History

Early career

Campbell decided to sell a separate clean version in addition to the explicit version of the next album, ''Move Somethin''' (1988), produced by Mr. Mixx. A record store clerk in Alexander City, Alabama was cited for selling a copy to an undercover police officer in 1988. It was the first time in the United States that a record store owner was held liable for obscenity over music. The charges were dropped after a jury found the record store not guilty.

As Nasty As They Wanna Be

Navarro warned record store owners that selling the album may be prosecutable. The 2 Live Crew then filed a suit against Navarro. That June, U.S. district court Judge Jose Gonzalez ruled the album obscene and illegal to sell. Charles Freeman, a local retailer, was arrested two days later, after selling a copy to an undercover police officer. This was followed by the arrest of three members of The 2 Live Crew after they performed some material from the album at a nightclub. They were acquitted soon after, as professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. testified at their trial in defense of their lyrics. Freeman's conviction was overturned on appeal as well.

In 1992, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned the obscenity ruling from Judge Gonzalez, and the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear Broward County's appeal. As in the Freeman case, Gates testified on behalf of Navarro, arguing that the material that the county alleged was profane actually had important roots in African-American vernacular, games, and literary traditions and should be protected.

As a result of the controversy, ''As Nasty As They Wanna Be'' sold over two million copies. It peaked at #29 on The Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A few other retailers were later arrested for selling it as well, including Canadian Marc Emery who was convicted in Ontario in 1991, and would later gain fame as a marijuana activist. Later hard rock band Van Halen sued over an uncleared sample of their song "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" in The 2 Live Crew Song "The Fuck Shop". The publicity then continued when George Lucas, owner of the ''Star Wars'' universe, successfully sued Campbell for appropriating the name "Skywalker" for his record label, Luke Skyywalker Records. Campbell changed his stage name to Luke (and changed the record label's name to Luke Records) and the group released an extremely political follow up album, ''Banned in the USA'' after obtaining permission to use an interpolation of Bruce Springsteen's ''Born in the U.S.A.'' The 2 Live Crew paraphernalia with the Luke Skyywalker or Skyywalker logos are often sought-after collector's items.

Post-controversy

In 1992, Fresh Kid Ice released unreleased tracks from pre-Luke The 2 Live Crew, Deal with This under the name Rock on Crew, while Luke and Ice also released new solo albums, ''I Got Shit on My Mind'' and ''The Chinaman'', respectively.

Mark "Brother Marquis" Ross co-starred alongside Fred Williamson in the film South Beach and started a new group with Aldrin "DJ Toomp" Davis, and Thomas "The Saint" Brooks of Marianna Fl,a former member of Poison Clan, which was also signed to Campbell's label. They named the group 2 Nazty, and released the album "Indecent Exposure" on Attitude Records in 1993. The single was called "Can't Say I Love You," but it did not chart, and the group never released a second album. The single was a departure from the typical 2 Live nasty rhymes, and focuses on what a deep emotion love is, and how it should not be said to anyone lightly. The rest of the album sounds like a The 2 Live Crew record, and focuses on sexual exploits of the members.

The hard feelings over the split of the The 2 Live Crew is apparent on the album, as Marquis is heard on the track "Interview" saying he was fired from the group, and that the other members had no love for him. DJ Toomp also has a line in "Be My Bitch" comparing signing a deal with Skyywalker Records to signing your life away.

1994: New line-up and lawsuit

"Oh, Pretty Woman" lawsuit

Reunions

Mr. Mixx left soon after, leaving Fresh Kid Ice and Brother Marquis to record ''The Real One'' in 1998. It peaked at #59 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 1998, Brother Marquis became a born-again Christian, quit the group, and began devoting himself to combating what he sees as the "evils" that he as a member of The 2 Live Crew portrayed and glorified. Rapper "First Degree aka Tiki was then recruited as the groups newest addition by Fresh Kid Ice however, his attempt was only for a duration of a few years. Brother Marquis's born again status/views on music changed back to his roots in 2006 when he worked with music producers Dylan Berry and Noah Lifschey of Hollowstone Music under in the LA rock/rap group called the Shake Joint and released a solo album in 2008 that contained explicit lyrics.

Fresh Kid Ice, under the old banner of The 2 Live Crew, performed at the 2005 Gathering of the Juggalos.

In late 2007, the duo of Fresh Kid Ice and Brother Marquis announced on their MySpace page that they will be releasing an album sometime in 2010. The album, tentatively named ''Just Wanna Be Heard'', is currently scheduled for release in 2010.§

Brother Marquis and Fresh Kid Ice have performed at a number of Exxxotica shows in Miami Beach,Chicago, New Jersey, and Los Angeles.

In May 2010, it was announced that the duo's new album, "Just Wanna Be Heard", will feature production from Mannie Fresh and will be released on Nu Focuz Entertainment/Lil' Joe Records with guest verses from Too Short, E-40, and Insane Clown Posse. It was set to be released in August 2010, but currently the release date is unknown.

Discography

References

External links

Category:Southern hip hop groups Category:Obscenity controversies Category:Musical groups from Miami, Florida Category:Musical quartets

Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American R&B; recording artist, and songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Hilson made herself a name as a songwriter, penning tracks for several artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production/songwriting team known as The Clutch. In 2006, she signed a recording contract with Timbaland's label, Mosley Music. Critics have credited Hilson for her amazing songwriting skills and her vocal performances.

Hilson released her debut studio album, ''In a Perfect World...'' in March 2009, which peaked within the top five of the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart and featured the hit singles "Knock You Down" and "Turnin Me On". The album reached number one on the US Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was eventually certified gold. Hilson earned two Grammy Award nominations for the album including Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Knock You Down", which features Kanye West and Ne-Yo. A reissue of the album, included previously unreleased songs such as "I Like". The song became Hilson's first number one hit in Germany and certified platinum there. Unfortunately for Hilson, however, saw no success in receiving a Grammy. As a prominent guest vocalist in both the contemporary R&B; and hip hop genres, Hilson has been featured on over a dozen singles by other artists, including the number-one hit single "The Way I Are" with Timbaland.

Life and career

1982–2000: Early life and career beginnings

2001–2007: Songwriting with The Clutch and solo ventures

She remained mostly behind the scenes until 2004, when she was featured on the single "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)" by the rapper Xzibit. Hilson made her performing debut at the 2004 MTV Europe Music Awards in which she performed the song live with Xzibit. In 2006 she signed as an artist to Timbaland's record label, Mosley Music. In 2007 Hilson made several appearances on Timbaland's solo effort ''Shock Value'', including the singles "Scream" and "The Way I Are" which reached number three on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Furthermore, she was featured on the track "Lost Girls" on Zone 4-labelmate Rich Boy's debut album and its second single "Good Things". Hilson was credited as a writer and backing vocalist on Britney Spears's album ''Blackout''. She made several appearances in music videos for singles such as "Love in This Club" by Usher and also in the music video for Ne-Yo's single, "Miss Independent".

2008–2009: The Year of Relevance: ''In a Perfect World...''

"Energy" was released as the album's lead single on May 20, 2008. It reached a peak of number seventy-eight on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number twenty-one on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and achieved minor success in the UK. The song became a success in New Zealand, where it reached a peak of number two and gained a gold accreditation there. In October 2008 Hilson collaborated with fellow singer Chris Brown on a song titled "Superhuman", which reached the top twenty in Ireland and New Zealand. "Return the Favor" which features Timbaland was released as the album's second single. It peaked within the top twenty in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium. "Turnin Me On" which featured Lil Wayne became Hilson's first top twenty hit as a solo artist on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it reached number fifteen on the chart. The song reached number two on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Hilson's first top five hit on the chart.

"Knock You Down", a collaboration with Kanye West and Ne-Yo, was released as the album's fourth single. The song has proven to be Hilson's most successful worldwide single to date. It peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three non-consecutive weeks and topped the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It additionally appeared the in top ten of five other countries and certified platinum in New Zealand and gold in Australia. The song received a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 52nd Grammy Awards. A reissue of the album, included previously unreleased songs such as "I Like". The song was used for the German film ''Zweiohrküken'' and became Hilson's first number one hit in Germany which certified platinum there. Meanwhile Hilson continued appearing on single releases by several artists throughout 2009 including Plies' single "Medicine", Fabolous' "Everything, Everyday, Everywhere," Nas' "Hero" and Sean Paul's "Hold My Hand".

2010–present: ''No Boys Allowed''

Her second studio album, ''No Boys Allowed,'' was released on December 21, 2010. Hilson explained that "''No Boys Allowed'' is a deeply personal project designed to bring women to their feet. The provocative title, is not what you may think. It's not about excluding men. It's more about women understanding that there comes a time in your life when you want a man. A real man. A grown up. Not a boy. And that's not a bad thing. I write from a female perspective, but I'm also telling men what women are really thinking and feeling about them." The album debuted at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 102,000  copies sold. Though it sold 8,000  copies more than her debut album, ''In a Perfect World...'', it failed to match that album's debut chart position of number four.

"Breaking Point," produced by Timbaland was released as the album's lead single in the United States on September 7, 2010. It reached a peak of number forty-four on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Pretty Girl Rock" was released as the second single on October 12, 2010. It has reached a current peak of number ten on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaked at number twenty four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The music video for the song has received critical acclaim and praise for its homage to musical icons of the past such as Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, The Andrews Sisters, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson and TLC. Hilson appears as each singer in a well-known scene from the era depicted. As of early 2011 she is preparing for a spring tour and is opening for TLC's 20th Anniversary celebration concert and beginning work on a third album featuring TLC, Blaque and more girl groups.

"One Night Stand " featuring Chris Brown, is the album's third single. In February 2011, Hilson told ''Rap-Up'' magazine that she was considering choosing "One Night Stand" as the next single from ''No Boys Allowed'', after an outpouring of fan support. She said, "My fans are really liking "One Night Stand" with Chris Brown ... I have a lot of favorites, but the fans are wanting "One Night Stand." It’s going to be my urban single. Not going to be, but if we go with it, we'll go with that." The song has appeared on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number sixty-eight. It has been announced that "Lose Control" featuring Nelly, will serve as the album's next single.

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Category:1982 births Category:African American singers Category:American dance musicians Category:American female singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Emory University alumni Category:Interscope Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia