Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.

There are four types of defender: centre back, sweeper, full back, and wing back. The centre back and the full back positions are essential in most modern formations. The sweeper and wing back roles are more specialized for certain formations.

Centre back

of the centre back, centre half, central defender, or stopper is to stop opposing players, particularly the strikers, from scoring, and to bring the ball out from their penalty area. As their name suggests, they play in a central position.

The position was formerly referred to as centre half, although the emphasis of the centre half was more forward thinking in action. In the early part of the 20th century, when most teams employed the 2-3-5 formation, the two players at the back were called full backs and the row of three players in front of them were called half backs. As formations evolved, the central player in this trio, the centre half, moved into a more defensive position on the field, taking the name of the position with them. The right and left players in the trio were called the right half and left half respectively.

In the modern game, most teams employ two centre backs, stationed in front of the goalkeeper. There are two main defensive strategies used by centre backs: the zonal defence, where each centre back covers a specific area of the pitch, and man-to-man marking, where each centre back has the job of covering a particular opposition player.

Marking threats in their immediate area (zonal defending) or to mark a particular opposition player (man marking).

Making tackles on attacking players as the last line of defence against the opposition.

Intercepting dangerous crosses, shots and through passes that cause an immediate danger to the team.

Defending opposition corners and to stay in the opposition team's penalty box for corners and set pieces with headers.

To form the tactical base of the team. Coaches either choose to field the "line" of defence deep or further upfield. The choice of defensive line has great tactical implications in the professional game. A deep defensive line is considered a more conservative approach; however, it also means that the midfielders require to cover more ground in the game and risks conceding midfield territory to the opposition. A high defensive line allows teams to pin opposition teams into their own territory and apply pressure when chasing for a goal, however, it leaves the attacking team vulnerable to counter attacks by quick opposition players.

Maintain the defensive posture. Due to the advent of the offside rule in the modern game, defenders and centre-backs in particular need to ensure that the defensive line is strictly enforced when opposition attacking players are nearby. A defender that strays slightly behind the defensive line, for example, can "play" an opposition player onside and inadvertently create a scoring opportunity.

Playing a simple game. Due to their proximity to goal, centre backs need to avoid over-elaboration and play short and simple passes to their colleagues upfield as well as avoid playing passes square across the defence, where they are vulnerable to interception by an opposition player.

Height, good heading and jumping ability to contest balls in the air.

Strength, marking and tackling ability to deal with one-on-one threats.

Bravery and aggression to rush out and deal with any unexpected goal threats.

Ability to read the game as well as anticipate incoming threats. Centre backs need to balance the need to deal with any imminent threat from the opposition and the need to maintain the defensive posture.

Concentration. Centre backs need to focus on the task at hand and get interceptions, last-ditch tackles and headers correctly every time. They also need to ensure that they get a sure footing on the ball when clearing it so as to play it away from danger.

Passing. Under pressure, centre backs may need to call on competent passing skills to move the ball out to midfielders.

Sweeper (Libero)

The sweeper is a more versatile type of centre back who "sweeps up" the ball if an opponent manages to breach the defensive line. His or her position is rather more fluid than other defenders who man-mark their designated opponents. Because of this, the position is sometimes referred to as libero (from the Italian word meaning "free", as used by the sports journalist Gianni Brera). Though the sweeper may be expected to build counter-attacking moves, and as such requires better ball control and passing ability than a typical centre back, his or her talents are often confined to the defensive realm. For example, the catenaccio system of play, used in Italian football in the 1960s, employed a purely defensive sweeper who only "roamed" around the back line.

Some sweepers move forward and distribute the ball up-field, while others intercept passes and get the ball off the opposition without needing to hurl themselves into tackles. In modern football, its usage has been fairly restricted, with few clubs in the biggest leagues using the position.

Full back

The full backs take up the holding wide positions and stay in defence at all times, until a set-piece. One on each side of the field. Their main task is to prevent opposition players crossing or cutting the ball back into the penalty area. In some defensive systems, full backs man-mark opponents. Most full backs are also expected to clear the ball to dissure danger in their penalty box, engaging in interplay with the wingers and providing headers in freekicks and corners.

In the traditional 2–3–5 team formation, the two players in the final row of defence before the goalkeeper were referred to as full backs. This formation is almost never used in the modern game, having been replaced largely by the four-man defence, but the term "full back" lives on — the full backs now occupy the back positions in the defensive line, with the old centre half [back] doubled-up to fill the central defensive position.

The traditional English full back was a large, strong man who would make substantial use of "hacking" – deliberately kicking the shins of opponents, a practice that was accepted as legal in Britain but not in other countries, and caused major controversy as the game became increasingly internationalized from the 1950s on. It is now effectively banned everywhere, and it is this in part that has given rise to a different set of defensive roles.

In the modern game, full backs have taken on a more offensive role than is the case traditionally. Wingerless formations such as the diamond 4-4-2 formation demand the full back to cover considerable ground up and down the flank. Some of the responsibilities of modern full backs include:

Provide a physical obstruction to opposition attacking players by shepherding them towards an area where they exert less influence. They may manoeuvre in a fashion that causes the opponent to cut in towards the centre back or defensive midfielder with his weaker foot, where he is likely to be dispossessed. Otherwise, jockeying and smart positioning may simply pin back a winger in an area where he is less likely to exert influence.

Making off-the-ball runs into spaces down the channels and supplying crosses into the opposing penalty box.

Throw ins are usually assigned to full backs.

Marking wingers and other attacking players. Full backs generally do not commit into challenges in their opponents' half. However, they aim to quickly dispossess the attacking players who have already breached the defensive line with a sliding tackle from the side. Markers must however avoid keeping too tight on opponents or risk disrupting the defensive organisation.

Maintaining tactical discipline by ensuring other team mates do not over run the defensive line and inadvertently play an opponent onside.

Providing a passing option down the flank, for instance, by creating opportunities for sequences like one-two passing moves.

In wingerless formations, full backs need to cover the roles of both wingers and full backs, although defensive work may be shared with one of the central midfielders.

Additionally, attacking full backs help to pin both opposition full backs and wingers deeper in their own half with aggressive attacking intent. Their presence in attack also forces the opposition to withdraw players from central midfield, which the team can seize to its advantage.

Due to the physical and technical demands of their playing position, successful full backs need a wide range of attributes, which make them suited for adaptation to other roles on the pitch. Many of the game's utility players, who can play in multiple positions on the pitch, are natural full backs. A rather prominent example is the Real Madrid full back Sergio Ramos, who has played on both flanks as a full back and as a Defensive Midfeilder, and in central Defence throughout his illustrious career. In the modern game, full backs often chip in a fair share of assists with their runs down the flank when the team is on a counterattack. The more common attributes of full backs, however, include:

Pace and stamina to handle the demands of covering large distances up and down the flank.

A healthy work rate and team responsibility.

Marking and tackling abilities and a sense of anticipation.

Good off-the-ball ability to create attacking opportunities for his team by running into empty channels.

Dribbling ability. Many of the game's eminent attacking full backs are excellent dribblers in their own right and occasionally deputise as attacking wingers.

Player intelligence. As is common for defenders, full backs need to decide during the flow of play whether to stick close to a winger or maintain a suitable distance. Full backs that stay too close to attacking players are vulnerable to being pulled out of position and leaving a gap in the defence. A quick passing movement like a pair of one-two passes will leave the channel behind the defending full-back open. This vulnerability is a reason why wingers considered to be dangerous are double-marked by both the full-back and the winger. This allows the full back to focus on holding his defensive line.

Wing back

The wingbacks are a modern variation on the full back with heavier emphasis on attack. The name is a portmanteau of "winger" and "fullback". They are usually employed in a 3-5-2 formation, and could therefore be considered part of the midfield. But they may also be used in a 5-3-2 formation and therefore have a more defensive role.

In the evolution of the modern game, wingbacks are the combination of wingers and fullbacks. As such it is one of the most physically demanding positions in modern football. Wingbacks are often more adventurous than full backs and are expected to provide width, especially in teams without wingers. A wingback needs to be of exceptional stamina, be able to provide crosses upfield and defend effectively against opponents' attacks down the flanks. A defensive midfielder is usually fielded to cover the advances of wingbacks.

See also

Association football positions

Formation

Catenaccio

References

Category:Association football positions Category:Association football terminology

ar:مدافع (كرة قدم) an:Esfensa (fútbol) bn:রক্ষণভাগের খেলোয়াড় be-x-old:Абаронца (футбол) bg:Защитник ca:Defensa (futbol) da:Fodboldpositioner#Forsvarsspiller de:Abwehrspieler et:Kaitsja (jalgpall) es:Defensa (fútbol) eu:Atzelari (futbola) fa:مدافع (فوتبال) fr:Défenseur (football) ga:Cosantóir ko:수비수 hy:Պաշտպան hr:Branič (nogomet) id:Bek it:Difensore jv:Bèk ka:მცველი (ფეხბურთი) kk:Қорғаушы lv:Aizsargs (futbols) lt:Gynėjas hu:Hátvéd mk:Одбранбен играч (фудбал) mt:Difensur mr:बचावपटू (फुटबॉल) ms:Pemain pertahanan (bola sepak) nl:Verdediger (voetbal) ja:ディフェンダー (サッカー) pl:Obrońca (piłka nożna) pt:Zagueiro ro:Fundaș (fotbal) ru:Защитник (футбол) simple:Defender (football) sk:Obranca (futbal) sr:Одбрамбени играч (фудбал) th:กองหลัง tr:Defans uk:Захисник (футбол) vi:Hậu vệ (bóng đá) zh-yue:後衛 zh:後衛 (足球)

Name	Da Brat
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Shawntae Harris
Origin	Chicago, Illinois
Birth date	April 14, 1974
Genre	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper,
Years active	1993–present
Label	So So Def
Associated acts	Left Eye, Angie Martinez Bow Wow, Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Kris Kross, Lil' Kim, Lisa Raye, Tyrese }}

Shawntae Harris (born April 14, 1974), better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, ''Funkdafied'', sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.

Early life

Harris was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. Her parents were never married and Harris was subsequently raised in two different households. She lived part of the time with her mother and grandmother, and had attended a strict Pentecostal church four times a week, where she played drums and sang in the choir. She also lived with her father and his mother, where she had fewer restrictions. Harris attended Kenwood Academy from 88–89, where she ran track and played basketball, and she graduated from Academy of Scholastic Achievement in 1992.

Regarding her soon-to-be rap name, Harris told the ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' that she got the name because she is "a spoiled only child." Harris is the younger half-sister of actress LisaRaye McCoy.

Career

1992–1995: Early success

In 1992, Harris got a big break when she won the grand prize in a local rap contest sponsored by ''Yo! MTV Raps''. For the prize, she got to meet Kris Kross, and they in turn introduced her to their producer, Jermaine Dupri, who signed her to his So So Def label. Dupri cultivated Da Brat's image as a "female Snoop Doggy Dogg", and she became one of the first female "reality-based" rappers.

Da Brat's debut album ''Funkdafied'' was released in 1994 and entered the rap albums chart at Number #1. The album went platinum, which made her the first female solo rapper to sell one million units. The single also entitled "Funkdafied" reached #1 on the rap singles chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. She had a follow-up hit from the same album, "Give It 2 You", which reached #26 on the Hot 100.

1996–1999: Collaborations and film projects

In 1996, Da Brat released her second full-length album, ''Anuthatantrum'', which included the single "Ghetto Love" featuring T-Boz of TLC.

During the rest of the '90s, Da Brat came to be known more for her "featured" appearances on other rappers' and R&B; singers' albums rather than for her own solo work. She contributed a rhyme to the hip hop remix of Mariah Carey's hit, "Always Be My Baby". She also made her feature film debut that year in ''Kazaam'' with Shaquille O'Neal. During the summer of 1997, Da Brat appeared along with Dupri on a remix of Carey's "Honey (So So Def mix)" and recorded the hit remix of "Ladies' Night (Not Tonight)" with Lil' Kim, Left-Eye, Angie Martinez and Missy Elliott. Da Brat was also featured with Kris Kross on their track "Da Bomb" on the album ''Da Bomb'', as well as on their third album ''Young, Rich and Dangerous''.

In 1997, she was featured on "Sock It 2 Me", a track on Missy Elliott's debut album, ''Supa Dupa Fly''. In 1999, she appeared, alongside Krayzie Bone, on the remix to Mariah Carey's cover of Brenda K. Starr's "I Still Believe". She also appeared as a guest artist with Elliott on Carey's remix of "Heartbreaker", and on the remix of Brandy's "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)". That year, she was also featured on a remix of the Destiny's Child single "Jumpin', Jumpin'".

2000–2003: Return to solo work

In early 2000, Da Brat released her third full-length album ''Unrestricted'', which produced the moderately successful singles "That's What I'm Looking For" (U.S. #56) and "What Chu Like" (U.S. #26), featuring soul singer, Tyrese. The album was not well received compared to Brat's earlier work. However, the new album and new millennium did inspire an image makeover for Da Brat. Abandoning her "gangsta" persona, she decided to follow the trend in popular music and attempted to add to her sex appeal.

In 2001, Brat continued her trend of being featured on other artist's remixes, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip Hop Singles chart along with rapper Ludacris on the main remix of Mariah Carey's "Loverboy" and being featured artist on Destiny's Child's "Survivor" remix. Da Brat also appeared as Louise in Carey's 2001 movie ''Glitter''. In 2003, Brat released her fourth album, titled ''Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz'', and appeared on the 4th season of VH1's ''The Surreal Life''.

2005–present: Current activities

In 2005, she made a comeback of sorts when she was featured on the remix to the song "I Think They Like Me," by Dem Franchize Boyz, which also featured Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip Hop Singles chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2006, she was an onstage guest on Mariah Carey's ''The Adventures of Mimi Tour'' in Atlanta, New York City, Long Island, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles performing her rap verses on the "Heartbreaker" and "Honey" remixes. She was also featured on Kelly Rowland's "Gotsta Go", a bonus track from her 2007 album ''Ms. Kelly'' and is also featured on a bonus track from Carey's ''E=MC²'' on a track entitled "4real4real". She also co-wrote a song with Mariah Carey called "O.O.C." which appears on ''E=MC²'' and contributes backing vocals on the track.

In 2007, she participated in the fifth season of the VH1 reality series ''Celebrity Fit Club''.

Legal troubles, prison sentence, & controversy

In 2001, Harris pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct after she had beaten a woman with a gun during a dispute over VIP seating in a Buckhead, Georgia, nightclub in 2000. The victim in that incident received six stitches for a head wound. Harris ended up serving a year's probation, performed 80 hours of community service and paid a $1,000 fine.

On October 31, 2007, she was involved in the altercation that ended in assault at a Halloween party at Studio 72 nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris sparred verbally with a hostess, and later, when the hostess proceeded to talk to her manager, Harris attacked her from behind, striking her in the face with a rum bottle. Harris entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault charges. She was sentenced to three years in prison, seven years of probation, and 200 hours of community service. In May 2010, she was temporarily released from prison as part of a work-release program after serving 21 months.

On February 28, 2011, Jermaine Dupri announced that Da Brat was officially released from prison, finally completing her sentence.

Discography

''Funkdafied'' (1994)

''Anuthatantrum'' (1996)

''Unrestricted'' (2000)

''Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz'' (2003)

Awards and Nominations

GRAMMY AWARDS

!Year	!Nominated work	!Award	!Result
align=center	"Not Tonight" Remix	Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
align=center	"Got It Poppin'"	Best Female Rap Solo Performance

SOUL TRAIN LADY OF SOUL AWARDS

!Year	!Nominated work	!Award	!Result
align=center	''Funkdafied''	Best Rap Album

BILLBOARD AWARDS

!Year	!Nominated work	!Award	!Result
align=center	Da Brat	Top Hot Rap Artist
align=center	"Funkdafied"	Top Hot Rap Single
align=center	Da Brat	Top R&B; Artist Female
align=center	"Funkdafied"	Top Hot R&B; Single Sales
align=center	Da Brat	Top Hot Female Rap Artist

Film and television credits

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes	+ Film
1996	''Kazaam''	Da Brat	Credited as Shawntae Harris
1997		Da Brat
2001		Louise
2001	''Carmen: A Hip Hopera''	Narrator
2002	''Civil Brand''	Sabrina
2006	''30 Days''

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1997–1998	''''	Boo	2 episodes
2002		Baby K2K	1 episode

References

External links

[ Da Brat] at Allmusic

Category:American television actors Category:African American rappers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:Celebrity Fit Club participants Category:Female rappers Category:Prisoners and detainees of Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:So So Def artists Category:The Surreal Life participants Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Pseudonymous rappers

de:Da Brat fr:Da Brat ko:다 브랫 pt:Da Brat ru:Da Brat

Name	The Notorious B.I.G.
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Christopher George Latore Wallace
Alias	Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G., Big Poppa
Birth date	May 21, 1972
Birth place
Death date	March 09, 1997
Death place
Occupation	Rapper, songwriter
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1992–1997
Label	Uptown Records Bad Boy
Associated acts	Lil' Kim, Sean Combs, Junior M.A.F.I.A., Total, 112, The Commission
Website	}}

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 March 9, 1997) was an American rapper. He was popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film ''Let's Do It Again''), Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White (after the main character of the 1990 film ''King of New York''), but primarily by his stage name The Notorious B.I.G.

Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album ''Ready to Die'' in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set ''Life After Death'', released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of ''The Greatest MCs (Rappers) of All Time''. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.

Early life

Born in St. Mary's Hospital, despite later claiming to be raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Wallace grew up in neighboring Clinton Hill. Wallace was the only child of Voletta Wallace, a Jamaican preschool teacher, and George Latore, a welder and small-time Jamaican politician. His father left the family when Wallace was two years old, leaving his mother to work two jobs while raising him. At the Queen of All Saints Middle School, Wallace excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed "Big" because of his size before he turned 10. At the age of 12, he began selling drugs. His mother, often away at work, did not know that her son was selling drugs until Wallace was an adult.

At his request, Wallace transferred out of the private Roman Catholic Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School to attend the state-funded George Westinghouse Information Technology High School. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were also students at that school. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student, but developed a "smart-ass" attitude at the new school. At seventeen, Wallace dropped out of high school and became further involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation. A year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months behind bars until he made bail.

Rapping career

Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He would entertain people on the streets as well as perform with local groups, the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques. After being released from prison, Wallace made a demo tape under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to his childhood nickname and to his stature; he stood at 6' 3" (1.91 m) and weighed as much as 300 to 380 pounds according to differing accounts. The tape was reportedly made with no serious intent of getting a recording deal, but was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane, and was heard by the editor of ''The Source''.

In March 1992, Wallace featured in ''The Source'''s Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers, and was invited to produce a recording with other unsigned artists in a move that was reportedly uncommon at the time. The demo tape was heard by Uptown Records A&R; and record producer, Sean Combs, who arranged for a meeting with Wallace. He was signed to Uptown immediately and made an appearance on label mates, Heavy D & the Boyz' "A Buncha Niggas" (from the album ''Blue Funk''). Soon after signing his recording contract, Combs was fired from Uptown and started a new label. Wallace followed and in mid-1992, signed to Combs' new imprint label, Bad Boy Records. On August 8, 1993, Wallace's longtime girlfriend gave birth to his first child, T'yanna. Wallace continued selling drugs after the birth to support his daughter financially. Once Combs discovered this, he was made to quit.

Wallace gained exposure later in the year on a remix to Mary J. Blige's single "Real Love", under the pseudonym The Notorious B.I.G., the name he would record under for the remainder of his career, after finding the original moniker "Biggie Smalls" was already in use. "Real Love" peaked at #7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and was followed by a remix of Blige's "What's the 411?". He continued this success, to a lesser extent, on remixes with Neneh Cherry ("Buddy X") and reggae artist Super Cat ("Dolly My Baby", also featuring Combs) in 1993. In April 1993, his solo track, "Party and Bullshit", appeared on the ''Who's the Man?'' soundtrack. In July 1994, he appeared alongside LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on a remix to label mate Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear", reaching #9 on the Hot 100.

''Ready to Die'' and marriage

On August 4, 1994, Wallace married singer Faith Evans after they met at a Bad Boy photoshoot. Four days later, Wallace had his first pop chart success as a solo artist with double A-side, "Juicy/Unbelievable", which reached #27 as the lead single to his debut album.

''Ready to Die'' was released on September 13, 1994, and reached #13 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, eventually being certified four times Platinum. The album, released at a time when West Coast hip hop was prominent in the U.S. charts, according to ''Rolling Stone'', "almost single-handedly... shifted the focus back to East Coast rap". It gained strong reviews on release and has received much praise in retrospect. In addition to "Juicy", the record produced two hit singles; the Platinum-selling "Big Poppa", which reached #1 on the U.S. rap chart, and "One More Chance" featuring Faith Evans, a loosely related remix of an album track and its best selling single.

Junior M.A.F.I.A. and coastal feud

In August 1995, Wallace's protegé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. ("Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes"), released their debut album ''Conspiracy''. The group consisting of his friends from childhood and included rappers such as Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, who went on to have solo careers. The record went Gold and its singles, "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money" both featuring Wallace, went Gold and Platinum. Wallace continued to work with R&B; artists, collaborating with Bad Boy groups 112 (on "Only You") and Total (on "Can't You See"), with both reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. By the end of the year, Wallace was the top-selling male solo artist and rapper on the U.S. pop and R&B; charts. In July 1995, he appeared on the cover of ''The Source'' with the caption "The King of New York Takes Over". At the ''Source'' Awards in August 1995, he was named Best New Artist (Solo), Lyricist of the Year, Live Performer of the Year, and his debut Album of the Year. At the Billboard Awards, he was Rap Artist of the Year.

In his year of success, Wallace became involved in a rivalry between the East and West Coast hip-hop scenes with Tupac Shakur, his former associate. In an interview with ''Vibe'' magazine in April 1995, while serving time in Clinton Correctional Facility, Shakur accused Uptown Records' founder Andre Harrell, Sean Combs, and Wallace of having prior knowledge of a robbery that resulted in him being shot repeatedly and losing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry on the night of November 30, 1994. Though Wallace and his entourage were in the same Manhattan-based recording studio at the time of the occurrence, they denied the accusation.

Following release from prison, Shakur signed to Death Row Records on October 15, 1995. Bad Boy Records and Death Row, now business rivals, became involved in an intense quarrel.

Arrests, Shakur's death and second child

Wallace began recording his second record album in September 1995. The album, recorded in New York, Trinidad and Los Angeles, was interrupted during its 18 months of creation by injury, legal wranglings and the highly publicized hip hop dispute in which he was involved. During this time he also worked with pop singer Michael Jackson for the ''HIStory'' album.

On March 23, 1996, Wallace was arrested outside a Manhattan nightclub for chasing and threatening to kill two autograph seekers, smashing the windows of their taxicab and then pulling one of the fans out and punching them. He pleaded guilty to second-degree harassment and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service. In mid-1996, he was arrested at his home in Teaneck, New Jersey, for drug and weapons possession charges.

In June 1996, Shakur released "Hit 'Em Up", a diss song in which he explicitly claimed to have had sex with Wallace's wife (at the time estranged) and that Wallace copied his style and image. Wallace referred to the first claim about his wife's pregnancy on Jay-Z's "Brooklyn's Finest" where he raps: "If Faye (Faith Evans, his wife at the time) have twins, she'd probably have two 'Pacs. Geddit? 2Pac's?". However, Wallace did not directly respond to the record during his lifetime, stating in a 1997 radio interview that it was "not [his] style" to respond.

Shakur was shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 7, 1996. He would die six days later of complications from the gunshot wounds. Rumors of Wallace's involvement with Shakur's murder were reported almost immediately, and later in a two-part article by investigative reporter Chuck Philips in the ''Los Angeles Times'' in September 2002. Wallace denied the allegation claiming he was in a New York recording studio at the time. The ''Times'' later determined the article written by Philips "relied heavily on information that The Times no longer believes to be credible", including false FBI reports, and the paper published a retraction. Following his death, an anti-violence hip hop summit was held.

On October 29, 1996, Faith Evans gave birth to Wallace's son, Christopher "C.J." Wallace, Jr. The following month Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Kim released her debut album, ''Hard Core'', under Wallace's direction while the two were involved in an apparent love affair. She was also pregnant with Wallace's child but decided to have an abortion.

''Life After Death'' and car accident

During the recording sessions for his second record, tentatively named "Life After Death... 'Til Death Do Us Part", later shortened to ''Life After Death'', Wallace was involved in a car accident that shattered his left leg and confined him to a wheelchair. The injury forced him to use a cane.

In January 1997, Wallace was ordered to pay US$41,000 in damages following an incident involving a friend of a concert promoter who claimed Wallace and his entourage beat him up following a dispute in May 1995. He faced criminal assault charges for the incident which remain unresolved, but all robbery charges were dropped. Following the events of the previous year, Wallace spoke of a desire to focus on his "peace of mind". "My mom... my son... my daughter... my family... my friends are what matters to me now".

March 1997 shooting and death

Wallace traveled to California in February 1997 to promote his upcoming album and record a music video for its lead single, "Hypnotize". On March 5, 1997 he gave a radio interview with The Dog House on KYLD in San Francisco. In the interview he stated that he had hired security since he feared for his safety; this was because he was a celebrity figure in general, not because he was a rapper. ''Life After Death'' was scheduled for release on March 25, 1997. On January 8, 1997, Biggie Smalls and Sean "Puffy" Combs made a video "What's Beef" which was directed by Dave Meyers. On March 8, 1997, he presented an award to Toni Braxton at the 11th Annual Soul Train Music Awards in Los Angeles and was booed by some of the audience. After the ceremony, Wallace attended an after party hosted by ''Vibe'' magazine and Qwest Records at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Other guests included Faith Evans, Aaliyah, Sean Combs, and members of the Bloods and Crips gangs.

On March 9, 1997, at around 12:30 a.m., Wallace left with his entourage in two GMC Suburbans to return to his hotel after the Fire Department closed the party early because of overcrowding. Wallace traveled in the front passenger seat alongside his associates, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease and driver, Gregory "G-Money" Young. Combs traveled in the other vehicle with three bodyguards. The two trucks were trailed by a Chevrolet Blazer carrying Bad Boy's director of security.

By 12:45 a.m., the streets were crowded with people leaving the event. Wallace's truck stopped at a red light from the museum. A black Chevrolet Impala SS pulled up alongside Wallace's truck. The driver of the Impala, an African American male dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol and fired at the GMC Suburban; four bullets hit Wallace in the chest. Wallace's entourage rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.

Murder case

Wallace's murder remains unsolved and there are many theories regarding the identities and motives of the murderers. Immediately after the shooting, reports surfaced linking the Shakur and Wallace murders, because of the similarities in the drive-by shootings.

In 2002, Randall Sullivan released ''LAbyrinth'', a book compiling information regarding the murders of Wallace and Shakur based on evidence provided by retired LAPD detective, Russell Poole. Sullivan accused Marion "Suge" Knight, co-founder of Death Row Records and an alleged Bloods affiliate, of conspiring with David Mack, an LAPD officer and alleged Death Row security employee, to kill Wallace and make Shakur and his death appear the result of a fictitious bi-coastal rap rivalry. Sullivan believed that one of Mack's associates, Amir Muhammad (also known as Harry Billups), was the hitman based on evidence provided by an informant, and due to his close resemblance to the facial composite. Filmmaker Nick Broomfield released an investigative documentary, ''Biggie & Tupac'', based mainly on the evidence used in the book.

An article published in ''Rolling Stone'' by Sullivan in December 2005 accused the LAPD of not fully investigating links with Death Row Records based on evidence from Poole. Sullivan claimed that Sean Combs "failed to fully cooperate with the investigation" and according to Poole, encouraged Bad Boy staff to do the same. The accuracy of the article was later refuted in a letter by the Assistant Managing Editor of the ''LA Times'' accusing Sullivan of using "shoddy tactics." Sullivan, in response, quoted the lead attorney of the Wallace estate calling the newspaper "a co-conspirator in the cover-up."

In January 2011, the case was reinvigorated as a result of new information reported by Anderson Cooper's AC360 "Cold Case" show and blog that it was being re-investigated by a law enforcement task force composed of the LAPD, the L.A. County District Attorney's Office, and the FBI. In April, the FBI released redacted documents about their investigation into the shooting, revealing that the bullets were rare 9mm Gecko ammunition manufactured in Germany. The documents reported that LAPD officers monitoring the party Wallace was attending were also employed as security personnel for Knight; the documents also speculated that the Genovese crime family was withholding evidence about Wallace's death.

Basketball player Shaquille O'Neal was a close friend of Wallace's and on the night of Wallace's death, he was supposed to meet him at an after party. O'Neal has reportedly struggled with guilt about Wallace's death since that night.

Lawsuits

In March 2005, the relatives of Wallace filed a wrongful death claim against the LAPD based on the evidence championed by Russell Poole. They claimed the LAPD had sufficient evidence to arrest the assailant, but failed to use it. David Mack and Amir Muhammad (a.k.a. Harry Billups) were originally named as defendants in the civil suit, but were dropped shortly before the trial began after the LAPD and FBI dismissed them as suspects. In July 2005, the case was declared a mistrial after the judge showed concern that the police were withholding evidence. An attempt to expand the wrongful death lawsuit to include new claims failed in August 2006. The criminal investigation was re-opened in July 2006.

On January 19, 2007, Tyruss Himes (better known as Big Syke), a friend of Shakur who was implicated in the murder by television channel KTTV and ''XXL'' magazine in 2005, had a defamation lawsuit regarding the accusations thrown out of court.

On April 16, 2007, relatives of Wallace filed a second wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles. The suit also named two LAPD officers in the center of the investigation into the Rampart scandal, Rafael Perez and Nino Durden. According to the claim, Perez, an alleged affiliate of Death Row Records, admitted to LAPD officials that he and Mack (who was not named in the lawsuit) "conspired to murder, and participated in the murder of Christopher Wallace". The Wallace family said the LAPD "consciously concealed Rafael Perez's involvement in the murder of ... Wallace". A U.S. district judge dismissed the lawsuit on December 19, 2007. Los Angeles Judge Florence-Marie Cooper reinstated the lawsuit on May 9, 2008. With the agreement of both sides, the lawsuit was dismissed April 5, 2010 without prejudice to refiling.

Posthumous career

Fifteen days after his death, Wallace's double-disc second album was released as planned with the shortened title of ''Life After Death'' and hit #1 on the Billboard 200 charts, after making a premature appearance at #176 due to street-date violations. The record album featured a much wider range of guests and producers than its predecessor. It gained strong reviews and in 2000 was certified Diamond, the highest RIAA certification awarded to a solo hip hop album.

Its lead single, "Hypnotize", was the last music video recording in which Wallace would participate. His biggest chart success was with its follow-up "Mo Money Mo Problems", featuring Sean Combs (under the rap alias "Puff Daddy") and Mase. Both singles reached #1 in the Hot 100, making Wallace the first artist to achieve this feat posthumously. The third single, "Sky's The Limit", featuring the band 112, was noted for its use of children in the music video, directed by Spike Jonze, who were used to portray Wallace and his contemporaries, including Sean Combs, Lil' Kim, and Busta Rhymes. Wallace was named Artist of the Year and "Hypnotize" Single of the Year by ''Spin'' magazine in December 1997.

In mid-1997, Combs released his debut album, ''No Way Out'', which featured Wallace on five songs, notably on the third single "Victory". The most prominent single from the record album was "I'll Be Missing You", featuring Combs, Faith Evans and 112, which was dedicated to Wallace's memory. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, ''Life After Death'' and its first two singles received nominations in the rap category. The album award was won by Combs' ''No Way Out'' and "I'll Be Missing You" won the award in the category of Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group in which "Mo Money Mo Problems" was nominated.

Wallace had founded a hip hop supergroup called The Commission, which consisted of Jay-Z, Lil' Cease, Combs, Charli Baltimore and himself. The Commission was mentioned by Wallace in the lyrics of "What's Beef" on ''Life After Death'' and "Victory" from ''No Way Out'' but never completed an album. A song on ''Duets: The Final Chapter'' titled "Whatchu Want (The Commission)" featuring Jay-Z was based on the group.

In December 1999, Bad Boy released ''Born Again''. The record consisted of previously unreleased material mixed with guest appearances including many artists Wallace had never collaborated with in his lifetime. It gained some positive reviews but received criticism for its unlikely pairings; ''The Source'' describing it as "compiling some of the most awkward collaborations of his career". Nevertheless, the album sold 3 million copies. Over the course of time, Wallace's vocals would appear on hit songs such as "Foolish" by Ashanti and "Realest Niggas" in 2002, and the song "Runnin' (Dying to Live)" with Shakur the following year. He also appeared on Michael Jackson's 2001 album, ''Invincible''. In 2005, ''Duets: The Final Chapter'' continued the pattern started on ''Born Again'' and was criticized for the lack of significant vocals by Wallace on some of its songs. Its lead single "Nasty Girl" became Wallace's first UK #1 single. Combs and Voletta Wallace have stated the album will be the last release primarily featuring new material.

Legacy

Wallace is celebrated as one of the greatest rap artists and is described by Allmusic as "the savior of East Coast hip-hop". ''The Source'' and ''Blender'' named Wallace the greatest rapper of all time. In 2003, when ''XXL'' magazine asked several hip hop artists to list their five favorite MCs, Wallace's name appeared on more rappers' lists than anyone else. In 2006, he was ranked at #3 in MTV's ''The Greatest MC's of All Time''.

Since his death, Wallace's lyrics have been sampled and quoted by a variety of hip hop, R&B; and pop artists including Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Alicia Keys, Fat Joe, Nelly, Ja Rule, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Game, Clinton Sparks, Michael Jackson and Usher. On August 28, 2005, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Sean Combs (then using the rap alias "P. Diddy") and Snoop Dogg paid tribute to Wallace: an orchestra played while the vocals from "Juicy" and "Warning" played on the arena speakers. In September 2005, VH1 had its second annual "Hip Hop Honors", with a tribute to Wallace headlining the show.

Wallace had begun to promote a clothing line called Brooklyn Mint, which was to produce plus-sized clothing but fell dormant after he died. In 2004, his managers, Mark Pitts and Wayne Barrow, launched the clothing line, with help from Jay-Z, selling T-shirts with images of Wallace on them. A portion of the proceeds go to the Christopher Wallace Foundation and to Jay-Z's Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. In 2005, Voletta Wallace hired branding and licensing agency Wicked Cow Entertainment to guide the Estate's licensing efforts. Wallace-branded products on the market include action figures, blankets, and cell phone content.

The Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation holds an annual black-tie dinner ("B.I.G. Night Out") to raise funds for children's school equipment and supplies and to honor the memory of the late rapper. For this particular event, because it is a children's schools' charity, "B.I.G." is also said to stand for "Books Instead of Guns".

Style

Wallace mostly rapped on his songs in a deep tone described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "thick, jaunty grumble", which went deeper on ''Life After Death''. He was often accompanied on songs with ad libs from Sean "Puffy" Combs. On ''The Source'''s Unsigned Hype, they described his style as "cool, nasal, and filtered, to bless his own material".

Allmusic describe Wallace as having "a loose, easy flow" with "a talent for piling multiple rhymes on top of one another in quick succession". ''Time'' magazine wrote Wallace rapped with an ability to "make multi-syllabic rhymes sound... smooth", while Krims describes Wallace's rhythmic style as "effusive". Before starting a verse, Wallace sometimes used onomatopoeic vocables to "warm up" (for example "uhhh" at the beginning of "Hypnotize" and "Big Poppa" and "whaat" after certain rhymes in songs such as "My Downfall").

Lateef of Latyrx notes that Wallace had, “intense and complex flows”, Fredro Starr of Onyx says, “Biggie was a master of the flow”, and Bishop Lamont states that Wallace mastered “all the hemispheres of the music”. “Notorious B.I.G. also often used the single-line rhyme scheme to add variety and interest to his flow”. Wallace was known to compose lyrics in his head, rather than write them down on paper, in a similar way to Jay-Z.

Wallace would occasionally vary from his usual style. On "Playa Hater" from his second album, he sang in a slow-falsetto. On his collaboration with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, "Notorious Thugs", he modified his style to match the rapid rhyme flow of the group.

Themes and lyrical content

Wallace's lyrical topics and themes included mafioso tales ("Niggas Bleed"), his drug dealing past ("10 Crack Commandments"), materialistic bragging ("Hypnotize"), as well as humor ("Just Playing (Dreams)"), and romance ("Me & My Bitch"). ''Rolling Stone'' named Wallace in 2004 as "one of the few young male songwriters in any pop style writing credible love songs".

Guerilla Black, in the book ''How to Rap'', describes how Wallace was able to both “glorify the upper echelon” and “[make] you feel his struggle”. According to Touré of ''The New York Times'' in 1994, Wallace's lyrics "[mixed] autobiographical details about crime and violence with emotional honesty". Marriott of ''The New York Times'' (in 1997) believed his lyrics were not strictly autobiographical and wrote he "had a knack for exaggeration that increased sales". Wallace described his debut as "a big pie, with each slice indicating a different point in my life involving bitches and niggaz... from the beginning to the end".

''Ready to Die'' is described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a contrast of "bleak" street visions and being "full of high-spirited fun, bringing the pleasure principle back to hip-hop". ''Allmusic'' write of "a sense of doom" in some of his songs and the ''NY Times'' note some being "laced with paranoia"; Wallace described himself as feeling "broke and depressed" when he made his debut. The final song on the album, "Suicidal Thoughts", featured Wallace contemplating suicide and concluded with him committing the act.

On ''Life After Death'', Wallace's lyrics went "deeper". Krims explains how upbeat, dance-oriented tracks (which featured less heavily on his debut) alternate with "reality rap" songs on the record and suggests that he was "going pimp" through some of the lyrical topics of the former. ''XXL'' magazine wrote that Wallace "revamped his image" through the portrayal of himself between the albums, going from "midlevel hustler" on his debut to "drug lord".

Allmusic wrote that the success of ''Ready to Die'' is "mostly due to Wallace's skill as a storyteller"; In 1994, ''Rolling Stone'' described Wallace's ability in this technique as painting "a sonic picture so vibrant that you're transported right to the scene". On ''Life After Death'' Wallace notably demonstrated this skill on "I Got a Story to Tell" telling a story as a rap for the first half of the song and then as a story "for his boys" in conversation form.

Biopic

''Notorious'' is a 2009 biographical film about Wallace and his life that starred rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard as Wallace. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr. and distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Producers included Sean "Diddy" Combs, Wallace's former managers Wayne Barrow and Mark Pitts, as well as Voletta Wallace. On January 16, 2009, the movie's debut at the Grand 18 theater in Greensboro, North Carolina was postponed after a man was shot in the parking lot before the show. Ultimately, the film grossed over $43,000,000 worldwide.

In early October 2007, open casting calls for the role of Wallace began. Actors, rappers and unknowns all tried out. Beanie Sigel auditioned for the role, but was not picked. Sean Kingston claimed that he would play the role of Wallace, but producers denied he would be in the film. Eventually it was announced that rapper Jamal "Gravy" Woolard was cast as Wallace while Wallace's son, Christopher Wallace, Jr. was cast to play Wallace as a child. Other cast members include Angela Bassett as Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, Antonique Smith as Faith Evans, Naturi Naughton formerly of 3LW as Lil' Kim, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. Bad Boy released a soundtrack album to the film on January 13, 2009; the album contains hit singles of B.I.G. such as "Hypnotize", "Juicy", and "Warning" as well as rarities.

Discography

Studio albums

1994: ''Ready to Die''

1997: ''Life After Death''

Posthumous albums

1997: ''Life After Death''

1999: ''Born Again''

2005: ''Duets: The Final Chapter''

Collaboration albums

1995: ''Conspiracy'' (with Junior M.A.F.I.A.)

Compilation albums

2007: ''Greatest Hits''

2009: ''Notorious: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''

Awards and nominations

name	The Notorious B.I.G.
awards	4
nominations	11
billboardw	2
billboardn	2
grammyn	4
mtvvideow	1
mtvvideon	2
soulw	1
souln	3 }}

Wallace received two nominations from the Billboard Music Awards in 1995, including Rap Artist of the Year and Rap Single of the Year. The song "Mo Money Mo Problems" received several nominations in 1998, including Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy Awards; Best Rap Video at the MTV Video Music Awards; and Best R&B;/Soul Album and Best R&B;/Soul or Rap Music Video at the Soul Train Music Awards. Overall, Wallace has received four awards from eleven nominations; one award and six nominations were received posthumously.

Billboard Music Awards

The Billboard Music Awards is sponsored by ''Billboard'' magazine and held annually in December.

|- |rowspan="2"| 1995 || The Notorious B.I.G. || Rap Artist of the Year || |- | "One More Chance" || Rap Single of the Year ||

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.

|- | || "Big Poppa" || Best Rap Solo Performance || |- |rowspan="3"| || "Hypnotize" || Best Rap Solo Performance || |- | "Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy) || Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group || |- | ''Life After Death'' || Best Rap Album ||

MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by MTV.

|- | || "Hypnotize" || Best Rap Video || |- | || "Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy) || Best Rap Video ||

Soul Train Music Awards

The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual awards show that honors black musicians and entertainers.

|- |rowspan="3"| 1998 || ''Life After Death'' || Best R&B;/Soul Album, Male || |- |rowspan="2"| "Mo Money Mo Problems" (with Mase and Puff Daddy) || Best R&B;/Soul Album || |- | Best R&B;/Soul or Rap Music Video ||

The Source Awards

The Source Awards were awarded by hip hop magazine ''The Source''.

|- |rowspan="4"| 1995 || The Notorious B.I.G. || New Artist of the Year, Solo || |- | ''Ready to Die'' || Album of the Year || |- | The Notorious B.I.G. || Lyricist of the Year || |- | The Notorious B.I.G. || Live Performer of the Year ||

References

Further reading

External links

BiggieDuets.com The Notorious B.I.G. Official Biggie Duets album website.

B.I.G. Action Figure Notorious B.I.G. official first ever action figure.

Notorious Movie "Notorious" Movie Official Site

biggiesmalls-rapphenomenon.com Biggie Smalls - Rap Phenomenon DVD documentary official site

FBI file on Christopher Wallace

NotoriousOnline.org – NotoriousOnline.org is a Non-profit website in memory of the late great Notorious BIG a.k.a. Biggie Smalls.

Category:1972 births Category:1997 deaths Category:American drug traffickers Category:American murder victims Category:American rappers of Jamaican descent Big Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:Deaths by firearm in California Category:Murdered rappers Category:People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Category:People murdered in California Category:Pseudonymous rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Unsolved murders in the United States

ar:نوتوريوس بي. آي. جي. az:Notorious B.I.G. bg:The Notorious B.I.G. cs:The Notorious B.I.G. da:The Notorious B.I.G. de:The Notorious B.I.G. et:The Notorious B.I.G. el:The Notorious B.I.G. es:The Notorious B.I.G. fa:نوتوریوس بی.آی.جی fr:The Notorious B.I.G. fy:The Notorious B.I.G. ga:The Notorious B.I.G. gl:The Notorious B.I.G. ko:노토리어스 B.I.G. it:The Notorious B.I.G. he:הנוטוריוס בי.איי.ג'י. ka:The Notorious B.I.G. sw:The Notorious B.I.G. la:Christophorus Wallace lv:The Notorious B.I.G. nl:The Notorious B.I.G. ja:ノトーリアス・B.I.G. no:The Notorious B.I.G. pl:The Notorious B.I.G. pt:The Notorious B.I.G. ro:The Notorious B.I.G. ru:The Notorious B.I.G. simple:The Notorious B.I.G. sk:The Notorious B.I.G. sl:Notorious B.I.G. sh:The Notorious B.I.G. fi:The Notorious B.I.G. sv:The Notorious B.I.G. ta:நொடோரியஸ் பி.ஐ.ஜி th:เดอะโนทอเรียสบีไอจี tr:The Notorious B.I.G. uk:The Notorious B.I.G. yo:The Notorious B.I.G. zh:聲名狼藉先生

Name	Rocko
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Rodney Ramone Hill, Jr.
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, Vocalist
Years active	2007–present
Label	A1 Entertainment (CEO)/Def Jam
Website	Island website }}

Rodney Ramone Hill, Jr. (born 1979) is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is signed to Island Urban through his own Rocky Road Records imprint. His debut album, ''Self-Made'', was released on March 18, 2008. The album sold nearly 28,000 copies in its first week of release. He is currently working on his second album, ''One of One'', which will be released sometime soon. He also did two collaborations with Blue Marley called ''My Car'' in 2009 and their latest ''Dope Boi'' in June 2011.

Hill has two sons, Rodney Ramone III, and Romelo Montez from a relationship with his ex-fiance, R&B; singer Monica.

Discography

2008: ''Self-Made''

TBA: ''One of One''

Filmography

Television

Monica: Still Standing - (Guest stars as Himself)

References

External links

Rocko at the Island website

Category:American rappers Category:African American rappers Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Living people Category:1979 births

fr:Rocko

name	Kid Cudi
background	solo_singer
birth name	Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi
birth date	January 30, 1984
birth place	Cleveland, Ohio, United States
genre	Hip hop, Alternative Hip Hop alternative rock, neo-psychedelia
occupation	Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor
years active	2006–present
label	GOOD Music, Universal Motown, Wicked Awesome
Associated acts	2 Be Continuum, Dot da Genius, Kanye West, Chip tha Ripper, Ratatat
website	kidcudi.com }}

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), better known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape ''A Kid Named Cudi''. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs charts. "Day 'n' Nite" is part of Cudi's debut album ''Man on the Moon: The End of Day''. Kid Cudi has sold over 4.6 million digital singles and has worked with Kanye West, Common, David Guetta and other artists signed to the GOOD Music label.

Early life

Kid Cudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Shaker Heights and Solon. His father, a house painter, substitute teacher and World War II Air Force veteran was Mexican-Native American, while his mother, a middle-school choir teacher at Roxboro Middle School, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is African-American. When he was eleven years old, Mescudi's father died of cancer; his passing would have a significant effect on Mescudi's personality and subsequently his music. Mescudi attended Shaker Heights High School for two years, then transferred to Solon High School, and later earned his GED. Eventually, Mescudi studied film at the University of Toledo then dropped out after a year.

Music career

It was towards the end of high school that Mescudi first began rapping, inspired by alternative hip hop groups such as The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest. He moved to Brooklyn in New York City to pursue a music career. In July 2008, Kid Cudi released his first mixtape, ''A Kid Named Cudi'', in collaboration with New York street-wear brand 10.Deep as a free download. The mixtape quickly caught the attention of Kanye West, which in turn spawned his signing to GOOD Music later that year.

Kid Cudi was featured on Kanye West's 2008 album, ''808s & Heartbreak'', singing with West on the track "Welcome to Heartbreak", and helping with songwriting on "Heartless" and "Paranoid". "Welcome to Heartbreak" peaked at #87 on the Pop 100, and music videos for both songs have been released. Cudi was then tipped as an artist to watch for in medias such as ''Rolling Stone'', ''Vibe'', ''The Source'', ''XXL'' and BBC News's Sound of 2009 poll of up-and-coming acts. MTV News also reported on Cudi on a series of reports ''MCs To Watch In 2009''.

His first television appearance was at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, alongside Travis Barker and DJ AM. On February 17, 2009, he appeared on Snoop Dogg's MTV talk show ''Dogg After Dark'' performing "Day 'n' Nite" at the end of the show. Two days later on February 19, 2009, Cudi appeared on BET's ''106 & Park'' with Kanye West to debut the video of "Day 'n' Nite". On March 16, 2009 Kid Cudi performed on mtvU's Spring Break special, and the next day he performed three songs on NBC's ''Last Call with Carson Daly''. He has also appeared as a musical guest on ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' and ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''.

Kid Cudi also made a cameo appearance next to Solange in the video for the song "T.O.N.Y." in February 2009, and later in The Black Eyed Peas' video for "I Gotta Feeling", with David Guetta. He has also been on two magazine covers, ''Complex'' (August/September 2009) and ''URB'' (August 2009). Bape awarded Cudi his own t-shirt in September 2009, in reward for his music and past employment there when living in New York City.

2009–present: ''Man on the Moon'' series

Cudi's debut album ''Man on the Moon: The End of Day'' was released on Universal Motown Records on September 15, 2009 and sold 104,419 copies in the first week and charted at #4. The album's first single was Day 'N' Nite, and is Kid Cudi's greatest commercial success thus far, the song charting well both in the U.S. and in Europe. The next single was "Make Her Say" (originally titled "I Poke Her Face"), which features a sample from Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face" and performances by Kanye West and Common.

On February 25, 2009, Cudi self-leaked a "teaser trailer" for the upcoming ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' film using his song "Sky Might Fall" in the background, later he posted that he made the trailer himself and now was in talks to possibly make it official.

With Emile Haynie, Cudi produced an exclusive single called "Switchin Lanes" for the video game ''Midnight Club: Los Angeles'', part of its "South Central Premium Upgrade" downloadable content (DLC) which came out March 19, 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and March 27, 2009 for the Xbox 360.

He revealed information about his future plans via his blog, saying that a possible collaboration with Chip Tha Ripper could be followed with a collaboration project with electrorock duo Ratatat. During the summer of 2009, Cudi joined rapper Asher Roth for the Great Hangover concert tour. Kid Cudi featured on the highly anticipated Jay-Z album ''The Blueprint 3'', on the song "Already Home". In a recent interview, Cudi announced that the follow-up to his debut album will be a collaboration album called ''Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution''. He stated he has already recorded songs with Snoop Dogg, Travis Barker, Clipse, Cage and Pharrell and would also like to work with Drake, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Robin Thicke, The Killers and The Postal Service on the album. Also it's rumored that "Man On The Moon: The End Of Day" will be followed up by a sequel titled "Man On The Moon: The Ghost in the Machine" and that the ''Man on the Moon'' will be a trilogy, but has not been confirmed. Kid Cudi was nominated for three 2010 Grammy Awards for his singles, "Day 'n' Nite" and "Make Her Say". Kid Cudi was recently featured on Snoop Dogg's ''More Malice'' deluxe album, in the song "That Tree". Kid Cudi also teamed up with Johnny Polygon to remix Johnny's "Riot Song" which appears on Johnny's album, ''Rebel Without Applause'' On April 20, 2010, Kid Cudi announced that the name of his second album has been changed from ''Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution'' to ''Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager''. On June 11, 2010, Kid Cudi was arrested in the Chelsea neighborhood of the Manhattan borough New York City and charged with felony criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance. Despite his arrest, he was released and made it to Manchester, Tennessee in time to play at Bonnaroo.

On June 30, "Erase me" featuring Kanye West was released through the radio. The song was produced by Jim Jonsin.

In October 2010, Cudi announced that he would be forming a rock band with Dot da Genius called Wizard. However, in early 2011, he announced that he would be making a new mixtape followed by a rock album.

In March 2011, Cudi announced that a music video for "Marijuana" will be released in the spring, followed by a music video of "Mr. Rager" in the summer of 2011. Also, the short film for "Maniac" directed by Shia LaBeouf will be released in October 2011.

In April 2011, while performing at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom Kid Cudi announced the new name for his label. The new label, which he will be releasing his third studio album on is called “Wicked Awesome Records”. He also announced the name of his new band, “2 Be Continuum” renaming it from the original Wizard. Kid Cudi explained the reason he changed the name of the band saying, “I needed something more original, something different, but it’s still wizardry at its finest”.

On August 12, 2011, Kid Cudi released the music video for "No One Believes Me", directed by Fright Night director Craig Gillespie. Although the song was recorded as a 2 Be Continuum song, the single was released under Kid Cudi's name. On August 21, Cudi announced that he is no longer releasing the mixtape ''A Man Named Scott'' so that he can focus on the 2 Be Continuum project ''Wizard'' and his third solo album ''Man on the Moon III''.

Acting career

Kid Cudi is currently starring in the new HBO comedy series ''How to Make it in America'', produced by Mark Wahlberg.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Man on the Moon: The End of Day'' (2009)

''Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager'' (2010)

''Man on the Moon III'' (Fall 2012)

;Collaboration albums ''WiZaRd'' (2011) – with 2 Be Continuum

;Mixtapes

''A Kid Named Cudi'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:African American singers Category:American rappers of Mexican descent Category:Electro-hop musicians Category:American people of Native American descent Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Shaker Heights, Ohio Category:People from Solon, Ohio Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Rappers from Ohio Category:University of Toledo alumni Category:Wonky Pop acts Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio

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