a song titled "Try Try Try" was leaked out into the internet. New songs have been performed in his recent concerts, some of which have been uploaded onto YouTube. Earlier this year, Jason Mraz spent time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil working with Milton Nascimento. Mraz also recently met and worked with Willie Nelson, whose 'style' is fondly referenced in one of Mraz's early hits "Curbside Prophet."

In November 2009, Mraz posted on his Myspace page plans for a new album to be recorded starting in December, stating "In 2 weeks time I will enter the studio and begin recording the next album. Only a handful of songs are written and slated but the momentum of love is with me. Every day new verses get added on. The songs are coming together piece by piece. The process is unlike any of the other records before this. It's like I'm being gifted the album without having to do the work. I'm creating that in 6 months the project will be complete and then we'll hit the road again with new sounds and new musicians."

Mraz has recently returned from London, England where he was working with a London Studio for his new album with producer Martin Terefe. Christina Perri has also recently tweeted about making a 'masterpiece' with Mraz. Jason also got a chance to work with British singer-songwriter Dido on his upcoming album.

Mraz recently contributed vocals for The Grooveline Horns' eponymous EP on the track "Ffun", a cover of the Con Funk Shun song, released March 2, 2010.

In August 2010, Mraz had a Q&A; interview with Spin magazine. In the interview, he stated the current possible titles for his fourth album are Peace Canoe or The Love Album.

On September 13, 2010, Mraz was featured on the single "Love, Love, Love" by Hope.

On September 28, 2010, Mraz announced the upcoming release of the new "Life Is Good" EP consisting of recordings from his concerts from Maine to the Life is Good Festival in Canton, Massachusetts which will include live recordings of "Coyotes" and multiple new songs, "San Disco Reggaefornia", "Up", "What Mama Say", and "The Freedom Song". The EP was released on October 5, 2010. On the same tour, Mraz also showcased other new songs, such as "Thinking About You", "Love Looks Like" and "In Your Hands".

From Boxing Day 2010, the official website was updated with a series of images, the first seemingly a sequence of blocks separated by points to indicate a date, and the second image containing a rectangle, circle, triangle and a square, which appear to spell out the word "love". This image is also trademarked, which suggests an imminent announcement on the fourth album, and this would also match one of the working titles for the album "The Love Album".

Personal life

Mraz lives a health-conscious lifestyle and enjoys eating mostly raw vegan foods. He owns an avocado farm in Oceanside in Northern San Diego County near Fallbrook. Jason Mraz is an active supporter of several charities including VH1's Save The Music Foundation, MusiCares, Free the Children, Life Rolls On and SPARC. He has been named the 2010 SIMA Humanitarian of the Year. He also received the Clean Water Award in 2010 from the Surfrider Foundation.

Mraz is now engaged to singer-songwriter Tristan Prettyman. On December 23, 2010, Mraz posted on his Twitter "SHE SAID YES." Immediately after his post, Prettyman tweeted "For Once, I Am Speechless..... i did good! holy crap! man of my dreams!!! for the rest of my life!!!"

Discography

;Studio albums

Notes

External links

Jason Mraz collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Playlist: Jason Mraz – Nightline 07/17/09 – Reggae to rock, Mraz reveals his musical influences.

Concert Photos: Jason Mraz – 09/17/2010, 09/18/2010 – Jason Mraz opens for Dave Matthews Band for two sold out shows at Chicago's Wrigley Field.

Category:1977 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American male singers Category:American people of Czech descent Category:American rock guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American vegans Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States Category:Living people Category:Musical groups from San Diego, California Category:Musicians from Virginia Category:People from Richmond, Virginia

Name	Gucci Mane
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Radric Davis
Born	February 12, 1980 Birmingham, Alabama
Died
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genre	Hip hop music
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	2004–present
Label	1017 Brick Squad Records, Asylum, Warner Bros.
Associated acts	1017 Brick Squad, OJ Da Juiceman, Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Shawty Lo
Url

Radric Davis (born February 12, 1980), better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released. Gucci Mane has released many other mixtapes as well.

While serving a six-month jail term for assault in late 2005, Davis was charged with murder, though the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. In 2009, he served a year-long prison term for violating probation for his 2005 assault conviction.

Biography

Early life

Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and later moved with his single mother to Atlanta. He enjoyed writing poetry as a child, and began rapping at age 14. Gucci Mane signed to Warner Bros. Records in May 2009.

2009–2010: The State vs. Radric Davis

He appeared on remixes of the songs "Boom Boom Pow" by Black Eyed Peas, "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey and "5 Star Chick" by Yo Gotti and made a guest appearance on Mario's "Break Up" (he has made 17 guest appearances total in 2009). Gucci Mane's second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released under the label Warner Bros. Records on December 8, 2009. Its first single, "Wasted" featuring Plies, was originally from Mane's 2009 mixtape Writing on the Wall. It peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100, number 3 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 3 on the Rap Songs making it Gucci Mane's most successful single to date. The second single is "Spotlight" featuring Usher. The third single is "Lemonade". The fourth single is "Bingo". On October 2, 2009, Gucci Mane was listed at number 6 on MTV's annual Hottest MC in the Game list.

2010–present: The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted

After being released from jail, Gucci Mane stated that he would start or change the label name from So Icey Entertainment to 1017 Brick Squad Records. He also announced that his next album would be titled The State vs. Radric Davis, The Appeal and would be released in late 2010, although the latest journalistic reports gave the title as The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted, with a release date of August 31. Mane has since announced via Twitter that the album has a release date of September 28, 2010. The first single from this release is titled "Gucci Time", produced by Swizz Beatz. It premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6. The single features Swizz Beatz and will be released to US urban radio stations on August 24, 2010.

Legal issues

In April 2001, Davis was arrested on cocaine charges and sentenced to 90 days in county jail.

On May 10, 2005, Davis was attacked by a group of men at a house in Decatur, Georgia. Davis and his companions shot at the group, killing one. The corpse of one of the attackers, Henry Lee Clark III, was found later behind a nearby middle school. Davis turned himself in to police investigators on May 19, 2005, and was subsequently charged with murder. Davis claimed that the shots fired by him and his party were in self-defense. Davis was released from jail in late January 2006. He was incarcerated in the Fulton County jail for probation violation and released on May 12, 2010.

On November 2, 2010, Gucci Mane was arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road, running a red light or stop sign, damage to government property, obstruction, no license, no proof of insurance and other traffic charges. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Discography

Back to the Trap House (2007)

The State vs. Radric Davis (2009)

(2010)''

(2011)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:African American rappers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:Asylum Records artists Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Birmingham, Alabama Category:Rappers from Alabama Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

Name	MC Frontalot
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Damian Hess
Alias	MC Frontalot
Born	December 03, 1973
Religious belief	Atheist
Origin	San Francisco, California, USA
Instrument	Rapping
Genre	Nerdcore hip hop
Occupation	Songwriter, Rapper, Web Designer
Years active	1999–present
Label	Level Up
Url	frontalot.com

Damian Hess (born December 3, 1973), better known by stage name MC Frontalot, is a Brooklyn-based hip hop musician and self-proclaimed "world's 579th greatest rapper". He is best known in nerdcore hip hop and video game culture, for naming the nerdcore subgenre, and performing at Penny Arcade's annual Penny Arcade Expo. Hess graduated from Wesleyan University in 1996 with degrees in English and Electronic Music.

Career

Early days

Hess began releasing music as MC Frontalot in 1999. His first successes came through Song Fight!, an online songwriting and recording competition, where he became known for consistently beating opponents. Throughout his history at Song Fight!, he has never lost a competition as MC Frontalot, although he has entered only seven entries in that name. In one such song fight, entitled "Romantic Cheapskate", he likens Song Fight! to a neglected lover who favours him regardless of how he treats her. Indicative of his success, the song went on to garner a total of 614 votes, while the next closest song ended the round with 28.

Nerdcore

In 2000 he released the song "Nerdcore Hiphop". The song became an immediate hit in the geek and nerd communities. The rap subgenre of nerdcore hip hop, which had been around though unnamed beforehand, embraced the title and has since been expanding rapidly.

Many consider Hess, if not the founder of nerdcore, certainly the man who shone the torch on it. The man himself however is quick to point out the many artists who came before him and those which he considers his peers, as illustrated on his information webpage.

Hess released his first studio album on August 27, 2005. Entitled Nerdcore Rising, the album contains six new songs, along with 10 remixed versions of past tracks. Some of the new tracks contain production by popular online musicians from Song Fight!, including indie rock and hip hop artist Doctor Popular.

Spotlight

On March 18, 2003, popular webcomic Penny Arcade (whose creators were long-time fans of Hess) declared Frontalot their rapper laureate, directing fans to his website. He has acknowledged that single act made his popularity skyrocket. In appreciation, he wrote and recorded the "Penny Arcade Theme" a few months later, which was in his own (tongue-in-cheek) words: "an attempt to cash in on their huge and devoted audience."

He has appeared at every Penny Arcade Expo from 2004 to 2010 and Nerdcore Rising is now sold through the Penny Arcade Store. "Penny Arcade Theme" and "Which MC Was That?" both appear in the dance video game In the Groove. He also features on the Baddd Spellah track "Rhyme of the Nibelung", which was the winner of CBC Radio 2's Remix the Ring contest.

A new track 'Final Boss' featured over the end credits in the 2008 game - Episode 1.

MC Frontalot appears occasionally in the webcomic Overcompensating by Jeffrey Rowland

MC Frontalot has also been seen on commercials for G4 TV, as well as being on the show Freestyle 101 where he sang parts of his songs with freestyle lines connecting them.

Additionally, comic book illustrator Tony Moore became a fan of both Frontalot and fellow nerdcore artist MC Hawking, drawing both of them as zombies in an early issue of The Walking Dead series. Hess appears in a white shirt, tie and glasses, with the word "Front" written on his pocket protector; he is seen eating a deer.

A song written and performed by Frontalot based on the webcomic Achewood titled "Living At the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe" has been that website's theme song since 2006. On September 2, 2008 as part of a Penny Arcade download pack, "Living At the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe" was chosen for inclusion as a downloadable track for the video game Rock Band. The week of September 14, 2009 saw the release of "Origin of Species" (a satire of Creation Science) which was included in the Penny Arcade Expo track pack.

Live performances

Although most of his fanbase is online, Hess gave a handful of live performances while living in San Francisco, and several more after moving to New York City. His first official tour started on May 12, 2006, with shows mostly in the Southeast United States. When he performs, he plays with a full ensemble, including keyboardist and frequent collaborator Gminor7, bassist Blak Lotus, and drummer The SturGENiUS. Other occasional band members include G.LATINusKY00B, The Categorical Imperative, and Vic 20. He finished a tour with Schäffer The Darklord as of 25 November 2007 and started another tour on 1 November 2008 with MC Lars and YTCracker. As of June 2010, he's been touring with alternative rock musicians, Wheatus, on their UK leg of their 10th anniversary tour; on occasion providing guest vocals on some of their live jams, as well as Wheatus offering musical accompaniment on some of his tracks.

Film

Hess starred as "TP Factory Rapper" in the Sesame Street direct-to-video movie Elmo's Potty Time.

Nerdcore Rising is a documentary/concert film starring Hess and various other nerdcore artists such as mc chris, Optimus Rhyme and MC Lars with contributors such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Prince Paul and Brian Posehn. The film, directed and produced by Negin Farsad, premiered at the 2008 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. It combines interviews about nerdcore and its origins, with footage of Frontalot's 2006 Nerdcore Rising national tour.

As the lead voice-box for nerd culture, Hess was interviewed in Alexandre O. Philippe's documentary, The People vs. George Lucas, which premiered at the 2010 South by Southwest Film Festival. Hess attended the festival as a musician and panelist.

Musical influences

Much of his earlier music features samples from other artists' works, many times using music acquired from famous artists such as Paul Simon, They Might Be Giants, James Brown, Fiona Apple, and many others. He addresses his borrowing of various drum beats in the song "Good Old Clyde", a song commenting on and using the popular "Funky Drummer" drum break by Clyde Stubblefield.

Since he began selling his albums commercially, Hess has collaborated on almost all his tracks with Baddd Spellah, an electronic musician and hip-hop beatsmith, and Gaby 'Gminor7' Alter, a composer and keyboardist whose playing was the basis for many of Frontalot's earlier songs. Hess has also collaborated with other fellow rappers, such as MC Hawking and Canadian rapper Jesse Dangerously.

Discography

Studio Albums

Nerdcore Rising (2005)

Secrets from the Future (2007)

Final Boss (2008)

Zero Day (2010)

Other Releases

Nerdcore Hiphop (freely available demo)

Non-album tracks

"24 Hours" (abandoned demo)

"Bitchslap" (by MC Hawking)

"My Sister" (by Duboce Triangle with The JBB)

"Oh, the Hilarity" (from Indie Pop Cares a Lot)

"Rappers We Crush" (with Kompressor)

"Rhyme of the Nibelung" (with Baddd Spellah)

"Romantic Cheapskate" (with Baddd Spellah for Song Fight!)

"Soda Water" (by Jess Klein)

"Start Over" (for a compilation of songs for children)

"Oneonta (Eli Porter)" (with YTCracker and MC Lars on The Digital Gangster LP)

"O.G. Original Gamer (with MC Lars on the MC Lars album This Gigantic Robot Kills)

Known recorded live sets

July 7, 2001: "Songfight Live West Coast" — Hot Lunch, San Francisco, California, USA (two songs)

October 24, 2002: "Young Zombies in Love Release Party" — Voodoo Lounge, San Francisco, California, USA

July 26, 2003: "Song Fight Wet & Wild" — Finn MacCool's Public House, Seattle, Washington, USA (two songs, incomplete recording, the infamous "drunk set")

December 12, 2003: "Both Hands on the Mic" — The Accordion, San Francisco, California, USA

August 2004: Penny Arcade Expo — Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA (a partial video recording of the set is available as well)

May 15, 2004: Belladonna, Berkeley, California, USA

June 15, 2005: Living Room, New York, New York City, USA (one verse of "unnecessary rap breakdown" during a Jess Klein show)

June 23, 2005: The Bitter End, New York, New York City, USA

August 27, 2005: Penny Arcade Expo — Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA (video recording believed to be upcoming)

August 26, 2006: Penny Arcade Expo — Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, Washington, USA

September 15, 2007: Kingdom of Loathing Convention - The Sets, Tempe, Arizona, USA

November 25, 2008 Knitting Factory - Hollywood, California, USA

References

External links

Official MC Frontalot website, includes official song lyrics, news, music, and forum

Such a Scream, Hess's professional website

Category:1973 births Category:American atheists Category:Living people Category:Nerdcore hip hop artists Category:Wesleyan University alumni Category:Rappers from the San Francisco Bay Area