Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Official name	City of Martinez
Settlement type	City
Map caption	Location in Contra Costa County and the state of California
Coordinates region	US-CA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Contra Costa
Leader title	Mayor
Leader title1	Senate
Leader name1	Mark DeSaulnier (D)
Leader title2	Assembly
Leader name2	Susan Bonilla (D)
Leader title3	U. S. Congress
Leader name3	George Miller (D)
Established date
unit pref	US
area footnotes
area total sq mi	13.135
area land sq mi	12.131
area water sq mi	1.004
area total km2	34.019
area land km2	31.420
area water km2	2.600
area water percent	7.64
area note
Elevation ft	23
Elevation m	7
Population as of	2010
Population total	35824
Population density km2	auto
Population density sq mi	auto
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	-8
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates type	region:US_type:city
Timezone dst	PDT
Utc offset dst	-7
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	94553
Area code	925
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	06-46114
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0277553
Website	}}

Martinez ( or ; Spanish: ''Martínez'', meaning: Martinson) is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings. Martinez is located on the south side of the Carquinez Strait in the San Francisco Bay Area, directly facing the city of Benicia.

History

In 1824 the Alhambra Valley was included in the Rancho El Pinole Mexican land grant to Ygnacio Martínez. In 1847, Dr. Robert Semple contracted to provide ferry service from Martinez to Benicia, which for many years was the only crossing on the Carquinez Strait. By 1849, Martínez served as a weigh station for the California Gold Rush. The town was laid out in 1849 by Col. William M. Smith and named for Martinez. It became the county seat in 1850, but could not incorporate at the time because it lacked the 200 registered voters required, and only became a city in 1876. thumb|left|John Muir House.Martinez was the home of John Muir from 1880 until his death in 1914. He was buried about a mile south of the building that is now the John Muir National Historic Site. Also nearby is the Vicente Martinez Adobe, built in 1849 by the son of Ygnacio Martinez. In 1915, Shell Oil Company built an oil refinery near Martinez, which sparked a building boom in the area. A second area refinery (presently owned by Tesoro Petroleum Co.), together with the Shell facilities, help make Martinez a significant petroleum processing center and port. Martinez's oil refineries can still be seen today from Interstate 680.

Martinez features in a folk etymology regarding the Martini cocktail.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.1 square miles (34.0 km²), of which, 12.1 square miles (31.4 km²) of it is land and 1.0 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (7.64%) is water.

Although the common perception of Martinez is that of a refinery town, given the view from Highway 680 across the Shell refinery and the strong smell of petroleum that greets visitors coming from the Martinez-Benicia Bridge, the city is in fact largely surrounded by water and regional open space preserves. The Martinez-Benicia Bridge carries Highway 680 across the eastern end of the Carquinez Strait to Solano County. The city can be defined as a more densely built downtown valley threaded by Alhambra creek and north of Highway 4. Suburban areas stretch south of Highway 4 to join the neighboring city of Pleasant Hill. Unincorporated areas include the rural Alhambra Valley and the Franklin Canyon area.

The Martinez Regional Shoreline bounds the city to the north along the Carquinez Strait. Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline includes the Franklin Hills west of downtown, stretching west to the unincorporated community of Port Costa and the town of Crockett. Briones Regional Park borders the Alhambra Valley to the south. Waterbird Regional Preserve and the McNabney Marsh border the city and Highway 680 to the east. Martinez's location at the east end of the Carquinez Strait as it widens to Suisun Bay includes dramatic water views stretching to the Sierra range. From surrounding ridge tops views stretch to nearby Mt. Diablo, Mt. St. Helena, Mt. Tamalpais, etc.

Martinez is one of the only two places in the Bay Area, the other being Golden Gate Bridge, where the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the San Francisco Bay Trail converge. The Bay Trail is a planned recreational corridor that, when complete, will encircle San Francisco and San Pablo bays with a continuous network of bicycling and hiking trails. It will connect the shoreline of all nine Bay Area counties, link 47 cities, and cross the major toll bridges in the region, including the Martinez-Benicia Bridge. To date, approximately of the alignment—over half the Bay Trail’s ultimate length—have been completed. The Bay Area Ridge Trail ultimately will be a 500+ mile trail encircling the San Francisco Bay along the ridge tops, open to hikers, equestrians, mountain bicyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts of all types. So far, over of trail have been dedicated for use. East Bay Regional Park District's Iron Horse Regional Trail will join the Bay Trail along the waterfront, and the Contra Costa Canal Trail threads through the city from Pleasant Hill to the south.

Climate

Martinez has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csa/b'').

Demographics

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Martinez had a population of 35,824. The population density was 2,727.4 people per square mile (1,053.1/km²). The racial makeup of Martinez was 27,603 (77.1%) White, 1,303 (3.6%) African American, 255 (0.7%) Native American, 2,876 (8.0%) Asian, 121 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 1,425 (4.0%) from other races, and 2,241 (6.3%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5,258 persons (14.7%).

The Census reported that 34,528 people (96.4% of the population) lived in households, 235 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,061 (3.0%) were institutionalized.

There were 14,287 households, out of which 4,273 (29.9%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 6,782 (47.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,751 (12.3%) had a female householder with no husband present, 640 (4.5%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 928 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 137 (1.0%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 3,920 households (27.4%) were made up of individuals and 1,078 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42. There were 9,173 families (64.2% of all households); the average family size was 2.95.

The population was spread out with 7,329 people (20.5%) under the age of 18, 2,842 people (7.9%) aged 18 to 24, 9,193 people (25.7%) aged 25 to 44, 12,121 people (33.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,339 people (12.1%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.2 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

There were 14,976 housing units at an average density of 1,140.2 per square mile (440.2/km²), of which 9,619 (67.3%) were owner-occupied, and 4,668 (32.7%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.9%. 23,876 people (66.6% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 10,652 people (29.7%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 35,866 people, 14,300 households, and 9,209 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,927.6 people per square mile (1,130.4/km²). There were 14,597 housing units at an average density of 1,191.5/sq mi (460.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.03% White, 3.35% Black or African American, 0.74% Native American, 6.63% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 3.29% from other races, and 4.72% from two or more races. 10.20% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 11.7% were of German, 10.8% Irish, 10.2% Italian, 9.4% English and 5.4% American ancestry.

There were 14,300 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.6% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $63,010, and the median income for a family was $77,411 (these figures had risen to $73,668 and $92,486 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $52,135 versus $40,714 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,701. About 3.2% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

The languages spoken were 88% English, 6% Spanish, 2% Tagalog, 1% German, 1% Chinese, 0.5% Italian, 0.5% Persian, 0.3% Korean, 0.3% Portuguese, 0.3% Russian, 0.3% Arabic, 0.2% Dutch, 0.2% Polish, 0.2% French, 0.2% Punjabi, 0.2% Vietnamese, 0.1% Japanese, 0.1% Tamil, 0.1% Cantonese. Of the 4,176 people who did not use English as their primary language 3,663 (87.7%) spoke it well or very well while 513 (12.3%) spoke it "not well" or "not at all"

Economy

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

! #	! Employer	! # of Employees
1		9,847
2	Shell Oil Company	742
3	Kaiser Permanente	722
4	Veterans Health Administration	650
5	Martinez Unified School District	380
6	Wal-Mart	234
7		174
8	Contra Costa Electric	150
9	City of Martinez	127
10	The Home Depot	120

Transportation

Rail

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, runs its California Zephyr daily in each direction through Martinez on its route between Emeryville (across the bay from San Francisco) and Chicago, also passing through Sacramento, Reno, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Omaha.

Amtrak's Coast Starlight operates daily in each direction through Martinez between Seattle and Los Angeles.

Amtrak California operates its Capitol Corridor trains through Martinez station, providing service several times daily between San Jose to the west and Auburn to the east (via Sacramento).

Amtrak California also runs its San Joaquin trains through Martinez, providing service several times daily between Oakland to the west and Bakersfield at the south end of the San Joaquin Valley. Bus connections branch off both the San Joaquins and the Capitol Corridor, providing service as far as San Diego; Las Vegas and Sparks, Nevada; and Medford, Oregon. One connection originates in Martinez and runs as far north as the Eureka area.

BART makes a stop at a station called North Concord/Martinez, although this station lies miles east of the city limits. The city was overlooked when the system was extended from Concord to Bay Point. However BART's long term plans include a new line extension running from Fremont and through the I-680 corridor and ending in Martinez. The new line will run along this course and continue along the planned extension to San José. Another planned configuration will be a BART or BART substitute rail service running between Martinez and East County.

Bus

WestCAT provides service to El Cerrito del Norte BART Station.

The County Connection is the primary local bus operator providing service throughout the area. Among its destinations are the Concord, Pleasant Hill, and Walnut Creek BART stations. The County Connection also provides paratransit service.

The Benicia Breeze crosses the Benicia-Martinez Bridge to Solano County and stops in Benicia and at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal in Vallejo.

Tri-Delta Transit runs express service between Martinez and eastern Contra Costa County.

Major highways

State Route 4 runs through Martinez westward to Hercules and eastward through Stockton and the Sierra Nevada to near the border of Nevada.

Interstate 680 runs northward across the Benicia-Martinez Bridge toward Sacramento via Interstate 80 and southward toward San Jose.

Education

Covering most of Martinez, the Martinez Unified School District encompasses four elementary schools, one middle school, one high school, and two alternative/independent study schools. Students in K-5 attend John Swett, John Muir, Las Juntas, or Morello Park Elementary School. Martinez Junior High School serves students in grades 6 through 8. St. Catherine of Siena is a private Catholic school that serves grades K-8. Alhambra High School serves as the districts' comprehensive high school. As of 2006, the districts' K-12 enrollment was 4,194. Part of Martinez is served by the Mount Diablo Unified School District, whose Hidden Valley Elementary School is located in Martinez. St. Catherine of Siena School (Martinez, California), a private Roman Catholic elementary, also serves the Martinez community.

Public libraries

The Martinez Library of the Contra Costa County Library is located in Martinez.

Beaver controversy

In early 2007, a group of beavers settled in a section of Alhambra Creek that flows through the city. The beavers and their dam became a local attraction. Because the , dam created a potential flood hazard, local officials proposed to remove the beavers. Increased run-off from developed areas along the creek has increased flooding in Martinez, a low-lying city built on a flood plain, in recent decades. Although Martinez had completed the construction of a $9.7 million dollar flood control project in 1999, the downtown was flooded in 2005, ironically two years before the beavers arrived. A City Council subcommittee was formed to consider whether the beavers could be protected and flood risk managed, and was given 90 days to issue a report to the full council for a vote. During this period, expert Skip Lisle was hired to install a flow device that could reduce the level of impounded water behind the beaver dam and mitigate flooding risk above the beaver dam. The beavers have received national attention, amateur video coverage, a webpage devoted to them, and a new nonprofit organization ("Worth A Dam") formed. The beaver have transformed Alhambra Creek from a trickle into multiple dams and beaver ponds, which in turn, led to the return of steelhead trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') and river otter (''Lontra canadensis'') in 2008, and mink (''Neovison vison'') in 2009. The beaver parents have produced babies every year since their 2006 arrival. However, in June, 2010, after birthing and successfully weaning triplets this year (and quadruplets the previous three years), "Mom Beaver" died of natural causes.

The Martinez beavers probably originated from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Historically, before the California Fur Rush of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Delta probably held the largest concentration of beaver in North America. It was California's early fur trade, more than any other single factor, that opened up the West, and the San Francisco Bay Area in particular, to world trade. In 1840, explorer Captain Thomas Farnham wrote that "There is probably no spot of equal extent in the whole continent of America which contains so many of these muchsought animals."

See also

John Muir National Historic Site

Alhambra Creek

Notable residents

Yau-Man Chan, Survivor Fiji

Robb Flynn, Machine Head frontman

Ella Leffland, author of National Book Award winner ''The Knight, Death and The Devil'', a historical novel based on Nazi Hermann Goering, was born in Martinez in 1931. Her critically acclaimed novel ''Rumors of Peace'' is drawn from the author's adolescence in Martinez (called Mendoza) during World War II.

John Muir, Naturalist

Tug McGraw, baseball player

Sara Del Rey, Professional Wrestler

Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankee baseball player, was born in the town in 1914.

NFL head coach Norv Turner and his brother Ron who is on the Chicago Bears staff grew up in Martinez.

Jeff Van Gundy, Former Houston Rockets head coach and current ESPN announcer, and his brother Stan Van Gundy, current head coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic, were raised in Martinez.

Maurice Benard, Actor known for playing Sonny Corinthos on General Hospital.

Norman Francis McFarland, Roman Catholic bishop

References

External links

City of Martinez homepage

Martinez Area Chamber of Commerce homepage

Category:Incorporated cities and towns in California Category:Cities in Contra Costa County, California Category:Cities in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:County seats in California Category:Populated places established in 1849 Category:Pony Express

ar:مارتينز، كاليفورنيا br:Martinez (California) bg:Мартинес ca:Martinez de:Martinez (Kalifornien) es:Martínez (California) eo:Martinez (Kalifornio) fa:مارتینز، کالیفرنیا fr:Martinez (Californie) it:Martinez (California) pam:Martinez, California sw:Martinez, California ht:Martinez, Kalifòni nl:Martinez (Californië) ja:マーティネズ (カリフォルニア州) pl:Martinez (Kalifornia) pt:Martinez (Califórnia) ru:Мартинес (Калифорния) sv:Martinez, Kalifornien tl:Martinez, California uk:Мартінес (Каліфорнія) vo:Martinez (California)

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Name	Vicci Martinez
Background	solo_singer
Origin	Tacoma, Washington, United States
Occupation	Singer, Songwriter
Years active	2000present
Website	www.viccimartinez.com }}

Vicci Martinez is an American singer/songwriter from Tacoma, Washington, who came in joint third/fourth on NBC's singing competition series ''The Voice'' in 2011. She came in first place on Team Cee Lo Green and represented him in the final round.

Martinez graduated from Stadium High School. Vicci first took the stage at the age of 16. Grounded firmly in the acoustic-rock tradition, Vicci Martinez writes and performs music personal and often autobiographical. Vicci has a strong following and has received critical acclaim with her live performances.

After the 2005 release of her fourth album, ''On My Way'', Vicci toured for promoting the album, as a result of which, she released a full-length concert DVD and documentary in 2006 entitled ''Vicci Martinez Live'' that was produced by Joel Veatch and Flying Spot receiving positive press attention. Vicci also released a live CD that had been recorded at the Jazzbones.

Vicci won the regional tryouts for the first season of ''American Idol'', but declined the invite to the second round due to her belief that the contract was too restrictive. She later appeared on CBS's 2003 season of ''Star Search''. Vicci has opened for, or shared the stage with, Sting, Annie Lennox, Bill Frisell, Christopher Cross, Supersuckers, Jonny Lang, The Presidents of the United States of America, Cherry Poppin Daddies, and Avril Lavigne. In 2011 after her appearance on The Voice, Vicci signed a record deal according to her "Voice" coach Cee Lo Green.

The Vicci Martinez Band

Vicci Martinez - voice & acoustic guitar

Rod Cook - lead guitar & backing vocal

Jeff Leonard - bass

Darin Watkins - drums

Eric Robert - keyboards

Discography

Albums

2000: ''VMB''

2003: ''Sleep to Dream''

2005: ''On My Way''

2006: ''Vicci Martinez Live''

2007: ''I Could Be a Boxer''

2009: ''From the Outside In''

2010: ''I Love You in the Morning''

2011: ''Live From Jazzbones''

Singles

Year	Single	Peak positions
		! width="50"	! width="50"
2011		78	26

References

External links

Vicci Martinez Official Website

Vicci Martinez Official Reverbnation Site

Vicci Martinez Official Myspace Site

Vicci Martinez Official Facebook Site

Vicci Martinez Official Twitter Site

Vicci Martinez Official Youtube Channel

Flying Spot Entertainment

Vicci on SonicBids

Vicci Martinez Army - First Fan Website for Vicci Martinez

Category:1984 births Category:American female singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American child singers Category:Lesbian musicians Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Washington (state) Category:American rock musicians Category:The Voice series contestants Category:People from Tacoma, Washington

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
name	Josh Martinez
background	solo_singer
born	August 6, 1977
genre	Hip Hop
occupation	Emcee
label	Camobear RecordsBella Union
associated acts	The ChicharonesThe Pissed Off Wild
website	http://www.joshmartinez.ca
notable instruments	}}

Josh Martinez (born August 6, 1977), is a Canadian rapper, record producer and record label executive. In the early 2000s, Martinez started his own label, Camobear Records, to which fellow rap artist Moka Only is signed. Josh Martinez was once named by Urb Magazine as one of its "Next 100 Rising Stars".

Biography

In addition to pursuing a solo career, Josh is a founding member of both the Chicharones and the Pissed Off Wild. The Chicharones is an underground pop and hip hop project in collaboration with rapper Sleep of Oldominion, following a chance meeting between the two at South By Southwest that led to the eventual formation of the group. The Pissed Off Wild, (or the P.O.W.), is a live rock band which Martinez fronts. Musically the band draws from artists like The Black Keys and Beck.

Martinez' 2005 solo album, ''Midriff Music'', produced by Southern California DJ Samix won the "Best Rap Recording" award at the 2005 Western Canadian Music Awards. After the success of his many solo albums and Chicharones material, he proceeded to work on material for his follow-up solo album, ''World Famous Sex Buffet''. Working with some of his regular production partners, he also enlisted the help of some notable guests artists whom he had met over the years. These include Devin The Dude, Classified, Pigeon John, indie rock band Mother Mother, Sleep and Awol One. Touring the world, Martinez has shared the stage and road with acts such as Sage Francis, Sole and Alias of Anticon.

Martinez currently resides in Portland, Oregon.

Discography

''Maximum Wellbeing'' (EP, 1998)

''Josh Martinez & The Hooded Fang'' (1999)

''The Hali Hundred'' (EP, 2000? a 'beta' version of Made In China)

''Made in China'' (Low Pressure Records, 2001)

''Rumble Pie'' (EP, Low Pressure Records, 2002)

''The Good Life'' (EP, Congregation Records, 2002)

''Buck Up Princess'' (2003)

''Midriff Music'' (Camobear Records, 2004)

''Splitsville'' (Camobear Records, 2007)

''The World Famous Sex Buffet'' (Camobear Records, 2008)

''Chicharones - Swine Country'' (Camobear Records, 2009)

References

External links

Josh Martinez

Josh Martinez MySpace

The Chicharones

Camobear Records

Haligonian Poesy in Effect: The Tumbling Verse of Josh Martinez

Breakout West - 2005 Awards

Category:Living people Category:1982 births Category:Canadian rappers

it:Josh Martinez

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
name	Angie Martinez
alias	The Voice of New York
background	solo_singer
birth name	Angela Martinez
born	January 09, 1971Brooklyn, New York, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Radio personality, rapper, actress
years active	1996–present
label	Elektra Records
website	TheAngieMartinezShow.com }}

Angela "Angie" Martinez (born January 9, 1971, Brooklyn, New York) is an American radio personality and occasional rapper.

Radio career

Angie Martinez got her first break in radio at the age of 16 answering hot lines at the urban radio station WQHT ("Hot 97"). There she met popular DJ Funkmaster Flex, and began working as his protégé. Martinez quickly picked up on the craft of running a successful radio program. Executives at the station decided to give her a chance, even though she lacked on-air experience.

Acting

She caught the attention of television producer Simon Fuller. Fuller thought that Martinez would become an excellent addition to ''American Idol''. Martinez signed a contract to be the fourth judge alongside Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell for seasons 2, 3 and 4 of the Fox network's ratings giant. After only four days on the audition trial, Martinez admitted to being unable to crush the dreams of hopefuls. She said watching the aspiring singers leave in tears and breaking down with their families comforting them was too much for her to take. Martinez asked the Fox Network to remove her from the program. Throughout the remainder of that season, she was replaced with different guest judges such as Clive Davis, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Quentin Tarantino, Brandy, and Mark McGrath of rock band Sugar Ray. When HBO decided to branch from one channel into 8 sub channels that would concentrate on a certain demographic, scheduling conflicts while filming ''Stretch'' ensued. With the new taping schedule cutting into her time with her radio show and promotions, Martinez stepped back from the program at that point.

As an actress, Angie received small roles in independent hip hop films such as ''Blood is Thicker Than Water'' and ''Paper Soldiers''. She then appeared in ''Brown Sugar'' starring Taye Diggs, Queen Latifah and Sanaa Lathan.

Music career

In 1996, Martinez was encouraged to give rapping a shot by friend KRS-One. She appeared on his track "Heartbeat" from his 1997 album ''I Got Next''. After the song gained a strong fan following, another friend, Lil' Kim, offered her a spot on her song "Ladies' Night" for the ''Nothing to Lose'' soundtrack. Along with Missy Elliott, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Da Brat, the ladies enjoyed one of the most successful singles of 1997. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #2, and reached #1 on the Hip-Hop / R&B; charts and the Rap charts respectively. The single sold over 1,000,000 copies and was certified Platinum. The ladies were nominated for two Grammy Awards that year, and were also invited to perform the song live on The MTV Video Music Awards. A major label battle began to sign Martinez to a recording contract. Her appearance on other rapper's material was in high demand. She recorded songs with Mary J. Blige ("Christmas in the City"), Terror Squad ("Freak Out"), N.O.R.E. ("Oh No Remix"), Beenie Man ("Tell Me Remix") and Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap's compilation album ''The Tunnel'' ("Wow"). She also recorded interludes for mixtapes by Kid Capri, DJ Clue and DJ Kayslay. In 2001, she appeared in the music video for Jay-Z and R. Kelly's "Guilty Until Proven Innocent".

On August 20, 2001, she finally issued her oft-delayed debut album, ''Up Close and Personal''. The album included production by DJ Clue, Salaam Remi, Knobody and RocWilder among others, and featured guest appearances by Jay-Z, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean, Busta Rhymes and Kool G. Rap. The first single, "Dem Thangzzz" was produced by The Neptunes, and also featured background vocals by Pharrell Williams and Q-Tip. The track failed to make a strong impression at radio, but the album enjoyed strong first week sales. It debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart, and #10 on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Charts selling 69,000 its first week. The second single, "Coast 2 Coast" (Suavamente) featuring rapper Wyclef Jean re-sparked interest in the album . She promoted the album with magazine posters, in-store signings, club appearances and television appearances with MTV and BET. The record received mixed reviews from critics, but like Martinez herself, was strongly accepted in the hip hop community. The album sold a low 325,000 units.

Following her first album's release, Angie began work on a second record ''Animal House''. In order to build anticipation for the record, she appeared on BET's ''Rap City'' and began a nation-wide radio tour. She recorded a verse for the remix to her Artist Sacario record "Live Big". It became the number one record in the tri-state area and coincidentally coincided with the release of Martinez's first single from her second album, "If I Could Go" which also featured Sacario and singer Lil' Mo. "If I Could Go" became a huge crossover hit on pop radio, climbing into the top 10 on The Billboard Hot 100 Chart. It became the #1 played on urban radio in 2002. The album, ''Animal House'' (named after Martinez's own production company and recording posse), was released on August 21, 2002. It entered the Billboard Hot 200 Albums Chart at #11, and the Billboard Hot Hip-Hop / R&B; Charts selling 92,000 units in its first week. The follow-up single, "Take You Home" featuring R&B; singer Kelis didn't receive as much attention, but it did become a minor hit that winter. The album was more strongly received by critics and fans. Following the release of the album, she was featured on a remix for labelmate Lil' Mo's track "Gangster", and Nina Sky's hype single "Time to Go". Following this she announced she was retiring from the recording industry to concentrate on her other projects.

Personal life

She has a son Niko Ruffin (born June 12, 2003) with Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin of Dru Hill.

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

* 2002, Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (Nominated)

Grammy Awards

* 1998, Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group "Not Tonight" (Nominated)

Discography

Studio albums

{|class="wikitable" ! rowspan="2"|Year ! rowspan="2"|Album ! colspan="2"|Peak chart positions |- !style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|U.S. !style="width:3em;font-size:85%"|U.S. R&B; |- |2001 |''Up Close and Personal''

Released: April 17, 2001

Label: Elektra

Format: CD, digital download

|align="center"|32 |align="center"|7 |- |2002 |''Animal House''

Released: August 20, 2002

Label: Elektra

Format: CD, digital download

|align="center"|11 |align="center"|6 |- |}

Singles

Year	Song	Peak chart positions			Album
		! scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:4em;font-size:90%;"
		—	51	—
		—	80	24
	—	—	—
		15	26	11
		85	62	—

References

External links

Angie Martinez's Official Website

hot97.com

Angie Martinez's page at hot97.com

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:American female models Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American radio personalities Category:American rappers Category:Female rappers Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American rappers Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from the Bronx Category:Rappers from New York City

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Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
name	Wiz Khalifa
alt	Wiz Khalifa holding a microphone
background	solo_singer
birth name	Cameron Jibril Thomaz
alias
born	September 08, 1987Minot, North Dakota, United States
origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, Singer
years active	2005–present
label	Rostrum, Warner Bros., Atlantic
associated acts	Tinie Tempah, Snoop Dogg,Rick Ross, Curren$y, Big Sean, Fashawn, Mac Miller
website	wizkhalifa.com
notable instruments	}}

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His eurodance-influenced single, "Say Yeah", received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008. Khalifa parted with Warner Bros. and released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', in November 2009. He released the mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' as a free download in April 2010; he then signed with Atlantic Records. He is also well-known for his debut single for Atlantic, "Black and Yellow", which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album for the label, ''Rolling Papers'', was released on March 29, 2011.

Early life

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota, to a mother and a father serving in the military. His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old. His parents' military service caused him to move on a regular basis. Khalifa lived in Germany, England, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School.

His stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was fifteen. Khalifa stated to spinner.com that the name also came from being called "young Wiz 'cause I was good at everything I did, and my granddad is Muslim, so he gave me that name; he felt like that's what I was doing with my music." He got his stage name tattooed on his 17th birthday. He includes Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.

Career

2005-08: Early mixtapes and ''Show and Prove''

Khalifa released his first mixtape, ''Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania'', in 2005. The mixtape led to his first full length album entitled ''Show and Prove'' in 2006. Khalifa was declared an "artist to watch" that year in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine.

In 2007, Khalifa signed to Warner Bros. Records and released two mixtapes through Rostrum Records: ''Grow Season'', hosted by DJ Green Lantern and released on July 4, 2007, and ''Prince of the City 2'', released on November 20, 2007. His debut Warner Bros. single "Say Yeah" reached number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on ''Billboard's'' Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay. Khalifa's vocals from "Say Yeah" appear near the end of Pittsburgh mash up producer Girl Talk's 2008 album, ''Feed the Animals'', over music from Underworld's "Born Slippy", Usher's "Love in This Club", and the Cure's "In Between Days". Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92's Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2, 2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes ''Star Power'' in September 2008, and ''Flight School'' in April 2009 on Rostrum Records.

Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, ''First Flight''. Khalifa stated to the ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' that, "I learned a lot during my time there and matured as an artist during the process. I'm happy to be moving on with all of my material and having the chance to be in control of my next moves". Khalifa appeared with Girl Talk, Modey Lemon, Donora, Grand Buffet, and Don Caballero at the Amphitheatre at Station Square in Pittsburgh on July 31, 2009, where he announced that his relationship with Warner Bros. was over.

2009-10: ''Deal or No Deal''

Continuing his association with Rostrum Records, Khalifa released the single "Teach U to Fly", and the mixtape ''How Fly'', a collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, on August 9, 2009. Khalifa introduced a more melodic style on the mixtape, alternating between singing and rapping. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Khalifa released the mixtape ''Burn After Rolling'' on November 2, 2009, where he raps over familiar beats from other artists, including the songs "If I Were A Boy" and "Diva" by Beyoncé, "Walking on a Dream" by Empire of the Sun, "Luchini AKA This Is It" by Camp Lo, and "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. Khalifa released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', on November 24, 2009.

Khalifa performed at Emo's in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival. He appeared on the cover of ''XXL'' magazine that same month, for the magazine's annual list of Top 10 Freshman, which included Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, and Fashawn. Wiz Khalifa was named 2010 "Rookie Of The Year" by "The Source", with alongside Rick Ross, "The Man Of The Year". He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour. Khalifa released the free mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' for download on April 14, 2010. Due to Khalifa's devoted grassroots fan base, the mixtape became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter with the hash tag #kushandorangejuice, and "Kush and Orange Juice download” ranked No. 1 on Google’s hot search trends.

2010: Signing with Atlantic Records

Citing music industry insiders, ''New York'' magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper did not confirm it. He stated to AllHipHop in June 2010 that he was working on a new album, but was weighing his options and had not yet decided on a label to distribute it. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal.

Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single "Super High", alongside Curren$y. He guested on the mixtape ''Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women '' by St. Louis rapper M.C, and was featured on the track "The Breeze (Cool)" on rapper Wale's August 2010 mixtape ''More About Nothing''. Khalifa was named MTV's Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010, winning with nearly 70,000 votes, and beating out finalists Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Travis Porter, and Diggy Simmons.

Khalifa appeared at the Soundset 2010 festival in May 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside Method Man & Redman, Del the Funky Homosapien and Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Murs, Cage, and others. He also performed at the 2010 Rock the Bells festival, along with hip hop veterans Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-One, Jedi Mind Tricks and Slick Rick. Khalifa declined an invitation to tour with rapper Drake and launched his own "Waken Baken" tour, a 50-city national tour with rapper Yelawolf. The tour, scheduled to last from September to November 2010, has, as of October, sold out every venue. On November 2010, during his "Waken Baken" tour at East Carolina University, Wiz Khalifa was arrested for possession and trafficking of marijuana. He was then released the next morning after a $300K bail, and resumed his tour. Khalifa performed in a cypher during the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. He recited his verse from the song, "The Check Point", from his mixtape with Curren$y, ''How Fly''.

2010-11: Mainstream success and ''Rolling Papers''

Khalifa released "Black and Yellow", his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay. The single was peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colours of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Khalifa will release his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011. He appeared with Curren$y on the track "Scaling the Building" on producer Ski Beatz' 2010 album, ''24 Hour Karate School''. Khalifa's fanbase is known as the Taylor Gang, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes.

On March 29, 2011, Khalifa released his first studio album, ''Rolling Papers''. The album debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States.

On June 26, 2011, Khalifa was nominated and won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011.

Khalifa collaborated with the prolific British rapper Tinie Tempah whom Tinie announced in an interview with Rolling Stone that his next single is to be called "Till I'm Gone" and would feature Wiz Khalifa and is to be produced by Stargate. The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011.

Personal life

Thomaz is dating Amber Rose, the former girlfriend of Thomaz's fellow hip-hop star Kanye West. He is also personal friends with rapper Yelawolf, and fellow Pittsburgh rapper, Mac Miller.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Show and Prove'' (2006)

''Deal or No Deal'' (2009)

''Rolling Papers'' (2011)

References

External links

Wiz Khalifa at MTV

Category:1987 births Category:Military brats Category:African American rappers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:People from Minot, North Dakota Category:Rappers from Pennsylvania

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