name	Ester Dean
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ester Renay Dean
born	April 15, 1986
birth place	Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, hip hop, pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, actress, voice actress
years active	2009–present
label	Roc Nation / Interscope
associated acts	Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, RichGirl, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Pia Toscano, Tinie Tempah, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly
website	EsterDean.com }}

Ester Renay Dean (born April 15, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Roc Nation. She is most notable for her dual appearance on ''Rio: Music From The Motion Picture'' (2011) and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown.

Dean has also written songs with many artists including Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Pia Toscano, Tinie Tempah, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly and recently Shakira.

In 2012 Dean also lent her voice to Ice Age as one of the characters, as well to the film Pitch Perfect and the soundtrack.

Biography[link]

1986-2010: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Ester Dean was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1986, but lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then in her late teens, she moved to Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating from Omaha North High School, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, until relocating to Los Angeles, California. In an interview Dean spoke on her family life, "Yes, in the country!". She was influenced by her mother’s blues music and her church singing. "I used to sing into anything I could hear myself back on. That's what I'd do. Even if it was karaoke, I just wanted to be heard, you know? I believe my mom wanted me to be a star and an artist. I think it trickles down. Sometimes it takes them to want it for you to do it." When Dean relocated to Los Angeles, California, she became a successful songwriter, and was introduced to Polow da Don, and later signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. During her tenure, Dean has amassed a catalog of songs she has written or co-written for other artists, such as Britney Spears, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Monica, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Katy Perry, Trey Songz, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Usher, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Pia Toscano, Ginuwine, Teyana Taylor, Scotty McCreery, Beyoncé Knowles, and Mary J. Blige, among others.

Dean recorded and released her first single, "Drop It Low" which features singer Chris Brown, from the LeBron James documentary, ''More Than a Game'' (2009), which peaked at #38 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming her first US Top 40 single. The song received positive reviews, and the song was remixed by artists such as Lil Wayne, Trey Songz and Diddy. Dean has co-written songs featured on the ''Step Up 3D Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2010) and ''Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2010).

2011-Present: First studio album and Roc Nation[link]

Throughout 2011 Dean carried on song writing while working on her album, she co-wrote "Super Bass", for Nicki Minaj's debut album ''Pink Friday'' (2010). has gone on to achieve the position of number three on the Hot 100. The song's title is included as part of the title of a UK Deluxe edition of the album, ''Pink Friday (Super Bass Edition)''. Dean has a dual appearance on ''Rio: Music From The Motion Picture'' (2011) with "Let Me Take You To Rio" and "Take You To Rio". Dean is featured on the song "Invincible", the second single by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly's debut album. The song has been used in a HTC ReZound ad and also served as one of several theme songs for WrestleMania XXVIII.

Talking on her debut album Ester said "I did not want to be an artist because I was afraid" Dean confesses, "I had tried that before but I learned I had to lose when I weighed only , it poisoned me, however Polow wanted to embrace everything about me and welcomed me to his family just like me ". Dean is working on her debut studio album set to be released in early 2012. Ester told billboard "We're working on picking songs right now," Ester tells The Juice. Ester is shooting for a sound that suits her unique voice, which she calls "hard" and "raspy." In January 2012 Dean took to twitter to announce that she has signed to Roc Nation “I’m so Grateful 4 my Team Past and Present! Bringing in the New Year with my new Team @RocNation 2012,” She has worked with Stargate on six of the album's tracks. Gimme Money featuring Nicki Minaj was released online in February 2012 through Dean's official Twitter. Dean tweeted “If you guys Love Gimmie Money ft Nicki Minaj as my Single let’s get it Trending #GimmieMoney”. Dean has also picked 10 tracks that will be featured on her debut album.

Dean made an appearance in ''Ice Age: Continental Drift''. "I'm just excited," Dean says of playing her character, the Sloth Siren. "On August 23, I go put my voice down. And my character gets to sing." Ester is one of many musicians in the ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'' cast. Drake, Nicki Minaj, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Lopez are lending their voices to the film.

For her album, Dean has been reported to be working with rapper Nicki Minaj and Roc Nation signed Alexis Jordan.

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

+ List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name	scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"	Title	Year	Peak chart positions			! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"	Album
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"
""[[Gimme Money">Drop It Low (Ester Dean song)	2009	38	33	32
scope="row">"[[Gimme Money" (featuring Nicki Minaj)	2012	—	—	—		TBA

Guest Vocals[link]

Year	Title	Album	Artist
		align="center"
		align="center"	align="center"
		align="center"	align="center"
		align="center"
			align="center"

Filmography[link]

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2011		Boy in gondola
	''Ice Age: Continental Drift''	Sloth Siren
''Pitch Perfect''	Cynthia Rose

References[link]

External links[link]

Official website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people E Category:American female singers Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:American record producers Category:American dance musicians

ar:إستر دين de:Ester Dean fr:Ester Dean it:Ester Dean hu:Ester Dean pl:Ester Dean pt:Ester Dean

Name	Tinie Tempah
background	solo_singer
birth name	Patrick Junior Chukwuemeka Okogwu
birth date	November 07, 1988
birth place	Plumstead, London, England
religion	Roman Catholic
genre	Hip hop, grime, drum and bass
occupation	Rapper, songwriter
years active	2005–present
label	Parlophone, Disturbing London
Associated acts	Labrinth, Ellie Goulding, Swedish House Mafia, Chase & Status, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Eric Turner, Range, Emeli Sandé, Wiz Khalifa, Bei Maejor, Snoop Dogg, Ester Dean, Taio Cruz, Wretch 32, J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco, Rita Ora, Taylor ThePALACE
website	}}

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is an English rapper. He made his first mixtape in 2007 with 28 songs, freestyles and remixes, featuring Mz Bratt, Chipmunk and G-Unit. His first album, ''Disc-Overy'', debuted at number one on 10 October 2010 and was preceded by the number-one singles "Pass Out" and "Written in the Stars" and the UK Top 5 hits "Frisky" and "Miami 2 Ibiza".

Early life[link]

Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu, was born in London, England on 7 November 1988, and is of Ibusa, Delta State, Nigerian origin. He lived on the Aylesbury Estate in South East London until he was 12 with his parents and three younger siblings. He attended St. Paul's Catholic School in Abbey Wood, London SE2, (now known as St. Paul's Academy). He went on to study A Levels at St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College, SW12. Of his London upbringing, Tinie states: “London is one of the only places in the world where you can live in a council block and see a beautiful semi-detached house across the street. Growing up around that was inspirational, it kept me motivated".

Career history[link]

Early career[link]

In 2006, Tempah gained a great deal of airplay on British music TV channel, Channel AKA, for his song "Tears" and then in late 2007, he collaborated on a track with grime artist Ultra and producers/songwriters Agent X. The song was titled "Perfect GCD Hood Economics Room 147". He toured with [[Chipmunk (rapper)|Chipmunk ]] in February 2010. His first break as a musician came when Sony launched its PlayStation Portable (PSP) and used a track entitled "Listen To The Vibe" featuring Yasmin and DJ Ironik, and "Atlantic/Warner" for the futuristic racing game, ''Wipeout Pure''. This resulted in a promotional European tour alongside the likes of Sway and Dizzee Rascal.

Tinie and his manager and cousin Dumi Oburota founded the independent label Disturbing London primarily as an official outlet for Tinie's music, but with the idea of also signing other young artists. According to Dumi: "We wanted to have a platform to put out our music and there wasn't any Def Jam or Roc-A-Fella label equivalent in England. [Also] I wanted to create a major independent label with quality artists. I felt like the major labels had lost the passion for music." The activities of the label were initially largely funded by student loans and the proceeds from buying and selling cars.

When scout and music consultant Jade Richardson saw Tinie performing at the 2009 Wireless Festival she called Parlophone Records president Miles Leonard saying: “You’ve got to check out this guy Tinie Tempah. He came on at lunchtime and there’s about 1,000 kids screaming for him. He’s only put out one independent release and he’s got this huge audience.” Leonard and A&R; Nathan Thompson visited Tinie and his manager Dumi at their studio a few weeks later and were hugely impressed to hear about the work they had already done in developing Tinie's career and by the ambitious plans they had for his future. Leonard told HitQuarters: "I thought it was incredible that an artist and manager were doing so much so soon with so little ... That impressed as much as the music."

Tinie announced his signing to Parlophone in October 2009 by running a competition on his blog, with the winner invited to High Tea at Claridges to celebrate the deal.

2010–2011: Success and ''Disc-Overy''[link]

Tinie released his debut single "Pass Out" with Parlophone on 28 February 2010, with it entering the UK Singles Chart at number 1. Selling just over 92,000 copies, making this his first number 1 which it remained for two consecutive weeks. Tinie would later perform "Pass Out" on 25 June 2010 at Glastonbury on the Pyramid stage with Snoop Dogg. Tinie then announced his second single, "Frisky", which was released on 6 June 2010 entering the UK Singles Chart at number 2. Tinie supported Rihanna for four dates in May on her 10-date UK tour with Tinchy Stryder and Pixie Lott. Tinie performed at many summer balls at various universities around the United Kingdom. Tinie performed at Radio 1 Big Weekend in Bangor on 22 May 2010 on the In New Music We Trust stage. He also toured with Mr Hudson in May 2010. Tinie Tempah played the Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium on 6 June 2010, at Wakestock in Abersoch on 3 July 2010, both T4 on the Beach and the Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park on 4 July, and V Festival on 21 and 22 August 2010. Tinie released his third single "Written in the Stars" on 19 September 2010. This again charted at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart selling over 115,000 copies in its first week, making it his biggest-selling single to date. The song also went on to chart in a number of other countries. Tinie went on to team up with Swedish House Mafia for his fourth single "Miami 2 Ibiza" which was released on 1 October 2010. This went on to reach a peak of number 4 in the UK Singles Chart and his first number 1 in the Netherlands Mega Single Top 100 chart. He released his long-awaited debut album, ''Disc-Overy'' on 4 October 2010 which featured all his previous charted singles.

On 11 October 2010, he kicked off his first UK tour which was supported by Chiddy Bang. He went on to win his first 2 MOBO Awards in October. Tinie also featured on the Tinchy Stryder single "Game Over" which was released on 15 November 2010. This reached number 22 on the UK Singles Chart. On 25 December, Tinie released his fifth single "Invincible" featuring Kelly Rowland, which peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. "Wonderman", featuring Ellie Goulding, was released and was the fifth official single. Tinie joined Usher on the European leg of his OMG Tour in January 2011. Tinie was also nominated for 4 Brit Awards making him the most nominated artist at the awards. His single "Written in the Stars" was used for a WrestleMania XXVII countdown promo during the WWE PPV Royal Rumble on 30 January 2011. It was later confirmed by WWE that it will be the official theme for Wrestlemania XXVII. It's also the theme song for the 2011 MLB Post Season. On 15 February 2011, he won his first ever Brit Award, for Best British Breakthrough Act. He also won a Brit for Best British Single. On 7 March 2011, Tempah expressed his desire for his next album to go triple platinum. "I reckon in 2011, towards the end of it, I'm going to do an arena tour – and sell it out – then I reckon I'm going to release another album, and fingers crossed it can go platinum again, and double platinum, and triple. Let's just sell a million." In early 2011, Tinie Tempah announced a UK Arena tour. Support acts included Nero, Labrinth and Chase and Status (After Party DJ Set). In 2011, Labrinth revealed that Tinie will be releasing "Pass Out" in the United States, featuring a well recognised artist in the American rap game. On 28 November 2011, Tinie Tempah hosted an episode of the TV show, ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks''. Also in November, Tinie Tempah released two tracks, "Like It or Love It" which featured both Wretch 32 & J. Cole, and "Lucky Cunt" which featured Big Sean. On 16 December, Tinie released a 9-track mixtape/EP titled ''Happy Birthday''. In early 2012 Tinie featured with Eric Turner and Lupe Fiasco on a track called "Angels and Stars". Tinie's song "Written in the Stars" was used as the entrance song for the New York Giants before Super Bowl XLVI.

2012–present: ''Demonstration''[link]

By December 2010 Tempah was writing a second album, saying there will be a more electronic and live feel to it. It was originally intended for a late 2011 release. but is now scheduled for October 2012. During an interview, Tinie commented on his second album: "I always like to work with different people on each project I do, just so you get a different sound and angle. I will be working with some of the same people I did for the first album, you know what they say ‘if it ain't broke then don’t try and fix it’." Tinie hoped to collaborate with other artists; "I really want to collaborate with Toronto's very own Drake. I think he's amazing at what he does. I'd also like to collaborate with Adele, Sleigh Bells, Lykke Li, Dev, James Blake ― those are the few that I'd really like to work with." Tinie announced in an interview with ''Rolling Stone'' that his next single is to be called "Till I'm Gone" which will feature Wiz Khalifa and is produced by Stargate. The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011. Tinie Tempah, world renowned drummer Travis Barker and Irish boxing champion Katie Taylor, joined forces to launch Lucozade’s new ''Yes Campaign'', which signals a repositioning of its sports and energy drink brand. Featuring a performance of Tinie's "Simply Unstoppable" with Travis Barker on drums, remixed especially for Lucozade Sport, the campaign was released in Summer 2011.

Tinie Tempah has asked a number of artists to appear on his upcoming second album, including Gary Barlow, Chris Martin, Dizzee Rascal, and The Script.

At the Brit Awards in 2012, Tinie announced the name of his second album to be called 'Demonstration' and stating it sounds "amazing".

Discography[link]

''Disc-Overy'' (2010)

''Demonstration'' (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

!Year	!Event	!Prize	!Nominated work	!Result	!Ref
rowspan="18"	2010		Best Newcomer
Best Video
Best UK Act
Best Song
	Hottest Boy
Hottest Hook-up
	MP3 Music Awards	The UGG Award (Urban/Garage/Grime)
	Best Newcomer
Best Video
Best Hip-Hop Act
Best Collaboration
	Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Best Male Artist
Best Newcomer
Best Video
Best Song
	UK Festival Awards	Breakthrough Artist
	MTV Europe Music Awards	Best UK and Ireland New Act
rowspan="14"	2011		South Bank Awards	Pop Music	''Disc-Overy''
rowspan="4"	Brit Awards	Best British Male
Best Breakthrough Act
Best Single
Album of the Year	''Disc-Overy''
	Ivor Novello Awards	Best Contemporary Song
	BET Awards	Best International Act: UK
rowspan="5"	MOBO Awards	Best UK Hip Hop/Grime Act
Best Album	Disc-Overy
Best Song
Best Song
Best UK Act
	Mercury Prize	Album of the Year	Disc-Overy

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:English rappers Category:Black British people Category:English people of Igbo descent Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:Grime artists Category:Black British musicians Category:Electro-hop musicians Category:Igbo musicians Category:Rappers from London Category:People from London Category:British hip hop musicians Category:1988 births Category:Living people

cs:Tinie Tempah da:Tinie Tempah de:Tinie Tempah es:Tinie Tempah fr:Tinie Tempah hr:Tinie Tempah it:Tinie Tempah he:טייני טמפה lv:Tinie Tempah lt:Tinie Tempah hu:Tinie Tempah nl:Tinie Tempah ja:タイニー・テンパー no:Tinie Tempah pcd:Tinie Tempah pl:Tinie Tempah pt:Tinie Tempah ru:Тайни Темпа simple:Tinie Tempah sk:Tinie Tempah fi:Tinie Tempah sv:Tinie Tempah zh:泰尼·坦普

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[link]

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[link]

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money[link]

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''[link]

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''[link]

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[link]

Image[link]

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 [link]

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 [link]

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 [link]

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 [link]

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 [link]

''Pink Friday'' (2010)

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

See also[link]

List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References [link]

External links [link]

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	George Kelly Barnes
image name	MachineGunKelly.jpg
birth date	July 18, 1895
birth place	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
death date	July 18, 1954
death place	Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S.
charge	Conspiracy to kidnap and bank robbing
occupation	Gangster, bootlegger and businessman
spouse	Kathryn Kelly
nickname	Machine Gun Kelly}}

George Celino Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known as "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster during the prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thompson submachine gun. His most famous crime was the kidnapping of oil tycoon and businessman Charles Urschel in July 1933 for which he, and his gang, earned $200,000 ransom. Unfortunately, their victim had collected and left considerable evidence that assisted the subsequent FBI investigation that eventually led to Kelly's arrest in Memphis, Tennessee on September 26, 1933. His crimes also included bootlegging and armed robbery.

Career[link]

During the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s Kelly worked as a bootlegger for himself as well as a colleague. After a short time, and several run-ins with the local Memphis police, he decided to leave town and head west with his girlfriend. To protect his family and escape law enforcement officers, he changed his name to George R. Kelly. He continued to commit smaller crimes and bootlegging. He was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for smuggling liquor onto an Indian Reservation in 1928 and sentenced for three years to Leavenworth Penitentiary, Kansas, beginning February 11, 1928. He was reportedly a model inmate and was released early. Shortly thereafter, Kelly married Kathryn Thorne, who purchased Kelly’s first machine gun and went to great lengths to familiarize his name in the underground crime circles. She was known to hand out the expended .45cal cartridge casings from his Tommy Gun as souvenirs. Some historians claim that Kathryn even went so far as to plot some small bank robberies.

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Nonetheless, Kelly’s last criminal activity proved disastrous when he kidnapped a wealthy Oklahoma City resident, Charles F. Urschel and his friend Walter R. Jarrett. Urschel, having been blindfolded, made sure to foil his kidnappers by noting all possible evidence of his experience such as background sounds, counting footsteps and leaving fingerprints on every surface in reach. This in turn proved invaluable for the FBI in their investigation, as they learned that Urschel had been held in Paradise, Texas. An investigation conducted at Memphis disclosed that after 56 days on the run, the Kellys were staying at the residence of J.C. Tichenor. Special Agents from Birmingham, Alabama, headed by Special Agent in Charge, William "ash" Rorer, were immediately dispatched to Memphis on the orders of J. Edgar Hoover, where, in the early morning hours of September 26, 1933 a raid was conducted, led by agent Rorer. George and Kathryn Kelly were taken into custody and Memphis police officers Sergeant William Raney and officer Thomas Waterson. Caught without a weapon, George Kelly supposedly cried, "''Don’t shoot, G-Men! Don’t shoot, G-Men!''" as he surrendered to FBI Agents. The term (which had applied to all federal investigators, meaning simply 'Government Men') became synonymous with FBI Agents. Reports of the raid, however, indicate that George Kelly came to the door, dropped his pistol and said, "''Okay, boys, I’ve been waiting for you all night''." Recent research revealed a 1933 newspaper interview with one of the federal agents at the arrest. He commented that, upon their arrest, Kathryn Kelly put her arms around George and said, "''These G-men will never leave us alone.''" The FBI press machine generated the G-Man story to build its own reputation. The arrest of the Kellys, however, was overshadowed by the escape of John Dillinger's gang from Michigan City, Indiana.

In October 1933, George and Kathryn Kelly were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial was held at the Post Office, Courthouse and Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City. Kathryn Kelly and her mother had all charges dropped and were released in 1958 from prison in Cincinnati.

The kidnapping of Urschel and the two trials that resulted were historic in several ways: 1) they were the only federal criminal trials in the United States in which moving cameras were allowed to film; 2) the first kidnapping trials after the passage of the so-called Lindbergh Law, which made kidnapping a federal crime; 3) the first major case solved by J. Edgar Hoover’s evolving and powerful FBI. For that, Kelly got sent into Alcatraz; 4) the first crime in which defendants were transported by airplane. At the time, it was the largest ransom ever paid in the United States.

Death[link]

Machine Gun Kelly spent his remaining 21 years in prison. During his time at Alcatraz he got the nickname "Pop Gun Kelly." This was in reference, according to a former prisoner, to the fact that Kelly was a model prisoner and was nowhere near the tough, brutal gangster his wife made him out to be. He spent 17 years on Alcatraz, working in the prison industries, and was quietly transferred back to Leavenworth in 1951. He died of a heart attack at Leavenworth Federal Prison, Kansas on July 18, 1954, his 59th birthday. He is buried at Cottondale Texas Cemetery with a small headstone marked "George B. Kelley 1954".

In popular culture[link]

Crime novelist Ace Atkins' 2010 book ''Infamous'' is based on the Urschel kidnapping and subsequent multi-state misadventures of George and Kathryn Kelly as they attempted to flee both the FBI and other gangsters eager to claim the Urschel ransom money.

Machine Gun Kelly and Kathryn Kelly were the inspiration for "Machine Gun Kelly" (1970), a song written by Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar and recorded by James Taylor on his 1971 Album ''Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon''.

Machine Gun Kelly and his crimes were (loosely) portrayed in the 1958 film ''Machine-Gun Kelly'' starring Charles Bronson.

Machine Gun Kelly is a central character in the 1974 TV film ''Melvin Purvis: G-Man''.

Kelly is (along with Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson) one of the main characters of the comic book series ''Pretty, Baby, Machine''.

Punk band the Angelic Upstarts released a single in 1984 titled Machine Gun Kelly.

Machine Gun Kelly is referenced in the film ''So I Married an Axe Murderer'' by Phil Hartman's character while touring Alcatraz.

In the song "MVP" by the late Harlem rapper Big L, he says: "I run up like Machine Gun Kelly, with a black skully, put one in your belly, leave you smelly, then take your Pelle Pelle."

In the song "Bluesman" by Harry Chapin, there's a line that goes "No! A fool plays the blues like Machine Gun Kelly, Five hundred notes to the bar...".

Female Rapper Foxy Brown refers to "Machine Gun Kelly" in her song "Massacre"

Mentioned in These Animal Men's ''I'm Not Your Babylon'': "Machine Gun Kelly was the first to crack".

Rapper of the same name from Cleveland, Ohio. See Machine Gun Kelly (rapper).

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

FBI file on George "Machine Gun Kelly" Barnes

Category:Alcatraz inmates Category:American bank robbers Category:American criminals Category:American mobsters Category:American kidnappers Category:American people who died in prison custody Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Category:Bootleggers Category:Deaths from myocardial infarction Category:Depression-era gangsters Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States federal government Category:Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government Category:Prisoners who died in United States federal government detention Category:1895 births Category:1954 deaths

de:Machine Gun Kelly fr:Machine Gun Kelly it:George R. Kelly ja:マシンガン・ケリー ro:George Kelly ru:Барнс, Джордж Келли sv:Machine Gun Kelly he:משין גאן קלי

Name	Sean Paul
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Birth date	January 09, 1973
Birth place	Kingston, Jamaica
Genre	Dancehall, reggae, R&B;, ragga
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, producer, actor
Years active	1996–present
Label	VP, Atlantic
Website	}}

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born January 9, 1973), who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican dancehall and reggae artist.

Life and career[link]

1973–96: Early life[link]

Sean Paul was born in Kingston and spent his early years in Upper Andrew Parish, a few miles north of Kingston. His parents, Garth and Frances, were both talented athletes, and his mother is a well-known painter. His paternal grandfather was a Sephardic Jew whose family emigrated from Portugal, and his paternal grandmother was Afro-Caribbean; his mother is of English and Chinese Jamaican descent. Sean Paul was raised as a Catholic. Many members of his family are swimmers. His grandfather was on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Sean Paul's mother was a backstroke swimmer. Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of thirteen to twenty-one, when he gave up the sport in order to launch his musical career. He attended the Wolmers High School for Boys, Belair School, Hillel Academy High School, and the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, where he was trained in commerce with a view to pursuing an occupation in hotel management.

1998–2000: ''Stage One''[link]

Sean Paul's manager and producer Jeremy Harding first heard about the singer when his brother told him about seeing someone at a small open mic event in Kingston who sounded a lot like the popular dancehall DJ and toaster Super Cat. Harding eventually met the singer when Sean Paul came by his studio to ask for some advice. During the meeting Paul recorded a vocal over Harding's rhythm track and in the process created the song "Baby Girl". Sean Paul began hanging out at the studio every day, and the pair collaborated on several more tracks. When they recorded "Infiltrate" they decided they had something good enough to get on the radio. As Sean Paul started to attract local attention, Harding began looking after his affairs. He later told HitQuarters that his support of Paul's fledgling career initially led him assuming the roles of "DJ, manager, road manager and security guard." Sean Paul made a quick cameo appearance in the 1998 film ''Belly'' on stage performing. He made a very successful collaboration with DMX & Mr. Vegas (Top Shotter) as a soundtrack of the film. In 2000, Sean Paul released his debut album, ''Stage One'' with VP Records.

2001–02: ''Dutty Rock''[link]

In 2002, he began working extensively with a team of producers and choreographers from Toronto, namely Jae Blaze and Blaze Entertainment and announced the release of his second album, ''Dutty Rock''. Pushed by the success of the singles "Gimme the Light" and the Billboard Hot 100 topper, "Get Busy", the album was a worldwide success, eventually selling over six million copies. Simultaneously, Sean Paul was heard on Beyoncé's U.S. #1 single "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe", a chart hit in Europe. Both helped to push his reputation further still in the United States. He appeared on ''Punk'd'', ''106 & Park'', ''Sean Paul Respect'', ''Making the Video'' ("Get Busy", "Gimme the Light", and "Like Glue") and his music videos have been broadcast on MTV and BET. Paul's biggest hits included "Get Busy", "Like Glue", "Gimme the Light", "Baby Boy", and "I'm Still in Love with You".

2003–05: ''The Trinity''[link]

Sean Paul's third album ''The Trinity'' was released in on September 27, 2005. The album produced five big hits, "We Be Burnin'", "Ever Blazin'", "Give It Up to Me", "Never Gonna Be The Same" and the U.S. chart-topping smash hit "Temperature". The video of "Give It Up to Me" (featuring Keyshia Cole) was also featured in the movie ''Step Up'' in 2006. He was nominated for four awards at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, including male artist of the year, rap artist of the year, hot 100 single of the year, and pop single of the year for his hit "Temperature". He also won an American Music Award for "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me" beating Kanye West and Nick Lachey who were also nominated for the award. His song "Send It On" from "The Trinity" featured on the 2005 Vauxhall Corsa advert. Sean Paul often contributes his songs to various ''Riddim Driven'' albums (by VP Records). In March 2007, he returned to his native Jamaica to perform at the Cricket World Cup 2007 opening ceremony. Sean Paul appears on the game Def Jam: Fight for NY as part of Snoop Dogg's crew and again in the game's sequel, Def Jam Icon.

2006–10: ''Imperial Blaze''[link]

The newest Sean Paul album entitled "Imperial Blaze" was released on August 18, 2009. The lead single, “So Fine”, which was produced by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, premiered on Sean Paul's official website on April 26, 2009. Speaking to Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' magazine in August 2009, Sean Paul stated that 'Imperial Blaze' "Actually signifies 'The King's Fire'. It's that thing inside of you that gives you the desire to do whatever you do, and be the best in the world at it." The new album consists of 20 tracks including "So Fine", "Press it Up", "She Want Me", "Private Party" which are party tracks and also love songs such as "Hold My Hand" (feat Keri Hilson), "Lately", "Now That I've Got Your Love" among others. Producers on the album include Don Corleone, Jeremy Harding, and Sean's brother Jason 'Jigzagula' Henriques. All the full songs of the album have been added to Sean Paul's Myspace page on the day of release of the album.

Up until now there have been eight music videos: "Always On My Mind (with Da'Ville)", "Give It To You (with Eve)", "Watch Them Roll", "Back It Up" (with Left Side/Mr. Evil), "(I Wanna See You) Push It Baby" (with Pretty Ricky), "Hit 'Em" (with Fahrenheit and his brother Jason "Jigzagula" Henriques), "Come Over" with Estelle, and also the video of his first single, "So Fine" from the new album. He has recently been featured in Shaggy's video, "Save A Life", which also includes appearances from Elephant Man and Da'Ville, among others. In an effort to raise money for a children's hospital, Shaggy, Sean Paul and others will be having a benefit concert. All proceeds will go towards getting new equipment and technology 'For Aid to the Bustamante Hospital for Children'. In an interview in 2009 he says he is planning to release a new album in 2011. During the premiere for MNET's Big Brother Africa 5: All-Stars on July 18, 2010, he performed his songs "Temperature", "Hold My Hand", and "So Fine".

2011–present: ''Tomahawk Technique''[link]

The first single Got 2 Luv U features vocals from American singer Alexis Jordan. It was released on the July 19, 2011 by Atlantic Records. The song was written by Sean Paul, Ryan Tedder and Stargate, and it was produced by Stargate.

She Doesn't Mind is the second single from the album. It was written by Sean Paul, Shellback and Benny Blanco and was produced by Shellback and Benny Blanco. It was released on the September 29, 2011 on NRJ & Skyrock (French radios), and to iTunes on October 31. Like its proceeder, "Got 2 Luv U", featuring Alexis Jordan, it topped the charts in Switzerland, but it debuted at that spot. Sean appeared on the ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' episode which aired on November 21, 2011.

Sean Paul is featured in the music video for the Simple Plan song Summer Paradise.

Discography [link]

;Studio albums

''Stage One'' (2000)

''Dutty Rock'' (2002)

''The Trinity'' (2005)

''Imperial Blaze'' (2009)

''Tomahawk Technique'' (2012)

;Mixtapes

''The Odyssey Mixtape'' (2009)

Filmography[link]

;Films

1998

Year !! Title !! Role
	|	Belly (film)>Belly''	Himself

Awards and nominations[link]

American Music Awards

*2006, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist (winner)

*2003, Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Male Artist (nominated)

*2003, Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Album ''Dutty Rock'' (nominated)

BET Awards

*2003, Best New Artist (Nominated)

MTV Romania Music Awards

*2007, Best International Artist (winner)

Grammy Awards

*2004, Best New Artist: (nominated)

*2004, Best Rap Solo Performance: ''Get Busy'' (nominated)

*2004, Best Reggae Album: ''Dutty Rock'' (winner)

*2006, Best Reggae Album: ''The Trinity'' (nominated)

*2010, Best Reggae Album: ''Imperial Blaze'' (nominated)

MOBO Awards

*2009, Best Reggae Act (Winner)

*2006, Best Reggae Act (Winner)

*2005, Best Reggae Act (Nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards

*2006, Best Dance Video "Temperature" (nominated)

*2003, Best Dance Video "Get Busy" (nominated)

*2003, Best New Artist "Get Busy" (nominated)

Soul Train Awards

*2009, Best Reggae Artist (Winner)

*2007, Best Dance Cut "When You Gonna (Give It Up to Me " (nominated)

References[link]

External links[link]

Category:1973 births Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jamaican Roman Catholics Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican people of Chinese descent Category:Jamaican people of Jewish descent Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Living people Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Jamaican people of English descent Category:Reggae fusion artists

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