Name	The Roots
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Alias	The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots
Genre	Alternative hip hop, neo soul, soul, funk, alternative rock, jazz-rap
Years active	1987–present
Label	Def Jam (2005-present)DGC, MCA, Interscope-Geffen-A&M; (previous)
associated acts	Soulquarians, Jill Scott, Martin Luther, Jaguar Wright, Amel Larrieux, John Legend, Dave Chappelle
Website
Current members	Black Thought ?uestloveKamal GrayF. KnucklesCaptain Kirk Douglas Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." BrysonJames PoyserMark Kelley
Past members	Kenyatta "Kid Crumbs" Warren Josh "Rubberband" Abrams Malik B. Rahzel Scott Storch Martin Luther Ben Kenney Scratch Dice Raw Hub Owen BiddleYasser "Alexander Graham Cow Bell" Stephens
Background	group_or_band }}

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which includes live instrumentals. Malik B., Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, and Josh Abrams were added to the band, originally called ''The Square Roots''.

Since their first independent album release, the band has released 10 studio albums, two EPs, two collaboration albums and have collaborated with a wide range of artists from different genres. On March 2, 2009, The Roots became the house band on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''. The Roots' work is repeatedly met with critical acclaim.

Band history

thumb|left|Rapper Black Thought is the lead vocalist of The Roots.

''Organix''

''Organix'' was the band's first album, released and sold independently. It was released in 1993. It generated enough industry buzz for offers from music labels, and the band signed to DGC.

''Do You Want More?!!!??!''

The Roots' first album for DGC, ''Do You Want More?!!!??!'', was released in 1995. It was a moderate hit among alternative music fans due in part to the group's appearance at Lollapalooza. The band performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year. Touring guests, beatboxer Rahzel and producer Scott Storch, joined The Roots.

''Illadelph Halflife''

The 1996 release ''Illadelph Halflife'' was the group's first album to crack the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart, spurred in part by MTV's airplay of the video for "What They Do" (a parody of rap video clichés) and "Clones", which was their first single to reach the top five on the rap charts. "What They Do" was also the group's first single to hit the Top 40 of Billboard's charts, reaching a peak of #34. While continuing on the path of live instrumentation, the album's sound was somewhat darker.

''Things Fall Apart''

The group released ''Things Fall Apart'' in 1999 (named after ''Things Fall Apart'', a novel by Chinua Achebe, which in turn was named after a line from "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats). This was their breakthrough album, peaking at #4 on the Billboard 200 charts and earning a gold record, signifying U.S. sales of at least 500,000 units. Mos Def contributed to the track entitled "Double Trouble". The track "Act Two" features African-Belgian band Zap Mama and Common. The track "You Got Me", a duet with R&B; singer Erykah Badu and Eve and Jill Scott intended by Black Thought for the "unconscious" population, peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. At the 42nd Grammy Awards "You Got Me" won the award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group and the album was nominated for Best Rap Album.

Steve Huey of the website allmusic perceived "a strong affinity for the neo-soul movement" in the album. First-time cameos on ''Things Fall Apart'' for Philadelphia natives Beanie Sigel and Eve helped to earn them major record deals later (with Roc-A-Fella and Ruff Ryders, respectively). After this album, Dice Raw left the collective to record his solo debut album ''Reclaiming the Dead''. In the summer, the band performed at the Woodstock '99 concert in New York state.

''Phrenology''

Several members, including long time member Malik B., left the group. In December 2001, The Roots backed Jay-Z for his ''MTV Unplugged'' concert. With heightened popularity came mounting pressure. The Roots released ''Phrenology'' (named after the pseudoscience of phrenology) in 2002. Despite not charting as high as ''Things Fall Apart'', reaching a peak of #28 on the charts, ''Phrenology'' was commercially successful, eventually going gold, and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. At the time, however, there came rumors that The Roots were losing interest in their signing with MCA.

During this time the band backed Jay-Z for his 2003 farewell concert in Madison Square Garden, and appeared in the accompanying ''Fade to Black'' concert film.

''The Tipping Point''

After ''Phrenology'', Ben Kenney and Scratch both left the group; Kenney joined the rock band Incubus. This culminated with the release of 2004's ''The Tipping Point'', the byproduct of several jam sessions. The album earned two more Grammy nominations: one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track "Star/Pointro" and another for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for the track "Don't Say Nuthin'." ''The Tipping Point'' peaked at #4 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. In 2005, ''Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide To Understanding The Roots, Volumes 1 & 2'', a two-disc compilation album, was released. The Roots were among several performers on the 2006 film ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'', whose event took place on September 18, 2004 and was released on film two years later.

''Game Theory''

''Game Theory'' was released August 29, 2006, on Def Jam records. Questlove describes the album as being very dark and reflective of the political state in America. The first single from the album, "Don't Feel Right", appeared on the internet in May 2006, and is available for free download on several web sites. The album's first video, titled "The Don't Feel Right Trilogy", premiered on August 21, 2006, and features three songs, "In the Music", "Here I Come" and "Don't Feel Right". It earned an 83 on Metacritic and 2 Grammy Nominations. The late J Dilla is honoured on different occasions throughout the album. Track 1 is credited to be "Supervised by J Dilla". Track 13 "Can't Stop This" is devoted to his persona, the first part being an edited version of a track ("Time: The Donut of the Heart") of his ''Donuts'' album, released three days before his death. This version comprises vocals by Black Thought. Secondly, a string of kindred artists reminisce about J Dilla in the form of answering machine messages.

''Rising Down''

The Roots' eighth studio album, ''Rising Down'', was released on April 29, 2008, the 16-year anniversary of the Los Angeles riots of 1992.

In the weeks before the album's release, the original first single "Birthday Girl", a radio-friendly collaboration with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump was removed from the album reportedly because it didn't fit in with the album's tone. It remained as a digital download available from iTunes as a bonus track, as well as on international releases.

Picking up where ''Game Theory'' left off, the album maintains a dark and political tone, with Black Thought and several guests venting about the ills of society today. The album's guests include Chrisette Michele, Common, Mos Def, Saigon, Styles P, Talib Kweli, and Wale; it also features Philadelphia artists Dice Raw, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Peedi Crakk, P.O.R.N., and Truck North, as well as former member Malik B. ''Rising Down'' features The Roots incorporating a more electronic and synth-heavy feel into their sound. ''Rising Down'' was released to critical acclaim, garnering an overall score of 80 on Metacritic.

The album's first single was "Rising Up" featuring Chrisette Michele and Wale.

''How I Got Over''

''How I Got Over'' reflects the relief the band felt at the end of the Bush administration and the beginning of the Obama presidency. Guests include Blu, Phonte and Patty Crash, whose song "Serve This Royalty" is covered on the album. Rather than relying on samples, the album was recorded live, with covers (including ''Celestial Blues'', featuring the song's original artist, Andy Bey) being reinterpreted by the band. The album was released on June 22, 2010.

On June 24, 2009, The Roots debuted the first single and title track from the album live on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''. The song features longtime Roots collaborator Dice Raw.

''Wake Up!''

The Roots collaborated with R&B; singer John Legend on the album ''Wake Up!''. The album was released on September 21, 2010, and was publicized two days later with a live concert at Terminal 5 in New York City with John Legend and Jennifer Hudson that was streamed on YouTube. On October 30, 2010 The Roots and John Legend played live at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington, D.C.

''Betty Wright: The Movie''

The Roots collaborated with R&B; singer Betty Wright on the 2011 album ''Betty Wright: The Movie'', credited to Betty Wright and The Roots. The album, co-produced by Wright and Questlove, was nominated for a 2012 Grammy in the "Best Traditional R&B; Performance".

''Undun''

The Roots released their thirteenth album ''Undun'' via Def Jam Records on December 6, 2011. The first single "Make My" leaked on October 17, 2011. ''Undun'' is telling a story about their semi-fictional character, Redford Stephens. The album gravitates around Redford growing up in an urban landscape struggling with survival. He is forced to juxtapose between the choice of making something of himself or living a life of fast money and crime, and he chooses the life of crime. The album's name is inspired by The Guess Who's song "undun", and the character was named after the Sufjan Stevens song "Redford". The album features artists like Aaron Livingston, Big K.R.I.T., Phonte, Dice Raw, P.O.R.N., Truck North, Bilal, and Sufjan Stevens. The band went back to their original "roots", by returning to lyrics revolving around struggle and making something out of nothing.

Members

The Roots' original lineup included Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter (MC) and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson (drums), who were classmates at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. As they began to play at school and on the streets, they added bassist Josh "The Rubberband" Abrams, who went on to form the jazz group The Josh Abrams Quartet. They later added another MC Malik Abdul Basit-Smart ("Malik B."), a new bassist, Leonard Nelson Hubbard ("Hub"), and keyboardist Scott Storch. MC Kenyatta "Kid Crumbs" Warren, was a part of the group for their first album, Organix, but did not appear on any later albums.Another MC, Dice Raw, joined on for cameos in later albums. The Roots filled Storch's position with keyboardist, Kamal Gray, who continues to be a member. Beatboxer Rahzel was a member of the group from 1995 to 1999. Alongside Rahzel was vocal turntablist Scratch, who DJ'd for them during live concerts. However, he abruptly left in 2003. Malik B. left the group in 1999 due to drug problems but continued to record, making occasional cameos on future albums. Guitarist Ben Kenney, had a short stint with the group and contributed to their ''Phrenology'' album, but left to join Incubus as their bassist. A percussionist, F Knuckles, was added in 2002 and guitarist, Kirk Douglas (a.k.a. "Captain Kirk"), replaced Kenney. Martin Luther, a vocalist, toured with The Roots in 2003 and 2004 and contributed to the ''Tipping Point'' album. The group announced in August 2007, to the dismay of fans, that longtime bassist, Leonard Hubbard, was leaving the group. "One of our partners is leaving us tonight, ladies and gentlemen, Leonard Hubbard" (Black Thought @ moe.down 8/31/07).

The current members of The Roots are Black Thought (MC), Questlove (drums), Kamal (keyboard), Frank Knuckles (percussion) (also a former Protégé of Questlove), and Cap'n Kirk (guitar). Recently, they have toured with sousaphonist Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson and ''Game Theory'' producer and current bassist Mark Kelley. For their performances on ''Jimmy Fallon'', keyboardist James Poyser contributes additional keyboards.

The band announced on August 25, 2011 that Owen has left the band and will be replaced by Mark Kelley.

Most members have worked with PETA to promote compassion for animals and the vegetarian lifestyle.

Because the band members hail from Philadelphia and its surrounding area, they showed their support for the Phillies during the 2009 World Series against the Yankees, displaying Phillies memorabilia when performing on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''. On the episode which aired the day after the Yankees clinched the title, "Questlove" stated "No comment!" on the show's intro (when he usually states the episode number), and had a Yankees logo purposely displayed upside-down on his drumset. In 2010, the group showed support for the Flyers during their run to the Stanley Cup Final by having the team logo on their drumset.

Touring and other work

The band tours extensively, and their live sets are frequently hailed as the best in the genre. Recently, the band played a concert in NYC's Radio City Music Hall with Common, Nas, Talib Kweli and Big Daddy Kane. They backed Jay-Z a third time, for his Reasonable Doubt Concert, a celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the release of his first album.

In 1994, The Roots appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, ''Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool''. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by ''Time'' magazine. They have been highly involved in many other Red Hot Organization productions, including the 1998 album ''Red Hot + Rhapsody'' and the 2001 album ''Red Hot + Indigo'', a tribute to Duke Ellington.

The Roots have been featured in four movies: ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'', both performing album songs and playing as a backing band for other artists; Spike Lee's ''Bamboozled''; Marc Levin's ''Brooklyn Babylon'', in which Black Thought plays the protagonist, Solomon, and former band member Rahzel narrates; and ''Chasing Liberty'', starring Mandy Moore. Black Thought and Questlove were both featured in the movie ''Brown Sugar''. Black Thought made an appearance in the film ''Love Rome'' as Tariq Trotter, and Questlove currently appears in the recent documentary movie about TBC Brass Band called ''From the Mouthpiece on Back'', which lists The Roots as one of the executive producers of the movie.

The band guest performed on August 25 and 26 with the Dave Matthews Band during their 2007 summer tour. Members of The Roots played in various forms as well as a whole band on DMB's back to back concerts at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. In 2007 the band performed at an NAACP tribute to Bono, covering U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)". Black Thought mixed in lines form the band's own "False Media".

The group hosts a highly-anticipated jam session every year the night before the Grammys. The Roots jam session, produced by Okayplayer, Goodtime Girl Entertainment and Keldof, has been attended by everyone from Jay-Z, Beyoncé Knowles and Tom Cruise to Don Cheadle, Jeremy Piven and Prince with impromptu performances from Snoop Dogg and Corrine Bailey Rae to Queen Latifah, Matisyahu, Fall Out Boy and Dave Chappelle.

Billed as The Roots, Questlove, Kirk and Owen made an appearance on ''The Colbert Report'' on April 15, 2008 when Stephen Colbert spent a week in Philadelphia prior to the 2008 Pennsylvania Democratic primary. During the appearance, they performed the intro song to the show, and closed the episode with a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

The Roots are featured on the ''Men in Black Original Soundtrack'' (1997) with the song "The Notic" with neo-soul singer D'Angelo. The song "Here I Come" was featured in the movies ''Superbad'' and ''Hancock''. "Here I Come" is also featured in many video games including ''Project Gotham Racing 4''. The song "The Seed 2.0" featuring Cody ChesnuTT was featured in the movies ''Collateral'' and ''I Think I Love My Wife'', as well as the Without a Trace episode "Candy." The song "Don't Say Nuthin" was featured in the first season episode, "Busey And The Beach" of HBO's ''Entourage''. The song, "Guns Are Drawn", featuring Aaron Livingston, was featured in a season six episode of CBS' Cold Case.

They have performed on the popular kids show ''Yo Gabba Gabba'', performing "Lovely, Love My Family" in 2008.

In March 2009, The Roots became the new official house band on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'', with "Here I Come" as the show's theme. The Roots, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and Taylor Hicks performed Rebecca Black's viral hit "Friday" on the ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' show on April Fool's Day, 2011.

The Roots host an annual all day music festival in Philadelphia, PA every June.

On Tuesday, November 22, 2011 United States Congresswoman and presidential candidate Michele Bachmann was a guest on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''. For her entrance, The Roots controversially played a snippet from Fishbone's 1985 song, "Lying Ass Bitch" resulting in apologies from Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, and NBC.

Awards

Grammy Awards

* 1999: Won for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "You Got Me" (featuring Erykah Badu and Eve)

* 2002: Nominated for Best Rap Album for ''Phrenology''

* 2004: Nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Star"

* 2004: Nominated for Best Rap Performance By a Duo/Group for "Don't Say Nuthin'"

* 2007: Nominated for Best Rap Album for ''Game Theory''

* 2007: Nominated for Best Rap Performance By a Duo/Group for "Don't Feel Right"

* 2011: Won for Best Group or Duo R&B; Vocal Performance for ''Shine''

* 2011: Won for Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance for "Hang on in There" (with John Legend)

* 2011: Won for Best R&B; Album for ''Wake Up!''

* 2011: Nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Wake Up Everybody"

* 2011: Nominated for Best Rap Album for ''How I Got Over''

MTV Video Music Awards

* 2003: Nominated for MTV2 award for "The Seed 2.0"

mtvU Woodie Awards

* 2004: Nominated for Road Woodie and Welcome Back Woodie

BET Awards

* 2005: Nominated for Best Group

* 2009: Nominated for Best Group

NAACP Image Awards

* 2005: Nominated for Outstanding Duo or Group

* 2007: Won for Outstanding Duo or Group

* 2011: Won for Outstanding Collaboration for ''Wake Up!''

* 2011: Won for Outstanding Album for ''Wake Up!''

Named one of the "twenty greatest live acts in the world" by ''Rolling Stone'', 2003

Won a "Heroes Award" from the Philadelphia chapter of the Recording Academy, 2004

First Hip-Hop group to perform at Lincoln Center in January, 2002

Won Max Stevenson International Hip-Hop Award for ''Game Theory'' album, 2007

Band members

Black Thought – MC (1987–present)

Questlove – Drums (1987–present)

Kamal Gray – Electronic keyboard (1994–present)

F. Knuckles – Percussion (2001–present)

Captain Kirk Douglas – Electric guitar (2003–present)

Damon "Tuba Gooding Jr." Bryson – Sousaphone (2007–present)

James Poyser – Electronic keyboard (For ''Late Night With Jimmy Fallon'' and occasional performances only)

Mark Kelley - Bass (2011-present)

;Former members

Malik B. – MC (1987–1999)

Kid Crumbs (Kenyatta Warren) – MC (1993)

Rubberband (Josh Abrams) – Bass (1992)

Rahzel – Beatbox (1995–2001)

Dice Raw – MC (1995–2001) (Frequent collaborator of The Roots)

Scott Storch – keyboards (1993-1995)

Ben Kenney – guitar/bass (2000–2003)

Martin Luther – vocals (2003–2004)

Scratch – Beatbox (1996–2003)

Leonard Hub Hubbard  – Bass (1992–2007)

Owen Biddle – Bass (2007–2011)

Discography

; Studio albums

1993: ''Organix!''

1995: ''Do You Want More?!!!??!''

1996: ''Illadelph Halflife''

1999: ''Things Fall Apart''

2002: ''Phrenology''

2004: ''The Tipping Point''

2005 ''Homegrown: The Beginners Guide To Understanding The Roots Vol 1. & Vol 2.''

2006: ''Game Theory''

2008: ''Rising Down''

2010: ''How I Got Over''

2011: ''Undun''

; EPs

1994: ''From the Ground Up'' (EP)

1999: ''The Legendary'' (EP)

; Collaborative albums

2010: ''Wake Up!'' (with John Legend)

2011: ''Betty Wright: The Movie'' (with Betty Wright)

References

External links

TheRoots.com

The Roots' official website

[ The Roots at Allmusic]

TheRootsArchive.com

Retrospective of The Roots @ DefJam

Category:Alternative hip hop groups Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:East Coast hip hop groups Category:Geffen Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:MCA Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1987 Category:Musical groups from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Musical octets Category:American funk musical groups

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name	Cody Chesnutt
background	solo_singer
origin	Atlanta, Georgia
genre	Rock and roll, R&B;, soul
occupation	Composer, musician
associated acts	The Crosswalk
notable instruments	}}

Cody Chesnutt (stylized as Cody ChesnuTT, born 1968) is an American R&B; and neo soul musician from Atlanta, Georgia.

Biography

Chesnutt's music blends elements of rock, funk, soul, hip hop, and blues. After relocating to Los Angelos, Chesnutt found work with Death Row records, writing and producing five songs for the male R&B; group Six Feet Deep. Chesnutt and his former band, The Crosswalk, had a brief stint with Hollywood Records in which they were later booted from the label. The band subsequently broke up and Chesnutt released a double LP in 2002 entitled ''The Headphone Masterpiece'', which was recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder in his bedroom recording studio, which he calls "The Sonic Promiseland".

His closest brush with mainstream success came in 2002, when the hip hop group The Roots remade a song from his album, "The Seed", for their album ''Phrenology'', as "The Seed (2.0)". Chesnutt plays guitar and sings vocals on the track, and appears in its music video, which received heavy airplay on MTV and BET. At the height of his popularity, Chesnutt's backing band consisted of drummer Craig Waters, now with the band The Bellrays, and bassist Aaron Ebensperger. In October 2003, Cody Chesnutt was nominated for the prestigious Shortlist Music Prize, and performed in the ceremony for the prize at the Wiltern Theatre in California.

In 2006, Chesnutt appeared in the music documentary ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'', which was originally recorded in September 2004. The same year, he recorded the track "Boils" for the 4AD records album ''Plague Songs''. On his Myspace announced an upcoming album titled ''The Live Release'', which he has been performing around the world but is yet to be released. In 2007, he performed at the Pop Montreal music festival as one of the headliners.

In 2010 he released an EP called ''Black Skin No Value''. Furthermore he stated in an interview that he will publish his second big album ''Landing On A Hundred'' in 2012.

Discography

Albums

2002: ''The Headphone Masterpiece''

2006: ''The Live Release'' (unpublished)

2010: ''Black Skin No Value'' (EP)

2012: ''Landing On A Hundred''

Singles

2001: Look Good in Leather ''("AXE Instinct"-Werbespot (2009))''

2002: "The World Is Coming"

2002: "The Seed (2.0)" ''(featuring The Roots)'' (UK #33)

2006: "The Last Adam"

2008: "Afrobama" 2010: "Come Back Like Spring"

Notes

External links

Category:African American musicians Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:Living people Category:Neo soul singers Category:American musicians of Jamaican descent Category:1968 births

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Name	Rik Cordero
Birth name	Fredric Joseph Cordero
Origin	Queens, New York, United States
Years active	2007–present
Production co.	Robot Films
Website	Official Website
Background	non_performing_personnel }}

Fredric Joseph “Rik” Cordero was born and raised in Queens, New York and is known for applying unusual, non-traditional shooting methods in his work. He was nominated for Video Director Of The Year at the 2009 BET Awards and was the recipient of the Best Film Award for his feature film, “Inside A Change” which made its world premiere at the 2009 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival. In 2010, Cordero was seen in Sprite’s print and television ads for their “Spark” campaign. The ads featured him as a Hollywood director discovering inspiration in very unlikely ways. He recently wrapped his latest feature “Starla”, a thriller executive produced by Chris Robinson and “The World Is Watching”, a documentary about the culture of New York City high school basketball produced by Nike and narrated by Spike Lee. Cordero was also a featured director for SHOOT Magazine’s 9th Annual New Director’s Showcase held at the DGA Theater on May 10, 2011. He is currently the executive producer of Channel Three/21, a YouTube partner channel with over 50 million views worldwide.

Awards and Nominations

Selected Director for 2011 SHOOT Magazine 9th Annual New Directors Showcase

Best Film Award at 2009 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival for ''Inside A Change''

Video Director Of The Year Nominee at 2009 BET Awards

Best Music Video Award at 2008 No Exit Music Video Festival for "Stop Hittin Me" – Big Lou

Best Director Award at 2007 No Exit Music Video Festival for "I’ve Been Lost" – +/-

Best Music Video Award at 2006 New York Asian American International Film Festival for "I’ve Been Lost" – +/-

Best Music Video Award at 2005 New York Asian American International Film Festival for "Park, Park – The Mighty Sweet

NYIT SOURCE (Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression) Award for “Ducksauce” Senior Thesis Animation (2002)

References

Rik Cordero’s new documentary hits home with a SLAMonline writer – slamonline.com – 06/06/11

SHOOT Magazine 9th Annual New Directors Showcase Rik Cordero Profile – nds.shootonline.com – 05/13/11

SHOOT Magazine Announces Selected Helmers Making The Final Cut For 2011 9th Annual New Directors Showcase – shootonline.com – 05/02/11

Robot’s Rik Cordero Brings Marines Home – screenmag.com – 02/08/11

Robot's Rik Cordero Reaches To Your Hometown For The United States Marine Corps – presskitchen.blog.wordpress.com – 02/03/11

The United States Marine Corps Celebrates Hometowns In Honor Of Black History Month – prnewswire.com – 02/01/11

Michigan Movie Clips – freep.com – 01/21/11

THE WORLD IS WATCHING – thesavile.com – 12/08/10

What’s On My iPod: Rik Cordero – smokingsection.uproxx.com – 11/24/10

Tarrus Riley releases video for Superman – jamaicaobserver.com – 11/09/10

Meet Pop's Three Million Dollar Man! – usmagazine.com – 10/06/10

The Why In NYC – suitsiswatching.com – 08/19/10

WATCH: New Video from the Roots with John Legend – spin.com – 07/28/10

The Roots – “The Fire” (Feat. John Legend) Video – stereogum.com – 07/28/10

Watch: Cannibalistic New Roots Video – pitchfork.com – 07/27/10

Watch the Roots and John Legend’s Confusing New Video, �?The Fire’ – nymag.com – 07/27/10

The Roots, The Fire – filtermagazine.com – 07/27/10

Watch The Roots' War Movie Pastiche Music Video for "The Fire" – thelmagazine.com – 07/26/10

N.O.R.E. Explains Unreleased Nas Cameo On The War Report 2 – mtv.com – 05/18/10

Wale Plays The Gentleman In 'Diary' Video – mtv.com – 05/03/10

Wu-Tang Trio Say Video For 'Our Dreams' Looks 'Like A Movie' – mtv.com – 02/24/10

Sprite The Spark Campaign – thecoca-colacompany.com – 02/11/10

Drake Teams With Sprite for 'Spark' Campaign – billboard.com – 02/11/10

Sprite Unleashes �?The Spark’ – atlanta.bizjournals.com – 02/11/10

"Obama Fried Chicken" Owner Demanded $3,000 for Video: Director – nbcnewyork.com – 11/23/09

"Obama Fried Chicken" Sign Cut From Rap Video – nbcnewyork.com – 11/21/09

Interview: Rik Cordero, video producer and director, Three/21 Media – prweekus.com – 09/16/09

Inside Rik Cordero’s Change: Young Video Director Carves Place in Movies with Noted Film Project – humannaturemag.com – 09/09/09

12FTDWENDE X Rik Cordero (+ a lil’ youngdscott) – 12ftdwende.com – 08/25/09

Rik Cordero: Music Video Director To Promising Film Maker – ballerstatus.com – 07/28/09

Where Rik Cordero and Fiery Furnaces Collide – villagevoice.com – 07/08/09

Who Killed the Video Star? – cbsnews.com – 06/29/09

Inside A Change – hiphopdx.com – 06/21/09

5 Minutes with Rik Cordero – nicekicks.com – 06/08/09

Interview: Rik Cordero (video director) – thickonline.com – 06/03/09

30 under 30: rik cordero – angryasianman.com – 05/27/09

Beyonce, T.I. Nominated For BET Awards – billboard.com – 05/14/09

Hip-Hop and Online Video: What the Hell’s Going On!?!? – portal-a.com – 03/06/09

Q&A;: Rik Cordero – limitemagazine.com – 02/12/09

The Man Behind The Scenes – aandrdepartment.com – 01/14/09

The Man Behind The Scenes – musicfeatures.blogspot.com – 01/14/09

10 People Who Have Me Excited About Hip Hop. #2 – hiphopdx.com – 12/24/08

SpeechIsMyHammer x Rik Cordero (Pt. 2) – speechismyhammer.com – 12/24/08

SpeechIsMyHammer x Rik Cordero (Pt. 1) – speechismyhammer.com – 12/22/08

Rik Cordero: Inside The Learning Curve – rubyhornet.com – 12/15/08

Guest Contribution: A Man with a Movie Camera – bakitwhy.com – 12/07/08

The StreetCred.com Interview: Rik Cordero – streetcred.com – 12/03/08

Is Rik Cordero the Timbaland of Music Videos? – highsnobiety.com – 11/25/08

EXCLUSIVE: On The Set of “Arab Money” With Rik Cordero – giant.blackplanet.com – 11/13/08

PROFILE: Rik Cordero, director @ Three/21 Media – videostatic.com – 11/07/08

Electric Relaxation: Rik Cordero :: Reexamining the hip-hop video mold – urb.com – 10/06/08

Six New Directors Who Are Making Music Video Cool Again – wired.com – 09/22/08

Statik Selektah X Rik Cordero – urb.com – 08/28/08

10 Questions Vol. 1 (Rik Cordero) – thatsmajor.info – 07/15/08

Nas, Battling DJs And Asia’s Biggest Pop Star Get Together For Earthquake Relief (on Rik Cordero) – mtv.com – 07/14/08

Video: Nas: "Sly Fox" – pitchforkmedia.com – 07/11/08

Wale & Rik Cordero Visualize �?Artistic Integrity’ – complex.com – 06/25/08

Rik Cordero Gets In Touch – shotsringout.com – 06/12/08

Nas Reveals 'N*gger' Video, Album Cover – billboard.biz – 05/30/08

Nas Debuts Controversial Video in New York City – rollingstone.com – 05/30/08

Rik Cordero – massappealmag.com – 05/16/08

Radar: Rik Cordero – sixshot.com – 05/13/08

NEW RELEASE: The Roots "Rising Down" – videostatic.com – 05/08/08

Interview Session: Rik Cordero – musicalessence.wordpress.com – 05/06/08

Rik Cordero Antagonizes Feminist Film Theory With "Birthday Girl" Video – idolator.com – 04/16/08

Interview with Rik Cordero – hoodhype.com – 04/08/08

Guerilla Video: An Interview with Rik Cordero – fobbdeep.com – 03/12/08

Snap Judgment: Snoop Dogg's 'Neva Have 2 Worry' video – ew.com – 03/07/08

Rik Cordero: Shoot 'Em Up – hiphopdx.com – 02/08/08

Rik Cordero Interview – bnqt.com – 12/17/07

Fire Starter: Rik Cordero – mtv.com – 12/10/07

Rik Cordero: The Future – giantmag.com – 12/06/07

Hustler Watch: Rik Cordero – eighty81.com – 11/27/07

Director Rik Cordero's Bold Music Video Trailer Generates Overwhelming Internet Response – biz.yahoo.com – 10/23/07

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Rik Cordero

Category:Living people Category:1979 births Category:American people of Filipino descent Category:American film directors of Asian descent

name	John Legend
background	solo_singer
birth name	John Roger Stephens
birth date	December 28, 1978
origin	Springfield, Ohio, United States
instrument	Vocals, piano, keyboards
alma mater	University of Pennsylvania
genre	R&B;, hip hop soul, soul, neo soul, jazz fusion
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor
years active	2001–present
label	GOOD, Sony Music
associated acts	Kanye West, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots
website	}}

John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has won nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists. Stephens added his voice to those of other artists, assisting in them reaching chart-topper hits. He lent his voice to Kanye West's All of the Lights, on Slum Village's "Selfish" and Dilated Peoples' "This Way". Other artists included Jay-Z's "Encore", and he sang backing vocals on Alicia Keys' 2003 song "You Don't Know My Name" and Fort Minor's "High Road." Stephens played piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything."

Career and life

1978–2003: Early life and career beginnings

Stephens was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. He is the son of Phyllis, a seamstress, and John Mills, a factory worker and former National Guardsman. Throughout his childhood, Stephens was homeschooled on and off by his mother. At the age of four, he began playing the piano and at the age of seven, he performed with his church choir. When he was ten, his parents divorced, causing his mother to suffer a breakdown. At the age of 12, Stephens attended North High School, from which he graduated four years later. He graduated salutatorian.

According to Stephens, he was offered scholarships to Harvard University, Georgetown University and Morehouse College. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied English with an emphasis on African American literature. While in college, he helmed Counterparts, a co-ed jazz and pop a cappella group as president (1997–1998) and musical director (1998–1999). Stephens' lead vocals on the group's recording of Joan Osborne's "One of Us" received critical acclaim landing the song on the track list of the 1998 ''Best of Collegiate a Cappella'' compilation CD. Stephens was also a member of the prestigious Sphinx Senior Society while an undergraduate at Penn. While in college, Stephens was introduced to Lauryn Hill by a friend. Hill hired him to play piano on "Everything Is Everything", a song from her album, ''The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill''.

During this period, Stephens took time to hold a number of shows around Philadelphia, eventually expanding his audience base to New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. He finished college in 1999, and thereafter began producing, writing, and recording his own music. He released two albums independently; his self-titled demo (2000) and 'Live at Jimmy's Uptown' (2001), which he sold at his shows.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Stephens began working as a management consultant for the Boston Consulting Group. During this time, he began working on his demo and began sending his work to various record labels. In 2001, Devo Springsteen introduced Stephens to then up-and-coming hip-hop artist Kanye West; Stephens was hired to sing during the hooks of West's music. After signing to West's label, he chose his stage name from a nickname that was given to him by poet J. Ivy, due to Stephens' "old-school sound". Stephens' vocals can be heard on several tracks including Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name", Jay-Z's "Encore", Kanye West's "Never Let Me Down," also featuring Jay-Z and J. Ivy, Dilated Peoples' "This Way" and Slum Village's "Selfish".

2004–2005: ''Get Lifted''

Stephens released his debut album, ''Get Lifted'', in December 2004. It debuted at number seven on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 116,000 copies in its first week. It went on to sell 2.1 million copies in the United States and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. It has sold three million copies worldwide. The album produced two singles: "Ordinary People" (US and UK top 30) went straight to number four and "Used to Love U" (US top 100, UK top 30).

2006–2007: ''Once Again''

The first single from his second album, ''Once Again'', was "Save Room". The album was released October 24, 2006, and boasts production from Kanye West, Raphael Saadiq, and will.i.am. In an interview with MTV, he said that this album contained his favorite song that he had written to date, entitled "Again." He said he came up with the idea for the song and wrote some of it while sitting on a subway. He stated that the song was also the inspiration for the album's title.

In August 2006 Stephens appeared in an episode of ''Sesame Street''. He performed a song entitled "It Feels Good When You Sing a Song", a duet with Hoots the Owl. He also performed during the pregame show of ''Super Bowl XL'' in Detroit and the halftime show at the ''2006 NBA All-Star Game''.

2008–2010: ''Evolver''

Stephens released his third studio album ''Evolver'', in October 2008. Rapper Andre 3000 of OutKast is featured on the first single of the album on a song titled "Green Light". "It's going to be a surprise for a lot of John Legend fans, because it is a lot more upbeat than John is — than people think John is," Andre insisted. "I was actually happy to hear it. This is a cool John Legend song". The next single from ''Evolver'' was confirmed as "Everybody Knows".

Speaking in July 2008 to noted UK R&B; writer Pete Lewis of the award-winning "Blues & Soul", he explained his reasons for titling the album 'Evolver': "Well I think people sometimes come to expect certain things from certain artists. They expect you to kind of stay in the same place you were at when you started out. Whereas I feel I want my career to be defined by the fact that I'm NOT gonna stay in the same place, and that I'm always gonna try new things and experiment. So, as I think this album represents a manifestation of that, I came up with the title 'Evolver'."

In 2009, Stephens performed in The People Speak a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States”.

2010: ''Wake Up!''

John Legend and The Roots teamed up to record a collaborative album, ''Wake Up!'', which was released on September 21, 2010. The first single released off the album was "Wake Up Everybody" featuring singer Melanie Fiona and rapper Common; a video for the song has been released. "Hard Times" is the second single.

In February 2011 John won three Grammy Awards (one by himself and two with The Roots) at the 53rd Annual Grammy Music Awards Ceremony. Legend won a Grammy Award for Best R&B; Song for "Shine", and he and The Roots won Grammy Awards for Best R&B; Album (''Wake Up!'') and Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance for "Hang On In There". In March 2011 Legend and the Roots won two NAACP Image Awards – one for Outstanding Album (''Wake Up!'') and one for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration.

2011–present: tour and work on new album

Legend is currently on a 50-date tour as a guest for British Soul band Sade. In the San Diego stop, Legend confirmed that he is working on his next studio album, and played a new song called "Dreams".

Plagiarism lawsuit

On July 5, 2011, songwriter Anthony Stokes filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against John Legend in United States District Court, in the District of New Jersey, alleging that Legend's song "Maxine's Interlude" from his 2006 album ''Once Again'' derives from Stokes' demo "Where Are You Now." Stokes claims he gave Legend a demo of the song in 2004 following a concert at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Legend has denied the allegations, telling E! Online, "I never heard of his song until he sued me. I would never steal anyone's song. We will fight it in court and we will prevail." Nearly 60,000 people took a TMZ.com poll that compared the two songs and 65% of voters believed that Legend's "Maxine's Interlude" is a rip-off of Stokes' "Where Are You Now."

Collaborations

In 2005 he was featured in the Fort Minor song "High Road".

In 2006 he was featured in Sérgio Mendes's collaboration album, ''Timeless'', singing "Please Baby Don't".

In 2006 collaborated with Jay-Z on the album ''Kingdom Come'' on the song "Do U Wanna Ride".

Collaborated with Japanese R&B; duo CHEMISTRY on their 2006 single "Tōkage".

Collaborated with Mary J. Blige on "King & Queen".

In 2007 lent his vocals for the ''Rich Boy'' track "Ghetto Rich".

In 2008 collaborated with Colombian Rock artist Juanes at the Latin Grammys, singing in Spanish along with Juanes, on the bilingual version of the song "''Si tu estas ahi''" also known as "''If You Are Out There''".

Featured in The Black Eyed Peas song, "Like That". The song "Ordinary People" was originally meant to be for a Black Eyed Peas project, but they agreed the song fitted better sung by J.Legend and recorded the song after he had been signed to Columbia Records.

Tentatively worked with Michael Jackson on a future album. In a Dutch interview with singer and host Tommy Parker, he was asked about this collaboration. His response was that he had written one song for the upcoming album, but was unsure about whether Jackson would be using it.

Sang "The Girl is Mine" and the national anthem along with Stephen Colbert on ''The Colbert Report''.

Featured on the sixth track ("Heartbreaker") of MSTRKRFT's second album ''Fist of God''.

He collaborated with Fergie for her song "Finally" on her 2006 debut album "''The Dutchess''".

Featured in T.I.'s song "Slide Show" on his album ''Paper Trail''. A music video for "Slide Show" was released on August 10, 2009, featuring a video collage; it is unknown as of yet, however, if it is an official single.

He is also featured in the song "Magnificent" by Rick Ross. The music video has cameo appearances from DJ Khaled saying and wearing "We the Best!!", Birdman, Ace Hood, Triple C's, and Special Ed. It was released on March 3, 2009, and it was directed by music video director Gil Green. It was filmed at Gulfstream Park Racetrack in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The two later collaborated on the songs "Sweet Life" and "Free Mason," the former of which failed to make the cut for the follow-up album, Teflon Don, and the latter of which featured rapper Jay-Z as well.

Co-wrote (and played piano on) "Move on Me" by British singer-songwriter Fin Greenall (a.k.a. Fink) from the album "Sort of Revolution" (2009)

Collaborated with Reggae legend Buju Banton on the track "Can't Be My Lover". The track is one of the biggest mixes of R&B; and Reggae/Dancehall in years.

In 2009 recorded a duet with Brazilian singer Ana Carolina called ":pt:Entreolhares (The Way You’re Looking at Me)". He sings in English, and she sings in Portuguese.

In the summer of 2009 he recorded a duet with ex-member of Sin Bandera, Noel Schajris, called ''"No Importa"'' (It Doesn't Matter). He sings in English and Spanish.

In 2009 a duet version "Save Room" featuring German band, Monrose, was released under the title "Save Room (Let's Get Strictly Physical)".

Has plans to collaborate with British born talent, Stefan Vitalis, to produce a soulful and dynamic record.

Recorded a cover of the U2 song "Pride (in the name of love)"

Collaborated with Nas for the title track on DJ Khaled's 2010 album Victory.

In 2010 collaborated with Pink and Herbie Hancock for a recording of Peter Gabriel's song "Don't Give Up", which featured on Hancock's album The Imagine Project.

Collaborated with Lupe Fiasco on the track "Never Forget You."

Collaborated with Kanye West on the song "Blame Game" on West's album ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''.

In September 2010 collaborated with British dubstep trio, Magnetic Man, on a track entitled "Getting Nowhere".

Collaborated with Lil Wayne on the track "So Special." On Wayne's album ''Tha Carter IV''.

Sang a duet with jazz singer Cassandra Wilson "Watch the Sunrise" co-written by Legend on her 2010 album Silver Pony.

Collaborated with Mariah Carey in 2011 on a duet version of her holiday track "When Christmas Comes" from her 2010 album, Merry Christmas II You.

Collaborated with Tiziano Ferro on the track "Karma" from Tiziano Ferro album, ''L'amore è una cosa semplice''.

Music videos and acting career

His cover of Stevie Wonder's 1974 hit song "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" appeared in Will Smith/Eva Mendes' film ''Hitch'' and on the soundtrack album of the movie.

The 2007 video for his single, "P.D.A. (We Just Don't Care)", features Alexandre Rodrigues and Alice Braga from the critically acclaimed film, ''City of God''.

Songs attributed to John Legend have appeared in feature films, as follows:

"Refuge" appears on the soundtrack to the 2006 film ''The Second Chance''.

"Dare to Dream" is in the 2007 movie ''Pride''.

"Someday" is part of the soundtrack to the 2007 film ''August Rush''.

"Shine" was written for the end credits of the 2010 film ''Waiting for Superman''.

He has a supporting, singing-only role in the 2008 movie ''Soul Men'', where he plays the deceased lead singer of a fictitious soul group that includes Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac. Although he has no real dialogue in the film, he only sings a song called "I'm Your Puppet" along with Jackson and Mac.

Endeavors

Television appearances and commercials

Performed "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch at the 2006 Major League Baseball All Star Game in Pittsburgh, PA.

Appeared on the season finale of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'', singing a cover of "You Don't Know Me". He also appeared on an episode of the television series "Las Vegas" in February 2007, performing his single "Save Room" solo at the end of the episode.

In 2007 performed with John Mayer and Corinne Bailey Rae at the Grammy Awards. He later appeared with Bailey Rae in several live performances.

Appeared in a recent commercial for a Lexus SUV, in which Legend is shown listening to Nina Simone's "Backlash Blues" (recorded live in Paris, 1968, on ''The Great Show'' LP) and describing his experience with the music. He is also notable for performing closing music in many of Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs' keynote presentations.

In January 2008 sang in a video for Barack Obama, produced by Will.I.Am called "''Yes We Can''".

Performed "America The Beautiful" at WrestleMania XXIV on Sunday March 30, 2008 at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

In a 2008 Target commercial performed a piece of his song "Slow Dance" to pitch his new album "available exclusively at Target." The commercial was shown during online streaming episodes of NBC programs.

In 2008 performed several numbers live in front of tens of thousands of fans during the "Welcome to America" July 4 celebration on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, PA.

Performed at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver in September 2008.

Appeared on ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' on October 31, 2008. He was a member of the panel and performed "If You're Out There" at the end of the show.

Appeared on CNN Heroes 2008, which was taped November 22, 2008, and was televised November 27, 2008.

Appeared to perform the song in duet with Colombian rock singer Juanes during the 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on November 13, 2008. The version they performed was sung mostly in Spanish by both singers, with only a few lines in English.

On Sunday, January 18, 2009, performed at the We Are One:The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, singing James Taylor's "Shower the People" with James Taylor and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

On Friday, February 13, 2009, he was a guest and performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. John performed his song, "Everybody Knows" from his album, Evolver.

Performed at the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Launch party at LAX in Las Vegas on February 12, 2009.

Performed at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game halftime show on February 15, 2009.

Performed at the 81st Academy Awards on February 22, 2009, singing "Down to Earth" nominated for Best Original Song.

On an episode of ''The Colbert Report'' which aired March 7, 2008, performed "The Girl Is Mine" with Stephen Colbert. It was a remake of the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney hit. Returned to ''The Colbert Report'' on April 14, 2008, performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with Stephen Colbert, opening the show's week in Philadelphia. He later appeared in Colbert's Christmas special ''A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All'', where he performed an ode to nutmeg. His fourth appearance aired September 9, 2010, when he performed a tribute to returning American troops in the second half of the two-part special ''Been There, Won That: The Returnification of the Ameri-Can-Do Troopscape''. He sung "Coming Home" from his 2006 album Once Again.

On Sunday, May 17, 2009, served as commencement speaker for the University of Pennsylvania's 2009 graduation ceremonies. Amy Goodman happened to be in the audience, and she televised the speech the following Tuesday, May 19, 2009 on ''Democracy Now!''.

On June 12, 2009, co-hosted ESPN's ''Mike and Mike in the Morning'' on the ESPN2/ESPN Radio simulcast with Mike Greenberg. He sat in for Mike Golic.

On August 23, 2010, performed at the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant, Evening Gown segment, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On October 27, 2010, performed the American National Anthem for the 2010 World Series opener.

On October 30, 2010, performed at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear with The Roots.

On February 24, 2011, Legend appeared on the season 2 finale of ''Royal Pains''.

Interviewed by host John Jacobsen as the third guest on the first season of PBS television's ''The Artist Toolbox''.

Charitable endeavors and philanthropy

On July 7, 2007, he participated in the Live Earth concert in London, performing "Ordinary People". On July 8, 2007, he participated in the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland, with India.Arie. On July 11, 2007, he participated in the Jazz Open Festival in Stuttgart, Germany, with Amy Winehouse. On September 21, 2008, he also performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK in conjunction with the Peace One Day concert. He sang "Green Light" and "If You're Out There".

''The Show Me Campaign'' google , through which his fans are encouraged to donate funds toward improving the living situations and prospects of victims of extreme poverty in Mbola, Tanzania, is another example of Stephens' charitable involvement. In early 2008, he began touring with Professor Jeff Sachs of Columbia University's Earth Institute to promote sustainable development as an achievable goal.

Stephens returned to his hometown of Springfield, Ohio on Christmas Eve 2007 for a "Coming Home Christmas Benefit Concert" in the auditorium of North High School. The performance featured several local talent from Springfield, including Legend's younger brother Vaughn Anthony Stephens, who helped organize the concert. The performance also featured a tribute to Jason Collier, and proceeds went to a scholarship fund set up in his name for local high schoolers.

After reading Professor Jeffrey Sachs' book, ''The End of Poverty'', Stephens was inspired to visit Ghana to learn more about making life better for the people who live under the poverty line. This is when he started his "Show Me Campaign" in 2007. With this campaign, Stephens called on his fans to help him in his initiative for those who reside in Bossaso Village and non-profit organizations that the campaign partners with.

In 2007 Stephens was the spokesman for GQ Magazine's "Gentlemen's Fund", an initiative to raise support and awareness for five cornerstones essential to men: opportunity, health, education, environment, and justice.

In May 2007 he partnered with Tide laundry detergent to raise awareness about the need of families in St. Bernard Parish, (Slidell, LA) one of the most devastated areas hit by Hurricane Katrina. He spent a day folding laundry at the Tide "clean start" mobile laundromat and visited homes which Tide is helping to rebuild in that community.

In October 2007 he became involved with a project sponsored by The Gap, a retail clothing store chain in the United States. Through their "project red campaign" (also called "2 WEEKS"), The Gap's contribution to their global fund from the sale of each (2 WEEKS) t-shirt is equivalent to the average cost of 2 weeks of anti-retroviral medicine in Africa, which enables people living with HIV to lead healthy, normal lives.

In 2009 Stephens gave AIDS Service Center NYC permission to remix his song "If You're Out There" to create a music video promoting HIV/AIDS awareness and testing.

Stephens claims to have contributed a share of the proceeds of some tickets for his August 13, 2009, concert at Madison Square Garden to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Stephens is also the National spokesperson for and has performed benefit concerts for "Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT). MLT is a national non-profit organization that has made ground-breaking progress assisting the next generation of African American, Hispanic and Native American leaders in major corporations, non-profit organizations and entrepreneurial ventures.

On January 22, 2010, he performed "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" on the ''Hope for Haiti Now'' telethon show.

On September 8, 2010, John Legend joined the national board of Teach For America. Legend also sits on the boards of The Education Equality Project and the Harlem Village Academies, and serves as co-chair (with Rupert Murdoch) of the Harlem Village Academies’ National Leadership Board.

On September 9, 2010, he performed "Coming Home" on the Colbert Report as a tribute song for the end of combat operations in Iraq, and for the active troops and the veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

In 2011, he contributed the track "Love I've Never Known" to the Red Hot Organization's most recent album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot+Rio." Proceeds from the album sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.

On March 6, 2012, John Legend was appointed by the World Economic Forum to the Forum of Young Global Leaders.

Endorsements

Stephens is currently a spokesperson for the Baileys line of alcoholic beverages. He also spoke on behalf of The Polka Dotz at Milwaukee's 2008 German Fest.

He performed and spoke at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, on behalf of the Barack Obama Presidential campaign in April 2008. He later performed "If You're Out There" from the album ''Evolver'' and a duet of Will.i.am's "Yes We Can" at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. Also, he performed a half-hour set list in support of Barack Obama in his hometown of Springfield, as well as at The Ohio State University and Wright State University campuses on September 29, 2008.

"Fan Appreciation" events

On July 26, 2007, Stephens hosted a John Legend Network Members Only Party and Concert called "The Kings & Queens Bash" at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. There were 500 participants in attendance and he introduced the acts from his new label, Homeschool Records to his John Legend Network fans: Estelle, his brother, Vaughn Anthony Stephens, Lucy Woodward and The James Gang. Harmonicist Frederic Yonnet performed as a special guest.

On July 25, 2008, at the Highline Ballroom in New York City, John Legend planned another annual private event for his fans who are members of the John Legend Network called "John Legend Unplugged". Legend performed a 21-song set list, including several songs from his ''Evolver'' album. This allowed John Legend Network members to be the first to hear the new songs. After the party, Legend greeted each individual on their way out and took pictures with fans.

On February 8, 2011, Legend performed and spoke at Arizona State University's Gammage Auditorium in Tempe, Arizona for a Black History Month event presented by the Undergraduate Student Government of ASU.

Discography

''Get Lifted'' (2004)

''Once Again'' (2006)

''Evolver'' (2008)

'' TBA'' (2012)

;Collaborations

''Wake Up!'' (with The Roots) (2010)

G.O.O.D. Music (with G.O.O.D. Music) (2012)

Personal

On December 27, 2011, Legend's rep announced he was engaged to supermodel Chrissy Teigen while vacationing in the Maldives after dating for 4 years. Teigen has been featured in Deal or No Deal and in Sports Illustrated.

Filmography

Television
!Year	!Title	!Role	!Notes
2006	''Sesame Street''	Himself
	''Curb Your Enthusiasm''	Himself/Performer	''Season 6 Finale, 'The Bat Mitzvah'''
	Himself/Performer	''Season 4 Episode 11, 'Wagers of Sin'''
2008	''A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All''	Forest Ranger	''Christmas Special''
2009		Himself	Documentary
2010	Dancing with the Stars	Himself/Performer
2011	''Royal Pains''	Himself/Performer	"Listen to the Music"
Film
!Year	!Title	!Role	!Notes
	''Sesame Street: Elmo Loves You!''	Himself
''Soul Men''	Marcus Hooks

See also

List of awards and nominations received by John Legend

References

External links

Official website

John Legend – The Artists Organization – Management

John Legend in-depth interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' October 2010

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12

Category:1978 births Category:African American singer-songwriters Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American baritones Category:American management consultants Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American pop pianists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:Boston Consulting Group people Category:Midwest hip hop musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Ohio Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Springfield, Ohio Category:University of Pennsylvania alumni Category:Sphinx Senior Society

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name	Leela James
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Leela James
birth date	June 02, 1983
Birth place	Los Angeles, California, United States
genre	Soul, R&B;, blues
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2005–present
label	Warner Bros., Shanachie, Stax
website	www.leelajames.com }}

Leela James (born June 2, 1983 in Los Angeles, California) is an American R&B; and soul singer-songwriter. James cites singers James Brown, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, and Stevie Wonder as her influences. Her deep, rich, gritty vocals have drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Tina Turner.

Biography

James' debut album, entitled ''A Change Is Gonna Come'', was released on June 21, 2005. The album was conceived as a throwback to an earlier era of American soul music, building upon the legacy of 1960s and 1970s soul singers while incorporating elements of contemporary R&B;, funk, and gospel.

In the lyrics to the album's lead single, entitled "Music", James laments the current state of contemporary popular music. She condemns the glorification of materialism and misogyny that has often been attributed to the lyrical content of contemporary R&B; and hip hop songs while pleading for the return of the artistry, dedication, and sincerity displayed by musicians of earlier decades.

James co-wrote most of the tracks on her debut album, two exceptions being her covers of the pop rock band No Doubt's 1996 hit "Don't Speak" and the classic title song by Sam Cooke, for which the album is named. Notable collaborators on the album include Raphael Saadiq of the 1990s R&B; group Tony! Toni! Toné!, Kanye West, and former Fugees member Wyclef Jean.

In 2004, James toured as an opening act for The Black Eyed Peas and Macy Gray. That same year, she was featured on hip hop producer, DJ, and emcee Pete Rock's album ''Soul Survivor II'', providing vocals to the track "No Tears". In 2005, she lent her voice to the posthumously released Ray Charles album ''Genius & Friends'', duetting with the singer on the song "Compared to What". Leela also guested on Robert Randolph and the Family Band's 2006 album ''Colorblind'', lending her vocals to "Stronger".

After parting ways with Warner Bros., James signed with the independent label Shanachie Records and released her second studio album on March 24, 2009, an all-cover set entitled ''Let's Do It Again'' (the title being a homage to the 1975 soundtrack album of the same name by The Staple Singers).

In June 2009, she appeared on Moby's new album "Wait for Me", performing the vocal on "Walk with Me".

James' third album ''My Soul'' - her debut release for the Stax label - was released on May 24, 2010, and debuted on the US Hip Hop/R&B; chart at Number Seven. Speaking exclusively in May 2010 to noted UK soul writer Pete Lewis - Deputy Editor of the award-winning Blues & Soul - she stated: "With this album I wanted to make sure that I showed all sides of me - in terms of variety in the music and in my vocal range - while at the same time making it clear that every song deeply came from my soul. Plus I also wanted to incorporate a little more hip hop this time, and infuse it with my traditional R&B; - because I felt that. By making my beats edgier and harder-hitting, I'd show there was more to me than just doing ballads and things of that sort."

In Summer 2010, she appeared on BET's television series "My Black is Beautiful" as a co-host alongside of Tasha Smith, Kim Coles and Alesha Renee.

Discography

Albums

Year	Album	Chart positions
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Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions			Album
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¹ Position refers to the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Singles Sales

Awards and nominations

{| class=wikitable |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |- |rowspan="2"| 2008 | Soul Train Music Award | Best R&B;/Soul or Rap New Artist | "Music" | |- | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding New Artist | Leela James | |}

References

External links

Official website

Category:1983 births Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Los Angeles, California Category:Neo soul singers Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

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