Name	Ludacris
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Christopher Brian Bridges
Birth date	September 11, 1977
Birth place	Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Height	1.72m
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, actor
Years active	1998–present|labelDisturbing tha Peace, Def Jam, Def Jam South
Associated acts	DTP
Website	www.islanddefjam.com/artist/home.aspx?artistID7310 }}

Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic's Choice, MTV, and three Grammy Awards during his career.

Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia at age nine, where he began rapping. After a brief stint as a disc jockey, he released his debut album ''Back for the First Time'' in 2000, which contained the singles "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy". In 2001, he released ''Word of Mouf'', followed by ''Chicken-n-Beer'' in 2003. He took a more serious approach with his next three albums, ''The Red Light District'' (2004), ''Release Therapy'' (2006), and ''Theater of the Mind'' (2008). His latest record, ''Battle of the Sexes'', was released in 2010.

Early life

Ludacris was born Christopher Brian Bridges in Champaign, Illinois, the only child of Roberta Shields and Wayne Brian Bridges. He is of African American and Native American descent. Bridges wrote his first rap song at age nine when moving to Atlanta, and joined an amateur rap group three years later. He attended Banneker High School in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated in 1996. From 1998 to 1999, he studied music management at Georgia State University.

Music career

Radio DJ, Timbaland collaboration

Bridges served as an intern and then as a disc jockey at Atlanta's Hot 97.5 (now Hot 107.9) under the name "Chris Lova Lova".

Ludacris collaborated with Timbaland on the track "Phat Rabbit" from his album Tim's Bio: Life from da Bassment. This song was a hit in many countries. It was later included on Ludacris's debut LP album Back for the First Time. In Ludacris' early music career he collaborated with Dallas Austin and Jermaine Dupri.

''Incognegro'' and ''Back for the First Time'' (1998−2000)

In 1998, Ludacris began to record his debut album "Incognegro". It featured a unique style for southern rappers, with his wild rapping. Timbaland handled part of the production. Despite its poor sales, it was never deleted and is still sold today. Ludacris also appeared on Timbaland's 1998 debut on "Phat Rabbit," a track that would later be used on his re-issue of "Incognegro" called "Back For The First Time". Then in 2000, Ludacris released his major label debut, ''Back for the First Time'', in October 2000. This album was actually a modified re-release of the album Incognegro, made in 1999. It was produced with the help of the underground producer Sessy Melia, whom he dated for a short while. The album reached as high as #4 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, and was a major success. Ludacris made his mark on the industry with singles such as "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy", along with his first ever single the "Phat Rabbit", from two years prior. Guest appearances included 4-Ize, I-20, Shawnna, Pastor Troy, Timbaland, Trina, Foxy Brown, UGK, and others. Ludacris stated in an interview on MTV's hip hop program ''Direct Effect'' that he came up with his stage name based on his "split personality" that he considered "ridiculous" and "ludicrous".

''Word of Mouf'' (2001)

Ludacris promptly completed his next album, ''Word of Mouf'', and released it at the end of 2001. The video for the lead single, "Rollout (My Business)", was nominated for a 2002, and Ludacris performed it live at the awards' pre-show. He released singles "Saturday (Oooh Oooh)" with Sleepy Brown, "Move Bitch" with Mystikal and I-20, and "Area Codes" with Nate Dogg.

''Chicken-n-Beer'' (2003)

During the spring of 2003, Ludacris returned to the music scene after a brief hiatus with a new single, "Act a Fool", from the ''2 Fast 2 Furious'' soundtrack. At around the same time, he released the lead single from his album ''Chicken-n-Beer'', called "P-Poppin" (short for "Pussy Poppin'"). Neither of his new singles were as well received by either the urban or pop audiences as his previous songs had been, and both music videos received only limited airplay. ''Chicken-N-Beer'' opened strongly, but without a popular single, the album fell quickly. Guest appearances include Playaz Circle, Chingy, Snoop Dogg, 8Ball & MJG, Lil' Flip, I-20, Lil Fate, and Shawnna.

In the fall of 2003, Ludacris rebounded with his next single, "Stand Up", which appeared on both ''Chicken-n-Beer'' as well as the soundtrack for the teen hip hop/dance movie, ''You Got Served''. Produced by Kanye West, "Stand Up" went on to become one of Ludacris' biggest mainstream hits to date, hitting the top spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 garnering heavy airplay on mainstream pop, rhythmic, and urban radio stations, as well as on MTV, MTV2, and BET. Ludacris was sued by a New Jersey group called I.O.F. who claimed that "Stand Up" used a hook from one of their songs, but in June 2006, a jury found that the song did not violate copyrights. "I hope the plaintiffs enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame," Ludacris said after the verdict.

The album's next single, "Splash Waterfalls", was released in early 2004. A huge pop hit (despite its steamy video and explicit, adult-oriented lyrical content and themes), it subsequently became a success at urban radio and BET, and is the only time he has produced two consecutive top 10 singles from a solo album, except for ''Release Therapy'' (an unedited version of the video could only be viewed on BET's Uncut program). It was Ludacris' most sexual video yet, an R&B; remix that featured Raphael Saadiq and sampled Tony! Toni! Tone!'s "Whatever You Want". Ludacris received his first Grammy Award with Usher and Lil Jon for their hit single "Yeah!". Ludacris next released "Blow It Out", which was accompanied by a low-budget music video.

''The Red Light District'' (2004)

Chris Bridges took a more mature approach to his fourth album, ''The Red Light District''. Sohail Khalid helped produce this album with various artists such as T.I., Lil Flip and Bun B. Ludacris openly boasted that he may be the only rapper able to keep the Def Jam label afloat on the opening track. Ludacris filmed and recorded the single "Get Back" in which he was featured as a muscle-bound hulk who was being annoyed by the media and warned critics to leave him alone. He first appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' as a special guest performing with musical guest Sum 41 on a season 30 episode hosted by Paul Giamatti. He then recorded "Get Back" with Sum 41 to make a rock crossover single. The follow-up single was the ''Austin Powers''-inspired "Number One Spot". It was produced by New York City's Hot 97 personality DJ Green Lantern. It used the Quincy Jones sample of "Soul Bossa Nova" and sped it up to the tempo of Ludacris' rap flow. Featured artists on the album include Nas, DJ Quik, DMX, Trick Daddy, Sleepy Brown, and Disturbing tha Peace newcomers Bobby Valentino, Dolla Boi, and Small World. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.

''Release Therapy'' (2006)

In an issue of ''XXL'', Ludacris was placed in the number nine spot for the most anticipated albums of 2006, for ''Release Therapy''. The album ''Release Therapy'' was released on September 26, 2006. Ludacris formatted the CD to have two sides: a ''Release'' side and a ''Therapy'' side on a single CD. Guest appearances include Pharrell Williams, R. Kelly, Young Jeezy, Mary J. Blige, Field Mob, Bobby Valentino, Pimp C, C-Murder, and Beanie Sigel. The first single, "Money Maker", which features Pharrell Williams, was released to U.S. radio outlets on July 17, 2006. "Money Maker" reached number one on the BET program ''106 & Park''. It then went to become the rapper's second number one single after 6 years. His second single, "Grew Up a Screw Up", featuring Young Jeezy, dispels rumors that the two are or ever were in a dispute. His third single, "Runaway Love", soon peaked at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Tracks and won Best Collaboration in the 2007 BET Awards. His album then reached number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 album charts with sales of 309,000 in its first week. With the release of this album, Ludacris marked a change in style in his career with his musical style. The new album itself features a departure of the lighthearted mood of his previous albums, and introduces a darker side. A change of hair accompanied this as he cut off his trademark braids for a more conventional "fade" cut. To promote the album, Ludacris returned to ''Saturday Night Live'' (as both host and musical guest) on November 18, 2006.

''Theater of the Mind'' (2008)

''The Preview'', a mixtape to preview the album was released on July 28, 2008. ''Theater of the Mind'', released on November 24, 2008, and in April 2008, the single "Let's Stay Together" appeared on xxlmag.com; supposedly from the new album ("Let's Stay Together" was expected to but was released as a bonus track on the CD). A song with Small World called "Pinky Shinin" was expected to be on the album, but it was dropped. In an interview with ''Complex Magazine'' he stated that Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, T.I., Plies, Common, T-Pain, Jay-Z, Nas and The Game will be on the album; Game is featured in a track with Willy Northpole titled "Call Up the Homies". T.I. was on the album on a track called "Wish You Would" squashing the long feud between them. The album debuted at number five on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 213,493 sold first week. The album was released the same day as Kanye West's ''808s & Heartbreak'', which took the number one spot. His first single "What Them Girls Like", featuring Chris Brown and Sean Garrett, peaked at #33 on the ''Billboard'' 100. His second single, "One More Drink", featuring T-Pain, peaked at #24 on the ''Billboard'' 100. The third official single is "Nasty Girl", featuring Plies. He confirmed a "sequel" titled ''Ludaversal'' due to be released in 2012.

''Battle of the Sexes'' (2010)

Ludacris' seventh studio album was released on March 9, 2010, with his first promotional single for the album being "Everybody Drunk" which features Callum Smith, originally featuring Shawnna. The first concept idea of the album was to have Ludacris and Shawnna battle it out on the album back–to–back, but this was later axed upon Shawnna's departure from Disturbing tha Peace, ending her contract on Ludacris' label and joining T-Pain's Nappy Boy Entertainment label. The first official single released from ''Battle of the Sexes'' was "How Low", which was released on December 8, 2009. The follow–up single was "My Chick Bad", released on February 23, 2010. The third single is "Sex Room", peaking at #69 on the Billboard 100. Ludacris’s ''Battle of the Sexes'' entered the chart at No. 1, with 137,000 sales in the first week. The album is currently certified gold.

''Ludaversal'' (2012)

On August 15, 2010, Ludacris tweeted that he is currently back in the studio with The Neptunes working on his eighth studio album, ''Ludaversal'', his "sequel" album to ''Theater of the Mind''. On July 7, 2011, according to his Facebook, he recently went to Paris, France to work on Ludaversal.

Personal life

Ludacris has a daughter named Karma Bridges from a previous relationship.

In February 2007, Bridges lost his father to cancer. He is the co-owner of Conjure Cognac liquor and Soul headphones.

Philanthropy

In 2011, Ludacris joined a joint effort between Dosomething.org and Better World Books to collect books to help restock library shelves in New Orleans. He filmed a public service announcement in support of the Epic Book Drive. Chris "Ludacris" Bridges also started the Ludacris Foundation at the beginning of his music career back in 2001. The aim of the foundation is to inspire the youth through education, memorable experiences and helping the youth help themselves. The focus is what Ludacris calls the "3Ls": Leadership and Education, Living Healthy Lifestyles, and LudaCares.

Controversy

T.I.

Tensions began when T.I. saw Disturbing tha Peace rapper I-20's video in which a man wearing a shirt with the words "Trap House," was being beaten. T.I. believed the man's shirt actually said "Trap Muzik," perhaps interpreting this to be a reference to his album of the same name. Later, former G-Unit artist Young Buck asked these two fellow Southern rappers to appear on his new record on the track "Stomp". T.I. recorded a verse, which contained a line that Young Buck considered to be a subliminal insult towards Ludacris ''"Me gettin' beat down?/That's ludicrous/"''. Young Buck spoke to Ludacris about his interpretation of the event. Ludacris then later recorded a verse that can be found on the album, "Straight Outta Cashville". T.I's record company wanted Ludacris to change his verse before they sanctioned it but Ludacris refused and T.I. was therefore replaced by Game on the album version.

On June 24, 2007 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California, T.I. was involved in a physical altercation. During a luncheon held by Kevin Liles of Warner Music Group (parent company of T.I.'s label, Atlantic Records), the MC got into a fight with Ludacris' manager Chaka Zulu. According to witnesses, T.I. punched Zulu in the face and choked him and a small, brief melee ensued.

T.I. was awarded honors for Best Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards, and took the opportunity to apologize for his scuffle with Disturbing tha Peace executive Chaka Zulu earlier in the week. While accepting his award, he expressed regret over the situation. "They say it's a fine line between brilliance and insanity," he said, in an apparent reference to his troublesome alter ego, T.I.P. During the broadcast, cameras showed his onetime rival Ludacris smiling in the audience.

The two rappers have resolved their disagreement and have collaborated on two songs: "Wish You Would" off Ludacris's sixth studio album, ''Theater of the Mind'', and "On Top of the World" off T.I.'s sixth studio album, ''Paper Trail''. The original version of the latter had Kanye West.

Bill O'Reilly

On August 27, 2002, political pundit Bill O'Reilly called for all Americans to boycott Pepsi products, saying that Ludacris' lyrics glamorize a "life of guns, violence, drugs and disrespect of women". The next day, O'Reilly reported that Pepsi had fired Ludacris.

This is referenced in the 2003 songs "Hoes In My Room" as well as "Blow It Out" from ''Chicken n'Beer''. Three years later, this would be referenced again in the song "Number One Spot".

In an interview with RadarOnline.com in 2010, Ludacris stated that he and O'Reilly had made amends after having a conversation at a charity event.

2008 presidential election

The song "Politics As Usual" from Ludacris' mixtape The Preview has stirred controversy due to lyrics in the song criticizing: Jesse Jackson "Now Jesse talkin' slick and apologizin' for what?/ If you said it then you meant it", (in reference to Jackson stating that he would "like to cut Obama's nuts off"); John McCain "McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed"; President George W. Bush "Yeah I said it, 'cuz Bush is mentally handicapped/ Ball up all of his speeches and throw 'em just like candy wraps / 'Cuz what you talkin' I hear nothin' even relevant / you the worst of all 43 presidents"; Hillary Clinton "Hillary hated on you, so that bitch is irrelevant", in reference to Hillary's campaign comments against Obama.

Discography

; Studio albums

2000: ''Back for the First Time''

2001: ''Word of Mouf''

2003: ''Chicken-n-Beer''

2004: ''The Red Light District''

2006: ''Release Therapy''

2008: ''Theater of the Mind''

2010: ''Battle of the Sexes''

2012: ''Ludaversal''

; Mixtapes

2006: ''DTP Takeover...It's An Epidemic (Hosted by DJ Storm)

2006: ''Pre-Release Therapy (Hosted by DJ Green Lantern & Michael "5000" Watts)

2007: ''The Truth Shall Set You Free (Hosted by DJ Green Lantern)

2008: ''The Preview" (Hosted by DJ Drama)

2010: ''Conjure: A Hustler's Spirit"

2011: ''1.21 Gigawatts: Back To The First Time''

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2001		Customer	Minor Role
	''2 Fast 2 Furious''	Tej	Main Role
''Lil' Pimp''	Weathers	Supporting Role / Voice
''Paper Chasers''	Himself	Documentary film about the Hip hop scene, directed by Maxie Collier. Ludacris is seen and interviewed at various stages, just months before achieving major fame.
2004		Anthony	Supporting Role
2005	''Hustle & Flow''	Skinny Black	Supporting Role
2006	''The Heart of the Game''	Narrator	Narrator.
	''American Hustle''	himself	Minor Role
''Fred Claus''	DJ Donnie	Supporting Role
	''RocknRolla''	Mickey	Minor Role
	Jim Bravura	Supporting role
	''Ball Don't Lie''	Julius	Main Role
	Humanz Brother	Supporting Role
	''Fast Five''	Tej	Main Role
	Wallace	Supporting Role
	Brandon	Supporting Role
2011		Cameo Appearance	Together with Akshay Kumar, Ludacris produced one of the movie's main tracks. He also made a cameo appearance in the movie
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
2006	''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Darius Parker	"Venom" (season 7, episode 156)
	''The Simpsons''	himself	"You Kent Always Say What You Want" (season 18, episode 22)
''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Darius Parker	"Screwed" (season 8, episode 183)

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

List of awards and nominations received by Ludacris

List of best-charting U.S. music artists

References

External links

Official Def Jam Site

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Georgia Category:African American rappers Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American music industry executives Category:American people of Native American descent Category:American voice actors Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Georgia Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Georgia State University alumni Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop record producers Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Champaign, Illinois Category:People from Oak Park, Illinois Georgia Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Southern hip hop musicians

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Name	Nate Dogg
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Nathaniel Dwayne Hale
Birth date	August 19, 1969Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States
Death date	March 15, 2011Long Beach, California, United States
Genre	Hip hop, West Coast hip hop, R&B;, G-funk
Occupation	Singer, actor, rapper
Years active	1990–2011
Label	Death RowElektraDoggystyleAtlantic
Associated acts	213, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Game, Eminem, 50 Cent, Tha Dogg Pound, Fabolous }}

Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), better known by his stage name Nate Dogg, was an American musician. He is noted for his membership of rap trio 213 and his solo career in which he collaborated with Dr. Dre, Warren G, Tupac Shakur and Snoop Dogg on many hit releases. Nate Dogg released three solo albums, ''G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2'' in 1998, ''Music and Me'' in 2001 and ''Nate Dogg'' in 2008.

Nate Dogg died in 2011 in Long Beach, California of complications from multiple strokes.

Early life

Nate Dogg was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He moved to Long Beach, California when he was 14 following his parents' divorce. He was the friend and partner in the rap game with rappers Snoop Dogg, Warren G, RBX, Daz Dillinger and was the cousin of Butch Cassidy and Lil' ½ Dead. He began singing as a child in the New Hope Baptist Church in Long Beach and Life Line Baptist Church in Clarksdale, Mississippi where his father Daniel Lee Hale was pastor. At the age of 16 he dropped out of high school in Long Beach and left home to join the United States Marine Corps, serving for three years.

Career

Early career with 213

In 1990, Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg, and their friend Warren G, formed a rap trio called 213. 213 recorded their first demo in the back of the famed V.I.P. record store in Long Beach, the demo was later heard by Dr. Dre at a house party and he was instantly hooked on the soulful voice of Nate.

Solo career

Nate Dogg made his debut on ''The Chronic''. Singing in what later become his trademark style, he was well-received by fans and critics alike, and would go on to sign with Death Row Records in 1993. Nate Dogg was also featured on Mista Grimm's "Indosmoke" with Warren G. Then in 1994 he produced his first hit single "Regulate" with Warren G. Nate Dogg was also featured in many Tupac releases, including his collaboration record ''Thug Life: Volume I''. Then in 1998 after a tumultuous time at Death Row Records he released another album. The double album was titled ''G-Funk Classics Vol. 1 & 2'' and was followed up in late 2001 with ''Music & Me'' on Elektra Records. ''Music & Me'' peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' hip-hop charts in 2001. After a number of delays and an original release date of April 2004, his ''self-titled album'' was released under the ''Affiliated Entertainment Group'' on June 3, 2008.

Television appearances

In 2002, Nate Dogg and Isaiah Mendez appeared on a celebrity episode of the Weakest Link, making it to the last three players before being eliminated by Xzibit and Young MC.

Collaborations with other artists

Nate found success, not only in solo projects, but in collaborations with other hip-hop artists. In the 2000s, Nate's high-ranking collaborative singles, according to Rolling Stone, includes Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode," Mos Def's "Oh No," Fabolous' "Can't Deny It," Ludacris' "Area Codes," 50 Cent's "21 Questions," Mark Ronson's "Ooh Wee," Houston's "I Like That," Eminem's "'Till I Collapse" and "Shake That", and Mobb Deep's "Have a Party."

Legal issues

In the early 1990s, Hale was charged with two separate robberies, Check Changers robbery in 1991 and robbery of a San Pedro Taco Bell in 1994. He faced a maximum of nearly eleven years in prison, but he was subsequently acquitted of both charges.

In 1996, Hale was convicted of a drug-related offense in Los Angeles County.

On June 17, 2000, Hale was alleged to have kidnapped and assaulted his former girlfriend and set her mother's car on fire in Lakewood. He was arrested by a SWAT team at his home in Pomona. He was accused of kidnapping, domestic violence, making terrorist threats and arson. He spent a night in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles before he was released on a $1 million bail. These charges were later dismissed, but Hale faced jail time for a new charge, illegal possession of a firearm by felon. An unmarked firearm was found in his home during the June 17 arrest. Hale pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge, and was sentenced to probation of three years and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

On April 12, 2002, Hale was stopped by Arizona Department of Public Safety officers outside of Kingman, Arizona while traveling on a tour bus. He was arrested and charged with firearms-related and drug-related offenses after two pistols and four ounces of cannabis were found. Hale was booked on Mohave County Jail and subsequently released on a $3,500 bond. Weapon charges against him were dropped as an exchange to guilty plea to drug possession charge. Hale was subsequently sentenced to probation and community service. He was also ordered to attend drug counseling sessions in May 2002.

In 2006, Hale was charged with misdemeanor aggravated trespassing, telephone harassment, battery assault, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime and violation of a restraining order. In March 2008, Hale pleaded guilty to trespassing and battery and was ordered to complete a domestic violence treatment program, probation of three years, and was stripped of gun ownership rights for the next ten years.

In July 2008, Hale was charged with two felony criminal threats after allegedly sending threatening emails to his estranged wife, and one count of stalking after allegedly chasing her by car on Interstate 405 in previous month. Hale initially pleaded not guilty to these charges, which were eventually dropped in April 2009, because the alleged victim did not contact prosecutors in the case.

Additionally, Hale has a conviction of driving under the influence.

Strokes and death

On December 19, 2007, Nate Dogg suffered a stroke, according to a coordinator for his recently formed gospel choir, Innate Praise. Reports had circulated that Nate Dogg had been admitted to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center in Pomona, California after suffering a heart attack. Erica Beckwith, however, confirmed to MTV News that Nate Dogg was released on December 26 after being treated for a stroke and was admitted to a medical rehabilitation facility to assist him in his recovery. On January 18, 2008, it was officially reported that the stroke had rendered the left side of his body paralyzed. Doctors believed there would be a full recovery, and his voice was not affected. In September 2008, he suffered a second stroke. Nate Dogg died March 15, 2011 in Long Beach, California. On March 17, his attorney Mark Geragos confirmed that the cause of the death was from complications of multiple strokes.

Discography

''G-Funk Classics, Vol. 1 & 2'' (1998)

''Music and Me'' (2001)

''Nate Dogg'' (2008)

Filmography

''The Transporter'' song "I Got Love" (2002)

''Doggy Fizzle Televizzle'' as singer of the theme song for the sketch "The Braided Bunch" (2002–2003)

''Head of State'' as himself (also singer/composer of theme song) (2003)

''Need For Speed: Underground'' song "Keep it Comin"

''The Boondocks (2008)

Awards and nominations

During his career, Nate Dogg was nominated for four Grammy Awards.

Category	Genre	Song	Year	Result
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration(with Eminem)	Rap	"Shake That"	2007	Nominated
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration(with Ludacris)	Rap	"Area Codes"	2002	Nominated
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group(uncredited with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg)	Rap	"The Next Episode"	2001	Nominated
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group(with Warren G)	Rap	"Regulate"	1995	Nominated

References

External links

Category:1969 births Category:2011 deaths Category:African American rappers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Cardiovascular disease deaths in California Category:Crips Category:Death Row Records artists Category:Hip hop singers Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Clarksdale, Mississippi Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:Pseudonymous rappers Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:Rappers from Mississippi Category:West Coast hip hop musicians Category:United States Marines

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Name	Nicki Minaj
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Birth date	December 08, 1982
Birth place	Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop, R&B;, pop
Occupation	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Label	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
website	}}

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj (), is a Trinidadian-born American musician. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, ''Pink Friday'', in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time. Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. Minaj was named the 2011 ''Rising Star'' by ''Billboard''. Her second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life

Maraj was born in 1982 in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain. Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens. According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet. She graduated from LaGuardia High School. At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program. She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.

Career

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing ''Playtime Is Over'' with ''Dirty Money Records''. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled ''Sucka Free'', under the label ''Be''. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in ''XXL'' magazine. She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. Minaj released ''Beam Me Up Scotty'', another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of ''Trapaholics Records''; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal. She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at number 56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics. Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album ''We Are Young Money'', which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching number 9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B; singer.

2010–11: ''Pink Friday''

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released from a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing. In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album ''Loud'' that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's ''Pink Friday''. Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album. On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be ''Pink Friday'', in reference to Black Friday.

''Pink Friday'' was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions. A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April. In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release. It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the ''The X Factor.'' Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting ''Pink Friday'' by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale''. She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011. "Super Bass" was released from ''Pink Friday'' in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more. The song gained positive reviews from critics. Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'', as an unknown character. Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, ''Nothing but the Beat'' on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On".

2011–present: ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded''

Minaj's second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'', was first announced through Twitter in November 2011 and was released on April 2, 2012. It has spawned four promotional singles as of April 2012: Roman in Moscow (which didn't make the final cut of the album), "Stupid Hoe," "Roman Reloaded," and "Beez in the Trap." The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14. The album also had another single, Right by My Side. The album features collaborations with producers Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, Rico Beats, Kenoe, RedOne and Oak. Cash Money A&R; Joshua Berkman told HitQuarters that Minaj was extremely particular about the beats and music she used saying: "She wouldn't just rap or sing on anything – I could give her a thousand tracks and she may only like one or two."

On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.

She was featured on Madonna's twelfth studio album, titled ''MDNA'', alongside M.I.A. on its lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce. The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. She was also featured on a song called "I Don't Give A", another track from the album.

Musical style and image

Image

In an interview with ''Vibe'' Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing." In an interview with ''Interview'', Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.” Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "" (''shangdi yu ni chang zai'') on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."

Alter egos

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting. As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them. In an interview with ''New York'' she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa". Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City. Minaj made an appearance on ''Lopez Tonight'' on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).

In April 2012, Nicki was asked if Roman, Martha and Rosa come out in the bedroom saying “No, they don’t come out in the bedroom, but other people come out in the bedroom,” she told Big Boy during his “Backstage Breakfast,” adding, “And there’s only one person that would know who that personality is". Nicki did not name her alter-ego.

Roman Zolanski

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski". She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin brother". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from ''Pink Friday'', Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos. On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot." Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski", who also appeared on the song Roman's Revenge, with a British accent. Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping. Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.

Influences

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. She was also inspired by Janet Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones, M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.

Personal life

Nicki Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16. In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life." Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual, she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women, but added in an interview with ''Out'' magazine, "I don’t date men either." In an interview with ''Vibe'' she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined." She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with ''Out'', saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of ''Details'', Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City. Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.

Discography

''Pink Friday'' (2010)

''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012)

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References

External links

Category:Nicki Minaj Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American rappers Category:American musicians of Indian descent Category:Rappers from Long Island Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Female rappers Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Hip hop singers Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Queens Category:People from Port of Spain Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Singers from New York City Category:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States Category:Trinidad and Tobago musicians Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Dougla descent Category:Young Money Entertainment artists

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name	Little Bad Girl
cover	Davidguetta little-bad-girl+taiocruz+ludacris.jpg
artist	David Guetta featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris
album	Nothing but the Beat ''and'' TY.O
released	June 27, 2011
format	CD single, digital download
genre	Electro house, hip house
length	21:12
label	Virgin, EMI
writer	Christopher Bridges, Taio Cruz, David Guetta, Frédéric Riesterer, Giorgio Tuinfort
producer	David Guetta, Lex Luger
chronology	David Guetta singles
last single	"Where Them Girls At"(2011)
this single	"Little Bad Girl"(2011)
next single	"Without You"(2011)
misc	}}

"Little Bad Girl" is a single by French DJ David Guetta, featuring vocals from English singer-songwriter Taio Cruz and American rapper Ludacris. It was released for digital download from 27 June 2011 by Virgin Records, serving as the second single from Guetta's latest studio album ''Nothing but the Beat''. It was written by Guetta, Cruz, Ludacris, Frédéric Riesterer and Giorgio Tuinfort. This song later appeared on Taio's third album ''TY.O''.

Music video

The music video was released on YouTube on 11 July 2011. It features Guetta hosting a beach-side disco party called "Endless Night" (which he wants to literally never end) with Cruz and Ludacris in attendance. When Guetta sees the sun start to rise, he and many other guests run down to the beach and they all skid to a halt in front of the sea, causing the Earth to rotate backwards. The sun goes back down and this makes it dark again in other parts of the world when it had just been light. Ludacris can also be seen with a megaphone when rapping his verse. Towards the end of the video, the sun again starts to rise and Guetta runs off to repeat what he did before.

Critical reception

Robert Copsey of Digital Spy gave the song three out of five stars writing, "Unfortunately, the reality of their paring-up [like the perfect double act] is far less enticing. "Look at her go on the dance floor/ She's amazing on the dance floor", Cruz continues over trance-lite synths before ushering his chosen lady to "go, little bad girl" to a by-numbers club-pumping beat on the chorus. The result is more synthetic than a Geordie Shore lass made up for a night on the lash - and about as effective as their patented Slutdrop."

Track listings

;German CD Single #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Radio Edit) - 3:11 #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Fedde Le Grand Remix) - 6:43

;Digital Download #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Radio Edit) – 3:12 #"Little Bad Girl" (Instrumental Club Mix) – 5:11

;Digital Download E.P. #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Radio Edit) – 3:12 #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Extended Mix) – 4:43 #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Norman Doray Remix) – 6:48 #"Little Bad Girl" (featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris) (Fedde Le Grand Remix) – 6:43 #"Little Bad Girl" (Instrumental Club Mix) – 5:13

Charts and certifications

Charts

{|class="wikitable sortable" ! scope="col"|Chart (2011) ! scope="col"|Peakposition |- |- |- |- |- |Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | style="text-align:center;"|14 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 | style="text-align:center;"|70 |- |US Hot Dance Club Songs (''Billboard'') | style="text-align:center;"|2 |- |Venezuela Pop/Rock Songs (Record Report) |align="center"|1 |}

Year-end charts

Chart (2011)	Position
German Singles Chart
Hungarian Airplay Chart
Swiss Singles Chart
US Hot Dance Club Songs (''Billboard'')

|- |}

Certifications

}} }}

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label
Worldwide	June 20, 2011		rowspan="2"
	June 27, 2011
United Kingdom	July 10, 2011
Germany	July 22, 2011

References

Category:2011 singles Category:Taio Cruz songs Category:David Guetta songs Category:Ludacris songs Category:Record Report Pop Rock General number-one singles Category:Songs written by David Guetta Category:Songs written by Ludacris Category:Songs written by Taio Cruz

es:Little Bad Girl fr:Little Bad Girl it:Little Bad Girl he:Little Bad Girl pl:Little Bad Girl pt:Little Bad Girl sk:Little Bad Girl

Name	Taio Cruz
Background	solo_singer
Born	April 23, 1983
Birth name	Jacob Taio Cruz
Birth place	London, England, UK
Genre	pop, dance
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer, rapper, entrepreneur
Years active	2002–present
Label	Rokstarr Entertainment Division, Island, Republic, Mercury (U.S.)
Associated acts	Kesha, Kylie Minogue, Ludacris, David Guetta, Cheryl Cole, McFly, Travie McCoy, Flo Rida
Website	}}

Jacob Taio Cruz (born 23 April 1983) known professionally as Taio Cruz () is a British singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album ''Departure'', which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the United Kingdom and earned him a MOBO Award nomination. In June 2010, Cruz released his follow-up album ''Rokstarr'', which includes the number one singles "Break Your Heart" and "Dynamite". Cruz has collaborated with Kesha and Fabolous on the single "Dirty Picture", as well as Kylie Minogue and Travie McCoy on his single "Higher". Additionally, Cruz penned and recorded the song "Telling the World" as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2011 animated film ''Rio''.

Biography

Early life and career beginnings

Cruz was born in London, to a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother from Rio de Janeiro. He attended Bilton Grange, a private prep school in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Cruz began writing songs when he was 12. His songwriting career began at age 19 as part of Tricky Stewart's writing collective, RedZone Entertainment. Cruz achieved notability in 2005 when he was awarded a BRIT Award for co-writing Will Young's 2004 single, "Your Game". Cruz is the founder and chief executive of Rokstarr Music London, which in 2006 released his debut single "I Just Wanna Know". The single attracted significant attention from radio, and also from music industry insiders, who were already well aware of the artist's potential; manager Jamie Binns, who began representing Cruz at this time, later told HitQuarters: "He was a guy that everyone had earmarked to do damage in the future." Although the single received a reasonable amount of radio airplay, it did not perform as well as expected in either territory. However, rather than lose faith in Cruz, the labels were eager to negotiate an album deal, as by this time they had listened to his other songs and were ever more convinced by his capability.

Cruz's admirers included Island Records's Darcus Beese and Universal Republic's Monte Lipman, who, according to Binns, "both believed 'I Just Wanna Know' fitted the format on both sides of the Atlantic." In 2006, Cruz signed a split single deal with Universal Music Group companies, Republic Records and the UK branch of Island Records.

2006–2008: ''Departure''

Taio Cruz released his second single "Moving On" in September 2007 which made the top 30 in the UK. In March 2008 his next single, "Come On Girl," featuring Luciana, peaked at No. 5 on the UK charts. The related album ''Departure'' appeared on 17 March and peaked at No. 17. This was followed by the single "I Can Be," which reached No. 18 in May. On 18 August, "She's Like a Star" was released, which was a remix of the previous single and featured American rapper Busta Rhymes and girl-group Sugababes. The remix later appeared on the Sugababes studio album ''Catfights & Spotlights'', which peaked at No. 20. It was later revealed that Cruz narrowly missed out on the chance to record the song "Umbrella" which was eventually recorded by Rihanna and ended up topping charts around the world.

2009–2011: ''Rokstarr'', international breakthrough and ''The Rokstarr Collection''

Cruz was featured on Tinchy Stryder's breakout single "Take Me Back" which peaked at No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. According to Cruz's official Myspace blog, as of 1 January 2009, Rokstarr Music London officially changed its name to Rokstarr Entertainment Division and abbreviated to R.E.D Inc. During 2009, he worked on his follow-up album entitled ''Rokstarr''. It was released on 12 October through R.E.D Inc/Island Records and is entirely written and produced by Cruz, with co-writes and co-productions predominantly with UK producer Fraser T. Smith. The album's lead single "Break Your Heart" was released on 14 September and reached number one in the UK, where it stayed for three weeks. The success of the song attracted the attention of David Massey and Daniel Werner from Mercury/Island Def Jam who were excited and aggressive about releasing "Break Your Heart" in the US on their label. According to Cruz's manager Jamie Binns, the relationship with Monte Lipman at Universal Republic had "gone a bit quiet" by this point and as Taio wanted to be with the label that was most enthusiastic about his music, a move from Universal Republic to Mercury/Island Def Jam was engineered.

The single reached the top spot in the U.S. for one week on the ''Billboard'' charts. In an interview with ''The Guardian'', it was stated that "Cruz was clever to have hooked up with a US rapper Ludacris on his breakthrough hit". In order to introduce Cruz into the US market, David Massey had suggested that the single feature an American rapper with chart credibility. The album spawned two other UK singles, "No Other One", and the top-ten hit "Dirty Picture" featuring American electropop singer Kesha. The album's fourth single (second in the US) titled "Dynamite" debuted at 26 and despite peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, "Dynamite" peaked at number 1 on U.S. top 40 earning Cruz his second US number 1 record.

''Rokstarr'' was followed by the compilation album ''The Rokstarr Collection'' which includes songs both from ''Departure'' and the international version of ''Rokstarr''. Cruz later released four versions of his single "Higher" - one featuring Kylie Minogue, one featuring Travie McCoy, one featuring both, and one with just himself. Cruz has also been featured on the soundtrack of American reality TV series ''Jersey Shore''.

2011-present: ''TY.O''

Writing and production

Cruz has written songs on albums by Cheryl Cole, JLS, The Saturdays, The Wanted and David Guetta. Cruz wrote and featured on Tinchy Stryder's hit single "Take Me Back". Pop rock band McFly recorded "Shine a Light" which not only features, but was also penned and produced by Cruz for their fifth studio album. 2011 will see him writing for Justin Bieber's next album. Jennifer Lopez's 2011 single "I'm Into You", featuring Lil Wayne, is also penned by Cruz. He also contributed significantly to David Guetta's fifth album ''Nothing but the Beat'', penning two of his hit singles "Without You", featuring Usher and "Little Bad Girl", featuring Cruz himself and Ludacris.

Other ventures

Rokstarr brand

On 1 September 2009, Cruz launched the brand Rokstarr; the fashion and accessories brand has a focus on sunglasses. Musicians & Artists such as Kanye West, Shontelle, Keri Hilson, Steves Peeps and Kelly Rowland have been seen wearing them. Speaking in October to R&B; writer Pete Lewis, Cruz stated: "There's a load of US celebrities that are all rocking the sunglasses already – Kid Cudi, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West... Then in the UK we have The Saturdays, JLS, Daniel Merriweather – who've all been twittering and writing on their blogs how much they love them. So yeah, it's definitely my new album 'Rokstarr' and the fashion brand that are my two main focuses at the moment."

Meanwhile, speaking again to Lewis in April 2010, Cruz revealed: "We're currently looking to expand the brand and possibly go into things like watches. I've also got a new subsidiary of Rokstarr called 'Rok By Rokstarr'. And we've just started doing things like jeans and T-shirts, and stuff that more of the fans of Taio Cruz can buy. Because with Rokstarr in itself being so expensive, a lot of the kids out there who want to buy Rokstarr things can't. So we're bringing in stuff that's a little bit more High Street and more affordable."

Discography

''Departure'' (2008)

''Rokstarr'' (2009)

''TY.O'' (2011)

Awards and nominations

Best British Song MOBO AwardsAmerican Music AwardsBRIT Awards iTunes Best Album & Song ASCAP AwardsBRIT Awards rowspan=3>Virgin Media Awards Best Collaboration rowspan=6>2011 Billboard Music Awards Top Hot 100 Song rowspan=1 rowspan=2>ASCAP Awards rowspan=1>Song Of The Year rowspan=2>ASCAP Awards rowspan=1>(Honoured) Most Performed Song

Year
2004	BRIT Awards>Brit Awards	|	Your Game
2008	|	Best UK Male
2010	|	Breakthrough Artist
2010	Brit Awards ||	Best British Song	Break Your Heart (Taio Cruz song)>Break Your Heart
2010	|	Best Song	Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)>Dynamite
2010	|	Ascap Vanguard Award	Departure (Taio Cruz album)>Departure
2011	Brit Awards ||	Best British Song	Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)>Dynamite
2011	|	Best Male		<
2011	|	Dirty Picture
2011	Best Video
2011	Billboard Awards ||	Top New Artist		<
2011		Dynamite |>
2011	Top Digital Song
2011	Top Radio Song
2011	Top Streaming Song
2011	Top Pop Song
2011	2011 MuchMusic Video Awards ||	MuchMusic.com Most Watched Video	Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)>Dynamite	<
2011	|	Songwriter Of The Year		<
2011	|	Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)>Dynamite	<
2012	|	(Honoured) Most Performed Song	Dynamite (Taio Cruz song)>Dynamite	<
2012	|	Without You (David Guetta song)>Without You

References

External links

Taio Cruz on justRHYMES.com

Taio Cruz 'Blues & Soul' interview by Pete Lewis February 2008

Taio Cruz at Billboard.com

Category:1983 births Category:Black British singers Category:Black British musicians Category:British people of Brazilian descent Category:People educated at Christ's Hospital Category:English male singers Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:English pop singers Category:English rhythm and blues singers Category:Island Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from London Category:People educated at Bilton Grange

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