Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
Name	Mike Knox
Names	Mike Knox
Height
Weight
Birth date	July 17, 1978
Birth place	San Bernardino, California
Resides	Tampa, Florida
Billed	Phoenix, Arizona
Trainer	"Navajo Warrior" Steve Islas
Debut	1998
Retired	}}

Michael Shawn Hettinga (born July 17, 1978) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment as Mike Knox. He is also an avid fisherman, and fishes in his spare time.

Professional wrestling career

Independent circuit (2000–2005)

Hettinga worked for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) in 2000. He tagged with Samoa Joe at UPW Proving Ground on December 12, 2000 in the Galaxy Theatre of Santa Ana, California and defeated the debuting Al Katrazz with Basil. He also wrestled at UPW live against Samoa Joe for the Heavyweight Championship, but was unable to win the title.

After being trained by Steve "Navajo Warrior" Islas, Knox started wrestling for Islas' organization Impact Zone Wrestling in 2002. He was booked to win the Heavyweight Championship on two occasions and the Tag Team Championship with friend and rival Derek Neikirk on one occasion.

World Wrestling Entertainment (2005–2010)

Knox was signed to a World Wrestling Entertainment developmental deal in February 2005, and made a handful of appearances on WWE shows, including one appearance as a masked "jihadist" for Muhammad Hassan, in the infamous segment that led to Hassan's ousting from WWE.

ECW (2006–2008)

Knox debuted on the June 20, 2006 episode of ''ECW'' as a heel by interfering in Kelly Kelly's striptease segment, coming from the backstage area and covering her with a towel before escorting her off stage, though he was unnamed on-screen at the time. It was later revealed that Kelly was Knox's on-screen girlfriend, and he informed her that he did not appreciate her stripping in front of anyone but him. For his in-ring debut, a win over Danny Doring, Kelly accompanied him to the ringside acting as a valet. Knox was pushed strongly, interfering in matches, and squashing his opponents. He later formed a short-lived tag team with Test before starting a feud with CM Punk, after growing jealous of Kelly Kelly's admiration towards Punk. CM Punk won every match in the feud, including a qualifying match for December to Dismember's Elimination Chamber match.

Knox made his pay-per-view debut at Survivor Series where he teamed up with Rated-RKO, but was the first man eliminated after taking a superkick from Shawn Michaels. Upon his elimination, he was subsequently mocked by D-Generation X, as he was virtually unknown compared to the other participants. His next pay-per-view appearance saw him abandon Kelly Kelly during a mixed tag team match against Kevin Thorn and Ariel at December to Dismember, resulting in his team's loss. He then attacked her on the next ''ECW'' episode, breaking the duo up for good.

After being taken off television, Knox returned on February 13, 2007 episode ''ECW'', where he lost easily to CM Punk. Knox was again taken off television for several months in order to return to Deep South Wrestling. On March 1, Knox and Derek Neikirk, the reformed Team Elite, were booked to win the Tag Team Championship after defeating the Major Brothers. After DSW closed, however, Knox was sent to WWE's Florida-based territory Florida Championship Wrestling.

Knox returned on the September 11 episode of ''ECW'', defeating Balls Mahoney. The next week, he lost in a rematch to Mahoney. He then easily defeated Nunzio the week after. The next week Knox wrestled against ECW Champion CM Punk, again losing to Punk after a Go To Sleep from Punk. After months without any notable storylines, he began a feud with Tommy Dreamer whom he defeated in a series of matches, including an Extreme Rules match on the 100th episode of ''ECW''. He then began a feud with Finlay. After weeks of confrontations between the two, they finally had a match on the September 26 edition of ''ECW'', where they had an ECW Championship scramble qualifying match, which was won by Finlay.

Raw (2008–2009)

On the October 27 and November 3, 2008 episodes of ''Raw'', two vignettes were aired to promote his arrival on the brand. His look drastically changed as well from his previous clean cut look to long unkempt hair and a long beard. He debuted the following week, on November 10, defeating D-Lo Brown. He attacked Rey Mysterio two times over a period of three weeks. After losing to Mysterio, Knox attacked Rey once again. Interviewer Todd Grisham, asked Knox why he attacked Rey Mysterio and he answered saying he did not know why. In a house show at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Knox won a battle royal to become an entrant at the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out. At the event, he was eliminated by Chris Jericho and was the second competitor eliminated overall.

SmackDown and Departure (2009–2010)

On April 15, Knox was drafted to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2009 Supplemental Draft. He made his debut for the brand on the May 8, 2009 episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating R-Truth in a singles match. This was his last win on Smackdown as after that he occasionally competed on Smackdown and WWE Superstars, always putting over other talent. On the August 14 episode of ''SmackDown'', Knox debuted new elements to his character that included knowledge of biology and the human anatomy, using this knowledge to methodically inflict pain upon his opponents. His final PPV appearance was at Wrestlemania XXVI, where Knox competed in a 26 man Battle Royal (a dark match) and finished fourth. Knox's final match was a defeat to JTG on the April 23, 2010 edition of Smackdown, on the same day WWE announced that Knox had been released from his contract.

Independent circuit (2010–present)

Mike Knox competed against Corporal Robinson and Raven at JCW Bloodymania IV. Corporal Robinson won the match.

Personal life

On April 7, 2008, a child in Locust Grove, Georgia discovered a stash of steroids, testosterone, human growth hormones, receipts for travel and science lab information hidden in the attic of his family's home which Hettinga used to occupy with another wrestler. Also found was a contract from the WWE, and a memorandum to WWE wrestlers in 2004 about their new dress code policy. Hettinga has given a statement to the police to the effect that the items were not his.

In wrestling

Finishing moves

Inverted fisherman buster – DSW / UPW

''Knox Out'' (Swinging reverse STO) – WWE

Signature moves

Bicycle kick

Big boot

''Flying Bear'' (Running crossbody) – 2009–present

Managers

*Kelly Kelly

Nicknames

*"The Desert Destroyer"

*"Mountainous"

*"Monsterous"

Entrance themes

*"Death Grip" by George Gabriel (2006–2010)

Championships and accomplishments

Deep South Wrestling

DSW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Derek Neikirk

Impact Zone Wrestling

IZW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

IZW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Derek Neikirk

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI ranked him #87 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2009

References

External links

Category:1978 births Category:American professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:People from Amarillo, Texas Category:People from Phoenix, Arizona

ca:Mike Knox es:Michael Hettinga fr:Michael Hettinga it:Michael Hettinga nl:Mike Knox ja:マイク・ノックス pl:Mike Knox pt:Mike Knox simple:Mike Knox fi:Mike Knox

Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
Name	Kofi Kingston
Names	Kofi JamaicaKofi Nahaje KingstonKofi Kingston
Height
Weight
Birth date	August 14, 1981
Birth place	Ghana, West Africa
Resides	Tampa, Florida
Billed	Jamaica Ghana, West Africa
Trainer	Chaotic Wrestling Killer Kowalski Ohio Valley Wrestling
Debut	June 4, 2006
Website	}}

Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981), is a Ghanian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Kofi Kingston. He is currently signed to WWE and works on its Raw brand where he is one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Evan Bourne. Since competing for WWE, he has won the Intercontinental Championship three times, the United States Championship twice, and the World Tag Team Championship once with CM Punk and WWE Tag Team Championships with Evan Bourne .

Professional wrestling career

World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (2006–present)

He made his official wrestling debut in 2006, when he faced Evan Siks on June 4. He competed primarily in the New England area, including stints in National Wrestling Alliance – New England, Millennium Wrestling Federation, New England Championship Wrestling, the Eastern Wrestling Alliance, and Chaotic Wrestling. In September 2006, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and was assigned to Deep South Wrestling (DSW), a Georgia based developmental federation. He debuted in the new company, as Kofi Nahaje Kingston, in a dark match loss to Montel Vontavious Porter on September 21. For the rest of 2006 and the beginning of 2007, he appeared in DSW, as well as its Kentucky based sister promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he was in a tag team dubbed the "Commonwealth Connection" with Harry Smith. In 2005, under the ring name "Kofi Nahaje Kingson", he had his first exposure to the main WWE roster, when he worked dark matches on March 5 and 26 before episodes of ''Raw'' against Charlie Haas and Trevor Murdoch, respectively. When he returned to the developmental federations, he shortened his original ring name to "Kofi Kingston" and continued to use both ring names throughout his duration there. He also worked live events, defeating Shelton Benjamin on May 5, and Val Venis on May 6.

When the Florida based developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling, opened in June, Kingston was relocated there, appearing at their first show on June 26 teaming with Eric Pérez against Keith Walker and Rycklon Stephens in a losing effort. Kingston worked there for most of the remainder of the year.

ECW (2007–2008)

A series of vignettes for Kingston's television debut began airing on the weekly ''ECW on Syfy'' television show starting on December 6, 2007.^view During this introduction phase, his videos, the official website, and commentators all made note that he would be the first Jamaican-born person to wrestle for the company. He debuted on January 22, 2008 as a face with a win over local wrestler David Owen. After wrestling sporadic matches, Kingston was involved in his first major match, a 24-man battle royal during the WrestleMania XXIV pre-show with the winner receiving an ECW Championship match, but was eliminated by Mark Henry. Kingston remained undefeated in singles competition in ECW for months and was placed into a feud with Shelton Benjamin at the end of April 2008. After two straight losses, Benjamin got a win over Kingston on the May 20 episode of ''ECW'', ending his undefeated streak. On the June 24 edition of ''ECW'', Kingston defeated Benjamin in an Extreme Rules match to end their feud.

Raw; Intercontinental, Tag Team and United States Champion (2008–2009)

As part of the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, Kingston was drafted to the Raw brand. In his first match as a member of Raw roster, he defeated Chris Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship at Night of Champions. The win made him the first Ghanaian wrestler to hold a championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and it was also his first championship in his wrestling career. Kingston held the championship until SummerSlam, where he and Women's Champion Mickie James both lost their championships in an intergender "winner take all" tag team match to Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella.

At Unforgiven, he appeared backstage, coming to the aid of then-World Champion CM Punk, who had been attacked by Manu, Randy Orton, and the World Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Soon after coming to his rescue, Punk and Kingston were paired together more often, and on the October 27 episode ''Raw'', the duo won the World Tag Team Championship. He was also involved at Survivor Series in the traditional ten-men elimination tag team match on the side of Team Batista, but was eliminated by Orton. Kingston and Punk lost the World Tag Team Championship to John Morrison and The Miz at a WWE live event on December 13. At No Way Out in 2009, Kingston won a spot in the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber by defeating Kane, but was unable to officially enter the match, as he was ambushed by Edge, who took Kingston's place and eventually won the match.

Kingston defeated Chris Jericho, after interference from Ric Flair, to earn a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXV, but the match was won by CM Punk. After winning a Triple Threat Number One Contender's match the week before, Kingston defeated Montel Vontavious Porter on the June 1 episode of ''Raw'' to win the United States Championship. For the next several months, he went on to defend and retain his title at PPVs such as Extreme Rules, Night of Champions, Breaking Point, and WWE Hell in a Cell, until losing the championship to The Miz on October 5 on ''Raw'', ending his four month reign. On the October 12 edition of ''Raw'', Kingston defeated Evan Bourne to qualify for Team Raw at WWE Bragging Rights. Team Raw lost the match, however, when the Big Show betrayed them by chokeslamming Kingston, allowing Chris Jericho to pick up the win for Team SmackDown.

Feuding with Randy Orton (2009)

During WWE Bragging Rights, Kingston and Raw teammate Cody Rhodes argued about Kingston taking the loss in their match. As a result, when Rhodes and Ted DiBiase were interfering on behalf of Randy Orton during his WWE Championship match, Kingston ran out with a chair and chased Rhodes and DiBiase out of the arena. Orton would eventually lose the match. On the October 26 edition of ''Raw'', Kingston began a feud with Orton, as Orton believed Kingston cost him the WWE Championship. After Kingston defeated Chris Jericho, Orton came from behind and attacked Kingston, ending with Orton throwing Kingston onto the side of the entrance ramp. Later that night, Kingston destroyed Orton's car. On the November 16 edition of ''Raw'', Kingston saved guest host "Rowdy" Roddy Piper from an assault by Orton and later performed a Boom Drop from a rail in the crowd onto Orton, sending Orton through a table. Kingston went on to lead his Survivor Series team to victory against Orton's team, where he was the sole survivor, last eliminating Orton. On the November 30 edition of ''Raw'', Kingston was scheduled to face Orton in a one on one match, only to be assaulted from behind by DiBiase and Rhodes. Despite the assault, Kingston still wished to continue, and was quickly defeated by Orton. The following week, Kingston defeated Orton in a rematch where guest host Mark Cuban, who had a grudge against Orton since their encounter at Survivor Series in 2003 when Orton performed an RKO on him, gave Kingston a fast count. He then announced that with one victory apiece, the two would face off again at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Orton defeated Kingston at the event. On the December 28 episode of ''Raw'', Orton interfered in Kingston's match for the United States Championship, resulting in their rivalry continuing. On the January 4 edition of ''Raw'', Orton once again defeated Kingston. The following week on January 11, Kingston would compete against Orton and John Cena in a triple threat match with the winner facing Sheamus for the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble. Orton ultimately won the match by pinning Kingston. On the February 1 edition of ''Raw'', Kingston won a qualifying match by defeating the Big Show via disqualification to advance to the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match at the inaugural Elimination Chamber event. Kingston, however, failed to win after being eliminated by Sheamus. On the March 22 edition of Raw, Kingston defeated Vladimir Kozlov to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI. At the event however, Kingston was unsuccessful as the match was won by Jack Swagger.

SmackDown and Intercontinental Champion (2010-2011)

On April 26, as part of the 2010 WWE Draft, Kingston was drafted to the SmackDown brand. In his debut match for the brand, he defeated Chris Jericho. On the following episode of ''SmackDown'', Kingston was entered into a four-man tournament for the vacant Intercontinental Championship after Drew McIntyre had been stripped of the title earlier in the show. He went on to defeat Dolph Ziggler in the first match of the tournament. Christian defeated Cody Rhodes in the second match. As a result, Kingston faced and defeated Christian in the finals of the tournament to seemingly win his second Intercontinental Championship on the May 14 episode of ''SmackDown''. However, moments later, McIntyre came out with a letter, signed by Vince McMahon, saying that Theodore Long was irresponsible and abused his power. The letter also stated that McIntyre was reinstated to the active roster and that Kingston was stripped of the Intercontinental Championship, which returned to McIntyre.

It was later announced on WWE.com that Kingston would face McIntyre for the title at Over the Limit. At the event, Kingston defeated McIntyre to officially win his second Intercontinental Championship. On June 1, Kingston was announced to mentor Michael McGillicutty on the second season of ''WWE NXT''. On the June 18 episode of ''SmackDown'', it was announced that at Fatal 4 Way, Kofi would defend the Intercontinental Championship against Drew McIntyre. At the event, Kingston defeated McIntyre to retain the title. On July 18 at Money in the Bank, Kingston was unsuccessful as Kane grabbed the briefcase to win the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match. The following ''SmackDown'', Kingston lost to Dolph Ziggler in a non-title match.

On the July 30 episode of ''SmackDown'', Kingston faced Ziggler in a rematch but lost via disqualification, resulting in Ziggler earning a title match. On August 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Ziggler defeated Kingston to win the Intercontinental Championship. Kingston got his rematch for the title August 15 at Summerslam, which ended in a no contest after The Nexus interfered. On the August 20 episode of ''Smackdown'', Kingston faced Ziggler once again for the Intercontinental Championship defeating Ziggler by disqualification, but by rule, Ziggler retained his Intercontinental Championship. The following week, Kingston faced Ziggler once again for the Intercontinental Championship with the pre-match stipulation that if Ziggler should be disqualified the title would change hands. Vickie Guerrero intervened during the match and got Ziggler counted out so the title did not change hands. At Night of Champions, Ziggler once again faced Kingston with the Intercontinental Championship on the line with the stipulation that if Dolph was either counted out or disqualified that Kofi would win the title. Dolph Ziggler ended up winning the match by pinfall and retained the title once again. On the October 15th edition of ''Smackdown'', Kingston defeated Drew McIntyre to earn a spot in the Team Smackdown competing at Bragging Rights. At the pay-per-view, Team SmackDown emerged as the superior brand with Edge and Rey Mysterio being the final survivors.

On the December 3 edition of ''SmackDown'', Kingston defeated Jack Swagger to become the number one contender for the Intercontinental Championship but failed to win back the title when Swagger attacked Kofi during the match. At the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Kingston was unsuccessful in claiming the Intercontinental title against Swagger and Ziggler in a ladder match as he and Swagger unhooked the belt but it dropped to the mat and Ziggler grabbed it and retained the title.

On the January 7, 2011 edition of ''SmackDown'', Kingston defeated Dolph Ziggler to become the Intercontinental Champion for a third time. Immediately following the match, acting General Manager Vickie Guerrero ordered that Ziggler invoke his rematch clause straight away. After hitting Trouble In Paradise, Kingston defeated Ziggler again to retain his newly won championship.

After using the Trouble in Paradise on Alberto Del Rio to win the Tag Team match against Kane and Alberto Del Rio with Rey Mysterio on his side on the 28th January of episode on WWE Smackdown!, Kofi then started a feud with Alberto Del Rio after many attacks. Even Alberto Del Rio prevented Kofi Kingston from qualifting for the Elimination Chamber. On the 11th February episode of Smackdown!, Kofi Kingston faced Alberto Del Rio in a singles match but in the end Alberto Del Rio beat Kofi Kingston after being tapout with the Cross Arm Breaker. On the 19th February, Alberto Del Rio also interfered in Kofi Kingston's match against The Miz which The Miz won. They eventually faced each other again in a non-title bout at Elimination Chamber which was won by Del Rio.

On March 22 at the tapings of the March 25 edition of ''SmackDown'', Kingston lost the Intercontinental Championship to Wade Barrett. On April 1 edition of Smackdown, Kingston won his rematch against Wade Barrett by disqualification. After Vladimir Kozlov was injured at the hands of The Corre, Kingston was chosen as Kozlov's replacement in an eight man tag team match involving Kofi, Kane, Big Show and Santino Marella versus The Corre at WrestleMania 27, which Kingston's team won.

Return to Raw; United States and Tag Team Champion (2011)

See Also : Air Boom On April 26, 2011, Kingston was drafted back to the Raw brand as part of the 2011 Supplemental Draft. On May 1, Kingston defeated Sheamus in a Tables Match at Extreme Rules to win his second United States Championship, in the process returning the title to Raw. On the June 13 edition of ''Raw'', Stone Cold Steve Austin granted Dolph Ziggler a championship match against Kingston. At WWE Capitol Punishment, Kingston lost the title to Ziggler. Kingston used his rematch clause at the Power to the People edition in a 2-out-of-3 Falls match, which he won by disqualification and Ziggler retaining the United States Championship. On the August 22 episode of Raw, Kingston won the WWE Tag Team Championship with Evan Bourne when they defeated David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty. On the August 29 edition of ''Raw'', the duo was called "Air Boom", and they had their first successful title defense when they defeated Otunga and McGillicutty in a rematch.

Personal life

After receiving a university degree at Boston College, he initially pursued a career in the corporate world. Sarkodie-Mensah decided to drop his business pursuits and opt to go into professional wrestling. Kisean pushed his brother to join WWE and pursue his offer to join. After very hard consideration Kofi joined WWE and was transported to Deep South Wrestling (DSW) while Kisean stayed home and practiced music. Kofi has also mentioned watching Shawn Michaels wrestle in 1996 as an inspiration for his wrestling career.

Sarkodie-Mensah began wrestling professionally in 2005, under the ring name of Kofi Nahaje Kingston. Kingston's country of birth was billed as Jamaica because, according to Leslie Goffe of the BBC, "[People] would be more likely to embrace a person from the land of Bob Marley and reggae music" than someone from Ghana. (This would later be retconned in late 2009 when his character became more serious, with the on-screen explanation being his smiling Jamaican gimmick was paying tribute to the Jamaican culture).

On September 11, 2010 Kofi married his long-time girlfriend, actress Chi-Chi Schickel.

In wrestling

Finishing moves

''S.O.S.'' (Ranhei)

''Trouble In Paradise'' (Jumping corkscrew roundhouse kick)

''Boom Drop'' (Jumping high-angle double leg drop, with theatrics)

Signature moves

Crucifix pin

Diving crossbody

Dropkick

Flapjack dropped into a European uppercut

Float-over DDT

Flying forearm smash

Jumping clothesline or springboard clothesline

Jumping back elbow

Koronco buster

Monkey flip

Pendulum kick from out of the corner, as a counter to an oncoming opponent

Russian legsweep

Suicide dive

Tornado DDT, sometimes while springboarding

Two-handed chop

With Evan Bourne

*''Trouble in Paradise'' by Kingston, followed by an ''Air Bourne'' by Bourne

Managers

Luscious

Nicknames

"The Dreadlocked Dynamo"

Entrance themes

"Confrontation" by Damian Marley (CW / DSW)

*"S.O.S." by Collie Buddz (WWE)

Championships and accomplishments

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI ranked him #26 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010

*PWI ranked him #29 of the best 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2011

'''World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE

WWE Intercontinental Championship (3 times)

WWE United States Championship (2 times)

World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with CM Punk

WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Evan Bourne

Notes

External links

Kofi Kingston Online

Kofi Kingston at WWE.com

Kofi Kingston's Push at a Halt at The Wrestling Cafe

Category:1981 births Category:African American professional wrestlers Category:American people of Ghanaian descent Category:Boston College alumni Category:Living people Category:Ghanaian professional wrestlers

ar:كوفي كينغستون bar:Kofi Kingston bg:Кофи Кингстън ca:Kofi Kingston da:Kofi Kingston de:Kofi Kingston el:Κόφι Κίνγκστον es:Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah fa:کوفی کینگستون fr:Kofi Kingston ko:코피 킹스턴 it:Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah lt:Kofi Kingston nl:Kofi Kingston ja:コフィ・サーコーディエ・メンサー no:Kofi Kingston pl:Kofi Kingston pt:Kofi Kingston ro:Kofi Kingston ru:Кофи Кингстон simple:Kofi Kingston fi:Kofi Kingston sv:Kofi Kingston th:โคฟี คิงส์ตัน tr:Kofi Kingston

Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
Name	Beanie Sigel
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Dwight Grant
Alias
Born	March 06, 1974
Origin	South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1994–present
Associated acts	Scarface, Freeway, Raekwon, Young Gunz, The Roots, State Property, The Lox, 50 Cent, G-Unit
Label	Roc-A-Fella Records (1998–2009)G-Unit Records(2009–2010,2011–present)G-Unit Philly(2011–present) }}

Dwight Grant (born on March 6, 1974), also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers Jay-Z, Freeway and other former and current artists on the Roc-A-Fella roster. His stage name comes from a street in South Philadelphia, the rapper's former stomping grounds where he worked alongside Senior Durham in the projects. He has sold more than two million albums worldwide. He decided to end his career in middle 2010 when he made his last song, "I Go Off" with 50 Cent who had signed Grant to his G-Unit Records label in 2009, in early 2011 Grant appeared in Travis Barker album Give the Drummer Some, saying that it was the end of his career. In May 31, 2011 Grant apologized to his former boss Jay-Z. But in an interview with DJ Green Lantern, he said that he had never "apologized" to Jay-Z, and that he was still making music.

Music career

''State Property'' (2002-2003)

In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc roster starred in a Dame Dash-produced movie entitled ''State Property''. Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of artists signed to Roc-A-Fella that hailed from Philadelphia and organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz Chris,Neef, Oschino and Omilio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. They followed up with 2003's ''The Chain Gang Vol. 2'', featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz; the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.

The B. Coming (2005)

In 2005 Sigel finished his 3rd album, ''The B. Coming'', and shot multiple videos, directed by Joe Briscella, before he had to start he got arrested. During this time, Jay-Z ascended to the Presidency of Def Jam Records, causing former business partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke to split off and form the Dame Dash Music Group. Sigel's ''B. Coming'' was released on DDMG and Def Jam rather than Roc-A-Fella, but contained production from a slew of Roc/Jay-Z-affiliated producers including Chad West, The Neptunes, Just Blaze, Boola and Buckwild. Artists from both sides of the split were present on the record, from State Property members to Cam'ron and Jay-Z; the record spawned Sigel a hit with "Feel it in the Air," sold 131,000 copies in its first week.

Advertising his friendship with the incarcerated Beanie, Dash publicly claimed the artist was leaving the roster with him; during the sentence, State Property was thrown into turmoil, eventually choosing to remain at Roc-A-Fella—apparently against Sigel's wishes. Upon his release, Beanie called the loyalty of his group into question and stated that he was signing with Dame and Biggs courtesy of a stronger casual relationship with the pair than with Jay-Z:

Soon after, he clarified his comments, saying he simply didn't want to be involved in the conflict and electing to re-open talks with Roc-A-Fella instead of moving to DDMG.

The Solution (2006-2007)

In 2006 Sigel resigned with Roc-A-Fella Records & started to recording for his fourth studio album ''The Solution''. On October 29, 2007 Sigel released the first single off ''The Solution'' entitled "All The Above" which featured R. Kelly it debuted on the U.S. R&B; charts at #83. On May 22, 2007 Sigel released ''The Solution'' it debuted on the Billboard charts at #37.

The Classic (2009-Present)

In 2009 after finally getting out of his contracts with Roc-A-Fella & Def Jam. Beanie Sigel released his first Independent album ''The Broad Street Bully''. In 2010 Sigel announced he was working on his fifth studio album entitled ''The Closure'' which was to be released from Universal Republic and G-Unit Records. But on May 31, 2011 Sigel cancelled the album & retired from the music industry. But just after two weeks he later returned and started working on the album again. He then also renamed the album as ''The Classic''.In 2011 Sigel signed with 50 Cent's subsidary label G-Unit Philly and renewed his contract with G-Unit Records from 2009. On July 13, 2011 Sigel released his first single from the album entitled "B-Boy Stance".

Other ventures

Acting career

Beanie Sigel first appeared in the documentary "Backstage" but his first main role was in the hood movie ''State Property'' which spawned a sequel "State Property 2". Sigel released a DVD shortly after his third solo release "The B. Coming" entitled "The B. Coming of Beanie Sigel"in the year of 2005. Sigel also auditioned for the lead role of the 2009 film "Notorious"

Beanie Sigel also appeared in the 2011 film ''Rhyme and Punishment'' a documentary about Hip-Hop artist who have served time in county jail or state/federal prison. The film features an interview with Beanie Sigel where he discusses his conviction and life in prison.

Controversy

Jadakiss

The new millennium also saw various Roc artists, including Sigel, engage in a conflict with artists from ''Ruff Ryders''. Beanie was a forerunner of the beef, publicly decrying Jadakiss, the rest of the L.O.X. and DMX. While Sigel and Jadakiss both denied any violent intent, they continued to send shots back and forth until Beanie put out a freestyle over Jada's hit "Put Ya Hands Up".

Personal life

Religion

Beanie Sigel practices the Islamic faith along with Freeway.

Friendship with Scarface

Conversely, Sigel cultivated a friendship with southern rapper Scarface. Having first appeared together on "This Can't Be Life" with Jay-Z from ''Dynasty'', the two would go on to collaborate on Sigel's first two records, Scarface's ''The Fix'', and later on Sigel's 2007 album ''The Solution.''

Legal issues

In 2004, Sigel was found guilty of federal weapons charges and sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. In 2010, Sigel was charged with three counts of failing to file income tax returns between 2003-2005 on earnings of over $9.2 million.

Discography

;Studio albums

2000: ''The Truth''

2001: ''The Reason''

2005: ''The B. Coming''

2007: ''The Solution''

TBA: ''The Classic''

;Independent albums

2009: ''The Broad Street Bully''

;Collaboration albums

2002: ''State Property OST'' (with State Property)

2003: ''The Chain Gang Vol. 2'' (with State Property)

2010: ''The Roc Boys'' (with Freeway)

Fimography

;Films 2000 ''Brown Sugar (2002 film) ''Death of a Dynasty'' ''Fade to Black (2004 film) ''State Property 2'' ''Beef IV'' ''Rhyme and Punishment''

Year
	|	Backstage (2000 film)>Backstage''	As himself	Cameo/Documentary
rowspan="3">2002	Brown Sugar'' ||	As himself	Cameo
''State Property (film)	State Property''	Beans
''Paper Soldiers''	Stu
	2003	|	Charles "Sandman" Patterson	Support Role
	2004	Fade to Black'' ||	As himself	Cameo/Documentary
	2005	|	Beans	Main Role
	2007	|	As himself	Cameo/Documentary
	2011	|	As himself	Cameo/Documentary

References

External links

Beanie Sigel page at Roc-A-Fella Records

Official The Playpen Myspace

Official Beanie Sigel Myspace

MTV News

Category:African American musicians Category:Culture of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American rappers Category:African American rappers Category:Living people Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:1974 births Category:American shooting survivors Category:State Property members Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Rappers from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:American Sunni Muslims Category:African American Muslims Category:American prisoners and detainees

de:Beanie Sigel es:Beanie Sigel fr:Beanie Sigel ko:비니 시겔 no:Beanie Sigel pl:Beanie Sigel pt:Beanie Sigel fi:Beanie Sigel tr:Beanie Sigel uk:Beanie Sigel

Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
Name	Evan Bourne
Names	Evan BourneLance SydalMattMatt Sydal
Height
Weight
Birth date	March 19, 1983
Birth place	St. Louis, Missouri
Resides	Tampa, Florida
Billed	St. Louis, Missouri
Trainer	Gateway Championship Wrestling
Debut	October 20, 2000
Retired	}}

Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983) is an American professional wrestler, also known as Matt Sydal and Evan Bourne. He is signed with WWE and wrestles on its Raw brand under the ring name Evan Bourne, where he is currently one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions (with Kofi Kingston).

Before signing with WWE, Korklan wrestled on the independent circuit for promotions such as IWA-Mid South, Ring of Honor and the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate under the ring name Matt Sydal. Korklan also had a tenure in the short-lived Wrestling Society X promotion and was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's early pay-per-view (PPV) events. Korklan is known for his high flying and lucha libre-inspired style of wrestling.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Korklan was on his high school's wrestling team. While he was a senior in high school, Korklan began training with the St. Louis, Missouri-based Gateway Championship Wrestling (GCW) promotion. After three months of training, Korklan began wrestling for GCW on October 20, 2000, becoming the first person under the age of 18 to receive a wrestler's license in Missouri. Prior to this, Korklan had briefly performed under the ring name Lance Sydal in the Saint Peters Wrestling Organization.

In 2003, Korklan (now using the ring name Matt and forgoing a surname) formed a stable in GCW, known as Operation: Shamrock. In addition, Korklan and fellow stable member Billy McNeil formed a tag team. Operation: Shamrock maintained a feud with the villainous Ministry of Hate faction, led by Nikki Strychnine.

Independent circuit

Korklan debuted in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South in November 2003, combining two of his old ring names into a new one, Matt Sydal. He won his first championship, the IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship, on January 17, 2004, defeating J.C. Bailey. Sydal lost the title to rival Delirious, on June 26, 2004. Sydal joined National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) Midwest that same year, on July 30, he defeated Justin Kage for the NWA Midwest X Division Championship, which he also lost to Delirious after holding the belt for nearly a year. Korklan won the title back when he teamed with Daizee Haze in an intergender tag team match against Delirious and MsChif. A unique rule of the match was that the male wrestler on the winning team would be champion at the match's end. Haze pinned MsChif to win Delirious's title for Sydal. Sydal lost the title to Jayson Strife roughly four months later before leaving the promotion.

Sydal wrestled several top independent stars during his time as a regular in IWA. He lost three matches to A.J. Styles during a short-lived feud. He also faced men such as CM Punk, Chris Sabin and Nate Webb. On September 24, 2005, Sydal won the fifth Ted Petty Invitational tournament. During the tournament, he defeated El Generico, Tyler Black, and Sabin to secure himself a place in the finals. He faced Kevin Steen and Arik Cannon in the final match and came out victorious. Since then, Sydal has only appeared in IWA on a few occasions, the last being in August 2007.

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (2004–2005)

Sydal was featured on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) first three-hour pay-per-view event, Victory Road as a participant of a twenty-man X Division Gauntlet for the Gold match, a match where two wrestlers begin the match, and are replaced whenever one is eliminated, with the last person standing being named the winner of the contest. Sydal also was part of an online poll for the Sacrifice event. The winner of the poll would meet Christopher Daniels for the TNA X Division Championship. Sydal, however, lost the poll. During his tenure with TNA, Sydal was mainly utilized as a jobber, a wrestler who is rarely or never booked to win a match.

Ring of Honor (2004–2007)

Sydal, along with valet Daizee Haze, debuted in Ring of Honor at ''Reborn: Stage One'' on April 23, 2004, defeating his recurring nemesis, Delirious. Following a brief feud with Trent Acid, Sydal teamed with Fast Eddie Vegas as the "Air Devils" (a name voted on by the ROH fans). They only teamed once, after which Eddie turned on him on at the ''Third Anniversary Celebration: Part 2'' on February 25, 2005, joining the villainous stable The Embassy. On August 12, 2005, Sydal and Haze joined Austin Aries, Roderick Strong and Jack Evans as the fourth member of Generation Next, a group who was in the midst of a feud with The Embassy. In late 2005, Daizee Haze turned on Sydal, leaving him and Generation Next to join The Embassy. Generation Next fought The Embassy in numerous multi-man tag matches, culminating in a Steel Cage Warfare match on December 3, 2005, with Generation Next emerging victorious.

After wrestling A.J. Styles at ''Hell Freezes Over'', the two teamed up to challenge his Generation Next stable mates Austin Aries and Roderick Strong for ROH World Tag Team Championship. Sydal also teamed with Samoa Joe and Jack Evans to try and win the championship. Sydal went to the finals of the 2006 Survival of the Fittest event, before losing to Delirious. Sydal and Delirious brought their rivalry back to ROH as they engaged in several matches during mid-2006.

After several matches against each other throughout the year, Sydal teamed up with Christopher Daniels in another attempt to win the ROH World Tag Team Championship. The two feuded with then-champions the Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli), before winning the championship at ''Dethroned''. Sydal and Daniels successfully defendeded their championship against the likes of CIMA and Shingo, and former champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong, before losing the title to the Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) at the ''Fifth Year Festival: Chicago''. During their title reign, Sydal would begin to show a cocky, villainous-like attitude. After coming up unsuccessful in attempts to win the title back along with Castagnoli, Sydal joined Larry Sweeney's villain stable Sweet n' Sour Inc., which also included Chris Hero, Sara Del Rey and Tank Toland. Sydal, who in real life was receiving offers from World Wrestling Entertainment, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Dragon Gate, joined Sweet n' Sour Inc. to further Sweeney's gimmick as a "super agent". When Sydal eventually signed with WWE, it was said that Sweeney had "sold him up the river to Vince". At Man Up, Sydal wrestled his final match for ROH, losing to long-time rival Delirious.

Dragon Gate and Wrestling Society X (2006–2007)

Sydal began touring Japan with Dragon Gate in May 2006. While there he aligned himself with CIMA, Don Fuji, and Jack Evans to form the New Blood Generation International. He also became a part of CIMA's Typhoon faction. During Dragon Gate's Wrestlejam event, Sydal teamed with Generation Next stable mate Roderick Strong to win the $10,000 Tag Team Challenge.

Sydal was also part of the short-lived MTV promotion, Wrestling Society X, where he competed as a villian against the likes of Jack Evans, Scorpio Sky and the Human Tornado. There was the start of a storyline that would have him feuding with Syxx-Pac over Sydal's valet and on-screen girlfriend Lizzy Valentine, but they never actually wrestled before WSX shut down.

In the spring of 2007, Sydal returned to Dragon Gate. During his tenure there he won the Dragon Gate Open the Brave Gate Championship from Masato Yoshino, thus becoming the first gaijin to win the title. He held the title for slightly over a month, making a successful title defense against Yoshino, as well as against Austin Aries at Ring of Honor's ''Fifth Year Festival: Dayton'', before dropping it to Genki Horiguchi.

World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE

Developmental territories (2007–2008)

After becoming a free agent again following the expiration of his WSX contract and the close of the promotion, Sydal signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Sydal made his WWE developmental debut in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), at the October 10, 2007 OVW taping, defeating Jamin Olivencia. In December of that year, Sydal defeated Mike Kruel to win the OVW Heavyweight Championship. It was announced on February 7, 2008 that WWE had ceased affiliation with OVW. As a result, Sydal lost the OVW Heavyweight Championship to Jay Bradley. Sydal was moved to Florida Championship Wrestling and made his debut on March 22, 2008, defeating TJ Wilson, before being called up to WWE's main roster.

ECW (2008–2009)

Sydal made his WWE debut as a fan favorite on the June 3, 2008 episode of ''ECW on Sci Fi'', losing a match by count out to Shelton Benjamin after he was thrown at guest commentator Kofi Kingston. The following week on ''ECW'', Sydal, now an official member of the ECW roster under the ring name Evan Bourne, teamed with Kofi Kingston to defeat Mike Knox and Benjamin in a tag team match. In the following weeks, Bourne defeated Matt Striker, Nunzio, and Chavo Guerrero using the shooting star press as his finishing maneuver.

Bourne also made appearances on the Raw brand, saving Rey Mysterio from an assault by Kane. The two successfully defeated John Morrison and The Miz the following week. In October at Cyber Sunday, Bourne was chosen by the fans to face Matt Hardy for the ECW Championship, but lost the match after Hardy performed a Twist of Fate. Two days later on ''ECW'', Bourne was injured attempting a suicide senton during a six-man tag match, when he landed on his right ankle, dislocating it and tearing his deltoid ligament. After further examination, it was determined that surgery would not be necessary, but was not cleared to return to the ring. On December 8, 2008, Bourne won a Slammy Award for "Best Finishing Maneuver" for his shooting star press.

On the March 10, 2009 edition of ''ECW'' a promo was aired for Bourne's return to ECW on March 17. In his return, Bourne defeated Jamie Noble.

Championship pursuits and various feuds (2009–2011)

On June 29, Bourne was traded to the Raw brand, and made his debut that night as the first of the three wrestlers that were part of a Gauntlet match against Randy Orton, in which he was eliminated. On the November 2 episode of ''Raw'', Bourne received a United States Championship match against The Miz, which he failed to win. Bourne made a special appearance on the December 29 episode of ''ECW'', defeating Mike Knox in an ECW Homecoming qualifying match to advance to a battle royal where the winner would face ECW Champion Christian at the Royal Rumble for the ECW Championship.

Bourne lost a non-title match against WWE Champion Sheamus on the January 4, 2010 episode of ''Raw''. On the January 12 episode of ''ECW'', Bourne competed in the "Homecoming Battle Royal" but was the first to be eliminated. On the March 8 episode of ''Raw'', Bourne defeated William Regal to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI, which was won by Jack Swagger.

The May 31, 2010 episode of ''Raw'' opened with Bourne being the victim of an assault by Edge after Bourne had challenged him for his spot in the WWE Championship match at Fatal 4-Way. Later in the show, as John Cena's scheduled tag team partner, Randy Orton, was injured by Edge before the main event, Cena chose Bourne to replace him in a match against Edge and Sheamus. Bourne pinned Sheamus to earn the victory for his team. Two weeks later, Bourne fought Chris Jericho in a match, which he won by disqualification when Jericho threatened the referee and attacked Bourne while he was in the ropes. At the Fatal 4-Way pay-per-view, he faced Jericho in a rematch, which Bourne won by pinfall. The following night on ''Raw'', Jericho challenged Bourne to a third match stating that if he did not win, he would leave WWE. Jericho defeated Bourne by pinfall. Their feud continued on the July 5 episode of ''Raw'', where Bourne teamed up with Randy Orton to defeat Jericho and Edge. Bourne was announced as one of the participants in the Money in the Bank ladder match for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18, but he was unsuccessful.

On September 19, at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, Bourne teamed up with Mark Henry in the Tag Team Turmoil match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but they failed to win the titles when they were the last team eliminated in the match by Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. On the October 11 edition of ''Raw'', Bourne competed in a match against CM Punk to qualify for Team Raw at Bragging Rights, but was unsuccessful in winning and was assaulted by Punk after the match. This was put in place as Bourne (in reality) required shoulder surgery and was expected to be out of action for an estimated four months.

Bourne returned on the February 28, 2011, edition of ''Raw'', defeating Sheamus, after Sheamus had been attacked by Triple H before the match. From May 23, Bourne would feud with Jack Swagger, with both men trading victories in several episodes of ''Raw''. Bourne emerged victorious against Swagger at WWE Capitol Punishment..

Air Boom; Tag Team Champion (2011)

On the August 22 edition of ''Raw'', Bourne would win his first championship in WWE, when he and Kingston again defeated Otunga and McGilicutty, this time for the WWE Tag Team Championships. On the August 29 edition of ''Raw'', the duo was called "Air Boom", and they had their first successful title defense when they defeated Otunga and McGillicutty in a rematch.

Other media

As Bourne, Korklan is featured as a downloadable superstar for WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 video game. Korklan is available for download on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in a pack along with other downloadable superstars and content. He also appeared in WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2011 without the need for download, and has been confirmed for the upcoming WWE '12.

Image Entertainment, Inc. released a DVD titled "Before They Were Stars: Matt Sydal: Bourne Is Born" on January 20, 2009, which features every match from Wrestling Society X Korklan participated in as well as various promos and a music video.

Personal life

Both of Korklan's parents are school teachers. He has a younger brother Mike, who wrestles under the name "Mike Sydal" in Ring of Honor. He attended Parkway West High School in St. Louis. In 2001, Korklan enrolled at the University of Missouri, studying marketing, as he was unsure whether he could earn a living from wrestling. He continued to wrestle, attending college three days a week, while wrestling mid-week and on weekends. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2005, and began working as a sales and marketing vice president for a small mailbox company in St. Louis, although he continued to wrestle.

In wrestling

WWE

*Finishing moves

*''Air Bourne'' (Shooting star press) - 2008–present

*Signature moves

*Catapult followed by a corner dropkick

*Corkscrew plancha

*Diving double knee drop to a standing opponent's shoulders

*Dropkick, sometimes from the top rope

*Enzuigiri

*Headscissors takedown

*High knee

*Hurricanrana, sometimes to an opponent on the top rope

*Jumping back kick

*Roundhouse kick

*Standing moonsault

*Suicide dive

*Spinning heel kick

*Air Boom

**''Trouble in Paradise'' by Kingston, followed by an ''Air Bourne'' by Bourne

*Nicknames

*'''"Air" Bourne

*Entrance music

*"Axeman" by Damian Wes, Lenny Charles and Sparky Buddha

*"Born to Win" by Mutiny Within and Jim Johnston

Independent circuit

*Finishing moves

*''Aftershock'' (Gory neckbreaker)

*''Cyclorama'' (Independent circuit) / ''Sydal Special'' (Dragon Gate) (Belly to belly moonsault slam)

*''Double Helix'' (Springboard corkscrew moonsault)

*''Here It Is Driver'' / ''Here We Go Driver'' (Pumphandle half nelson driver)

*''Shooting Sydal Press'' (Shooting star press)

*Signature moves

*''Cannonball'' (Diving leg drop)

*Catapult followed by a corner dropkick

*Corkscrew plancha

*Cradle suplex

*Diving double knee drop to a standing opponent's shoulders

*Dragonrana

*Enzuigiri

*Hurricanrana, sometimes to an opponent seated on the top turnbuckle

*Inverted leg drop bulldog into a pin

*Shining wizard to a cornered opponent

*Springboard into either a 450° splash or a corkscrew senton

*Standing moonsault

*Suicide dive

*Managers

*Daizee Haze

*Jade Chung

*Allison Danger

*Lizzy Valentine

*Larry Sweeney

*Entrance themes

*"Clavicle" by Alkaline Trio

Championships and accomplishments

Dragon Gate

Open The Brave Gate Championship (1 time)

Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South

IWA Mid-South Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Ted Petty Invitational (2005)

NWA Midwest

NWA Midwest X Division Championship (2 times)

Ohio Valley Wrestling

OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

PWI ranked him #63 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2009 and 2010

Ring of Honor

ROH World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Christopher Daniels

World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE

*WWE Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Kofi Kingston

Slammy Award for Best Finishing Maneuver (2008)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Best Flying Wrestler (2008)

Best Wrestling Maneuver (2008) Shooting Star Press

Most Underrated (2009)

Notes

External links

WWE profile

Category:1983 births Category:American professional wrestlers Category:Living people Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:University of Missouri alumni

ar:ايفان بورن bar:Evan Bourne bg:Евън Борн ca:Evan Bourne de:Evan Bourne es:Matthew Korklan fa:ایوان بورن fr:Matthew Korklan ko:에번 본 it:Matthew Korklan nl:Evan Bourne ja:マット・コークラン pl:Evan Bourne pt:Evan Bourne ro:Matthew Korklan ru:Эван Борн simple:Evan Bourne fi:Evan Bourne th:อีแวน บอร์น tr:Evan Bourne

DJ Damage (born Darren Pearson) is an Australian hip hop DJ and turntablist from Brisbane, Australia. He started in hip hop culture via breaking and buying records in 1983. DJ Damage was in Brisbane mid 90s hip hop group ''Towering Inferno'', and a member of the ''Big Rigs'' six turntable DJ team from the same period. DJ Damage is currently a member of ''The Optimen'' and turntablist crew the ''Terntable Jediz''. He is also a member of Brisbane new jazz and funk band ''Step It Up''.

Coordinates	38°53′51.61″N77°2′11.58″N
name	DJ Damage
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name	Darren Pearson
origin	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
genre	Australian hip hop, Turntablism
years active	1994–present
label	Red Tape RenegadesUnkut Recordings
associated acts	Towering InfernoBig RigsTerntable JedizThe OptimenStep It Up
website	}}

History

Towering Inferno

From 1994–7, DJ Damage was a member of Brisbane hip hop group ''Towering Inferno'' with Lazy Grey and B-Boy Flex. The members of the group met at Burnt Toast, a jazz/hip hop/funk night in Brisbane, organized by Hams and Felicite. Towering Inferno performed at the first Annual East Coast Funk Festival on 1 July 1995 at Festival Hall, Brisbane. The band also appeared at the first ''B-Boy Kingdom'' "all ages hip hop jam", Friday 9 February 1996 at Lighthouse, corner of Ann and Creek Streets, Brisbane. Towering Inferno released a tape called ''The Toowong Sessions'' with Brad Strut in 1996. Towering Inferno performed alongside fellow Australian hip hop groups Def Wish Cast (Sydney) and also representatives from Finger Licking Good (Adelaide) and Brethren (Sydney). Bevan Jee, from Bomb Hip Hop Australia, noted in his ''Towering Inferno'' article that,

"The name Towering Inferno seems appropriate given the way the group blew up when they first entered the local hip-hop scene. "Fire is a symbol of hip-hop, if you can't cut it you get burnt" say's Damage the group's DJ."

Tony Mitchell, in his 1998 ''Glocal subculture'' paper commented on this quote saying, ". . . although US rap was the inspiration, the local scene caught fire on the fuel that was already there."

Big Rigs

DJ Damage was also a member of the ''Big Rigs'' DJ team with DJ Katch and DJ Frenzie in Brisbane in the mid 1990s. Big Rigs debuted at ''The Bomb'', an FRS (Flavours Radio Show) party held in Brisbane in January 1996. They also played at ''Vibes on a Summers Day'' Festival in 1996. DJ Katch, Geoff Jigzaw Boardman (who worked on Towering Inferno's recorded material), Dave Atkins and Chris Bosley went on to form Resin Dogs in 1996. DJ Frenzie mentioned Big Rigs in an interview with The Late Show in 2011, saying that,

"We were doing 6 turntable routines in clubs in the mid 90s. I don't think any one else was doing that kind of thing in Australia at that time".

Terntable Jediz

DJ Damage is a member of the turntablist crew called ''Terntable Jediz''. The crew was formed in 1998 by DJ Sheep and Krypton. DJ Damage joined in 1999. Other members of the crew include DJ Kenny (Hong Kong)(2001), Finatik (Perth)(2002), DJ Tetsu (Brisbane / Japan) and DJ Freestyle (Brisbane). In 2000, DJ Damage and DJ Sheep toured London, Eindhoven and Berlin and performed at ''The Social'' with Yoda and Plus One. They travelled to San Francisco to jam with DJ Qbert, and in 2001, DJ Damage performed a Q&A; scratch set with A-Trak in Brisbane. In 2002, DJ Damage was a judge for the DMC Technics World DJ Championships Australian finals. In 2004, DJ Damage was Co-Executive Producer and provided scratches and cuts for the Terntable Jediz' album ''All Out War'' released on vinyl by Unkut Recordings.

The Optimen

In 2001, DJ Damage joined Brisbane hip hop band, ''The Optimen''. Other members of the band include Sammsonite, DATS, Kristoff the Russian, and Peter Beaty. In 2002, The Optimen released an eight track EP called ''02: Breath Control''. In November 2005, the band released their album ''Boomtown''. The singles, ''Give It Up'' and ''Mic Induction'' received high rotation on Triple J Australia's national radio station. The Optimen won two MusicOz Awards in 2006 – The Roland Best Urban Artist Award and The Channel [V] Best Unsigned Video Clip Award for their ''Give It Up'' single. In 2010, ''The Out of Money Experience'' album was released. It debuted at #36 on the ARIA Urban charts and was ''Album of the week'' on Triple J's hip hop show for the week of 19 April 2010. The filmclip for the single ''80’s Babies'' has been played on ABC's Rage programme.

DJ work

DJ Damage has also played house, funk and soul music at clubs such as The Monastery, Technomadiscotheque, Mantra, Family Nightclub. DJ Damage also performed with VJ Simulcast at the Judith Wright Centre for 2008 Valley Fiesta.

Step It Up

In 2011 DJ Damage provided cuts and turntablist skills for Brisbane new jazz and funk band ''Step It Up'' on their EP, ''Push''.

Discography

Compilation Appearances

cuts & instrumentals by Towering Inferno on ''Blunted Stylus'' (vinyl) - arranged by DJ Jigzaw

''Jigsaw's Journal'' by Towering Inferno on ''Home Brews Volume 2'' CD (1997). Track #11 - produced by Geoff Jigsaw (Resin Dogs)

The Optimen

''02: Breath Control'' EP (2002)

''Boomtown'' (2005)

''The Out of Money Experience'' (2010)

Terntable Jediz

''All Out War'' (2004)

Step It Up

''Push'' EP (2011)

References

Category:Australian hip hop musicians