In politics, ''Left'', ''left-wing'' and ''leftist'' are terms generally used to describe support for social change to create a more egalitarian society. They usually involve a concern for those in society who are disadvantaged relatively to others and the assumption that there are unjustified inequalities (which right-wing politics view as natural or sacred) that should be reduced or abolished. The terms ''Left'' and ''Right'' were coined during the French Revolution, referring to the seating arrangement in the Estates General; those who sat on the left generally supported the radical changes of the revolution, including the creation of a republic and secularization. Use of the term Left became more prominent after the restoration of the French monarchy in 1815 when it was applied to the "Independents". The term was then applied to a number of revolutionary movements, especially socialism, anarchism and communism as well as more reformist movements like social democracy and social liberalism.

According to Barry Clark:

History of the term

In politics, the term ''left wing'' derives from the French Revolution, as radical Montagnard and Jacobin deputies from the Third Estate generally sat to the left of the president's chair in parliament, a habit which began in the Estates General of 1789. Throughout the 19th century in France, the main line dividing left and right was between supporters of the French Republic and those of the Monarchy. The June Days Uprising during the Second Republic was an attempt by the left to assert itself after the 1848 Revolution, but only a small portion of the population supported this.

In the mid 19th century, nationalism, socialism, democracy, and anti-clericalism became features of the French Left. After Napoleon III's 1851 coup and the subsequent establishment of the Second Empire, Marxism began to rival radical republicanism and utopian socialism as a force within left-wing politics. The influential ''Communist Manifesto'' by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, published in 1848, asserted that all human history is the history of class struggle. They predicted that a proletarian revolution would eventually overthrow bourgeois capitalism and create a classless, stateless, post-monetary society.

In the United States, many leftists, social liberals, progressives and trade unionists were influenced by the works of Thomas Paine, who introduced the concept of asset-based egalitarianism, which theorises that social equality is possible by a redistribution of resources.

The International Workingmen's Association (1864–76), sometimes called the First International, brought together delegates from many different countries, with many different views about how to reach a classless and stateless society. Following a split between supporters of Marx and Mikhail Bakunin, anarchists formed the International Workers' Association. The Second International (1888–1916) became divided over the issue of World War I. Those who opposed the war, such as Vladimir Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg, saw themselves as further to the left.

In the United States after Reconstruction, the phrase "the Left" was used to describe those who supported trade unions, the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement. More recently in the United States, ''left-wing'' and ''right-wing'' have often been used as synonyms for Democratic and Republican, or as synonyms for ''liberalism'' and ''conservatism''.

Varieties

The spectrum of left-wing politics ranges from centre-left to far left (or ultra-left). The term ''centre left'' describes a position within the political mainstream. The terms ''far left'' and ''ultra-left'' refer to positions that are more radical. The centre-left includes social democrats, social liberals, progressives and also some democratic socialists aof anarchism. They have been used to describe groups that advocate anti-capitalist, identity politics or eco-terrorism. In France, a distinction is made between the ''left'' (Socialist Party and Communist Party) and the ''far left'' (Trotskyists, Maoists and Anarchists). The US Department of Homeland Security defines left-wing extremism as groups who want "to bring about change through violent revolution rather than through established political processes."

In China, the term ''Chinese New Left'' denotes those who oppose the current economic reforms and favour the restoration of more socialist policies. In the Western world, the term ''New Left'' refers to cultural politics. In the United Kingdom in the 1980s, the term ''hard left'' was applied to supporters of Tony Benn, such as the Campaign Group and Labour Briefing, as well as Trotskyist groups such as the Militant Tendency and Socialist Organiser. In the same period, the term ''soft left'' was applied to supporters of the British Labour Party who were perceived to be more moderate. Under the leadership of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown the British Labour Party re-branded itself as New Labour in order to promote the notion that it was less left-wing than it had been in the past. One of the first actions however of the Labour Party leader who succeeded them, Ed Miliband, was the rejection of the "New Labour" label.

Positions

Economics

Leftist economic beliefs range from Keynesian economics and the welfare state through industrial democracy and the social market to nationalization of the economy and central planning. During the industrial revolution, left-wingers supported trade unions. In the early twentieth century, the Left were associated with policies advocating extensive government intervention in the economy. Leftists continue to criticize what they perceive as the exploitative nature of globalization, the ''race to the bottom'' and unjust lay-offs. In the last quarter of the Twentieth Century the belief that government (ruling in accordance with the interests of the people) ought to directly involve itself in the day to day workings of an economy declined in popularity amongst the center left, especially social-democrats who became influenced by 'third way' ideology.

Other leftists believe in Marxian economics, which are based on the economic theories of Karl Marx. Some distinguish Marx's economic theories from his political philosophy, arguing that Marx's approach to understanding the economy is independent of his advocacy of revolutionary socialism or his belief in the inevitability of proletarian revolution. Marxian economics does not exclusively rely upon Marx, it draws from a range of Marxist and non-Marxist sources. The dictatorship of the proletariat or workers' state are terms used by Marxists to describe what they see as a temporary state between the capitalist and communist society. Marx defined the proletariat as salaried workers, in contrast to the lumpen proletariat, who he defined as outcasts of society, such as beggars, tricksters, entertainers, buskers, criminals and prostitutes. The political relevance of farmers has divided the left. In ''Das Kapital'', Marx scarcely mentioned the subject. Mao Zedong believed that it would be rural peasants not urban workers who would bring about proletariat revolution.

Left-libertarians, Libertarian socialists and left-wing anarchists believe in a decentralized economy run by trade unions, workers' councils, cooperatives, municipalities and communes, and oppose both government and private control of the economy, preferring ''local control'', in which a nation of decentralized regions are united in a confederation.

Nationalism

The question of nationality and nationalism has been a central feature of political debates on the Left. During the French Revolution, nationalism was a policy of the Republican Left. The Republican Left advocated civic nationalism, and argued that the nation is a "daily plebiscite" formed by the subjective "will to live together." Related to "revanchism", the belligerent will to take revenge against Germany and retake control of Alsace-Lorraine, nationalism was sometimes opposed to imperialism. In the 1880s, there was a debate between those, such as Georges Clemenceau (Radical), Jean Jaurès (Socialist) and Maurice Barrès (nationalist), who argued that colonialism diverted France from the "blue line of the Vosges" (referring to Alsace-Lorraine), and the "colonial lobby", such as Jules Ferry (moderate republican), Léon Gambetta (republican) and Eugène Etienne, the president of the parliamentary colonial group. After the Dreyfus Affair however nationalism became increasingly associated with the far right.

The Marxist social class theory of proletarian internationalism asserts that members of the working class should act in solidarity with working people in other countries in pursuit of a common class interest, rather than focusing on their own countries. Proletarian internationalism is summed up in the slogan, "Workers of all countries, unite!", the last line of ''The Communist Manifesto''. Union members had learned that more members meant more bargaining power. Taken to an international level, leftists argued that workers ought to act in solidarity to further increase the power of the working class.

Proletarian internationalism saw itself as a deterrent against war, because people with a common interest are less likely to take up arms against one another, instead focusing on fighting the ruling class. According to Marxist theory, the antonym of proletarian internationalism is bourgeois nationalism. Some Marxists, together with others on the left, view nationalism, racism (including anti-Semitism), and religion, as divide and conquer strategies used by the ruling classes to prevent the working class from uniting against them. Left-wing movements therefore have often taken up anti-imperialist positions. Anarchism has developed a critique of nationalism that focuses on nationalism's role in justifying and consolidating state power and domination. Through its unifying goal, nationalism strives for centralization, both in specific territories and in a ruling elite of individuals, while it prepares a population for capitalist exploitation. Within anarchism, this subject has been treated extensively by Rudolf Rocker in ''Nationalism and Culture'' and by the works of Fredy Perlman, such as ''Against His-Story, Against Leviathan'' and "The Continuing Appeal of Nationalism".

The failure of revolutions in Germany and Hungary ended Bolshevik hopes for an imminent world revolution and led to promotion of "Socialism in One Country" by Joseph Stalin. In the first edition of the book ''Osnovy Leninizma'' (''Foundations of Leninism'', 1924), Stalin argued that revolution in one country is insufficient. But by the end of that year, in the second edition of the book, he argued that the "proletariat can and must build the socialist society in one country". In April 1925 Nikolai Bukharin elaborated the issue in his brochure ''Can We Build Socialism in One Country in the Absence of the Victory of the West-European Proletariat?'' The position was adopted as State policy after Stalin's January 1926 article ''On the Issues of Leninism'' (К вопросам ленинизма). This idea was opposed by Leon Trotsky and his followers who declared the need for an international "permanent revolution". Various Fourth Internationalist groups around the world who describe themselves as Trotskyist see themselves as standing in this tradition, while Maoist China supported Socialism in One Country.

Some link left-wing nationalism to the pressure generated by economic integration with other countries encouraged by free-trade agreements. This view is sometimes used to justify hostility towards supranational organizations such as the European Union. Left-wing nationalism can also refer to any nationalism which emphasises a working-class populist agenda which seeks to overcome perceived exploitation or oppression by other nations. Many Third World anti-colonial movements adopted left-wing and socialist ideas.

Social progressivism and counterculture

Social progressivism is another common feature of the modern Left, particularly in the United States, where social progressives played an important role in the abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, civil rights, and multiculturalism. Progressives have both advocated prohibition legislation and worked towards its repeal. Current positions associated with social progressivism in the West include opposition to the death penalty, and support for legal recognition of same-sex marriage, distribution of contraceptives, public funding of embryonic stem-cell research, and the right of women to choose abortion. Public education is a subject of great interest to social progressives, who support comprehensive sex education, and making condoms available to high school students.

Various counterculture movements in the 1960s and 1970s were associated with the "New Left". Unlike the earlier leftist focus on union activism, the "New Left" instead adopted a broader definition of political activism commonly called social activism. U.S. "New Left" is associated with the Hippie movement, college campus mass protest movements and a broadening of focus from protesting class-based oppression to include issues such as gender, race, and sexual orientation. The British "New Left" was an intellectually driven movement which attempted to correct the perceived errors of "Old Left".

The New Left opposed prevailing authority structures in society, which it termed "The Establishment", and became known as "anti-Establishment." The New Left did not seek to recruit industrial workers, but rather concentrated on a social activist approach to organization, convinced that they could be the source for a better kind of social revolution. This view has been criticised by some Marxists (especially Trotskyists) who characterized this approach as 'substitutionism'- or what they saw as the misguided and apparently non-Marxist belief that other groups in society could 'substitute' for the revolutionary agency of the working class.

Many early feminists and advocates of women's rights were considered left-wing by their contemporaries. Feminist pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft was influenced by the radical thinker Thomas Paine. Many notable leftists have been strong supporters of sexual equality, such as: the Marxists Rosa Luxemburg, Clara Zetkin and Alexandra Kollontai, the anarchist Emma Goldman, and the socialists Helen Keller and Annie Besant. Marxists such as Clara Zetkin and Alexandra Kollontai however, though supporters of radical social equality for women, opposed feminism on the grounds that it was a bourgeois ideology. Marxists were responsible for organizing the first International Women's Day events.

In more recent times the women's liberation movement is closely connected to the New Left and other new social movements that challenged the orthodoxies of the Old Left. Socialist feminism (e.g.Freedom Socialist Party, Radical Women) and Marxist feminism (e.g. Selma James) saw themselves as a part of the left that challenged what they perceive to be male-dominated and sexist structures within the left. Liberal feminism is closely connected with left-liberalism, and the left-wing of mainstream American politics. (e.g. the National Organization for Women).

Religion

The original French left-wing was anti-clerical, opposing the influence of the Roman Catholic Church and supporting the separation of church and state. Karl Marx asserted that "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." In Soviet Russia the Bolsheviks originally embraced "an ideological creed which professed that all religion would atrophy" and "resolved to eradicate Christianity as such." In 1918 "ten Orthodox hierarchs were summarily shot" and "children were deprived of any religious education outside the home."

Religious beliefs however have also been associated with some left-wing movements, such as the American abolitionist movement and the anti-capital punishment movement. Early socialist thinkers such as Robert Owen, Charles Fourier, and the Duc de Saint-Simon based their theories of socialism upon Christian principles. From St. Augustine of Hippo's ''City of God'' through St. Thomas More's ''Utopia'' major Christian writers defended ideas that socialists found agreeable. There is a strong thread of egalitarianism in the New Testament. Other common leftist concerns such as pacifism, social justice, racial equality, human rights, and the rejection of excessive wealth can be found in the Bible. In the late 19th century, the Social Gospel movement arose (particularly among some Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Baptists in North America and Britain,) which attempted to integrate progressive and socialist thought with Christianity in faith-based social activism, promoted by movements such as Christian Socialism. In the 20th century, the theology of liberation and Creation Spirituality was championed by such writers as Gustavo Gutierrez and Matthew Fox.

There are also left-wing Islamic movements such as Islamic socialism. There have been alliances between the Left and anti-war Muslims, such as the Respect Party and the Stop the War Coalition in Britain. In France, the Left has been divided over moves to ban the hijab from schools, with some supporting a ban based on separation of church and state, and others opposing the ban based on personal freedom.

The environment

Both Karl Marx and the early socialist William Morris arguably had a deep concern for environmental matters. According to Marx, “Even an entire society, a nation, or all simultaneously existing societies taken together . . . are not owners of the earth. They are simply its possessors, its beneficiaries, and have to bequeath it in an improved state to succeeding generations.” Following the Russian Revolution, environmental scientists such as revolutionary Aleksandr Bogdanov and the Proletkul't organisation made efforts to incorporate environmentalism into Bolshevism, and "integrate production with natural laws and limits" in the first decade of Soviet rule, before Joseph Stalin attacked ecologists and the science of ecology, purged environmentalists and promoted the pseudo-science of Trofim Lysenko. Likewise, Mao Zedong rejected enviormentalism and believed that, based on the laws of historical materialism, all of nature must be put into the service of revolution.

From the 1970s onwards, environmentalism became an increasing concern of the left, with social movements and some unions campaigning over environmental issues. For example, the left-wing Builders Labourers Federation in Australia, led by the communist Jack Mundy, united with environmentalists to place Green Bans on environmentally destructive development projects. Some segments of the socialist and Marxist left consciously merged environmentalism and anti-capitalism into an eco-socialist ideology. Barry Commoner articulated a left-wing response to The Limits to Growth model that predicted catastrophic resource depletion and spurred environmentalism, postulating that capitalist technologies were chiefly responsible for environmental degradation, as opposed to population pressures. Environmental degradation can be seen as a class or equity issue, as environmental destruction disproportionately affects poorer communities and countries.

Several left-wing or socialist groupings have an overt environmental concern, whereas several green parties contain a strong socialist presence. For example, the Green Party of England and Wales features an eco-socialist group, Green Left, that was founded in June 2005 and whose members hold a number of influential positions within the party, including both the former Principal Speakers Siân Berry and Dr. Derek Wall, himself an eco-socialist and marxist academic. In Europe, some 'Green-Left' political parties combine traditional social-democratic values such as a desire for greater economic equality and workers rights with demands for environmental protection, such as the Nordic Green Left.

Well-known socialist Bolivian President Evo Morales has traced environmental degradation to consumerism. He has said "The Earth does not have enough for the North to live better and better, but it does have enough for all of us to live well." James Hansen, Noam Chomsky, Raj Patel, Naomi Klein, The Yes Men, and Dennis Kucinich have had similar views.

In the 21st Century, questions about the environment have become increasingly politicized, with the Left generally accepting the findings of environmental scientists about global warming, and many on the Right disputing or rejecting those findings. The left is however divided over how to effectively and equitably reduce carbon emissions- the center-left often advocates a reliance on market measures such as emissions trading or a carbon tax, whilst those further to the left tend to support direct government regulation and intervention either alongside or instead of market mechanisms.

Anti-globalization and Third-worldism

The Global Justice Movement, also known as the anti-globalisation or alter-globalization movement, protests against global trade agreements and the negative consequences they perceive them to have for the poor and the environment. This movement is generally characterised as left-wing, although some on the right, Pat Buchanan for example, oppose globalization on nationalistic grounds. The Global Justice Movement does not oppose globalisation per se, on the contrary, it supports some forms of internationalism. Its main themes are the reforms (or abolition) of international institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the creation of an international social and environmental justice movement. It rejects the leadership of any political party, defining itself as a "movement of movements."

Third-worldism regards the inequality between developed, or First World countries, and the developing, or Third World countries as of key political importance. It supports national liberation movements against what it takes to be imperialism by capitalist nations. Key figures associated with Third-worldism include Frantz Fanon, Ahmed Ben Bella, Andre Gunder Frank, Samir Amin and Simon Malley. Among the New Left groups associated with Third Worldism were Monthly Review and the New Communist Movement.

Third worldism is closely connected with Pan-Africanism, Pan-Arabism, Maoism, African socialism and Latin American socialist trends. The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Sandinistas are or have been particular ''causes célèbres''. Some left-wing groups in the developing world, such as the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico, the Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa, and the Naxalites in India, argue that the First-World left takes a racist and paternalistic attitude towards liberation movements in the Third-World. There is particular criticism of the role played by NGOs and the assumption by the Western Anti-globalization movement that they should seek to influence the politics of the Third World.

Post-modernism

Left-wing post-modernism opposes attempts to supply universal explanatory theories, including Marxism, deriding them as grand narratives. It views culture as a battleground, and via deconstruction seeks to undermine all pretensions to knowledge. Left-wing critics of post-modernism assert that cultural studies inflates the importance of culture by denying the existence of an independent reality.

In 1996, physicist Alan Sokal wrote a nonsensical article entitled "Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity". The journal ''Social Text'' published the paper in its Spring/Summer 1996 issue, whereupon Sokal publicly revealed his hoax. While this action was interpreted as an attack upon leftism, however Sokal, who was a committed supporter of the Sandinista movement in Nicaragua during the 1980s, intended it as a critique from within the left. He said he was concerned about what he saw as the increasing prevalence on the left of "a particular kind of nonsense and sloppy thinking... that denies the existence of objective realities". He called into question the usefulness of such theories to the wider left movement saying he "never understood how deconstruction was meant to help the working class."

See also

Conflict theory

Ideology

List of left-wing internationals

Post-left anarchy

Redistribution (economics)

Social criticism

References

Further reading

''Encyclopedia of the American Left'', ed. by Mari Jo Buhle, Paul Buhle, Dan Georgakas, Second Edition, Oxford University Press 1998, ISBN 0-19-512088-4

Lin Chun, ''The British New Left'', Edinburgh : Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1993

Geoff Eley, ''Forging Democracy: The History of the Left in Europe, 1850-2000'', Oxford University Press 2002, ISBN 0-19-504479-7

"Leftism in India, 1917-1947", Satyabrata Rai Chowdhuri, Palgrave Macmillan, UK, 2007, ISBN 9780230517165

External links

Leftist Parties of the World

Brief article on left wing and right wing politics & links to political orientation tests

Category:Political spectrum Category:Political ideologies

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name	Nick Lachey
background	solo_singer
birth name	Nicholas Scott Lachey
born	November 09, 1973Harlan, Kentucky, United States
origin	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
genre	Pop rock, R&B;
occupation	Singer, songwriter, actor
years active	1997–present
spouse
label	Motown, Universal, Jive
associated acts	98 Degrees }}

Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey ( ; born November 9, 1973) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series ''Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'' with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released two solo albums, ''SoulO'' and ''What's Left of Me''. As a solo artist, Nick Lachey, sold over 600,000 records and with 98 Degrees, over 10 million records worldwide. He had a recurring role on the television series ''Charmed''.

Early life

Lachey was born near the border of Kentucky and Virginia in Harlan, Kentucky to Cate Fopma-Leimbach and John Lachey. He has a brother, Drew, a stepsister, Josie, a half brother, Isaac, and two adopted siblings, Zach and Caitlin Leimbach. Growing up in Ohio, he attended Cincinnati Public Schools-School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), developing his vocal talent while excelling in sports and academics. After graduation he attended the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California. After a year at USC, he wanted to be closer to his family and transferred to Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, where he studied sports medicine and became a brother in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Career

Nick started his professional singing career at Kings Island with friend Justin Jeffre in the mid-90's singing in a group quartet throughout the park. Lachey was a member of boyband 98 Degrees along with his brother, Drew, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons Their debut album was the self-titled ''98 Degrees''; however, the band's first real success came with their follow up album ''98 Degrees and Rising''. 98 Degrees has sold over 10 million records.

During the summer of 2003, the reality show, ''Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'', starring Lachey and then-wife Jessica Simpson began airing on MTV. The couple starred in the television special ''The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour,'' which aired in 2004 and was compared to ''The Sonny & Cher Show''. In 2005, ''Newlyweds'' won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show before wrapping shortly after. On November 11, 2003, his solo debut album, ''SoulO'', was released. Despite being released during the success of ''Newlyweds'', the album was a commercial failure. Lachey took a recurring role on series ''Charmed'' between 2004 and 2005.

''What's Left of Me'' was released on May 9, 2006 and debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was certified Gold, after selling more than 500,000 copies domestically. The first single from the album was the title track, "What's Left of Me", released on February 21, 2006. The song became a hit, reaching a peak position of number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The video for "What's Left Of Me" featured former MTV VJ, Vanessa Minnillo. Lachey recorded "Ordinary Day" for the Oprah Winfrey-produced film, ''For One More Day''.

Lachey began working on his third solo album in 2007. Lachey also starred in a well known TV series, ''One Tree Hill'', as a singer at Red Bedroom Productions. It was announced in January 2010 that Jive Records had put his new album on hold indefinitely. In June 2010, Lachey confirmed that he had parted ways with Jive Records. ''Taking the Stage'', a musical reality show documenting the lives of high school students at the School for Creative and Performing Arts, premiered on MTV in March 2009. It was produced by Lachey. In December 2009, he hosted ''The Sing-Off'', a four-part American singing competition featuring a cappella groups, a role he reprised during December 2010 for the show's second season on NBC. He released few single in recent years, such as All In My Head and Last One Standing.

Sports interests

Lachey is part owner of the Hollywood Fame, a team in the American Basketball Association that began play in fall 2006, and was part of an ownership group of the Tacoma Rainiers, the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate. Lachey is also a devout Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, and Cincinnati Bearcats fan.

On April 7, 2009 Lachey threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the MLB Opening Day game in Cincinnati, Ohio. On July 9, 2011 Lachey sang the National Anthem for the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky.

Personal life

Lachey dated fellow pop star Jessica Simpson on and off for four years, beginning in early 1999. On October 26, 2002, Lachey married Simpson. In November 2005, after months of tabloid speculation, Simpson and Lachey announced they were separating. Simpson filed for divorce on December 16, 2005, citing "irreconcilable differences." The couple's divorce was publicized worldwide and was reportedly finalized on June 30, 2006. "Despite his much smaller net worth, he openly refused to request a payout, even turning down a $1.5 million settlement offer from Simpson's dad." The couple sold their Calabasas mansion, in which ''Newlyweds'' was filmed, to ''Malcolm in the Middle'' star Justin Berfield for an undisclosed amount.

Soon after the release of "What's Left of Me", his 2006 music video starring Vanessa Minnillo, Lachey and Minnillo began dating. They briefly broke up in June 2009, but by October 2009, Lachey confirmed that they were back together after having been "single for a minute". On November 4, 2010, Lachey and Minnillo announced their engagement. They were married July 15, 2011, on Sir Richard Branson's private Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, with a small party of 35 close friends and family. Their wedding was filmed and televised on July 30 on TLC.

Lachey is also on the entertainment council of the hunger-relief organization Feeding America.

Discography

''SoulO'' (2003)

''What's Left of Me'' (2006)

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" |- ! Year || Title || Role || Notes |- | 2003—2005 || ''Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'' || Himself || Reality television |- | 2003|| ''Christmas in Rockefeller Center'' || Musical Guest || made for television (NBC) |- | rowspan=4 | 2004 || ''American Dreams'' || Tom Jones || "I'm Not with Her" (Season 2, Episode 13) |- | ''I'm with Her'' || Tyler Vance || "To Tell the Truth " (Season 1, Episode 22) |- | ''Charmed'' || Leslie St. Claire || 6 episodes (Season 7) |- | ''Hope & Faith'' || Chris || "Just-In Time " (Season 2, Episode 9) |- | rowspan=2 | 2005 ||''The Hard Easy'' || Jason Burns || Main Role |- | ''Bewitched'' || Vietnam Soldier || appearance |- | rowspan=2 | 2006 || ''She Said, He Said'' || Kurtwood Weymouth || Main Role / Television pilot |- | ''Twins'' || Charlie|| "Himbo" (Season 1, Episode 17) |- | 2007 || ''Rise: Blood Hunter'' || Dwayne ||appearance |- | 2008 || ''Clash of the Choirs'' || Choir Director || Reality television |- | 2009 || ''One Tree Hill'' || Himself || |- | 2009 || ''Taking the Stage'' || Himself - Guest || Reality television |- | 2009—present || ''The Sing-Off'' || Host || Reality television |- | 2011 || ''Hawaii Five-0'' || Kidnapper || Episode: "Powa Maka Moana (Pirate)" |- | 2011 || ''Nick & Vanessa's Dream Wedding'' || Himself || Televised Wedding |- |}

Awards and nominations

Teen Choice Awards

Best Love Song: What's Left of Me (August 20, 2006)

Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon (August 20, 2006)

MTV Video Music Awards

Best Male Video: What's Left of Me (nominated) (August 29, 2006)

American Music Awards

Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist (nominated) (November 21, 2006)

References

External links

Nick Lachey Official Website

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:People from Harlan, Kentucky Category:American Christians Category:98 Degrees members Category:American dance musicians Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American pop singers Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Musicians from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Musicians from Kentucky Category:Jive Records artists Category:Miami University alumni Category:People from Cincinnati, Ohio

da:Nick Lachey de:Nick Lachey es:Nick Lachey fr:Nick Lachey he:ניק לאשיי it:Nick Lachey ms:Nick Lachey nl:Nick Lachey ja:ニック・ラシェイ pl:Nick Lachey pt:Nick Lachey ru:Лаше, Ник fi:Nick Lachey sv:Nick Lachey th:นิค ลาเช่

Name	A Tribe Called Quest
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA
Genre	Hip hop, jazz rap, alternative hip hop
Years active	1985–19982006–present
Label	Jive
Associated acts	Native Tongues, Consequence, De La Soul, Leaders of the New School, Black Sheep, Jungle Brothers, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep
Website	atribecalledquest.com
Current members	Q-Tip (1988–1998, 2006–present)Phife Dawg (1988–1998, 2006–present)Ali Shaheed Muhammad (1988–1998, 2006–present)Jarobi White (1988–1990, 2006–present) }}

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Their innovative fusing of hip hop and jazz has had a lasting impact on hip hop music, helping to expand the art of hip hop production. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics.

They released five albums between 1990 and 1998. The first three LPs were highly acclaimed, but the group disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the U.S., and planned to release an album after some works in the studio. The group is regarded as iconic pioneers of alternative hip hop music, having helped to pave the way for innovative hip hop artists. John Bush of Allmusic called them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s," while the editors of About.com ranked them #4 on their list of the "25 Best Rap Groups of All Time." In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the ''Billboard'' R&B; Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

Biography

History

Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were childhood friends that had grown up together in Queens, New York. Initially, Q-Tip had been performing as a solo artist (MC Love Child), occasionally teaming up with Muhammad as a rapper/DJ duo. Although the pair frequently made demos with Phife (as Crush Connection), the sports enthusiast was still courting ambitions of playing professional basketball, and remained somewhat reluctant to become a full member of the group, only later relenting after Jarobi also joined, thus making the group a quartet. The group's final name was coined in 1988 by the Jungle Brothers, who attended the same high school as Tribe. Q-Tip made two separate appearances on the Jungle Brothers' classic debut album, ''Straight Out the Jungle''; the songs "Black Is Black" and "In Time", respectively. Afrika Baby Bam of the group introduced Q-Tip to De La Soul when he took the aspiring artist along to a studio session for the recording of the remix for the group's song "Buddy". Produced by Prince Paul, the remix of "Buddy" was to be an all-round Native Tongue affair, and the eccentric producer encouraged Q-Tip to contribute to the now-classic record.

In early 1989 they signed a demo deal with Geffen Records and produced a five song demo which included later album tracks including "Description Of A Fool", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Can I Kick It?". Geffen however, decided against offering the group a full-fledged recording contract and the group was granted permission to shop for a deal elsewhere while retaining the Geffen financed songs.

After receiving lucrative offers for multi-album deals from a variety of labels both big and small, the group showed early savvy in opting for a modest deal offered by Jive Records, then known as an independent rap label that specialized in and owed its success to building careers of artists like Boogie Down Productions and Too Short, and for placing emphasis on longevity, and paying attention to grass-roots fan bases.

''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''

In less than a year, and under the management of DJ Red Alert, the group released their first single, "Description of a Fool", to a lukewarm reception, and without a music video in advance of their debut album ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''. Similar to De La Soul's ''3 Feet High and Rising'', ''People's Instinctive Travels'' was marked by a playful lyrical approach (as on the call-and-response inspired "Can I Kick It?"), light-hearted content (safe sex, vegetarianism, youthful experiences), and to a lesser extent, an idiosyncratic sense of humor, free from much of the posturing of both hardcore hip hop, and the more left-wing aspects of conscious hip hop. Also of note, was the album's sample material, largely based around jazzy loops and snippets from artists such as Cannonball Adderley, Roy Ayers, Lou Reed, Rotary Connection, and Les McCann. Through these samples, the group employs the use of horns, Rhodes, bass guitar and vibes.

Although now critically acclaimed, at the time of its inception ''People's Instinctive Travels'' was met with mixed enthusiasm. Greg Tate of ''The Village Voice'' called the album "upliftingly dope" and "so sweet and lyrical, so user-friendly. You could play it in the background when you're reading Proust." ''The Source'' also gave it a positive reception, even awarding it a five-mic rating - the magazine's highest possible rating. It was only the third album ever to receive this rating. However, Chuck Eddy of ''Rolling Stone'' wrote that the album "is one of the least ''danceable'' rap albums ever" and he went on to say "it's impossible to imagine how people will put this music to use."

The album largely offended the record buying public, and for the time being the group remained in the shadows of their Native Tongue brethren, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul. It would gain some momentum only after the release of the singles "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", and the group's later commercial success, eventually going gold six years after its release. After the release of the album, Jarobi left the lineup for personal reasons.The group soon changed its management from DJ Red Alert to Chris Lighty.

''The Low End Theory''

Following ''People's Instinctive Travels'', the group continued to gather a loyal fan base through touring and guest appearances such as on De La Soul's "A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"". "Check the Rhyme" was the lead single from the group's landmark second album, ''The Low End Theory'', released on September 24, 1991. Based around a sample from Average White Band's "Love Your Life", the song largely established the now familiar tag-team interplay between Q-Tip and Phife, as until then, most of the group's songs had only featured vocals by Q-Tip.

The two MCs, known for their engaging, and free-wheeling lyrical styles, began to focus on a range of social issues, from date rape ("The Infamous Date Rape") to consumerism ("Skypager"). The songs were noticeably shorter, more abrupt, and bass-heavy. Guests on the album included Leaders of the New School (which included Busta Rhymes), Brand Nubian, and Vinia Mojica. By now, the group had mastered their pursuits of rare records from which to sample or gain ideas and inspiration. Their innovative sampling, layering, and structuring of jazz records led many critics to label their style as jazz rap - a term which Q-Tip disapproved of, as although he felt it described groups such as Stetsasonic quite well, it misinterpreted Tribe themselves, who (aside from the song "Jazz (We've Got)") did not base most of their songs around the topic of jazz.

Helping to gain exposure was a performance of the single "Scenario" with Leaders of the New School on ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' at the time, at the height of its popularity. The performance was particularly memorable for the expressive energy of Busta Rhymes, and his famous "raow! raow! Like a dungeon dragon!" line. Around this time, the group also began to make experimental and visually stylish music videos, one of the most memorable of which is the black-and-white promo clip for "Jazz (We've Got)", a duration of which is delegated to the song "Buggin' Out". This part of the video changes from black and white to color, and features the group members wearing prosthetics that make their eyeballs appear to be bulging out, relating to the song's theme about undergoing stressful situations.

Production wise, the album was a more confident effort than their debut, featuring less of a reliance on drum loops, and contributions from jazz great Ron Carter on upright bass. The album was produced by A Tribe Called Quest along with production from Skeff Anselm (co-production by A Tribe Called Quest), on two tracks. Producer Pete Rock also created the original rough draft version for "Jazz (We've Got)", and A Tribe Called Quest then recreated it. In contrast to most of the hip hop albums released in the early 90s, which featured rough beats that run at relatively fast tempos, such as the Bomb Squad-produced ''Amerikkka's Most Wanted'', or the slow menacing funk beats of Dr. Dre's ''The Chronic'', ''The Low End Theory'' featured low-key, bass-heavy, and plodding beats which emphasized the pensive nature of the record. The recording sessions and mixing for the album was handled by renown record engineer Bob Power at Greene Street Studios, and Soundtrack Studios, in New York City.

On its release, the album was met with a bevy of praises. ''Rolling Stone'' said of the album: "Each time Q-Tip rhymes over Carter's bass lines, the groove just gets deeper." The publication also named it #154 among the Best 500 Albums of All Time, and also as one of the Essential Recordings of the 90's. Further praises were given by ''Spin'' who listed it among the 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s. The praises continue to the present day with Allmusic calling it "one of the best hip-hop albums in history", and "a record that sounds better with each listen." Pop Matters music editor Dave Heaton has this to say about the album:

Among the accolades awarded to the album were:

5 Mic Album award from ''The Source'' (1990)

#2 in ''Ego Trip'''s ''Hip Hop's 25 Greatest Albums by Year 1980-98'' (1999)

#53 in ''Blender'''s ''100 Greatest American Albums of All time'' (2002)

#56 in Pitchfork Media's ''Top 100 Favorite Records of the 1990s'' (2003)

#154 in ''Rolling Stone'''s ''Best 500 Albums of All Time'' (2003)

Spin Magazine

* #32 in ''Top 90 Albums of the 90s'' (1999)

* #38 in ''Top 100 Albums of the Last 20 Years'' (2005)

* #87 in ''100 Alternative Albums'' (1995)

Propelled by "Scenario", and positive word of mouth, ''The Low End Theory'' performed very well on the charts, being RIAA-certified gold on February 19, 1992 (it reached platinum status by 1995). It exceeded all expectations, most of all for an album that offered little to no concessions towards the mainstream. In the aftermath of their unqualified success, the group once again hit the road and contributed the song "Hot Sex" to the soundtrack for the Eddie Murphy vehicle ''Boomerang'', in 1992.

Interrupting the proceedings was an encounter with new jack swing group Wreckx-N-Effect (W-N-E), who had taken an exception to some lines in the song "Jazz (We've Got)". Viewed as a premier new jack swing group, W-N-E had misinterpreted the following couplets by Phife as a sideway diss:

: I'm all into my music cuz it's how I make papes : Tryin' to make hits, like Kid Capri mix tapes : Me sweat another? I do my own thing : Strictly hardcore tracks, not a new jack swing

The misunderstanding resulted in a melee in which Q-Tip sustained an injury to one of his eyes. Thus, during the shooting of the promo clip for "Hot Sex", he wore a ski mask to cover up the abrasion. Soon after, Q-Tip was chosen to play the part of Markell, Janet Jackson's ill-fated partner, in the John Singleton-directed drama ''Poetic Justice'', which also starred Tupac Shakur. The minor part would nevertheless showcase Q-Tip's natural flair for acting and he would later receive offers for more diverse supporting roles. This film also allowed for a friendship to blossom between Q-Tip and Jackson, and the pair would go on to collaborate on her song "Got 'Til It's Gone", from her album ''The Velvet Rope'', in 1997.

During the ascendancy of ATCQ, other Native Tongue members were experiencing career-lows. The Jungle Brothers, once the trailblazers of the collective, were now becoming disaffected with their label due to the under-promotion of their previous effort. In addition, they distanced themselves from the collective, and their music began to lean towards the emerging, European-influenced trip hop sub-genre. However, ATCQ appeared to be maintaining an ongoing relationship with De La Soul.

''Midnight Marauders''

Trugoy of De La Soul appeared on the refrain of "Award Tour", the group's lead single from their third album ''Midnight Marauders'', released on November 9, 1993. Coming on the heels of ''The Low End Theory'', the album was highly anticipated and many were anxious to see if the group could maintain their artistic integrity in light of their commercial success. Boosted by their raised profile, "Award Tour" became the group's highest charting single to date, and helped to land the album within the US Top Ten. The critics proved to be as enthusiastic about the new set as the fans were. ''Entertainment Weekly'' said the album "sounds as fresh as their first... rappers Phife and Q-Tip manage to hold attention without resorting to gun references or expletives..." NME called it their "most complete work to date" Likewise, ''Melody Maker'' said "A Tribe Called Quest have expanded their vision with a lyrical gravitas and a musical lightness of touch that has hitherto eluded them across a whole album". The album was voted #21 by ''The Village Voice'' in that year's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

Musically, ''Midnight Marauders'' built upon many of the ideas that were present on ''The Low End Theory'', although the results were noticeably different, and the music was more immediate. Whereas ''Theory'' had been an exercise in subdued minimalism, and simplicity, the grooves found on ''Marauders'' are mostly up tempo, and full of charging drums, suave basslines, melodious riffs, complementary horns, and catchy hooks, all delivered in an efficient 50 minute time frame. The intermittent voice of a tour guide (the titular 'midnight marauder') also serves to add further cohesion to the album.

The group was now famous for their unique choices of sample material on their albums and ''Midnight Marauders'' was no exception. Lead single "Award Tour" contained an infectiously sunny loop taken from Weldon Irvine's "We Gettin' Down". Irvine, a little known but well-respected jazz virtuoso was enthused to have been sought by the group and lent his assistance towards the sampling of the song. Another outside musician to contribute to the record was Raphael Saadiq (credited as Raphael Wiggins) of Tony! Toni! Toné!, on the song "Midnight". Aside from the aforementioned, producers Large Professor, and Skeff Anselm handled two tracks - "Keep It Rollin'" and "8 Million Stories" respectively, the former also rapping over his production.

Lyrically, the album benefited from an even more confident duo in Phife Dawg and Q-Tip, whose nimble verbal interplay is utilized to its fullest on songs like "Electric Relaxation" and "Oh My God". Opening song "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" - which includes the lines "You know that I'm the rebel, throwin' out the wicked like God did the Devil" - is named after the slain South African human rights activist and political revolutionary Steve Biko. Some of the other topics on the album are police harassment and nocturnal activity ("Midnight"), religious faith ("God Lives Through"), and hip hop itself, as on the song "We Can Get Down" where Phife asks:

: How can a reverend preach, when a rev can't define : The music of our youth from 1979 : We rap about what we see, meaning reality : From people bustin' caps and like Mandela being free : Not every MC be with the negativity : We have a slew of rappers pushin' positivity

Another song, the sometimes controversial "Sucka Nigga", deals with the candid use of the word "nigga". In the song, Q-Tip notes the negative purpose of the word but subsequently emphasizes its subjective nature when he says:

: It means that we will never grow, you know the word dummy : Other niggas in the community think its crummy : But I don't, neither does the youth cause we : Em-brace adversity it goes right with the race : And being that we use it as a term of endearment : Niggas start to bug to the dome as where the fear went

The three singles for the album received memorable music videos, such as the one for second single "Electric Relaxation" which was shot in black and white, and takes place mostly in a diner. The song was the cause of an amusing mystery, as few people were certain of what is said during the hook, which is more or less mumbled out by Q-Tip (although there is now a consensus that the words are "relax yourself girl, ease that playin'"). The third single to be released was "Oh My God", the video for which showed the group in a neighborhood setting and surrounded by young fans. It also included a cameo by a typically manic Busta Rhymes. The group performed as one of a handful of rap acts at the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival, among acts such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Stereolab and The Verve.

Intermission and The Ummah

''Midnight Marauders'' remains A Tribe Called Quest's fastest-selling album; it was certified platinum on January 11, 1995, less than two years after its release (it had taken ''The Low End Theory'' about twice the amount of time to get such a certification). The album's success allowed the group a greater financial freedom and the members took a short break before the recording of their next album began. Q-Tip produced several tracks for other artists including "One Love" for Nas, "Illusions (Remix)" for Cypress Hill, and three tracks on the Mobb Deep album ''The Infamous''. He also went through a religious awakening and converted to Islam. Tragedy would strike when an improperly disposed cigarette at a house party escalated into a full-blown fire, burning down his home, a vast record collection, and many works in progress. Friends and producers like Pete Rock and Large Professor helped him building up a record collection by donating records to him.

Phife, who rapped on "Oh My God" that he owned "more condoms than TLC", made cameo appearances on that group's hugely successful album, ''Crazy Sexy Cool'', in 1994. He would also marry his fiancee and relocate to Atlanta, Georgia.

Ali Shaheed Muhammad worked on outside projects with artists such as D'Angelo (''Brown Sugar''), Shaquille O'Neal ("Where Ya At?"), and Gil Scott-Heron ("Don't Give Up"). The group contributed to ''The Show'' soundtrack in 1995, before returning the following year with their fourth album.

While on tour, Q-Tip's friend Amp Fiddler would introduce him to a young producer from Detroit named Jay Dee. The pair clicked immediately and Q-Tip took the talented newcomer under his wing, and introduced him to the rest of Tribe, who agreed to the idea of forming a production unit and having Jay Dee as member, albeit under the guise of "The Ummah" (Arabic for "the [worldwide] Muslim community"). The Ummah would now handle all the production on the rest of the group's albums, although they would credit the production crew whether a song was a team effort by the three or a solo work from one of the producers. This was also the case for remixes and outside production the three members worked on during the few years The Ummah was active.

''Beats, Rhymes and Life''

''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', the group's fourth album, was recorded during the turbulent East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry, which engulfed many rappers from both coasts and even some from in between. The group saw it fit to address these issues, a decision based partly on principle, but also probably based on the fact that, despite being from the East, they were well respected on both coasts. Cuts like "Get A Hold", and "Keep It Moving" contain references to the state of affairs, and are some of the most sober songs the group has ever recorded.

In addition to the heavier subject matter, The Ummah's production style was now a smoother (but darker) hybrid of the group's previous incarnations, where the snare possessed a much sharper crack on most tracks. Jay Dee, a big fan of the Tribe, appeared to have had a hand in re-shaping the sound, crafted in the shadow of ''The Low End Theory'', with songs like the plucky "Keep It Moving", or the disconcertingly unaccented "Wordplay". While these new beats fit the album's direction, another ingredient left many puzzled. Consequence, Q-Tip's cousin, and an aspiring rapper, was present on no less than six songs, including the second single "Stressed Out", which caused only Consequence to think he had been officially added to the lineup. This factor only magnified Phife's slightly reduced participation. After their breakup, Phife Dawg would reveal how he had begun to lose interest in recording as a part of the group by the fourth album:

The album shot straight to #1 in the charts and went gold by the end of the year; it would go platinum by 1998. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, as was the lead single, "1nce Again", which received a nomination for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Critical reactions were largely divided but mostly positive. While some welcomed the new material, others found it to be a step below their past work. ''Rolling Stone'' called it "near-flawless", going on to say that "few hip-hop acts have so sharply captured the surreal quality that defines what it means to be African-American, a quality in which poker-faced humor and giddy tragedy play tag team with reality." ''The Source'' awarded it 4 out of 5 mics and called The Ummah "the most proficient in the rap game at using samples as instruments in themselves". Despite his apparent lack of motivation ''Spin'' thought Phife sounded "tougher and more playful than ever", while ''Melody Maker'' saw the album as "providing both their best and worst thus far", and "magnetic yet frustrating". In a 1998 farewell article in ''The Source'', Questlove, drummer for The Roots, summarized the album's partially frosty reception:

Following ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', the group appeared on the ''Men in Black'' soundtrack with the song "Same Ol' Thing", and released, ''The Jam'', a 4-track EP which included the aforementioned song, "Mardi Gras At Midnight" (with Rah Digga) and two songs from ''Beats, Rhymes and Life'', "Get A Hold" and "Jam". 1997 also saw the first coming together of the three main Native Tongue groups since 1989, when the Jungle Brothers invited both Tribe and De La Soul to guest on "How Ya Want It We Got It", a cut from their album ''Raw Deluxe''. The Ummah continued producing for a diverse range of artists such as Janet Jackson, Keith Murray, Faith Evans, and Whitney Houston.

''The Love Movement'' and split

Prior to the unveiling of ''The Love Movement'', the group announced that it would be their last album together. Fans were surprised, as the breakdown had been kept discreet. In an interview with ''The Source'', the group cited their frustration with Jive Zomba as a significant factor in the breakup. Phife:

''The Love Movement'' was preceded by the fun-spirited "Find a Way"; a song memorable for its swirly otherworldly production and catchy staccato hook. It also received a stylish Paul Hunter-directed music video (the last video the group ever made). Musically, the somewhat somber tone of the previous album was largely absent and replaced by a familiar carefree optimism. Tracks like "Give Me", with Noreaga exemplify the group's approach for much of the album. Driven by a pulsing beat, the opening song "Start It Up" was perhaps even more minimal than anything found on ''The Low End Theory''. Likewise, "Against The World" relies on little more than crisply mixed down drums and a two note bassline. The theme of the album was firmly focused around the topic of love; love for oneself, love for another, love for mankind, love in the face of hate.

Critical reception for ''The Love Movement'' was fairly positive, although some factions viewed the album as too subtle to be thoroughly effective. ''Rolling Stone'', for example, remarked that "the mature, accomplished niceness of ''The Love Movement'' proves that the Tribe still have the skills – they're just short on thrills." The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, in 1999.

Solo ventures

Q-Tip

Under the management of Violator, Q-Tip launched a successful solo career, which saw two sizable hits ("Vivrant Thing", and "Breathe and Stop"), and the Gold-certified album ''Amplified'', released in 1999. Some saw Q-Tip's arguably radio-friendly material as pandering to the mainstream; something his former group was highly respected for avoiding during their run. The album was produced by Q-Tip and Jay Dee (as The Ummah), and DJ Scratch.

After ''Amplified'', Q-Tip changed directions and recorded 2002's ''Kamaal the Abstract'', an album which saw him in the role of singer and bandleader. Unlike his work with Tribe, or even his own solo work, ''Kamaal'' was constructed around live music, and "abstract" song concepts, all orchestrated by Q-Tip himself. Unfortunately, Arista Records refused to release the album, fearing it would be unmarketable coming from a rapper. Undeterred, Q-Tip recorded 2005's ''Open'', a slightly more accessible album, featuring contributions from André 3000, Common, and D'Angelo. Once again, the record was rejected by Arista, after which Q-Tip left the label. He subsequently signed to Motown/Universal and released the largely self-produced ''The Renaissance'' in late 2008.

Phife Dawg

Ironically, the most notable of Q-Tip's critics was Phife, who took his former partner to task on his solo album ''Ventilation: Da LP'', released in 2000. The Hi-Tek-produced lead single, "Flawless", contained the lines "Go 'head, play yourself with them ho-like hooks / sing ballads if it's all about the Maxwell look" (an allusion to Q-Tip's then afro hairstyle). ''Ventilation'' also included production by Jay Dee and Pete Rock. Q-Tip and Phife soon patched up their differences. Since then, Phife, who is diabetic, has maintained a relatively low-profile whilst recording his long delayed follow-up album, ''Songs In The Key Of Phife: Volume 1 (Cheryl's Big Son)''.

Ali Shaheed Muhammad

Teaming up with two other artists from former groups, Raphael Saadiq of Tony! Toni! Toné!, and Dawn Robinson of En Vogue, Ali Shaheed's next project was the "supergroup" Lucy Pearl. The group scored a huge hit single with "Dance Tonight", and a warm hit with "Don't Mess With My Man", and their one and only self-titled album was certified Gold a few months after its release in 2000. Following a dispute between Saadiq and Robinson, the latter left the group and was replaced by Joi, however this new incarnation would only last for the remainder of touring. Ali Shaheed then focused on developing a stable of artists, most of whom were showcased on his debut solo album ''Shaheedullah and Stereotypes'', released independently in 2004.

Reunion

The group first reunited on November 13, 2004, headlining the Rock the Bells concert held in the Angels Stadium parking lot in Anaheim, California. This was the night that Ol' Dirty Bastard died, and as such the group opened up with a 10-minute tribute set to the Wu-Tang Clan and continued a 2-hour highly energetic show.

In 2006, the group reunited and performed several sold-out concerts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. A Tribe Called Quest was a co-headliner at the 2006 Bumbershoot festival in Seattle, but have not announced any plans to release a new album. The group is also appearing in 2K Sports' Bounce Tour promoting the ''NBA 2K7'' game and a remix of their song, "Lyrics to Go", which is included in the game. According to Phife, ATCQ plans to release an album since they owe Jive Records one more in their six album contract. The date of its release is still unconfirmed, and Phife has urged fans to hold on as the group does not wish to release an LP which might damage their reputation. Speaking about the possibility of a new album showing up soon, Phife said:

ATCQ was the headlining act in 2008 at the Rock the Bells series of concerts, and were also co-headliners on the 2010 Rock the Bells festival series, alongside Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan.

Film

The group is the subject of a 2011 documentary entitled ''Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest'', directed by Michael Rapaport.

Discography

Albums

1990: ''People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm''

1991: ''The Low End Theory''

1993: ''Midnight Marauders''

1996: ''Beats, Rhymes and Life''

1998: ''The Love Movement''

Compilations

1992: ''Revised Quest for the Seasoned Traveller''

1999: ''The Anthology''

2003: ''Hits, Rarities & Remixes''

2006: ''The Lost Tribes''

2008: ''The Best of A Tribe Called Quest

References

External links

A Tribe Called Quest - Official site

A Tribe Called Quest at Jive Records

A Tribe Called Quest at Discogs

Category:Alternative hip hop groups Category:American hip hop groups Category:East Coast hip hop groups Category:Musical groups established in 1988 Category:Native Tongues Posse

ar:أ ترايب كولد كويست ca:A Tribe Called Quest da:A Tribe Called Quest de:A Tribe Called Quest es:A Tribe Called Quest fo:A Tribe Called Quest fr:A Tribe Called Quest it:A Tribe Called Quest sw:A Tribe Called Quest nl:A Tribe Called Quest ja:ア・トライブ・コールド・クエスト no:A Tribe Called Quest pl:A Tribe Called Quest pt:A Tribe Called Quest fi:A Tribe Called Quest sv:A Tribe Called Quest

background	solo_singer
birth name	Serj Tankian
born	August 21, 1967 Beirut, Lebanon
genre	Heavy metal, experimental, alternative metal, progressive rock, alternative rock, art rock, classical
occupation	Musician, singer–songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, poet, political activist
years active	1992–present
instrument	Piano, keyboards, guitar, bass, synthesizer, violin, harmonica, melodica, bouzouki, dulcimer, theremin, sampler, drum machine
label	Serjical Strike, Reprise, American, Columbia, Axis of Justice
associated acts	System of a Down, Axis of Justice, The F.C.C.
website	www.serjtankian.com
notable instruments	}}

Serj Tankian (Armenian: Սերժ Թանգեան ; born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American singer–songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, playwright, record producer, poet, and political activist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, keyboardist, and occasional live rhythm guitarist of the rock band System of a Down.

During his musical career, Tankian has released five albums with System of a Down, one with Arto Tunçboyacıyan (''Serart''), as well as two solo albums ''Elect the Dead'' and ''Imperfect Harmonies'' and a live orchestral version of the former incorporating the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra named ''Elect the Dead Symphony''. In 2002, Tankian and Rage Against the Machine/Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello co-founded a non-profit political activist organization, Axis of Justice. Tankian also founded the music label Serjical Strike Records.

Tankian is ranked 26th in the Hit Parader's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.

On August 12th, 2011, Tankian was awarded the Armenian Prime Minister's Medal for his contributions to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the advancement of music.

Biography

Early life

Tankian was born in Beirut, Lebanon on August 21, 1967. At age seven, Serj Tankian moved with his parents to Los Angeles, California. In his youth, he attended a school for Armenian-Americans, The Rose & Alex Pilibos School, which was also attended by Tankian's future System of a Down bandmates Daron Malakian and Shavo Odadjian. Having achieved academic success in high school, and UK MTV. Tankian appeared on MTV's You Rock The Deuce to promote ''Elect the Dead''. A music video was directed and filmed for every song on the record, each by unique directors. Tankian explained, "I asked each of the directors for their visual interpretation of my work. They were asked not to write treatments and that they could make whatever they liked. The results have been overwhelmingly amazing!". Some music videos were initially released exclusively to those who purchased the limited edition of ''Elect the Dead'', while all of the music videos, except "Money", have since been publicly released on Tankian's website and YouTube channel. Some videos have alternative versions which were originally released as well, but later altered.

Three different promo versions of the album have surfaced to the public. The instrumental promotional version, issued by Serjical Strike/Reprise Records and intended for the music and movie industry, contains instrumental versions of the twelve album tracks. Another promotional version, issued by Reprise Records and made only for individual reviewers, features the album in final master form. This promotional CD-R, which was labeled "Smart Talk" as a codename for "Serj Tankian" to prevent leaking by unauthorized persons, also indicates that the album was finalized prior to . Before this a similar but undated promo, also under the name 'Smart Talk', was issued featuring the final versions of the songs, albeit not yet mastered. Whilst the printed track list on this version is identical the released album, tracks ten and eleven are in fact juxtaposed on the promo itself.

The official tour for ''Elect the Dead'' commenced on October 12, 2007 with a show at Chicago's Vic theater. Roughly one thousand people attended the first concert. Although Tankian had stated he would not be performing any material by his former band, System of a Down, he performed "Charades", a song co-written by Daron Malakian, the guitarist of System of a Down. Although it is originally a song restricted to piano and vocals, Tankian used his backing band, the Flying Cunts of Chaos (F.C.C.), to provide guitars, drums, and bass. The songs "Beethoven's Cunt", Empty Walls, and Sky Is Over are available as downloadable content for ''Rock Band'' . A portion of the song "Lie Lie Lie" is currently featured in the opening title sequence of NBC's ''Fear Itself'', a horror anthology show from the creators of ''Masters of Horror'', and can be viewed on the show's main website..

More recently, he sang with Les Rita Mitsouko on the song "Terminal Beauty". Also, he sang with the band Fair to Midland during a live improvisational version of their song "Walls of Jericho", from the album ''Fables from a Mayfly: What I Tell You Three Times Is True'', which was a massive hit with fans. He often collaborates with his close friend, director Diran Noubar on various projects, including the voice-over of Noubar's ''Armenia, a Country Under Blockade''. Noubar played some guitar on Tankian's ''Elect the Dead'' album on the track "Saving Us" and directed the music video for "Baby". Tankian is also politically involved. Together with Tom Morello, he founded the organization Axis of Justice. Tankian is a New Zealand resident and has a secondary vacation dwelling there. There has been a misconception that he intends to stay in New Zealand until the Iraq War is over, but as stated in an interview, Tankian has no intention of doing so. He often speaks publicly against violence and injustice in the world. Tankian released a new song "Fears" in November 2008 exclusively in support of Amnesty International's Global Write-A-Thon.

On March 16, 2009, Serj performed with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra in New Zealand, an orchestral version of the album ''Elect the Dead''. The live performance was captured in a CD/DVD titled Elect the Dead Symphony which was released on March 9, 2010.

Tankian co-wrote a musical with the American playwright Steven Sater. It is based on the Ancient Greek tragedy Prometheus Bound. It will open at the American Repertory Theater on March 14, 2011.

In 2009, Tankian collaborated with the band Viza (previously known as Visa) for their track "Viktor". Viza is signed to Tankian's Serjical Strike label.

On February 15, 2010, Serj Tankian released a new single, "The Charade." The song is available as a digital download on iTunes.

''Imperfect Harmonies'' (2010–present)

Tankian's third solo album was originally due in 2009. It is said to be more of a jazz and orchestral based sound. Said Tankian of the second album, "I'm structuring the next record kind of like a jazz orchestral. I've got a full orchestra interested, so I want this giant electric guitar in the air to be played by a full orchestra. I want the orchestra to be the electric guitar. I want to make an orchestra do what it's never done before, like a GG Allin type orchestra. Think of that." The album had the working title ''Music Without Borders'', however, the final album title is ''Imperfect Harmonies''. On June 23, 2010, a promo single from his upcoming album ''Imperfect Harmonies'' was released called "Borders Are." The first radio single from'' Imperfect Harmonies'', "Left Of Center", was released on July 13, 2010. A third single, "Disowned Inc." was released on August 9, 2010. ''Imperfect Harmonies'' was released on September 21, 2010. Preceding the album's release, two contests were announced (one consisting of brainteasers related to the album/song titles, the other an art contest) in which fans could win prizes such as Tankian's autograph and merchandise. On August 22, 2010, a music video for ''Left Of Center'' was released on Tankian's MySpace account.

The premiere date for Tankian and Sater's ''Prometheus Bound'' at the American Repertory Theater is February 25, 2011. The singer has said that collaborating on the show has been a great learning experience for him. “I’ve been using a lot of my archives, a lot of different types of music that I had already put together for underscoring and what not,” he said. “It’s quite diverse, from noise to jazz to electronic stuff to hip-hop songs to rock songs to cool, piano dark underscores, and that’s a whole different bag of tricks there because it’s always evolving. Unlike a film score that’s very linear and you get a scene to score for, this is something where you do another workshop and one song is gone, that underscore changes to 20 seconds and they need something else on the spot. Everything’s always changing until the show comes, so it’s quite interesting.”

In January 2011 Tankian released a music video for his song ''Reconstructive Demonstrations'' from his album ''Imperfect Harmonies''. Tankian also announced on his Facebook page, during the video's release, that a new EP entitled ''Imperfect Remixes'' will be released sometime within 2011. On February 3, Serj uploaded a photo of him singing into a microphone onto his Facebook fan page, accompanied with the description "New music video coming soon..." On March 1 Serj released ''Imperfect Remixes'' and the music video for ''Goodbye'', a remix of ''Gate 21'' from ''Imperfect Harmonies''.

System of a Down Reunion (2011)

On November 29, 2010, following several weeks of internet rumors, System of a Down officially announced that they will play shows In Europe during Festivals and in North America, mostly in US. Dates are between May and July 2011. Among the announced tour dates included UK's Download Festival, Switzerland's Greenfield Festival, Germany's Rock am Ring/Rock im Park, Sweden's Metaltown, Austria's Nova Rock Festival and Finland's Provinssirock. In their reunion statement posted on their website, the band was unclear as to the extent of their reformation. It read, "We have no master plan of sorts -- we are playing these shows simply because we want to play together again as a band and for you, our amazing fans." Dates have been announced in the official System of a Down website.

Animal rights

In recent years Tankian has taken a stance supporting animal rights. He also has become a vegetarian who has strong feelings against the establishment of industrial slaughterhouses. In an interview with PETA, he also claimed his change due to "touring and its variety of edible crap," and also he felt it was "instinctive somewhat." Furthermore, he also feels the need for respect towards 'mother earth'.

In July 2009, Serj signed a PETA petition against the slaughtering methods of chickens in KFC slaughterhouses.

The F.C.C.

The F.C.C. (Flying Cunts of Chaos) was Serj's backing band when he played live up until 2009.

;Final line-up

Mario Pagliarulo  — bass, vocals

Erwin Khachikian  — keyboards, piano, synthesizers, vocals

Troy Zeigler  — drums, vocals

Dan Monti  — guitar, vocals

Jeff Mallow  — guitar, vocals (2008–present)

;Past members

Larry "Ler" LaLonde  — guitar, vocals (2007–2008)

Discography

;Solo

''Elect the Dead'' (2007)

''Imperfect Harmonies'' (2010)

''Imperfect Remixes'' (2011)

;With System of a Down

''System of a Down'' (1998)

''Toxicity'' (2001)

''Steal This Album!'' (2002)

''Mezmerize'' (2005)

''Hypnotize'' (2005)

;With Serart

''Serart'' (2003)

;With Buckethead and various artists

''Enter The Chicken'' (2005)

;With Tony Iommi

''Iommi'' (2000)

;With Wyclef Jean

''Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant'' (2007)

Bibliography

''Cool Gardens'' (2001)

''Glaring Through Oblivion'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, of which has won one in 2006 for Best Hard Rock Performance for the song ''B.Y.O.B.''. The band has also been nominated for several Kerrang! and MTV awards.

;Grammy Awards |- | || "Chop Suey!" || Best Metal Performance || |- | || "Aerials" || Best Hard Rock Performance || |- | || "B.Y.O.B." || Best Hard Rock Performance || |- | || "Lonely Day" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||

General

In 2005, System of a Down won for Best Alternative Act in the Europe Music Awards

In 2006, System of a Down won the "MTV Good Woodie Award" for their song "Question!"

In 2006, System of a Down's song "Toxicity" was #14 on the VH1 Top 40 Metal Songs list

References

External links

Serj Tankian's official Flash-based website

Serjical Strike official website

System of a Down's official website

Category:1967 births Category:People from Beirut Category:Lebanese Armenians Category:American activists Category:American anti–Iraq War activists Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American essayists Category:American experimental musicians Category:American male singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American poets Category:American rock pianists Category:American songwriters Category:American vegetarians Category:American musicians of Armenian descent Category:American people of Armenian descent Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Armenian rock musicians Category:Living people Category:Melodica players Category:System of a Down members

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