Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Ja Rule
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jeffery Atkins
birth date	February 29, 1976New York City, New York, U.S.
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, actor, songwriter
years active	1994–present
label	Def Jam, The Inc., Mpire, Fontana Distribution
Associated acts	Ashanti, Jay-Z, DMX, Yummy Bingham, N.O.R.E.
website	}}

Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Ja Rule has sold over 40 million records worldwide.

Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its single "Holla Holla". From 2000 to 2004, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, including "Between Me and You" with Christina Milian, "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" with Jennifer Lopez, "Always on Time" with Ashanti, "Mesmerize" also with Ashanti, and "Wonderful" with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti.

Early life

Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He has said got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he has described as a "white school".

Music career

Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. He told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name "Ja Rule" came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him "Ja". In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build" which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998, he was a featured guest on Jay-Z's hit single "Can I Get A..." along with Amil.

''Venni Vetti Vecci'' (1999)

His debut album ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' was released in 1999. Singles included "Holla Holla" and "It's Murda" with Jay-Z and DMX. "Holla Holla" reached #35 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 12, 1999.

''Rule 3:36'' (2000)

Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single "Between Me and You", which featured Christina Milian. "Between Me and You" reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Put It On Me" reached #8 on the Hot 100. Ja's second album, ''Rule 3:36'', was released on October 10, 2000. ''Rule 3:36'' debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and was certified triple platinum.

''Pain Is Love'' (2001)

During the late summer of 2001, Ja Rule released his third studio album, ''Pain Is Love''. "Living It Up", featuring Case, reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Always on Time", which featured Ashanti, reached #1 on the Hot 100. Like its predecessor, ''Pain Is Love'' topped the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified triple platinum. By 2007, 3.6 million copies of ''Pain Is Love'' had been sold. Ja Rule could also be heard on Artists against AIDS Worldwide's single "What's Going On."

''The Last Temptation'' (2002)

''The Last Temptation'', Ja Rule's fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured the two Billboard Top 10 singles "Thug Lovin'" (#8) and "Mesmerize" (#2), another duet with Ashanti. ''The Last Temptation'' debuted at #4 on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''The Last Temptation'' was certified platinum in December 2002.

''Blood in My Eye'' (2003)

''Blood in My Eye'' although intended to be a mixtape, was his fifth album and the last released under the "Murder Inc." label, which renamed itself "The Inc." several days after the album release. It spawned the one and only hit "Clap Back" which reached #5 on the Top 100 and won him the Source Awards'"Fat Tape" song of the year. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100 and #1 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S. In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.

''R.U.L.E.'' (2004)

Ja Rule's sixth studio album ''R.U.L.E.'' was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was "Wonderful" featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti which peaked on the Billboard Top 100 Singles at #5. The single was followed by the street anthem New York featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at #27. The third single was the love song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd and Ashanti which charted at #15. The track "The Manual" was also a single in the UK where it peaked at #9. The RIAA certified ''R.U.L.E.'' Gold on January 14, 2005, and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Hiatus, departure from Def Jam (2005–2009)

On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released ''Exodus'', a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song "Me" and intro and outro tracks. ''Exodus'' was the last album on Ja Rule's contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.

In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti. This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.'s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (ironically part of the same company as Def Jam).

In 2009, Ja Rule recorded a new song with Brazilian singer Wanessa, "Fly", sung entirely in English despite the singer's nationality. The song also received a version named "Meu Momento", also featuring Ja Rule, in which Wanessa sings in Portuguese. "Fly" was released as a single in Brazil in April. The song was ranked number #1 on Crowley/Brazil, and it was nominated in the "Hit do Ano" ("Hit Song of the Year") category at the 2009 MTV Video Music Brasil awards show, where Ja Rule and Wanessa performed together for the first time.

Ja Rule also ended his long running feud with his former Def Jam labelmate DMX at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors in September. Ja Rule announced that he was no longer signed to The Inc. Records, the label he has been with since its beginnings in 1997.

''Pain Is Love 2'' (2011)

In February 2011, It was announced that Ja Rule is working on another album called ''Pain Is Love 2'', naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (''Pain Is Love''). It will feature production from the producers on the original ''Pain Is Love'' album in order to "recreate magic". He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the "level and quality of the records" and to avoid "doing an injustice to his fans." Pain Is Love 2 is now slated for an October 11th, 2011 release date.

Acting career

During his break from rapping, Ja Rule had an appearance as a street racer in ''The Fast and the Furious''. In 2004 He appeared in several movies including ''Back in The Day'' with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and ''Half Past Dead'' as Steven Segal's co-star. He also starred in the movie ''The Cookout'' with Queen Latifah.

Personal life

Family

In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Atkins whom he met in junior high school. They have a daughter, Brittany, and two sons, Jeffrey, Jr. and Jordan.

Legal issues

In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.

In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.

On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.

In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest. New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule's argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence. On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule's surrender date for his two year prison sentence was set for June 8. His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself into authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.

In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 2004–2006.

Feuds

50 Cent

Before signing with Interscope, 50 cent engaged in a well-publicized dispute with Ja Rule and his label The Inc. Records. 50 cent claims that a friend robbed Ja Rule of his jewelry and that Ja Rule accused him of setting it up. However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because Jackson did not like seeing him "getting so much love" from the neighborhood. Ja Rule's friend and fellow rapper Black Child stabbed 50 Cent.

Eminem

The beef started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre of signing someone he had beef with. On November 19, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti were special guests on Star and Bucwild's morning show on Hot 97 NYC. Irv Gotti had some legal documents stating the order of protection 50 has on him. Ja Rule threatened, that if 50 Cent released any diss track, he would take action towards both of them. However, Dr. Dre was the one who produced 50 Cent's vicious track "Back Down" in 2003 from the album ''Get Rich Or Die Tryin''', which not only called out Murder Inc., but 50 Cent referenced Ja Rule's mother, wife and kids. In the song 50 rhymes: "Your mami, your papi, that bitch you chasin' your lil dirty ass kids, I'll fuckin' erase them. "

Busta Rhymes (who earlier appeared on a remix of "Holla Holla") decided to join the beef when he was featured on the track "Hail Mary 2003", with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur's song "Hail Mary", was done partially as a response to Ja Rule's remake of another Tupac song, "Pain" (retitled "So Much Pain") - the rappers felt that Ja could never match Tupac (even going as far as stating that "[Tupac] would never ride with Ja"), and so dissed him for trying to "imitate" the deceased rapper. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the "new" Tupac songs he produced, including those on ''Loyal to the Game''.

The beef took it to the next level when Ja Rule released his infamous diss "Loose Change" (actually released before "Hail Mary") in which he insulted 50 Cent and as well Eminem calling him "Feminem" and Dr. Dre as "bisexual" and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre "bringing transvestites home". It includes also the lyrics insulting Eminem's mother Debbie, his then ex-wife Kim and even referenced his then 8-year-old daughter Hailie: "Em you claim your mother's a crack head and Kim is a known slut, so what's Hailie gonna be when she grows up?"

This insulted Eminem deeply, causing him to immediately get his rap group D12 involved, as well as the major part of his label, Shady Records, including Obie Trice, his close friend. They responded together on the track titled "Doe Rae Me" (aka "Hailie's Revenge"). Eminem also made a reference to Ja Rule dissing Hailie in Like Toy Soldiers by saying, "I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em, if some shit ever does pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em. That Ja shit I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it. There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it. I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it." Since then the beef has cooled down.

DMX

Ja Rule started off as friends with DMX, as well as Jay-Z. DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule were part of a group at the time named Murder Inc. (The name was later used by Ja's producer Irv Gotti for his record label.) They recorded songs under the name together. DMX and Jay-Z also guest starred on Ja Rule's first album on the track "It's Murda". Eventually Ja Rule's feuds with Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem went away.

The two rappers waged a war of words for years after DMX accused Ja Rule of copying his gruff style on records. DMX admitted that he initially wanted to end with his rap rival when he was released from jail in 2005 before making peace: "Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him", said DMX, "I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it. But I need five minutes in a room with your man. I got to put my hands on him.'"

DMX and Ja Rule finally ended their feud at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors.

Discography

''Venni Vetti Vecci'' (1999)

''Rule 3:36'' (2000)

''Pain Is Love'' (2001)

''The Last Temptation'' (2002)

''Blood in My Eye'' (2003)

''R.U.L.E.'' (2004)

''Pain Is Love 2'' (2011) ''Renaissance Project'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

Year !! Award/Nomination
rowspan="2"	2001	Source Hip-Hop Music Award Won for Single of the Year – "Put It on Me"
MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Rap Video – "Put It on Me"
	Won for Best Hip-Hop Video – "I'm Real/I'm Real (Murder Remix)>I'm Real (Murder Remix)"
MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video – "Always on Time"
American Music Award nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group – "Put It on Me"
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Album – ''Pain Is Love''
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration – "Livin' It Up"
World Music Awards Won for World's Best-Selling Rap Artist
BET Awards Won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist
GQ Men of the Year Award Won for Musician of the Year
Teen Choice Awards Won for Male Artist of the Year
NAACP Image Awards Won for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year – ''Pain Is Love''
	Source Award Won for R&B;/Rap Collboration of the Year – "Thug Lovin'"
American Music Award nomination for Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B; Male Artist
Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – "Always on Time"
2004	Source Award Won for Phat Tape Song of the Year – "Clap Back"
2009	MTV Video Music Brasil nomination for Hit do Ano (Song of the Year) – "Fly (Wanessa Camargo song)>Fly"

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" |- !Year !Title !Role |- |rowspan="2"|2000 |''Turn It Up'' |David "Gage" Williams |- |''Backstage'' |Himself |- |rowspan="2"|2001 |''Crime Partners'' |Hitman |- |''The Fast and the Furious'' |Edwin |- |2002 |''Half Past Dead'' |Nicolas 'Nick' Frazier |- |rowspan="2"|2003 |''Scary Movie 3'' |Agent Thompson |- |''Pauly Shore Is Dead'' |Himself |- |rowspan="2"|2004 |''The Cookout'' |Bling Bling |- |''Shall We Dance?'' |Hip Hop Bar Performer |- |rowspan="2"|2005 |''Back in the Day'' |Reggie Cooper |- |''Assault on Precinct 13'' |Smiley |- ||2006 |''Furnace'' |Terrence Dufresne |- ||2009 |"Just Another Day |himself |- ||2009 |''Don't Fade Away'' |Foster |- ||2009 |''Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff'' |himself |- |rowspan="2"|2010 |''Wrong Side of Town'' |Razor |- |''Co2'' | |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |''I'm in Love with a Church Girl'' |Miles Montego |- |''Goat'' |Willie |}

References

External links

Official website

The Inc. artist website (archived)

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:American film actors Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:People from Queens Category:Rappers from New York City Category:The Inc. Records artists Category:TVT Records artists Category:21st-century American criminals Category:Prisoners and detainees of New York

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Jennifer Lopez
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jennifer Lynn Lopez
alias	J.Lo
birth date	}}

| origin = | genre = Pop, R&B; | occupation = Actress, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer, television producer | years_active = 1986, 1991–present | label = Epic, Island, Work | website = }} Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer, and television producer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color''. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller ''Money Train''. Her first leading role was in the biographical film ''Selena'' (1997), in which she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in ''Out of Sight'' (1998). She has since starred in various films, including ''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004), ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), and ''The Back-up Plan'' (2010).

Lopez came to prominence within the music industry following the release of her debut studio album ''On the 6'' (1999), which spawned the number one hit single "If You Had My Love". Her second studio album, ''J.Lo'' (2001), was a commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide. ''J to tha L–O!: The Remixes'' (2002) became her second consecutive album to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, while her third and fourth studio albums – ''This Is Me... Then'' (2002) and ''Rebirth'' (2005) – peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. In 2007 she released two albums, including her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', and her fifth English studio album, ''Brave''. Lopez returned to music and released her seventh studio album, titled ''Love?'', on April 19, 2011. Its single, "On the Floor", has impacted charts worldwide. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements, including two Grammy Award nominations; two Latin Grammy Award nominations; three American Music Awards, amongst six nominations; and the estimated sale of over 55 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade. Lopez is currently a member of the judging panel of American reality television competition ''American Idol''.

She led ''People en Español''s list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007. She has parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement. A fashion icon, several of her dresses have received considerable media attention, most notably the Jungle green Versace dress which she wore at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000—voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time. Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Lopez advocates for human rights and vaccinations, and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011 she was named the most "Beautiful Person" by ''People'' magazine in its annual issue.

Early life

Jennifer Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, in the Bronx, New York, and was raised on Blackrock Avenue in the borough's Castle Hill neighborhood. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe (née Rodríguez), a kindergarten teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Lopez was raised as a Roman Catholic. She has two siblings, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of 19. After attending Baruch College for one semester, Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs. She had a small part in the 1987 film ''My Little Girl'' at the age of sixteen. After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap music videos, a 1990 episode of ''Yo! MTV Raps'', and as a backup dancer for the New Kids on the Block and their performance of their song "Games" for the American Music Awards in 1991. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color'' from 1991–1993. Soon after, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".

Music career

1999–01: ''On the 6'' and ''J.Lo''

Lopez's debut album ''On the 6'', a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. The album featured the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one lead single, "If You Had My Love", as well as the top ten hit "Waiting for Tonight". The album also featured a Spanish language, Latin-flavored duet "No Me Ames" with Marc Anthony (who later would become her husband.) Though "No Me Ames" never had a commercial release, it reached number one on the U.S. Hot Latin Tracks. ''On the 6'' featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category in 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video".

Lopez's second album, ''J.Lo'', was released on January 23, 2001 and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. This album was more urban oriented than ''On the 6''. When Lopez film ''The Wedding Planner'', a film in which Lopez falls in love with the groom of the wedding she is planning, achieved number one shortly after, Lopez become the first actress-singer to have a film and an album at number one in the same week. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. Her next two singles were "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny" which were quickly rising up the charts. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs, which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). Both remixes reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for several weeks. She re-released ''J. Lo'' on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the ''Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert''.

2002–04: ''J to tha L–O!: The Remixes'' and ''This Is Me... Then''

Following the success of the re-release of ''J. Lo'', Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remixing effort, releasing ''J to tha L–O!: The Remixes'', on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart. Featured artists on ''J to tha L-O!: The Remixes'' included P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the fourth all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's ''Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', The Beatles' ''Love'' and Madonna's ''You Can Dance''.

Lopez released her third studio album, ''This Is Me... Then'', on November 26, 2002 which reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned four singles: "Jenny from the Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P), which reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J), which spent multiple weeks at number one; "I'm Glad"; and "Baby I Love U!". The album included a cover of Carly Simon's 1978 "You Belong to Me". The video for "I'm Glad" recreated scenes from the 1983 film ''Flashdance'', leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed.

2005–08: ''Rebirth'', ''Como ama una Mujer'' and ''Brave''

After a year away from the music scene, Lopez released her fourth studio album, ''Rebirth'', on March 1, 2005. Although debuting and peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, the album quickly fell off the charts. It spawned the hit "Get Right", which reached the top 15 in the U.S. and became her second Platinum hit (after "If You Had My Love"). "Get Right" was also successful in the UK, becoming her second number-one single there. The second single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the U.S. Hot 100; it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. Another song, "Cherry Pie", was slated for a release in late 2005, but the plans to make a video were canceled. It was released to radio stations in Spain. ''Rebirth'' was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. Lopez was then featured on LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was Lopez's first U.S. top ten hit in three years. Rebirth has had most success in the UK, where overall most of her singles have reached the top five.

Lopez officially released her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', in March 2007. Her husband, singer Marc Anthony, produced the album with Estefano, except for "Qué Hiciste", which Anthony co-produced with Julio Reyes. The album peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, number one on the U.S. Top Latin Albums for four straight weeks and on the U.S. Latin Pop Albums for seven straight weeks. The album did well in Europe peaking at number three on the albums chart, mainly due to the big success in countries like Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Austria, and Portugal. On July 24, 2007 ''Billboard'' magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. Tickets went on sale August 10. The tour was a mix of her current music, older tunes and Spanish music. In a later press release, Lopez announced a detailed itinerary. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The lead single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do"), was officially released to radio stations in January 2007. Since then, it has peaked at 86 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. It also went top ten on the European chart. The video for the song was the first Spanish-language video to peak at number one on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' daily countdown. The second single released is called "Me Haces Falta" and the third is "Por Arriesgarnos". Lopez won an American Music Award as the Favorite Latin Artist in 2007. With ''Como ama una Mujer'', Jennifer Lopez is one of the few performers to debut in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200 with a Spanish album.

Lopez released her fifth English studio album (sixth studio album overall) ''Brave'' on October 9, 2007, six months after ''Como Ama una Mujer'' was released. She collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Earlier, on August 26, 2007, ABC premiered a promo for the fourth season of ''Desperate Housewives'', featuring a snippet of the song "Mile in These Shoes". "Do It Well" was released as the lead single and reached the top 20 in many countries. "Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second single in certain European territories only. The third single was set to be the title track "Brave", and it was even posted on director Michael Haussman's official website that filming of the music video for the song had completed, however, the release of "Brave" as a single was eventually scrapped, most likely due to low album sales.

2009–present: Departure from Sony and ''Love?''

From her 2007 pregnancy Lopez had been writing her seventh studio album, ''Love?''; release had been planned for Summer 2010. It features productions from Danja, Jim Jonsin, Darkchild, Chris n Teeb (from Dropzone), Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, D'Mile Mike Caren, Jean Baptiste and The Neptunes. A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It has since topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the ''Hot Dance Club Play'' chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the ''Billboard Hot 100''. In late February 2010, it was confirmed that Lopez and Epic Records have parted ways.

Lopez's manager, Benny Medina confirmed the news saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist, she is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?' and it will be coming out Summer 2010. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam Music Group's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and is working on new material for ''Love?'' with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart). In January 2011, Lopez released a new lead single titled "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull, it achieved worldwide success on the charts, peaking at No. 3 on the ''Billboard Hot 100'', giving Lopez her first top ten on the chart since "All I Have" in 2003. The album ''Love?'' was released on May 3, 2011.

Other work

''American Idol''

In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from ''American Idol'', it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging panel. However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands", something which returning ''Idol'' producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotiations between Lopez and the other ''Idol'' producers. It was then revealed then reported that both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considering for a role on ''The X Factor'' for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets. Lopez's involvement in ''The X Factor'' was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of ''Idol'', despite being offered roles on both shows. The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while ''Idol'' producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures. Alongside this, Brad Falchuk, executive producer of the music-based series ''Glee'', confirmed that Lopez had entered discussions to appear in the next season of ''Glee'' as a cafeteria worker.

Acting career

Lopez's first television job as an actress was on the Fox series ''South Central''. She also made guest appearances in ''Second Chances'' and ''Hotel Malibu''. She then appeared in the made-for-television film ''Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7''. Lopez's first serious screen role was in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama ''My Family'', playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in ''My Family'', Lopez starred in the action film ''Money Train'' opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy ''Jack'' starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller ''Blood and Wine''.

Lopez's first big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in ''Selena'', a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with Nava on ''Mi Familia'', Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before landing the role. She earned widespread praise for her performance, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy". Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film ''Anaconda'' alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film ''U Turn'', which is based on the book ''Stray Dogs'', starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton.

In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in ''Out of Sight'', Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her tough performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film ''Antz''. Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film ''The Cell''. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box office success opening at number one. The following year, Lopez took a break from acting in films, in order to work on her music career.

In 2001, Lopez starred alongside Matthew McConaughey in the romantic comedy ''The Wedding Planner''. The film debuted at number one, making her the first actress and singer in history to have a film and an album, ''J.Lo'', at number one in the same week. Her next roles were in the supernatural romance ''Angel Eyes'' (2001), and in the psychological revenge thriller ''Enough'' (2002). Both failed to find an audience, and were met with a negative response from critics. She appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in the romantic comedy film ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002). Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician. ''Maid in Manhattan'' was a box office hit, opening at number one. ''The New York Times'' compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, ''Jenny From the Block,'' Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots."

Some of her other critically acclaimed films include ''An Unfinished Life'' and ''Shall We Dance?''. Two independent films produced by Lopez were well-received at film festivals: ''El Cantante'' at the Toronto International Film Festival, and ''Bordertown'' at the Brussels film festival. Her modestly successful film career includes ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005). ''Gigli'', however, would become a notorious box office bomb.

In 2006, Jennifer was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award along with Lauren Shuler Donner and Diane Warren.

In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, ''El Cantante'', with her husband – singer-actor Marc Anthony. Ms. Lopez, who's also a producer of the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor’s wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics. In 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy ''The Back-up Plan''.

Lopez is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Lopez received $15 million for her role in ''Monster-in-Law''. Her top-grossing film domestically is ''Maid in Manhattan'' which grossed $94,011,225, and her most successful international film, ''Shall We Dance?'', grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, ''Shall We Dance?'' grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. In 2007, Lopez made the ''Forbes'' magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth. Her wealth was estimated to be $110 million in 2007.

On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of ''How I Met Your Mother'' as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial. After Robin informs Anita of Barney's womanizing ways, Anita sets out to "break" him.

Entrepreneurship

Lopez launched a clothing line in 2003. Named JLO by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line, and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves. Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In 2005, she launched a new clothing line called Sweetface. In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet. Her fashion lines have featured at many New York Fashion Week events.

Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines and personal wardrobe has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights. At the Los Angeles premiere of ''Monster-in-Law'', more than 100 protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns.

On April 12, 2002, Lopez opened a Cuban restaurant in the South Lake district of Pasadena, California named Madre's.

Lopez ventured in the perfume industry with her debut "Glow by J.Lo". In October 2003, Lopez introduced a perfume called "Still", having revisited "Glow" the previous year by creating a limited edition spin-off, "Miami Glow by J.Lo", in homage to her adopted hometown of Miami, Florida. Lopez also marketed a "Glow" line of body lotions and bronzing products. For the Christmas season of 2005, she launched another fragrance, "Live by Jennifer Lopez". For 2006 Valentine's Day, "Miami Glow" was replaced by yet another "Glow" spin-off, "Love at First Glow by J.Lo". Her following fragrance, "Live Luxe", was released in August 2006, with "Glow After Dark" following in January 2007. The next fragrances by Jennifer Lopez were "Deseo", "Deseo Forever" for Asian market and first fragrance for men called "Deseo for men". In February 2009 Lopez released "Sunkissed Glow". The last perfume is "My Glow", available from October 2009. Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials.

Lopez owns the film and television production company Nuyorican Productions. It was co-founded with her manager Benny Medina, who was supposed to receive half the producing revenue from the company. Lopez split with Medina shortly after the company was founded, but they later restored their business relationship.

Lopez has been recognized by ''People en Español'' magazine as both the cover subject for the "50 Most Beautiful" issue in 2006 and the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" issue in February 2007.

On April 10, 2007, Lopez made an appearance as a mentor on ''American Idol''. Lopez also became the executive producer of the eight-episode reality show, ''DanceLife'', which ran on MTV and began on January 15, 2007. Lopez helped select the show's participants and made cameo appearances. She then served as executive producer of a mini-series broadcast on Univisión. Named after her CD ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', it ran in five episodes from October 30 to November 27, 2007, and starred Adriana Cruz.

Lopez signed a contract as star and executive producer of an unscripted reality series for TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc. The series was to show the launching of her new fragrance, and not focus on her family. The series never materialized.

Philanthropy

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008. In May 2009, Lopez formed The Maribel Foundation, with the goal of supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles and improving health care internationally.

On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of ''Bordertown'', a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez.

Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough. Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.

Personal life

Relationships and family

Media attention has focused on her personal life. She has had high-profile relationships with Ojani Noa, Sean Combs, Cris Judd, Ben Affleck, and Marc Anthony. Starting in 1984, when Lopez was 15 and in high school, she began dating David Cruz. They split up in 1994, but remained close; Lopez said in 2004, "He's a friend and he probably knows me better than anyone else".

Lopez's first marriage was to Cuban-born Ojani Noa on February 22, 1997. Lopez met Noa while he worked as a waiter at a Miami restaurant. They divorced in January 1998. Lopez later employed Noa as the manager of her Pasadena restaurant Madre's in April 2002, but he was fired in October 2002. After Noa sued Lopez over the termination, they drew up a confidentiality agreement. In April 2006, Lopez sued to prevent Noa from publishing a book containing personal details about their marriage, contending it violated their confidentiality agreement. In August 2007, a court-appointed arbitrator issued a permanent injunction forbidding Ojani Noa from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging" Lopez. She was awarded $545,000 in compensatory damages, which included nearly $300,000 in legal fees and almost $48,000 in arbitration costs. Noa was also ordered to hand over all copies of materials related to the book to Lopez or her attorney. In November 2009, Lopez sued Noa for breach of contract and invasion of privacy, citing a previous confidentiality agreement between the two, to prevent Noa from releasing his planned film, "How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The JLo and Ojani Noa Story", and alleged "previously unseen home video footage". On December 1, 2009, judge James Chalfant granted a temporary injunction against Noa and his agent, Ed Meyer, barring them from distributing the footage in any forum. Because the injunction is only temporary, Lopez's lawyer, Jay Lavely, said that he will return to court to make it permanent. Lavely stressed that "there wasn't anything even close" to a sex tape in Noa's possession: "It's private and personal, but it wasn't a sex tape. They are innocent and they have been misrepresented... to increase value and media attention". After the hearing, Noa told E! that he plans to fight the injunction: "It's not about the money, it's about my life".

Lopez next had a two-and-a-half-year relationship with hip-hop mogul Sean Combs. On December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire erupted between Combs' entourage and another group. Lopez and Combs were being driven away from the scene when they were chased and stopped by the police. A gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Combs was charged with felony gun possession. Stress over Combs' trial and pursuit by the press multiplied their problems, and Lopez terminated her involvement with Combs one year later. During a related civil suit in 2008, the plaintiff's lawyer said Lopez had “nothing to contribute to the case”.

Her second marriage was to her former backup dancer, Cris Judd. She met Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost a Thing." The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in the L.A. suburbs. Their marriage effectively ended in June 2002, when Lopez began publicly dating Ben Affleck. They were divorced in January 2003.

Her relationship with Affleck was highly publicized, with the media dubbing the couple "Bennifer". Lopez announced her engagement to Affleck in November 2002, after Affleck gave her a six-carat pink diamond ring worth a reported $1.2 million. Lopez promised interviewers that Affleck was indeed "the one", and that they would soon have a family. The marriage, planned for September 14, 2003 in Santa Barbara, California, was called off just hours before the event. They announced the end of their engagement in January 2004. Their relationship was parodied on the ''South Park'' episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head", which aired on April 16, 2003. In 2003, Lopez and Affleck acted together in the film ''Gigli'' and in the 2004 film ''Jersey Girl''. He also appeared in her "Jenny from the Block" video.

Less than two months after her break-up with Affleck, Lopez was seen with singer Marc Anthony, a long-time friend with whom she had worked in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late 1990s, before his first marriage and her second. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film ''Shall We Dance?''. In October 2003, Anthony became separated, for the second time, from his first wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, with whom he has two children. Torres filed for divorce three months later. Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, four days after his divorce from Torres was final.

Lopez's guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding. The couple had planned not to publicize their marriage early on, allowing more privacy and time together in an otherwise intrusive environment. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on their marriage during interviews which were scheduled earlier to promote a new album "Amar Sin Mentiras" (To Love Without Lies). In February 2005, Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret". A few months later, Anthony's daughter, Ariana, appeared at the end of Lopez's music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Regarding his marriage and family life, Anthony maintains a private and sometimes defensive stance with the media, which has influenced Lopez to set some boundaries with interviewers.

On November 7, 2007, the last night of her "En Concierto" tour, Lopez confirmed she was expecting her first child with husband Marc. The announcement ended months of speculation over the pregnancy. Her father later confirmed on February 5, 2008, that she was expecting twins. Lopez gave birth on February 22, 2008 to fraternal twins, a girl and a boy, Emme Maribel Muñiz, and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz. The twins were introduced in the March 11, 2008 issue of ''People'' magazine, for which the magazine paid $6 million. Lopez is also a practitioner of Krav Maga.

As of at least January 2008, Lopez lives with her family in Brookville, New York, on Long Island. Her mother, Guadalupe Lopez, moved into the gated home in June that year. On July 15, 2011, following seven years of marriage to Anthony, the couple's representative told ''US Weekly'' that their marriage was over and as painful as it would be for all those involved, the couple were separating.

Religion

It was reported that Lopez and Marc Anthony were taking professional business meetings at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, California, in late 2006. It was also rumored that Lopez and Anthony became Scientologists during that period with the help of Angelo Pagan, the husband of ''The King of Queens'' actress and Scientologist Leah Remini. Just prior to those reports, Lopez said to NBC, "I'm not a Scientologist, I was raised Catholic. But it's funny the way people come at it. To me it's so strange. These are some of the best people I've ever met in my life." She added, "My dad has been a Scientologist for 20 years. He's the best man that I know in my life and so, it's weird to me that people want to paint it in a negative way." It has been reported that a factor in Lopez's break with Anthony was over the religious education of their twins; Lopez desired to send the children to a "specialist Scientology school" a position Anthony disagreed with.

Discography

1999: ''On the 6''

2001: ''J.Lo''

2002: ''This Is Me... Then''

2005: ''Rebirth''

2007: ''Como ama una Mujer''

2007: ''Brave''

2011: ''Love?''

Filmography

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Lopez

Green Versace "jungle" dress of Jennifer Lopez

References

External links

Official website for Jennifer Lopez fragrances

Category:1969 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American fashion businesspeople Category:American fashion designers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:City University of New York people Category:English-language singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Idol series judges Category:Krav Maga practitioners Category:Latin pop singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Notaries Category:People from the Bronx Category:Puerto Rican actors Category:Puerto Rican female singers Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American women

ar:جينيفر لوبيز az:Cennifer Lopez zh-min-nan:Jennifer Lopez be:Джэніфер Лопес bg:Дженифър Лопес ca:Jennifer Lopez cs:Jennifer Lopez cy:Jennifer Lopez da:Jennifer Lopez de:Jennifer Lopez et:Jennifer Lopez el:Τζένιφερ Λόπεζ es:Jennifer Lopez eo:Jennifer Lopez eu:Jennifer Lopez fa:جنیفر لوپز fr:Jennifer Lopez fy:Jennifer Lopez ga:Jennifer Lopez gv:Jennifer Lopez gl:Jennifer Lopez ko:제니퍼 로페즈 hy:Ջենիֆեր Լոպեզ hi:जेनिफ़र लोपेज़ hr:Jennifer Lopez io:Jennifer López id:Jennifer Lopez is:Jennifer Lopez it:Jennifer Lopez he:ג'ניפר לופז jv:Jennifer Lopez kn:ಜೆನ್ನಿಫರ್ ಲೋಪೆಜ ka:ჯენიფერ ლოპესი csb:Jennifer López sw:Jennifer Lopez la:Guenevera López lv:Dženifera Lopesa lb:Jennifer Lopez lt:Jennifer Lopez hu:Jennifer Lopez mk:Џенифер Лопез mr:जेनिफर लोपेझ nl:Jennifer Lopez ja:ジェニファー・ロペス no:Jennifer Lopez oc:Jennifer López pl:Jennifer Lopez pt:Jennifer Lopez ro:Jennifer López ru:Лопес, Дженнифер sq:Jennifer Lopez simple:Jennifer Lopez sk:Jennifer Lopezová sl:Jennifer Lopez sr:Џенифер Лопез sh:Jennifer Lopez fi:Jennifer Lopez sv:Jennifer Lopez tl:Jennifer Lopez ta:ஜெனிஃபர் லோபஸ் th:เจนนิเฟอร์ โลเปซ tr:Jennifer Lopez uk:Дженніфер Лопес vi:Jennifer Lopez yi:זשענאפער לאפעז bat-smg:Dženėfer Luopez zh:珍妮弗·洛佩兹

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Charli Baltimore
|caption	Charli Baltimore (left) with Ashanti
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Tiffany Lane
Alias	Chuck B. More
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Birth date	August 16, 1974
Years active	1995–present
Genre	Hip hop
Label	The Inc. Records (2001 - 2003), Black Wall Street Records , Priority Records / E1 Music (2010 - Present)
Associated acts	Ja Rule, Cam'ron }}

Tiffany "Charli Baltimore" Lane (born August 16, 1974) is an American Grammy Award nominated female rapper. Her stage name is taken from Geena Davis's character in the film ''The Long Kiss Goodnight''.

Musical career

Lane was born to a German father and an African American mother. She was primarily raised by her elder half-sister, Yolanda. She graduated from Peirce College and became a certified paralegal. Baltimore has two daughters, India and Sianni. She gave birth to her eldest daughter when she was only 14 years old.

She met The Notorious B.I.G. in the summer of 1995, and they became involved in a romantic relationship. B.I.G. introduced her to Lance "Un" Rivera, who signed her and Cam'ron to his new label, ''Untertainment''. She made her first appearance in the music industry in 1995 with Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money" playing The Notorious B.I.G's then wife Faith Evans. Her first video was in 1998 with the hit "Money" featured on the ''Woo'' movie soundtrack. Baltimore was also referenced by rapper Jay-Z in his song the "Allure" on ''The Black Album'' when he said, "All the Christy’s in every city and Tiffany Lanes we're all hustlers in love with the same thing...".

With collaborators such as Cam'ron and N.O.R.E., Baltimore recorded her debut album ''Cold as Ice'' which featured tracks like "Money," "Pimp Da 1 U Love," "N.B.C.," and "Stand Up."

After being delayed several times due to friction between Baltimore and the label, ''Cold as Ice'' was eventually released promotionally in 1999 (it was not actually made available to the general public until 2009, for digital download). After a five-year hiatus, she was signed to Murder Inc. Records (later renamed ''The Inc. Records'') by CEO Irv Gotti. After constant album delays, she left the label. In 2006 she became affiliated with The Game and The Black Wall Street Records. She was never signed to the label but appeared on mix tapes with the rest of the Black Wall Street dissing 50 Cent and his G-Unit.

Baltimore has made appearances in songs such as "Down 4 U", "We Still Don't Give A F**k", and "No One Does It Better" from Irv Gotti Presents The Inc, Ja Rule tracks "Down Ass Bitch" and "The Last Temptation", the Christina Milian track "Spending Time" and Ashanti's "Rain On Me" (remix). In 2003, she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, for her single "Diary".

In 2008, Baltimore re-signed with The Inc. Records, as confirmed on an interview with Wendy Williams, and began work on an album called ''Controlling Charli'', which still remains unreleased. She released an EP on iTunes featuring "Come Test Us" (with Lil Wayne), "Lose It" (previously unreleased explicit version), "P.S." and previously unreleased track "Tattoo"

Discography

Albums

1999: ''Cold As Ice''

2003: ''The Diary (You Think You Know)''

2011: ''Controlling Charli''

Singles

1998: "Money Love"

1998: "Feel It"

1999: "Stand Up" (featuring Ghostface Killah)

1999: "Horse and Carriage (Remix)"

2000: "Everybody Wanna Know"

2000: "Charli" ¹

2002: "Nobody Does It Better" (featuring Ashanti)

2002: "Diary"

2002: "Hey Charli"

2008: "Lose It"

2008: "P.S."

2010: "Come Test Us" (featuring Lil Wayne)

¹ The song was re-released in 2003 as the final buzz single for Charli's shelved album, ''The Diary (You Think You Know)''

Album appearances

1998: "Walk On By" Fat Joe - Don Cartagena

2000: "Blak is Blak" - ''Bamboozled'' soundtrack

2002: "We Still Don't Give a Fuck" - Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.

2002: "No One Does It Better" - Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc.

2002: "Last Temptation" Ja Rule - The Last Temptation

2007: "I Am" Mya - Liberation

Featured singles

1998: "Horse & Carriage" (Remix) Cam'ron featuring Big Pun, Wyclef Jean, Charli Baltimore & Silkk The Shocker

2002: "Down 4 U" (Irv Gotti featuring Charli Baltimore, Ashanti, Ja Rule and Vita)

2002: "Spending Time" Christina Milian featuring Charli Baltimore

2002: "Down Ass Bitch" (Ja Rule featuring Charli Baltimore)

2003: "Rain on Me (Remix)" (Ashanti featuring Charli Baltimore, Hussein Fatal & Ja Rule)

2008: "Portrait of Love (Remix)" (Cheri Dennis featuring Charli Baltimore)

References

Category:1974 births Category:African American rappers Category:Female rappers Category:American musicians of German descent Category:Living people Category:Rappers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:German people of American descent Category:Peirce College people

de:Charli Baltimore fr:Charli Baltimore it:Charli Baltimore nl:Charli Baltimore

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Bobby Brown
background	solo_singer
birth name	Robert Barisford Brown
birth date	February 05, 1969
origin	Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
genre	R&B;New jack swingHip hopDance-pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter Dancer
years active	1978–present
label	MCA (1986-1998)Bronx Bridge Entertainment (2011-present)
associated acts	New EditionHeads of State Whitney Houston Damien Marley
website	www.bobbybrownonline.com }}

Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American R&B; singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer. After success in pop group New Edition, Brown began his solo career in 1987 and had a string of Top 10 ''Billboard'' hits, culminating in a Grammy Award. He was a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a fusion of hip hop and R&B.; His second album, ''Don't Be Cruel'', included popular songs such as "My Prerogative". Brown is the ex-husband of pop singer Whitney Houston and starred in the reality show ''Being Bobby Brown''.

Music career

New Edition

Bobby Brown began his music career as a member of the R&B; boy band New Edition which he founded along with childhood friend Michael Bivins. He is the youngest member of the group since the inception. The group's hits with Brown included "Candy Girl", "Cool It Now", and "Mr. Telephone Man". Brown was voted out of New Edition in 1986 when the other four members felt that their careers would be jeopardized by Bobby's lewd, line-crossing on-stage antics. Throughout the ''All for Love'' tour, he feuded with Ralph Tresvant and cut in on Tresvant's lead vocals. In 1996, Brown rejoined the group for New Edition's comeback album, ''Home Again''. In the middle of the tour, he engaged in further racy on-stage antics. He extended his solo set and cut into Bell Biv Devoe's time. Once again, he left New Edition. In the fall of 2005, New Edition performed at BET's 25th Anniversary Special. The group performed a medley of its greatest hits, and even brought Bobby Brown on stage for a rendition of "Mr. Telephone Man". It was later announced on BET and Inside Hollywood that Bobby had rejoined the group and would be on the next group album. In January 2006, New Edition announced that the group would launch a new album and tour in 2008. Bobby also appeared at a concert in Columbia, South Carolina that New Edition had filmed for a future DVD release.

Solo career

After leaving New Edition in 1985, Brown stayed with the group manager Steven Machat and Machat secured from MCA, the groups record label, a record deal guaranteed for Browns solo career if Brown agreed to leave the New Edition. MCA released his first solo album, ''King of Stage'', in 1986. This album included "Girlfriend", a minor hit which went to #1 on the Billboard R&B; charts and #57 on the Billboard Hot 100. Other than that, ''King of Stage'' did not garner much attention. However, Brown's next album, 1988's ''Don't Be Cruel'' with Machat overseeing the entire production and styling of Brown with Louil Silas, MCA's rep, rocketed him to super stardom. Working with the writing/producing team of L.A. Reid and Babyface, as well as Teddy Riley, ''Don't Be Cruel'' spawned five Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles: "Don't Be Cruel" (#8), "Every Little Step" (#3), "Rock Wit' Cha" (#7), "My Prerogative" (#1), and "Roni" (#3). The album would eventually be certified 8x platinum (8,000,000 units sold).

In 1989, he contributed two songs (including "On Our Own", which reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100) to the ''Ghostbusters II'' soundtrack, in addition to making a cameo in the film. Brown has subsequently dabbled in acting.

In between the "On Our Own" single and the release of Brown's next album, a remix album, ''Dance! Ya Know It!'' was released to capitalise on Brown's huge success at the time. A non-album "megamix" single was released to promote the project. The European dance-oriented version (sampling beats by Snap!) was titled "The Freestyle Megamix" and was a hit in the UK, reaching #14 on the Gallup charts. A more R'n'B oriented version called "Every Little Hit Mix" (b/w "Roni) was released in Australia.

Brown's third album, ''Bobby'', did not arrive until 1992. It reached #2 on the Billboard album charts and produced the hit singles "Humpin' Around" (#3 on the Billboard Hot 100) and "Good Enough" (#7) as well as a smaller hit in "Get Away" (#14). The album was eventually certified 1x platinum (1,000,000 units sold). However, it did not come close to matching the album sales or singles chart success of its predecessor.

Brown waited until late 1997 to release his next (and to date, last) album of original material, ''Forever''. The album was originally titled ''Bobby II'' and was supposed to be produced by such luminaries as R.Kelly, Teddy Riley, Sean Combs and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. However, Brown negotiated 100% creative control of the album and decided to write all the songs himself. It only managed to climb to #61 on the Billboard Hot 200 album charts and produced no charting singles.

In 2006 Brown appeared on "Beautiful", the third single from Damian Marley's album ''Welcome to Jamrock''.

2010 Bobby Brown surprised his fans by dueting with American R&B; and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress Macy Gray on her new album titled The Sellout. Together they did a song "Real Love". Macy Gray divulged the pleasure of working with Bobby Brown to Essence Magazine on the project, saying that "actually he came to the studio, since he doesn't live far, and knocked out his recording in two hours. We're friends and his one-year-old son is my godson. His fiance is one of my best friends in the whole world. I met Bobby a long time ago, but we really got to know each other through her."

Heads of State

As of September 27, 2008, Brown began touring with fellow New Edition members Ralph Tresvant and Johnny Gill in a new group named Heads of State. The group continues to tour worldwide. They are currently recording an album.

Movies

While always maintaining his focus on music, Brown has also been venturing into the movie side of showbiz. In 1996, Brown co-starred in the hit movie, ''A Thin Line Between Love and Hate'', along with Martin Lawrence and Lynn Whitfield. and in more recent years he has appeared in the films ''Two Can Play That Game'', along with Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut; ''Go for Broke''; and ''Gang of Roses'' starring Lil' Kim, Lisa Raye, Stacey Dash, and Marie Matiko. After those he was in ''Nora's Hair Salon''.

Bobby Brown had cameo guest appearances in many movies. ''Panther'' (1995) starring Courtney B. Vance and Chris Rock. Earlier, he played all three characters of Three Blind Mice in ''Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme'' (1990). In 1989 was Brown's first solo guest cameo appearance in ''Ghostbusters II'' playing the Mayor's Doorman.

1985 Krush Groove Character Name: Himself

1989 Ghostbusters II Played The Mayor's Doorman

1989 His Prerogative Interview and Videos

1990 Mother Goose Rock 'N' Rhymes Character Name: Three Blind Mice

1992 Bobby Brown: Humpin' Around Making of the Video

1993 Bobby Brown: Bobby Played Himself

1995 Panther Character Name: Rose

1996 A Thin Line Between Love and Hate Character Name: Tee

2001 Two Can Play That Game Character Name: Michael

2002 Go For Broke Character Name: Jive

2003 Gang of Roses Character Name: Left Eye Watkins

2004 Nora's Hair Salon Character Name: Bennie

2008 Nora's Hair Salon II Character Name: Old Man Butter

Personal life

In June 2007, Brown took part in the ITV television series "24 hours with...", a chat show format as celebrity and interviewer spend an intense 24 hours locked in a room together. The show's host, Jamie Campbell, asked Brown questions about his career and private life, and infamously joked about making "sexual moves" towards the singer. Brown was furious and threatened to beat Campbell up live on air.

He has been appearing on cable-televised reality T.V. shows such as ''Celebrity Fit Club'', ''Gone Country'', and his own show entitled ''Being Bobby Brown''.

Family

Brown has a total of five biological children. In chronological order the oldest being his son Landon Brown, La'princia Brown, Robert (Bobby) Brown Jr., Bobbi Kristina Brown, and Cassius Brown. Brown married Whitney Houston in July 1992. Together they have one daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, born 1993. On September 13, 2006, Houston's publicist announced that after 14 years of marriage, Houston had filed for a legal separation from Brown. One month later, Houston officially filed for a divorce from Brown. It was ruled by a judge on April 4, 2007 that their marriage would be definitively dissolved on April 24, 2007, and that Whitney would receive custody of their then 14-year-old daughter.

Brown's eldest son, Landon Brown, appeared on the MTV show Rock the Cradle. On February 3, 2009, it was announced Brown was expecting his fifth child with his then girlfriend. His fifth son, a boy named Cassius, was born May 30, 2009.

On May 7, 2010, Brown proposed to his long time girlfriend while performing at the Funk Fest in Jacksonville, Fla. He asked her to marry him while giving his performance on stage. He got down on one knee and when she joined him on stage along with their child she accepted his proposal. He is currently signed to Bronx Bridge Entertainment.

Substance abuse and legal problems

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Brown's legal and substance abuse troubles threatened to overshadow his music. In late 2003, Brown was arrested for misdemeanor battery, allegedly for striking Houston while shouting epithets. In February 2004, Brown was arrested and jailed in Georgia on a parole violation related to a previous drunk driving conviction. Whitney Houston has also publicly stated that Brown's choice of drug was marijuana laced with cocaine.

Bobby Brown made a guest appearance on ''The Monique Show'' with fellow group mates Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant to promote their ongoing tour across the globe to sold out shows. Bobby also discussed how he overcame his struggles. The trio Heads of State performed medleys of their classic legendary hits to an audience full of die hard New Edition fans.

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions							! rowspan="2"
		! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"	! width="30"
1986				* Released: December 11, 1986	* Label: MCA Records	88	12	40	—	—	—	—
1988	align="left"			* Released: June 20, 1988	* Label: MCA Records	1	1	3	5	20	—	—		RIAA>US: 7× Platinum	British Phonographic Industry>UK: 2× Platinum	CRIA>CAN: 3× Platinum
1992	align="left"			* Released: August 25, 1992	* Label: MCA Records	2	1	11	2	4	26	18		* US: 2× Platinum	* CAN: 2× Platinum
1997	align="left"			* Released: November 4, 1997	* Label: MCA Records	61	15	—	—	—	—	—
2011	align="left"			* Released: September 6, 2011	* Label: Bronx Bridge Entertainment	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Remix albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions				Certifications(sales threshold)
		US	USR&B;	UK	AUS
1989				* Released: 1989	* Label: MCA Records	9	7	26	14		* US: Platinum	* UK: Gold	* CAN: Gold
1993				* Released: 1993	* Label: MCA Records	—	72	—	—

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions						RIAA	Album
		! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"	! width="35"
1986		57	1	—	—	—	—	—
1987		—	31	—	—	—	—	—
	align="left"	8	1	—	—	42	—	Gold
	1	1	71	—	6	40	Gold
		—	—	—	—	13	—	—
	3	2	1	—	21	—	Gold
	3	1	17	—	6	8	Gold
align="left"	2	1	15	—	4	22	Platinum
	7	3	—	28	33	—	Gold
		—	—	—	—	14	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	21	—
		3	1	15	—	19	1	Gold
	7	5	—	—	41	39	Gold
		14	3	3	—	—	—	—
align="left"	57	9	31	—	56	—	—
	—	—	—	—	16	—	—
1994	align="left"	—	—	—	—	38	—	—
		—	—	—	—	3	—	—
	—	—	—	—	8	—	—
	—	—	—	—	17	—	—
1996		—	—	—	—	25	—	—
1997		—	42	—	—	40	—	—
2006		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2009		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2011		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	"—" denotes releases that did not chart or not certified

Featured singles

Year	Single	Artist	Peak chart positions					Album
			US	US R&B;	US Dance	UK	AUS
1990		Glenn Medeiros	1	43	—	12	8
2002		Ja Rule	42	16	10	15	7	align="left"
2006		Damian Marley	—	—	—	39	—
2010		Macy Gray	—	—	—	—	—

References

External links

Bobby Brown Online

NEW Bobby Brown HD interview April 2010

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:African American singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American male singers Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Musicians from Massachusetts Category:New Edition members Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Whitney Houston Category:MCA Records artists Category:Celebrity Fit Club participants Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics

ar:بوبي براون cs:Bobby Brown de:Bobby Brown es:Bobby Brown fr:Bobby Brown ko:보비 브라운 id:Bobby Brown it:Bobby Brown (cantante) nl:Bobby Brown ja:ボビー・ブラウン pl:Bobby Brown pt:Bobby Brown ru:Браун, Бобби simple:Bobby Brown fi:Bobby Brown sv:Bobby Brown (artist) th:บ็อบบี้ บราวน์ tr:Bobby Brown

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Birth name	David Khari Webber Chappelle
Birth date	August 24, 1973
Birth place	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Nationality	American
Religion	Islam
Active	1987–present
Genre	Satire/political satire, improvisational comedy, observational comedy, surreal humor, sketch comedy, black comedy, blue comedy
Subject	Racism, race relations, American politics, African American culture, pop culture, recreational drug use, human sexuality, morality
Influences	Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Mel Blanc, Chris Rock
Signature	Dave Chapelle Signature.svg
Spouse	Elaine Chappelle (2001-present) 3 children
Notable work	Himself and Various in Chappelle's ShowHimself in Dave Chappelle's Block PartyAchoo in Robin Hood: Men in TightsThurgood Jenkins in Half Baked }}

David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle (; born August 24, 1973) is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film ''Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films ''The Nutty Professor'', ''Con Air'', and ''Blue Streak''. His first lead role in a film was in ''Half Baked'' in 1998. In 2003, he became widely known for his popular sketch comedy television series, ''Chappelle's Show'', which ran until 2006. He is ranked forty-third in Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.

Early life

Chappelle was born in Washington D.C. His father, William David Chappelle III, was a professor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His mother, Yvonne (née Reed), was a professor at Howard University, Prince George's Community College, and the University of Maryland and is also a Unitarian Universalist minister. Chappelle has stated in his stand-up performances that his mother is half-white. Chappelle grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Woodlin Elementary School. During young Chappelle's formative years, his comic inspiration came from various comedians, particularly Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.

After his parents separated, Chappelle stayed in Washington with his mother while spending summers with his father in Ohio. In 1991, he graduated from Washington's Duke Ellington School of the Arts where he studied theatre arts.

2003 - 2006 standup and ''Chappelle's Show''

In 2003, Chappelle debuted his own weekly sketch comedy show on Comedy Central called ''Chappelle's Show''. The show parodied many aspects of American culture including racial stereotypes, politics and pop culture. Along with comedy skits, the show also featured musical performances by mostly hip-hop and soul artists. Chappelle's pointed social and political commentary quickly helped the show garner critical and commercial success as well as controversy. Richard Pryor, one of Chappelle's comedic influences, was a fan of the show and stated that he had "passed the torch" to Chappelle. Chappelle received two Emmy nominations for the show. Additionally, the DVD set became the best-selling DVD of a television show to date, overtaking the previous best-selling, ''The Simpsons'' first season DVD. It had sold over 3 million copies. Due to the show's popularity, Comedy Central's parent company Viacom reportedly offered Chappelle a $55 million contract (giving Chappelle a share of DVD sales) to continue production of ''Chappelle's Show'' for two more years while allowing him to do side projects. Chappelle had stated that sketches are not his favorite form of comedy, and that the characteristics of the show's format were somewhat like short films.

In June 2004, based on the popularity of the "Rick James" sketch, it was announced that Chappelle was in talks to portray Rick James in a biopic from Paramount Pictures (also owned by Viacom). James's estate disagreed with the proposed comical tone of the film and put a halt to the talks.

In 2004, Chappelle recorded his second comedy special, this time airing on Showtime - ''Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth'', at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium.

Season three turbulence

In a June 2004 stand-up performance in Sacramento, California, Chappelle walked off the stage after berating his audience for constantly shouting "I'm Rick James, bitch!," which became a catchphrase from the popular "Rick James" sketch. After a few minutes, Chappelle returned and continued by saying, "The show is ruining my life." He stated that he disliked working "20 hours a day" and that the popularity of the show was making it difficult for him to continue his stand-up career, which was "the most important thing" to him. He also told the audience:

}}

Season 3 was scheduled to air on May 31, 2005, but in that month, Chappelle stunned fans and the entertainment industry when he abruptly left during production of the third season of ''Chappelle's Show'' and took a trip to South Africa. Chappelle has since stated that he was unhappy with the direction the show had taken.

}}

Return

In June 2005, Chappelle performed impromptu stand-up shows in Los Angeles. He then went on a tour that began in Newport, Kentucky, not far from his Ohio home. He also made a surprise appearance on HBO's ''Def Poetry'' where he performed two poems, titled ''Fuck Ashton Kutcher'' and ''How I Got the Lead on "Jeopardy!."'' He was interviewed for ''Inside the Actors Studio'' on December 18, 2005 at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts. The show premiered on February 12, 2006. Chappelle stated that the death of his father in 1998 had an impact on his decision to go to South Africa. By throwing himself into his work, he had not taken a chance to mourn his father's death. He also said the rumors that he was in drug or psychiatric treatment only persuaded him to stay in South Africa.

He continued:

Chappelle also said that he felt some of his sketches were "socially irresponsible." He singled out the "pixie sketch" in which pixies appear to people and encourage them to reinforce stereotypes of their races. In the sketch, Chappelle is wearing blackface and is dressed as a character in a minstrel show. According to Chappelle, during the filming of the sketch, a crew member was laughing in a way that made him feel uncomfortable and made him rethink the show. Chappelle said, "it was the first time I felt that someone was not laughing with me but laughing at me."

During these interviews, Chappelle did not rule out returning to ''Chappelle's Show'' to "finish what we started," but promised that he would not return without changes to the production, such as a better working environment. He also stated he would like to donate half of the DVD sales to charity. Chappelle expressed disdain at the possibility of his material from the unfinished third season being aired, saying that to do so would be "a bully move," and that he would not return to the show if Comedy Central were to air the unfinished material. On July 9, 2006, Comedy Central aired the first episode of ''Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes''. An uncensored DVD release of the episodes was made available on July 25.

2006 - ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party''

Chappelle was the star and producer of the Michel Gondry-directed documentary ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'', which chronicles a Chappelle-hosted concert in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn on September 18, 2004. Several musical artists, including Kanye West, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Dead Prez and Jill Scott are featured in the movie both performing in the concert and in conversation off-stage. The most surprising highlight of the event was the "last minute" reunion of popular '90s hip hop group The Fugees. Chappelle toured several cities in February and March 2006 to promote the film under the moniker "Block Party All-Stars featuring Dave Chappelle". Universal Pictures' genre division Rogue Pictures released the film in the United States on March 3, 2006.

2007 - present

In April 2007, Chappelle set a stand-up endurance record at the Laugh Factory Sunset Strip comedy club, beating comedian Dane Cook's record of 3 hours and 50 minutes. In December of the same year, Chappelle broke his own record with a time of 6 hours and 12 minutes. Cook took the record again in January 2008, with a time of 7 hours. On November 19, 2009 Chappelle performed at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, where it was speculated that he would aim to take back the record. However, he was disqualified according to the club owner, after he left the stage, five hours into his routine.

Chappelle again appeared on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' and in celebration of the show's 200th episode, he humorously interviewed the show's usual host, James Lipton. The episode aired on November 11, 2008.

Personal life

Chappelle lives with his wife Elaine, two sons, Sulayman and Ibrahim, and daughter Sonal, on a farm, just outside Yellow Springs, Ohio. He also owns several houses in Xenia, Ohio. Regarding his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Chappelle says, "Turns out you don't need $50 million to live around these parts, just a nice smile and a kind way about you. You guys are the best neighbors ever," he stated at a blues and jazz festival in the town in mid-September 2006. "That's why I came back and that's why I'm staying."

Chappelle is a Muslim, having converted to Islam in 1998. He told ''Time Magazine'' in a May 2005 interview, "I don’t normally talk about my religion publicly because I don’t want people to associate me and my flaws with this beautiful thing. And I believe it is beautiful if you learn it the right way."

Filmography

+ Actor
! Year	! Film	! Role	Notes
1992	''Def Comedy Jam''	Himself
1993	''Robin Hood: Men in Tights''	Ahchoo
1995		Dave	One episode
1996		Reggie Warrington
1997	''Con Air''	Pinball
1998	''Half Baked''	Thurgood Jenkins / Sir Smoke-a-Lot
1998	''You've Got Mail''	Kevin Jackson
1999	''200 Cigarettes''	Disco Cabbie
1999	''Blue Streak''	Tulley
2000	''Screwed''	Rusty P. Hayes
2002	''Undercover Brother''	Conspiracy Brother
2003-2006	''Chappelle's Show''	Himself and others
2005	''Inside the Actor's Studio''	Himself
2006	''Dave Chappelle's Block Party''	Himself	Documentary
2007		Himself	Documentary
2008	''Inside the Actor's Studio''	Himself

Discography

+ Actor
! Year	! Album	! Role	Notes
2000	Killin' Them Softly	Executive Producer	TV Documentary
2004	''For What It's Worth''	Executive Producer	TV Movie/Showtime Special

References

External links

Video of Anderson Cooper 360 Interview

Fresh Air Interview in 2004

Category:1973 births Category:American Muslims Category:African American actors Category:African American comedians Category:African American television actors Category:American buskers Category:American film actors Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:Psychedelic drug advocates Category:American people of Ivorian descent Category:Living people Category:People from Silver Spring, Maryland Category:People from Washington, D.C. Category:People from Yellow Springs, Ohio Category:Converts to Islam from Christianity Category:African American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam Category:African American Muslims

da:Dave Chapelle de:David Chappelle es:Dave Chappelle fr:Dave Chappelle it:Dave Chappelle he:דייב שאפל nl:Dave Chappelle no:David Chappelle pl:Dave Chappelle ru:Шапелл, Дэйв sq:Dave Chappelle fi:Dave Chappelle sv:David Chappelle