Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" (Classical Greek: , ''drama''), which is derived from "to do" (Classical Greek: , ''dran''). The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a collective form of reception. The structure of dramatic texts, unlike other forms of literature, is directly influenced by this collaborative production and collective reception. The early modern tragedy ''Hamlet'' (1601) by Shakespeare and the classical Athenian tragedy ''Oedipus the King'' (c. 429 BCE) by Sophocles are among the masterpieces of the art of drama. A modern example is ''Long Day's Journey into Night'' by Eugene O’Neill (1956).

The two masks associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy. They are symbols of the ancient Greek Muses, Thalia and Melpomene. Thalia was the Muse of comedy (the laughing face), while Melpomene was the Muse of tragedy (the weeping face). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been contrasted with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since Aristotle's ''Poetics'' (c. 335 BCE)—the earliest work of dramatic theory.

The use of "drama" in the narrow sense to designate a specific ''type'' of play dates from the 19th century. Drama in this sense refers to a play that is ''neither'' a comedy nor a tragedy—for example, Zola's ''Thérèse Raquin'' (1873) or Chekhov's ''Ivanov'' (1887). It is this narrow sense that the film and television industry and film studies adopted to describe "drama" as a genre within their respective media. "Radio drama" has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in a live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio.

Drama is often combined with music and dance: the drama in opera is generally sung throughout; musicals generally include both spoken dialogue and songs; and some forms of drama have incidental music or musical accompaniment underscoring the dialogue (melodrama and Japanese Nō, for example). In certain periods of history (the ancient Roman and modern Romantic) some dramas have been written to be read rather than performed. In improvisation, the drama does not pre-exist the moment of performance; performers devise a dramatic script spontaneously before an audience.

History of Western drama

Classical Athenian drama

Western drama originates in classical Greece. The theatrical culture of the city-state of Athens produced three genres of drama: tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play. Their origins remain obscure, though by the 5th century BCE they were institutionalised in competitions held as part of festivities celebrating the god Dionysus. Historians know the names of many ancient Greek dramatists, not least Thespis, who is credited with the innovation of an actor ("''hypokrites''") who speaks (rather than sings) and impersonates a character (rather than speaking in his own person), while interacting with the chorus and its leader ("''coryphaeus''"), who were a traditional part of the performance of non-dramatic poetry (dithyrambic, lyric and epic). Only a small fraction of the work of five dramatists, however, has survived to this day: we have a small number of complete texts by the tragedians Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and the comic writers Aristophanes and, from the late 4th century, Menander. Aeschylus' historical tragedy ''The Persians'' is the oldest surviving drama, although when it won first prize at the City Dionysia competition in 472 BCE, he had been writing plays for more than 25 years. The competition ("''agon''") for tragedies may have begun as early as 534 BCE; official records ("''didaskaliai''") begin from 501 BCE, when the satyr play was introduced. Tragic dramatists were required to present a tetralogy of plays (though the individual works were not necessarily connected by story or theme), which usually consisted of three tragedies and one satyr play (though exceptions were made, as with Euripides' ''Alcestis'' in 438 BCE). Comedy was officially recognised with a prize in the competition from 487 to 486 BCE. Five comic dramatists competed at the City Dionysia (though during the Peloponnesian War this may have been reduced to three), each offering a single comedy. Ancient Greek comedy is traditionally divided between "old comedy" (5th century BCE), "middle comedy" (4th century BCE) and "new comedy" (late 4th century to 2nd BCE).

Roman drama

Following the expansion of the Roman Republic (509–27 BCE) into several Greek territories between 270–240 BCE, Rome encountered Greek drama. From the later years of the republic and by means of the Roman Empire (27 BCE-476 CE), theatre spread west across Europe, around the Mediterranean and reached England; Roman theatre was more varied, extensive and sophisticated than that of any culture before it. While Greek drama continued to be performed throughout the Roman period, the year 240 BCE marks the beginning of regular Roman drama. From the beginning of the empire, however, interest in full-length drama declined in favour of a broader variety of theatrical entertainments. The first important works of Roman literature were the tragedies and comedies that Livius Andronicus wrote from 240 BCE. Five years later, Gnaeus Naevius also began to write drama. No plays from either writer have survived. While both dramatists composed in both genres, Andronicus was most appreciated for his tragedies and Naevius for his comedies; their successors tended to specialise in one or the other, which led to a separation of the subsequent development of each type of drama. By the beginning of the 2nd century BCE, drama was firmly established in Rome and a guild of writers (''collegium poetarum'') had been formed. The Roman comedies that have survived are all ''fabula palliata'' (comedies based on Greek subjects) and come from two dramatists: Titus Maccius Plautus (Plautus) and Publius Terentius Afer (Terence). In re-working the Greek originals, the Roman comic dramatists abolished the role of the chorus in dividing the drama into episodes and introduced musical accompaniment to its dialogue (between one-third of the dialogue in the comedies of Plautus and two-thirds in those of Terence). The action of all scenes is set in the exterior location of a street and its complications often follow from eavesdropping. Plautus, the more popular of the two, wrote between 205 and 184 BCE and twenty of his comedies survive, of which his farces are best known; he was admired for the wit of his dialogue and his use of a variety of poetic meters. All of the six comedies that Terence wrote between 166 and 160 BCE have survived; the complexity of his plots, in which he often combined several Greek originals, was sometimes denounced, but his double-plots enabled a sophisticated presentation of contrasting human behaviour. No early Roman tragedy survives, though it was highly regarded in its day; historians know of three early tragedians—Quintus Ennius, Marcus Pacuvius and Lucius Accius. From the time of the empire, the work of two tragedians survives—one is an unknown author, while the other is the Stoic philosopher Seneca. Nine of Seneca's tragedies survive, all of which are ''fabula crepidata'' (tragedies adapted from Greek originals); his ''Phaedra'', for example, was based on Euripides' ''Hippolytus''. Historians do not know who wrote the only extant example of the ''fabula praetexta'' (tragedies based on Roman subjects), ''Octavia'', but in former times it was mistakenly attributed to Seneca due to his appearance as a character in the tragedy.

Medieval

In the Middle Ages, drama in the vernacular languages of Europe may have emerged from religious enactments of the liturgy. Mystery plays were presented on the porch of the cathedrals or by strolling players on feast days. Miracle and mystery plays, along with moralities and interludes, later evolved into more elaborate forms of drama, such as was seen on the Elizabethan stages.

Elizabethan and Jacobean

One of the great flowerings of drama in England occurred in the 16th and 17th centuries. Many of these plays were written in verse, particularly iambic pentameter. In addition to Shakespeare, such authors as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Middleton, and Ben Jonson were prominent playwrights during this period. As in the medieval period, historical plays celebrated the lives of past kings, enhancing the image of the Tudor monarchy. Authors of this period drew some of their storylines from Greek mythology and Roman mythology or from the plays of eminent Roman playwrights such as Plautus and Terence.

Modern and postmodern

The pivotal and innovative contributions of the 19th-century Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen and the 20th-century German theatre practitioner Bertolt Brecht dominate modern drama; each inspired a tradition of imitators, which include many of the greatest playwrights of the modern era. The works of both playwrights are, in their different ways, both modernist and realist, incorporating formal experimentation, meta-theatricality, and social critique. In terms of the traditional theoretical discourse of genre, Ibsen's work has been described as the culmination of "liberal tragedy", while Brecht's has been aligned with an historicised comedy.

Other important playwrights of the modern era include August Strindberg, Anton Chekhov, Frank Wedekind, Maurice Maeterlinck, Federico García Lorca, Eugene O'Neill, Luigi Pirandello, George Bernard Shaw, Ernst Toller, Vladimir Mayakovsky, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Jean Genet, Eugène Ionesco, Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Dario Fo, Heiner Müller, and Caryl Churchill.

Asian drama

India

The earliest form of Indian drama was the Sanskrit drama. It began after the development of Greek and Roman drama and before the development of theatre in other parts of Asia. It emerged sometime between the 2nd century BCE and the 1st century CE and flourished between the 1st century CE and the 10th, which was a period of relative peace in the history of India during which hundreds of plays were written. With the Islamic conquests that began in the 10th and 11th centuries, theatre was discouraged or forbidden entirely. Later, in an attempt to re-assert indigenous values and ideas, village theatre was encouraged across the subcontinent, developing in a large number of regional languages from the 15th to the 19th centuries. Modern Indian theatre developed during the period of colonial rule under the British Empire, from the mid-19th century until the mid-20th.

Sanskrit theatre

The earliest-surviving fragments of Sanskrit drama date from the 1st century CE. The wealth of archeological evidence from earlier periods offers no indication of the existence of a tradition of theatre. The ancient ''Vedas'' (hymns from between 1500 to 1000 BCE that are among the earliest examples of literature in the world) contain no hint of it (although a small number are composed in a form of dialogue) and the rituals of the Vedic period do not appear to have developed into theatre. The ''Mahābhāṣya'' by Patañjali contains the earliest reference to what may have been the seeds of Sanskrit drama. This treatise on grammar from 140 BCE provides a feasible date for the beginnings of theatre in India.

The major source of evidence for Sanskrit theatre is ''A Treatise on Theatre'' (''Nātyaśāstra''), a compendium whose date of composition is uncertain (estimates range from 200 BCE to 200 CE) and whose authorship is attributed to Bharata Muni. The ''Treatise'' is the most complete work of dramaturgy in the ancient world. It addresses acting, dance, music, dramatic construction, architecture, costuming, make-up, props, the organisation of companies, the audience, competitions, and offers a mythological account of the origin of theatre.

Its drama is regarded as the highest achievement of Sanskrit literature. It utilised stock characters, such as the hero (''nayaka''), heroine (''nayika''), or clown (''vidusaka''). Actors may have specialised in a particular type. It was patronized by the kings as well as village assemblies. Famous early playwrights include Bhasa, Kalidasa (famous for ''Vikrama and Urvashi'', ''Malavika and Agnimitra'', and ''The Recognition of Shakuntala''), Śudraka (famous for ''The Little Clay Cart''), Asvaghosa, Daṇḍin, and Emperor Harsha (famous for ''Nagananda'', ''Ratnavali'' and ''Priyadarsika''). ''Śakuntalā'' (in English translation) influenced Goethe's ''Faust'' (1808–1832).

Modern Indian drama

Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, is probably India's best-known modern playwright. His plays are written in Bengali and include ''Chitra'' (''Chitrangada'', 1892), ''The King of the Dark Chamber'' (''Raja'', 1910), ''The Post Office'' (''Dakghar'', 1913), and ''Red Oleander'' (''Raktakarabi'', 1924).

China

Chinese theatre has a long and complex history. Today it is often called Chinese opera although this normally refers specifically to the popular form known as Beijing Opera and Kunqu; there have been many other forms of theatre in China.

Japan

Japanese Nō drama is a serious dramatic form that combines drama, music, and dance into a complete aesthetic performance experience. It developed in the 14th and 15th centuries and has its own musical instruments and performance techniques, which were often handed down from father to son. The performers were generally male (for both male and female roles), although female amateurs also perform Nō dramas. Nō drama was supported by the government, and particularly the military, with many military commanders having their own troupes and sometimes performing themselves. It is still performed in Japan today.

Kyōgen is the comic counterpart to Nō drama. It concentrates more on dialogue and less on music, although Nō instrumentalists sometimes appear also in Kyōgen. Kabuki drama, developed from the 17th century, is another comic form, which includes dance.

Forms of drama

Opera

Western opera is a dramatic art form, which arose during the Renaissance in an attempt to revive the classical Greek drama tradition in which both music and theatre were combined. Being strongly intertwined with western classical music, the opera has undergone enormous changes in the past four centuries and it is an important form of theatre until this day. Noteworthy is the huge influence of the German 19th century composer Richard Wagner on the opera tradition. In his view, there was no proper balance between music and theatre in the operas of his time, because the music seemed to be more important than the dramatic aspects in these works. To restore the connection with the traditional Greek drama, he entirely renewed the operatic format, and to emphasize the equal importance of music and drama in these new works, he called them "music dramas".

Chinese opera has seen a more conservative development over a somewhat longer period of time.

Pantomime

These stories follow in the tradition of fables and folk tales, usually there is a lesson learned, and with some help from the audience the hero/heroine saves the day. This kind of play uses stock characters seen in masque and again commedia dell'arte, these characters include the villain (doctore), the clown/servant (Arlechino/Harlequin/buttons), the lovers etc. These plays usually have an emphasis on moral dilemmas, and good always triumphs over evil, this kind of play is also very entertaining making it a very effective way of reaching many people.

Creative drama

Creative drama includes dramatic activities and games used primarily in educational settings with children. Its roots in the United States began in the early 1900s. Winifred Ward is considered to be the founder of creative drama in education, establishing the first academic use of drama in Evanston, Illinois .

Legal status

UK

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 does not define a dramatic work except to state that it includes a work of dance or mime. However, it is clear that dramatic work includes the scenario or script for films, plays (written for theatre, cinema, television or radio). and choreographic works.

See also

Applied Drama

Augustan drama

Christian drama

Closet drama

Costume drama

Crime drama

Domestic drama

Dramatic structure

Dramatic theory

Flash drama

Folk play

Heroic drama

History of theatre

Legal drama

Medical drama

Melodrama

Monodrama

Mystery play

One act play

Play

Political drama

Radio drama

Soap opera

Theatre awards

Two-hander

Verse drama and dramatic verse

Well-made play

Yakshagana—An Indian musical drama

Notes

Sources

Banham, Martin, ed. 1998. ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521434378.

Baumer, Rachel Van M., and James R. Brandon, eds. 1981. ''Sanskrit Theatre in Performance.'' Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1993. ISBN 978-8120807723.

Brandon, James R. 1981. Introduction. In Baumer and Brandon (1981, xvii–xx).

---, ed. 1997. ''The Cambridge Guide to Asian Theatre.''' 2nd, rev. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. ISBN 978-0521588225.

Brockett, Oscar G. and Franklin J. Hildy. 2003. ''History of the Theatre''. Ninth edition, International edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN 0205410502.

Brown, Andrew. 1998. "Ancient Greece." In ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.'' Ed. Martin Banham. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 441–447. ISBN 0521434378.

Carlson, Marvin. 1993. ''Theories of the Theatre: A Historical and Critical Survey from the Greeks to the Present.'' Expanded ed. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0801481543.

Cartledge, Paul. 1997. "'Deep Plays': Theatre as Process in Greek Civic Life." In Easterling (1997c, 3–35).

Duchartre, Pierre Louis. 1929. ''The Italian Comedy''. Unabridged republication. New York: Dover, 1966. ISBN 0486216799.

Dukore, Bernard F., ed. 1974. ''Dramatic Theory and Criticism: Greeks to ''. Florence, Kentucky: Heinle & Heinle. ISBN 0030911524.

Durant, Will & Ariel Durant. 1963 ''The Story of Civilization, Volume II: The Life of Greece''. 11 vols. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Easterling, P. E. 1997a. "A Show for Dionysus." In Easterling (1997c, 36–53).

—. 1997b. "Form and Performance." In Easterling (1997c, 151–177).

—, ed. 1997c. ''The Cambridge Companion to Greek Tragedy''. Cambridge Companions to Literature ser. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. ISBN 0521423511.

Elam, Keir. 1980. ''The Semiotics of Theatre and Drama''. New Accents Ser. London and New York: Methuen. ISBN 0416720609.

Fergusson, Francis. 1949. ''The Idea of a Theater: A Study of Ten Plays, The Art of Drama in a Changing Perspective.'' Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1968. ISBN 0691012881.

Goldhill, Simon. 1997. "The Audience of Athenian Tragedy." In Easterling (1997c, 54–68).

Gordon, Mel. 1983. ''Lazzi: The Comic Routines of the Commedia dell'Arte''. New York: Performing Arts Journal Publications. ISBN 0933826699.

Harsh, Philip Whaley. 1944. ''A Handbook of Classical Drama''. Stanford: Stanford UP; Oxford: Oxford UP.

Johnstone, Keith. 1981. ''Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre'' Rev. ed. London: Methuen, 2007. ISBN 0713687010.

Ley, Graham. 2006. ''A Short Introduction to the Ancient Greek Theater.'' Rev. ed. Chicago and London: U of Chicago P. ISBN 0226477614.

---. 2007. ''The Theatricality of Greek Tragedy: Playing Space and Chorus.'' Chicago and London: U of Chicago P. ISBN 0226477576.

Pfister, Manfred. 1977. ''The Theory and Analysis of Drama''. Trans. John Halliday. European Studies in English Literature Ser. Cambridige: Cambridge University Press, 1988. ISBN 052142383X.

Rehm, Rush. 1992. ''Greek Tragic Theatre.'' Theatre Production Studies ser. London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 0415118948.

Richmond, Farley. 1998. "India." In Banham (1998, 516–525).

Richmond, Farley P., Darius L. Swann, and Phillip B. Zarrilli, eds. 1993. ''Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance.'' U of Hawaii P. ISBN 978-0824813222.

Spolin, Viola. 1967. ''Improvisation for the Theater''. Third rev. ed Evanston, Il.: Northwestern University Press, 1999. ISBN 081014008X.

Taxidou, Olga. 2004. ''Tragedy, Modernity and Mourning''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh UP. ISBN 0748619879.

Weimann, Robert. 1978. ''Shakespeare and the Popular Tradition in the Theater: Studies in the Social Dimension of Dramatic Form and Function.'' Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801835062.

Weimann, Robert. 2000. ''Author's Pen and Actor's Voice: Playing and Writing in Shakespeare's Theatre''. Ed. Helen Higbee and William West. Cambridge Studies in Renaissance Literature and Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521787351.

External links

Greek & Roman Mask Timeline

Category:Entertainment

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Nasir Chinyoti (ناصر چنیوٹی) is a Pakistani actor. He is a comedian, stage, and TV actor. He is from Chiniot.He started his acting at Multan Stage. He has starred in many stage dramas/telefilms in various languages, including Urdu and Punjabi. He is most notable for comedy stage dramas based in Lahore. He is famous for using improvised dialogue during stage plays.

Nasir Chinyoti has acted with a number of other comedy actors including Babu Baral, Sohail Ahmad, Iftikhar Thakur, Anwar Ali, Tariq Teddy, Naseem Vicky, Amanat Chan, Sakhawat Naz, Nawaz Anjum, and Sajan Abbas.

Stage Drama

# Roti Khol Diyo-Part 1 # Darbaar Lagao-Part 1 # Tere Nakhre Hazar # Munda Panji Saal Da # Money Hai To Honey Hai # Wellay Nikamay-Part 2 # Billo Billi Aur Bali # Bunti Aur Babli # Ik Wohti Teen Laray # Kuriyan Mithiyan Churiyan # Mehbooba Hero Aashiq Zero # Mela # Non Stop Deewaney # Ghoonghat Utha Loon # Wellay Aashiq # Miss Kum Kum # Do Rangeelay # Jinay Sada Dil Lutiya # Mirch Masala # Lahore Aya Lahore # Eid Da Chan # Payal Bajay Chan Chan Chan # Mithiyan sharatan # Uff Yeh Biwiyan # Ishiq Hai Sanu Sathieay

See also

Abid Khan

Babu Baral

Amanullah(actor)

Mastana (actor)

sohail Ahmad

Shoki Khan

Iftikhar Thakur

Tariq Teddy

Naseem Vicky

Sardar Kamal

Zaferi Khan

Asif Iqbal (actor)

Sakhawat Naz

Sajan Abbas

Akram Udas

Nawaz Anjum

Qasir Pia

Pakistani Stage Dancers

References

Category:Living people Category:Punjabi people Category:People from Chiniot District Category:Pakistani actors Category:People from Lahore Category:Pakistani television actors Category:Pakistani stage actors Category:Pakistani comedians Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

ur:ناصر چنیوٹی

Coordinates	44°43′″N37°46′″N
name	Mr G
first	Big Bite (2003)
last	2008 Logies (2008)
alias	Helen Gregson
gender	Male
occupation	Drama teacher
portrayer	Chris Lilley
creator	Chris Lilley }}

Helen "Greg" Gregson, best known as Mr G, is one of the three fictional characters portrayed by Chris Lilley in the mockumentary series, ''Summer Heights High''.

Biography

Mr G is a thirty-six year old drama teacher at Summer Heights High. Mr G not only believes that he is an incredibly talented and well-liked teacher, but that his students also share his intense passion for drama and performance. He is in constant conflict with himself and other members of staff, particularly the school principal. His self-centred attitude causes him to frequently lose his temper with the students, and he is hostile to the disabled students being involved, under the belief that they will damage the quality of his musical. It is clear that he is unaware that his own perception of his teaching abilities is not shared by most students. He has written several musicals for the school, including "Tsunamarama", based on the events of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, set to the music of Bananarama. He also regularly featured on the Australian television series ''Big Bite''.

On the show Summer Heights High, Mr G wrote a musical based on the death of a student, Annabel Dickson, from a drug overdose. The musical was originally called ''Annabel Dickson: The Musical'' and portrayed Annabel as a promiscuous drug addict. However, it is established early on that Mr G had no direct dealings with Annabel. Due to Annabel's parents being unhappy with the script, the focus of the musical changes from being about Annabel to Mr G and how he deals with Annabel's demise. As the show progresses, the musical ultimately becomes the story of how Mr G tried to help Annabel with her drug habit.

One of the main songs from the musical was "Naughty Girl", a song told through the voice of Mr G, which describes Annabel's plight. Other songs include "She's a Slut and She Knows It", "My Name is Mr G" and "Bummer Heights High". In the official CD single release, as well as in the play itself, Annabel's name was changed to Jessica.

One of Mr. G's desires is to construct a lavish performing arts centre named after himself. Since he has trouble convincing the administration to fund this endeavour, he decides that proceeds from "Mr. G: The Musical" are to be directed toward its construction. The enormous building which would likely eclipse the school in height would be able to host arena spectaculars. Despite the loyalty of his friend, science teacher Rodney Parsons, there will not be a room for dramatic sciences.

Greg is also in charge of school evacuations. He states that "I like to use my acting skills to create the drama of the situation". Another useful fact is that he has an above average sense of smell, which enables him to control certain behaviours amongst the students. He regularly "smells" pupils to detect alcohol, graffiti pens, and cannabis.

Logies

Mr G appeared at the 50th Annual 2008 TV Week Logie Awards performing songs from "Mr G the Musical" along with other characters from the series.

CD single release

On 1 March 2008, a single of "Naughty Girl" was released, featuring five additional remixes of the song. It peaked at No. 7 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.

;Australian single track listing #"Naughty Girl" #"Naughty Girl" (Jessica's Addiction Remix) #"Naughty Girl" (Styalz Fuego Remix) #"Naughty Girl" (Paul Mac's Extended 12") #"Naughty Girl" (Cloud Club Remix) #"Naughty Girl" (a cappella)

External links

Mr G on MySpace

References

G, Mr Category:Fictional characters introduced in 2007 Category:Fictional Australian people

:''Not to be confused with Drama (rapper).''

Coordinates	44°43′″N37°46′″N
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Tyree Cinque Simmons
Alias	Drama Boy
Birth date	April 22, 1978
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	DJ, record producer
Years active	2001–present
Label	E1 Music, Aphilliates Music Group, TM3 Records
Associated acts	Don Cannon, T.I., Lil Wayne, Willie the Kid, Smokey, Roscoe Dash, Wiz Khalifa, Trey Songz, Fabolous
website	GangstaGrillz.com }}

Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978 in, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) better known as DJ Drama is an American hip hop artist and the official DJ for Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I... He is best known for producing mixtapes, including the successful "Gangsta Grillz" series and ''Dedication 2'', which the ''New York Times'' called one of the "10 best recordings of 2006".

DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and DJ Sense founded Aphilliates Music Group in 2003. The Aphilliates Music Group inked a label deal with Asylum Records in 2006, signing rapper Willie the Kid. As of January 2011, The Aphilliates now operates as its own entity, due to DJ Drama recently cutting ties with La the Darkman and Embassy Entertainment.

Music career

DJ Drama's debut album, ''Gangsta Grillz: The Album'', was released in December 2007 on the Grand Hustle label. The album's first street single, "Takin Pictures", was released in 2007 and featured Young Jeezy, Willie the Kid, Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Young Buck and T.I., while the first single, "5000 Ones", featuring Nelly, T.I., Yung Joc, Willie the Kid, Young Jeezy and Twista, debuted on BET. The second single, "The Art of Storytellin' Part 4", was released in 2008 and featured OutKast and Marsha Ambrosius. In 2009, DJ Drama released his second album entitled ''Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)'', the first single was "Day Dreaming", which featured Akon, Snoop Dogg and T.I. The second single was "Ridiculous", which featured Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Lonnie Mac and OJ da Juiceman. Both singles were released in 2009. DJ Drama will release his third studio album, ''Third Power'', in 2011. The Gangsta Grillz album reunites DJ Drama and Don Cannon who had gone their separate ways for a few years after a lot of fighting and arguing as business partners. He is married to video vixen Summer Walker.

Film career

DJ Drama has appeared in T.I.'s ''ATL'' in 2006, and T-Pain's ''Freaknik: The Musical'' in 2010.

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan=2|Year !rowspan=2|Title !colspan=4|Chart positions !rowspan=2|Sales |- !width=40|US !width=40|US R&B; !width=40|US Rap !width=40|US Comp |- |2007 |''Gangsta Grillz: The Album''

Released: December 4, 2007

Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic

|align=center|26 |align=center|3 |align=center|2 |align=center|29 |

US: 320,000+

|- |2009 |''Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)''

Released: May 19, 2009

Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic

|align=center|26 |align=center|5 |align=center|4 |align=center|26 |

US: 75,000+

|- |2011 |''Third Power'' Released: October 4, 2011

Label: Aphilliates/E1

|align=center colspan=5|

To be released

|}

Singles

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Song !colspan="3"|Chart positions !rowspan="2"|Album |- !width="40"|US !width="40"|US
R&B; !width="40"|US
Rap |- |2007 |align="left"|"5000 Ones"
(featuring Nelly, T.I., Yung Joc, Willie the Kid, Young Jeezy, Diddy & Twista) |align="center"|— |align="center"|73 |align="center"|— |rowspan="2"|''Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' |- |2008 |align="left"|"The Art of Storytellin' Part 4"
(featuring OutKast & Marsha Ambrosius) |align="center"|— |align="center"|91 |align="center"|— |- |rowspan="2"|2009 |align="left"|"Day Dreaming"
(featuring Akon, Snoop Dogg, & T.I.) |align="center"|— |align="center"|88 |align="center"|— |rowspan="2"|''Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)'' |- |align="left"|"Ridiculous"
(featuring Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Lonnie Mac, & OJ da Juiceman) |align="center"|— |align="center"|104 |align="center"|— |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |align="Left"|"Oh My"
(featuring Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa & Roscoe Dash) |align="center"|95 |align="center"|18 |align="center"|12 |rowspan="2"|''Third Power'' |- |align="left"|"Words of Advice"
(featuring Lil Wayne, Mack Maine & Kevin Cossom) |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |}

Awards

BET Hip Hop Awards

*DJ of the Year (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*2008, Best Mixtape (''Hood Generals'') with BG (Won)

*''Note: The award was a tie with Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah 3''

References

Notes

Interview with DJ Drama's sister after the January 16th raid, Mixtapeshow.net, January 27, 2007

April 2007 Interview, Allhiphop.com, April 2007

Jeff Leeds, "Cracking down on mixtape CDs", New York Times, January 22, 2007

Samantha M. Shapiro, "Hip-hop outlaw (industry version)", New York Times Magazine, February 18, 2007

"Exclusive: DJ Drama Q&A;", Rhapsody.com, January 11, 2008

External links

Gangsta Grillz website

The Aphilliates

DJ Drama at MTV

[

[ [

[[Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Hip hop DJs Category:Mixtape DJs Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

de:DJ Drama es:DJ Drama pl:DJ Drama fi:DJ Drama sv:DJ Drama

Coordinates	44°43′″N37°46′″N
Name	Trey Songz
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Tremaine Aldon Neverson
Alias
Born	November 28, 1984Petersburg, Virginia, United States
Instrument	Vocals, keyboards, sampler
Genre	R&B;, Hip-hop
Occupation	Singer–songwriter, record producer, actor
Years active	2004–present
Label	Atlantic, Songbook
Associated acts	Drake, Troy Taylor, Twista, Juvenile, Bun B, Rick Ross, Plies
Website	www.treysongz.com }}

Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson (born November 28, 1984), better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, ''I Gotta Make It'', was released in 2005, while his second album, ''Trey Day'', was released in 2007. His third album, ''Ready'', was released in 2009 while his fourth studio album, ''Passion, Pain & Pleasure'', was released on September 14, 2010.

Life and career

1984–2004: Early life

Songz was born Tremaine Aldon Neverson on November 28, 1984, in Petersburg, Virginia. Raised as a military brat, Songz did not have aspirations to have a musical career as a child due to his shyness, saying "Singing wasn't a reality for me, until other people started noticing I sounded good." He recognized his vocal abilities at the age of 14 in 1998. Reluctant to sing, he began performing with encouragement by friends and family in high school. Record producer Troy Taylor discovered Songz during a talent show in 2000, which led him to signing a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2002. After graduating from high school in 2002, Songz moved to New Jersey to begin recording his debut album, though recording didn't actually begin until 2003.

2004–2006: ''I Gotta Make It''

While recording his debut album in 2004, Songz released multiple mixtapes under the alias ''Prince of Virginia''. One of the mixtapes featured an "answer track" to R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet", entitled "Open the Closet". The song gave Trey some notoriety. His debut album, ''I Gotta Make It'' was released on July 26, 2005. It debuted at #20 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 40,000 copies in its first week of sales. It has sold 300,000 records in the US, but was never certified by the RIAA. Songz's debut single, ''Gotta Make It'', featuring Twista, was released in March 2005 and reached #87 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #21 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. It garnered success in the R&B;/urban community but failed to make a mark in mainstream music. The album's second and final single, ''Gotta Go'', was released in July 2005 and reached #67 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming even more successful than his debut single in the R&B;/urban community and in the mainstream community. After promotion for his debut concluded, he was featured on the lead single from Twista's fifth album, ''The Day After''. The single, "Girl Tonite", reached #14 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming a huge hit.

2007–2008: ''Trey Day''

In mid-2006, Songz began work on a follow-up album to his debut with longtime collaborator Troy Taylor and also employed hitmakers Bryan-Michael Cox, Danja, Stargate (production team) and R. Kelly to help create the album. Trey aimed for the album to be more mainstream-oriented than his debut album. His second studio album, ''Trey Day'', was released on October 2, 2007. The album reached #11 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 73,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold 400,000 records in the US, becoming his second album not to be certified by the RIAA. The album was going to be released on May 8, 2007, but was continually delayed in order for a successful single to precede the album, as the lead single failed to impact charts. His second album was preceded by the lead single, "Wonder Woman", which was released in February 2007. It reached #54 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, but failed to impact the Hot 100. Because of the single's failure, his second album was delayed from May 2007 to October 2007. The album's second single, "Can't Help but Wait", was released in August 2007 and was released to promote his second album and the film ''Step Up 2 the Streets'' soundtrack as a single for it. The single reached #14 on the Hot 100, and #2 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It became Songz's first Top 20 hit on the Hot 100, and helped to boost his second album's sales. The single was also nominated for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance at the 2008 50th Grammy Awards. The third single from the album, "Last Time", was released in January 2008 and reached #69 on the Hot 100, and #9 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The fourth and final single from the album, "Missin' You", was released in May 2008, but failed to chart completely. In mid-2008, Songz was nominated for a BET Award for Best Male R&B; Artist but didn't win the award.

2009–2010: ''Ready''

In late 2008, Trey began work on his third studio album with Bryan-Michael Cox, Sean Garrett, Stargate and Troy Taylor and aimed for the record to be more mature than his first two. Before releasing his third album, Songz released a mixtape titled ''Anticipation'' in June 2009 through his blog, which featured songs from his third album. Another mixtape from Trey was released in the summer of 2009, called ''Genesis''. ''Genesis'' was a collection of Trey Songz's first recordings when he was fifteen years old and was released to show his fans the dedication that he had to making a record when he was young. Trey released his third studio album, ''Ready'', on August 31, 2009. The album reached #3 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 131,000 copies in its first week. These are his best first week sales to date and the album was his first to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. The album has since sold over 800,000 records in the US, earning a Gold certification from the RIAA in February 2010, becoming his first album to be certified by the RIAA. The lead single from the album, "I Need a Girl", was released in April 2009 and reached #5 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop songs chart and #59 on the Hot 100, becoming an R&B;/urban hit but not a mainstream hit. A promotional single, "Successful", featuring rapper Drake, was released in June 2009 and reached #17 on the Hot 100, becoming Songz's third Top 20 hit. The single also served as the second and final single from Drake's EP, ''So Far Gone''. The second official single from his third album, "LOL Smiley Face", featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em and Gucci Mane, was released in August 2009 and reached #51 on the Hot 100 and #12 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The third single from the album, "I Invented Sex", featuring Drake, was released in October 2009 and reached #42 on the Hot 100 but #1 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming his first single to top that chart. Like the first two singles from the album, it achieved success in the R&B;/urban community but only some mainstream success. charted within the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and topped the R&B; chart. The fourth single from the album, "Say Aah", featuring rapper Fabolous, was released in January 2010 and reached #9 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single has become Trey's highest charting single on the Hot 100 and one of his most successful singles on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The fifth and final single from the album, "Neighbors Know My Name", was released in February 2010 and reached #43 on the Hot 100 and #4 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart. A sixth single, "Yo Side of the Bed", was going to be released in June 2010, but its release was canceled due to unknown reasons. A music video, featuring singer Keri Hilson, was filmed and released, however. Songz was also the opening act for Jay-Z on his Jay-Z Fall Tour in late 2009. The album was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B; Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, but lost to Beyoncé's ''I Am... Sasha Fierce''. On April 1, 2010, he recorded an episode of MTV Unplugged, which aired on April 26, 2010. A documentary-series about Trey, ''Trey Songz: My Moment'', began in June 2010 to positive reviews and high ratings. The 10-part series will end in August 2010 and follows Trey during his time as opening act on Jay-Z's Jay-Z Fall Tour in late 2009.

2010–2011: ''Passion, Pain & Pleasure''

Songz's fourth studio album, ''Passion, Pain & Pleasure'', was released on September 14, 2010. Trey began work on the album in early 2010 with Sean Garrett, Troy Taylor and Stargate and has stated that the album will be his most personal to date. The album was completed in July 2010. The album's lead single, "Bottoms Up", featuring female rapper Nicki Minaj, was released on July 27, 2010 and has reached number twenty-four on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and was shared enough on Facebook to appear as a trending video on ItsTrending. Its video was filmed on July 31, 2010 and is pending release. Trey also filmed the video for the album's second single, "Can't Be Friends", on August 1, 2010. "Can't Be Friends" was released as the album's second single in August 2010. Songz embarked on the ''Passion, Pain & Pleasure Tour'' on August 6, 2010 with singer Monica. The tour is his first headlining tour to date and consists of shows in venues that seat 3,000 to 5,000 people. Songz also contributed the song "Already Taken" to the ''Step Up 3D'' soundtrack, which was released on July 27, 2010. He filmed a video for the song, which was released in July 2010. The leading lady in the video is former girlfriend and professional dancer Helen Gedlu. Songz appeared at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. Songz performed at BET Awards 2011 which broadcasted on June 26, 2011.

In July 2011, he was cast in ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D'' as Ryan, the male lead role.

2011-Present: Chapter 5

On August 18th, 2011, It was announced Songz will be working on his fifth studio titled ''Chapter 5''. In a interview Trey said The album, which will act as the follow-up to ‘Passion, Pain, & Pleasure’, is said to be nearing completion. He also carried on to say "It’s my sixth year in the game so I’ve been here for a while now. You can expect the best me you’ve ever heard. I don’t have any release dates in mind right now but I’m just making music and enjoying myself in the studio and having fun. When I get to a place where I feel comfortable saying a date or all of that, people will definitely know. I have a few dream collaborations on that album that I want, but they say if you blow out your candle and make a wish you can’t tell people what you ask for or it won’t come true."

Discography

''I Gotta Make It'' (2005)

''Trey Day'' (2007)

''Ready'' (2009)

''Passion, Pain & Pleasure'' (2010)

''Chapter 5'' (TBA)

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Year !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Title !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Role !style="background:#B0C4DE;"|Notes |- |2008 |''Queen of Media'' |DJ I.V. |film |- |2009 |''Lincoln Heights'' |Himself |Episode: "Relative Unknown" |- |2010 |''Preacher's Kid (film)'' |small role |- |2010 |''When I Was 17'' |Himself |Interview-like show, about what he did when he was 17 |- |2010 |''Trey Songz: My Moment'' |Himself |Interview-Documentary show, following him around on tour with Jay-Z. |}

Awards and nominations

{|class="wikitable" !Year !Award !Result |- |rowspan="3"|2008 |BET Award for Best Male R&B; Artist | |- |Grammy Award for Best Male R&B; Vocal Performance for "Can't Help but Wait" | |- |Ozone Award for Best R&B; Artist | |- |rowspan="1"|2009 |Soul Train Awards for Best Collaboration "Successful" | |- |rowspan="5"|2010 |Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B; Album for "Ready" | |- |BET Award for Best Male R&B; Artist | |- |BET Award for Best Collaboration for "Say Ahh" w/ Fabolous | |- |BET Award for Best Collaboration for "Successful" w/ Drake | |- |BET Award for Viewer's Choice for "Say Ahh" w/ Fabolous | |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |BET Award for Best Male R&B; Artist | |- |BET Award for Coca-Cola's Viewer's Choice for "Bottom's Up" | |}

References

External links

Official website

Category:1984 births Category:African American actors Category:African American musicians Category:African American singers Category:American actors Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American tenors Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Military brats Category:People from Petersburg, Virginia Category:Musicians from Virginia

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